It’s Oyster Season!

The Eastern Shore of Maryland was once considered the “Oyster Capital of the World” and Kent Narrows, located in Queen Anne’s County, was the self-proclaimed epicenter as it was home to 15 oyster houses and many oystermen that made their living harvesting this delectable mollusk.

Although the current landscape of the Kent Narrows Waterfront has progressed, it remains an active “working waterfront” and continues to be home-base for many of the County’s local watermen who fish the waters of the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries supplying fresh seafood to our local restaurants. As packing houses began to close one by one, Harris Seafood Co., founded in 1930 as W.H. Harris was able to endure and is the last remaining packing house on the Kent Narrows Waterfront, and the last full-time shucking house in the state of Maryland. Do you know how oysters make it from the Chesapeake Bay to your table? Take a behind-the-scenes look at the current oyster-shucking operation at Harris Seafood Co., courtesy of our friends at Queen Anne’s County Television.

Oyster season officially starts on October 1st, so if you are ready to enjoy fresh-off-the-boat oysters, take the short trip over the Chesapeake Bay Bridge to Queen Anne’s County on Marylands Eastern Shore, the “Unofficial Oyster Capital of the World”.

“Always in season”, Queen Anne’s County offers a vast selection of affordable waterfront accommodations boasting captivating bay views making for an unforgettable weekend getaway! Winter can bring new experiences, changing landscapes, and wildlife. Queen Anne’s County has plenty of wintertime vistas to offer via our parks and trails. Prefer to stay inside or need a warm-up? Visit our unique shops, art galleries, boutiques, breweries, distilleries, and award-winning restaurants where chefs excel at preparing native delicacies. Dine like the locals by enjoying favorites such as oyster stew, fried oysters, oysters Rockefeller, or oysters on the half shell (raw). Browse our local restaurants!

Eager to try a local dish but not ready to dine out right now? Pick up a pint of oysters and try this Traditional Oyster Stew Recipe from Harris Crab House!

Local author and oyster connoisseur, Brent Lewis states ” The oyster itself is a soft alien being. A throwback to prehistory, a creature that inspires sequels of disgust and unfriendly comparisons from the uninitiated. But to those of us in the know, the oyster is one of the planet’s great culinary delights!”

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