We went tot he Nugget and saw Magique which was a wonderful show. Made a reservation at the Oyster Bar for 6:15. Was sat down immediately, them...nothing. 2 servers for the entire restaurant. Probably sat for 10 mins, then they brought out some bread, no water and only 2 place settings for our party of 4. Waitress finally took our order and brought us water... wait, wait, wait...then everything at once. We said the class were gritty, expedite said that was the way they served them. Fisherman's platter was warm, almost no lettuce in the Seafood Salad, seafood in the cioppino was sparce and small and crappy presntation of the food. Not so good for and poor service... based on my experience, not enough employees. Used to be a nice place to eat... Next time we will go to the Atlantis... read more

John Ascuaga's Oyster Bar - Bars Near Me - Sparks, Nevada

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Must Try! Was out in Sparks at the Nugget and had to try this place, ended up coming back multiple times. The oysters were delicious with some horseradish and cocktail sauce. Service was quick at the bar, and being able to enjoy it with the background of slot machines paying out huge was a good vibe. I stumbled upon the Ciopinno and wow was I blown away, it's delicious and full of seafood. I legitimately woke up in the middle of the night craving more. I can't wait to go back!!! read more

We were looking forward to having the Happy Hour menu on this trip. We ordered Clam Chowder, Shrimp Cocktail, and a Lobster Roll. The Clam Chowder was outstanding, one of the best we have ever had. The Shrimp Cocktail was definitely the worst we ever had; the shrimp was either overcooked or not fresh. The Lobster roll was a disappointment, not to our liking, with no favor, and very little lobster, with bread that was a little doughy or soggy in the middle. We would come back for the Clam Chowder , Bread and Butter only. We have tried their Pan Roast before and like the Atlantis Pan Roast better. read more

Wanted a beautiful restaurant to celebrate a special day. The ambiance is great and all the servers are working really hard. I would give this place a 5 however our server rushed our dinner. We were still enjoying our appetizer when he brought out our entrees. Big mistake. We felt very rushed. We had the seafood tower. Wow. So good and it m as de the dinner special. I had the pan roast combo. So delicious .. a must try. They have big loads on bread. read more

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We made a reservation at 3 pm to celebrate New Year's, but we decided to head out earlier after losing $80 at the casino. It was not crowded, so we were seated right away. The food was delicious and was hot. It was pretty quiet for New Year's Eve. Our waitress was quite busy, so we waited for a while until she took our order. Almost every wine we selected was out. She provided wine for us to try before making a decision on which one to order, which we appreciate. Overall, this is still our favorite place when it comes to seafood, especially the New England Clam Chowder. read more

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My family moved to Reno Nevada in 1963 and we have been enjoying dinners and drinks at what used to be a great place to visit and play, John Asquaga's Nugget, now The Sparks Nugget Resort. We have been watching the changes at the Nugget ever since John sold out and we could not be more saddened by what has become of this once great venue. Last night we had dinner at John's Oyster Bar and first off, the nice bar outside of the entrance is roped off for extra seating for the Oyster Bar, so you have to stand in a line to get into the restaurant, so you can get into the bar, should you want a before dinner drink of a glass of wine. Next, the air system in the building has fallen into disrepair or they have not upgraded it, all we know is the stench from cigarette smoke is everywhere in the building, we had to throw everything we were wearing into the laundry and shower the minute we got home. It was that bad. Next, we wanted to order wine before dinner and we had been sitting there for awhile with no one asking if we needed a drink or whatever before dinner, so I asked the lady at the register if she could send someone over as we had been waiting awhile. She kind of mad a huffing sound and said we are short staffed you know! I am so tired of hearing that line of crap. Hire more people and quit trying to raise your bottom line at the expense of your guests. I can see poor John Asquaga rolling in his grave! We are done with that venue until it changes for the better. read more

Had a reservation got seated right on time. That's the only good thing about this place. We waited for over 15 min after seated, no one ever came to our table. Another party was seated next to us about 5 min after us. The waitress was there getting their drink order, came back with drinks and took their food order. We continued to wait. We asked 2 different people if they could send our server. Finally we asked the server of the other table and were told our server wasn't at work???? What?? She continued to give excuses instead of trying to help us. We got up and left, not quietly, my husband was pissed and made it know to the entire place. We were having a date night and had driven from Susanville to have dinner there before a concert. I will NEVER go there again and will warn any and all to go elsewhere. This treatment was atrocious. read more

