This was the first stop (appetizers) on a progressive dinner. One of the best places in Vancouver for fresh oysters. Go for the daily drink and oyster specials. Usually they have a premium oyster on special and a regular oyster special. This time we ordered 12 Pink Pearl from Denman Island for $1.50 each and 12 kusshi oysters from the premium selection for $2.95 each. I also ordered the beer special on tap, the 20 ounce Bomber Pilsner for $6.95. We were hungry so we dug in before taking the pictures . First time trying the Pink Pearl and they were delicious. We've had the kusshi before and they are always good. We made reservations in advance so we did not have to wait for a table. This place is cosy so best to make reservations. read more

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Oyster Express is a cute little restaurant that serves a wide range of oysters. Located near the end of Chinatown, it was quite easy to find and street parking was readily available. We made a reservation for 2 during Happy Hour ($1 for their oyster of the day) and were seated next to the window. I suggest booking a table ahead of time as it can fill up quickly. Our goal was to try as many BC oysters as we could so that's all that we ordered. We selected 6 types of BC oysters on their menu (including their oyster of the day) and tried one from New Zealand that our server recommended. Our favourite was the Glacier from BC. Aside from local oysters they also carried many from the East Coast. They take their time shucking the oysters so we did have to wait a bit before we finally got our hands on them. They are served with sliced lemons and horseradish. Cocktail sauce, mignonette sauce, and Tabasco sauce are also offered. Overall, I had a good time and would come back the next time I'm in Vancouver. Eating oysters can be a very expensive habit so I would probably only ever come during Happy Hour! read more

Oyster Express - Seafood Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

This place definitely satisfied an oyster craving. Lovely little hole in the wall in Chinatown. The price was reasonable, the staff were knowledgeable and the place itself was suitable... for a Friday before a long weekend. I wonder what's the meaning behind the expression "the world is your oyster?" In any case, the oysters were fresh and delicious. Doesn't have a fishy taste. We tried all the oysters on the menu and found the Gorge Harbours the best, creamy and sweet. We didn't try any other items on their menu, so we'll have to come back another time. Though their specialty is oysters after all. read more

Oyster Express - Mmm oysters... Excellent with horseradish, lemon juice and cocktail sauce - Seafood Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

As usual, great service and perfect happy hour. Although my fav sun seekers were not on the happy hour list, I ordered them anyway. I love happy hour because I get introduced to new oysters and I really enjoyed the creaminess of the pink pearls. Small joint in Chinatown with a limited menu. Very oyster-centric! read more

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Rating as a dine-in dinner spot on a rainy day. Cozy, cute location. Great service - friendly, knowledgeable, and tailored for the particular dining experience. Simple menu that speaks to their focus. Solid quality food (had the Po Boy and a dozen different oysters). Also, a couple things we wanted were sold out that evening - may be all psychological, but that says fresh ingredients to me! I like how it's busy, but not overrun with people. Great for oyster cravings. Will be back! read more

Oyster Express - Po Boy, served in half for sharing! Plus awesome fries - Seafood Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

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This rating is more to do with the level of service. We called ahead for a table for 5 which was confirmed on phone. 5 minutes later when we arrived it was clear they didn't to serve us because we had a baby. Said there was a party in front of us and they would call. Obviously they never called. Ruined the experience. Would have appreciated honesty instead of a run around. read more

Tucked away at an inconspicuous corner at the edge of Chinatown, this homely little haunt is an oyster aficionado's heaven. When we visited, the board boasted 10 types of oysters, featuring a wide selection of oysters harvested locally, on the east coast ( from Prince Edward Island) to even overseas. The oysters are lovingly served with a side of fresh horseradish, lemon and an assortment of homemade and bottled sauces. Star of the night were the Kaipara flown in overnight from New Zealand, simply sublime. The steamed muscles were sizeable, steeped in a rich creamy broth complemented by fresh onions that added some crunch to the taste. Perhaps the only disappointment was the freshly shuckled live sea scallop from Qualicum, BC. At $7 a pop I was expecting fireworks, but the taste was slightly underwhelming. read more

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My kids treated me to Mothers Day dinner here tonight :) another absolutely awesome meal!!! read more

