When Kevin and Amy Marksberry bought Shucker's Oyster Bar in 2007, they knew they weren't just buying a restaurant. They also were getting a local landmark with a loyal following, some of whom had been making the trek to Wake Forest from Raleigh and points beyond since the restaurant's 1987 opening.
But the Marksberrys saw potential in change. Experienced restaurateurs in their own right (Kevin's career began in his father's seafood restaurant in North Myrtle Beach, and the couple operated Outback Steakhouse franchises in Raleigh for several years), they set about transforming Shucker's from rustic oyster bar to upscale casual seafood restaurant. At the same time, they wanted to preserve the spirit of the original.
By and large, they've succeeded. The new Shuckers Oyster Bar & Grill (the marketing-savvy owners tweaked the name, too) opened in June in spiffy new digs with a clean contemporary look. Subtle references to the restaurant's nautical heritage include abalone shell pendant lights and an oyster bar with galvanized metal that is repeated in booth divider panels. There's nary a fisherman's net or seascape cliché to be seen, but the basket of piping hot hushpuppies that lands on your table soon after you're seated (and is thereafter generously replenished) makes it clear that Shuckers hasn't strayed too far from its roots.
The oyster bar lives up to the restaurant's name and pedigree, and then some. In addition to the common Gulf oysters that were a staple at the old Shucker's, the half-shell offering now includes a market-priced "Specialty Oysters" selection that may include Malpeques from Prince Edward Island or the irreproachably fresh, cleanly shucked Blue Points from New York I happily slurped recently.
The rest of the traditional oyster bar lineup is well-represented, too, by an offering that includes clams (raw or steamed), mussels in white wine and garlic, Old Bay-dusted peel 'n' eat shrimp and steamed oysters by the large or small bucket.
By no means, however, are oysters confined to the raw bar. On the appetizer list, you'll find Cajun fried oysters with a house-made remoulade that are quite good, and char-grilled oysters that are even better. The Cajun fried oysters are also available on a salad of spinach, grilled portobellos and blue cheese crumbles with a warm bacon dressing, and at lunchtime you can get a fried oyster (or shrimp) po' boy. There's even a delightful cocktail called the Shuck 'n' Shoot, which features a raw oyster plopped into a small glass of Stoli vodka and bloody Mary mix.
Oysters Rockefeller are another winning option, but I'd steer clear of the sampler platter that serves them up with three other variations on the baked bivalve theme. The clams Casino are passable, but oysters Bienville and oysters Brownefeller are so heavily laden with bland breading that it's difficult to tell them apart.
Beyond oysters
Naturally, oysters are among the options - along with shrimp, flounder, clam strips and deviled crab - on the Southern fried seafood platter that was a mainstay on the entree list at the old Shucker's. You'll find oysters in the bountiful steamer combo, too, where they're joined by mussels, clams, shrimp, crab legs, andouille sausage, corn, potatoes, onions and a side of coarse, creamy slaw.
If oysters aren't your thing, you won't lack for options. Broiled mahi, stuffed with a jumbo lump crab cake and topped with lemon butter, is deservedly one of the most popular dishes on the new menu. Another favorite, which I regretted not ordering when I saw it delivered to a neighboring table, is Shuckers' distinctive take on shrimp and grits. I did sample the excellent stone-ground cheese grit cakes, though, which are available as a side.
Sam Adams-battered fish and chips is surprisingly good for a place that built its reputation on Calabash-style fried seafood. The seasoned fries aren't authentic, but they're crisp. It's hard to go wrong with a piece of simply grilled fresh fish, too, though an otherwise excellent filet of grouper was so thick recently that it was nearly raw in the middle.
More often than not, though, it's clear sailing for the new Shuckers. Its new owners have charted a new course for an old favorite, and they clearly know where they're going.
