This past week I tried a restaurant for the first time and it’s a place that has been here for a long time.
My buddy Gill, in town from San Francisco, suggested we go for dinner saying the seafood was fantastic. I don’t get over to Palace Station often and was skeptical, but he assured me the food was great.
The Oyster Bar only has about 20 seats. You sit at the counter to eat, which lets you watch as the chef prepares your food fresh. We got there right before 6 p.m. on a Monday. The bar was full but we were first in line.
It wasn’t long before the line was about 20 people deep as apparently I am one of the last to know about this hidden gem. Locals on that side of town come here often.
We decided to start off with a Lump Crab Cocktail, which had plenty of fresh crabmeat served with a sauce. The crabmeat was very tasty but it won’t fill you up. I decided to go with one of their Pan Roasts for my dinner selection, which is fresh seafood sautéed with Brandy, Cream and Tomato served with steamed rice.
You can pick from Crab, Shrimp or Lobster for your seafood choice. If you can’t make up your mind and like all three like I do then order the Combo Pan Roast. You won’t be sorry.
The best way to describe my pan roast is to picture the finest bowl of Lobster Bisque you’ve ever had and then add a lot of shrimp and crab. Pure heaven.
If you like your meal spicy you can dial it up. They ask you on a scale of 1-10 how spicy you want it.
My friend had the Gumbo on this trip and was very happy with his meal. The last time there he had the Seafood Jambalaya and said it was outstanding. The Oyster Bar is open 24/7, which makes it nice because there are many times I’m at a poker table on the Strip and the game is just too good to leave.
So next time I have a late night poker session finding a good meal will not be a problem. If you don’t want to wait in a long line get there before 6 or go later in the evening. If you do have to wait in line, it’s worth it.
I give The Oyster Bar a rating of 3.75 Forks out of 4.
Marco D’Angelo is the senior handicapper at Pregame.com. He co-hosts FIRST PREVIEW every Thursday at 10 a.m. on ESPN 1100 AM/98.9 FM. Follow him on twitter: @MarcoInVegas . Contact him at MarcoDangelo@G amingToday.com.