Finally made it out to this place. It’s definitely a market too and is in a big strip mall with most of the seating on the patio. Menu was a bit different from when they opened but it’s still chock full of items I want to come back and try. It’s nice that you can buy a tin of any fish and they’ll provide accompaniments for $8 total.
Had an oyster po’ boy which was elevated with a remoulade but was still straightforward enough to be called a po’ boy. 1/2 dozen each of nice briny buckley bays (bc) and some mellower blue points. Nicely fried plate of calamari. Only downside was the not particularly top-notch red uni but that just may be the state of local uni these days.
On the way out, grabbed a filet of black cod and a dozen buckley bays to shuck myself before heading up the coast. The old harbor location definitely is more market-focused and I’ll still probably stop there for spot prawns but the Goleta location is a great stop for a classic seafood menu with the added value of a pretty well-stocked market.
Hit up the Jolly Oyster truck in Ventura on the way home for the first time. Was a little confused when I saw the parking fees at the state park but they let you in for an hour for free. Was even more confused when I saw a quarter mile long line of families, but turns out they were all there for shuttle buses to the Strawberry Festival.
Jolly Oyster has two trucks, one for shuck yourself and another with shucked and cooked oysters as well as steamers and a few other seafood dishes. We had a dozen little kumamotos, scallop ceviche and a bowl of very good steamers. Their enclosure is byob and its pretty obvious the pro’s move is to roll up with a cooler of beer and foodstuffs and while away an afternoon shucking many dozens of your own. They even have little stand up charcoal grills next to the picnic tables.