Unearth The Voyage
Missouri may be landlocked, but its seafood restaurants prove great coastal flavors can be found far from the ocean. Across the state, you’ll find everything from fresh oyster bars and Cajun seafood boils to expertly prepared fish, shrimp, and lobster dishes.
These 14 restaurants showcase the variety and quality of Missouri’s seafood scene, offering memorable meals in cities, small towns, and lakeside communities alike. Whether you’re craving classic coastal favorites or creative regional specialties, these spots are well worth a visit.
1. Broadway Oyster Bar, St. Louis, Missouri
Few restaurants in Missouri carry as much history per square foot as this one. The building dates to around 1845, making it one of the oldest structures still in active daily use in St. Louis, and it somehow survived the urban renewal that cleared most of its neighborhood for Busch Stadium in the 1960s.
Broadway Oyster Bar has earned its reputation as the Midwest’s top New Orleans-style venue, and it backs that claim with a menu built around crawfish, fried alligator, jambalaya, and Gumbo Ya Ya packed with shrimp, chicken, and andouille sausage.
The raw bar features five rotating oyster varieties, and the restaurant is committed to sustainable sourcing from Gulf and Blue Point suppliers. Two covered outdoor patios were recently added, and live music runs nearly every night across genres from jazz to zydeco.
2. 801 Fish, Clayton, Missouri
Right next to The Ritz-Carlton in Clayton, this restaurant operates on a simple but ambitious principle: source the best seafood on the planet and then get out of its way. Chef Michael Sullivan built the menu around fish and crustaceans pulled from the world’s most pristine coastal waters, and the results are hard to argue with.
The raw bar is a serious operation, with fresh oysters arriving daily alongside iced shellfish platters that can include jumbo shrimp, Alaskan King Crab, and caviar for those who want to go all out.
Rotating mains like Chilean Seabass, New Bedford Scallops, and Whole Fried Branzino keep the menu from ever feeling stale. A striking blue tuna chandelier hangs above the dining room, and private dining rooms make 801 Fish a natural pick for celebrations.
3. Bristol Seafood Grill, Creve Coeur, Missouri
Bristol Seafood Grill has operated on a refreshingly honest policy for years: the menu changes based on what is genuinely fresh that day, not what is convenient to stock. Suppliers are chosen for quality rather than habit, and the kitchen uses an open wood fire to prepare everything from oysters to USDA Prime Black Angus beef.
Starters like Crispy Rice Sushi with spicy tuna and Jumbo Lump Crab Cakes set the tone early, while mains such as Maple Plank Salmon, Miso Glazed Sea Bass, and Blackened Seared Scallops deliver on the promise made by the appetizers.
Bristol offers lunch, dinner, Sunday brunch, and happy hour, which means there is rarely a wrong time to visit. Its location near I-270 and Olive Boulevard keeps it accessible to a wide range of diners across the St. Louis region.
4. Oceano Bistro, Clayton, Missouri
Mediterranean cooking and fresh seafood make a natural pair, and Oceano Bistro in Clayton figured that out early. The menu reads like a well-planned coastal road trip, moving from Blue Point Oysters with chili cocktail sauce and cucumber mignonette through Jumbo Prawn Scampi, Lemon Crab Risotto, and a Lobster Mac and Cheese that has developed its own loyal fan base.
Pan Seared Alaskan Halibut, Rainbow Trout, and Spiced South Pacific Bigeye Tuna round out the main course options, each paired with thoughtfully chosen accompaniments. Brunch regulars gravitate toward the Baja Shrimp Hash and creative Benedicts, while the lunch crowd tends to favor the Chipotle Crab Cake Sandwich.
Oceano also handles off-site catering, bringing its menu to private events around the St. Louis area. The central Clayton address puts it within easy reach of both locals and out-of-town visitors.
5. Landry’s Seafood House, St. Louis, Missouri
The address alone makes this restaurant worth a visit. Landry’s Seafood House sits inside historic St. Louis Union Station, one of the city’s most recognizable landmarks, and it pairs Gulf Coast cooking with a backdrop that most restaurants could never replicate.
