Buck Bay Shellfish Farm: Oysters and Oprah

On the gorgeous Orcas Island in the San Juan Islands, Oprah owns a home. I am sure it is INCREDIBLE, but I will only have to wonder since we did not nonchalantly run in to each other this trip and become second best friends (respect to my girl Gayle) but I am open to travel if you read this Oprah I have never been to Hawaii!

So we wandered from one end of the island to the other and stumbled across this Buck Bay Shellfish Farm. Full disclosure, I despised oysters before I found this place. I went in to this fully believing I would not like it, and I would leave disappointed, just like when I didn’t meet Oprah… But I was wrong! They were amazing!

The oyster bar is located inside of a barn as you drive in, that is decorated with a bunch of buoys, so you know if there is a high tide, the bar will still be safe.

So when you walk in to the place, you get a crate and you get to fill it with your desired number of oysters. We both started out with two of the Buck Bay oysters each. I like crusty looking barnacles and cool looking shells (see if you can guess which ones are mine below) but looks aren’t everything. Do yourself a favor and choose the most plain-jane looking ones you can find, trust me it makes it a LOT easier to open.

So the whole concept is that these oysters are fresh out of the water and you open them up yourself and eat them out of the shell. The staff will provide you with assistance if you have never done it before, like us. Basically you get a knife and you cut the top shell off and then cut the oyster free from the shell so it slides down your gullet easier.

Here is the most important part, especially if you are a n00b like me: POUR OUT THE EXCESS SEA WATER AND LOAD IT UP WITH SAUCE AND SPICES! We got the citrus sauce they make in-house. It made the oysters taste amazing! So amazing we got seconds! Yes, I ate four whole oysters! My favorite combo was the citrus sauce, Old Bay seasoning, and lime, pictured below.

Anyhow, just in case you forgot, I still want to meet Oprah, and maybe one day will get to enjoy an oyster with her. I am truly thankful to the staff at this farm for opening my palette up to these little guys, and would recommend stopping if you are in the area. Buck Bay Shellfish Farm is located at 117 EJ Young Road, Olga, Washington. For more food adventures, follow me on Instagram!