Alonzo’s Oyster Bar

Alonzo’s Oyster Bar sits at water level on the A&B Marina, the more casual sibling to A&B Lobster House upstairs, built around the simple idea that a plate of cold oysters and a harbor view make a fine afternoon on their own. The patio bar wraps close enough to the docks that diners can watch charter boats idle back in from a day of fishing while they work through a dozen on the half shell.

The daily oyster selection changes with what comes in, and the restaurant runs a three dollar oyster of the day as a standing invitation to try something new without committing to a full dozen of it. Beyond the raw bar, the kitchen builds seafood towers stacked with shrimp, crab, and oysters for tables that want to share, along with hot dishes for anyone who wants their seafood cooked rather than served on ice.

Being tucked into the same marina as A&B Lobster House means Alonzo’s benefits from decades of institutional seafood knowledge without inheriting the stiffness of a formal dining room. It reads more casual, more suited to flip flops and an afternoon that has no particular schedule, while still sourcing the same quality of product that built the family’s reputation next door.

Cocktails here lean handcrafted rather than frozen and sweet, which fits the crowd of locals and repeat visitors who treat this as their preferred perch for watching the harbor traffic. Walk ins are welcome, and given the setting right on the water with three sides open to the marina, arriving without a reservation on a slow afternoon is often rewarded with a prime rail seat.

What makes Alonzo’s worth seeking out beyond the general appeal of oysters and a view is the sense of place. This stretch of the Historic Seaport used to be a working shrimp and fishing harbor, and while the restaurants have modernized, the boats coming and going, the smell of salt water, and the unhurried pace of service all still feel tied to that history. It is an easy stop for a light seafood lunch or the start of an evening that will wander further down the seaport strip afterward.

Because the raw bar sits at dock level rather than up on a balcony, it also draws a slightly different crowd than the dining room above, boaters tying up for a quick bite, seaport employees on a break, and visitors who wandered over from Mallory Square and decided a dozen oysters sounded better than another gift shop. That mix keeps the energy loose and unhurried, which is exactly the point of a good oyster bar.