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When the temperatures rise and the months no longer contain the letter "r", you've missed your chance for fresh oysters. LUCKILY, I did not. Oyster Express pride themselves in serving only the freshest oysters. My Dad and I decided to spend a little quality time; drinking some local brews and enjoying some fresh seafood. Street parking near the bar was surprisingly plentiful considering that it was a sunny, early Friday evening in downtown Vancouver (I don't know if it's actually "downtown", but close enough). We were the first ones in the bar, got our orders in, and before we knew it, a line up had occurred (what can I say, luck in on my side today). We ordered the Happy Hour Oysters and the Wings with homemade sauce. The oysters came with 4 different sauce which the server was kind enough to tell us about. The atmosphere at the bar was very upbeat. The interior reminded me of a nice, small and simple seaside restaurant. Their menu was not very extensive. However, this being an oyster bar, you should be going there for the oysters. We did order two plates of the wings (one to share, and another just for me) which were DELICIOUS! The Happy Hour Oysters were definitely a good deal, the wings, however, we a little expensive for a pound. But apparently I have 4 stomachs like a cow so I needed the extra protein. I highly recommend this venue for the price, atmosphere and definitely the oysters. The only negative thing I can say about this place is that when the bill came, there were some extra oysters that were charged to me. However the staff quickly fixed the issue without any further problems. read more

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This i rate as the best place to have raw oyster - whether you love oysters or simply curious to try. I went for their Happy Hour. Found the price is very affordable ! They had a "today's special" on oyster at $1.50 , and you can combine with any other types you pick, no minimum. The waitress would expain each kind. To top off, they had a daily special craft beer too. You can make it an appetizer or a light dinner. Great little place. Hope it doesn't get too famous then become too crowded! read more

Came here after a Yelp event. If you want fresh oysters... this is the place! It's been awhile since I had oysters because my last experience gave me food poisoning! But I thought I'll give it a try at this Resturant and it was worth trying! The oysters went down so smooth and the sauces they had was so good! Bonus: it was under $2 each! My friend and I also shared a grilled cheese sandwich and it was yummy! It has mushrooms and tomatoes in it! Loved it! Service was great! read more

Oyster Express - Seafood Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

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Great little spot in located in Chinatown Vancouver. Lots of metered street parking all around, unfortunately if you want to make it for happy hour, you have to pay the meter. Came here for happy hour. The restaurant is small on the inside, maybe enough seating for 20-25 people. It was half full when arrived. So they have a happy hour oyster that they sell for 1.50, and a large selection of other oysters (prices vary). The oysters did taste very fresh, dont come in expecting all the oysters to taste amazing or to your liking, cause everyone has a different liking to different tasting oysters. I tried at least 1-2 of each oyster thye offered on the menu, and I only disliked one which was a little too bitter in tastes, but still you can taste the freshness. The service is great, the waiters/waitress knows how to recommend good oysters if you give them a basis on what tastes you like. The time it took for the oysters to get shocked and delivered to our table was a little slow, but I can understand it takes time, especially when you only have 1 person shucking 50 ish oysters for 3 different tables, if there were 2, it would be a fast service. read more

Love this hole in the wall oyster joint. I've been coming here for years and love the oyster selection. Service is always great. Make reservations as it's tiny and fills up quick. They have happy hour from 5-6 I believe. $1.50 and $2.50 for premium oysters. They usually have at least 10 types for you to try out. Definitely a good place to get educated about the oysters. All staff are very knowledgeable. I recommend the fish chowder too! Yumyum read more

Maybe cus I wasn't that hungry when I went, but it didn't wow me. Their winning point is their seasonal and fresh abundance of choices in oysters. I don't really know much about oysters, so I just ordered the happy hour special. While it was delicious, the size was inconsistent, and some oysters were unusually thin and tiny compared to others. I had a dozen oysters, and half of them were below-average size (thinner than paper). We also ordered the Po boy, which was alright. I think the fried batter ruined some of the oyster flavor. TBH, I like the idea of the place and the friendly staff, but compared to some other oyster places in van, I just don't think this place is as awesome as people claim it to be. To be fair though, I will probably come back again. read more

Oyster Express - Po boy sandwich - BLT except with fried oysters instead of bacon. - Seafood Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

