Oyster House Wins James Beard Award

The Oyster House in Philadelphia picked up a prestigious James Beard Award on Wednesday, Feb. 25.

The longstanding seafood restaurant at 1516 Sansom St. in Rittenhouse Square was one of more than 100 restaurants across the United States to receive the 2026 America's Classics Award.

According to a CBS Philadelphia report, Sam Mink serves as the third-generation owner of the family business. The Mink family has operated the Oyster House since 1947, when Sam's grandfather purchased the business. The Oyster House opened at its current location on Sansom Street between 15th and 16th streets in 1976.

Recently, the Oyster House has expanded to Philadelphia International Airport, where it serves guests between Terminals B and C.

"Few restaurants straddle multiple eras of Philadelphia's restaurant history like Oyster House," a news release from the James Beard Foundation stated. "In a city that was defined for much of the 20th century by legendary seafood restaurants, Oyster House is the last of its generation. Specialties such as sherried snapper soup and the distinctive combination of fried oysters and chicken salad offer a direct link to 18th- and 19th-century Philadelphia food traditions."

According to CBS Philadelphia, Oyster House and the other award recipients will be honored at the James Beard Restaurant and Chef Awards ceremony on June 15 at the Lyric Opera of Chicago. In January, more than a dozen businesses in the Philadelphia region were named semifinalists for this year's James Beard Awards.

If you want to visit the Oyster House, it is open from 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday and 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday. The restaurant is closed on Sunday and Monday. Happy hour is available from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. in the bar area Tuesday through Friday.