99% of the time these are the only “fresh” oysters offered at the seafood counter of the local Safeway:
https://www.safeway.com/shop/product-details.960040137.html
What the heck are they??? I’m guessing these are just some puny oysters that have been dressed/marinated (much like some of their prepared “fresh” pork/chicken offerings) to help disguise the lack of freshness.
Am I missing something? Anybody seen anything like this?
I just substituted my zip code for yours and besides routing me to Albertsons had the exact same display.
I think we’re both stocked out of Pleasanton but I’m not sure of that.
This is why I don’t buy seafood from Safeway 
Edit: we’re $1.01 more!
I don’t buy anything but frozen seafood from big box retailers and/or grocery chains, with the exception of Costco (esp. when Costco has their, ironically in this instance, their fresh seafood and shellfish kiosk specials).
I’m guessing that’s their “serving suggestion”. I don’t think I’d take a chance on “fresh oysters” from Safeway.
The Albertson’s stores here are now Albertson-Safeways, so I’m not surprised they’re both carrying the same products, I can’t even imagine how many of those oysters they bought as a company (or two). I’ve noticed a gradual shift to Safeway’s house brand products from relatively local items, Shamrock Dairy (Arizona company) being the local that’s being phased out or minimized.
Our Safeway and Albertsons are only a couple of miles from each other so I don’t know what’ll happen, especially if the Kroger merger is approved.
They are just very large fresh oysters sold at the fish counter. They are much bigger than what one would normally eat raw and are often marketed as “BBQ Oysters.” They are normally larger than that picture appears to show so it could be a different product, but I don’t think so.
So what is with the pile of red stuff, wetness, and dark crumbs all over the shell?
Seasoning and add-ons
That’s an after picture
After what? Cooking? If so, I don’t think I have seen anything presented this way.
Bizarre. So obviously these don’t come cooked from the seafood counter since being labeled as “fresh”, so what am I buying? What does “Seafood Service Counter Oysters Bbq Shell Farmed Fresh 12 Ct” mean?
never trust an oyster with whom you have not had a personal face-to-shell shucking relationship.
right now our local fishmonger will not stock southern water oysters -
there’s too much ‘not good stuff’ running around in warmer waters.
PEI, they got.
We have multiple Safeways, Albertson’s, and Fry’s (Kroger)in a five mile radius near me. If the merger happens it will NOT be good for anybody. There’s already been at least two Safeways and an Albertsons that have closed near here in the past few years. Also at least one Fry’s, now that I think about it
“BBQ Shell” probably implies that they are still edible, but should be cooked for the best flavor/outcome. Probably not ones you’d shuck and eat raw, but rather either shuck and grill in the shell or just put on the grill and heat til they pop open. Then add a compound butter, heat until it is melted, and serve.
Or, the OP could just call and ask them.
I have seen all shapes and sizes of oysters in my days. Before I recently got deathly sick from a bad set of oysters, I was seeing and consuming mostly the huge long, relatively tasteless western ones and some that look a bit like your more rounded shell ones that were from the northeast. I agree, Safeway has dressed up the photos. I have not seen the ideal ‘Olympia’ type we used to get in CA years ago. Hog Island’s were our favorites and ones I would trust. Let us know what you find out!
That is just a serving suggestion. Just like the ad shows the price of raw chicken with a picture of roasted chicken and fresh salmon with a picture of cooked salmon.
“BBQ oysters” that I have seen at Safeway have been about 6-8"long and 3-4 inches wide, more or less. Sometimes they are smaller than that. It varies. The ones I see are pacifics. I have been known to BBQ smaller ones. I never buy those big ones. I serve with a mignonette sauce.
They should have called them BBQing oysters or something similar.
Mingonette for sure!
