When Austin, Texas, restaurateurs Larry McGuire and Thomas Moorman were looking to open a restaurant offering classic maritime dishes, they wanted to pay homage to Charles Clark, the founder of West Austin’s Clarksville neighborhood, a freeman who bought the land from the Texas governor in 1871.
The Clarksville neighborhood has a 1950s “main street” sensibility (there’s a drugstore, a laundry, a soda fountain, and a nursery); and Clark’s Oyster Bar fits right in. The owners describe it as “a modern version of a traditional American diner, mixed with the feeling of an East Coast yacht club.” A nautical theme is echoed throughout the design from the beach house-style wooden deck to the anchor-printed pocket squares of the wait staff to the outdoor awnings marked with the restaurant’s longitude and latitude.
Located at 1200 W 6th Street in Austin, visit Clark’s Oyster Bar for more information.
Photography by Michael A. Muller for Remodelista.
Above: Having just recently opened in Fall of 2012, Clark’s Oyster Bar joins other McGuire Moorman ventures such as Perla’s Seafood & Oyster Bar, Lamberts Downtown Barbecue, and Elizabeth Street Cafe.
Above: White and black penny round tile is set into the floors with dark grout. See more of our favorite uses of dark grout in the bath: 5 Favorites: Tiled Baths with Dark Grout.
Above: A hostess at the dining room entrance, separated from the rest of the restaurant with a neon-illuminated fish tank.
Above: The casual dining area is made up of wood and seafoam green cushioned stools.
Above: A classic sandwich board displays the raw and fresh fish offerings of the day.
Above: The staff’s East Coast-inspired uniform was designed by McGuire Moorman creative director Ryan Smith.
Above: A simple table clad in white linens.
Above: The blue-rimmed dinner plates were fsahioned after a US Navy pattern.
Above: Clark’s menus are designed with seafaring topographical maps in mind.
Above: Oysters from Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick, and British Columbia.
Above: A piece of pale sea coral blends into marble countertops.
Above: Fresh baked bread stored in rustic wire baskets.
Above: The indoor/outdoor dining space, essential in West Austin summers, is a collaboration between McGuire Moorman and architect/builder Paul Clayton.
N.B.: Looking for more places to visit in Austin, Texas? See 7 other favorite local haunts in our Austin City Guide.
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