Best Seafood in the East End, Houston: Oysters, Po-Boys, Mariscos

The best seafood in Houston's East End is Mexican and Gulf Coast cooking, not white tablecloths: wood-roasted Gulf oysters and redfish zarandeado at the Original Ninfa's on Navigation Boulevard, oysters by the dozen at Ostioneria Michoacan on the Gulf Freeway, and fried-shrimp po-boys and seasonal boiled crawfish at The Cajun Stop on Telephone Road. Add Connie's Seafood near Harrisburg, Nancy's Hustle in EaDo, Huynh behind the convention center and Eight Row Flint on Harrisburg, and you have seven verified places to eat seafood in the East End.

Here's the line to remember: the East End has no waterfront, but it eats like a port town. This is the part of town that briefly hosted the Republic of Texas government, and where the Original Ninfa's says Mama Ninfa introduced the fajita to North America. It's also where you can order a coctel, a soft-shell crab po-boy and a crispy seafood noodle cake without leaving the neighborhood.

What counts as the East End?

For this guide, the East End is everything east of downtown inside Loop 610: bounded by US-59/I-69 to the west, Buffalo Bayou to the north, Loop 610 East to the east and the Gulf Freeway (I-45) to the south. That takes in EaDo, Second Ward, Eastwood, Magnolia Park, Harrisburg and Lawndale/Wayside. It's the same boundary as our best tacos in the East End guide.

I didn't know that: according to the Harris County Historical Commission, on March 21, 1836, the home of Jane Birdsall Harris in Harrisburg, now part of the East End, became the capitol of the Republic of Texas. Weeks later the Mexican Army burned Harrisburg and threw the local printing press into Buffalo Bayou.

How we chose

We picked East End restaurants where seafood is a real reason to go, not a single shrimp option on a burger menu. Every place had to be inside the boundary above and show a current address and menu on its own official website in November 2026. We read each menu and name only dishes the restaurant lists itself.

We left out places we couldn't confirm. A restaurant that once ran a Gulf seafood kitchen on Navigation Boulevard has been replaced by another business, and a few mariscos spots we'd heard about had no official site or menu we could check. Menus and hours change, so treat everything below as typical and check the restaurant's site before you go.

The quick list

• For Gulf oysters with history: the Original Ninfa's on Navigation.
• For an ostionería night with live music: Ostioneria Michoacan on the Gulf Freeway.
• For a po-boy and crawfish in season: The Cajun Stop on Telephone Road.
• For seafood plates and fried rice, Mexican-Asian style: Connie's Seafood near Harrisburg.
• For raw-bar date night: Nancy's Hustle in EaDo.
• For a cheap, filling seafood lunch: Huynh, behind the convention center.
• For shrimp tacos at happy hour: Eight Row Flint East End.

Where to get Gulf oysters in the East End

The two strongest oyster stops in the East End are the Original Ninfa's, for roasted oysters, and Ostioneria Michoacan, for oysters on the half shell by the half dozen or dozen.

1. The Original Ninfa's on Navigation

Second Ward, 2704 Navigation Blvd · Tex-Mex and Gulf seafood · open daily

The Original Ninfa's on Navigation Boulevard calls itself the place where it all began, and its menu says Mama Ninfa introduced the fajita to North America here in 1973. The seafood side of the menu is just as serious. Order the Roasted Gulf Oysters, roasted in the wood oven with blue crab, chorizo, breadcrumbs, mezcal crema and bacon, then the Coctel Costeño with Gulf shrimp and blue crab. For a main, the Platos del Mar section runs from Redfish Zarandeado to Snapper Veracruzano made with Gulf red snapper.

Insider tip: can't choose? The Plato Costeño puts a Gulf fish taco, shrimp a la playa and a blue crab tostada on one plate. Ninfa's typically opens at 11 a.m. on weekdays and serves brunch from 10 a.m. on weekends; check the official site before you go.

2. Ostioneria Michoacan (Gulf Freeway)

Gulf Freeway, 5819 Gulf Fwy #900 · Mexican seafood and oyster bar

Ostioneria Michoacan is a Houston-born chain of Mexican seafood restaurants, and its location #11 sits on the Gulf Freeway feeder in ZIP 77023, right on the southern edge of our East End. According to its own history page, the founder opened the first Ostioneria Michoacan in 1994 after noticing north Houston had no seafood restaurant, and chose the name for its meaning: region of fishermen.

