New Orleans, where must we eat oysters?

Going to NO in 2 weeks, where are the must eat places?  After some research, it seems that Felix's, across from Acme, is just as good, if not better.  Cassamento's is open but only getting raves for the oysters.  Not much good for anything else.  We will be staying in the quarter & not opposed to hopping on public transportation.  I know you  guys were there for the roadfood fest.  Plus, where should I buy those yummy cracklins.  Have been to Central grocery before & probably will return.  Thanks.

Learn to use the "search" function on here. Type in "New Orleans" and you will get 4 pages with 110 threads on them that will give you every concievable thing you want to know about Oysters in NOLA 

Acme

Acme is a great palce to eat oysters and I am a huge fan of New Orleans and of new Orleans restaurants. However, I woudl be very very careful eating oysters from the Gulf after the oil spill. Quite frankly, no one will know for a long time what toxic chemicals are in the food chain. It is very sad.

I was just there a couple weeks ago--the Gulf shrimp seem to be fine.  I had some fine ones at the Pearl and at Deanie's Seafood.  Can't help you on the oysters.

Thanks for your suggestions.  Oh by the way, I did use the "search" function but do appreciate your assistance.

I was down in New Orleans a few weeks ago too and quite a few places did not serve oysters because their supplier's oyster beds were still closed.  I would call ahead to places to see if they have oysters.  I was shut out at a few places trying to get an oyster po boy.
 
At Bozo's they told me that they could not get oysters from their usual place and could not find an acceptable replacement supplier.  They had tried others from the Pacific Coast but they didn't meet their standards.

Acme without a doubt for raw oysters.
Domilise's if you want them fried to perfection in a Po Boy!

Felix's---my all time fave

From your post I assume you are interested in casual inexpensive restaurants in the FQ.   The best time for oysters is December to March when the water temperature is in the 50's.  I assume most of the oysters in NOLA now are coming from TX because of the oil spill.  You will find plenty of oysters that are prepared in a cooked manner in most any restaurant in NOLA but raw oysters will be less plentiful than those that are prepared cooked such as Rockefeller or gumbo.  This should not stop you from going to Acme or Felix's though. There will be raw oysters but they may not be from LA. 
 
There are some great $20.00 3 course prix fixe lunch bargains in NOLA at Antoine's, Luke, Emeril's, Mila, Domenica, August and others.  Here's a link to those specials in NOLA.  I might add that Luke has a 3 PM to 6 PM happy hour every date but Sunday and their raw oysters were 25 cents each but they are 50 cents each now I think.  Drinks are half price also. 
http://www.nomenu.com/summer/
Mena's Palace is a local's favorite serving breakfast, lunch and early dinner.  Johnny's and Mena's both have good po boy's.  Napoleon House is a fun bar with good reasonable food. Coop's is a fun joint also for good reasonable cajun food. 
Go to Molly's at the Market for great drinks next door.  Maspero's is fun cafe in FQ with good cajun food.  Rampart Food Store has good po boys.  Get a po boy and have lunch in Jackson Square.  Green Goddess is a step up but not fine dining for good reasonable dining. Daisy Duke's is great for reasonable breakfast, lunch or dinner.  Felipe's is great reasonable Mexican with cajun twist. 
 
Mena's Palace @ 200 Chartres St., New Orleans, LA. 504 - 525 - 0217.
http://www.menaspalace.com/
Johnny's Po Boys @ 511 Saint Louis St., New Orleans, LA 504 - 524 - 8129.
http://www.johnnyspoboy.com/
Napoleon House Bar & Cafe @ 500 Chartres St., New Orleans, LA. 504 - 524 - 9752.
http://www.napoleonhouse.com/
Coops Place @ 1109 Decatur St., New Orleans, LA. 504 - 525 - 9053.
http://www.coopsplace.net/
Molly's at the Market @ 1107 Decatur St., New Orleans, LA 504 - 525 - 5169.
http://mollysatthemarket.net/
Maspero's @ 440 Chartres St., New Orleans, LA 504 - 524 - 8990.
http://www.pierremasperosrestaurant.com/
Rampart Food Store @ 1700 North Rampart Street, New Orleans, LA 504 - 944 - 7777.
Green Goddess @ 307 Exchange Place, New Orleans, LA. 504 - 301 - 3347.
http://www.greengoddessnola.com/
Daisy Duke's @ 121 Chartres Street, New Orleans, LA 504 - 561 - 5171. BLD/24/7.
http://www.daisydukesrestaurant.com/
Felipe's Taqueria @ 301 N. Peters St., New Orleans, LA 504 - 267 - 4406.
http://www.felipesneworleans.com/index.html
Go to WWII DDay Museum in CBD and have lunch at American Sector owned by John Besh.  Go to Lucy's Bar in CBD for great bar food and cold drinks.  Drew Brees has been seen a few times.  Mike Serio's just across Canal has good po boys. 
 
