After a few disappointing seafood experiences in San Antonio, Little Em's completely restored my faith in oyster bars. The patio is beautiful and relaxing, the atmosphere is welcoming, and the staff clearly knows and cares about what they're serving. I loved that the menu described each oyster's flavor profile and origin, making it fun to build my own tasting flight. I tried the Pink Moon, Wellfleet, and Texas Black Jack oysters, and each one had its own unique character. The cocktails were just as impressive, and the overall experience felt thoughtful from start to finish. This is the kind of place where you want to slow down, enjoy your food, and stay for another round. And if you need one more reason to visit: Happy Hour is every day from 3-5 PM with $2 oysters and $8 martinis. That's one of the best happy hour deals I've come across, especially considering the quality. Little Em's was one of the highlights of my San Antonio trip, and I'll absolutely be back the next time I'm in town. read more

Little Em's Oyster Bar - Oysters and Leche martini - Seafood Near Me - San Antonio, Texas

Food:!we ordered oysters. they were really good. Ambiance: music was great. Service: was terrible. Took forever. So slow. All I can say terrible. I would fired all waitresses. Ridiculous. read more

Little Em's Oyster Bar - Si no fuera que los oysters estaban deliciosos, me iba. Servicio de la chingada. - Seafood Near Me - San Antonio, Texas

Went for happy hour and grabbed a couple seats at the bar. We waited for quite a while for the bartender to acknowledge us. It wasn't that busy, and even if you are busy, just tell us you will be there in a few minutes. Pet peeve of mine... I understand we are not in a city along the coast, but the seafood just didn't taste fresh. Ultimately we were glad we didn't get whole meals because we weren't impressed with anything. It is a cute little place, and we love Southtown, so I would probably give it one more chance (especially since there are some great reviews mixed in). Just hopefully service can improve, and they can make sure oysters are fresh. read more

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Don't tempt me with a good time--and oysters. I dined at Little Em's Oyster Bar for a business lunch with my colleague (and friend, Ferfy). On a lovely day, sit out front on the patio deck. There were a handful of other diners, including a group of ladies in colorful spring dresses playing mahjong. Loves it. I ordered a half dozen oysters, and fish tacos, and we split the fries. Tacos are super small and needed a bit more spice (server brought over some salsas for me). I'd love to go back and explore more of the menu. Oh, and the vintage pink toilet and pink seashell decor in the restroom was the cutest. I'd def add that to my pinterest board. read more

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Good place. Prices are reasonable. Not an intimate atmosphere. More bright and energetic. Plenty of indoor and outdoor seating. Probably better to Uber than drive. I'd suggest sharing food if that would work with your group. read more

Little Em's Oyster Bar - Caviar Mac - very good but intense. I think would make a good appetizer to share. It's a lot of flavor for one person. - Seafood Near Me - San Antonio, Texas

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Was really craving east coast seafood and since a trip to Boston is not in the cards decided on next best at Little Em's. The vibe is bright with a modern take on 60's style fine dining. If you just want to partake in oysters they have a really nice bar set up. Decided on East coast oysters and a lobster roll. It's nice to find a place that keeps it simple and doesn't slather everything in sauce. The lobster roll was warm and buttery and served on a soft toasty roll. The fries had a nice dusting of truffle salt accompanied by a dijoinnaise. The oysters were so fresh and it was difficult to not keep ordering rounds. The patio has a DJ some nights and is just the perfect summer spot for a light meal. read more

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Poor hospitality but good drinks. Hostess will gaslight you on reservations with the restaurant is half full and you can easily make them online. Also, they may run out of East Coast oysters and Crackers by dinner time read more

This is by far my favorite oyster bar I have ever been to. They have a happy hour for oysters where you can buy them for $2 each. We tried their whole selection and it was amazing! The spicy linguine ($26) and Little Em's Burger ($20) were cooked to perfection. Their martinis were even better!! I loved the Cucumber Martini ($17)! The restaurant has a very romantic vibe to it, and they offer outside seating. The servers were extremely nice and helpful, I would 100% recommend this place to anyone. read more

