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We have been wanting to try Hugo’s Oyster Bar since it opened back in 2013. When we go out in Roswell, we usually end up on Canton Street. We actually had no idea what we were missing. The food was incredible and the restaurant was southern coastal casual, which is something we have been craving.
I actually booked the reservation for our early Valentines Day dinner since one of us was going to be away on a work trip on the actual day.
Usually I would book a familiar favorite restaurant for an important dinner, but we were both in the mood for seafood and particularly some oysters on the half shell.
The menu looked fantastic, so we decided to try something new to us at Hugo’s Oyster Bar.
Hugo’s Oyster Bar Restaurant
The location in Roswell is just off Alpharetta Highway between Holcombe Bridge Road and Woodstock road. It is the stretch of road that has been seeing considerable redevelopment over the last few years.
Upon entering the parking lot, we were welcomed with complementary valet. Usually I do not like unnecessary suburban valet service, but they were timely and very friendly.
The outside of the restaurant has a large patio overlooking the road. It was too cold for anyone to be sitting outside.
Inside there is a huge L shaped bar. Not a single seat was open. It looked like a great place to enjoy dinner and drinks without a reservation.
Good thing I made a reservation though, because the restaurant was completely full.
I really like the decor of the restaurant. It’s very casual, yet has a unique, quirky vibe to it. The shiny tin ceiling is the best.
The Food At Hugo’s Oyster Bar in Roswell
Appetizers
To start, of course we needed to try some oysters on the half shell. We ordered a half dozen of the gulf oysters off of the standard menu. There were plenty of other options on their daily oyster menu, but they were slightly more expensive.
The gulf oysters were delicious. The characteristics that came to mind were mild, sweet and meaty. They were all good sized and we enjoyed all the fixings that came with the oysters.
After our many trips to New Orleans, we always try seafood gumbo when we see it on the menu. It never really tastes quite right when we are out of The Big Easy, but always looking for a local gumbo spot.
We decided to share a bowl. Hugo’s seafood gumbo flavoring was spot on. It was spiced right and there was plenty of shrimp and sausage. My only complaints is that there oddly shaped slices of andouille sausage in the bowl and I love okra, but only found one little piece in the gumbo. Other than those minor details, we loved it.
Entrees
For the main course, I had the red fish on a half shell and my wife ordered the Viet-Cajun grouper.
The red fish was cooked perfectly. It came with a sauce to pour over top. I believe it was a ver blanc sauce. My basic test for seafood at a restaurant is whether or not I could prepare it better. Not this time. The fish and sauce were one of the best seafood dishes I had in a while.
It came with sides, a triple mac and cheese and collard greens. Honestly, i wasn’t a fan of the mac and cheese. I think the fish would have paired nicely with a corn risotto.
My wife order the grouper. It was breaded and fried. It was very crispy on the outside and soft and tender in the middle. Again, the fish was perfectly cooked. Her dish came with a broth and collard greens with dirty rice on the side.
Overall, the food at Hugo’s Oyster Bar was great and we really enjoyed the experience. The highlight was the oysters and the fish preparations. The side dishes were not our favorite.
Hugo’s is located at 110360 Alpharetta St, Roswell, GA 30075. Reservations are recommended. Patio dining is recommended if you are blessed with good weather.
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