Oyster Bar at Palace Station

Oyster Bar at Palace Station title picture

The Mission

I’ve been on this mission to visit the tiny, but very popular Oyster Bar at the Palace Station Casino in Las Vegas. It all started last year, when I heard Dave Chang talking about it on his podcast. I can’t remember the exact episode, but he was talking about the casual “neighborhood” spots that make the most delicious food in Las Vegas.

On this mission, I also learned that the Oyster Bar is an icon that has been around for 25+ years. It was modeled after the Oyster Bar in Grand Central Station in New York City.

Oyster Bar at Palace Station shot of the bar

The Line

There are few things in this world that I will stand in a line for, especially before 9 a.m., but there I was! An hour in line on the morning of Labor Day, and I would gladly do it again. I was skeptical about eating seafood for breakfast, but we thought we had the best chances with the line, if we went in the morning.

I have to respect a place with clear cut rules, too. You have to have at least 1 person from your party in the line at all times, no smoking in line, all of your party must be present to be seated, and no minors in line, since it’s a bar. By the time we left, the wait was 2 hours long. Yes, it is that good.

The Service

The entire time we were there, we saw 4 people working behind the counter. It’s a small place, but it’s non-stop. The cook prepared the dishes in pots right in front of us, and a woman shucked our dozen oysters in record time.

Our orders were taken shortly after we sat down and the food came promptly. To say we were impressed with how smoothly they ran everything would be an understatement. It was amazing to watch their efficiency in action.

The Food

So what did we order?? I was torn, because the cioppino looked and sounded so amazing, but I was intrigued by their pan roasts, which were described as a “neighborhood” favorite. I settled on the Combo Pan Roast which had shrimp, crab, and lobster in a creamy tomato stew.

The creaminess of the stew was balanced with a ton of seafood. When I started to feel full, I looked at my bowl in disbelief, as there were still 5 big pieces of shrimp in the bowl. I couldn’t leave them behind, but definitely couldn’t finish all of the stew. We saw lots of people leaving with their leftovers, because of the generous portions.

My sister ordered the Manhattan Clam Chowder which had a tomato broth instead of the creamy, white soup associated with New England Clam Chowder. I tasted it, and it had a peppery kick to it. She also added okra to her chowder.

Both dishes were served with white stemed rice, cause seriously how else would you eat this soupy goodness?

We couldn’t come ot THE Oyster Bar and not get some oysters! This is actually how we started our meal; a dozen oysters that were absolutely fresh and delicious. I mentioned this before, but we actually saw the woman shucking our oysters, and the chef cooking up our pan roast and chowder. This stuff is made to order and nothing is sitting around out in the open for any period of time, before it’s served to you.

Will I Go Back?

I love fine dining as much as the next person, but the Oyster Bar really was my speed. Casual, open at all hours, amazing and generous portions of seafood, and quick, friendly service. Pretty much my pescatarian dream come true! The only problem is now I will have to make it a part of every future trip to Las Vegas. Next time I’ll plan it, so I can fit in a round of Bingo, after I’m done eating at the bar.