A go-to for oysters and catch-of-the-day specials mere blocks from Corpus Christi Bay, Water Street Oyster Bar has attracted locals and tourists to its breezy setting in a former transmission shop for more than 40 years. We stopped in on a rainy afternoon, and even though we were tempted to snuggle up to the dining room’s towering rendition of a tarpon (a game fish called the “silver king” by anglers who’ve come to catch them for over a century), we settled for a seat at the well-lit bar and watched the rain come down. We were in luck, because 3 o’clock was a popular time, with couples filing in to place their usual orders for half-price oysters and sushi. We followed suit, starting with a tiger roll, a blackened-tuna-topped California roll. We enjoyed it, but the combo would’ve been better without the pleasant-enough eel sauce that nevertheless overshadowed the nicely smoky tuna. A better match for our mood were the wood-grilled oysters with paprika butter and deep-fried saltines. Still searching for warmth, we ordered the gumbo, but found its roux too dark and thick, with a scant number of rubbery, overcooked shrimp. We wished we’d known about the legendary shrimp picayune, which involves a seductive butter bath incorporating brown sugar, vermouth, cayenne, and Tabasco. Oh well. Next time.