My biggest shock in moving out to LA was the complete lack of casual seafood shacks like one finds on the Jersey Shore, Cape Cod, Baltimore, etc. Gladstones, with it’s low quality, poorly prepared, overpriced fare never counted.
I read about this place some months ago and have been anxiously awaiting its opening, which occurred earlier this week. We opted to get there on Saturday at 11:30 AM right when it opened for lunch so that we could avoid a long wait. (They do not take reservations.)
We feasted on amazing oysters and clams on the half shell (they offer four varieties), grilled oysters, authentic steamers and broth, and a beautifully-buttered succulent lobster roll.
We look forward to going back another time to also try the ceviche, chowder, fisherman’s stew, crudo, and fish tacos.
All-in-all, great food, decent wine list, excellent and friendly service, and fair prices. Salvadore, the manager, gave us hints of what is coming in the future once they get things going. Most notable on the list for me is Ipswich clams, yay!! We also asked him why the salmon, which was the daily crudo offering that day, was farmed Atlantic when clearly all the other fish was better sourced and of much higher quality. He blamed it on convenience and ease for their early stages, and indicated it was his intent to procure wild down the line. He is still getting organized with his fish suppliers as he does not have enough room in the restaurant to meet the oyster demand. He is already getting two shipments a day.
This place is a gold mine. THey are working on some logistics so that people can put their name on a list and hit the promenade. But for now, try to go during an off hour (I am not sure when that will be) so the wait is not too excessive. But don’t let the wait deter you – it’s worth it.
We had a few technical difficulties with the photos, but you can at least see the amazing steamers and oyster plate, as well as the menu with pricing.
It was like being back East. Buttery brothy goodness
We sat outside. They are located on Ocean Ave so you do get a glimpse of the ocean from the patio. But pictured here is the bar. They also have a number of tables.
Blue Plate Oysterette
1355 Ocean Ave.
Santa Monica, CA 90401
(310) 576-3474
TheFoodieTraveler 
I just noticed this restaurant the other day, looks great, although I believe it is located on Ocean Ave, not PCH….
Oops, you are correct. For some reason I always think the road that runs next to the ocean in SM is PCH. I will make the correction. thanks
Please add me to your blog.
Happy eating.
really want a great NE lobster roll but DANG. $22… when lobster prices have fallen so drastically?
I know, it is pricey. Lots of people said the same thing (see this post on chow). In response, I actually researched the going price in Cape Cod for lobster rolls, and it is about $16-$18, some more. And lobster is WAY cheaper there. I have made these myself at home, and they are quite labor intensive to make, so I don’t begrudge them for charging for the labor any more than I do when a pay them (or any oyster bar) $2.25 for an oyster that costs $1.25 unshucked at the market. Shucking oysters is another thing I hate doing at home. Also, from purely a cost standpoint, I think this is a much better deal than the $10+ premium sushi bars charge for lobster or (real) crab rolls. That said, I literally had this same argument with one of my employees who went there this past weekend, and he had the same complaint. I said it is the same $20 you would have paid for a whole 1 lb lobster, but they did all the work. He said that while he would have no problem paying this for the whole lobster, he just doesn’t feel right paying this much when he could have had a very similar taste experience preparing crab or shrimp the same way for far less money; he thinks the mayo butter sauce cheapens the lobster.