Jason V.
Yelp
Toby's Tavern feels like a lived in, almost breathing piece of local history. I'm not sure how long this dive bar has been around, but it thrives due in part to both the locals that call it home, and adventurous tourists passing through Coupeville; that's a good sign that you're in the right place!
My wife and I stopped in for a quick drink, and for her to impose upon me my second (of two) experiences with oysters, which she knows make me squirm...that's why she does it. Fortunately, the oyster shooters here are pretty damn good, with a tasty mixture of sauce and spice, making the whole thing go down (and stay down!) with little effort. I'd even be tempted to say I enjoyed them, if I thought she wouldn't try to force me to eat more of them! The cocktails we ordered were stiff, substantial pours, and reasonably priced. They helped to wash everything down, and imbued me with enough courage to go another round with the much maligned mussels still awaiting consumption in front of me!
Having eaten elsewhere previously that morning, the oysters were the extent of our experience with their food, but some truly mouth-watering, mind-bogglingly large entrées were seen passing by to nearby tables, many of them hearty burgers that even I might not be able to tackle in one sitting.
Despite the "trauma" of my forced oyster encounter (or maybe because of it), I have fond memories of Toby's, and I'm pretty sure we'll be making it our regular watering hole during future visits to Coupeville! And who knows, maybe they'll even make a oyster convert out of me, someday! Aw, shucks!