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Our first night in San Antonio and we wanted to have a relaxing meal. I made reservations the same day via open table with no issues. We arrived at Little Em's restaurant with a brief 5 minute walk which was ideal. Upon arriving we were seated as the only patron at the tables which was nice. When we left it was filling up with many diners. We shared the mussels with sourdough bread to dip into the broth. I wished there were more mussels as the amount provided was not enough for two people. My spouse had the fish tacos which were good but teeny tiny in size. I had the lobster roll New England style (cold) with shoestring fries. Everything was very tasty. To wrap up the meal we shared a lemon cake which topped everything for the evening. I highly recommend Little Em's for those wanting an elegant environment and delicious food. read more

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Finally made it out to the new Little Em's location and liked the new spot. The Southtown location is very nice and roomy. It has a large, roomy outdoor patio so we decided to sit outside. Note that parking is Southtown can be a challenge so plan ahead. Our server gave us the rundown on the menu and some personal favorites, so I decide to with the snapper picatta with a side of pasta and a michelada to drink. The drink came out first and I liked they "Miche" mix and paired it with a Modelo Especial....very refreshing. My entree came out next and it looked great. I chose this because I've only ever seen/had chicken picatta and felt that the fish version would pair great with the lemon and capers and it did. The fish was flaky and the pasta was a nice al dente'. Overall, I really liked the new location, the staff and the food and look forward to coming back and trying more of the menu. read more

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It was my last night in San Antonio and I wanted to make sure i enjoyed the entire day and ate and drank well. Was recommended to come here for great oysters and seafood, and it did not disappoint. The place is really pretty, and I was honestly surprised it wasn't more crowded, especially for a Saturday night. I was staying at the Kimpton, so it was an easy walk over, and I ended up having some incredible seafood and mezcal cocktails. Huge thanks to Rob and Russell for the great service! All the oysters were fresh, amazing, and absolutely delicious. I left so happy. Highly recommended, and if I'm ever back in San Antonio, I'll definitely be returning! read more

Little Em's Oyster Bar - Mix of all the oyster options (2 of each) - Seafood Near Me - San Antonio, Texas

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Cute little seafood spot with bright ambient lighting and a cool bar setup. The plates are mostly tapa style, great for sharing with friends and family. Everything was made with super fresh ingredients as well. Highlight dishes included: spicy octopus and spicy shrimp pasta were excellent. The spice level was just right and really elevated the dish overall. The seafood tasted super fresh and not fishy at all. Overall it was a great meal, and we recommend! read more

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I loved Little Em's Oyster Bar! I usually am not an oyster person but some friends invited me out for happy hour at Little Em's and I am glad I went! I got the *Shrimp Linguine and thought it was really tasty! The shrimp was cooked nicely and the pasta was seasoned very well. I decided to just order 2 oysters off the happy hour menu to try and really enjoyed them as someone who usually doesn't eat oysters. I also ordered the *Lychee Martini and really enjoyed that as well. Our waitress was also nice and helpful with recommendations on which oysters to try. You do have to street park as the restaurant is located in the middle of downtown. Overall, I would definitely recommend visiting Little Em's! read more

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Cute restaurant .when I went there for the first time I had some oysters , fish tacos , shrimp spaghetti and carpaccio. Spaghetti was very spicy and tasty and I loved it so much !! So I went back for that spaghetti but there was no taste this time :( Third time was awesome again ! read more

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We've wanted to try out this spot for a while but was never in the area. We decided to walk over from another restaurant after a disappointing lunch. We walked in and sat at the empty bar and was greeted right away by the bartender. I ordered a Tito's and OJ that was really nice! Smooth OJ and just the right amount of vodka! My wife ordered a cucumber lime Martini which she said was strong and refreshing! We also ordered our food some fresh oysters a lobster roll and some garlic clams! The oysters came out within 5 minutes or so and they were plated so nicely and looked so fresh! We got 2 dressed and 2 plain and all of them were amazing and fresh! We ordered another round of drinks waiting for our mains and we drank through those and still no food so at 25 minutes I asked about our food and the bartender said it would be up in 5 more minutes, apologized for the delay and offered a free round! I got the same thing but the wife lychee Martini and boy did she love it! We finally got our food after 30 minutes a d was not disappointed! The lobster roll was fresh, garlicky and buttery! Whike the clams were kinda the same but delicious! All in all, a super clean restaurant, everything all white! A great staff and amazing food. Despite the delay, we'd go back in a heartbeat! read more

