LAFAYETTE, CALIFORNIA — A name that Bay Area oyster lovers know well is heading to downtown Lafayette.
Hog Island Oyster Co. announced September 17 that it plans to open a new restaurant in the Barranco space at 3596 Mt. Diablo Boulevard. The opening is slated for early 2027.
For local fans, that means Hog Island oysters, seafood and cocktails could soon be a lot closer to home.
The company calls its restaurants oyster bars, but the Lafayette plans go well beyond a small counter for a quick dozen. The location is expected to have about 130 seats, including 40 on an outdoor patio, with both lunch and dinner service planned.
“We’ve been looking for the right opportunity to bring Hog Island to the East Bay, and Lafayette felt like a natural fit,” founder and CEO John Finger said in the announcement.
“This location gives us the chance to create a true neighborhood restaurant while introducing Hog Island to more people on this side of the Bay.”
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Hog Island’s roots stretch back more than four decades. The company began farming oysters in Tomales Bay in 1983, starting with a five-acre shellfish lease. Today, its farming operations span Tomales and Humboldt bays, according to the company’s history.
Its restaurants include the Ferry Building oyster bar in San Francisco, a familiar stop for diners visiting the waterfront marketplace.
The Lafayette opening will be Hog Island’s fifth oyster bar and sixth restaurant, according to the announcement. Its existing oyster bars are in Marshall, Napa, Larkspur and San Francisco. The company also operates Tony’s Seafood Restaurant and a pickup window in Petaluma.
It also suggests that Barranco might be either closing or moving. We would be very sad about this, and will research the story and report to you.
So what will actually be on the Lafayette menu?
Hog Island says it will serve established favorites alongside dishes and specials developed specifically for this location. The announcement does not identify those dishes or give menu prices, so fans will have to wait to learn exactly which favorites make the trip to Lafayette.
A full bar is also planned, with cocktails, beer and wine.
The space itself will get attention, too. Hog Island is working with longtime design partner BCV Architecture, with plans to connect the indoor dining area more closely to the rear patio. Large-scale artwork by local artists with ties to the Hog Island community is also planned.
The company’s fact sheet puts the total footprint at approximately 2,200 square feet, including the outdoor patio.
For now, early 2027 is the opening target. A specific opening day has not been announced.
But the address is set: the former Barranco space on Mt. Diablo Boulevard is slated to become Lafayette’s own Hog Island oyster bar.
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