Little Em's Oyster Bar

Great little place in up and coming neighborhoods. Every dish we ordered was super good, from the mussels to the lobster roll to the side of fries. Service could be a bit better, feels like service in the US has declined since the pandemic, only two servers for the whole place.

This place was awesome. I had the shrimp linguine, and it was delicious. The portion was actually a normal size portion for a person, which was surprising, but I actually appreciated that. The oysters were phenomenal. They even shuck them for you, so they slide right into y your tummy. They come with a blood orange vinaigrette and freshly shaved horseradish.

The service was top-notch, and my waitress was extremely nice.

Definitely recommend.

As always, the oysters are amazing! The shrimp cocktail was also on point! The wedge salad was a bit off, and I think the dressing is off, as well as not topping it with balsamic vinaigrette. To top it off we had the filet, it was so tender and highly recommend it.

This has to be one of the best places in San Antonio for fresh oysters from both the East Coast and the gulf. This is a hidden gem in Southtown. They serve some of the freshest oysters I have ever had. They provide some of the best accompanying sauces that I have ever tasted. Their champagne sauce is phenomenal. The food itself is extremely tasty. I enjoy the Ahi tuna which is seasoned to perfection. For my main course, I usually have the mahi-mahi fish tacos, which are succulent and very flavorful. This restaurant has the freshest seafood in town. The only downfall is they serve wine only and not spirits. Also, their indoor seating is extremely limited, therefore, most seats are located outside. We have been there several times and the service is always excellent. I highly recommend this restaurant if the weather is nice and you’re in the mood to some of the best oysters you will ever have.

Our server was so sweet and attentive, we never felt rushed. She also gave us suggestions of her favorite dishes along the way which were spot on. The food was coursed out perfectly, so we could savor each dish without being rushed. Highly recommend starting with the Ora King Salmon Carpaccio; the dish was full of flavor and we never wanted it to end! The mussels were also a table favorite. The sourdough bread paired perfectly with the left over garlic butter sauce. We were pleasantly surprised with our dressed oysters. Who knew that caviar, crème fraîche and an oyster would be a match made in heaven!? We ordered a few plates for the table to share that were all so good.. that you didn’t want to share lol. You can tell the restaurant team cares about their customers here at Little Ems. Erin was so kind and walked us over to their sister restaurant across the street at Upscale and had a booth waiting for us to grab dessert. Thank you so much for the unforgettable dining experience we left full and happy and look forward to coming back soon!

Stopped in this little gem. Some of the best oysters I've tasted. The burger was really good. The lobster roll was good, except they could have been a little more generous with the lobster portion. Great service. Upscale prices.

Super cute place with great service and food! We always try to find a place that serves caviar when we travel and this place was recommended to us. The caviar was great but the dressed oysters were fantastic!!

I love it here!! Update been coming here twice a month. Lets be real no one who lives in san antonio likes driving downtown but i will for little ems. Everything is like high quality and they must have some super chef in their kitchen cuz my golly the food is ammmmmmmaaazzzzzing here. If you want to wow a date bring them here!!!! Food so good it turns you on and makes you want be a real real bad girl. Bring your dates here!!!!

Place was super cute and super clean! Seating available inside and out. Wine and micheladas, they had multiple oysters to choose from. Mostly from prince Edward Island one option from main all were absolutely delicious and perfectly shucked! Presentation was beautiful staff was kind. I will be back!

We are so happy we found this place! The service was great and the food was killer! Great job here. It reminds me a lot of Clark’s in Austin. Everything we had was super fresh and delicious. My favorite appetizer was the tuna tartare. My lobster roll was very tasty. My wife’s pasta was very flavorful, creamy and just out of this world good! My wife said this is exactly how she wants her pasta to be, and she’s been to Italy many times. Overall we were thrilled to eat here and find this place. We will definitely be back, and I would recommend this to friends and family.

Pros: ambience and vibe, fresh east coast oysters, food is superb
Cons: parking is sparse, my IPA tasted old, and they were out of oyster shooters

Absolutely loved this place. The oysters were perfect. The wine was perfect. The yellow fin tartar was perfect. Super cute place.