We 'discovered' this Oyster Bar when we went to the Nugget for a Willie Nelson October show a couple years ago. What a pleasant, and very tasty, surprise. We have become regulars whenever we stt yes at or just pass through Reno. The food is "to die for". So delicious and the servers we've had were fine people who were friendly and quick to respond to requests. Thanks to the Oyster Team!! read more

Generic casino food The happy hour prices are good with draft Stella and domestic beer for 2.75. The oysters are cheap but you get what you pay for. The wedge salad was above average with some maple bacon and blue cheese however there was way too much dressing. The shrimp dishes are frozen shrimp without much flavor. Some were even still a bit frozen. 3 stars because everything was on the cheap side, but this is not a restaurant that I will be returning to. It was also a bit Smokey because you are right next to the casino floor read more

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We visited on Friday the 24th and we sat in the restaurant. We had the Seafood platter for $22 this time and we were very happy with the quality of the lobster, crab and shrimp. We also had the a pan roast and a seafood salad. On previous visits we have enjoyed the crab sandwich, and pan roasts. The service was spot on. This is a very homey type of vibe in here so if you are looking for atmosphere this is not it. This place is solid. I also love to go to the happy hour as they have a lot of specials that are reasonably priced. read more

Ok I give this 5 stars because it is by far the best place to get shrimp pan roast. My grandma used to take me here when I was little and she would order the shrimp cocktail and I would order pie. I have very fond memories of this place. Hubby and I went here last night and he enjoyed the crab rolls and oysters on the half shell and , of course, ordered pan roast. Now if you're concerned about your arteries this is one of those dishes you enjoy only on occasion. It's basically just butter cream shrimp and a dash of amazingness. So yummy. I suggest you upgrade from the house wine. Last night it was super busy so we had our dinner at the bar. But they have table and booth seating too. The place is clean and wait staff have worked there forever. Always great service. I don't believe it's ever been updated but that is one of my favorite things about it. I step back in time every time I go. And that is nice since the rest of the Nugget has gotten a facelift and Trader Dicks is sadly gone. The bartender ,Shawn, is a local Sparks guy and not only does he make a great drink he's fun to chat with too. Hubby and I agreed we should go there more often and I can try ordering something other than the pan roast This local is very glad the new owners of the Nugget have kept this place alive Thank you! read more

John Ascuaga's Oyster Bar - Bars Near Me - Sparks, Nevada

Ate there last night.....worst meal I have ever had....calimari....inedible....cold...overcooked...no flavor.....fishermans platters were the same.....fries were soft...cold....think made them at 8am not 8pm.....best thing was the sourdough bread that you tear with your hands and spread the butter with your finger......oh finally got silverware after food was delivered.....waitress ignored you too.....wont be back read more

The food was good but the waiter got my friends order wrong. He kept it and didn't say anything. We split the bill and cashier was incompetent. We won't be back for awhile read more

The pan roast is the bomb! It could have a little more seafood in it for the price! The bread and butter is awesome! I ate one and half loaves, it was so good! Customer service is great when it is slow. Very quiet when it's slow but on busy night very loud! read more

After a same-week comparison of several local seafood pan roast offerings, my friends and I agree that the Nugget's Oyster Bar remains the absolute best in Reno/Sparks. The service is prompt and courteous, the bread is fresh and plentiful, and they refill your drink before you can think to ask. Five stars, and highly recommended! read more

Amazed on how little reviews this place has received. I've been coming here for quite a bit now and I've always loved their cioppinos, Pan roasts and the bouillabaisse. I've never been disappointed. It's on the bottom floor of the nugget and it doesn't ever smell like smoke in the restaurant the service is always great, they even have a bar where you can watch them make your pan roasts and seafood soups! So yummy, full of flavor, has been there forever also. Amazing place to try out for the soups. I have never tried anything else so this is just judging on all the seafood soups. I did have their combo seafood cocktail and it was delicious. Sorry no photos. Was way too hungry. Hehe. Try it out you won't be disappointed. read more

I ordered six oysters, they did Not look like what's on the website. There were more oysters in the shot than all six in the shell. The calamari look like all the broken pieces in the bottom of the bag. The oyster pan roast and clam chowder were as good as we remember. read more

