The 5 Best Happy Hour Oyster Deals In Seattle, According To A Local

As a city built around different waterways, Seattle is a haven for seafood lovers. This is especially true when it comes to oysters, which aren't just limited to wild catches — the Puget Sound, which spans the entire length of the city's western side, is home to some of the nation's premier oyster farms, as is the nearby Hood Canal. Naturally, this resulted in an abundance of oyster bars and seafood restaurants specializing in oysters around Seattle, which I've enjoyed exploring since moving here in 2018.

Now, I'm originally from the East Coast and grew up on Atlantic oysters — certainly tasty in their own right — but the cool thing about the Seattle oyster scene is its variety. There are quite a few types that thrive here, both in the wild and on farms, from bright and sweet Kumamotos to rich Pacifics and small, briny Olympias. That's just talking about the oysters themselves; the places to go eat oysters are also pleasantly varied, both in atmosphere and how the tasty mollusks are prepared. Some oyster spots get super creative with mignonettes and toppings, but I think a great oyster should taste clean without much extra fuss. I also think they shouldn't be too expensive. But, since this is Seattle (one of America's priciest cities), it's worth knowing where to go. Taking all of this into account, here are some of my favorite spots for happy hour oysters in terms of taste and value.

When I first moved to Seattle and asked about oysters, The Walrus & The Carpenter is where I was pointed. This place is like an upscale seafood restaurant meets casual fisherman's pub, which creates a uniquely relaxed vibe with some of the best food on the block (a block packed full of restaurants, by the way). If you're in the Seattle area for a while and you're not sure what kind of oysters you like, checking out this guide to buying oysters helps, but so does attending the happy hour here.

There are various cocktails on special, which is always a plus, but the true stars are inarguably the oysters. Providing an awesome opportunity to explore different varieties, The Walrus & The Carpenter rotates which oysters are on happy hour special (only $2 each!), so it pays to keep visiting. Being from the East Coast originally, this is also the place where I actually learned what Pacific Northwest — specifically, Washington — oysters actually taste like. All of the oysters here are brought in daily via several different Washington shellfish companies based around the Puget Sound and Hood Canal, so you get a truly fresh and authentic taste of the region as a whole.

Another place offering $2 oysters for happy hour, Half Shell stands out for two things. One, this spot is super close to Pike Place Market and all the main tourist stops, so it's very conveniently located if you're visiting the city and staying somewhere downtown. Two, its happy hour is an amazing three hours long every day of the week.

I came here for the raw oysters on the half shell (shucker's choice daily). But, as I soon discovered, that's just one of the gems on the happy hour menu. I highly recommend the roasted oysters with 'nduja butter, which comes sprinkled with breadcrumbs and offers up a softly tangy succulence you don't get with just the raw form. Both oyster options are on happy hour special; if you're hungry, why not try both? That's exactly what a friend and I did, and we also added the Dirty Martini Dip (another item hot off the happy hour menu) on the side. Turns out, that helps bring out some zesty new flavorful depths in oysters.

I don't live anywhere near here, yet this is one of my favorite oyster spots in the entire city. Out on Alki Beach in West Seattle, Salty's is set apart from most other parts of Seattle. However, it's well worth the trek — and not just because it offers some of the best skyline views of downtown you can get around here.

As I learned upon arrival, this place doesn't have "happy hour." It has "crabby hour," where you can get all its main staples at a discount. This includes oysters for just $3. That's a really good deal in pricey Seattle alone, but it's wise to come hungry if you really want to get your money's worth. If you get the "Shucker's Dozen" at crabby hour, the 13th oyster comes free. As I found, though, you want to leave plenty of time for walking off all that food on the nearby beach path afterward.

I admit that I first thought the name "Oyster Cellar" sounded kind of divey, but I couldn't have been more wrong. Not only is this place definitely on the classy side, but it more than hits all the marks for a place you can trust to order raw oysters from.

I first came here with just one friend, but I've since returned multiple times with a whole group. That's because this oyster bar offers freshly shucked half dozen and dozen orders at a significant discount during happy hour: Half dozen plates drop to $18 from $22, while the full dozen goes down to $36 from $42. Translation: That's a steal for the Seattle oyster scene. The quality is very consistent too since the team sources all its oysters from just three places around the region, vetted carefully by the owners for quality. There's ample seating in the bar for groups too, and the "daiquiri of the day" adds an extra dose of fun along with a tasty accompaniment to your fresh mollusks.

The White Swan Public House's location right on Lake Union is enough to draw in visitors, but the excellent surf and turf menu is what has locals like me coming back for seconds and thirds. I was initially a bit disappointed to find that regular oysters are not on happy hour special here, but that quickly faded when I discovered that all small plates are $2 off. This includes a plate of incredibly tasty baked oysters, which you can't always find at seafood spots here. All of the salads, sandwiches, and most drinks are discounted during happy hour too, so you can dine pretty darn well between 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. 

Another aspect that makes The White Swan Public House a worthy addition to this list is its cocktail lineup. The drinks here rival some of Seattle's best cocktail bars, and they have a robust selection of tequila, gin, vodka, and champagne. If you're wondering why this is important, the best cocktails to pair with oysters help coax out flavorful nuances in the bivalves that you may miss otherwise. On that note, be sure to ask your server if there's a cocktail on special during happy hour.