Ocean Blue Oyster Bar’s website states that the restaurant and staff “envision a world where dining transcends the ordinary, transforming into a lavish, immersive experience.” They aim to bring that vision to their newest location, which opened in February on Kyle Parkway—the second Ocean Blue Oyster Bar and the first outside of Austin.

The menu features seafood combos, a variety of Thai dishes, and—of course—oysters, along with a bar serving a wide selection of drinks.

What they offer

Offering a variety of Cajun-style dishes, Ocean Blue Oyster Bar’s menu includes fried catfish, fried shrimp and other fried seafood options. It also offers a selection of oyster dishes, gumbo, crawfish, crab, shrimp and calamari.

For those who prefer non-seafood options, the restaurant serves chicken wings and sandwiches, including po’ boys and burgers.


Another specialty at the restaurant is its Thai food offerings, including pad thai. Quynh Pham, one of the four owners, emphasized the authenticity of the Thai dishes, highlighting traditional recipes.

“Not everybody actually can serve this kind of food, and we don't want to be like another mom and pop or any other restaurant that you have a dozen right around the corner,” Pham said. “That's why we decided to do something a little more unique and...we're focusing on the quality [and are] getting great feedback.”

What’s special about it?

Pham said that while he believes everything on the menu is good, taste is subjective. However, one thing the restaurant aims to provide is “good food, good portions, and reasonable prices.”


The portion sizes at Ocean Blue Oyster Bar are generous, and most customers don’t finish their meals in one sitting, Pham said. Despite the challenges the restaurant industry faces due to economic conditions, Pham said they strive to keep prices reasonable and avoid increasing costs for customers.

The background

Ocean Blue Oyster Bar’s first location is in Austin at 4211 South Lamar Boulevard C-1. Pham said they chose to expand into Kyle due to the city's rapid growth. Instead of continuing to jump into more expansion outside of the two locations, Pham said they are focusing on putting a system together to open more locations in the future.

“We only have two hands and two feet, right?” Pham said. “We can only do so much, so as long as we can find the right people, and they like the atmosphere, they like the culture, then I think expanding will be a great possibility again.”