The 12 Best Seafood Restaurants in Raleigh NC (According to Me)

Raleigh NC is known for its outstanding seafood restaurants – and we’ve identified seven of the best! Whether you’re looking to indulge in savory lobster rolls or satisfy your craving with an array of fresh fish dishes, these eateries are sure to deliver a top-tier dining experience.

Top 12 Places to Eat Seafood in Raleigh NC

42nd Street Oyster Bar

Address: 508 W Jones St, Raleigh, NC 27603, United States
Map: Click here
Rating: 4.5 (2829)
Phone: +1 919-831-2811
Website: Link
Opening hours:

Monday: 5:00 – 9:00 PM

Tuesday: 5:00 – 9:00 PM

Wednesday: 5:00 – 9:00 PM

Thursday: 5:00 – 9:00 PM

Friday: 5:00 – 10:00 PM

Saturday: 4:00 – 10:00 PM

Sunday: 4:00 – 9:00 PM
Reviews:

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.

✭✭✭ By Sean Williams (6 months ago)

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.

✭✭✭✭✭ By Amanda Williams (9 months ago)

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!

✭✭✭✭✭ By Bri Dangerfield (11 months ago)

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!

✭✭✭✭✭ By rochelle (5 months ago)

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.

✭✭✭✭ By Sal E (a month ago)

N.C. Seafood Restaurant at the Farmers Market

Address: 1201 Agriculture St, Raleigh, NC 27603, United States
Map: Click here
Rating: 4.5 (2721)
Phone: +1 919-833-4661
Website: Link
Opening hours:

Monday: 11:00 AM – 6:00 PM

Tuesday: 11:00 AM – 6:00 PM

Wednesday: 11:00 AM – 6:00 PM

Thursday: 11:00 AM – 6:00 PM

Friday: 11:00 AM – 7:00 PM

Saturday: 11:00 AM – 7:00 PM

Sunday: 11:00 AM – 6:00 PM
Reviews:

My favorite place for seafood around the triangle. The portions are absolutely HUGE. My fiancé and I split one large 2-choice combination tray and we hardly put a dent in the shrimp. Fried cod is to die for. Slaw and hush puppies are always delicious. The people are here so nice, too. It’s as popular as it is for a reason. 10/10

✭✭✭✭✭ By Katherine Smith (3 months ago)

I’m from Fayetteville, NC and whenever I want some really good seafood I go to Captain Jerry’s. I wanted to try to find something similar in the Raleigh area. I found this restaurant and decided to give it a try. Unfortunately, it didn’t compare to Captain Jerry’s as I’d hoped. I placed the order to go and it was ready as soon as I got there. The food had nice flavors and was seasoned pretty well and it was A LOT of food, so you definitely get your money’s worth. However, nothing was crispy. When I see fried seafood like this I expect to have a crunch but that wasn’t the case. If the food was crispier I think it’d come close to Captain Jerry’s but as of right now, I don’t really like soggy/soft fries, shrimp, and catfish. I may give this another try just to see if it may have just been the day that I went, we all have off days.

✭✭✭ By Makayla Cook (9 months ago)

Absolutely loved this place! I got the sampler plate and my boyfriend got a garden omelette of sorts. I also got a coffee. Everything was delicious. The sampler included 2 eggs, ham, bacon, sausage, grits(or potatoes), 3 pancakes, sausage gravy, biscuits (or toast) and cinnamon apples. It was all very good. Coffee included. The people were all very friendly, quick and attentive. Would 100% recommend!

Also- The patio seating is dog friendly! The rest of the farmers market is not dog friendly though if you plan to go there after.

✭✭✭✭✭ By Tiffany A (10 months ago)

Got the captain’s platter. It was a lot of food for two person. The deviled crab was good. Loved the shrimp because it was less battered, but could be little more fried. The trout fry was not overwhelming, as it has no salt or seasoning just deep fried with some flour coating. The sides were ok. Amount was the dish was worth (20$). Freshness was there, but quality was an average

✭✭✭✭ By Suraiya Akter (8 months ago)

I got the 3 seafood plate, with shrimp, oysters and trout. So fresh and delicious! They cook to order. My order came out with hardly any wait time. All staff were friendly.

