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

This is going be my new favorite place to get oysters. They had a good variety of oysters and I really like the Buck-A-Shuck special. The oyster for this special was Summer Breeze. It was pretty good. Then I tried Totten Virginica oysters. They were soo good. I normally like small oysters, like the Kusshi and Kumamoto - but this was nice because it look like a slice of abalone. Less dense than abalone, but plump and juicy. It has a nice sweetness to it. The place does not have a large selection of drinks - just beer and wine. For me, as an oyster lover, I think a nice glass of white wine or beer goes well with oysters. This is a really nice place if you want to indulge yourself in oysters for a night. The quality oysters they provide for the special is really worth it. And the service was pretty good. read more

Came here for an early afternoon snack on a Sunday and Oyster Express was empty...not surprisingly because of the time and location. Fresh oyster of the day at $1.50 were sumptuous and very fresh indeed. Equally impressed with the steamed simplicity of the mussels. Found we were quite hungry after these snacks-turned-appies so we tried the prawn curry with rice and found the dish to be disappointing in taste and portion. My friend got the ginger tea which tasted great but was quite pricey. Our snack was quite costly at around $50 so perhaps it's a good idea just to come for the specialty, and perhaps during buck-a-shuck hours. Now if they had a liquor license, I'd bump up my rating to 4... read more

Can't believe iVe never been here. The oysters are delish, love the mignonette and cocktail sauce, plus the chili and horseradish in vodka infused sauce. Great service, great time. It's an intimate space, so make a reso! read more

I went on a Saturday night and the place was busy, but not packed. Service was excellent. This is what service should always be like: 1) Genuine smile on greeting/seating. 2) Ask if we have any questions, tells about specials. 3) Takes our order. 4) After a few minutes says our order will be coming. 5) Serves food. 6) Comes back a few minutes later and asks if everything is ok. 7) refreshes water (without asking) and cleans plates as they become available. The 7 steps to success :) We ordered some of the daily specials and let them choose some, added on mussels and curry. Food was good. Oysters, d'uh, were excellent. Fresh, plump, and tasty. My partner was pretty stuff, but I suggested we share dessert. Ordered the Cafe Affogato and then we proceeded to fight over it. Next time, ordering one for myself. It's out of the way (for us) but we'll be back, which I believe is the most telling sign of a good restaurant. read more

This is a totally cute and hip new spot in Chinatown, known for its buck a shuck deals. Popped in at 5pm on a Friday and my date and I were the only people in the entire restaurant, but by 6pm the place was packed. We ordered 24 oysters, the candied salmon, and the Manhattan clam chowder. The oysters were.... okay? They were not bad, but we agreed that the buck a shuck oysters at The Fish Shack were much tastier, and it would have been worth the 50 cents more per oyster for the happy hour oyster deals at Rodney's or Chewies. The sauces - vinegarette or cocktail sauce - were very basic and it would have been nice to see a spicy option that wasn't Tabasco. Aside from the oysters we gave the food mixed reviews. The candied salmon was a tasty little snack, but the Manhattan clam chowder was not good at all. It was very watery, almost flavourless. Definitely not worth $8 a bowl! The drinks were alright - I had a margarita and my date had a caesar - but I've definitely had much better tasting drinks in the same $8 price point. Given the decor and the rave Yelp reviews, I really wanted to LOVE this place but unfortunately it fell a bit short. Definitely not a place I'd go out of my way to revisit, but if you're in the area it's not a bad option either (maybe just don't order that chowder!). read more

What a great little Oyster Bar. Everything is extremely fresh and the service is fantastic and if you go between 3 and 6 it's Buck-a-Shuck! I highly recommend it if you're looking for Oysters downtown at a reasonable price. read more

I've been to this place several times after finding it on Yelp. Awesome variety, good prices and i love their little sauces, mignonettes and daily specials. Definitely recommend if your looking for good oysters, wine and great hosts! read more

Honestly. Not enough thumbs up to give to the crew here at Oyster Express. This review is long over-due (we starting coming here before they got their liquor license) but it has always been consistent and is my go-to for my oyster cravings. The space itself is small and cozy, perfect for first dates or just a few drinks with friends. The owner is always super friendly and makes an effort to come by to the table when he sees familiar faces. Service is always great with good knowledge of the oysters the have. read more

Loved the shuck a buck deal! Oysters are clean, fresh and I loved the presentation! Visiting from San Jose California and will come back whenever I am in the area. read more

