March Is All About Oysters at Jax Fish House

"Oysters are one of my favorite things to talk about," says Sheila Lucero, the executive chef who oversees all Jax Fish House locations. Lucero has been with the Big Red F restaurant group for 25 years, and was part of its very first Oyster Month celebration in 1998.

As Jax Fish House has grown from its original spot on Pearl Street in Boulder to five more locations in LoDo, Glendale, Fort Collins, Colorado Springs and Kansas City, so, too, has the general public's oyster knowledge. The event was launched as a way to help educate guests about the freshness of oysters available even in a landlocked state, but Lucero says that misconceptions are less of an issue these days. "Because of our longevity, people trust us," she explains, "and they understand how the supply chain works."

A large part of that trust and education has been built on the Emersum oyster, Jax's proprietary name for the Crassostrea virginica variety of the mollusk that's served at its restaurants. Emersums come from Virginia's Rappahannock River, and the process of farming them — which you can follow from tiny oyster seed to your plate — helps restore coastal waterways.

Along with Emersums, which are a staple, Jax serves a variety of oysters. "It's amazing to see how far oyster knowledge has come," Lucero notes. "Guests know nuances between different oysters now — they're not just rocks anymore."

As Lucero and her team kick off the 24th year of Oyster Month, she's excited to bring on new varieties for guests to try, as well as play around with different preparations. "Raw, cooked, ceviche — we have oyster shooters, which are always fun," she says. "We love having fun with our guests and having fun with oysters." And after a two-year hiatus for many of its normal events and in-house specials, the return of Oyster Month is particularly exciting.

The celebration includes a variety of food and drink specials that will be available at all Jax Fish House locations all month long, and Jax will donate ten cents from every Emersum oyster shucked during this time to First Descents Colorado, a nonprofit that takes young adults impacted by cancer and other serious health conditions on outdoor adventures.

In addition, all of the Jax spots will be throwing Sparkling Oyster Shindigs every Sunday in March from 2:30 to 3:30 p.m. with unlimited bubbles and oysters from three stations, each serving up a different preparation (raw, fried and cooked). Tickets are $55 per person and can be purchased at jaxfishhouse.com (choose your preferred location to find the link).

You could also win a dozen free oysters a month for a year (April 2022 to March 2023). To be entered in this drawing, all you have to do is eat a dozen oysters at any Jax location this month; one winner from each will be selected. When you order that dozen, though, you'll actually get thirteen bivalves: Jax is serving up "Shucker's dozens" this month. And adding to the celebration are Slurp Champion Punch Cards, with which you get a free half-dozen oysters after purchasing five half-dozen orders.

The festivities will wrap up on National Oyster on the Half Shell Day, with $2 Emersum oysters all day on March 31.