Raleigh NC is renowned for its succulent seafood, and the state’s oyster bars are no exception. Featuring some of seafood freshest catches, these 12 far-reaching establishments offer an unforgettable edible experience complete with views of rocky coasts and salty air.
The Best Oyster Bar in Raleigh NC
42nd Street Oyster Bar
- Address: 508 W Jones St, Raleigh, NC 27603, United States
- Map: Click here
- Rating: 4.5 (2828)
- Phone: +1 919-831-2811
- Website: Link
- Opening hours:
Monday: 5:00 – 9:00 PMTuesday: 5:00 – 9:00 PMWednesday: 5:00 – 9:00 PMThursday: 5:00 – 9:00 PMFriday: 5:00 – 10:00 PMSaturday: 4:00 – 10:00 PMSunday: 4:00 – 9:00 PM
5 Replies to The 12 Best Oyster Restaurants in Raleigh NC
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Top 12 Oyster Restaurant in Raleigh NC
Sullivan’s Steakhouse
- Address: 410 Glenwood Ave Ste 100, Raleigh, NC 27603, United States
- Map: Click here
- Rating: 4.5 (2628)
- Phone: +1 919-833-2888
- Website: Link
- Opening hours:
Monday: 11:00 AM – 10:00 PMTuesday: 11:00 AM – 10:00 PMWednesday: 11:00 AM – 10:00 PMThursday: 11:00 AM – 10:00 PMFriday: 11:00 AM – 11:00 PMSaturday: 11:00 AM – 11:00 PMSunday: 11:00 AM – 10:00 PM
- Reviews:
The food was great and the staff was friendly. My wife and I went there for our anniversary dinner. I enjoyed the rack of lamb and my wife enjoyed the crab stuffed shrimp. My drink of choice was the ice on the rye and that was good as well. Especially for me since I don’t drink that much. A smooth drink. They even provided free cheesecake to celebrate our anniversary.By Rashad Gattis (5 months ago)This place is a very nice place. I ordered a dirty martini and an appetizer. The appetizer that I chose was the pork belly. It was the best Pork Belly I ever had. I even love the cut of the pork belly. This was a thicker cut. Most places do their pork belly in thin slices. The flavor was amazing. It was phenomenal. And it had just the right amount of spice and kick. I will definitely order that again. I ordered the sea bass for dinner. I wasn’t too impressed with the sea bass as they use a flavor that I typically don’t care for. I ordered a gratin potatoes. They were not bad but not the best in my opinion. Definitely a place worth trying. I will be backBy Sophia Alexandria (8 months ago)We enjoyed our time here. Food was well seasoned everything was cooked just right. I do wish they would serve lemons with their seafood dishes. But the calamari was great just missing lemon. I am picky when it come to mac and cheese but this was surprisingly delightful. Also I wish the tables had just a little more lighting. Service was good all our food came out in a timely manner. A rose and a slice of cheesecake was given for the birthday. I did have to ask about this though which was surprising. Usually when we go to upscale restaurants for celebrations they already prepare these type of things. Being that it is listed on the reservation. The thing that stood out to me the most was the thank you card I received in the mail. It is a great gesture and make the customer feel appreciated.By Jessica Scott (6 months ago)The food was excellent. The steaks were delicious and cooked right. I got the Cajun butter alongside the bone-in ribeye and it was a great addition, although it definitely didn’t need it and I was happy that it came on the side. The Beef Wellington bites were amazing. The three cheese mac was rich and creamy. The cheesecake was good but it didn’t stand out as anything uniquely special.
The service was great, although the restaurant is a little cramped in places. I would still recommend it though.
By Marc Bascom (5 months ago)The service is amazing. …food/the ribeye was topnotch and the ambience just right. I called to reserve, but was advised to just walk in and still got an amazing table.Had a rosè wine by glass, totally enjoyed that too. Seating is a bit squeezed. But I guess that is because of popularity. Kitchen is open, and bathrooms are clean. They are keen to make sure you feel special if celebrating something. Amazing find and rec by a friend!!