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My girlfriends and I wanted to try oysters and were so nervous! We had an amazing server who gave us a lot of great tips for dressing our oysters and picking which ones to try. I ordered the savage blonde, the Dixon point, and a few others that I dressed with lemon and tabasco and it was truly delicious. Those were the real highlight for me, the other food was fine also but I feel like this spot for me is special because of the oysters. And! The cocktails were sooo yum! My Paloma with mezcal was super flavorful and just the right amount of alcohol without being overbearing. I'll definitely be coming to happy hour in the future . read more

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Amazing ambiance. The happy hour was a nice surprise on the weekend even allowed 3-5pm!! Food was fantastic. read more

Little Em's Oyster Bar - Spicy octopus and caviar! - Seafood Near Me - San Antonio, Texas

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Little Em's Oyster Bar Food: Food was downright delicious, especially the Tuna Carpaccio (probably my favorite treat of the dinner). Drinks were great especially the Oyster Shots topped with a very fresh oyster (in its shell). It was New Year's Eve so Oyster Shots. While the food was delicious the Lobster Roll was ridiculously tiny and eaten in two bites. Neve had a Lobster roll that tiny not even in Maryland. This was so disappointing as I was looking forward to it! Fortunately my dinner friends shared from their plates. Ambience. The ambience was festive and fun with cocktail chatter at the bar and conviviality all around. Service was great once we got seated but while waiting at the bar, the service was a bit glacial. They only had ONE bartender on New Year's Eve!!! I simply did not understand! Took a whole to get our drinks...beer, a whisky and a mixed drink. I felt bad for the bar tender as he was hustling. read more

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Little Em's Oyster Bar is where the seafood game hit elite levels. The oysters were icy perfection! Great way to start! Let's talk about the tuna toast that had a spicy kick! My brain said eat more and my lips were on fire. The spicy octopus tartare was flavor bomb of lime and hot oils. We also got the tuna carpaccio, because apparently I am auditioning for Pescatarian of the Year. This place is worth the hype! And we love a soft pink decor. read more

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Very friendly service. We were a party of four on a Tuesday evening, after dinner hour, and sat outside near the sidewalk. They have the half liter Mexican Cokes, I had to mention that. The fresh oysters, served with horseradish and mignonette, were all delicious in their own way! We tried them all and then reordered our favorites. The ample serving of fish and chips was flaky and hot; lightly battered and perfectly cooked. The lobster roll was delicious, with fresh tasty lobster pieces. The shrimp cocktails had huge and succulent shrimp, served with spicy cocktail sauce. You definitely get what you pay for at this place. read more

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Enthusiastic & Refined Beyond Excellence truly lives up to its name. The service was outstanding from start to finish. The oysters were incredibly fresh, the salad was the best we've had, the caviar was amazing, and the drinks were nothing short of extraordinary. Every detail was thoughtfully executed, making this an exceptional dining experience. Entusiasta y Refinado Excelente servicio y comida realmente hace honor a su nombre. El servicio fue excepcional de principio a fin. Las ostras estaban increíblemente frescas, la ensalada fue la mejor que hemos probado, el caviar fue impresionante y las bebidas fueron simplemente extraordinarias. Cada detalle estuvo cuidadosamente ejecutado, haciendo de esta una experiencia gastronómica excepcional. read more

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love the food, drinks, and best happy hr however, the service there is not the best. Out of the 6 times we have been at least 3 times they refused to sit us. We even asked to sit at the bar where there is empty seats and we've been told no. We understand that there is rushes. However we are never told how long the wait would be if we stayed or not even given any alternatives. It's almost feels like they kick us out. We love this establishment so we hope to not feel like thjs in the future read more

