Best Seafood Restaurant in Every State

Nestled on the sound side of Orange Beach on Alabama’s Gulf Coast, this friendly, no-frills seafood shack and oyster bar serves up heaping platters of fish, shrimp, and crabs (fried, grilled, or baked) along with Southern-style sides including hush puppies and green beans. Customers rave about the fried shrimp, the fried crab claws – a Gulf Coast tradition – and the seafood gumbo.

Housed in a covered-bridge-like building over Ship Creek, this restaurant serves only fresh Alaskan seafood, including tanner crabs, halibut, Alaskan oysters, tiger prawns, salmon, and of course king crab legs. Watch salmon swim up river while enjoying the all-you-can-eat salad bar and generous entrees. Note that the restaurant will not be opening to the public for the 2022 season due to supply chain shortages, but will be available for on- and off-site catering.

This subterranean Scottsdale outpost flies in fresh seafood and has an extensive New-England style menu complete with a happy hour (4 to 7 p.m.) and a reverse happy hour (10 p.m. to closing). Customers love the halibut ceviche, shrimp toast, and escargots to start, as well as the halibut cheeks, Baja shrimp, and baked stuffed lobster entrees.

What started as a roadside seafood trailer has become a local chain in central and northwestern Arkansas, serving fresh fried catfish, boiled crawfish, shrimp (blackened, boiled, or fried), and po’boys, with sides like fried okra and hush puppies. Parties and families can take advantage of the boiling bucket deals, complete with crawfish, shrimp, crab legs, potatoes, and corn on the cob.

This upscale, chef-owned Hollywood establishment with two Michelin stars serves sustainably wild-caught seafood that comes mostly from American waters. The chef’s tasting menu includes six courses plus dessert and features delicately plated dishes such as uni egg with warm yolk and champagne beurre blanc and Norwegian king crab with sweet pea, sea urchin, and aged ham broth. Visit with a heavy wallet, and you will not be disappointed.