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First let me say I am from the DC MD VA area. I love eating oysters. It's hard to get good oysters outside of our area except maybe New England and gulf coast states. I give the west coast a shot whenever I am here but there oysters are usually smaller and less flavorful than the east coast. But today I stumbled upon this place. They had a variety of oysters they were well priced and service was great. It's a little off the beaten path in Vancouver right at the top of old Chinatown at Gore and Keefer but worth the adventure. If you are looking for good oysters on the half in Vancouver forget the trendy neighborhoods and check them out and they were playing talking heads when I walked in bonus!! read more

Oyster Express - Seafood Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

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A rare find :) friendly and helpful staff, great oysters too! Love it n will visit again! read more

Oyster Express - Seafood Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

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This place is a gem. I came in after a really frustrating night and I was dire need of a pick me up. The owner was actually about to close shop (it was around 8pm, but I think they close up when it's slow.) but he let me stay for oysters and beer, and I'm so glad he did. My mood did a 180. The gentleman was so friendly and still let his staff leave early, and stayed to serve me some beautifully presented oysters. No gritty sand in sight. They have freshly grated horseradish to go with the oysters, and their house sauce is amazing! It really brings out the sweetness. And they have a great vodka w peppers sauce too. I had half a dozen pink pearl and 3 kuushi, with their pilsner of the day. They were all sweet and delicious, and the beer was refreshing. The owner clearly loves oysters and talked a little bit about how they were the powerhouses of cleaning our environment. This was just what I needed after my long day as a weary traveler. I could feel my spirits getting lifted. I'm so glad this was the first place I stepped into! read more

Oyster Express - My second round: three more pink pearls and a special one on the house! - Seafood Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

Take bouncy of the happy hour oysters. The waiter is very knowledgeable with menu and oysters. Good to eat with friends here! Therefore, we had tried different dishes. Garlic steamed clams and mussels is very very tasty and fresh. However, it's very small place. I guess 3-4 tables make it really full. Lucky we were there in the pouring raining day. There's only 2tables customers including us. read more

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Honestly, it's the only place I go for delicious freshest oysters. This place can't be beat! I sincerely hate oysters cos the ones I had tasted fishy and idk slimy? But this place, this place turned my hatred into love. Give me oysters now, anytime! read more

[Gettin' my Oyster on] Oyster Express has been on my radar for the last few months and I finally had an excuse to try it today. As a fresh oyster enthusiast, I made a reservation at 5:30pm during their buck-a-shuck happy hour. (This occurs on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays from 4:30-6:30) There's also a limit of 12 per person at this price. If you want more, there's a variety of other oysters available ranging from $1.50-$3. [Food] This place delivers some of the cleanest, freshest shucks I've ever had. There are no bits of shell whatsoever when you bite into it. They are extremely tasty and served with the usual fixings - cocktail sauce, Tabasco, and a vinaigrette. Our second dish was the Manhattan clam chowder. The soup was filled with content (clams, potatoes, corn, celery, & carrots) where it was almost like a chunky soup (it certainly ate like a meal) and was accompanied by sliced baguette. It tasted okay but it resembled a stew more than a soup. Next up was a pound of mussels steamed in white wine, garlic, tomatoes and butter. The mussels themselves were quite large and meaty and it was diet-destroying dipping the bread in the leftover juice/broth (not that I'm on a diet of any sort). Finally, I had ordered a grilled cheese thinking the portion sizes of the previous dishes would be small. I had made a huge mistake. By the time the grilled chesse arrived, my stomach was at 90% capacity. I reluctantly took a bite and realized this was no simple grilled cheese. It was made with 4 different cheeses and loaded with tomatoes and mushrooms. It was so good I kept eating it like a goldfish hoping I don't go belly-up before I was done. However I did finish it and enjoyed every last crumb. [Ambience] The restaurant itself is tiny with seating for maybe 15 guests. The décor is eclectic and retro yet simple with lots of light wooden walls and ceiling tiles. I think there was some new age music playing the background but I'm not certain. Given the location, I wasn't sure what type of crowd to expect. Turns out, the majority of the patrons were probably under the age of 40. No real surprise I suppose. [Final Thoughts] If you want possibly the cleanest shuck you've ever tried, give Oyster Express a try. At a buck apiece, it's a steal. Even at $1.50, it's still worth it. The other menu items are also tasty and have good value. Location isn't the greatest but Chinatown's cleaned up over the years. I no longer fear my car getting broken into. read more

