Raw Energy
A restaurant with cheap oysters and a buzzing bar
T
here are lots of great secrets about the Oyster Bar Grill. One is that, name notwithstanding, it's more of a steakhouse than a seafood restaurant. Another is that the bar is as much worth going here for as the food. The high ceiling and the velvet curtain that separates it from the dining room make the bar seem even trendier, and it's usually hopping and generally friendly, with couches as well as tables, works by local artists on the walls, and a large selection of wines and liquors. The menu is American steakhouse style with French influence, focusing on steaks served a la carte (filet au poivre, for instance). And, yes, there is also seafood, including lobster and king crab. But the local favorite is another great secret: lobster mac-‘n-cheese. You'll find it hidden among the side dishes. There's also a great cheeseburger deal, and a $1 raw bar from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays.
Shhh who knew
The island's small gene pool spread hereditary deafness until so many Martha's Vineyard residents were born deaf that they started their own form of sign language, later merged into American Sign Language; you can see 19th-century sign-language instructions in the Martha's Vineyard Museum. As many as one in four children in some generations was born deaf, compared to one in 6,000 on the mainland.
57 Circuit Ave.
Oak Bluffs,
MA,
02557
508.693.6600
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Sunday through Thursday, 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. (bar till 1:30 a.m.)
Friday and Saturday, 4:30 p.m. to 11 p.m. (bar till 1:30 a.m.)
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