Denver may be hundreds of miles from the nearest ocean, but its seafood scene refuses to be landlocked. Thanks to rapid daily flights and smart sourcing, the city still lands briny oysters, crab legs destined for warm, melted butter, expertly-prepared market fish, and other coastal classics.
Chefs here are exacting about quality, helping shape an impressive seafood scene in a city known for its steakhouses. From sleek raw bars to neighborhood spots with lobster rolls and restaurants that have nailed the art of standout shellfish towers, here’s where to find the best seafood restaurants in the Mile High City and beyond.
Water Grill
A destination for seafood lovers, shellfish towers land on tables overflowing with lobster, crab, oyster, scallops, mussels, shrimp, and clams. Make sure to score other opening acts such as clam chowder, sushi rolls, or individual orders from the raw bar, including regional selections of East and West coast oysters. From there, seafood lovers can order daily whole fish specials, grilled or roasted, or go for a classic like crispy fish n’ chips or cioppino, and Italian-American fish stew.
The restaurant sources the seafood through its own fishmongering hub, King’s Seafood Distribution in Costa Mesa, California. From October through March, Water Grill celebrates spiny lobster season, prized for California crustaceans that are sweeter and meatier than their New England counterparts. 1691 Market St., Denver, watergrill.com
TK’s Surf and Turf Kitchen
Back in 2021, a 15-second TikTok of a lobster tail being dunked in butter alongside a plate piled high with shrimp, crab, and sausage at TK’s Surf and Turf racked up more than a million views. That clip turned the strip mall spot into a viral sensation that’s gained loyal fans.
Billed as Colorado’s first Black-owned seafood restaurant, TK’s Surf and Turf dishes out indulgent combos like crab clusters and lobster claws, lobster and steak, and crawfish by the pound, plus craveable sides like spicy mac and cheese, garlic mashed potatoes, and jollof rice. Save room for dessert, which includes a variety of banana pudding ice creams like praline pecan. 10890 E. Dartmouth Ave #13, Denver, tkssurfandturfkitchen.com
Jax Fish House & Oyster Bar
Jax Fish House & Oyster Bar opened its first location on Boulder’s Pearl Street Mall in 1994, introducing a focus on fresh, sustainably sourced seafood. A year later, the restaurant expanded to LoDo, and in the years since has grown to include locations in Fort Collins and Colorado Springs.
One of Jax’s signatures is the proprietary Crackerjax oyster, a salty-sweet variety farmed in the York River where the Chesapeake Bay meets the Atlantic Ocean. Varieties of oysters are served in a range of styles, from classic with mignonette to chargrilled with Creole butter or fried with a pickled-green-tomato tartar sauce. The menu also balances fish house staples such as calamari, crab cakes, and seafood chowder with seasonal dishes that shift with the catch and the calendar. For example, blue crab cacio e pepe or Mississippi catfish with grits, smoked-bacon collard greens, and okra. Multiple locations, jaxfishhouse.com
Blue Island Oyster Bar & Seafood
With locations in Cherry Creek and Lone Tree, Blue Island flies in fresh seafood and shellfish directly from its Long Island provider, Blue Island Shellfish Farms. The Shucker’s Platter offers a tour of the raw bar, showcasing oysters, lobster, jumbo shrimp, littleneck clams, and Alaskan king crab legs. Want to elevate it? Top your oysters with caviar.
Beyond the raw bar, the menu leans into fresh fish dishes and crowd-pleasers like crispy fish sandwiches and clam pastas, plus a lineup of regional lobster rolls, from a Connecticut-style roll drenched in warm garlic butter to a Tokyo-style roll finished with miso aioli. 2625 E. 2nd Ave., Denver, and 10008 Commons St. #100, Lone Tree, blueislandoysterbar.com
Traveling Mercies
The beauty of a food hall comes from building your own culinary circuit, all under one roof. At Stanley Marketplace in Aurora, start a night out, or end one, at Traveling Mercies, chef Caroline Glover’s cocktail and oyster bar, located upstairs from her award-winning restaurant Annette.
