Eating an oyster is an experience all its own.

Take the Original Clam Tavern in Clifton Heights. This community favorite is packed with locals nightly and reminds you of the seafood joints of yesteryear, writes Emily Kovach for PaEats.com.

This old-school restaurant with old nautical décor serves up raw oysters, clams on the half shell, fried oysters, steamed clams with butter, clams casino, and its famous baked clams served on a special tray. 

Oyster connoisseurs know that presentation is part of the tactile experience. The oyster experience comes with a metal tray or fancy platter, with ice chips, lemon wedges, and tiny bottles of hot sauce.

They squeeze the lemons across the half shell, add a few drops of mignonette sauce, and go to it.

You won’t find Pennsylvania-raised oysters anywhere, but restaurants, bars, and cafes like the Original Clam Tavern make good use of neighboring New Jersey, Delaware, and Virginia, where they are growing impeccable oysters.

One Facebook reviewer found the Tavern had “the freshest seafood this side of Jersey shore” with high praise to the crab soup and the crab Imperial.

Read more about the Original Clam Tavern at PaEats.com. 

Here’s a CBS Philly look at the Original Clam Tavern.