Order Ostiones en Concha (raw oysters on the half shell), Ostiones a la Parrilla grilled with cheese and pico de gallo, or Ostiones Rockefeller with spinach and cheese. Then go big with a Coctel Campechano, an Aguachile Especial with shrimp, octopus, scallops and mussels, or a whole fried Huachinango (red snapper).

Insider tip: this location lists happy hour on weekdays from 3 to 7 p.m., live music Wednesday through Sunday, and a Wednesday special of Camarón Botana, Cajun-style shrimp with potatoes and corn. The menu doesn't say where its oysters come from, so ask what's in that day.

Where to get crawfish and po-boys in the East End

The Cajun Stop on Telephone Road is the East End's Louisiana kitchen, with po-boys all year and boiled crawfish in season.

3. The Cajun Stop

EaDo, 902 Telephone Rd · Cajun po-boys and boils · open daily

The Cajun Stop has been serving po-boys in Houston since 2009, according to its website, which says the owner grew up in Houma, Louisiana, and came to Houston after Hurricane Katrina. The site claims more than 150 po-boy combinations. Start with the double fried shrimp or soft shell crab po-boy, or the house surf and turf. The kitchen also turns out gumbo, crawfish étouffée, jambalaya and Catfish Oscar.

Insider tip: hot boiled crawfish, crab legs and boiled shrimp are served during peak season only, so check the restaurant's site or call before you plan a boil around it. For the full season breakdown, see our Houston crawfish guide. The Cajun Stop typically opens at 10 a.m. daily.

Where to get Mexican-style seafood plates

Connie's Seafood near Harrisburg is the East End's market-and-restaurant combination for big seafood plates, cocteles and fried rice.

4. Connie's Seafood (Wayside)

Magnolia Park area, 340 S 69th St · Mexican- and Asian-inspired seafood · market and restaurant

Connie's Seafood opened in 1979 on Airline Drive and calls itself the pioneer of Mexican- and Asian-inspired seafood in Houston. Its East End location sits on South 69th Street at Wayside, near Harrisburg. Connie's own site points you toward its seafood plates, a fresh seafood market, what it calls addictive fried rice, and Vuelve a la Vida, the seafood soup named for bringing you back to life.

Insider tip: Connie's site doesn't post hours for the Wayside location, so check its online ordering page or call before you drive over. Prefer to cook? Our best seafood markets in Houston guide covers where to buy whole Gulf fish.

Seafood for a night out

Nancy's Hustle in EaDo is the East End's best bet for a raw-bar style date night, with oysters, aguachile and octopus on a changing menu.

5. Nancy's Hustle

EaDo, 2704 Polk St · modern bistro · dinner nightly

Nancy's Hustle calls itself a modern bistro on Houston's east side, and it's typically open every evening from 5 to 11 p.m. The menu changes, so treat these as examples. Seafood dishes on its posted menu have included oysters with tomato granita, dried tomato liqueur, lime and fresh horseradish; yellowtail aguachile with roasted poblano; braised octopus with fingerling potatoes and capers; and swordfish with sherry brown butter.

Insider tip: order the Nancy cakes, the restaurant's namesake small cakes served with cultured butter, smoked trout roe and chives. They're the dish to photograph. Pair this stop with our date night in the East End guide.

Seafood for lunch and happy hour

For a seafood lunch in the East End, go to Huynh; for shrimp tacos with a drink, go to Eight Row Flint on Harrisburg.

6. Huynh

EaDo, 912 St. Emanuel St · Vietnamese · closed Sundays

Huynh is a family-run Vietnamese restaurant on St. Emanuel Street, just behind the George R. Brown Convention Center. Pho anchors the menu, but the seafood dishes are worth ordering instead. Order Hủ Tiếu Xào Đồ Biển, a wok-fried crispy rice noodle cake topped with shrimp, squid, scallop and fish ball, or Mì Quảng, yellow rice noodles with pork, shrimp and fish cake in a lightly spicy broth. Shrimp with lemongrass and chilies (Tôm Xào Xả Ớt) is a lighter pick.

