Waitman Posted September 1, 2008 Share Posted September 1, 2008 Move quick! The Oyster Riot is one of the greatest parties of each year in Washington. Always held the Friday & Saturday before Thanksgiving, the Riot is DC’s preeminent food & wine event. Each night, nearly 1000 people devour tens of thousands oysters while enjoying the worlds best oyster wines and ales backed by local blues band Mudcat. In short, this ain’t no cocktail party -- it’s a riot. Oyster Riot XIII Friday, November 21 & Saturday, November 22 6:30 -- 9:30 pm Frequently Asked Questions How do I buy tickets? Tickets go on sale on Tuesday, September 2 at 7:30 am. You may purchase them online or by calling 202.347.4800. Last year, tickets sold out in less than an hour, so don’t please don’t wait! Tickets are $115.00 each plus 10% DC sales tax for a total of $126.50. There will be a maximum of four tickets per night per transation. (This is a new policy.) There will be a $7.50 UPS charge for each order. They're so excited over at Old Ebbitt, they didn't even proofread their website!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pat Posted September 2, 2008 Share Posted September 2, 2008 Thanks for the reminder. Every year, I forget and they've sold out by the time I remember. Despite seeing this yesterday, I almost forgot about it this morning. Remembered just in time and got through online at 7:30 for Saturday tickets. A little later I realized I hadn't noted what the time was for it and navigated back through to check. Online Saturday tickets were already gone, 20 minutes into the process. Now I'm back here to post this and see that the time is in the original post . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deangold Posted September 2, 2008 Share Posted September 2, 2008 Just a thought... $110 buys you about 9 dozen oysters at the oyster happy hour. Or 5 dozen and about 8 bloody marys. And you are not part of a riot when you do this Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TedE Posted September 2, 2008 Share Posted September 2, 2008 So, did anybody actually get through to order? I checked at 7:45, the site said Saturday was already sold out, and there was no link at all to order Friday tickets. 30 minutes trying to get through on the phone and nothing left . Hey, buddy, can you spare a pair of Oyster Riot tickets? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pat Posted September 2, 2008 Share Posted September 2, 2008 So, did anybody actually get through to order? I checked at 7:45, the site said Saturday was already sold out, and there was no link at all to order Friday tickets. 30 minutes trying to get through on the phone and nothing left .I got through online at 7:30. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoeHoya Posted September 2, 2008 Share Posted September 2, 2008 Just a thought...$110 buys you about 9 dozen oysters at the oyster happy hour. Or 5 dozen and about 8 bloody marys. And you are not part of a riot when you do this Of course you need to be willing to go out for oysters between 11 PM and 1 AM on a weeknight to get them at that price. Otherwise they're usually $21.95 a dozen. The jumbo shrimp are $2.50 each, and you get four or five of those with your "shrimp stub" as well as a Jonah crab claw. Add in a few glasses of the winning wines that they pour all night, and you really need to eat three dozen oysters over the course of the evening to really get your money's worth. If you're just looking at the price of the food you're eating, you can definitely do better elsewhere. But as someone who attended last year's riot, I can definitely attest to the atmosphere of the event itself adding something to the experience. The live music, the festive feeling, chatting with the guys who are expertly shucking dozens of oysters in front of you, the bottles of all the non-winning wines in the back, the fruit and cheese display, and the passed hot hors d'oeuvres make this more than just a chance to stand around and suck down oysters. It's not the cheapest ticket on the block (and it's not worth it if you're just there for the oysters), but I really enjoyed it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ohstate Posted September 2, 2008 Share Posted September 2, 2008 Of course, less than a tank of gas and a $5 entrance fee gets you into the St. Mary's County Oyster Fest in October. You can even watch the U.S. National Oyster Shucking competition. They have an amateur division if anyone wants to try their hand at it as well. http://www.usoysterfest.com/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoeHoya Posted September 2, 2008 Share Posted September 2, 2008 Of course, less than a tank of gas and a $5 entrance fee gets you into the St. Mary's County Oyster Fest in October. You can even watch the U.S. National Oyster Shucking competition. They have an amateur division if anyone wants to try their hand at it as well. http://www.usoysterfest.com/ That $5 only gets you into the fest. The oysters themselves (and a really impressive range of other fair-type foods) are an additional cost. Watching the shucking competition sounds like a lot of fun, but I think the Oyster Riot wins for sheer oyster indulgence - especially since Old Ebbitt pairs the oysters with something like a dozen good wines while the St. Mary's event is pretty much limited to the finest wines Maryland has to offer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edenman Posted September 2, 2008 Share Posted September 2, 2008 Of course, less than a tank of gas and a $5 entrance fee gets you into the St. Mary's County Oyster Fest in October. You can even watch the U.S. National Oyster Shucking competition. They have an amateur division if anyone wants to try their hand at it as well. http://www.usoysterfest.com/ Although fun, I wouldn't put St. Mary's in the same thread as the riot..they are very different events with very different goals. St. Mary's, for instance, didn't mention what variety of oyster you might happen to be eating, and seemed to be more focused on the various oyster preparations: fried, chowder, broiled, etc. I missed out on the riot last year, and a friend and I both woke up at 7:15 this morning to make sure we got tickets. Can't wait. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoeHoya Posted September 2, 2008 Share Posted September 2, 2008 Although fun, I wouldn't put St. Mary's in the same thread as the riot..they are very different events with very different goals. St. Mary's, for instance, didn't mention what variety of oyster you might happen to be eating, and seemed to be more focused on the various oyster preparations: fried, chowder, broiled, etc. I missed out on the riot last year, and a friend and I both woke up at 7:15 this morning to make sure we got tickets. Can't wait. Congrats on the tickets, F.E.! Which night will you be attending? My wife and I were watching the OEG site with bated breath this morning so we could be sure to get our Saturday tix. After last year, this was a "can't miss" for us. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heather Posted September 2, 2008 Share Posted September 2, 2008 Watching the shucking competition sounds like a lot of fun, but I think the Oyster Riot wins for sheer oyster indulgence - especially since Old Ebbitt pairs the oysters with something like a dozen good wines while the St. Mary's event is pretty much limited to the finest wines Maryland has to offer. I went two years ago and thought the wines were terrible.We're going to save our money this year. For $126 per person, we can get some mighty fine seafood FedExed in, drink better wine, and listen to better music. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xcanuck Posted September 2, 2008 Share Posted September 2, 2008 I've been to the Oyster Riot for the last three years running and personally, I think it's priced itself outside of consideration. Granted, the oysters are fantastic. However, the wines have pretty much consistently sucked and the additional food items aren't worthy of the oysters (grocery store bland cheese, boring crackers, stale bread, rubbery shrimp). Add in the noise and crowds, I just don't see it being worth it for me. YMMV. But if you're into it and don't mind the price, then have a great time. I know I did the first couple of years. Last year made me think we were paying too much. Like Heather suggests, there are great online sources for oysters. I can enjoy them for less than $1/oyster. The only downside is that you have to shuck them yourself. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edenman Posted September 2, 2008 Share Posted September 2, 2008 We're going to save our money this year. For $126 per person, we can get some mighty fine seafood FedExed in, drink better wine, and listen to better music. I bought 4 tickets this morning and it ended up coming out to $128 per ticket. For me, it's worth it for the variety of oysters, but only barely. Certainly hard to justify when compared to the $75 it was just a few years ago. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ohstate Posted September 2, 2008 Share Posted September 2, 2008 Although fun, I wouldn't put St. Mary's in the same thread as the riot..they are very different events with very different goals. St. Mary's, for instance, didn't mention what variety of oyster you might happen to be eating, and seemed to be more focused on the various oyster preparations: fried, chowder, broiled, etc. I missed out on the riot last year, and a friend and I both woke up at 7:15 this morning to make sure we got tickets. Can't wait. Well, my post was somewhat TIC, however, the oysters are local typically, and the Circle C oyster ranch has their own variety that they breed and sell (Crassostrea virginica Lineback©) (we have some growing at our dock as well). I don't eat the things, personally. http://www.oysterranching.com/lineback.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoeHoya Posted September 2, 2008 Share Posted September 2, 2008 Like Heather suggests, there are great online sources for oysters. I can enjoy them for less than $1/oyster. The only downside is that you have to shuck them yourself. I'm definitely cool with shucking myself if they're good oysters. Where can you get them for less than $1? And does that include the cost of shipping? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xcanuck Posted September 2, 2008 Share Posted September 2, 2008 I'm definitely cool with shucking myself if they're good oysters. Where can you get them for less than $1? And does that include the cost of shipping?I ordered earlier this year from Rappahannock River Oysters and Farm-2-Market.. It came to about $1.25/oyster when you included shipping. We also had a friend bring us a few bushels from the Annapolis Seafood Market and that worked out to less than $1/oyster. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heather Posted September 2, 2008 Share Posted September 2, 2008 I bought 4 tickets this morning and it ended up coming out to $128 per ticket. For me, it's worth it for the variety of oysters, but only barely. Certainly hard to justify when compared to the $75 it was just a few years ago.The steep price increase is what did it for me. Weren't they $80 two years ago? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Doctor Posted September 2, 2008 Share Posted September 2, 2008 This will be my first year attending. The monetary value of their happy hour is certainly greater (even with alcohol factored in), but I have to do this. To me, it'll be like being a kid in a candy store. There's definitely something to be said for strolling around and scarfing oysters to your heart's content. Plus, the Riot has the benefit of offering four times the variety of their normal menu. Besides, I've already got my outfit prepared. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TedE Posted September 2, 2008 Share Posted September 2, 2008 Plus, the Riot has the benefit of offering four times the variety of their normal menu. This is what I think seals the deal. Just having unlimited access to that variety of oysters from all over North America in one room is almost worth the price of admission (this year, almost). Throw in the booze and the general party atmosphere and I think it's a winner. $125 is about reaching the upper bounds, though. Considering that it appeared to be totally sold out when I tried at 7:45 this morning (damn you alarm clock!!!) the market hasn't softened, and I anticipate it creeping upwards again next year. I'm really bummed to miss out this year. We may have to try our hands at the secondary market; with the initial price I'm hoping the price gauging won't be as egregious close to the event and we can score a pair near face value. