You may have heard that you’re only supposed to eat oysters in months that contain the letter “r.” While that’s not necessarily true anymore — and Virginia-area oysters are pretty delicious any time of the year — it’s still hard to pass up the chance to enjoy fresh oysters in their prime season. Arguably the best way to enjoy the bivalve is at oyster happy hours, where NoVA-area bars and restaurants get shucking and offer steep discounts on their raw-bar offerings. Here are six oyster happy hours to check out in the area.
King Street Oyster Bar
Visit during happy hour — from 3 to 6:30 p.m. daily — for $1.50 oysters. You can choose from East or West Coast oysters, and order in increments of threes. Pair the oysters with a cocktail or wine, which are discounted to $7 during happy hour. Happy hour seatings are limited to 90 minutes per table. 12 S. King St., Leesburg; 1 E. Washington St., Middleburg
Hank’s Oyster Bar
At Hank’s, you’ll find freshly shucked East Coast oysters for $2.50 each during happy hour, from 4 to 6 p.m. Tuesdays to Fridays at the bar. It’s a rotating selection of oysters based on seasonal availability, and it comes with lemon, Hank’s cocktail sauce, mignonette, and oyster crackers. If you’re not in the mood for something raw but still want oysters, try the fried oyster slider. 818 S. St. Asaph St., Alexandria
Bear Branch Tavern
Stop in to this Vienna restaurant for a special on oysters at 4 p..m. every Tuesday. Enjoy oysters for $1, plus steamed peel-and-eat shrimp, Maine mussels, Alaskan snow crab clusters, and Cajun hush puppies. 133 Maple Ave. E., Vienna
Lyon Hall
This French brasserie in Clarendon offers a happy hour deal of oysters on the half shell for $9 for six or $18 for 12. The happy hour runs from 4 to 6 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays and 3 to 6 p.m. Fridays through Sundays. Other happy hour bites include jumbo shrimp, charcuterie, a warm Bavarian pretzel, and more. 3100 N. Washington Blvd., Arlington
Fish Market
This Alexandria restaurant specializes in seafood, and its happy hour in the bar is no exception. Visit on weekdays between 3 and 6 p.m. for local raw oysters priced at $20 a dozen, or local raw clams for $15 a dozen. Keep the seafood coming with more deals on spiced peel-and-eat shrimp and sautéed mussels, plus crab dip and calamari. 105 King St., Alexandria
Chasin’ Tails
In addition to its typical weekday happy hour, Chasin’ Tails has extra deals from 4 to 6 p.m. on Mondays and Tuesdays. Find charbroiled oysters for $2 each or raw Chesapeake Bay oysters for $1 each. The oyster specials are sold in sets of six. Even if you can’t make the happy hour, the new fall menu features oysters Rockefeller. 944 W. Broad St., Falls Church
Feature image of King Street Oyster Bar by Rey Lopez for LeadingDC
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