Chasing oyster bars and seafood across Denver all week

Start with Jax if an oyster-bar stool in Denver beats another speculative queue. Raw-bar oysters, crisp cocktails and a close-packed LoDo room give this week its baseline. Make the first order oysters before anything heavier, then decide whether the pace suits you. Monday happy hour runs from 3 p.m. until close; use that window, not an imaginary sellout countdown.

The second stop trades Jax's bustle for Water Grill's polished room and live-tank raw bar. This is for the hunter who wants a considered seafood dinner rather than another counter transaction. Ask about the day's seasonal shellfish before choosing a larger plate. The catches are flown in daily; that is a reason to ask questions, not proof of a limited release.

A counter first, a bar second: that is the entire Larimer Street operation. At Tammen’s, pick fresh-shucked oysters or a ceviche tostada, then take the short walk to Fin N Tonic for tuna crudo and a gin cocktail. For grazers, small orders keep both stops useful. Point the camera at the oyster plate or blue-lit bar; skip inventing a secret menu.

RiNo gets a separate evening, because adding Uchi to yesterday's two stops would be administrative overreach. Sushi and seasonal omakase suit the eater who would rather follow a chef's sequence than collect three more receipts. Consider sushi before committing to a tasting menu. The listed daily happy hour is 4–6 p.m.; check the current menu before treating any seasonal dish as today's certainty.

Friday is the deliberate exception: Ruth's Chris is a national steakhouse, not an undisclosed raw-bar find. Seafood and handcrafted cocktails sit alongside its signature broiled cuts, so use this downtown detour for a mixed-preference table. Keep the seafood-versus-steak decision explicit before ordering. Smart casual is listed. Photograph dinner if it earns the interruption; skip pretending that a familiar name is a secret.

Santa Fe Drive changes the register without requiring another oyster platter. Rocky Yama's sushi and globally sourced seafood fit a lower-key reset after the steakhouse detour; its focus is hospitality, not a timed drop. Try sushi as the first order, then reassess your appetite. Deciding where to eat in Denver need not involve another cross-town circuit; keep this as its own neighborhood outing.

Finish in Uptown at Revival, where oysters share the menu with crab cakes, gumbo and shrimp and grits. Comfort-food company gets a useful say here, rather than being dragged through another tasting format. Choose oysters before the richer plates for a final comparison. Ask whether this Sunday has the alternating crawfish boil; no next date is confirmed here. No detective work required.