I was looking for light since I had a big lunch. I started with the raw oysters. Absolute bargain and then had a cup of the lobster bisque. Both were wonderful. I tried some of the gumbo and really enjoyed it, but was too full to eat more. I love the menu and could eat here every night if I lived in the casino. F read more

John Ascuaga's Oyster Bar - Oyster bargain. - Bars Near Me - Sparks, Nevada

The lure of this restaurant for me was that it harkened me back to childhood (let's just say some time in the 70's). The décor includes fishing nets hanging from the ceiling, the large old-style chairs, and the menu. I have eaten here twice, both times for dinner. I can't say its a fantastic place to eat, but there are several items on the menu that are really very good. If your a red-chowder person, try the Manhattan style clam chowder or the Lazyman's Cioppino. Last night, I tried the "New York's Famous Pan Roast" - and received a large bowl of creamy soaked seafood, including several large oysters (I will upload a picture). I had the impression, based on the Pan Roast menu description and the menu picture, that cream would not be the dominate feature in this dish, but it was. Ended up fishing out the good stuff and leaving most of the cream soup in the bowl, the cream was tasty, just can't eat that much cream and butter anymore (wish I could!!). I will say that the drinks here are fabulous - generous and very well priced. Big kudo's to the bar tender. Service was a tad slow in the beginning, but all the wait staff were pleasant and effective. I gave the place four stars (would have really given it three stars) so that it stays open, hard to find restaurants that look and feel like some of my favorites while growing up as a kid! Also, the prices were very reasonable, so that helped with the rating. read more

John Ascuaga's Oyster Bar - "New York's Famous Pan Roast - Combination". Big chunks of fish and shellfish. Order only if you like cream and butter, has a mild kick. - Bars Near Me - Sparks, Nevada

This is still one if my favorite places to go and we just don't get here as often as I would like! I love the fresh bread and butter they bring out , a nice big chunk I might add. I am in LOVE with the crab pan roast, a creamy , rich, buttery flavor with so many other spices and nice hunks of crab! A go to !! The steamed clams are also Soo yummy here, with a butter , garlic , and wine sauce/broth. The clam chowder is amazing here too! I could eat bowls of these three!! Service has always been friendly and great! I have had other items years ago but I don't recall them sticking to my memory like these do!! However I have not had a bad meal here ever! read more

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I've been to John's Oyster Bar a number of times and have been pleased each time. Though I've tried multiple dishes, my go-to order has been the combination pan roast... Tasty goodness. Recently though, I tried the lazy man's cioppino. Wow! I'll be ordering this again. And again. And again. The service can be a little slow compared to other establishments in the area, but the food is worth the wait. If you can tolerate walking through the smokey casino, I highly recommend this establishment. read more

John Ascuaga's Oyster Bar - Combination pan roast - Bars Near Me - Sparks, Nevada

Combination pan roast . The juice was full of flavor. The quantity of meat I. The dish was lacking (much better at the Atlantis). The waitstaff was very helpful and all have been there for years. The bread was soft but lacking the good crunch on the outside that used to be on it. read more

We love this place! We try to go annually around Spring Break for the last 10+ years, but unfortunately, have not been able to coordinate the timing a couple of times. Totally our loss!! Love sitting at the bar. The service there is great, efficient and friendly. Jorge is our fav server. The dishes have been consistently good during our tenure of patronizing this place. We look forward to our next visit. read more

My wife and I made on line reservations for 4:15. Did not get seated before 8:30. We had dinner before attending the show at their outdoor events center. My wife ordered a lobster salad for $25.00 and I had my 40 year regular, combo pan roast. The salad came with 3 slices of cucumber, a half of an egg and 3 small slices of tomato and 3 very small pieces of lobster. My pan roast was excellent as usual but the bowl was much smaller than in the past. $22.00. We received water right away but the bread was much later and the server said they were out of plates The restaurant was very under staffed and disorganized for a Saturday night. I counted 12 empty tables, half of them not bused. My wife and I have been regulars for 40 years and can tell you that it is not the Nugget of the Ascuaga era. read more

Always a great place for us to eat when having that seafood fix in Sparks. Always good service! The food is pretty good too! Love the Lobster bisque and pan roasts. Gumbo is pretty good and the seafood is awesome! No complaints here! read more