✭✭✭✭✭ By Linda (4 months ago)

Red Lobster

Address: 4408 Old Wake Forest Rd, Raleigh, NC 27609, United States
Map: Click here
Rating: 4.1 (2704)
Phone: +1 919-872-5608
Website: Link
Opening hours:

Monday: 11:00 AM – 10:00 PM

Tuesday: 11:00 AM – 10:00 PM

Wednesday: 11:00 AM – 10:00 PM

Thursday: 11:00 AM – 10:00 PM

Friday: 11:00 AM – 11:00 PM

Saturday: 11:00 AM – 11:00 PM

Sunday: 11:00 AM – 10:00 PM
Reviews:

I’m impressed! I had a bad experience many years ago in Florida and never went back because of it. I had a wonderful experience this time and will be back. Everything was great! The service, food was amazing and wait time was great. Our server was very pleasant and caring. Thank you! Even the baby liked everything!!

✭✭✭✭✭ By Dawn Brown (6 months ago)

I had such a great experience here. From the hostess to the waitress to every staff member I saw, nothing but friendliness and fantastic service. I got the Wednesday Surf & Turf special and it was delicious! It’s been decades since I’ve been to a Red Lobster and I was so impressed by this location. Thoroughly enjoyed my visit. Plus, a 97% sanitation rating to boot!

✭✭✭✭✭ By Samantha (9 months ago)

Some ladies and I from my church met here yesterday, Saturday September 10, 2022, at 1 pm for lunch. We arrived at an opportune time as there was hardly anyone at the restaurant. We didn’t have to deal with any long lines, long wait, or a large crowd.

We were seated quickly and our server met us promptly. Our server was friendly and professional. She took our orders right away and the food came out in a timely manner. We had a few dirty dishes that were set out with our appetizers and salads though.

The food was good. Everyone enjoyed their dish. Everything had a good flavor and for the most part the texture was good as well.

The ladies and I had a comfortable and enjoyable time. We played a few short games and had a nice lunch. This is a great place for large groups meeting to celebrate or have a bonding session. The atmosphere is conducive for both.

✭✭✭✭ By Arvian “Sparkles” Duval (4 months ago)

It’s always touch and go here. It’s my daughter’s favorite place so we are here often. This time around the food was excellent. Everything was so fresh. I was pleasantly surprised. The girls had a great time and really enjoyed their food.

✭✭✭✭ By China Smith (a month ago)

Some in our party have not eaten at a red lobster, so we took the opportunity to share it with them. Even though the décor is dated, dark it was clean and staff were friendly. This is probably the better of the 2 closest to Raleigh Based on atmosphere, cleanliness and food quality.

✭✭✭✭ By Kelly McNutt (a month ago)

Mayflower Seafood Restaurant

Address: 3301 Capital Blvd, Raleigh, NC 27604, United States
Map: Click here
Rating: 3.8 (2043)
Phone: +1 919-875-9007
Website: Link
Opening hours:

Monday: 11:00 AM – 9:00 PM

Tuesday: 11:00 AM – 9:00 PM

Wednesday: 11:00 AM – 9:00 PM

Thursday: 11:00 AM – 9:00 PM

Friday: 11:00 AM – 10:00 PM

Saturday: 11:00 AM – 10:00 PM

Sunday: 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)

Jack’s Seafood & Soul Food

Address: 1516 New Bern Ave, Raleigh, NC 27610, United States
Map: Click here
Rating: 4.3 (1780)
Phone: +1 919-755-1551
Website: Link
Opening hours:

