The Real Mother Shuckers Are Making Oysters More Accessible One Shell at a Time

Moody, a 37-year-old Crown Heights resident and owner of the Real Mother Shuckers, serves oysters from a cart in front of the Bushwick location of BK Lobster, according to the New York Times.

“People can be a little leery of a guy selling oysters on the street,” Moody said, whose real name is Ben Harney Jr. “So I’m serving them in a comfortable way so that some can have the experience and judge for themselves.”

Moody's oysters range from $3 to $4 each, and customers can receive their shellfish either “naked” or “dressed,” which includes three options: a classic mignonette; “sushi”-style, with thin strips of seaweed dotted with cucumber and ponzu; or “candy apple,” with green apple, tart yuzu and hot sauce.

Moody recently built a fully collapsible cart in order to cater to priavte events in addition to his weekly rotation at BK Lobster, Sahadi’s in Industry City, and a kiosk at Governors Island that will open on July 4.

In the future, he plans to create oyster programs at restruants and operate a brick-and-mortar space where he can expose students to oysters and shucking.

"New York was the oyster capital of the world,” Harney said. “And we’re eating hot dogs?”