American Sector @ 945 Magazine Street, New Orleans, LA 504 - 528 - 1940.
http://www.nationalww2museum.org/american-sector/
Lucy's Bar @ 701 Tchoupitoulas St., New Orleans, LA 504 - 523 - 8995.
http://www.lucysretiredsurfers.com/neworleans/
Mike Serio's Po Boy and Deli @ 133 Saint Charles Avenue, New Orleans, LA 504 - 523 - 2668.
There are some great places in Marigny E of Esplanade for cold drinks, good food and fun times.  Buffa's has good tamales.  Elizabeth's is a NOLA tradition for breakfast, lunch or dinner.  Jack Dempsey's is a neat place for lunch or dinner with good seafood and steaks.  Lost Love and Markey's are good local bars with sports events on TV.  Mimi's has good food and Port O Call has outstanding burgers and cold drinks. 
 
Buffa's Lounge @ 900 Chartres St., New Orleans, LA 504 - 524 - 1107.
http://www.buffaslounge.com/
Elizabeth's @ 601 Gallier St., New Orleans, LA. 504 - 944 - 9272.
http://www.elizabeths-restaurant.com/home.html
Jack Dempsey's @ 738 Poland Avenue, New Orleans, LA 504 - 943 - 9914.
http://www.jackdempseysllc.com/
Lost Love Lounge @ 2529 Dauphine St., New Orleans, LA 504 - 400 - 6145.  http://lostlovelounge.com/
Markey's Bar @ 640 Louisa Street, New Orleans, LA 504 - 943 - 0785.
Mimi's in the Marigny @ 2601 Royal St., New Orleans, LA. 504 - 872 - 9868.
Port of Call @ 838 Esplanade Ave., New Orleans, LA. 504 - 523 - 0120.  http://www.portofcallneworleans.com/
 
If you don't mind riding the streetcar go N on Canal to Jefferson and get off then go to Parkway for outstanding po boys.  Mandina's is on Canal in Mid City and has outstanding cajun cuisine. 
 
Parkway Bakery & Tavern @ 538 Hagan Ave., New Orleans, LA 504 - 482 - 3047.
http://www.parkwaybakeryandtavernnola
Mandina's Restaurant @ 3800 Canal St., New Orleans, LA. 504 - 482 - 9179.
http://www.mandinasrestaurant.com/
 
Or take the streetcar to the GD or Uptown to Commander's Palace for outstanding $20.00 prix fixe lunch in best restaurant in NOLA and 25 cent martini's.  Go 4 blocks S to Magazine and walk the 3,000 to 5,000 block of Magazine taking in all the bars, restaurants and shops.  Stop by Column's Hotel on St. Charles before you head back and have a cold drink.   The only reason to go there is to sit on the patio and relax with a cold drink and watch the St. Charles streetcar roll by. Don't eat because it's not the best but the drinks are great and watching people, the streetcars and the atmosphere is totally New Orleans.
 
The Columns Hotel @ 3811 Saint Charles Ave., New Orleans, LA 504 - 899 - 9308.
http://www.thecolumns.com/
 
Coquette, Lilette, Casamento's, Mahoney's, Clancy's, Patois, Bistro Daisy, Brigtsen's and Dick and Jenny's are just a few of the fine restaurants in the area.
 
Coquette @ 2800 Magazine St., New Orleans, LA. 504 - 265 - 0421.
http://www.coquette-nola.com/index.html
Lilette @ 3637 Magazine St., New Orleans, LA. 504 - 895 - 1636. FD/LD.
http://www.liletterestaurant.com/
Casamento's Restaurant @ 4330 Magazine St., New Orleans, LA. 504 - 895 - 9761.
http://www.casamentosrestaurant.com/main/main.html
Mahoney's Po Boy Shop @ 3454 Magazine St., New Orleans, LA. 504 - 899 - 3374.
http://www.mahonyspoboys.com/
Commander's Palace @ 1403 Washington Ave., New Orleans, LA. 504 - 899 - 8221.
http://www.commanderspalace.com/
Patois @ 6078 Laurel St., New Orleans, LA 504 - 895 - 9441.
http://www.patoisnola.com/
Clancy's Restaurant @ 6100 Annunciation St., New Orleans, LA. 504 - 895 - 1111.
Lunch Served Thursday/Friday @ 11:30/2:00 PM.
Bistro Daisy @ 5831 Magazine St., New Orleans, LA. 504 - 899 - 6987.
http://www.bistrodaisynola.com/
Brigtsen's Restaurant @ 723 Dante St., New Orleans, LA. 504 - 861 - 7610.
http://www.brigtsens.com/
Dick & Jenny's @ 4501 Tchoupitoulas St., New Orleans, LA. 504 - 894 - 9880.
http://dickandjennys.com/
 