Once there, assemble a spread of snacky bites like oysters, marinated olives, shrimp cocktail, and sardines with a baguette and Calabrian chile butter. Pair it all with a drink: a classic Vesper martini or the Infante, the house take on a margarita brightened with almond and orange blossom water for a subtle floral twist. 2501 Dallas St., Suite 311, Aurora, travelingmerciesbar.com
Fin N’ Tonic
Sophia Vidal, former director of operations for TAG Restaurant Group, has struck out on her own with her first solo venture, Fin N’ Tonic, which opened in November. The hip RiNo raw bar offers a tight, focused menu of daily oyster selections, shrimp cocktail, and crab claws, alongside playful dishes like Colorado bass ceviche, salmon crudo with passionfruit soy, and smoked mackerel dip. Caviar bumps, a spinach-artichoke take on oysters Rockefeller, and a seafood tower round out the offerings. Fin N’ Tonic also features two happy hours, from 3 to 5 p.m., and again from 10 p.m. to midnight. 2461 Larimer St., Denver, fin-n-tonic.com
Crawling Crab
With two locations in Denver and Lakewood, Crawling Crab delivers a customizable Cajun seafood boil experience. Pick your steamed seafood and order it by the pound at market price, a line up that includes snow crab clusters, shrimp, lobster tails, mussels, clams, crawfish, and more. Next, have it shaken in a bag with your choice of sauce, from classic Cajun and Cajun lemon pepper to garlicky butter or the “All In,” a blend of the three.
Round it out with sides like steamed rice, sausage, potatoes, and corn for one big, flavorful, and delightfully messy feast. 781 S. Federal Blvd., Denver, and 3215 S. Wadsworth Blvd., Lakewood, thecrawlingcrab.us
Fish N Beer
Fish N Beer is a must-visit for fish and chips lovers, serving up perfectly crispy, golden-fried cod in a light lager batter. In addition to the classic, the menu leans into coastal comfort with a lineup of standout starters, including smoked fish dip with focaccia, peel-and-eat shrimp paired with Old Bay cocktail sauce, and a rich clam and andouille chowder featured on the nibbles menu.
Oyster fans can choose from both East and West Coast selections, while seafood specials like the market whole fish and crab-stuffed cod highlight the kitchen’s broader seafood options. And for dessert, the key lime pie has earned a loyal following of its own, offering a bright, tangy finish to the meal. 3510 Larimer St., Denver, fishnbeerdenver.com
Ocean Prime
With locations in the Denver Tech Center and on Larimer Square, Ocean Prime is a go-to for celebrations, date nights, and any occasion that calls for an upscale night out. For a showstopping opening to the meal, the customizable seafood towers arrive “smoking” with dry ice for a dramatic presentation. Other first courses include seafood restaurant favorites like jumbo crab cakes and sushi rolls like the signature Ocean Roll with tuna, salmon, hamachi, avocado, and garlic chili oil.
From there, the menu spans dishes such as lobster linguini and teriyaki salmon, alongside prime steaks that can be upgraded with additions like buttery lobster tails and garlicky shrimp scampi. 1465 Larimer St., Denver, and 8000 E. Belleview Ave., C10, Greenwood Village, ocean-prime.com
Ohana Island Kitchen
While not a traditional seafood restaurant, Ohana Island Kitchen, owned by Louie and Regan Colburn, earns its place for its focus on high-quality, sashimi-grade fish, showcased in popular bowls like spicy tuna and shoyu poke. The Hawaiian spot debuted in June 2016 as a takeout window in the Highlands well before the poke craze, before taking up a permanent location in the neighborhood.
Alongside its fresh poke, the menu features island staples like mac salad and kalua pork. Owner Louie Colburn, born in Japan and raised in Hawaii, keeps the family-owned restaurant intentionally focused by doing a few things well and executing those menu items consistently. 2563 15th St., Ste. 105, Denver, ohanadenver.com
Tammen’s Fish Market
Seafood lovers will find plenty to savor at Tammen’s Fish Market, tucked inside Denver Central Market. On chilly days, the belly-warming clam chowder in a French boule is a welcome comfort. The menu ranges widely, from tropical salmon topped with sweet chile mango salsa to Mexican ceviche, fish or shrimp tacos, fish and chips, ahi tuna burgers, hand rolls, and poke bowls. Best of all, Tammen’s is a quick, easy stop for lunch or dinner when a seafood craving strikes. 2669 Larimer St. # F, Denver, tammensfishmarket.com
Big Mac & Little Lu’s
A family-owned Westminster restaurant, founded by a Florida-rooted crew, serves up all the seafood hits. The menu ranges from crispy coconut shrimp and ahi poke nachos, to tomato-based conch chowder, loaded lobster rolls, and more. Standouts like jerk-marinated swordfish and Florida Keys–style blackened snapper with bright chimichurri bring Caribbean flair. Nods to Louisiana appear in the catfish and shrimp po’ boys, and the Oregon Coast shows up in a creamy, Northwestern-style clam chowder.
Nautical ropes, shark statues, and beach vibes set the stage for wild-caught fish flown in fresh daily. Bonus, kids eat free all day everyday. Diners can also take advantage of the in-house seafood market stocked with fresh fish, crab, lobster, scallops, shrimp, and house-made sauces. 2851 W. 120th Ave. #300, Westminster,bigmaclittlelus.com