Monday: 7:00 AM – 8:30 PM

Tuesday: 7:00 AM – 8:30 PM

Wednesday: 7:00 AM – 8:30 PM

Thursday: 7:00 AM – 8:30 PM

Friday: 7:00 AM – 8:30 PM

Saturday: Closed

Sunday: 11:00 AM – 6:00 PM
Reviews:

Small little hole in the wall I searched for while working one night craving some fried fish near downtown. Good portions for what is fair price for seafood restaurants. Good service and fast. Fish was fried, good little crunch with the batter. Fries and okra were delicious. Hushpuppies were a heavy yellow cornmeal variety. Not my favorite but passable. Only thing I would suggest is a wire rack after frying the fish. I had a large amount of grease at the bottom of my container that had my second piece of fish a little bit soggy.

Update:

Visited a second time got the Three Way Combo with potato salad and mac and cheese. They really hooked me up! Gave me a large amount of fish and the hush puppies were great this time. Potato salad wasn’t my favorite. Love the food here but this location gets a little shady at night.

✭✭✭✭ By Darius D (2 months ago)

When you order your food and get ready to leave the parking area because the food smells so good. I open my food just to get a quick taste, and LAWD, I ate the entire meal before closing it back. I had to push my seat back for a quick nap.
WAIT LETS NOT TALK ABOUT THE PEACH DRINK, THEN MIX IT WITH LEMONADE. I had to regroup my life before heading back to work.

✭✭✭✭✭ By Kecia Collier (11 months ago)

For Sure this Place is 100% Delicious!! Had to leave a review, got the flounder, hushpuppies, sweet potato, fried okra. Amazing!! who ever is frying food in the back is a perfectionist (Mistro) For Sure! Under 12$.😋😋😋😋😋

✭✭✭✭✭ By Steve C (5 months ago)

My family and I decided to stop in and get dinner while visiting the Raleigh area. I wanted to support a black owned restaurant. We were not disappointed. The place was packed and there was a bit of a wait between ordering and getting our food but it wasn’t unbearable and the people waiting along with us were friendly. My guess is that is a normal encounter if you’re a regular patron.

When you get your order the staff make sure you check it for any mistakes before departing. The food was very good between the fried chicken, shrimp and veggie plate.

My only drawbacks are there was no where to sit and eat and the portions for the veggie plate could’ve been more. Overall a positive experience.

✭✭✭ By Tony Price (6 months ago)

Okay ive been on a food tour of Raleigh NC and this place takes the WIN
the best customer svc by far if i had $5 left i would spend it here i felt attended to and saw them crush thru a lobby full of customers with ease care and smiles the food is delicious so far the fish, shrimp, rice and gravy and side(yes side of wings) i ordered are ‘bussin’ like the kids say telltale #hoodspot signs koolaid/punch pictures of family on the wall and every customer either known coming in or they check ur receipt and interact w you personally when picking up your order i love this place altho they didnt have a couple menu items, myLobby experience made me for get that and the food !!! wow! i will be back

✭✭✭✭✭ By Chris Booker (a year ago)

Captain Stanley’s Seafood

Address: 3333 S Wilmington St, Raleigh, NC 27603, United States
Map: Click here
Rating: 4.4 (1651)

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 (1423)

Bonefish Grill

Address: 4421 Six Forks Rd, Raleigh, NC 27609, United States
Map: Click here
Rating: 4.3 (1283)

Nantucket Grill – Raleigh

Address: 1145 Falls River Ave, Raleigh, NC 27614, United States
Map: Click here
Rating: 4.3 (1220)

Mariscos Nayarit

Address: 3351 Cypress Plantation Trl, Raleigh, NC 27616, United States
Map: Click here
Rating: 4.2 (912)

Crab Du Jour Cajun Seafood & Bar

Address: 6320 Plantation Center Dr, Raleigh, NC 27616, United States
Map: Click here
Rating: 4.1 (769)

Thank you for reading! We hope this list helps you find the best seafood restaurants in Raleigh NC. If you have any additional information, please leave a comment below!