By Catherine Nyambura (5 months ago)
Mayflower Seafood Restaurant
- Address: 3301 Capital Blvd, Raleigh, NC 27604, United States
- Map: Click here
- Rating: 3.8 (2044)
- Phone: +1 919-875-9007
- Website: Link
- Opening hours:
Monday: 11:00 AM – 9:00 PMTuesday: 11:00 AM – 9:00 PMWednesday: 11:00 AM – 9:00 PMThursday: 11:00 AM – 9:00 PMFriday: 11:00 AM – 10:00 PMSaturday: 11:00 AM – 10:00 PMSunday: 11:00 AM – 9:00 PM
- Reviews:
We eat at the Mayflower about once every two years, mostly out of convenience due to the awesome location. The taste and quality of the food is average at best. The prices are good in comparison to the portion. The coleslaw is cut so fine, the consistency is mush. The customer service is subpar. Our waitress was more so dressed for bedtime. She also forgot our drinks, so we had to remind her. The carrot cake was GREAT! Overall, Mayflower is okay to eat at sometimes, just not a favorite eatery.By Skye Hankins (a year ago)Went for lunch, the service was great, the was good, minus the crab cakes. I’m only taking one star because everything else was hot and fresh. Maryland crab cake lover here, a bad crab cake is a death toll. The waiter saved the day by being gracious and immediately exchanging my crab cakes for more delicious flaky white fish. The huss puppies looked like onion rings, but I promise you they were good, and no onion taste at all, thank goodness.By Denise White (a year ago)Honestly this place is super over hyped. But from what I can tell this particular Mayflower isn’t the best I’ll have to try another and see how it is.
This one brought me out cold food that wasn’t seasoned the best at all. Just very underwhelming seafood. This is even after having lowered my expectations since it was so far from the cost.
By Nicodemous (a year ago)Very nice. Nothing fancy, just good food and service. Our waitress was wonderful. The food was really good and we were served an abundant amount of it. I had the popcorn shrimp, it was cooked perfectly. I will make sure this is one of our frequent stops for meals. Got there about 6ish. Not too busy but started to get busy by the time we finished.By Michael Cowdin (3 months ago)I didn’t have the best experience with my takeout order yesterday evening. I tried calling to place my order for 10 minutes but could not get through. I had to place my order at the counter when I arrived. They were very busy.It seemed as if the employees were overwhelmed because the restaurant was understaffed. There was only 1 person taking orders as the phone was ringing off the hook and people kept coming in. A 2nd person joined the 1st employee to take orders after a few minutes. The employees were both very nice.
I waited over 30 minutes for my order. I was patient because I knew they were having dinner rush. I still didn’t expect the wait to be that long for takeout on 3 fried platters though. I was expecting to wait 15-20 minutes.
Also be aware that there is a 3% processing fee for all orders using a debit/credit card for payment. You may want to pay using cash.
My food was hot and the order was correct.
However, it wasn’t the Mayflower that I remember. The food seems to have gone down hill in quality. The fried whitefish and popcorn shrimp were tasteless. They obviously did not season them at all. The shrimp was also hard and kind of rubbery. Trout and scallops were okay in terms of texture but they also were not seasoned. The baked potato, French fries, and sauces were good.I noticed that the portions were A LOT smaller than I am used to getting from them. Normally they pile the food up and fill up your whole box. My boxes were all about halfway full. It seemed like they were very stingy especially on my French fries and Popcorn shrimp.
I am not sure if the lack of a quality was because of how busy and understaffed they were or if that is their new normal. I certainly hope that this was a one time experience. I may give it one more chance and update this.
