"We’ll be the first to tell you that Brickell is full of overpriced restaurants that leave both your wallet and stomach empty, but River Oyster Bar is our favorite exception. The portions here are big and reasonably priced (by Brickell standards). We love the crab cakes—they’re the size of Costco muffins and bursting with crab meat. And if the sea scallops a la plancha are on the menu, get them. Food aside, River Oyster is just an uncomplicated restaurant in a very complicated neighborhood. It’s an obvious Brickell favorite, but also one of the best places for a seafood dinner in all of Miami." - mariana trabanino, ryan pfeffer, virginia otazo
"Brickell is full of overpriced restaurants that leave both your wallet and stomach empty. But this reliably great seafood spot isn’t one of them. The oysters are fantastic—and a great chaser to the salty tears you cried in the bathroom stall this morning after your boss called you an incompetent turkey. But forget work and take the rest of the day to eat giant crab cakes and seared scallops with your unemployed friends who will probably expect you to pick up the check." - mariana trabanino, virginia otazo, ryan pfeffer
"Sitting at the bar here with a dozen oysters in front of you is a good call, regardless if you’re looking for a seafood-heavy dinner or just trying to hide from the truly hideous rush-hour traffic that circles this place like a shark without car insurance. But whether or not you’re here for cheap Happy Hour oysters or the outstanding raw bar—it’s one of the best (and least pretentious) restaurants in the Brickell. They have a pretty big menu, but anything that used to live in the ocean is going to be good here." - ryan pfeffer
"Gotta love a lengthy happy hour, and The River delivers here, with deals from 3-7 p.m. Find $1.75 oysters, $8 stuffed mushrooms, $8 well cocktails and basic martinis, and more." - Missy Frederick
"Not every table at River Oyster is round, but they have enough of them in the dining room to qualify for this guide. So maybe make a note on your reservation (it’s a good idea to make one here) or politely ask your host upon arrival. But even if you get stuck at a boring old square table, dinner here is still going to be great. The seafood spot is one of the most reliably delicious places in Brickell (a neighborhood we do not associate with the words “reliably delicious”) and make great versions of many things that used to swim in the ocean." - ryan pfeffer