"The enduring Palace Station Oyster Bar was the one that launched a dozen imitators and siblings, a place where 18 seats surrounding six steam kettles have served hundreds of thousands over the past three decades. What is the place? It’s a seafood bar where spicy, tomato bisque pan roasts come loaded with lobster, crab, and shrimp, simmered over the high-powered steam cauldrons with Cajun seasonings. Workers shuck Gulf oysters to order while servers shuffle through the plates and bowls from both inside and outside of the counter. Other must-order dishes include gumbo, chock-full of one’s choice of seafood, and the brothy bouillabaisse, where crab legs and shrimp are so generously portioned they’re nearly flopping out of the bowl. —Matthew Kang, lead editor, Eater Southern California/Southwest For those in the know: There is a line here almost every hour of the day, except the wee hours of the morning. If you don’t want to wait, come between 5 a.m. and 9 a.m. for a Creole/Cajun seafood breakfast. Otherwise, expect to wait anywhere from one to two hours. Spice fiends should ask for a bit of “lava sauce,” a chile-laden sauce that tips the stews into dangerous (but thrilling) territory." - Matthew Kang