"Connie’s Seafood Restaurant in the East End has been shelling out a unique combination of Mexican-Asian plates and seafood by-the-pound for decades. So not only can you get dozen after dozen of Gulf oysters here, you can also get a giant plate of shrimp fried rice, a bowl of ceviche, and a frosty michelada. The inside may resemble a discotheque at closing time—tons of neon, bright overhead lights, a backlit glass block bar top—but we kind of dig the scrappy ‘80s vibes. So bring your friends, slide into the plastic-molded booths, and knock back some oysters and beer. There are also multiple locations around town. " - chelsea thomas, gianni greene