Delicious food and beautiful patio! Not usually a fan of seafood but this place hit the spot. You have to try the caviar or the lobster rolls

We really enjoyed a double date night here during restaurant week. There are not may oyster spots in San Antonio that have the variety Little Ems does, with about 7-9 clean selections from RI, PEI and MA as well as a fully dressed oyster, location undisclosed. We started with a dozen briny boys from RI, with a cilantro picante sauce and fresh shredded horseradish. On the pre fixe menu you could choose salmon carpaccio, tuna taratar or oysters and I went with oysters. I wanted those three as my entire meal but went with a roasted beet salad, which had red and golden beets with mustard seed and ricotta, honestly one of the best combinations I’ve had. Finished with a bottle of rose and spicy shrimp scampi. I know what you’re thinking, “shrimp scampi is for children at Johnny Carinos”, well not at Ems. Excellent, creamy, spicy and perfectly cooked pasta. Loved the atmosphere and service here too. A bit pricy when you order wine by the bottle, would like to see a few options under $45, but it’s all good. We will be back!

Had lunch here one day while on vacation in San Antonio, and so glad I did! The Connecticut lobster roll and fries were fantastic! The oysters were delicious as well. The service was great. Will definitely be back, if I visit San Antonio again in the future. Highly recommend!

First time visit. Had to sit outside. Reservations are required if dining in. Didnt mind sitting outside. Food was great. Had the lobster rolls with seasoned fries. Also had the oyster flight. The oysters were outstanding. Jennifer was great, she was very attentive. Great experience. Will return and highly recommend.

Sunday Brunch Date✔ We both agree that Little Em’s is a place we would visit again. Service was friendly and prompt. Oysters 🦪 were fresh. Connecticut Lobster Roll was delicious, along their fries…. But the crab cake was the best we have ever tried! We will be back again🙌

Update: The mussels are also great! Sadly, they no longer have the exceptional crab cake.

We came here for my Birthday lunch and it was amazing! I recommend making a reservation to ensure you're seated right away, however we didn't have one but were sat and served promptly! The Michelada was wonderful! Everything was so fresh! We tried 3 different kinds of oysters and all were so tasty (try Pink Moon if you get a chance)!
The lobster roll, Connecticut style, was dope!
A must try spot for any seafood lover in Downtown San Antonio!

This place is so cute! The service was excellent w very attentive staff. The lobster roll was perfectly assembled. The combination of ingredients was precise to the amount of lobster.
My kids had the Tartare and told me it was delicious. They use the finest meat and was seasoned perfectly and paired w a raw quail egg. I couldn’t watch them eat it. Lol. Raw meat- no thank you. They loved it though. I’ll take their word for it.

My husband and I went here on a date night!! It was cold outside so we opted for an inside table. Service was great and the food was amazing. I LOVE oysters and they had a great selection for me to choose from. He doesn’t eat oysters, but had a really good selection of other food. Word of advice is to make reservations early. We tried to just walk in on a previous time and was unable to get seated.

If you have just one last meal on this earth, Little Em's is where you need to partake. This boutique style restaurant is so cute and airy. The atmosphere is super friendly and the chill vibes are strong. We had the yellow fun rings ceviche that melted in the mouth, followed by the steak tartare was perfectly balanced with flavor, next we had both the Connecticut and Maine lobster roll....off the hook good. Finally we had the dressed oysters....wow just wow. This has been the best meal of my life.

Casual elegance, warm atmosphere, and friendly service.

Visited on a Saturday evening and were seated promptly as we had made reservations. Our server was super friendly and explained where each type of Oyster was from. We tried the Barstool Cocktail, Pink Moon, and Pink Moons dressed. The red snapper ceviche was fresh with the perfect amount of heat and acid;
Delicious!

We also shared a lobster roll and the Little Em's Burger. Both were full of flavor, not to mention the dj nasty sauce!

Highly recommend and cannot wait to come back for something different!