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$1.50/ea oysters available any time? How do you beat that?! Summer Breeze was the $1.50 variety tonight and they were a delight. If you wanna get fancy, other types of oysters are priced up to $3.50/ea. Also - a buck a shuck for happy hour (3-6pm, Tues-Fri). Steamed Mussels ($15 for 1lb) were fat and juicy in equally delicious broth. One minor critique would be the bread - too dense for dunkin'. Oyster Soup ($9 for a big bowl) was creamy and bisque-y. Came with 4 large juicy oyster pieces. Slurped it right up! Great price point matched by great food and service. We have a winner! The selfish me prays it doesn't get too busy, but I genuinely wish this new business lots of success. read more

It's the best shucked oysters I ever had in Vancouver. We ordered the east coast oysters, west coast oysters and fried oysters. Loved all 3. The sauces are limited compare to Rodney's but the oysters are so sweet and fresh that you don't need the sauce. The food menu is quite limited. read more

Oyster Express - Seafood Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

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Luv it! Luv it! Luv it! It's Friday, so screw a boring healthy lunch! Instead I checked out Oyster Express located in the heart of Chinatown. I had a fab quick lunch. The place is small but bright. I love the quirky old windows that were used as decore for this room. They added a lot of charm to the space. I was really surprise that there weren't any customers when I walked in. Thank goodness a few partrons came in shortly after me. Shawn the owner greeted me. He then proceeded to tell me the different type of oysters he had available. I could feel his enthusiasim when he described to me what was on the menu. In the end, I settled for 3 oysters and a veggie chili with corn bread. The oysters came out very quickly. The presentation was clean and simple, so the focus was really on the oysters. There was plenty of freshly grated horseradish. Those oysters were damn fresh. I devoured it in no time! Then he brought out the chili and cornbread. That chili was packed with veggies and it had a hint of heat. It was pretty hearty. Also the cornbread was slightly warm, soft and moist. Simply delicious! Too bad OX doesn't have a liquor license yet. I could sure use a glass or two of crisp white wine to go with my meal. When I came in I was in a grumpy mood but I left with a huge smile on my face and a big sense of satisfaction. What a good way to start my weekend! read more

Cozy little oyster cafe in Chinatown of all places. I love the woodwork in this space, circular windows, floor-to-ceiling wood panels. A small disco ball adds some ambiance! They have one variety of $1.50 oysters everyday, all day. Awesome - on the night that I went, it was Summer Breeze "not too big, not too small" and very, very fresh. Served with freshly grated horseradish, mignonette, cocktail sauce. They will also happily put together a platter for you with a range of other oysters up to $3.50 per. I was very happy with their Oyster Soup. Creamy but not too heavy, and very tasty. Whole oysters swimming around in the soup. Served with wheat-thin crackers which I thought was pretty retro-cool. I can't wait to come back to try their grilled cheese sandwich with a soup. Also enjoyed their pound of Salt Spring mussels for $15 - comes with dense sourdough baguette to soak up the white wine, garlic and onion broth. It doesn't look like they have a liquor license, it would have been nice to have a glass of white to go with our meal. read more

Lots of great reviews for this place, I could only wish I was lucky enough to make it in here to try the food, but my experience stopped with the trying to get in part. 5:30 pm on a weekday, a friend and I were wandering around and came across this cool looking space. We had no reservations but it was a casual looking place and it was half empty, so I didn't think it was so outrageous to think I could get a table. After getting ignored at the door for a few minutes the wait staff informed me it'd be a 40 min wait. Ok this place must be very good. So I provided my number and the staff said she'd call when something comes up. An hour later no call still, I return thinking table must be ready soon. The restaurant was still half empty, staff says it'll be another 40 mins. At that point obviously I left feeling like the restaurant didn't care for my business, they much rather honour those phantom reservations. So what I'd like to suggest to you is: make a reservation if you want to try this place. What I'd like to suggest to the restaurant is: better seating management, small places who aspire to be busy, are better off not taking reservations. read more

