Bob Peterson opened Aw Shucks Oyster Bar in 1983 with the goal of bringing an authentic seafood shack to Dallas.
More than 40 years later, the restaurant has opened four additional locations, including Big Shucks in Richardson and Aw Shucks in Frisco, but the restaurant hasn’t deviated from that original goal under the ownership of Bob’s sons—Nick and Eric Peterson.
“We want to make it as comfortable and inviting as possible, just like a seafood shack on the side of the ocean,” Nick Peterson said.
On the menu
The food at Big Shucks revolves around sourcing fresh seafood three times a week and preparing it “very simply,” Nick Peterson said.
“We are going to do Gulf seafood on your plate as fresh as we possibly can get it,” Eric Peterson said. “That's the secret. The secret is that there is no secret. It's not a matter of having a five-star Michelin chef in the back, or anything like that. We get good stuff, and we don't compromise on that ever.”
The most popular dishes on the menu include raw oysters, the house specialty shrimp cocktail, crab legs and fried Mississippi catfish.
“Mississippi catfish doesn't have a muddy flavor, it's all fresh, and it's really good stuff,” Nick Peterson said.
Popular non-seafood options include hushpuppies and Buffalo wings.
The background
The Peterson brothers recall sitting on the original Aw Shucks patio as kids while their father prepared to open the restaurant.
“He didn't have money for permits, let alone plumbers, so he would be there in the middle of the night, jackhammering up the floor and laying down the drains and drain system,” Nick Peterson said. “We found it incredibly boring sitting on the patio of an unopened restaurant, but it's very nostalgic now.”
From humble beginnings, the restaurant became a “local hangout” in Dallas, and Nick Peterson said the Richardson and Frisco locations have become the same in their communities.
“It took time, but it’s become the local spot to stop by on your way home and meet up with your neighbors or friends,” he said.
He added that Big Shucks and Aw Shucks have regulars that come in four or five times per week from all walks of life.
“We consider ourselves a little United Nations in that regard,” Nick Peterson said. “It brings on all types, and that makes it fun. You can just kind of relax and let your hair down.”
