TJ Oyster Bar 1 (original)

As I mentioned last week in my TJ Oyster Bar 2 post, I recently visited both TJ Oyster Bar locations. While the newer location is a bigger, sit-down restaurant, the original one is a small, casual shop. The menu is more limited, but also cheaper (fish tacos are just 99 cents each!).

Shrimp Ceviche Tostada

This is a popular item here but it wasn’t one of my favorites. There wasn’t much flavor and the thin tostada didn’t hold up well with all the liquid from the ceviche.

Smoked Tuna Taco and Fried Oyster Taco

I loved the smoked tuna taco. The jerky-like texture is quite addicting and not too salty. It’s also 50 cents cheaper here compared to the newer restaurant.

I also really enjoyed the fried oyster taco. The thick batter coating is seasoned, flavorful and crunchy.

Fish Tacos and Shrimp Taco

The fish tacos are only 99 cents, so we couldn’t resist getting two. It was the same batter used for the oysters, which I liked. I thought these were a pretty good deal for the price but I’ve had better battered fish tacos.

Shrimp Taco

Much like the shrimp ceviche, I didn’t particularly enjoy this one. The shrimp seemed to be devoid of flavor.

Overall, we had a good meal. The food came quickly, the prices were fairly reasonable and we were in and out in a short amount of time. As for which location I prefer, each location has its advantages and disadvantages. If we are planning on eating with friends, we’d likely go to the sit-down restaurant, but if we’re just craving some of the basics and want a quick bite, we’d likely visit this location instead. Another bonus is that this one opens earlier (10 am) whereas the newer location doesn’t open until noon. Both locations are on the same road, just a few blocks apart.

TJ Oyster Bar 1
4246 Bonita Rd.
Bonita, CA