Do you love oysters? Then you’ll love the Maine Oyster Trail, a new tourism trail designed to help people find Maine oyster farms and restaurants that offer delicious, fresh shellfish.
About Maine Farmed Oysters
Two species of oysters grow in Maine. The Eastern oyster (also called the Atlantic oyster) is native to Maine and has been a favorite in Maine for centuries, as seen by the large shell middens that line river banks along our coastal shore. Belon oysters (also called European oysters or European Flat) are native to the Belon River in France and were brought to Maine by scientists in the 1950s. Only around 5,000 Belon oysters are harvested in Maine each year.
Oysters can vary in flavor depending on where they were harvested (similar to clams or scallops) and by species. Oyster flavors are named after the region they were harvested, such as Glidden Point, Dodge Cove, Norumbega, Pemaquid Wawenauk, Wiley Point, Whaleback Cocktail, Bagaduce, Little Island, Gay Island, Flying Points, North Haven, Winter Point and Taunton Bay oysters. There is no one flavor that is “better” than another- just like wine, one person may prefer the flavor of oysters from one location while another prefers oysters from another, yet both are delicious!
Maine offers many ways to enjoy our fresh oysters, and thanks to the Maine Oyster Trail, they are easy to find! You can buy fresh oysters directly from Maine’s oyster farms, some offering tours where you can learn what goes into growing and harvesting the tasty shellfish. Fresh Maine oysters can also be purchased at markets, or you can avoid starting your own shell midden and leave the clean up to someone else by going to a raw bar (see the list below).
*Don’t forget the Pemaquid Oyster Festival held in Damariscotta every September!
Maine oyster farms that include tours (farm to table):
- Nonesuch Oysters
- Damariscotta River Cruises
Maine oyster farms:
- North Haven Oysters
- Weskeag Oysters
- Gay Island Oysters
- Little Island Oysters
- Pemaquid Oyster Company Inc
- Taunton Bay Oyster Company
- Flying Point Oysters
- Basket Island Oysters
- Long Cove
- Glidden Point Oyster Company
- Hog Cove Oyster Company
- Ebenecook Oysters
Restaurants with raw bars serving fresh Maine oysters:
- Street & Co, Portland
- Hurricane Restaurant, Kennebunkport
- El Rayo Taqueria, Scarborough
- Old Port Sea Grill & Raw Bar, Portland
- Royal River Grillhouse, Yarmouth
- Schooner Landing, Damariscotta
- The Slipway Restaurant, Thomaston
- The Pearl Restaurant, Rockland
- Cafe Miranda, Rockland
- Suzuki’s Sushi Bar, Rockland
- Nebo Lodge, North Haven
- Waterfront, Camden
- Three Tides, Belfast
- Young’s Lobster Shore Pound, Belfast
- Dennett’s Wharf Restaurant & Oyster Bar, Castine
- Fish House Grill, Bar Harbor
- Crocker House Country Inn, Hancock
- Eventide Oyster Company, Portland
- Mine Oyster, Boothbay
- King Eider’s Pub, Damariscotta
- Blaze Restaurant, Bangor
- Bayley’s Seafood Restaurant, Scarborough
- Fore Street, Portland
- Boone’s Fish House & Oyster Room, Portland
- Black Point Inn, Scarborough
- BP’s Shuck Shack, Portland
- Fisherman’s Catch Restaurant, Wells
- 50 Local, Kennebunk
- Ken’s Place, Scarborough
Retailers of Maine-grown oysters:
- Fisherman’s Catch Restaurant, Wells
- 50 Local, Kennebunk
- Ken’s Place, Scarborough
- Harbor Fish Market, Portland
- Browne Trading Market, Portland