The menu covers serious ground, from Landry’s Gumbo loaded with seafood and andouille sausage to Fire Roasted Oysters, Oysters Rockefeller, and Broiled Seafood Platters featuring stuffed shrimp, scallops, and crab. Fresh fish options rotate through Chilean sea bass, snapper, and swordfish depending on availability.
Diners who time their visit right can watch the Union Station Fire and Light Show from their table, which adds a spectacle that no other seafood restaurant in Missouri can offer. The restaurant has collected multiple Diners’ Choice Awards and offers private event spaces with customizable menus for groups.
6. Pearl Tavern, Lee’s Summit, Missouri
Andy Lock and Domhnall Molloy opened Pearl Tavern in 2018 with a straightforward mission: bring genuinely fresh seafood to a city that sits nowhere near an ocean. Their solution was to partner with a Chicago-based supplier drawing from both coastal and Great Lakes waters, with deliveries arriving fresh every single day.
The oyster bar is a centerpiece of the experience, offering oysters on the half shell, char-grilled oysters, and Oysters Rockefeller as reliable anchors. Maine lobster rolls made with chilled lobster and tarragon mayo on a split-top bun have become a signature item that regulars plan their visits around.
Beyond the seafood, the menu includes a tavern cheeseburger and Romano chicken pasta for those dining with non-seafood fans. Pastry chef Nikki handles the homemade pies, and a daily happy hour keeps the atmosphere lively throughout the week.
7. Storming Crab, Kirkwood, Missouri
Storming Crab in Kirkwood operates on the belief that the best seafood meals are the ones you eat with your hands. The restaurant specializes in Cajun-style boils built entirely around customer choices, from the shellfish itself to the seasoning blend and spice level.
The seafood lineup includes shrimp, snow crab legs, crawfish, green and black mussels, clams, Dungeness crab, King Crab Legs, and lobster tail, giving every table plenty of territory to cover. Flavors range from classic Cajun and Garlic Butter to Lemon Pepper and the Yummi Special, which combines all available seasonings into one bold option.
Every boil comes with corn and potatoes, and family combo packages make it easy for large groups to order without overthinking things. Fried baskets featuring shrimp, catfish, oysters, and chicken tenders round out the menu for anyone who prefers something outside the boil format.
8. La Juicy Seafood, St. Louis, Missouri
Louisiana’s Cajun boil tradition found a comfortable home in St. Louis at La Juicy Seafood, a restaurant that takes the interactive nature of the format seriously. The entire menu is built around the idea that choosing your own seafood, sauce, and spice level is half the fun of the meal.
Shellfish options cover crawfish, Dungeness crab, blue crab, snow crab, and king crab, with every order arriving alongside corn and potatoes. Sauce choices include Cajun seasoning, garlic butter, lemon pepper, and combination blends for diners who cannot commit to just one flavor profile.
The restaurant openly encourages guests to eat with their hands, embracing the messy and communal nature of authentic Louisiana boil dining. Pre-designed combo specials and a build-your-own option keep the ordering process flexible. Appetizers like hushpuppies, mozzarella sticks, and fried calamari fill out the menu for those who want a starter before the main event.
9. Yummi Crab, Gladstone, Missouri
North of Kansas City, Yummi Crab has built a loyal crowd by delivering exactly what its name suggests: seafood boils that are generous, well-seasoned, and genuinely satisfying. The restaurant takes a fully customizable approach, letting diners assemble their own feast from a broad list of shellfish options.
Snow crab legs, shrimp, crawfish, clams, green and black mussels, Dungeness crab, lobster tail, and King Crab Legs are all on the table, so to speak. Sauces range from Cajun and Garlic Butter to Lemon Pepper and the house Yummi Special, which layers all available flavors together. Spice levels run from non-spicy to extra hot.
The signature Yummi sauce carries a subtle Cajun note that complements fresh shellfish without overwhelming it. Fried baskets with shrimp, catfish, and oysters provide an alternative for anyone at the table who prefers something outside the boil format entirely.
10. Charlie D’s Seafood & Chicken, Kansas City, Missouri
Charles Drone started Charlie D’s in 2000 with a philosophy that has not changed much since: cook good food and share it with the community as if everyone at the table is family. Gary Hill took over ownership in 2013 and kept that spirit intact while expanding the operation to multiple Kansas City and Independence locations.
