PJ Clarkes

PJ Clarkes

Since 1884, we’ve been serving up the same things: fresh food, frosty drinks and good, old-fashioned conversation. We could talk for hours about our history, our star-studded cast of diners, blah blah blah. But, for now, that’s beside the point. Grab yourself a stool at the bar and order a cold one. This is your place now.

P.J. Clarke’s ushering in a new era of food, drinks, and stuffed dog mascot lore from D.C. to Brazil. See if you can spot any major change in the vibe. (You can’t).

Did you know that a single oyster can clean thirty to fifty gallons of water per day? That’s right – not only are oysters a tasty treat on the half-shell, they’re great for our environment as well. As a natural water filter, oysters help to clear sediment, pollutants and algae from our oceans, which leads to the creation of more sustainable habitats for aquatic life. Oyster reefs act as natural barriers to erosion, tidal changes and rising sea levels, so it makes sense that hundreds of species would want to build a home there.

Unfortunately, extreme water pollution and overfishing have devastated oyster beds in recent years (only 5% of oysters today are wild, the other 95% farmed), but with the help of groups like our partners Billion Oyster Project and Oyster Recovery Project, we’re working diligently to restore the reef. The plan is to repopulate our waterways in order to clean up and create brilliant new ecosystems in which all life, from the tiniest of microorganisms to sharks and whales, can thrive. Oysters also act as a natural fertilizer, which leads to an increase in plant life under the sea and – you guessed it – the many creatures who dine on said vegetation.

The numbers don’t lie: in four short years, 19.7 trillion gallons of water have been filtered, removing 72,000 pounds of nitrogen and other pollutants. We’ve donated nearly 45,000 pounds of shells ourselves, which are utilized to regenerate up to twenty new, living oysters per shell. For reference, approximately 200 oyster shells weigh 20 pounds; that means we’ve given life to almost 450,000 oysters, which in turn cleans up to 22.5 million gallons of water!

Want to join the conservation effort? Reach out to our friends at BOPand ORP and tell ‘em PJ Clarke’s sent you!