Clark’s Oyster Bar Is Fresh

Upon sliding into one of the booths at Clark’s Oyster Bar, I disclosed to co-owner and chef Larry McGuire that I’d never had oysters before. It’s not that I haven’t wanted to try them; I’ve just never gotten around to it. This also seemed like the perfect time to admit to him that I don’t really get their appeal. “They’re like wine or something,” he informs me from across the booth. “They represent the terroir – in this case the water, the sea, the conditions where they grow. So they’re really made by the surf where they are.” 

Clark’s sells a variety of East and West Coast oysters. McGuire, who resembles a salt and pepper-haired John Krasinski, tells me that West Coast oysters have wavier shells with flavors of melon, whereas East Coast oysters are saltier and brinier. “We’re getting them really fresh and shucking them within a few days of them being pulled out of the water,” he shares. 

When the oysters come out, McGuire checks that the meat is separated from the shell and slides it forward with his finger before throwing it down the hatch. On my first try, I basically swallowed the whole thing, but the second time, I chewed and explored some of the flavors. It was salty and reminded me a bit of when you accidentally swallow ocean water – but high-end, well-seasoned ocean water. McGuire turns over the shells and exclaims, “So yeah, you’re in the oyster world now.”

While oysters are a specialty of Clark’s Oyster Bar, they’re proud to offer a wide selection of foods – from lobster rolls to crab cakes to the perfectly packed burger. When you thought we’d explored every way to slice and dice a French fry, Clark’s gives us their signature take: impossibly thin fries cut with a mandolin. They can be enjoyed as a fry, on a burger, or even as a pasta topping. “People either love it or hate it,” jokes McGuire. I loved it. 

McGuire and his partner chef Tom Moorman – the pair behind McGuire Moorman Hospitality (MML), which they founded in 2009 – opened the first Clark’s location in Austin 13 years ago. Since then, they’ve expanded to Aspen, Houston, and now Montecito. They’re also under construction in Malibu, which, at the time of our conversation, was still unthreatened by the Los Angeles fires. 

McGuire and Moorman have had their sights set on Montecito for a while. “I mean, it’s the prettiest place in the country, probably,” shares McGuire, who has been coming here for over 12 years. So when Mexican restaurant Cava closed its doors after 24 years, the pair snagged the coveted Coast Village spot. 

Understanding the nuances of the local community is paramount when opening a new restaurant. Every Clark’s is tailored to the town where it is located, including its menu and atmosphere. For the Montecito location, Santa Barbara muralist Emiliano Campobello spent almost every night for a month hand-painting a mural whose gorgeous mountains wrap around the bar. 

Alongside Moorman, McGuire opened his first Austin restaurant, Lamberts Downtown Barbeque, in 2006 at the age of 25. Since then, the company has expanded to around 25 freestanding restaurants serving a variety of cuisines. They even opened a hotel, the Saint Vincent in New Orleans, where they restored a building dating back to 1861. 

Aesthetics is an essential aspect of every restaurant MML Hospitality opens. McGuire and Moorman are instrumental in the design process. Santa Barbara-based architect Jeff Shelton designed the building’s exteriors, while Lambert McGuire Design did the interiors. A vibrant cerulean tile mosaic adorns part of the exterior. Inside, you’re met with warm wood and a hand-picked art selection. One end of the bar has a yellow & white striped overhang that gives you the illusion you’re at a swim-up bar on a tropical beach. What’s more, each Clark’s has a fish tank representing the restaurant’s location; ours is a live coral tank hoping to receive some more fish soon, whereas the fish tank in Aspen has freshwater fish. 

Before your meal, you can enjoy fresh-baked sourdough with butter and flaky salt. Alongside the oysters, McGuire ordered us the burger, the crudo, and crab cakes. “You can put meals together in a bunch of different ways,” he shares. Clark’s also offers a selection of desserts by pastry chef Hillary Grossman. We tasted the Key Lime Tart and the Butterscotch Pot de Créme made with local apples – both so good it’s hard to pick a favorite.

With a combination of indoor and outdoor seating, McGuire and Moorman aim for Clark’s to be a casual meeting place on Coast Village, and a spot to have a more formal sit-down dinner if that’s what you’re into. “We’re just here to show people a good time, make people happy.”

Longevity is the cornerstone of every space MML Hospitality imagines. Since 2006, they’ve managed to keep every restaurant they’ve created open. Clark’s Oyster Bar on Coast Village Road is no exception: “I mean, our goal is to be here forever.”