Oysters are a small piece of the seafood map in Columbus, mostly riding shotgun on surf-and-turf menus or showing up in a boil bag next to the crawfish. This guide sorts the rooms that treat shellfish seriously from the ones where it is a side thought, from a Bethel Road sushi counter to the boil houses scattered across the city.
№ 01
Lee's Seafood Boil
$$
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Crawfish, jumbo clams, and shrimp arrive by the pound in a homemade sauce with a heat option, and oysters slot into the boil bag alongside them. The Columbus room fills up fast on weekends, Sunday evenings included, which says something about repeat business. Service gets named specifically in the record, a good sign in a format where the table can turn into a mess fast.
What to ordercrawfish, jumbo clams, shrimp
№ 02
M&M Chicken & Fish
$
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This is a fried fish counter first, catfish dinners and wings, not an oyster house, but it belongs on a seafood-boil and fry list for the strip-mall plate lunch it does well. The catfish comes seasoned and coated with a side of sweet potato worth ordering. Check the posted in-restaurant price against the online menu before ordering ahead.
What to orderfried fish dinner, catfish dinner, chicken wings
№ 03
The Pearl
$$
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The Jalapeño Corn Spoon Bread and Confit Wings carry this Columbus brunch room more than any raw bar item, alongside a Beet Salad built on apple, egg, and blue cheese. Devils on horseback and deviled eggs round out a shareable start. It reads as a group brunch destination with real kitchen ambition, not a dedicated oyster address.
What to orderJalapeño Corn Spoon Bread, Confit Wings, Beet Salad
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Set inside the Bethel Road Japan Marketplace, this sushi room built its name on nigiri and maki rather than oysters, though the raw bar draws serious sushi loyalists. Service reads as warm and attentive across the record, family tables included. Worth the plaza parking lot for anyone treating Columbus sushi as a category worth taking seriously.
What to ordersushi, nigiri, maki
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Crab Boil is the anchor here, with shrimp and oysters filling out the bag for groups who want a shellfish spread without a formal raw bar. Service gets singled out as informative and outgoing in the stronger accounts, though the record also includes a sharp customer-service complaint. Go in with a group and an appetite for mess.
What to orderCrab Boil, shrimp, oysters
Frequently asked
What is the best oyster restaurant near me in Columbus?
It depends on which side of the city you are on and whether you want oysters straight or in a boil bag. Lee's Seafood Boil and Kai's Crab Boil both work oysters into shareable seafood boils, while Akai Hana on Bethel Road handles raw bar and sushi with more polish. None of these restaurants paid for placement; each carries an Insider Score based on the review record.
Are there dedicated raw oyster bars in Columbus?
Not really, based on the record here. Oysters in this city tend to show up as one component of a bigger seafood boil or a supporting item on a surf-and-turf menu like Eddie Merlot's, rather than anchoring their own raw bar program.
Is Eddie Merlot's a good choice for oysters and seafood?
It is priced for a special occasion, and the record is mixed on consistency: strong nights land well, especially during Restaurant Week, while other visits report undercooked execution on the pot stickers and a thin portion on the ahi tuna. The Insider Score reflects that split record, not a guarantee of quality every visit.
What should I order at a Columbus seafood boil spot?
At Lee's Seafood Boil and Kai's Crab Boil, the move is a pound or two of crawfish or a full Crab Boil with shrimp and oysters mixed in, sauced to your heat level. Both rooms draw groups on weekends, so expect a wait and a full house at peak times.