Went for lunch here with a group of 7 and we were all comfortably seated at the banquette (the only place for groups). They have a small wine list as well as organic coffee (both, things that I love!) The owner, Sean/Shawn, was very nice and had some good tips for us about oysters, I just wish he described the difference in taste and texture more when recommending oysters instead of summarizing most of them as "great, different taste". He carries east and west coast oysters and gets them daily but doesn't receive the east coast shipment till about 2pm on Sundays (at least from what I saw) so we couldn't try any. Great to see that that is how fresh his stock is though! Oyster sizes also vary between smalls like Effinghams to medium-sized Little Wings to large Fanny Bays. There is always a selection of about 10 varieties everyday. We ordered the coconut curry that came with purple rice. It is more of a Japanese curry than Thai curry. The curry is with vegetables but prawns can be added for a surcharge. One of our party commented that the curry was a lot more flavourful than she was expecting. The steamed mussels with sourdough baguette was tasty and the broth was a hit with everyone; we ordered several more plates of baguette just to soak up the broth. I think the baguette would be better if it was lightly grilled just to toast it up a bit. The Oyster soup was yummy but VERY milky tasting for those lactose intolerant; there were about 3-5 fat oysters in a bowl, cooked perfectly and juicy not tough. I loved how everything that was supposed to be hot came out steaming hot and cold items were properly chilled. There's nothing less disappointing than a luke warm soup on a cold day. No gluten free food offerings here except for a salad which is why I docked a star. Grilled cheese sandwiches available for kids. Loved the music they were playing (Jimi Hendrix and blues). The building used to be a big hangout spot for Hendrix and others. The freshness of the oysters was obvious in the taste. I will definitely come back to try their buck a shuck during the week and items from their drinks list. read more

Great buck-a-shuck three days a week from 5-6:30pm. Bottles of wine are $5 off during buck-a-shuck too. The grilled cheese is also top notch. Cannot recommend the oyster soup - seemed like just four big oysters in heated heavy cream. Wait staff were very friendly. Interior was very nice & high-end-hipster-in-Chinatown. Looking forward to going again & trying the mussels. Our waiter said it might be the best thing on the menu. read more

I have been a loyal customer for the last past 5 years! Amazing amazing each time! Every oyster I tasted was perfect! And will be perfect next time! Must try ! What are you waiting for? If you would like to have the best time with friends and family in a Cozy atmosphere with fresh oysters check out oyster express!!!! read more

Read all the wonderful reviews of this place on Yelp and decided that it is worth the trip to Chinatown. Vancouver seems to be the city for oysters, and being huge oysters fan, of course we weren't going to miss this! I wasnt really sure what to expect when I realised that this place was in Chinatown. I was intrigued, and all the stereotypical notions of a restaurant in Chinatown came flooding. It turned out that this place was not run by Chinese, which made it a little odd to be situated at the corner of Chinatown. We had a pleasant experience here - Service was great, and the oysters even better! We came specially for the happy hour buck-a-shuck oysters. The oyster of the day was okeover, and we had two dozens of it (you're limited to a dozen per person). It has a little briny taste, but fresh nonetheless. We also ordered 2 kumamotos each, our favorite oysters for the sweet, buttery finish. The oysters were cleanly shucked, and they provided buckets for the oyster shells. They have homemade cocktail sauce and red wine vinaigrette sauce as topping for the oysters. They also provided lemon slices, tobasco (not homemade, duh), and freshly grated horseradish. We found that the horseradish and cocktail sauce made a great combination for the Okeovers, as the red wine vinaigrette was a little too bland/ light/ weak. As for the kumamotos, we opted to have them plain since they were so flavorful on their own. Yum, so good! You gotta try it on your own since I'm pretty sure this review isnt doing it enough justice. What was cool was that there was a birthday girl in the house, and they served up a tray of shucked oysters on ice, with a birthday candle. An oyster cake! How cool is that?? ;) We also ordered a side of yam (sweet potato) fries, as well as steamed mussels (thanks to yelp recommendations) to go along. The fries were so good, I couldnt stop until I was done. The steamed mussels were decent too, flavorful from the white wine sauce, soft and not too chewy. They also provided a side of toast to dip into the sauce. mmm. The bill came out to be around $80 for 2 people, but we did have a pretty good amount of food (28 oysters, yam fries, steamed mussels, a glass of wine and an ice tea)! PS. I read lots of other reviews which say the oysters here are cheap. Just to clarify, only the buck-a-shuck oysters are cheap. The rest of the oysters they have on the menu (they have a large variety) seem to be market priced (between $2.50 to $3.75 each), so it isnt really all that cheap! read more