100th review of Oyster Express! My date and I had only two types of oysters: Kusshi and Denman Island. Definitely, Denman Islands were a bit more briny and Kusshis were sweeter. Although both types were very tasty, I did slightly prefer the Kusshi oysters. The fries were excellent, and so was the amber ale. Oysters, fries, and beer - a match that could only have been made in heaven! From the moment you step foot in here, you can automatically tell that the waiters and staff certainly love their jobs there! Big smiles, detailed introductions, and clear, articulate language! If you haven't had oysters many times, be careful not to mistake the horseradish for shredded cheese, like I did. Or maybe it's just me. I do love my cheese. read more

Absolutely horrific experience. We arrived near the end of happy hour and waited in a lineup of 4 people ahead of us. After 30minutes in line and having no movement, everyone was starting to get very upset and frustrated. The couple at the front said they have been waiting for 1.5hr now...that's ridiculous! And to have the staff not acknowledge our presence was disgusting customer service. Not worth the wait, definitely would not recommend! Alot better happy hour oysters in town. read more

Had some happy hour oysters - Glacier bay oysters this time around. This place is terrific. Great staff/service and oysters are consistently shucked clean. They have an awesome spicy jalapeno infused vodka sauce, amongst others, to go with your oysters - pretty awesome. Watchmaker! read more

We found this place on the outskirts of Chinatown. Very different from all the shops around. Hopefully it doesn't mean the slow death of Chinatown in Vancouver (I'm from Portland, and if you've seen the Chinatown there you know what I mean). The interior is nicely done, with round windows and wood themes. The music was a Spanish? flamenco? kind of theme, and it sort of threw me off. I can't decide if I like it or not. Two sauces were given, I'm not a fan of vinegar so I shouldn't review that one, the cocktail sauce is pretty good. They give fresh grated horse radish on the side, which I haven't really seen before. Beautiful presentation, and well thought out plating. I ate the oysters naked, and they were really good and fresh. A really long list of different oysters to try, so the server's knowledge came in handy, and she was excited about giving us suggestions. No crunchies or shell bits in the oysters, which I think is attributed to the shucker. And the buck a shuck happy hour can't be complained about. read more

Buck-a-Shuck is the best deal you will find in North America. Happy hour is from Tues to Fri 3pm to 6pm. I was worry about quality due to the low price but that was silly of me! You must visit this place if you are in Vancouver. read more

Oyster Express - Buck a Shuck - Seafood Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

See all

Can't go wrong with oysters!!! They have a variety of oysters to pick from and they have a oyster and drink special boot. Service is also great here. Would definitely come back next time I'm in town! read more

Oyster Express - Look at them beauties! - Seafood Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

Great selection. Friendly servers. in my Hood. BUCK A SHUCK! these are the main reasons I'm into this joint. The drinks are well made as well. I've come here more than a few times for a pre-night out wind up and I've never been disappointed. The servers are always very knowledgeable about the types of Oysters and its nice having the background info on where and how the oysters came to be here. read more

A treasure in China town. You must go! Always busy is a good sign. I tried different kind of oysters, the place has a great vibe. read more

I often wonder if hotel concierge speak of this gem? I used to work in hotels and if someone asked me what the best sea food joint was? I'd reply, "Joe Forte's"! (A has been). I have been coming to Oyster Express since it opened and it has always tickled my fancy, from day one. I absolutely admire the passion, hard work, and dedication that Shawn exemplifies. He is the best oyster shucker ! By far! He even teaches me about the shell fish! This place is a true representation of Vancouver coastline and the abundance of seafood that this lush land has to offer. Love this place. Please go and try the Ocean Lovers Tower. read more

Absolutely the best seafood value in the city. Doesn't hurt that the owner Shawn is a champion oyster shucker. This means your oysters come out fast and super clean, not butchered like other places. Great knowledgeable service and super fresh variety. You MUST get the Ocean Lover's tower!! read more

Oyster Express - Ocean Lover's towers = absolute best seafood value in the city. - Seafood Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