I really enjoyed this place when I went with a friend and his family. The main course was delicious and I have been craving it for months since. Sadly, there are some faults. The limited hours, for one, make it difficult to get there. And the bread was terrible. I realize all to well that the change in ownership has brought about major changes to the entire casino, but changing a recipe for bread to the point where it is inedible is ridiculous. I am not sure if this is a cost cutting matter or ignorance, but it's sad and ridiculous. I fear that this place won't last much longer with these changes in a simple side and drastic cut in open hours, which is sad as the food is so worth it. read more

I order a cup of lobster bisque, that tasted like burnt milk with no a hint of lobster, the bay shrimp cocktail had just a few shrimp and was overwhelming cover with celery, order a oyster shooter that it's been almost 15 mins. And don't have yet, still waiting for my meal. I order the fisherman stew got something else and it ducked as everything else. Don't waste your time and money. read more

Just an overnighter to Reno and stayed at the iconic Nugget Casino Resort with my Super Hot Girlfriend. We thought we would try something a little different, ended up pleasantly surprised! Oyster shooters, combination pan roast stew, freshly baked bread, maritime ambiance with deliciously seasoned aromas permeating the dining room, and prompt couteous service! We loved it, and WILL definitely be back!! read more

Took my husband out to a pre-bday lunch at The Nuggets Oyster Bar on 11/10 around 2pm. This kid who was taking care of us first, was awesome. He made us laugh very attentive & he was always smiling and made us feel like we owned the place. His shift ended and we had "Diane" as our waitress. I get everyone has bad days, but she looked unhappy and irritated. Again, I understand everyone has bad days and you don't know what issues another person is facing, HOWEVER, she went to every table asking how they were doing, looked at our table and went around us. We were right in the middle of her other booths, so it's not like she didn't see us. She walked right by us 4 times! She filled everyone's water glasses but ours. Thinking ok, maybe she didn't see our glass, I placed it at the edge of the table so she could see it was empty, still ignored. Finally I had to ask if she could just fill up our glass. She told me to hold on a min, came and filled it up then didn't see her again at our table. She NEVER came to see if we needed anything, or give us our check. We had to walk up to the cashier and let her know we didn't have our check, and how unhappy we we're with her service. Sad because I LOVED this place, and I highly doubt we will ever go back. EVERYONE else was awesome but she just ruined it. The food was always amazing (food was 5 stars from me) but her service was horrible, and we never had an issue like this before. read more

We went here to have a nice Happy Hour... the food was good as we ordered Oysters in a half shell, peel and eat shrimp and mussels in curry sauce. Thou we enjoyed our food, the bartender Alexander gave us a horrible service... I asked for the little fork and saltine crackers to go with our oysters, waited some time before I decided I will just get them myself... our order of poke never came and we had to wait and get someone's attention to get our drinks replenished... it was just plain disappointing to say the least read more

A very big disappointment! Some serious problems happening here!! We took company from out of the country here to show him some interesting cuisine and its preparation and were disappointed from the moment we entered. It was happy hour (which we didn't know but should have!) and the little roped off area outside the restaurant was packed....inside not so much! We grabbed some seats at the bar as we wanted our company to see the grandeur display of how the pan roast is made--like right before your eyes!! Not this time!! :( There were 3 people manning the entire bar area and serving the entire restaurant....which means serving, preparing and tidying up: one man, 2 women. They were exhausted and it was only 6:30 pm. The waitresses were pushing orders like food was free and the restaurant was packed (it wasn't). We could not understand the problem to say the least. The poor guy attending us could not give us his attention as he seemed to be so busy caring for everyone else while the 2 ladies did ??who knows?? Twice the floor manager popped into the bar area to prep several plates and did so without washing his hands nor putting on gloves (hope you didn't get sick from those oysters he prepped you!!). Anyways, one of the girls made our pan roasts in the assembly station of her preference which was well away from where we sat and those next to us, who also were there for the 1st time and who were waiting in anticipation for the visual. While the food was good and we managed to beg for another piece of bread (but could have used more) we opted not to tip, which left a very sour note on our palettes. It's unfortunate for those not to be compensated due to obvious management problems but se la ve! Wake up J A Nugget!!! read more