Insider tip: Huynh's menu lists a per-person corkage fee for BYOB (guests must be over 21), and it's typically closed on Sundays and for lunch between 3:30 and 5 p.m. on weekdays. More Vietnamese picks are in our best Vietnamese restaurants in Houston guide.

7. Eight Row Flint East End

Second Ward, 3501 Harrisburg Blvd · bar and tacos · open late daily

Eight Row Flint's East End location is a cocktail-and-beer bar, typically open until 2 a.m. daily, with tacos on housemade nixtamal corn tortillas. The seafood picks are the fried shrimp taco with fried Gulf shrimp, pickled green tomatoes and coriander aioli; the Baja fish taco with fried mahi-mahi; and crab rangoon empanadas filled with crab and cream cheese.

Insider tip: happy hour on its menu runs all day Monday, 2 to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, and 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on weekends. More deals are in our best happy hours in the East End guide.

Save this: an East End seafood crawl

This evening route stays on the west side of the East End, between EaDo and Second Ward. Use a rideshare or a designated driver.

1. Happy hour at Eight Row Flint on Harrisburg: a fried Gulf shrimp taco and the crab rangoon empanadas (weekday happy hour typically starts at 2 p.m.).
2. Dinner at the Original Ninfa's on Navigation: roasted Gulf oysters and a Coctel Costeño, or the Plato Costeño to share.
3. Nightcap at Nancy's Hustle on Polk: oysters with tomato granita and a round of Nancy cakes.

Daytime version: a seafood noodle cake at Huynh for lunch (not Sundays), then a shrimp po-boy at The Cajun Stop.

Before you go: a quick checklist

• Check hours on each restaurant's own site the day you go. Huynh closes Sundays, and Connie's Wayside doesn't post its hours online.
• Crawfish is seasonal. The Cajun Stop boils only during peak season, so confirm before you plan around it.
• Ask what oysters are in that day. Ninfa's lists Gulf oysters by name; the ostionería's menu doesn't name a source.
• Want live music with your oysters? Ostioneria Michoacan's Gulf Freeway location lists it Wednesday through Sunday.
• Bringing wine to Huynh? Expect a per-person corkage fee, and everyone drinking must be over 21.
• Heading to a game in EaDo? Huynh, Nancy's Hustle and The Cajun Stop are all in EaDo; our EaDo area guide has more.

More seafood in Houston

For the citywide list, start with our best seafood restaurants in Houston. If ceviche and aguachile are your thing, our best mariscos in Houston guide goes deep on ostionerías and cevicherías.

Last verified: November 2026.

Frequently asked questions

Where can I get oysters in Houston's East End?

The Original Ninfa's on Navigation Boulevard serves wood-oven Roasted Gulf Oysters with blue crab and chorizo. Ostioneria Michoacan at 5819 Gulf Freeway serves raw, grilled and Rockefeller oysters, and Nancy's Hustle in EaDo serves oysters with tomato granita.

Where can I get crawfish in the East End?

The Cajun Stop at 902 Telephone Road serves hot boiled crawfish, crab legs and boiled shrimp during peak season, plus crawfish étouffée. Confirm the boil is running before you go.

What area counts as Houston's East End?

In this guide, the East End is the area east of downtown inside Loop 610, between US-59/I-69, Buffalo Bayou, Loop 610 East and the Gulf Freeway. It includes EaDo, Second Ward, Eastwood, Magnolia Park and Harrisburg.

Is the Original Ninfa's on Navigation good for seafood?

Yes. The Original Ninfa's on Navigation has a full Platos del Mar section, including Redfish Zarandeado, Snapper Veracruzano with Gulf red snapper and Shrimp a la Playa, plus Roasted Gulf Oysters and a Gulf shrimp and blue crab coctel.

Where can I get a cheap seafood lunch in the East End?

Huynh at 912 St. Emanuel Street in EaDo serves Vietnamese seafood dishes such as a crispy noodle cake with shrimp, squid and scallop. It's typically open for weekday lunch and all day Saturday, and closed Sundays.