Bite Club: Detroit's best oysters
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A dozen raw oysters from Mink in Corktown. Photos: Samuel Robinson/Axios
👋🏼 Sam here. We're in the thick of summer and for me, that means ordering a dozen oysters at every restaurant that serves them.
The intrigue: We're not known for great seafood, and when I asked for the best spot, some locals replied and said it doesn't even exist.
- I'm here to prove the doubters wrong. Here are five of the best places to get oysters in Detroit:
Empire Kitchen & Cocktails: These $24 per half dozen East Coast oysters are big and come with a sweet mignonette.
- They're much bigger than those at other places I've tried and a better bang for your buck than the much smaller West Coast oysters served at nearby favorite Grey Ghost.
Bar Pigalle: The Brush Park staple serves $24 per half dozen raw oysters with either a vinaigrette/mignonette-type dressing and a bottled house hot sauce.
Selden Standard: The $20 per half dozen oysters here taste fresh and come with classic mignonette.
- The restaurant's homemade hot sauce has a rich, deep flavor.
The Statler: I was surprised that this French restaurant has the second-best oysters that I tried on this mission.
- The Statler offers East (salty) or West Coast (sweet) oysters at market price and serves them with mignonette and an excellent homemade cocktail sauce.
Mink: Without much debate, at least in my eyes, Mink serves the best oysters in Detroit ($44 per dozen). Along with a variety of oysters, the Corktown bar also offers an $85 five-course chef's tasting menu, which includes two sweet and savory oysters each (East Coast fermented strawberry and West Coast fermented tomato water).
- Take your shellfish-friendly significant other here and have your mind blown like mine was.