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pat Posted September 2, 2008 Share Posted September 2, 2008 We may have to try our hands at the secondary market; with the initial price I'm hoping the price gauging won't be as egregious close to the event and we can score a pair near face value.According to the FAQ on the Ebbitt web site, this year they are not using tickets. They're mailing out bar-coded bracelets in early November. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TedE Posted September 2, 2008 Share Posted September 2, 2008 According to the FAQ on the Ebbitt web site, this year they are not using tickets. They're mailing out bar-coded bracelets in early November. I saw that, but I'm assuming it was just to cut down on the lines to get in. If they are actually cross-referencing your scanned bracelet with your photo ID and denying entry if they don't match there are going to be a whole lot of angry people mobbing the doors. Given that you could buy 4 tickets at a pop it's not even enforceable Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chiclet Posted November 19, 2008 Share Posted November 19, 2008 I have two extra tickets for Friday and one for Saturday. PM me if you are interested. (face value, of course!) Tix are gone. Carrie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TedE Posted September 8, 2009 Share Posted September 8, 2009 Debated and debated this year, but did end up logging on and snagging 4 for Friday night. Looking forward to it again! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rovers2000 Posted November 16, 2009 Share Posted November 16, 2009 Who all is heading to Old Ebbitt for this? I have 2 tickets on Friday and it'll be my first one. Any tips/suggestions for a first timer? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chiclet Posted November 16, 2009 Share Posted November 16, 2009 Who all is heading to Old Ebbitt for this? I have 2 tickets on Friday and it'll be my first one. Any tips/suggestions for a first timer? Me! Me! I'm so excited! Tips: Go hungry and pace yourself on the wine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pat Posted November 17, 2009 Share Posted November 17, 2009 Who all is heading to Old Ebbitt for this? I have 2 tickets on Friday and it'll be my first one. Any tips/suggestions for a first timer? Scope out where the various things are before wading into the crowds. I ended up getting some of the same oysters and wines over and over because they were within a reasonable distance of where I was camped. (Very good wine and oysters, however.) There are some things that you get only a limited amount of that are in a certain spot and it took me forever to locate the spot. There's not really a whole lot of food available. If you have a big appetite, eat before you go.It is loud and crowded, packed with people. I'm not too comfortable with crowds, so this really was not suited for me. I'm glad I did it once, but... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heather Posted November 17, 2009 Share Posted November 17, 2009 Me! Me! I'm so excited! Tips: Go hungry and pace yourself on the wine. I would say the opposite...don't go hungry. Oysters do nothing to soak up wine. If I ever attend again, there will absolutely be at least a sandwich in my stomach before stepping through the doors. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TedE Posted November 20, 2009 Share Posted November 20, 2009 I also would not recommend arriving on an empty stomach unless you plan on planting yourself in front of one of the cheese and cracker tables for a bit, but that takes away from valuable oyster time. After a couple years off I'm excited to be going back. I just *really* hope they have Belons again; it's a rare treat in our area. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TedE Posted November 20, 2009 Share Posted November 20, 2009 FYI, whether Ebbitt has finally met market saturation with their pricing or the economy is having some effect, there appear to be plenty of tickets at, near or even below face value on offer for this weekend. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TedE Posted November 21, 2013 Share Posted November 21, 2013 Returning again on Saturday after a few years' absence, and still excited about it! It does look like they've hit market saturation at $140, though. Only Saturday night is sold out at this point, and I think that took several weeks to fill up. DCBrau brewed a special edition of their porter this year mashed in with Raspberry Points that they will be serving alongside the wine. As always, the only thing that makes this event remotely close to being worthwhile is the variety of bivalves available under the same roof: OYSTERS TO BE SERVED AT THIS YEAR'S OYSTER RIOTCrassostrea virginicaBattle Creek, Tom's Cove, VABlackberry Point, Foxley River, PEICanada Cup, Malpeque Bay, PEICotuit, Cotuit Bay, MALittle Island, Bagaduce River, MEMayflower Point, Cape Cod Bay, MAMystic, Long Island Sound, CTPleasant Bay, Little Pleasant Bay, MAQuonset Point, Narragansett Bay, RIRocky Reef, Huntington Bay, NYSt. Simon, La St. Simon Bay, NB, CanadaSouth Parish, Nauset Harbor, MAStandish Shore, Duxbury Harbor, MAThatch Island, Barnstable Harbor, MAWallace Bay, Tatamagouche, NS, CanadaWashburn Island, Waquoit Bay, MAWatch Hill, Winnapaug Pond, RIWianno, Barnstable Harbor, MACrassostrea gigasFish Point, Samish Bay, WAGlacier Bay, Halibut Cove, AKKusshi, Stellar Bay, BCSunset Beach, Hood Canal, WAOstrea edulisHarpswell Flat, New Meadows River, MECrassostrea sikameaKumamoto, Humboldt Bay, CA Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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