Notes from a Forgotten Coast: 5 Lynn’s Oysters

In every sense of the word, Lynn’s Quality Oysters is a seafood dive. The small cinderblock building is nestled between US98 and the bay in Eastpoint, even has its own dock that allows fishermen to deliver directly to the restaurant-shop. Inside there is a display case with fresh seafood on ice, and a wooden case, which could easily be converted to bookshelves, containing impressively numerous hot sauces, seasonings, and breading.  There are only two tables and a L-shaped bar, seating seven. The total seating capacity for dining patrons must be about fifteen. The walls are adorned with various items: faded photographs of the store in the aftermath of Hurricane Dennis in 2005, a stenciled print of Dale Earnhardt, and beer advertisements. A steel cargo holder for a pickup truck is located along the wall near the bar, it is full of beer on ice. Hanging over it is a home-made wooden sign, a bottle-opener attached at the bottom, reading, “the best beer is an open beer.”

Oyster Flag from the outside wall

“Are these from the bay?” the patron at the bar asked. The amiable man shucking oysters behind the bar slowly shook his head no. He confessed that they were from Pine Key, some three hours away by automobile, about 120 miles across the bay. He explained that the oyster in Apalachicola Bay were too small to harvest at this point. The patron continued, understanding the problem, by asking if there were any recovery in sight. The large man, with a full red beard, a Lynn’s t-shirt and ballcap, looked despondent and exhaled a “no.” After a pregnant pause, he continued, “some people are saying that we might have to shut down harvesting for a few years.” The two men, lamenting the fate of Apalachicola oysters, laid the blame on upstream cities taking too much water from the Apalachicola watershed. Others in the raw bar listened to the conversation silently, as did I. I judged the mood of three employees and the owner of Lynn’s to be one of resignation, rather than anger. But there is no doubt, local identity is closely tied to oyster harvesting along the Apalachicola Bay. 

Lynn's Gumbo

Many come to Lynn’s for the oysters. It is common to see local people stopping by for a beer and a snack after work. I come for the best gumbo I have ever had. Made from the recipe of the owner’s mother, I hear employees often express their pride in creating the stew. We occupied the smaller table on a Friday afternoon. An older couple shared the larger table with two men, who had been friends for a long time judging from their conversation. After eating a dozen oysters, one of the men ordered a bowl of gumbo while his friend enjoyed a second dozen. After a few bites, he exclaimed, “I don’t know who makes the gumbo, but they deserve a raise.”