This restaurant is a gem! Fresh, high quality seafood (east coast oysters!), a good value happy hour, and the cutest patio and interior (ballerina pink). With nice weather, this would be THE spot for a weeknight happy hour with friends or a cute date night. Knocked 1 star for service, but overall an enjoyable meal and I would definitely revisit. I was a little worried based on some of the reviews, but everything we ordered was fantastic. Definitely on the pricier end, but it's high quality seafood - what would you expect? QUICK FACTS: - Parking? Street parking only around the area. If you go at an off time or weeknight, you'll have a better chance of parking directly across from the restaurant. - Reservations? Yes, via OpenTable. Not required but recommended. - Happy hour? Yes, M-F, 3-5pm. $2 oysters, $8 martinis, and $12 burger. FOOD RATINGS: - Oysters (5/5): We ordered 1.5 dozen and got 3 types of each. All were fantastic. Fresh, clean, light and delicious. For $2 apiece during happy hour it's a pretty great deal! - Lobster roll (5/5): Went with the Connecticut-style (warm garlic butter). Generous portion of lobster, buttery delicious roll. Fries are perfect! - Chocolate torte (5/5): Rich and decadent. So good. Our favorite dessert of the 2 we ordered. Definitely shareable both in size and due to the richness of it. - Bread pudding (3.5/5): Not bad. Kinda dry but good flavor. read more

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Ok here's the skinny: - Go during happy hour, every day 3-5pm $2 oysters, $8 martinis, hard to beat that - Street Parking only, sucks but it was it is - Vibes: 10/10, super cute bar - The Oysters: 10/10, amazing, delicious, no notes - Clams & Linguini: 10/10, delicious - Martinis: Little Em's dirty is good, Lychee is very good The only fault - our waiter wasn't particularly friendly. Not a huge deal, just made for a slightly less than great experience. Service was fast though, but likely on account of it not being very busy. read more

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Excellent and friendly service. Go from 3-5 for happy hour when oysters are half price! We had oysters, lobster ravioli, beet salad, and bread pudding. All were yummy! read more

I love this restaurant. I have been coming here for years and have been to their previous location and the new location right across the street countless times. This is one of my favorite restaurants in the city, and one I consider to be a San Antonio classic. It has exceptional food, creative cocktails, and an atmosphere that can't be beat. Their raw oysters are finely selected and bursting with flavor. The lobster roll is delicious and one of my favorites on the menu! Definitely check this place out if you're coming into town. They have ample outdoor seating and a good number of tables inside. Good service every time. Have had everything from date nights to birthday parties here! read more

Little Em's Oyster Bar - Oysters - Seafood Near Me - San Antonio, Texas

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3 nickel-sized scallops cost $22, and they weren't even good. I have been frequenting this place for a long time, and the prices keep rising while the quality keeps falling. The staff is nice, but the food is no longer what it used to be. Very disappointing. read more

Little Em's Oyster Bar - Sad little scallops - Seafood Near Me - San Antonio, Texas

I've been coming to this restaurant for years and I can say I'm disappointed in the quality. My last two visits were underwhelming but I decided to give them one more chance. I regret that. The scallops pictured were the size of a nickel (being generous) and the taste was very underwhelming. The price point was $22, which is very overpriced. Won't bring going back. read more

Little Em's Oyster Bar - Scallops - Seafood Near Me - San Antonio, Texas

I had little ems on my list specifically for their happy hour. They have $12 burgers with fries, $2 oysters, and $8 martinis. We tried the oysters and a cucumber martini and espresso martini. The oysters were good and they offer a few different varieties. The martinis were good too. A little small but pretty stout. I think the interior was cute but partially felt unfinished. Our waitress was great. I think this was still on the pricy side even though we went for happy hour, but we still enjoyed this south side spot. read more

Little Em's Oyster Bar - Oysters - Seafood Near Me - San Antonio, Texas

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Ya'll get one star just because you charge 20 bucks for THREE pieces of shrimp. Customer service was fine though

