Oystercatchers Celebrates 40 Years With a Fresh Take on Coastal Dining

Oystercatchers has been a local favorite since 1986, and to celebrate 40 years on the bay, the restaurant is returning to its roots with renovations and a new menu inspired by fresh seafood and Gulf-inspired dishes.

“We've been here for 40 years coming up this year and have had many different stages in its long life, and we are entering a new stage where we’re really focusing on getting the restaurant back to its roots. This is a restaurant that was always rooted in coastal seafood and Southern cuisine,” said Chef Shelby.

Chef Shelby said the transformation is recentering Oystercatchers and bringing customers back to more traditional coastal dining.

“It’s been a really fun project to get to rewrite the menu and try to bring it back to what people expect of this space,” she said.

Oystercatchers recently underwent renovations to complement Chef Shelby’s menu and honor the history of the restaurant, which sits along the bay.

Throughout the restaurant, artifacts and wallpaper in various areas highlight the sea life surrounding the restaurant, including sailboats, oystercatcher birds and maps. Even the dinner menu has a treasure-map feel, with details including a leather exterior and burned edges on the pages.

The new menu was released in September, and Chef Shelby said feedback during its first month has been largely positive.

For Chef Shelby, she wanted the menu to not only spotlight coastal seafood but also feature locally sourced ingredients.