WOOT! Cheap oysters, beer and close to Downtown? I am totally in! Came here after work with a close friend and had a beer with fresh oysters. The place used to be a Chinese Bookstore, and sold random Asian junk from time to time and it was a DVD store after that. The place has been renovated into a brand new restaurant with new wood inside, keeping it simple and a great layout. The oysters that are served here change daily, from what I heard. We ordered 4 dozen of daily oysters and finished it all in an hour. The shucking skills of the chef are amazing, because I didn't find a chipped shell in my oysters. The waiter that was serving us is a cutie too. He was easy on the eyes and had a British accent. He was attentive and very kind to us. Enjoyed his companion for a while :) I will come back again soon to this place for a great time. YAY!! read more

I wish we could've stayed in Vancouver for just a bit longer... One visit isn't enough. The oysters were so fresh! I love the all of the house sauces and fresh grated horseradish, they complimented the oysters so well. Everything we ordered was delicious. What was ordered: - shigoku oysters - denman oysters - read island oysters - grilled cheese sandwich - fried oysters - tequila oyster shooters - Manhattan clam chowder - strawberry cheesecake gelato No complaints about anything. Our server was sweet and very informative. Wish I could remember her name so I could give her a shout out... read more

So I was doing a little stroll in this neighbourhood, after going to Harvest community foods the other day. I saw this little spot and thought it looked interesting. Due to the good reviews I thought I would give it a try. I am definitely glad I did! This is on the corner of Keefer and Gore in Chinatown and quite a small little place. The decor is very simple but tasteful and though the server seemed a little overwhelmed, the service was friendly. They have an amazing buck a shuck happy hour deal that goes from 3-6. This is an hour later than most places, so will be more convenient for a lot of people. They have a selection of oysters, steamed mussels, soups, and salads. They also have a lobster tail dinner for $23, which seems pretty reasonable. We had the steamed mussels and the oysters on special. The oysters were extremely fresh tasting and the vinaigrette complemented them perfectly. The mussels were plump and so fresh tasting. Not only closed shell either. The broth was so good, we asked for extra bread to soak it up. I will definitely be back. read more

Go ONLY for the oysters. They shuck and sniff to check each one before bringing it to your table. The rest is... pricey, I think. Grilled Cheez Sandwich had tomatoes and mushrooms and was tasty enough... but 8 dollars?! Ouch. read more

What a gem! My friend found this place and decided to take me before we went to the see the Canucks face off Edmonton. We are both oyster lovers but will not claim to be experts. The owner was super attentive, knowledgeable, and gave us a very friendly reception. My friend and I went early so we were the only ones there but we didn't feel awkward being at all. The restaurant has a really great vibe that is casual and cozy. The place is very clean and nicely setup. The owner mentioned that he is looking at putting in a big screen TV, and I look forward to the addition for sure! So, although I don't claim to be an oyster expert, but I sure can tell the oysters were very fresh and simply delicious. Not fishy or slimy at all. We also ordered the oyster soup and I have to say, this is probably the BEST oyster soup that I ever had,,loved loved loved it! Highly recommended!!! So overall, I know I will visit again for sure. What a great joint : ) read more