This place was FANTASTIC! From the moment we sat down, our waitress Stef was incredible--warm, attentive, and genuinely caring. She even gave us great suggestions for things to do while visiting the San Antonio area. The restaurant itself is beautifully decorated, right down to the restroom. The espresso martini was delicious, and the Pinot Noir was just as impressive. We started with oysters, which were perfectly shucked and absolutely delicious. The strawberry mignonette was a standout! We also shared the octopus appetizer and loved every bite. For dinner, I had the snapper piccata and my husband ordered the spicy shrimp linguine--both dishes were phenomenal. I wish I had taken photos, but honestly, I was too excited to dig in! We had a pretty rough trip traveling from Corpus Christi to San Antonio, and when we shared the story with Stef, she listened so kindly. Even though it wasn't her fault, she apologized and empathized with us. Then came the sweetest gesture: she and the restaurant surprised us with warm bread pudding on the house. It was absolutely stupendous. I HIGHLY recommend this restaurant. The food, the drinks, and the exceptional customer service made the entire experience special. We're hoping to visit again before we leave San Antonio, and if I lived here, I'd be a regular without question. This place gets a 10 out of 10 from me--if you're in the area, do yourself a favor and go. You will NOT be disappointed! read more

Little Em's Oyster Bar - Bread pudding dessert - Seafood Near Me - San Antonio, Texas

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. read more

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Had friends from out of town and they asked if there was an oyster bar. Although I had never been, it was the first place I thought of. The place is cute. I inside and outside seating. We didn't get greeted right away. So we weren't sure is it was seat yourself. They only had 2 beers on tap at the time, I was disappointed. They had an option to dress the oyster with caviar and I did! My first time trying caviar. It was salty to me. Not something I would do again. read more

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The vibes and aesthetics of the restaurant is really beautiful!! It's great for a girls day or dinner date! Highly recommend going during happy hour! Front staff needs to be more friendly in greeting guest! Not kid friendly! The burgers and oysters were delicious!! read more

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If $4 a pop oysters and finding long worm-like things in your fish is your thing, then run - don't walk - to this little gem in the King Williams district. Sure, you might be tempted to think, "Is $35 for the lobster chunks tucked into a 3" pocket of bread a major rip off?" Are three shrimp on my $26 "seafood" linguini correct? If you, too, find a long worm thing in your snapper fillet, let the manager know. Rather than saying "I'm sorry, let me get you another one or may I offer something else?" his solution for you may also be ask the chef at the pass with a Dodgers hat on what he thought the biological curiosity actually was. I can truly say I never would have considered that! Come here for a truly unique dining experience with surprises at every turn. You are unlikely to forget this meal any time soon, even if you are likely to leave wondering wtf just happened and questioning "Is this really the state of SATX high end dining?" read more

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 !! read more

Little Em's Oyster Bar - Seafood Near Me - San Antonio, Texas

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Our final night on vacation I saw this place plus pink and had my hubs and son take me lol. They're used to going to places like this for me :) anyway it was delicious! I loved the decor. It was actually recommended by the owner of the airbnb we were at. Service was great. read more

I got food poisoning from their food for TWO days. Worst case of food poisoning I have ever had. All the seafood I had tasted old and rotten, obviously it was because I got extremely sick. The portion of the pasta was small for the price. Customer service wasn't great- our waiter wasn't very attentive. And I just found out... after posting in a San Antonop restaurant group about my experience, that the owner is a rapist!! Please don't support this mediocre restaurant. Go to Silos instead read more

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I was so excited to try Little Em's Oyster Bar for the first time. The new location is great with plenty of space indoors and out and the open bar area. We were able to eat on the expansive front deck area because the weather was so nice making for a perfect dinner. I obviously had to try the oysters to start and loved trying all of the different kinds. They were so flavorful, some of the best raw oysters I've had in San Antonio. As an entree, I chose the clams linguine and it was so savory with a wonderful light white wine sauce. The clams were perfectly cooked and a perfect compliment to the linguine. The service was great, we had a very attentive server. The drinks were also very well made and refreshing complimenting the amazing seafood. I recommend a visit to Little Ems Oyster bar if you are an oyster lover, if not don't worry they have other wonderful entrees to try. read more

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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. read more

Little Em's Oyster Bar - Shrimp linguine and lobster roll - Seafood Near Me - San Antonio, Texas

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