By Samantha King (4 months ago)
The Big Easy NC
- Address: 222 Fayetteville St, Raleigh, NC 27601, United States
- Map: Click here
- Rating: 4.1 (1962)
- Phone: +1 919-832-6082
- Website: Link
- Opening hours:
Monday: 11:00 AM – 12:00 AMTuesday: 11:00 AM – 12:00 AMWednesday: 11:00 AM – 12:00 AMThursday: 11:00 AM – 2:00 AMFriday: 11:00 AM – 2:00 AMSaturday: 11:00 AM – 2:00 AMSunday: 11:00 AM – 12:00 AM
- Reviews:
We had a great experience here along with awesome food! The staff were kind, funny, and genuinely good people! The food was authentic Creole and Cajun style with fresh homemade taste that made it hard to stop eating. We were pleasantly surprised to have the best alligator bites ever at this little place! The drinks were also made well, fairly strong but not too over the top. I wish I lived closer so I could make a weekly trip to revisit this little gem.By Adria (7 months ago)Best Mothers Day
I’m originally from Louisana so my husband took me to The Big Easy for Mother’s Day this year, and it was the best one so far. My toddlers crushes the alligator bites and my son with Autism loves the Gouda Grits ( he is really picky). It was a win because everyone found something on the menu they could eat, which is hard for our family. Also great service! Great atmosphere! And most importantly GREAT FOOD! We will be backBy Christin Jackson-Price (8 months ago)As a food blogger for A Pinch of Butter! I was on vacation in Raleigh NC and I stumbled on this restaurant and I am so glad I did. The atmosphere was inviting, the food was incredible, and the Pimento Cheeses Fritters was fried to perfection. Me and my bestie had the seafood platter and we both give them a 10/10.By Kisha Lesane (7 months ago)Second time visiting Raleigh for work and came to Big Easy for dinner on our first night. Super glad that we did because we all enjoyed our food, tried alligator, and had fun with our host Bonnie.She was so engaging and flexible with our requests. Everything from the moment you enter and leave was so easy, we even automatically had our bills split accordingly without even having to ask. Thank you!
By Helen Bui (3 months ago)Food is definitely better when they 1st open. No utensils are ever offered when we request a left over box. Staff is always friendly…Gator bites were delicious. Crab cakes had too many shells so I know they were fresh…sweet potato fries are the bestBy LONDON (2 months ago)
Shuckers Oyster Bar & Grill
- Address: 3309 Rogers Rd, Wake Forest, NC 27587, United States
- Map: Click here
- Rating: 4.4 (1764)
- Phone: +1 919-453-1593
- Website: Link
- Opening hours:
Monday: 4:00 – 9:00 PMTuesday: 4:00 – 9:00 PMWednesday: 4:00 – 9:00 PMThursday: 4:00 – 9:00 PMFriday: 4:00 – 10:00 PMSaturday: 2:00 – 10:00 PMSunday: 2:00 – 9:00 PM
- Reviews:
My first experience with my hubby was pretty good!
We went for lunch with our 3-year-old son, and they had a great selection on the kids’ menu with crayons to color, which is great.