~LOVE LOVE LOVE~ A surprise location on the fringes of Chinatown, it's a cozy little treasure that we want to keep a secret... but we like them so much we want them to be successful, so here's me letting the cat out of the bag. THE CLEANEST SHUCKS IN TOWN, hands down. We are suckers for a clean shuck (say that 3 times out loud!) Been to Rodney's, been to Joe's, been to Coast, well you get the idea. These guys buy the freshest oysters and they shuck'em with love. Served up with peppered vodka, mignonette, tobasco, cocktail sauce, fresh lemon wedges, the works. They always have a $1.50 oyster on special and we have never gone wrong with the feature, although we sample the pricier ones because we are working on our university of oysters degree :-) We're going on a dozen times and not once have we experienced anything negative from either the food or the service. The servers are genuine and efficient and they know their oysters! Good ceasars, happy hour drink specials and surprise, they make a crazy good grilled cheese. I chose this place for my birthday dinner although I could have easily chosen someplace swankier... we had a great meal. If you don't like raw food there are alot of other choices... the steamed clams/mussels are pretty juicy specimens of yumminess. Only downside is if you're a group of over 6 seating maybe a challenge as the place is quite tiny. You could spend $15 here for a meal if you're on a budget or you could spend way way more if you're like us and slurp these puppies down by the dozens (lots of zinc, good for you!) Oh yes, my rule of thumb is always wash down raw anything with alcohol. Vodka, sake, champagne are the classic choices. I personally never eat raw seafood without safeguarding against any potential hazards with a shot of something. Keep up the good work Oyster Express, we'll see you soon again. read more

Great spot for oysters. They had a nice list of West & East coast Canadian oysters as well as a couple from New Zealand. I'd like to return for more tastes. I was happy with all the toppings offered, aka chili sauce, tobasco, horseradish & lemon. The oysters were on the pricier side ($3:25-3.75/oyster) but worth it. The on tap beer comes at a decent price to accompany the seafood. In addition to oysters, the large prawns were great! read more

This place is a hidden gem in Chinatown! It's a really small and cute little restaurant. I wasn't really sure what to expect when we got there because it was very tiny and wasn't too busy. However we got seated right away and the waitress was really nice. We ordered their happy hour oysters and they were amazing! Like I said, we weren't expecting much so it was a pleasant surprise. Will definitely come back more often for their good prices and good oysters. read more

Great Place: Delicious Oysters and super friendly staff... Happy Hour on a Friday afternoon was very delightful. Yummy! read more

Oyster Express - Seafood Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

Regular visitor from CA to this establishment. Stopped by with large group of family for yesterday's happy hour. And was definitely not disappointed. Large selection of fresh oysters. Too bad the glaciers were not in season during this visit. Looking forward to the next visit! read more

I am a fan! We were strolling through Chinatown one weekend and came across Oyster Express. Since we had already eaten down the street, we noted it for a future visit. We are usually in the area on a weekly basis, and made it down for their Tuesday buck a shuck. Royal miyagis are always a favorite, so we ordered a half dozen to share. Also enjoyed an order of prawn cocktail, fried oysters, New England clam chowder, and two Caesars to go with the meal. We would come back for any of the oysters and clam chowder! Everything was a solid choice, and prepared fresh from quality ingredients. We will return, and make sure to order the mussels - they came highly recommended by the waiter and the table beside us, but we had recently had mussels, so did not order any this time round. Service was genuine and friendly by Tom, however hostess was a little off putting. I am not sure if she was mistaken or being aloof, or coached to turn away customers by saying that there would be a 45 to 60 minute wait, but when we had put our name down and returned 40 minutes later, there were empty tables and no new patrons in the restaurant. Anyways, the food delivers and I am always down for oysters, so I will return and recommend! read more

Great staff and oyster p'oh boy was the best I ever had. Oysters were super chilled and fresh tasting. read more

See all

Service Great service......our server was attentive and knowledgeable. Food Oysters were extremely fresh, looked like they were shucked when ordered. All the sauces they had were delicious especially the chili pepper/horse radish infused vodka. read more

LOVE this place. It's my partner and my favorite place for fresh oysters. Cute lil place, service is great and the owner is friendly. At one point, the menu had fish chowder and it was to die for but it's no longer available. Boo. It's a great place for a date or a lil intimate gathering with 3-4 people. If you don't likie oysters then this place might be a lil challenging because the menu selection is limited. The tiramisu dessert is quite good too. read more

I was excited to finally try this little corner out in Chinatown, since I rarely get out that way. It was a Thursday evening just past their happy hour and only maybe 2 other tables were occupied. Their menu is pretty basic; not many hot options. And they had a chalk board list of different variety of oysters. The prices seemed fair. We were offered 2 varieties that were 'on special' at $1.50 & $2.50 a shuck. Ordered 2 dozen of each and a plate of fried oysters. Overall it tasted good. However, if you love raw oysters, you might also love the condiments that accompany them. And there were only 2 choices - vinaigrette and seafood cocktail sauce (and you can also count lemon wedges and fresh horseradish too). So it was as basic as the presentation and minimalist as the decor. If you enjoy condiments, go to Rodney's. If you are a purist and eat your raw oysters straight, then this is the place for you. Otherwise, I was kinda disappointed probably having read so many great reviews and built it up in my mind. But this place is a great alternative to Rodney's if you want your oysters straight, a quiet cozy environment and to be seated quickly and not have to wait for a long time. read more

