Updated May 2021
If you love fresh seafood, you don’t need to head to the coast to find it. Dallas has a growing number of fresh seafood spots as well as some established treasures that serve delicious and high quality fare. Here is a look at some of the best seafood restaurants around town!
Dive is tucked into an unassuming street in Snider Plaza and has been serving up fresh coastal cuisine for almost 10 years. This eatery has a fresh, bright atmosphere and food to match. Dive offers light dishes like salads, wraps, and larger share plates that promise to be organic, non-GMO, and local whenever possible.
photo courtesy of Dive
Montlake Cut is one of Dallas restauranter Nick Badovinus’ popular concepts and is as delicious as all the rest. Badovinus is behind Dallas favorites like Town Hearth, Off-Site Kitchen, Perfect Union Pizza Co., and Neighborhood Services. Originally from Seattle’s Puget Sound, Badovinus grew up surrounded by seafood, so it only makes sense that he would finally bring his talents to the aquatic genre. Montlake Cut serves up fish tacos, noodle bowls, poké, and seafood Milanese all on the same menu along with other seafood favorites like oysters, a raw bar, and crudo.
Oysters, Oysters, Oysters. While Hudson House has a wide ranging menu including everything from salads to sandwiches to pasta dishes, the big hit here that you don’t want to miss is the raw bar. They have an amazing selection of oysters from across the coasts or if you want to try a little bit of everything from their raw bar, you can order one of their “Towers,” which comes with an assortment of crab claws, tuna tartare, shrimp cocktail, and more.
Feeling adventurous? Try the Royal Bloody: Absolut Elyx, house made bloody mix, bleu cheese olives, shrimp, shucked oyster, and a chili rim!
Head over to Rex’s Seafood and Market in the Dallas Farmer’s Market if you’re looking for a fun atmosphere! You can order your food and enjoy it at the bar, inside the market, or on a sunny day – hop outside. Rex’s offers a great happy hour from 3-6 p.m. Monday-Friday with $2 oysters, dollar off drafts and wine by the glass. They also have some creative dishes like the tuna nachos and white clam flatbread!
photo courtesy of Rex's
TJ’S SEAFOOD MARKET & GRILL
TJ’s is a classic in Dallas with two locations: one in Preston Hollow off Royal Lane and one in Turtle Creek off Oak Lawn Avenue. The Turtle Creek TJ’s functions more like a market with a more casual, creative feel serving up entrees like shrimp enchiladas or a hot and sour shrimp soba bowl. Whereas, the Royal location has more classic fish dishes.
Bonus: On Friday and Saturday, they do reverse happy hour from 9-10 p.m., and on Tuesdays from 6-9pm they offer ½ price bottles of wine! Also, the Preston Hollow location has an Oyster Happy hour Sundays starting at 6pm!
Lovers Seafood and Market is a creation from Tracy Rathbun and Lynae Fearing, the duo behind Dallas favorite, Shinsei and Imoto. Lover’s Seafood is another one of the popular restaurant and market combinations where you can enjoy a delicious meal there or pick up your shellfish to go. Rathbun and Fearing’s goal with Lover’s Seafood is to showcase all the ocean has to offer, serve nothing but high quality dishes, provide exceptional service and maintain reasonable costs for customers. On top of all that, they strive to be globally responsible and maintain the health and sustainability of our oceans.
photo courtesy of Lover's Seafood & Market
Truluck's is a high-end seafood restaurant offering only the best ingredients and exquisite experience. They pride themselves on their simple, honest food and are known for their various fresh crab dishes. Perfect for a fancy date night or a special occasion, their Dallas and Southlake locations offer the ultimate dining experience!
If you're looking for a causal beach front feel in a city, look no further than Aw Shucks or Big Shucks, which are under the same ownership! From shrimp to oysters to po' boy sandwiches, they've got it all! When you go, make sure to try the House Specialty Shrimp Cocktail, which is a chilled beer glass filled with shrimp, cilantro, onion, avocado, tomato and peppers.
MULTIPLE LOCATIONS
photo courtesy of Aw Shucks
Ocean Prime, an award-winning restaurant, is the perfect place for a sophisticated steak and seafood meal. With various locations throughout the country, they source the highest quality ingredients, so you can be confident about what you're feeding yourself. Their fish is selected daily for optimal freshness, and their steaks are USDA Prime cuts aged for maximum flavor and tenderness.
photo courtesy of Ocean Prime
Inspired by Gulf Coast seafood houses and southern bayou bait shacks, Hook Line & Sinker has some of the best seafood in Dallas! From oysters to crab legs to clam chowder, you are sure to get your seafood fix here. They also have burgers, salads and a wide variety of sides for those tagging along but looking for something else!
In the heart of Deep Ellum lives St. Pete's, a charming seafood restaurant but with more than just seafood. There's something on their menu for everyone, and they have a great happy hour deal! From 4-7pm Monday-Friday you can get $3.50 domestics and wells and dollar off glasses of wine. They have additional daily drink specials, so check out their website for the specials of the week!
