Venue Image

Hours

Sun.-Thu. 5-10PM
Fri.-Sat. 5-11PM
happy hour Mon.-Fri. 5-6PM

Parking

Meters
Pay lot

Pricing

High ($$$)

City's Best

The Oceanaire Seafood Room   

400 J St
San Diego, CA 92101
619-858-2277
www.theoceanaire.com

Rating: 4 out of 5  (6 Ratings)   Read Reviews (6)    Rate and Write a Review

It seems almost plausible that you may see Errol Flynn or Greta Garbo saunter through the door of this 1930s art deco styled dining room. Combining the quality of a fine eatery with the jovial nuance of a neighborhood haunt, Oceanaire's oyster bar is a popular evening hangout for residents of the nearby high rises who stop in for classic cocktails during happy hour, when oysters are downright cheap, and there are deals on their enormous appetizers and specialty cocktails like the San Diego Sunset. The rigorously trained staff is happy to guide you through the various types of oysters or bring out the enormous shellfish platter for a taste of everything. For a fine seafood house, the portions are unusually copious. Red chili rock shrimp is a fantastic starter of fried shrimp sauteed with basil, seranos orange zest and vegetables. About 25 varieties of fish come in fresh to be grilled each day, or you can opt for creative seasonal dishes like sole stuffed with crab, shrimp and brie or peppercorn-crusted moonfish with truffle mashed potatoes. Sashimi is also served both at the raw bar and in the dining room Thursday through Saturday. Playful desserts like root beer floats hold their own against the classic Baked Alaska.

User Ratings and Reviews Rate and Write a Review

6 Ratings and Reviews

Order by: Oldest | Newest
user image
Review rating 5 out of 5
Favorite seafood in SD
By Little ASB on 07/31/2008
Try the crab cakes, they are they best I have ever had! We only go for resteraunt week or special occasions because it is pricey. Been meaning to go for happy hour though, I've heard it's a good deal.
XXxORCOxXx
Review rating 5 out of 5
great food
By XXxORCOxXx on 05/16/2008
some damn good oysters rockafeller and the scallops i ordered were delicious my mouth waters thinking about them it was pricey but worth every penny
user image
Review rating 5 out of 5
My new favorite!
By rachelburger on 09/28/2006
We had an amazing experience at Oceanaire-- the service, food, portions, relish tray (that comes with the bread before the meal) were all great. The bathrooms are nice. Atmosphere is relaxing and unlike anywhere I have been in San Diego. My water glass was never empty and that is always great. They have a pre-fixe dinner menu between 5-7pm with an appetizer, entree, & dessert (your choice from 3 options) for only $30 -- GREAT deal. I can't wait to go back!!!
aliceqrobertson
Review rating 4 out of 5
Fun for a fancy dinner out
By aliceqrobertson on 10/04/2005
We ate here with another couple, and really enjoyed the food, but the service was not the greatest. The waiter tried to hard- sell us by making suggestions - and actually became downright sullen when we didn't order the expensive appetizers and champagne that he suggested. He also argued with us about whether a bottle of wine was corked, which was a little strange. Moving past that though, the food was terrific. We had some wonderful oysters with fresh grated horseradish and cocktail sauce, the crab cake was terrific, and the side dishes were wonderful. Highly highly recommend their special hash browns and the creamed corn. Our waiter was even more annoyed when the two women at our table ordered appetizers as an entree. The barbequed shrimp were excellent. The plain grilled fish entrees seemed a little overpriced at 25 bucks on average, but they have several interesting dishes, prepared with curry, saffron, etc. The desserts were pretty good and came in huge servings. They do not have "gourmet" desserts - more like pie, bread pudding, cheesecake, etc, along the lines of what a steakhouse would serve. I enjoyed it and would go back, particularly for a celebratory occasion. The oyster bar is probably a good place to go on weekdays. It looked like they had some good happy hour food specials on their board. One weird thing about this place is that they keep the shutters closed all the time, so it seems a little closed in. Most seafood restaurants in SD have windows onto the bay, etc. so if you are looking for that type of atmosphere, you won't find it here.