If there was one place in Vancouver that I'm rooting for to survive, it would be this little gem in Chinatown. We snuck in for a late dinner last Friday night. The place is TINY (it fits maybe 25 people), and we were so lucky that they were willing to take our unofficial reservation for two. The way oyster pricing works (outside of Buck-a-Shuck ) is that there's a fresh sheet of about a dozen types of oysters at about $2.50/3.50 each, but also a special oyster of the day for $1.50. We ordered a dozen of the daily oysters, the oyster soup, the Manhattan clam chowder, and the mussels. We originally also ordered the grilled cheese, but the server warned us that it was a lot of food and advised us to scale back. Now, before moving on, in how many places do servers actually advise you to CUT BACK your order? Maybe it's just me, but I thought this was an extremely thoughtful gesture, given that cutting back meant a smaller bill and especially considering we didn't order drinks and had a small bill to begin with. Also, it's not like we ordered so much food that there would have been wastage. In this case, the server was just gently offering his honest input to give us a better experience. Mind blown. So, how was the food? The oysters were smooth and briney and came with the standard lemons, tabasco, cocktail sauce, and onion vinaigrette. The Manhattan clam chowder and mussels were also done perfectly, with plenty of bread to mop up the mussel broth. Side note - it was a nice change to get stoned wheat thins instead of regular saltines for the soup. If one thing needed work, it would have been the oyster soup. While previous reviews have raved about the 4 giant oysters that come with it, the soup lacked any taste and had a milky, watered down consistency that made it hard to finish. In the end, it all ended up being enough food even though the grilled cheese sandwich looked fantastic enough to rival Burgoo's epic ooey-gooey cheese grillers. Next time, sandwich, next time. Oyster Express has a small menu like Rodney's, meaning they can focus on and execute their few dishes excellently (for the most part). There's clearly a whole lotta love that went into this place and Shawn, the owner, really makes an effort to get feedback and check on his customers. Having just made it past the dreaded one-year hump, I'm crossing my fingers that Oyster Express carries on. read more

The most awesome thing about a developing neighbourhood is that more entrepreneurs have better opportunities to pursue their dreams. I love this place for the beautifully fresh oysters and extremely fair prices. When the quality of the food is great, the prices are great, and the people are great, I don't need a fancy ambience to be happy. The decor is refreshing because it's clean and minimalatic. I think the owner made the most of what material he had access to and made the most of it. Ths kind of resourcefulness impresses me very much. We need more places like that in town and I'm certainly rooting for this restaurant to do well. read more