Fresh basa, channel catfish, and cod arrive daily, moving straight from delivery to the kitchen to the plate with minimal time in between. Fried catfish and shrimp anchor the menu, with fish available as strips or fillets and breading options ranging from regular to hot and spicy.
Hand-cut fries made from real potatoes accompany most orders, and Southern staples like red beans and rice, jambalaya, and gumbo round out the sides. Hill also runs The Big Catch, a nonprofit teaching entrepreneurial skills to inner-city youth, giving the restaurant genuine community roots.
11. Gulf Shores Restaurant & Grill, St. Peters, Missouri
Harry and Erica Parker brought a piece of New Orleans to St. Peters when they opened this location in late 2021, filling the dining room with boats, photographs, and Mardi Gras masks collected directly from Louisiana. The decor is not decorative shorthand for a theme but a genuine effort to recreate the feel of Bourbon Street in suburban Missouri.
The restaurant runs a daily New Orleans brunch cafe from 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., serving eggs Benedict, oysters Benedict, shrimp and grits, and bananas Foster French toast. The dinner menu features standout dishes like the Kitchen Sink Platter, Gator Bites, Frog Legs, and a Seafood Lasagna built from blue crab, crawfish, shrimp, and lobster in a rich lobster sauce.
An on-site fresh seafood market and retail shop stocked with house hot sauces and Cajun seasonings make it easy to continue the Gulf Coast experience at home after the meal ends.
12. Gulf Shores Restaurant & Grill, Creve Coeur, Missouri
Over 17 years of consistent Cajun and Creole cooking have given the Creve Coeur location of Gulf Shores a reputation that most restaurants spend a lifetime chasing. Harry and Erica Parker built this original outpost on the idea that bold Gulf Coast flavors and honest family recipes belong in the Midwest just as much as anywhere along the Louisiana coast.
The Rajun Cajun platter, featuring hand-cut catfish fingers, red beans and rice, andouille sausage, and a homemade crab cake, has become one of those dishes regulars order without looking at the menu. The Bourbon Street Combo pairs shrimp jambalaya with andouille sausage, a crab cake, and red beans and rice for a single plate that covers a lot of Southern ground.
Fish options include Red Snapper, Grouper, Flounder, Catfish, and Cod, each available hand-battered or blackened. Portion sizes are consistently generous, and the staff maintains the kind of warm service that keeps tables full on weeknights.
13. Krab Kingz Seafood, St. Louis, Missouri
The slogan at Krab Kingz is “Mo’ Butta Makes It Mo’ Betta,” and the kitchen takes that declaration seriously. Rather than boiling seafood in a bag and calling it done, the restaurant coats every platter directly in its signature butter sauces, which makes for a noticeably different result on the plate.
Flavor options include Original garlic butter, Lemon Pepper, Cajun Spicy, Honey Garlic, Caribbean Jerk, and Cajun Mild, giving diners genuine range when building their order. The B6 Seaside Platter packs three crab clusters, thirteen shrimp, two corn, two sausages, two eggs, and a bed of potatoes onto a single tray designed to feed two people comfortably.
A fried menu running alongside the boils covers crispy shrimp platters, catfish, chicken tenders, and a fried lobster tail and waffles combination that has attracted its own following. The Watson Road location keeps a clean kitchen and focuses on friendly, efficient service.
14. The Fish & Company, Camdenton, Missouri
The exterior of The Fish and Company in Camdenton is painted in Caribbean orange, yellow, lime green, deep-water blue, and hot pink, which is a reasonable preview of the energy level inside. Chef Matt took over ownership in 2020, bringing more than 25 years of seafood and restaurant experience to a building that has been feeding Ozarks visitors since 1997.
The menu pulls from global sources, featuring seasonally rotating fresh seafood alongside shellfish like clams, oysters, shrimp, and scallops. Lobster Rolls, Fish Tacos, Coconut Shrimp, Snow Crab Legs, and Boudin Sausage Balls appear regularly, and an on-site butcher shop sells fresh seafood cuts for guests who want to cook at home.
The restaurant donates proceeds from select menu items to local causes including the Kidney Foundation and Dogwood Animal Shelter. Live music adds to the party atmosphere, and the spot runs seasonally from St. Patrick’s Day through mid-October.
