The Urban Oyster

This place is everything you are looking for! Comfortable setting, fantastic service, and the food was EVERYTHING and very affordable!! I highly recommend this beautiful restaurant. Girls night out, romantic evening for two ... whatever the occasion- this is the place for you!

I have been dying to come here since they opened their new spot, and I was so excited to see The Urban Oyster participating in Baltimore Restaurant Week! We had an early Sunday dinner from the Restaurant Week menu and the food, service, and atmosphere were stellar! Katie, our server, was so friendly and funny, she was super attentive even as the place filled up. The decor is beautiful, very understated with water themes. The lighting is warm and inviting, and my favorite part was the fish-print wallpaper on the ceiling in the bathrooms! The restaurant week (RW) menu was an absolute steal at $55 a person for all the food you get. And if you're going to the first Black female- owned oyster bar in the country, you're going to get a dozen oysters! The RW menu offered Chincoteagues, which are delicious and big, but they had a lot of other oysters on offer for the raw bar. I was very happy sipping my Pink Lady cocktail and eating oysters. The entrees were great. my husband loved the sweet tea brined Yardbird, and it was a full meal. My steak was delicious, it almost tasted like jerky with the maple glaze, and the green goddess mash was to die for. I absolutely loved the combo of flavors. I did order the steak medium and I feel it came a little on the rare side. I still very much enjoyed it as I don't mind a rare steak, but if you don't like red/pink, I'd suggest medium well to be safe! Dessert was so decadent, the key lime pie wasn't on the menu as it was a backup to the RW dessert, but it was thick, creamy, and very flavorful. The Taharka Brothers ice cream was fantastic, per usual, and I think Honey Graham is the reigning flavor. I can't wait to come back to try the regular menu, and eat way more oysters

Giving 3 stars because I'd say my experience was neutral. I tend to give establishments a lot of grace during the Valentine's weekend, but I do strongly feel experiences should be consistent regardless of what time of year you may be eating at an establishment, who is visiting the establishment, etc. That said, we visited on Saturday 2/15/25 and were immediately able to snag two seats at the bar. We were greeted upon sitting by super engaged bartenders. I appreciated that the bartenders were very poised and didn't seem to be overwhelmed. The ambiance of TUO is top notch, definitely giving downtown vibes BUT love that Chef Jasmine brought this level of sexy to Hampden. That's a win! On to the food...we ordered the Hugo Spritz and another drink, can't remember the name but you'll see it in the pictures. We also ordered the lobster corndog, chargrilled oysters (Cheeses Louise and Teriyaki), Beef Bourguignon, Seared Scallops, and Raw Oysters. The chargrilled oysters (which you'll be able to tell by the pic) were not consistent with what you'll see in other posted pics. They barely had any flavor filling and one of them was floating in more oyster juice than filling for sure. The lobster corndogs were giving old school McDonalds chicken nugget batter flavor but in the best way and paired with a creole honey mustard. So that combo in itself was relic of old school nuggets with the sweet n sour. Not sure that's what Chef Jasmine was going for, but if so-NAILED IT! The corndogs were delicious and I appreciated that the lobster was perfectly cooked and not over/rubbery. The scallops, flavorful and perfectly cooked BUT everything else about the dish was a complete miss for me. So much so, when I was packing my box to go, I almost left the risotto but didn't want to be rude so I took that to go too. The risotto was a little under and crunchy and the corn emulsion was extremely sweet. Visually, when you see the dish you're expecting that first bite to probably be a rich, savory, umami bomb but this was completely opposite of that which is why it was so trippy. That first bite for me, was a ton of sweetness from the corn, I'd assume because of course you don't SEE the corn but you can absolutely TASTE corn, it throws your palate into whack. I would not order that dish, in its current iteration, ever again. My friend devoured her short rib and when I tell you it was tender! No knife was ever needed for her dish. The plate and/or food presentation could've been tightened up in some places. As you'll see from my pics it looks as if someone smeared their hand through the powdered sugar on the corndog plate, the oysters as I noted earlier were lackluster in presentation. Again, this does not deter me from wanting to return, definitely giving them another chance. At this point, I can't give a 10/10 but I would recommend. I think I just went during the wrong time of year, but I'm definitely going back with the hopes that they were just having an off day-we all do. Cheers to a great time!

First time here and had a great time! We will definitely be going back. We went for my birthday, and my wife & I received complementary glasses of champagne. 10/10 service. Cocktails were great as well For food, we had grilled/charbroiled oysters -- the teriyaki ones were our least favorite, but that's probably because they don't have cheese. We also had the red snapper nuggets (10/10), Bronzino (7/10), and scallops (8/10).They also gave us a few bday cookies to go. Very thoughtful and enjoyable experience, we can't wait to go back

Happy hour here is a good deal. The menu is small, but varied, the service was impeccable, and the attention to detail and presentation were elevated. The deviled eggs were delightful and the oyster fritter on top was unexpected and delicious. The hot honey old bay on the wings was sweet without being sticky, and the catfish tacos were covered in a really great slaw. The star of the evening was the pineapple upside down cake, though. It was somehow both light and decadent. Great atmosphere for a quick bite.

Everything about the restaurant is amazing. The music. the service! The drinks and most importantly the food! I've been at least twice and the food has never disappointed!!!You can tell these chefs are dedicated to ensuring each item is prepared with care and spice. Every single thing was amazing, we scrapped our plates and were so stuffed on the way out. would 10/10 recommend for date night or an intimate dinner for 2-4 people. Make a reservation for the ultimate experience!

The appetizer were good but the best thing I had was the oysters . I toiledLove to see like a crab option and some more flavor with the dishes

We decided to stop by after exploring the Baltimore Christmas market - we had no idea how hard it is to get a table on a weekend. We were very pleased with everything. The restaurant was fully booked with reservations, but we sat comfortably at the bar as a group of 4 and had no issues receiving great and prompt service. Here are some specific notes: Cocktails - The Bodega Kitty is worth the hype! A perfect balance of sweet and sour, strong hibiscus flavor.Appetizers - The Deviled Eggs were 10/10, the texture was perffffect and I loved the oyster fritter topping - somehow it paired really well?! Not a combination I would've ever imagined! Entree - I loved the scallops! They were tender, juicy and perfectly cooked, and the corn risotto that paired with it was very filling and hearty - perfect for a cold night. Frankly, every dish was fantastic.. Also? The ambience and noise level was on point which seems to be a rarity these days in a lot of places. I actually appreciate the fact that there are fewer tables - gives a very intimate feel! I can't wait to go back and try all the other dishes!

When in town i always try something new. This black owned restaurant was not a miss. The ambiance, the menu, the food quality was all top tier. We had Katie as our waitress and she was great and knowledgeable about the menu. I ordered the wings to start and they were a hot honey old bay and seasoned right. Then I got the scallops and ricotta which was flavorful and with mushrooms as well. The margarita was so good I ordered a second one lol. The red snapper nuggets were flavored with a sweet glaze. The deviled eggs came with fried oysters on top. Will definitely go back again!

This place is an absolute treasure! From the delightful ambiance to the exceptional food and top-notch service, everything was perfection. Katie, our incredible waitress, truly shined--her professionalism and attentiveness made the evening even more special.The cocktails and wine were perfectly paired with our dishes, enhancing every bite. This spot is truly unforgettable, and I'm already looking forward to my next visit!