Looking for a place to catch up with my girlfriends, I suggested we go to Oyster Express during their happy hour, which is from 4:30-6:00 on Sundays. There are other happy hour times listed on their website. Located in Chinatown, the shop is really tiny and fits around 20 diners only. One thing we noticed is that it was very warm inside. We were all sweaty during our meal. Of course we had to get some oysters here. They serve the oysters with a variety of sauces. There is the basic mignonette sauce, the cocktail sauce, and Tabasco sauce. Then they have their housemade spicy sauce. I didn't try their housemade sauce but K said it wasn't that spicy. The oysters on sale for the day during their happy hour were Glacier Bay oysters. They were $1.50 each. Their Kusshi oysters were also on sale that day for $2.50 so we got some of those. The Glacier Bay oysters were rather tiny but still sweet. However, we enjoyed the Kusshis a lot more. Much bigger and plump and very fresh. For the most part, the shucking was pretty good, but we still had a little bit of shell in some oysters. Their menu is quite limited, but we did order some items to share. First was the Manhattan Clam Chowder. This was actually a tomato based chowder rather than a white cream. The soup was filled with tomatoes, potatoes, carrots, corn, celery, onions and of course clams. Served with some bread and cracker on the side, we really enjoyed the flavour of this chowder. The half order of Fried Oysters came with three large oysters which were breaded and deep fried to a golden brown. The oysters were very fresh and the breading was very light. Lastly, we had the Steamed Mussels, which featured a pound of these sweet and plump mussels steamed in white wine, shallots, tomatoes, garlic, and butter. It came with a side of baguettes but not enough to enjoy the remaining sauce. Overall, Oyster Express did not disappoint although the oysters can be quite expensive if they are not on sale. They do however have an extensive list of oysters compared to many other restaurants. Service was quite friendly. No reservations unless you have a party of 6 or more, so finding a seat can be difficult at times since it's a rather small shop. Pros: - Oysters are very fresh and good variety - Other menu items are tasty as well Cons: - Really warm inside the restaurant - Some of our oysters had a bit of shell pieces Price Range: $20- 30/person 1: Terrible 2: Poor 3: Average 4: Good 5: Excellent Food: 4 Service: 3 Ambiance: 2.5 Parking: 3.5 Overall: 3.5 read more

The Atmosphere: Oysters. In Chinatown. What?! If you have lived in Vancouver for more than five years and someone tells you to hit up an oyster bar, the immediate answer will be Rodney's Oysters; now try directing them to Chinatown and they will give you a rather peculiar stare, like trying to convince someone that the best place for a five star meal is your local McDonalds... This was my exact reaction when my aunt took me here the very first time (I have already been to this oyster bar several times since the writing of this food bite, but I had never given it a proper review yet), and man was I wrong. The outside of Oyster Express is dingy, gloomy, even drab sometimes on the sunniest of days, which does not exactly give this place a welcoming first glance; but as soon as you walk in you are greeted with a completely different atmosphere, stepping into the wardrobe and walking into Narnia. Now don't get me wrong, I am not saying that the inside is lined with gold and filled with magic; what I am trying to convey is that you will feel like home the moment you step inside, heated with an electric fireplace and dimly lit with several pendant lights hanging from the ceiling. The Food: Before I get into the obvious culprit here, let me touch base on the selection of goodies they offer other than natures' natural aphrodisiac. There are many restaurants out there that have one featured item on their menu that brings in the crowd, and then fill up the rest of the space with mediocre items that could be done without, but this is not one of those places. Oyster Express offers a small medley of treats that may entice individuals who may not have a strong affinity to oysters, ranging from steamed mussels, a fish/Manhattan style chowder, and even (honestly, my personal favourite other than the oysters) a grilled cheez (yes this is how they spell it) sandwich. The mussels are great with the bread they provide, the chowders are chock full of fresh ingredients, and the grilled cheez (yes I will continue to spell cheese in this fashion) is just... Go there and order it. The oysters. Where do I begin? Well for starters I will start by saying that I am no expert when it comes to oysters, but when I do go for oysters I still try to follow some guidelines, or areas of focus that I think should not be compromised; the quality of the shuck, the quality of the oyster itself, and how wide a variety of oysters the restaurant provides. I'm going to keep it simple here: not once have I bit into a chunk of shell stuck to the oyster, I have opted to not use any sauces because the oyster itself already provides such intense flavours (ranging from salty, sweet, and/or creamy depending on which oyster being consumed), and Oyster Express provides one of the widest selection of oysters I have ever seen at an oyster bar in Lower Mainland. I would say a picture is worth a thousand words (pardon my use of a cliché here), but my subpar camera phone does not do the quality of the oysters justice; you really just need to physically go there and try it for yourself. Overall: Part of what makes Oyster Express an amazing experience are the people who run the show. Shawn and Gary are some of the nicest people I have met running a restaurant, and their knowledge of the craft shines through as they explain each oyster in great detail, time and time again when bringing them to your table. I feel that I am sounding quite biased so far, so if I were to throw in one caveat, I would say that they could increase their selection of liquor that is available. It is quite a limited list at this given time, with only a choice of two draft beers (the rest are bottled), and only a handful of wines to pick from. For the record, after speaking with Gary tonight he mentioned that it is a work in progress and they are looking at bringing in more draft selections, so that's a plus. Final Thoughts: There is a hidden gem in Chinatown on the corner of Gore and Keefer; go to Oyster Express, enjoy some oysters (they even have buck-a-shuck deals during the week), have a great time, and go back for more. - Malffej From my "food bite" on my blog: http://ffejiebytes.com/2013/12/01/food-bites-oyster-express/ read more

