The Best Oyster Bars in New Orleans for a Bachelorette Happy Hour

Why Oysters Belong on the Itinerary

Every New Orleans bachelorette needs a bridge between the pool float afternoon and the Frenchmen Street night. Oyster happy hour is that bridge.

It is cheap, it is sit-down, and it gets the whole group in one place with a cocktail before the evening scatters everyone.

The Best Oyster Bars

Felix's Restaurant & Oyster Bar

Best for: The classic French Quarter counter | Price: Happy hour raw oysters at $0.75 each

Felix's has been shucking across from Jackson Brewery for generations and its happy hour is the best oyster deal in the Quarter. Monday through Friday from 3 to 6 pm, raw oysters run $0.75 each, $4.50 for a half dozen, or $9 a dozen.

Order this: A dozen raw and a round of buffalo oysters for the skeptics in the group.

Drago's Seafood Restaurant

Best for: The chargrilled original | Price: Mid-range, worth it

Drago's invented the charbroiled oyster, and locals still describe it as one of the best single bites in the city. Garlic butter, parmesan, char, and bread to mop it up.

Order this: Two dozen charbroiled for the table. One dozen disappears in ninety seconds.

Superior Seafood & Oyster Bar

Best for: St. Charles Avenue scene with a streetcar view | Price: Happy hour oysters at $1.25 each

Superior runs happy hour daily from 4 to 6:30 pm with $1.25 raw oysters and drink specials. Take the streetcar up St. Charles, make it a whole Uptown afternoon, and roll back down for dinner.

Order this: Raw dozen plus a French 75, which the house does properly.

The Blue Crab

Best for: Lakefront tables on the water | Price: Happy hour raw at $1, chargrilled at $1.50

Out on Lake Pontchartrain, Blue Crab runs $1 raw and $1.50 chargrilled oysters Tuesday through Thursday from 4 to 6:30 pm. It is the pick for the calmer early-trip night when the group wants sunset water views instead of Bourbon Street.

Order this: Chargrilled by the dozen while the sun drops over the lake.

Trenasse

Best for: Polished CBD stop near the hotels | Price: Happy hour half dozen raw for $7, chargrilled for $13

Inside the CBD near the big hotels, Trenasse runs a daily 3 to 6 pm happy hour with a half dozen raw for $7 or chargrilled for $13. Good first-night option while everyone is still arriving and dressed from travel.

Order this: Split raw and chargrilled, then decide which team you are on for the rest of the trip.

How to Build the Oyster Crawl

Day one, Trenasse near the hotel. Day two, Felix's at 3 pm sharp before a Quarter night. Day three, Superior with the streetcar ride as the activity. Chargrilled fans lobby hard for a Drago's detour, and they are right.

Planning Tips

• Happy hour windows are mostly 3 to 6 pm on weekdays. Build the crawl Thursday or Friday, not Saturday.
• Groups of 8 plus should split across the oyster bar counter and a table. The counter is half the experience.
• One person in every group does not do raw oysters. Chargrilled converts them every time.
• Prices and hours shift seasonally, so confirm the happy hour on the restaurant's site the week of your trip.