We decided to do appetizers only and ordered chicken wings, chicken salad, stuffed mushrooms, and calamari along with our drinks. The food was really good, although I wouldn’t order the stuffed mushrooms again because the taste was to bland for us. Everything else was great! Our server was amazing and on tip of things. Other employees also greeted us with pleasure. It is definitely a great date night setting with low lighting tooBy Bridget Jackson (10 months ago)First time here and I will definitely be coming back for more. I was extremely pleased with the friendly staff.. delicious food, drinks and service. The hush puppies were great 😊 only downfall was I really wanted to order a steamed lobster🦞tail I was told by the waitress after placing my order that the restaurant was out of lobster tails! 😡.. I was a little upset but I preceded to order something else on the menu! The Grilled Shrimp Caesar Salad 🥗 was absolutely flavorsome 🤤 a little on the spicy side 🌶 but was extremely delicious 😋…🔆‼️Hopefully nice time I return to the restaurant lobster tails will be available!🤞🏽😏By London Simone (a year ago)This is a five-star wow wow. Love the food lmg the oysters are out of this world. The service is excellent. Been coming here for the last 20 years. Highly recommend to all.By Debbie Fleming (11 months ago)Pretty tasty place. I ordered the salmon and while it was alright, it wasn’t anything special. But since this is probably the first place I have dined out in since COVID I had a fun experience. Played a bit of cards and had some tasty food. Not much else to complain about.By Holder Godwin (10 months ago)One star, let me explain. First off, I will say that the food was amazing at the time. Our server, Katie, was also really helpful. My wife and I had a great date until the cockroach climbed up and join us at our table. I don’t think we’ve never got up so quick, pretty sure the couple next to us saw it too. I did inform Katie on our way out so hopefully the restaurant will take an action for this. I wouldn’t mind coming back to fix our experience, just shoot me an email. Thank you.By Gilbert Imbiri (a year ago)
Raleigh Crab House
- Address: 4538 Capital Blvd, Raleigh, NC 27604, United States
- Map: Click here
- Rating: 4.4 (1595)
Cape Fear Seafood Company
- Address: 832 Spring Forest Rd, Raleigh, NC 27609, United States
- Map: Click here
- Rating: 4.5 (1425)
Bonefish Grill
- Address: 4421 Six Forks Rd, Raleigh, NC 27609, United States
- Map: Click here
- Rating: 4.3 (1283)
Full Moon Oyster Bar
- Address: 1600 Village Market Place, Morrisville, NC 27560, United States
- Map: Click here
- Rating: 4.5 (1184)
STIR
- Address: 4242 Six Forks Rd Ste 100, Raleigh, NC 27609, United States
- Map: Click here
- Rating: 4.3 (1010)
Jimmy V’s Osteria & Bar
- Address: 420 Fayetteville St, Raleigh, NC 27601, United States
- Map: Click here
- Rating: 4 (759)
St. Roch Fine Oysters + Bar
- Address: 223 S Wilmington St, Raleigh, NC 27601, United States
- Map: Click here
- Rating: 4.7 (700)
Death and Taxes
- Address: 105 W Hargett St, Raleigh, NC 27601, United States
- Map: Click here
- Rating: 4.6 (689)
Thank you for reading! We hope this list helps you find the best oyster restaurants in Raleigh NC. If you have any additional information, please leave a comment below!
Absolutely excellent! Their crab legs and chicken tenders were delectable, and the bartenders are wonderful. I went on Valentine’s so the tables were booked, but you can sit at the bar. All in all a great experience!
The food was excellent! This restaurant’s fun history is reflected in the atmosphere – I enjoyed all the old photos. If you like good seafood I’d definitely recommend that you try this place.
This was my second time at 42nd Street Oyster Bar. Our server was courteous, and moderately attentive so no complaints there. I had the Shrimp and Grits, and my father had the Shimp and Crab Linguine. Both dishes just OK. They weren’t strong in flavor at all. I did enjoy the complimentary hush puppies. I’ll probably be back, but I think I’ll stick to the oysters and fried platters.
I really enjoyed my experience! Sat at the bar and had a variety of food paired with white wine. Topped it off with key lime pie. The menu has a lot to offer. They start you off with a basket of hush puppies and sweet butter. The calamari was very calamari, thick wholesome bites. The crab cake was a real crab cake, very yummy. The ahi tuna was yummy too. Lol overall, check it out for yourself, I liked what I had!
A staple for seafood in Raleigh even if oysters are not your thing. Always good, often great with a variety of seafood and ways it is prepared. My swordfish was awesome. The popcorn shrimp were a bit over breaded this time, although still tasty. Drinks whether iced tea, wine, or cocktails were good. Definitely recommend when in a seafood mood. Be sure to make reservations unless you want to eat in the bar area.