One place you should visit on Thursday, Friday or Saturday night is The Ritz Carlton Jeremy Davenport Lounge and hear Davenport's Jazz starting at 9 PM. It's one block N of Bourbon on Canal. The corner of Iberville Street and Dauphine will take you in the back door of The Ritz Carlton. There's an elevator when you go through the swinging doors. Go up to the 4th floor I think. That back door elevator stops in front of the lounge.

If you want to step up a notch go to Galatoire's, Bayona, Mr. B's, Antoine's, Irene's, Cochon, Stell, Emeril's or Mila.  Let me know if you are interested in casual inexpensive or upscale or both. 
  
 

Leslie - Contrary to the above message, oysters are most definitely in season.Because of the spill it would pay to call any of the raw bars in the city if oysters on the half shell is what you're after.My personal faves for raw bars would include Acme,Casamento's,Pascal's Manale and in Metairie,Bozo's and Drago's.Again-call ahead to confirm availibility and where the oysters are sourced.Enjoy your trip.

Leslie I apologize for saying oysters were not in season. Thanks to Mud Bug from Nantucket, MA I edited my post to remove that statement.  Oysters are in season in NOLA year round BUT they are best in the months between December and March as I stated.  Contrary to Mudbug's message there is absolutely no reason for you to call any restaurant in NOLA about the quality of raw oysters.  No restaurant in NOLA is going to sell oysters that are not high quality that passed state inspection.  In fact there's no reason for you to call any restaurant in NOLA about anything to do with their oysters.  I assure you that you will be getting the very best quality oyster available.  They just might not be LA oysters.  They could be from Northern suppliers or Texas suppliers.  I hope LA oyster production improves soon and they are made available.  If you have any doubts about the oysters you are served just ask the waiter where they are from before you order.  Most likely they came from P and J.  Now P & J may have purchased them outside LA.  If you are really interested go by their office at Toulouse and Rampart in the FQ or call them and ask about the source of local oysters.  They are the biggest supplier in the city and the oldest operator in the U. S.
 
P and J Oyster Co. @ 1039 Toulouse Street, New Orleans, LA 504 - 523 - 2651.
http://www.oysterlover.com/

Gulf oysters are available year round. The reefs were not harvested in the Non R months years ago because of the heat  but refrigeration and testing of the oysters has made it so that excess heat is not an issue now.  LA & MS do not require oyster pasturization. If the oyster is unshucked it's fresh and straight from a bed to you. Sometimes the char grilled and baked oysters are fresh shucked but most are actually IQF half shell oysters. These are hand shucked with meat still attached to the shell and then put on a tray with their liquor poured over them. Then they are frozen and glazed 12 to a tray. These can legally be called fresh oysters and sold as such. 
 
I have lived within 5 hours of NOLA for 65 years and I feel I am more than qualified to recommend NOLA restaurants including those that offer oysters.  The oil spill caused a shortage of LA oysters which previously were the only oysters you found in NOLA but today you will find oysters from other parts of the U. S in NOLA restaurants.  Oysters will be plentiful but LA oysters will not be as plentiful as they were before the spill. I understand LA oysters are being harvested at this time though.
 
The impact from fresh water releases on oyster beds was not helpful.  Louisiana officials opened flood gates to let vast amounts of Mississippi River water pour into the gulf to combat the oil spill.  It had a terrible effect on the beds by reducing the salinity levels. Many beds had just really recovered from the damage incurred during Katrina.  Hopefully the oil spill is not as bad as we had thought and LA seafood will return to prosperity soon. 

I just got back at the end of August from the Alabama/Florida gulf and did find that there was a definite lack of places handling oysters compared to my last visit there. As others have stated, call first. Several places just decided not to carry them now, others doubled the prices and the ones that did have them now, sourced them from other areas. The oysters I did have were generally disappointing. Hopefully the area will come back and great oysters will return.
In the meantime, I have had to satisfy my oyster urges by traveling to Oregon. Kumomoto and Yaquina oysters fresh from Oregon Oyster Farms today. Oh, they were yummy!