The name makes it feel a little cheap, Oyster Express but it was anything but that. Warm and rustic feel with the wooden interior, mirrors and fireplace. We were instantly greeted and welcomed with a glass of water and menus. The waitress was well versed in her oysters and explained the varieties available. Of course we each had to go for a dozen happy hour oysters ($1.50/oyster). Today's oysters were Tinywing, sweet, salty and varying in sizes but they were still plump regardless of sizes. They were shucked pretty quickly and we were able to start slurping right away! Dressing up your oyster with fresh horseradish, very hot pepper vinegar, cocktail sauce, Tabasco, or a mignonette. My dozen was super fresh and delicious but sadly I had two teeth grinding pieces of shell when I slurped my oysters... luckily I didn't swallow them and was able to carefully pick them out of my mouth but very unfortunate that that happened. Not so clean shucking but it didn't effect my impression of the place as much because the other food and service was amazing! Fried oysters were hot and crispy. The outer fried layer wasn't overly greasy and it was thing and crisp with the oysters being juicy and plump on the inside. The light mayo sauce was a pleasant accompany to the fried oysters. The steamed mussels were super delicious with the mussels being steamed right, still plump and soft. The broth was rich and flavorful, full of mussel essence. Loved the bread that came with it so you could soak up all the goodness. Appreciated the waitress asking if we needed more bread, because there was a lot of soup left that needed to be sopped up into our mouths! Lastly, the waitress who was helping us was absolutely lovely. She was very attentive to our questions, topped up our ice waters so it was never below half a glass, cleared out our shell bucket so it was never full, cleared our empty plates, and checked up on us to see if everything was okay. She was an absolute delight and made our stay very pleasant. I wish I got her name because she was awesome! Overall, it was a cozy and lovely place to chat with my girlfriends while enjoying a delicious meal of all things seafood. We made a reservation on a Tuesday night. It was a rainy night but luckily I found some free street parking after 6pm just across the street. Might be a different story if I come here on a busier night but I guess I'll have to come back to find out, which I definitely will! read more

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Excellent Service and extraordinary oysters of all kinds! Clean and cozy environment, I treated a couple of my friends to a dinner and everyone found something they liked. Drinks were quick and on point, had a delicious flavourful beer on tap, my buddy had a fresh iced tea, the girls had bubbles and a spicy ceasar. The oysters were so fresh and tasty that one of our friends who prefers oysters cooked was able to enjoy two or three fresh shucks raw with a little lemon and horseraddish on the side. The fried oysters are incredible, too! read more

Not only do I judge a book by its cover, I often judge a restaurant by its signage and decor. Oyster Express caught my attention when I was driving through Chinatown. I am by no means an oyster connoisseur, but we tried 3 different kinds of oyster: the glacier, the kusshi, and the buck-a-shuck of the day. They all tasted fresh. I also tried their Manhattan clam chowder which was hearty and hit the spot on a cold day. What I enjoyed most was it's quirky decor. The random placement of mirrors allowed me to see the back of my head while dining. (Something I always look for in a restaurant.) And as the night progressed, I start to notice an abundance of doorknobs on the walls. I was glad to say that the food matched up to its delightful decor and friendly staff. I would definitely come back for more. read more

At first glance, the place seems normal for an oyster bar. When you go inside, the you greeted by friendly and enthusiastic server. In addition the owner is pretty cool. The place is quite cosy, a place where you would bring on a small group of friends. The servers know sufficient oyster knowledge to answer most of your questions, so you can make informed oyster decisions. Food Description: The food is appears to be served fresh on a plate with ice underneath. Seems legit. You have got to get one of the kusshi. The fannybays were fanny big. If you look towards the kitchen, you might be able to see the owner opening the oysters. read more