Little Em's Oyster Bar

Fantastic location! Perfect for a midday happy hour or early dinner - the lighting is EVERYTHING! We loved the experience and the options of oysters on the menu. We had several kinds of oysters and they were ALL delicious. Service was a liiiiitttle slow.

As a 15 year plus downtown resident, this is our backyard. With 30 plus years in the hospitality field (now retired) I feel I can bring you real insight into our locations. The good, the bad and the ugly. If we run across a serious issue, I will always go directly to management and not post it. I truly believe you always must give management an opportunity to correct a serious issue. If not correct and or just ignored, then I feel is correct to inform the public - professionally. No establishment is perfect. I will bring to you smaller hiccups we may have come across. I'm always here for general downtown questions and possible recommendations. First time going to the new location, as they have moved across the street still in South town. Overall, very good. We all agreed we thought the price point was a bit high Vs what we got. Example, we agreed that the tacos should really be in the bites section. A stretch to call this a meal. The oysters, again for the price point, seemed a small portion/oyster. Two lobster rolls were ordered, again for the price point, thought a little more between the buns. Peeps that joined us are from Maryland and now a little about lobster rolls! They both said the product was very good.The ambience was nice. Great outdoor seating space, we decided to go inside. They also have a bar that you can sit at. Wouldn't say noisy, but you could clearly hear other people around you.Three plates came out, and the last one took about 5 minutes to arrive. Somewhat awkward as we had to decide whether to eat or wait for the last dish to come out. Ha, there are friendship lines, we all decided to eat lol. We all agreed on the meals - very tasty. Service was spot on. You typically see these prices on the Riverwalk, but again very tasty. Desert was off the charts! Odd that they only had cold brew coffee, like a nice hot coffee after the meal with the dessert - fireworks.We will be back for a special occasion.

The oysters were good but that was kind of where it stopped for me.Things I did not like:1) The acoustics were just terrible. You can hear what people are saying on the other side of the room better than what someone is saying right next to you.2) The service was only okay. Kind of inattentive.3) All non-oyster items were about 20%-30% overpriced.4) Non cocktail drink selection was pretty limited.Went on a recommendation but ultimately left underwhelmed. One visit was probably enough for me.

The staff were all nice and patient with any questions we had. Our reservation was at 7pm and at 630 the manager called to inform us they were out of the majority of the menu. Put a sour taste in our mouth, however we still came to our reservation just to try this place out. While sitting there enjoying our drinks the staff pulled out a menu item that was voiced was out of stock. We asked our server and they informed us the item was now available. While this was a highly recommended place I'd go back for drinks with friends however I would not go back for the food. It was limited and it's nothing to do with the staff they were working with what they had. I just expected an oyster bar to have oysters. If they are limited at all times they should put that on the reservations. There should also be a 2 hour window to call and inform people of food availability.

I honestly wish I could give it a 5 but I left very disappointed. Went during happy hour we ordered two martinis which were tasty. A little small but it's happy hour so whatever. My husband and I just wanted to share a plate as we weren't very hungry. Ordered one lobster roll and he offered to have it cut in half for us. The size of the roll was extremely tiny when it came out they cut it in half and my husband and I grabbed each half. I ate it in 3 bites :/ Watch your bill when you go to pay!! They charged us two rolls and a 20% gratuity, I let him know we only had one roll and he did remove the second roll charge but 20% gratuity is outrageous!!! Especially with all the hiccups. Don't think we'll be back and it's a shame because it's such a cute place with cool decor.

They moved across the street to where Upscale used to be! The place is still pretty and pink, with sea accents, which I love! Very clean and sleek, with ample patio seating, the indoor seating is better than the old location, but it's still a fairly small restaurant! Service was great, our server helped us choosing what to order and got us moved to seats when the sun came out. Everyone is so nice!Food was good and tastes "elevated" if that makes sense! I was told the tortillas for the tacos were all made in house so I got myself some and they were delicious! I will say that the plates are a bit small and I wasn't full after our mains, snapper crudo app and an oyster. I usually eat less than most too. Just make sure to take it into consideration! Also the prices in the area are a bit elevated too, so keep that in mind when you're planning to visit !!

Our first visit to Little Em's Oyster Bar was fantastic, and we're already looking forward to returning. From start to finish, every dish and drink impressed us.We began with tuna tartare and a selection of oysters. The oysters were fresh, clean, and absolutely delicious, and the tuna tartare was bursting with flavor--a perfect way to start the meal. I ordered the lobster roll for mains while my husband went with the hamburger. Both were exceptional; we can't say enough good things about how perfectly they were prepared.The vibe at Little Em's is laid-back, making it a perfect spot to relax and enjoy fresh seafood. The service was impeccable--friendly, helpful, and attentive without being intrusive. As for cocktails, I had a mimosa, and my husband enjoyed a Michelada, both of which added to the overall experience.One thing to keep in mind: reservations are a must. Little Em's is a small, quaint restaurant, so planning ahead is essential to ensure you get a spot.If you're in the mood for amazing seafood and great drinks in a relaxed setting, Little Em's is a must-visit. We can't wait to return!

The mussels had to be my absolute favorite. Enjoyed the oysters & I tried their burger as well which wasn't anything impressive. Overall, it was a cute spot but service was definitely lacking. Stood at the door for about 10 mins before I decided to just seat myself at the bar. Mind you it was no more than 8 people in the entire place. Once the shift change happened, it got a tad bit better. I'd consider going back.

Yummy seafood and great service!We walked in around 5 PM on a Friday, and we were able to get seated outside. If you want an indoor table, you definitely should make a reservation. It was hot outside but they had fans going and our server recommended a table near the fan for us. I ordered the chilada, which is basically beer and lime juice on ice, and it was amazing for a warm summer evening. I do kind of wish they had cocktails on the menu but that's okay! We started out with oysters, and they have a rotating special for oyster dressing which I thought was neat. For entrees, we ordered spicy shrimp linguine which was super flavorful, and the lobster roll. The temperature of the dishes could have been warmer, and the lobster was a little drier than I would have liked, but overall we really enjoyed our meal. The portions were light and prices were moderate, around $30 per entree. This is a "once in a while" kind of restaurant for us and we will be back when the weather is a little nicer.

Disappointing is an understatement. First the food was hit or miss. Muscles were small with lots of sand, the lobster pasta was decent, the fish tacos were good but portion was comically small. Wish they would warn patrons that they're bite sized, tapas style tacos. Now the service was the worst part as it was painfully slow. It was a Saturday afternoon with many seats still available. Our first dish (a Caesar salad) took an hour to come out. Other dishes trickled in after. I had ordered a lobster pasta for my kids and asked if it was spicy since it stated chili being one of the ingredients but the server reassured me that it wasn't. When it came, my kids couldn't eat it cause it had a kick. I asked the server if we could have a side of toasted bread for my child since she couldn't eat the pasta and the server suggested she can have the chef make a "small" side of pasta with butter. I was delighted and accepted. But when it came, she brought out another full lobster entree with no seasoning this time. I politely clarified that's not what we wanted but I didn't want to wait another 20 mins for plain pasta. By then (1.5hrs since ordering), my kid was starving so we took it. I wasn't expecting to have to pay for a $38 entree TWICE for my 6 year old but we did anyways. It just left a really bad taste in our mouths and I felt quite ripped off. My friends and I came here since it was Michelin recommended for 2024 but it was quite a letdown tbh. There are much better options for the portion, quality, and service elsewhere.