Milford Oyster House

Since 1997 the Milford Oyster House, a New American style restaurant has been owned by Amy Coss and her brother, Chef Ed Coss. A graduate of The Culinary Institute of America, Chef Ed has worked for several prestigious restaurants, including The Ryland Inn. In 2005, Chef Ed moved the restaurant from Bridge Street to a nearby historic stone mill on Water Street, circa 1820.

“We care about what you eat. Our fruit comes from Phillips Farms. We use all fresh seafood in season from the Jersey Shore. It is all wild caught seafood. We have a dedicated New Jersey seafood purveyor. Our cheese and beef come from Bobolink Dairy. Twin Bulls Farm supplies most of our eggs and seasonal produce. Homestead Coffee Roasters supplies our coffee. Our wine list features local vineyards Villa Milagro, Alba Vineyard, and Sand Castle Winery. And Chef Ed grows some of his own produce. Everything is fresh and we are able to follow the distribution back to its original source, local when possible, ” says Amy Coss.

Celebrating 17 years in June of this year, Milford Oyster House has customers who keep coming back. In fact, they have had the same friendly staff for the same number of years. One element for their loyal customers is the atmosphere. “The dining room features exposed stonewalls and a gas fireplace. Pierced tin Colonial lanterns cast patterns on the ceiling. The decor is crisp in blue and white. Tables are set with white linen tablecloths and napkins,” Coss says. For those who want casual dining, there is the tavern. “The less formal tavern area, with dark green decor, features winged chairs and tables for those who do not want to sit at the bar,” Coss says.

There are different menus to choose from at Milford Oyster House. With the House Menu, specialties include homemade ravioli or a dozen steamed clams for an appetizer. The house salad is a mixture of greens and garden veggies topped with creamy tarragon dressing. For an entree, there is Oyster House Shellfish Stew with clams, mussels, shrimp, and scallops, or Shrimp & Scallop Scampi served over roasted garlic polenta. “A dozen or more specials are offered each day, depending on what is freshest in the market. Some specials we have served include Crab Norfolk, Prince Edward Island Mussels, Steak au Poivre, Grilled Sushi Grade Tuna, and Cashew Crusted Tilefish. Our seafood is simply prepared. Seafood has a delicate taste, and in order for it to shine through, it needs to be treated gently,” Coss says.

The Oyster Menu has an impressive list of oysters. Every night, Milford Oyster House offers three to five varieties of fresh, raw oysters on the half shell. The Tavern Menu has wings, kebobs, homemade pizzas, pasta dishes, sandwiches, and burgers.     

All desserts are made from scratch by in-house pastry chef Michael McGovern. “The dessert menu changes. We have seasonal specialties. Our Chocolate Decadence, which is a flourless chocolate cake with chocolate raspberry ganache filling, is very popular,” Coss says. Milford Oyster House also offers full liquor service. There is an extensive list of white wines, red wines, champagnes, and sparking wines. There are over 10 beers on tap, including local microbrews.

Milford Oyster House, 92 Route 519 (Water Street), Milford, NJ. Call 908-995-9411 for reservations. Parking near entrance. Closed Tuesday. Open for dinner: Wed., Thurs., Sun., and Mon. 5 to 9 p.m.; Fri. and Sat. 5 to 10 p.m. Closed Easter Sunday, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Eve, and Christmas Day. Closed for vacation last week of August and first week of September. Takeout available. Non-smoking. Accepts Visa, MasterCard, Discover, American Express. Visit them on Facebook or www.milfordoysterhouse.com.