The newly opened L & E Oyster Bar on Silver Lake Boulevard comes to us from Bar Covell owner Dustin Lancaster. We admit, we were slightly nervous this place would be overpriced or pretentious. After all, on paper, it’s a raw oyster bar featuring local craft beers and housed directly across the street from the admittedly pricey LAMILL Coffee. But in person, the tiny nook of a café is inviting and comfortable.

Rotating oysters come from the East and West Coasts, though we recommend taking a bite of their grilled options (the bacon-laden casino oysters are not to miss). Completing the bivalve experience is a dinner menu of po’ boys, smoked mussels, and a Dungeness crab cocktail. And for all other things aquatic, blackened catfish and the Cajun shrimp pie are other menu standouts.

For our money, nothing goes better with salty seafood and aioli like an ice-cold brew. From just four to seven dollars, have your pick of the small selection of draft beers of tap (should you happen to be more of the sophisticated oyster slurper, the wine list here is quite extensive and spans regions from ‘round the globe).

Come early for dinner, especially on the weekends, as the space is shoebox-tiny and fills up fast. The two large, beaming heat lamps on the outside patio surprisingly keeps all diners rosy warm out there, so don’t refuse the outside table if the inside is full.

Should your meal start off with a round of complementary hush puppies (and we hope that it does), you won’t be disappointed. These fried-ball appetizers are full of whole corn pieces and have the sweet zing of Thanksgiving cornbread. We’re hoping that these freebies will end up on the permanent menu soon enough.

L & E Oyster Bar
1637 Silver Lake Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90026
323-660-2255