Hog Island Oyster @ Marshall, CA (Marin County)

Most west coasters know that you can go from southern California all the way to northern California by taking the 101 or Highway 1, and the reverse is true. Most people stop at San Francisco, but if you go another hour or so north, along the windy Highway 1 you'll come across an oyster farm in Marin County - Hog Island Oyster. It looks pretty unassuming from the outside, but when you walk towards the back, you'll see some picnic tables, and lots of people handling oysters.

The best thing to do at Hog Island, is to bring EVERYTHING else yourself, so they don't nickle and dime you. You reserve a picnic table ahead of time, which is $5/person on weekday and $8/person on weekends, but if you order enough oysters they'll most likely waive that fee. There are about 6 different variety of oysters, and if you shuck them yourself it comes out to $1/oyster, but if you have them shuck it it's about $2/oyster. Obviously you'd shuck them yourself! What's the point of going to an oyster farm to eat oysters if you don't do the dirty work - it's part of the experience! You bring your own charcoal, and BBQ utensils, lime, lemon, sauces, plates, etc. You make a picnic out of it, and you just eat eat eat. I recommend everyone to go, the oysters are super fresh and sweet. You taste the salt from the ocean, and I don't think it gets any fresher than this, unless you go pick them ourselves out in sea.

Japanese Oysters

super sweet and really fresh. this was my favorite.

but really difficult to shuck

Mid-Size

still fresh and good, but too salty for my taste. 

BBQ! still not a fan of BBQ oysters. I'll eat them raw, that's it.

fog rolling in after a whole day