‘Down to Shuck.’ New raw bar and steamer house opens in downtown Bradenton
The first time Joey Bennett visited Monk’s Steamer Bar, a longtime staple in Sarasota’s Gulf Gate neighborhood, he was transported to childhood memories on the Jersey Shore.
“To get fresh clams and oysters and all that,” said Bennett, a Toms River, New Jersey native. “I remember going to the beach with my dad on Seaside Heights and Point Pleasant Beach, they had those little buildout, outdoor bars right there where you walk up and order a dozen of this and a dozen of that.”
Bennett’s wife, Jaimie, was the catalyst for the visit, which stuck with him as he rebranded the building at 313 Old Main Street in downtown Bradenton into a new restaurant.
On May 20, Shuck It Raw Bar and Steamer House opened. The restaurant features oysters by the dozen in various styles, while also serving mussels, shrimp, crawfish, clams, cocktails and side dishes.
“I just wanted something really basic and to the point,” Bennett said of the restaurant’s name. “Something funny, catchy.”
Bennett said the oysters have been popular so far. They have a variety option called the “shuckcuterie,” where customers get three each of the four oyster styles (Raw, Parmesan, Buffalo and Rockefeller).
What’s inside Shuck It?
Inside the restaurant, which seats 75 indoors and 65 outdoors, a sign next to the bar reads, “Down to Shuck.” The signature cocktails utilize wordplay, too, with the Shuckaloma — a play on the Paloma cocktail — and Oyster Shucker as popular drinks so far.
Bennett said they infuse the alcohol in-house for the drinks.
Bennett, who moved to Bradenton in 2013 and previously worked as a bartender, also owns the following Old Main Street establishments: the Brown Bag, Pour Decisions and Craftails Speakeasy.
Before opening Shuck It, Bennett bought the space, previously home to the Old Main Pub, and “reinvented it as an island bar” called the Bamboozer Bar and Grill, the Herald previously reported. He shuttered the Bamboozer in June 2024.
“We closed it down out of kindness for the City (of Bradenton),” Bennett said. “The City didn’t like where the clientele was heading.”
Bennett said he knew he had to do a restaurant for the growth of Bradenton.
Something new for Old Main Street
“Monk’s (has) been around for over 35 years, so they’re doing something right,” Bennett said. “And to me, that’s the most fresh seafood you can have. You’re not frying it. You’re literally steaming it or eating it raw.
“None of that is fried on our menu,” he added.
To maintain freshness, the restaurant receives seafood deliveries three times a week. Fruit is cut fresh for drinks, and side dishes such as jalapeno cheddar cornbread, mac and cheese, cheesecake bites and smoked sausage are prepared in-house.
The restaurant maintains a nautical theme throughout. Some of Bennett’s friends donated crab box traps and fishing nets that appear inside. They were cleaned and repurposed for Shuck It’s decor.
Shuck It is closed on Mondays. They are open 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. The restaurant is open 4 p.m. to midnight on Fridays, 12 p.m. to midnight on Saturdays and 12 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Sundays.
For more information, visit www.ShuckItFL.com.
