KC's Oyster Shack — Restaurant in Port Aransas

KC’s Oyster Bar – A Seat Worth Showing Up Early For

I’m not exactly the “show up at 3 PM and get on a list” kind of guy, but there I was, first in line with the wife on a Saturday afternoon. Why? Because I get it—this place does it differently. Limited seats, limited time, but unlimited attention to detail.

KC’s has only 14 seats—yes, 14—and you’re perched at a sleek bar with an ice bath in front of you. You can literally see the freshness of the seafood before it hits your plate. Hot food is hot, cold food is cold, and it’s all done very well.

We opted for the 6:30 to 7:45 slot. That’s right—you get 1 hour and 15 minutes, not a second more. But somehow, right about that time, the chairs mysteriously started hurting my arse, so it worked out. It’s all part of a system: control the inventory, the flow, the experience. The chef knows you’re coming, and he’s ready for you.

The vibe? Think bartender and a few regulars—intimate, calm, personal. Two extremely professional servers never left your sight (or your side). No chasing them down. No hiding in the back. They’re part of the experience, just like the food and the music—subtle enough to relax you, but never overpowering.

Now, I’ll admit: I’m not a raw oyster guy. But somehow I ended up at an oyster bar. Go figure. My move? Jumbo shrimp piled high on horseradish and a saltine, topped with cocktail sauce. The shrimp were massive—I had to cut them in half, should’ve gone quarters. The horseradish? The hottest I’ve ever had. If I ever need to clear my sinuses or realign my brain, I know where to go. I like it hot, and this was righteous.

Normally, I don’t order crab legs out. Too easy to do at home. I've probably made them 30 times from HEB or Sam’s Club. But what I had here? Perfect. Every. Single. Leg. The meat came out whole, no weird smells, just sweet, fresh crab. No need to mask it with Old Bay or heavy seasoning. KC’s lets the crab speak for itself.

But the real showstopper? The butter. Good Lord, the butter. Clarified, silky, addictive. We all begged for seconds. Still not sure what Chef Chad puts in it—maybe magic?—but that dipping sauce was the knockout punch. Controlled and refined until bam! it hits your tastebuds. We couldn’t stop talking about it.

And who’s behind it all? Chef and owner Chad Gorczyca, quietly working off to the side, sending out dishes exactly the way he wants them. No flair, no fuss, just culinary precision.

Bottom line: Get on the list. Show up early. Stay in your seat. And don’t forget to ask for more butter. You’ll...

WOW! This establishment truly blew my mind and was the highlight of my stay in port aransas. If you like seafood... INCREDIBLY FRESH, HIGH-QUALITY, SCRUMPTIOUS SEAFOOD... you MUST check out this restaurant. The first thing you will need to do is go to the restaurant and add your name to the sign-up list. I highly recommend going as early as 3 PM to do this. There are only 15 seats around the square bar and it is first come, first serve. Due to their popularity and high caliber of their seafood and the great dining atmosphere, there could be a long wait! Owners Kimber & Chad (K & C) know what they are doing! I am highly impressed with their attention to detail and tremendous hospitality!! (I had met Kimber the morning of my evening dinner and was hooked from the get-go after meeting her! She is truly a sweetheart! The entire rest of my day, I absolutely could not wait to go back for dinner... and it did not disappoint!!) I loved the ginormous cold - peel it- yourself shrimp as well as the tasty and incredibly fresh oysters that are set before you on the bar over ice. They have an ingenious way of calculating the total number of shrimp and oysters you eat while you are perusing the menu and waiting on your food to arrive. I ordered the grilled lobster tail, grilled scallops, and steamed little neck clams and loved them all equally! (see pics). Be sure to save room for dessert... which is a difficult task with all the amazing options they feature on the menu and specials board. The dessert you must try is called "I DARE YOU TO TRY IT". and that is exactly what they did when I questioned it.... after all it is vanilla ice cream topped with olive oil, white chocolate AND CAVIAR!!! Yes, I know you are thinking and I thought the same thing.... but trust me! Kimber and Chad know exactly what they're doing and I could not get enough of it!! It was big enough for all three of us to share. I am a four hour - one way - car drive from this restaurant and would not hesitate to drive down to port aransas and back in the same day just to eat there again! THANK YOU KIMBER & CHAD for such an amazing experience! I will definitely be back! ...

I had high hopes for this small oyster bar, especially with its reputation for serving incredibly fresh seafood — and on that front, it did not disappoint. The oysters were excellent, and you can tell the quality of the ingredients is a priority.

Unfortunately, the overall experience left a lot to be desired. There’s a sign in sheet system in place for managing reservations. The premise is people are seated, get an hr and then the others are seated. We arrived at 8pm and we weren’t seated until 9.10. The lack of organization was frustrating. What made it worse was seeing the owner seated inside with a friend while customers stood waiting outside — not the kind of professionalism you’d expect from a place with such limited seating (only 14 spots!).

By the time we were finally let in, the atmosphere felt more like an afterthought than a vibrant dining experience. We were the last ones in, and it felt a bit like the night had already wrapped up for everyone else.

I did speak to the owner directly and shared my concerns. While I appreciated the opportunity to give feedback, the situation really highlighted the need for better front-of-house management and customer communication. This place has great potential, but without improvements to the service and hospitality side, it’s hard to justify the wait. Especially when...