Nashville has welcomed this Detroit-based newcomer with open arms since its doors opened in August 2023. Marking the restaurant’s first venture outside of Michigan (where it’s been a staple since the 1920s), Joe Muer brings fresh, sustainably sourced seafood to Capitol View. You’ll find a raw bar with shrimp the size of your fists and mains like lobster pot pie, ginger-seared Hawaiian yellowfin tuna, and king crab legs on the daily menu. But make plans to visit for “golden hour” weekdays from 4 to 6 p.m. — just as the setting sun pours into the ritzy restaurant, Joe Muer offers a handful of discounted snacks and drinks in the bar area only.

Nestled in the lowest level of the Gulch’s Thompson Hotel, Marsh House has become a staple for excellent seafood in Nashville. Groups can opt for impressive seafood towers packed with oysters, clams, dips, and ceviche, or small plates like shrimp toast and calamari to share. Pop in for a happy hour on weekdays from 5 to 7 p.m. for $1.50 oysters and a collection of cocktails including a cheeky Chambong.

One of Nashville’s tried and true seafood staples is The Optimist from Atlanta-based Rocket Farm Restaurants. Tucked inside the former TD&W Handle Company, the historic property has been brought into the modern age through a dining room that emulates the interior of a ship. Settle into a tufted booth to enjoy fresh oysters or a crudo before moving onto mains like mahi mahi, lump crab-topped halibut, a whole flounder, or duck fat poached swordfish served with sides ranging from butternut squash to sunchoke puree. During the summer, you can head outside for a frozen nightcap at the patio bar, Jacqueline.

The name says it all — regionally-inspired steaks and oysters fill the menu at The Southern, which also boasts an impressive downtown patio. The daily selection of fresh oysters is available for either lunch or dinner, but the menu varies between meat and three-style meals during the day and hearty southern entrees like fish n’ grits or steaks for dinner.

This steak and seafood spot may be tucked into a corner of a Brentwood strip mall, but the menu keeps locals and visitors alike returning time and again. The raw and grill bar options span fresh oysters and shrimp cocktail (or both in a seafood tower), while the mains form an impressive list of dishes — i.e.blackened redfish, lobster tail, sea scallops, and grilled salmon. A second location recently opened in Franklin’s idyllic Berry Farm’s neighborhood.

Don’t let the exterior fool you, East Nashville’s Juicy Seafood is a must for those looking for classic Cajun dishes. Warm up with a cup of gumb, then grab a fried basket of calamari, shrimp, catfish, or tilapia trimmed with onion rings or hush puppies. Or, opt for boiled crab, shrimp, or crawfish (when in season) appropriately served with corn and potatoes. Add cajun, lemon pepper, garlic butter, or all of the above for an extra kick.

The Hampton Social is arguably as close to coastal ambiance as you can get in Nashville, bathed in shades of blue with lighting held by fishing rope and nautical touches throughout. The menu mirrors the aesthetic with items like grilled octopus, calamari, crab cakes, oysters, shrimp cocktail, and a seafood tower. Come for the food but stay for the party — the Hampton Social is famous for its large-format cocktails and shots served in a flaming pink guitar.

Coastal meets casual at Red Perch, which had its first home in downtown Nashville’s The Arcade before moving to a permanent spot in Sylvan Park in 2021. Known for its fish and chips, this laidback eatery also serves a rotating fish of the day, poke bowls, shrimp banh mi, calamari, and clam chowder when the weather cools. From a husband and wife duo who met and married in Hawaii before settling in Nashville, Red Perch is a perfect spot for grabbing seafood, a pint, and catching up with friends.

You don’t need to jet off to Boston to find excellent clam chowder — East Nashville’s Boston Commons stocks a traditional option next to one jazzed up with green chili cheese. The rest of the New England-inspired menu includes muscles, fried oysters, and shrimp and grits, plus some of the best fish and chips in town (you can choose your style: New England, British, pub style, or a sampling of all three). After a filling meal on the patio, stop for a photo at the “Nashville Strong” mural painted on the building’s facade. The project was a community response to the 2020 tornado that tore through the neighborhood. 

Southerners have gotten inventive with their seafood dishes over the years, swapping deep sea salt water catches for mudbugs and catfish. Crawfish are staples in Cajun cuisine, and the Gumbo Bros. brings a savory étouffée and crawfish queso to its trendy spot in the Gulch. You’ll also find peel-and-eat shrimp, a coastal seafood gumbo, and plenty of other Cajun delicacies like po’boys and beignets on the menu, with a slew of Bourbon Street-approved drinks to wash it all down.