It was my birthday, so we when we headed to Disney Springs, my husband and I were prepared to spend a little more for a romantic night out. We were lead through the chillend and noisy dining room to be seated on the quieter dock area out back. Our table overlooked the dark water and lovely twinkling lights.

Then our eyes glistened, too, as they met across the table, and popped fully out of their sockets. The cheapest oysters-by-the-dozen entree on the menu was $44.

In the distance, the Rainforest Cafe volcano spewed fire.

After many long years in Dayton, Ohio, my husband and I headed for sunnier days in, well, the Sunshine City, St. Petersburg, Florida. This quirky city averages 248 sunny days per year and the short drive to Mickey doesn’t hurt, either.

We’re about 10 minutes from the beach, with access to a lot of delicious seafare… including clams, mussels, and oysters. The Oyster Bar in downtown St. Pete is so far my favorite, where they serve Apalachicola Gulf Oysters for $18/dozen and hold Aphrodisiac Hour every day from 4 to 5 p.m. with $1 oysters on the menu.

This is probably why we walked away from The Boathouse feeling not-so-great about the 14 oysters we ate for $55.50.

Now, I eat at Disney a lot, and I understand that when I’m in the parks or Disney Springs, I’m paying tourist prices. A markup on food is just something you expect at Disney to eat while you play, and in many cases, try foods that are totally unique. But it did sting a little to slip $5 down my gullet in the form of the Olympic Miyagi oyster.

That said, we made the best of it and tried one each of the 14 oysters that they had to offer. Most of their ala cart oysters were $4 each, with a few priced at $3.50 and only that Miyagi clocking in at $5.

But is it Just Dinner?

Our gorgeous platter of oysters arrived on a turn-of-the-century style fish platter. We took turns reading the oyster descriptions before watching each other knock them back. Then we would compare notes, describing the flavor against the description on the menu, and picking our favorites.

While I love to eat oysters, I had never sat down for a session like this to compare the taste of say, the Moondancer from Damariscotta River in Maine to the Totten Inlet from Washington state. (briny and meaty, respectively).

Taking turns, reading to each other, and trying so many different kinds of oysters from all over the coasts of North America really made this experience special, and changed our minds a bit on the price tag.

Some of the oysters had cucumber or seaweed notes, and one was so briny I thought I’d just taken a swig of saltwater (the Wianno from Cape Cod). It was an experience that was certainly educational, and when I’m tasting my budget oysters back in St. Pete, I’ll know a little more about what I want in an oyster.

Once I thought of it more like a tasting experience, and less like dinner, the cost made more sense.

Here’s Why I Recommend it, Though

Seven oysters may not sound like much, but after so much protein and B12, we had plenty of energy to shop amid the summer crowds at Disney Springs for a couple of hours and grabbed a samoa donut at Erin McKenna’s Bakery NYC.

Another bid in favor of the raw bar at The Boathouse: the dinner entrees here are expensive, so we actually got to enjoy a fun self-guided tasting experience and make it out of there without spending as much as we would have on a more hearty dinner-for-two.

If you’re looking for an adventurous raw bar experience, The Boathouse is a great place to enjoy each other’s company, maybe have a few drinks, and take in the view. During the day, you can even watch the amphicars touring the water.

Just be prepared for the price, and enjoy discovering your briny limits.