WHO’S IN CHARGE Since opening Sea Level Oyster Bar on Salem’s Pickering Wharf last April, owner George Carey has strived for “a more fun, more casual approach to seafood’’ than that of nearby Finz, which he also owns.

One of the special offerings here is peel-and-eat shrimp, popular in the South but not often seen up here.

“It’s a bucket of cocktail shrimp steamed in local beer and Old Bay seasoning and served either hot or cold,’’ Carey said.

A bucket is $20, a half bucket $12. Another popular munchie here is popcorn shrimp ($12), which is breaded, fried mini-shrimp, but Sea Level serves it with actual popcorn because . . . why not?

Carey said that “although we sell an amazing amount of burgers as well as chicken,’’ the heart and soul of the restaurant is its raw bar. Four varieties of oyster are available, all local. “Raw oysters are something you get from nature that you eat directly. The liquor — the saltwater in the shell — is part of the whole experience. It’s very primal.’’

THE LOCALE Sea Level Oyster Bar occupies the two-floor space where Capt.’s Waterfront Grill used to be. In summer, the windows offer a view of Salem Harbor, Derby Wharf, and the docked square-rigger Friendship. The February night we visited, of course, the view out the windows was pitch black.

Countering the winter chill outside, the restaurant welcomed us with a laid-back party vibe. The sound of conversation in the dining room was loud but not deafening. The staff of energetic servers wore tight black T-shirts with mottoes like “Wanna see my mussels?’’ Over the large and well-populated bar, a muted TV showed a mixed martial arts cage match in progress.

While Finz uses thick cloth napkins and tablecloths, Sea Level’s tablecloths are oversized butcher paper, ideal for catching shellfish drippings. At the end of our meal, our server quickly circled our table, hand-stamping the evening’s dessert specials in black ink in front of all three of us.

ON THE MENU Executive chef Jennifer Normant’s menu is more playful and offbeat than your average seafood joint. When was the last time you had a chance to order zucchini tacos? Calamari pizza? Oysters with tequila and grapefruit soda?

Having not yet heard the owner’s paean to raw, we started off instead with a plate of baked oysters ($15). They were pleasing mouthfuls, although the strongest impression came from the pungent flavors of jalapeno, bacon, cheddar, and garlic. Also enjoyable was the fish dip ($10), a bowl of pureed artichoke hearts, olives, feta, and spinach and lots of bite-sized fried fish chunks to dip into it.

An order of soft-shell fish tacos ($16), made with perch, was spicy and refreshing. It came with mango salsa and a sweet chili glaze and was sprinkled with grated Cotija cheese. A plate of “dirty rice’’ ($18) had an abundance of fresh seafood — fish, shrimp, and mussels — along with a few chunks of grilled sausage, the whole thing topped with aioli. Very filling and very satisfying.

The chef’s fish-of-the-day was deliciously charbroiled Cajun swordfish ($20). It came with an olive, tomato, and onion salsa, grilled cauliflower, a side of fresh greens, and a small paper sack of warm, just-baked potato chips. All highly yummy.

For lovers of exotica, we’ll mention an item on the specials menu that caught our eye (and no, we’re not making this up): chocolate poached shrimp ($13). Served with white-chocolate pineapple salsa and strawberry butter, the concoction was dreamed up for the just-concluded Salem’s So Sweet festival. We weren’t sure if chocolate shrimp was a starter or a dessert, so we decided we’d pass.

Sea Level Oyster Bar, 94 Wharf St., Salem. 978-741-0555, www.sealeveloysterbar.com.

Coco McCabe and Doug Stewart can be reached at dcstewart@verizon.net.