Frozen in Time

Shell Oyster Bar has been satisfying seafood cravings for almost 80 years and has no plans to stop shucking any time soon.

The small restaurant, located at the corner of North Monroe Street and FAMU Way, was opened in 1945 in the shell of an old gas station, and it quickly garnered a reputation as Tallahassee’s best place for bivalves. Customers seemed to enjoy Shell’s relaxed and inviting atmosphere almost as much as they did the seafood. At the Shell Oyster Bar, all are welcome.

Sometime in the 1970s, the Sessions family, the owners of the restaurant at the time, hired a young man named Leroy Milligan to work in their kitchen. What started as a

Leroy Milligan started work in the kitchen at Shell Oyster Bar in the 1970s. Today, as the business’s owner, he keeps things cash-only simple, just as the oyster bar’s original owners did. Photo by Dave Barfield

humble gig for Milligan grew into a leading role at the shack. He made himself an invaluable part of the Shell operation, and by the time the owners decided that they’d had enough of the oyster game, they knew exactly who they would entrust with their legacy business.

Milligan, although he had fulfilled the dream of owning his place of employment, was not as happy as a clam. When he took over, Subway, the fast-food company, was moving to lease the land where Shell Oyster Bar was located. The corporation’s aggressive expansion in the 1990s meant that many local mom-and-pop shops and restaurants had been forced to close, and Shell’s was poised to become the next sacrifice in the name of eating fresh.

Milligan, however, was not willing to quietly fade away. He resolved to save Shell and succeeded by moving the business just 100 feet back from its previous location to an abandoned paint shop. After the move was accomplished in 1997, Milligan oversaw an expansion of the restaurant, which included the addition of a full dining room. His restaurant now lies just across the street from Proof Brewing Company, a connection that Milligan acknowledges is beneficial for both businesses.

Another blow to the oyster shack came in April 2010, when the Deepwater Horizon oil spill contaminated much of the Gulf of Mexico. The environmental disaster severely limited where and when fishermen could go to harvest oysters. More recently, oystering in Apalachicola Bay was suspended to allow stocks to rebound. Milligan is still feeling the effects of the spill and closure, but he’s taken steps to ensure that his oyster bar is well supplied with its signature delicacy.

Shell Oyster Bar has begun to serve farmed oysters in addition to those tonged from bay bottoms. Milligan was reluctant to serve farmed oysters at first, but oyster cultivators have steadily increased their production and the quality of their product.

Milligan has also expanded his menu to baked and fried fish dishes, shrimp and crab.

The combo platter includes shrimp, oysters, crab claws and scallops. Photo by Dave Barfield

Changes notwithstanding, Milligan has made an effort to keep his business old-fashioned and to maintain the spirit of the original location. They are still a cash-only business, and the only screen you will find in the dining room is over the door. No televisions here. The walls are wood-paneled, adorned with Coke posters, autographs from FSU coaches and old Tallahassee Democrat articles. When one walks through the threshold, he is transported to a simpler time when cashiers didn’t have iPads and industrial ceilings were thought of as cheap.

Shell Oyster Shack, like the Old Capitol or Ruby Diamond Auditorium, is a Tallahassee icon. The city has grown up around it. It has lasted through 16 governors, 15 presidents, three owners, two locations and an oil spill in the Gulf. Its frozen-in-time appearance disguises just how much the restaurant has changed in almost 80 years, but one thing that has not changed is its commitment to quality seafood. When oyster-eating season arrives, don’t hesitate to pay Milligan’s restaurant a visit — just don’t forget to bring cash.