The East Crossroads Is Getting a Dedicated Oyster Bar

Brandon Hayden is on a journey to bring more oyster culture to our landlocked city. After throwing Kansas City’s first Oyster Fest at J. Rieger’s Electric Park back in May, the chef and certified oyster ambassador is now opening a raw bar in the East Crossroads (1739 Oak St., KCMO).

Currently, all of Kansas City’s raw oyster bars are part of a larger restaurant, like Earl’s Premier, Farina or The Parker Hollow, where Hayden currently runs the raw bar as the restaurant’s sous chef. The Shuckers Union, however, will be just an oyster and cocktail bar.

“There’s not a kitchen,” Hayden says. “We’re not putting in stoves or fryers or a hood system or any of the things you would normally get at a restaurant. There’s no fish and chips or burgers. We want to be a cocktail and oyster bar. A before-or-after place.”

The Shuckers Union will be quaint, with about 2,300 square feet of space and seating for around 40. Along with oysters, Hayden says the menu will feature light bites like shrimp cocktail, smoked fish dip and lobster rolls. The idea is for The Shuckers Union to be a pit stop during your evening, a place to grab some bubbles or a martini and a bucket (yes, a bucket) of oysters before seeing a show at Grinders, for instance. The concept takes inspiration from one of Seattle’s best oyster bars, The Walrus and the Carpenter, particularly its approach to the aforementioned bucket of oysters. Like the Seattle restaurant, At The Shuckers Union, the raw bar will take center stage, with Hayden hoping customers will be able to interact with the shuckers while seated at the bar.

Hayden joined the Oyster Masters Guild, the world’s first oyster sommelier certification program, two years ago and subsequently became the first Certified Oyster Ambassador in Kansas City. He says his team, including his business partner Brad Barta, will also become ambassadors, with a few already completing the certification. Along with shucking oysters at The Parker Hollow and the now-closed Aqua Penny’s, the certification has helped him build a network of industry connections, benefiting both his Oyster Fest and now his restaurant.

“When you have those relationships [with farmers], it makes it easier to get oysters directly as opposed [getting them] through a distributor,” Hayden says. “It also helps us tell [the] story of the oyster. Without a story, [an oyster] is just a cold, salty little rock. It’s like wine: If I can tell you the story behind it and show you how it got to your plate, that’s way more valuable.”

Instead of the usual chef dinner, Hayden hopes The Shuckers Union will eventually host evenings with oyster farmers.

The Shuckers Union is slated to open before the end of the year. Some people might consider champagne and oysters a summertime pairing, but Hayden says that, from a farming perspective, the best time to enjoy the mollusks is during the colder months, typically November through January. He sees a winter opening as ideal for the bar.

Until then, Hayden offers catering (including oyster luges), which you can inquire about through the restaurant’s website, theshuckersunion.com. He also pops up at Strawberry Hill’s Hillsiders bar on Monday evenings, weather permitting.

The post The East Crossroads Is Getting a Dedicated Oyster Bar appeared first on Kansas City Magazine.