Amherst Oyster Bar — Restaurant in Amherst

This was a Tuesday night almost a month after they opened. The hostess was snooty and gave us a hard time and an actual eye-roll about not having a reservation (5:30) even though you can't get one before 6:00 online. She said it was because they were all booked but that's untrue because the app shows both open and closed time slots. The room is open and noisy. The seats, both individual chairs and the bench seating, are uncomfortably hard. The tables are too small. There is no privacy and forget about having a quiet conversation. The menus (how often do those get wiped down?) were placed directly on top of the plates we were going to be eating from. If there were any daily specials as touted on the website, they were either non-existent or the server didn’t bother to mention them. Keep in mind that unless you want a mocktail or a Coke product, there is nothing but tepid water without ice if you don't drink alcohol. We started with the crab cakes, which was a generous portion but completely under-seasoned to the point of blandness (they should come with a little cup of that OB sauce on the side). Couldn't even salt and pepper them because there was no salt and pepper on the table. The coleslaw was also bland and should be treated like a garnish – if you want something better, go see the Colonel. The mains arrived almost immediately after the appetizers. I got the oyster po’boy. Slightly fishy tasting, most likely from the fryer (more on that later). Served on a largish hot dog bun(!) and covered with OB sauce. The sauce should come on the side because the amount they put on the sandwich itself overpowers the delicate taste of the oysters. The sauce is quite good (probably the best item of the dinner) but underscores their inability to season a dish properly. Clearly the chef has not actually eaten an authentic, correctly prepared po’boy. God, I miss The Big Mamou! The fries are completely forgettable although the ketchup was okay. My wife had the fish sandwich, served on a greased-up hamburger bun they said was brioche. The sandwich was soggy and drenched with so much tartar sauce that she had to scrape off a huge pile of it. The haddock was overcooked and over-battered. It tasted (she refused to eat most of it, so I got to try it) like the either the fryer oil hadn’t been changed for days or they fry everything in the same vat (see po’boy notes) or a combination of both. Someone should force the chef drive to Bob Lobster in Newbury and order the fisherman’s platter with whole-belly clams so he will know what correctly battered and fried seafood tastes like. The server did not clear the dishes and did not ask about desserts or how the meal was. In summary, although this place is presented as an upscale and pretentious eatery, the food is not worth your dining dollar. We certainly will not be going back.

BTW – if you plan on redeeming an old Judie’s gift card, prepare for a denial from the server that they even do it, a hard time mixed with whining and buck-passing from three different employees and apparently (now) it's a multi-day project even though the hostess (and an email from the operations manager) said the whole thing would be taken care of...

Where do I begin? My brother was visiting from out of state and wanted to try the new oyster bar. He made a reservation on Tuesday for a Friday diner. Then the next day called to add a few more making our table of 8. 630 reservations, our table was set and waiting for us. Waitress arrived a few minutes later to get our drink order. We then waited 25 minutes for our first drink. Then we were asked what we might like for appetizers. . After half hour we got some oysters and a few salads. Salad was decent size but it was drowning in the most vinegar bottled dressing. There were no dressing choices. There was no dressing in the side. Drenched, unbearable. Oysters seemed ok. We have not ordered our meals yet and we have been here over an hour. Meals ordered and another half hour goes by. No food yet and no second cocktail. After being in the place for 2 and half hours. My sister in law went looking for a manager. Never found one. We asked if they might be able to bring a little bread since things are taking so long? “ no we don’t have bread”. About 10 mins later a few of the 8 meals arrive. Not as ordered but it was food. Afterall it was about 845 now and our reservation was for 630. We then waited for 3 more meals to come out leaving one person at our table with nothing in front of them for another 8 minutes. Fried clams? Whole bellies? More like clams dipped in old bay seasoning ( pure salt) and thrown in the fryer. Nothing much for batter and very very salty greasy and cold. Truffle fries? Sure but it’s extra. Sorry you won’t get them. Plain fries arrived. Fried chicken sandwich. Batter was just about black from being overfried. One meal was requested no bacon as they were observing the Lenten season and the meal arrived covered in bacon. After waiting soooo long. We all ate what was served and were never offered desert. Even had to wait for our bill quite some time. $400.00. I have had better seafood at long John silver in the south for 10 bucks. Myself, I eat out locally most evenings. We have some great places in this area. This place will never make it unless huge changes are made. Other guests were rolling eyes and trying to flag down wait staff. My sister in law did try to speak with someone before we left. We know the place is new and maybe overwhelmed but a few pointers may be needed. You know what they told us? “Well you are lucky we accommodated you because you arrived an hour and a half early” . Wow at that point I was certain to give this review. Now somehow the poor service and food is our fault? Way to go! We had a reservation for 630, called back the next day to add a few people to that reservation and it was still at 630! But now it was supposed to be 8? All we could do is chuckle at that point. Where are the guys from impractical jokers? They must be around the corner. It was 930 when we were able to leave from a 630 reservation of waiting and waiting. Food was not the best and staff was terrible and un attentive. Sorry but much improvement is needed. We paid our bill, left a generous tip for how terrible it was and will likely never return. I’ll watch the reviews for improvement but for now I see a lot of the same negative...

This will be my third time eating at the Amherst Oyster bar. I usually go for buck-a-shuck and sit at the bar. My experiences thus far have been nothing short of amazing each time. Yesterday I brought a friend to the establishment for his first time and he was extremely pleased with the drinks, food and the service. Anda the bartender is knowledgeable, attentive and well versed in the crafting of cocktails. I'm a mezcal fan and I had my first mezcal margarita prepared by him a couple weeks ago and let me tell you it was phenomenal.

Sadly, yesterday I had to cut my dining experience short cause of a disgruntled old man who was mumbling under his breath the entire time. It was as if there was nothing that the bartender could do correctly. He kept making comments referencing to the past establishment. He was searching for something to complain about the entire time. His entitled attitude was really ruining it for everyone else. Clearly if he looked around it's not the same place. Or the same food and definitely not the same service. The restaurant was very busy but it didn't stop the bartender from being on top of all the customers that sat at the bar. It's concerning that the older locals can't get past the history of the previous establishment. As a younger local we want to support the growth of the new places opening up in the area. Not tear them down cause of a slight delay in service due the busyness of the promotion.

It's clear that the restaurant is really trying to establish them selves after what was a 40 year stint from the previous place. It was time for something new but more importantly time for the locals to embrace it. Let's be positive about what's to come. Instead of being frustrated and creating a toxic environment for everyone else perhaps offer words of constructive criticism. I'd recommend this place to any and everyone who wants to try something new in an area. The downtown Amherst restaurant scene has been lacking for many years now. The anticipation of the opening of the Amherst Oyster Bar has been refreshing and great addition from stale places that we've all been going to for many years now. 10 out of 10! I'll be back at...