So it was a couple days before Halloween and Bae and I decided to go to Judge Dee's Haunted House down the street from this oyster shack. After getting scared by some really terrifying people in costumes, and shitting out all the bricks in our system, we got extremely hungry (also because the fact that none of us ate dinner yet and it was almost 10pm). We were craving for so many things: noodles, rice, bread, any food you can think of, so clearly we had a minor dilemma. We kept asking each other "Uhm..Where shall we go?" and the other would reply "Iono, anything.." This went on for about 3 minutes until bae said.."Mmmmmm I kind of want oysters" and I immediately agreed because my acute hunger was creeping up on me. I suggested we go to Rodneys but bae immediately shut that down because she said there was a secret oyster shack just up the block from the haunted house. So we drove 2 minutes up the block and there it was. Oyster Express. First of all, this shack is literally a shack. It occupied the tiniest corner or the street, one side facing a park, the other facing a Chinese supermarket. They even had halloween decorations. +2 points for the creepy skull placed in one of the windows. Walking in, first impression was, "This place is so cramped!" but you can't blame them for being a tiny corner store. Anyway, our server Jalene (we didn't know her name yet at this point, so keep reading), quickly greeted us and allowed us to pick our own seats. She came back with 2 menus and gave us a minute to take a look at everything. After quickly scanning the menu, and looking at the specials, we were still confused as we had no experience with all the types of oysters they had on their menu, in addition to the the non-existent description of each. Bae and I decided to take advantage of the night and making it romantic, by partaking in having a glass of wine each. But again, as a couple who has no experience in wine, we were so very lost.... BUT, that is where Jalene comes along. She comes back with some water and asked if we had questions. We had tons of questions. What are the differences between this oyster and that oyster. What does each one taste like. How big are the oysters. What are the specials. What does the name of this wine mean? etc etc. Jalene was a little flustered at first, but she definitely gave it her all. She answered every single one of our questions, although she was a little unsure about the wine pairings, but that's okay. So we ended up with two glasses of some Sumac Ridge Chardonay[?] as well as about 6 oysters, 2 of each kind of the ones Jalene recommended. The wine came out first and Bae and I wanted to make it look like we were professional wine drinkers in front of the others, so we consciously swirled our glasses, and sniffed the wine, looking like a fine pair of classy bourgeois. The wine was not sweet, just like how we wanted, thanks to Jalene's recommendation. And soon after that, the oysters came out. The oysters were presented with grated horseradish, and a couple wedges of lemons. They also came with tobasco, spice-infused vodka, minionettes[?], and some kind of cocktail sauce. We tried the oysters without the sauces first and the were absolutely delicious.. The Kushi were nice and small, with a hint of ocean, and extremely smooth. The Effinghams were SOOOOO good, small sized, but so rich and creamy, it melted in your mouth. We then tried the sauces, and was a little disappointed with the vodka as it was kind of bitter and weird. Instead we ate the oysters with the cocktail and the minionette. The cocktail sauce tasted like average cockstail sauce. But... The minionette was ABSOLUTELY DELICIOUS. The flavor was oniony but not too oniony, sour but not too sour. It was just right. Anyway, because it was so good, we ordered more oysters, we ordered Komomuras from Washington, and a variety from PEI. The Komomuras were really small and plump. The texture and size was similar to the Kushi but the taste was like the Effingham, it was a double whammer. The PEI oysters were so cool, the flesh was literally flat as a piece of paper and it tasted a lot saltier than the other kinds but there was no ocean taste at all; a very interesting must-try variety. So by the end of the night, Bae and I were a little tipsy and at this point, Jalene became one of our best friends after we found out she watched Happy Endings, by her identifying Bae's reference of "The oysters were so 'a-mah-zing' ". It was truly a wonderful moment. That was when we asked for her name for this review, and to thank her for making that night something Bae and I will always remember. read more

Oyster Express is my go to spot for oysters, these guys are great. They consistently have clean shucks, they're always fresh, there is always a nice variety - and the guys here can tell you all about the different types. There's always an oyster for $1.95 anytime of day, and one for $1.50 during happy hour. It gets crowded fast at times because it is pretty small. read more

My girlfriend and I were visiting from Austin, TX and wanted to get a good introduction to a local specialty. We were NOT disappointed with Oyster Express. Very intimate little place, stylish decor, helpful staff, and delicious food. The owner came to our table not once, but twice to ask us how we were doing, and to educate us on the finer points of the different types of oysters on the menu. He even poured a glass of scotch for the three of us from his personal stash of cask-strength Laphraoig! On the house! Are all Canadians this nice!?!? Great experience, great service, great memory. I totally recommend. read more

The oysters were damn good! But the service could've been better overall amazing food!

This is a great spot to try a variety of freshly shucked oysters. The server was super friendly, efficient, helpful and patient as we asked her about the different types available. I just wish the menu offered a little more variety for dinner. The boyfriend was hungry when we arrived, so in addition to our oysters we ordered the most filling items, the grilled cheese sandwich and the clam chowder. Both were delicious, but felt more like lunch items than dinner items. We're planning on coming back for their happy hour next time! read more

Excellent quality and fresh shellfish both cooked clams and mussels and raw oysters. Small space so come early. Good happy hour specials. Great attentive service. Highly recommend. read more

Oyster Express - Happy hour oysters. Fresh horseradish. Excellent - Seafood Near Me - Vancouver, British Columbia

Absolutely love it! Friends and I were craving for oysters and wanted to try this new place out but found out that the restaurant was closed due to an unexpected incident. The owner was super nice and invited us in after he learned that one of our friend was leaving the country for good the next day. We ordered kusshi and kumamoto oysters which would never fail us at all times. The owner's recommendation based on our selection were awesome too. The food came out quickly given there were no other customer but we finished it even faster. All the oysters were very fresh and delicious. It's not the normal oyster express experience I believe but definitely will be the best! Will visit again soon for sure. Recommended to all friends and family :) read more

I had a craving for oysters these days, so I bookmarked this place to try on a Friday night with my hubby. A friend joined us as well so we ordered a variety of things, including cocktail shrimp, yam fries, candied salmon, mussels, Manhattan clam chowder, fried oysters, and...a dozen of the glistening fresh oysters of the day. The room was cozy but just right for a small group. The food was great and the service was good, but I recommend getting there by 6:30pm because it gets busier later into the evening and service slows down when the house is full. read more