Reviews of 42nd Street Oyster Bar (Restaurant)

Hans Rumble

Customers have the option of bar seating in front of an open kitchen or to be seated at a table or booth. Iron trusses span the entire ceiling limiting the need for many columns and walls thus creating a very attractive and enormous open space. Although everyone was friendly enough it seems to me many missed the mark this evening.

Necole Daniels

This is my second trip to this restaurant and it was great! My husband delivered seafood to this restaurant 20 years ago & it has changed physically he said but it's still standing. We will definitely be coming back when we're in Raleigh. It's worth the try!

Dien Truong

The ambiance is great, no frills. We sat at the cocktail tables for happy hour and had the oysters, clam, and shrimp. Haley, our waitress, was very accommodating and sweet. The food was really good! Would definitely go again.

W M G

I had Cajun flounder. It was good but didn't knock my socks off. I was tired of it before I finished the dish. Waiter was good but couldn't understand him. I will return b/c of previous visits and the food was good.

Jennifer Richards

Awesome food, cool atmosphere. Service was great! One thing to be aware of is the drawn butter is not actually butter. Be sure to ask your server for real butter if you want full flavor.

kelley sharp

Always 5 Stars... There's a reason it's been there & been successful since 1931!

Ed Wong

Although the place was busy, the service was excellent and the food was exquisite. The lobster bisque, the lobster, the snow crab legs, the scallops, the shrimps, just a wonderful meal.

Geoff Helderman

Food was amazing, very friendly staff and great atmosphere!

Bev Williams

Always great service and food. The oyster stew is out of this world

Eb Tharrington

The food was great and the service was wonderful love it

Ahmed Sadek

Great seafood. Expected better swordfish but otherwise great experience. Oysters were awesome.

Steve Laster

Drinks and service were great. A little disappointed at the food but I got something that wasn't their specialty. My friend loved their oysters.

Frank Haidar

The food and view are great. Hoeven the service needs more work, the waitress was fine but there is some slaving in case on behalf of management, I don't want to elaborate any further. But it needs improvement!

adamwoodring1

Can't go wrong. Love sitting at the raw bar, eating steamed oysters as fast as the friendly wait staff can shuck them. A Raleigh institution.

David Lamberth

Great place! This place has been consistent year after year in quality and overall experience. I highly recommend to anyone!

Jazz Bale

This was our fourth time dining here whenever we are in Raleigh. In the past, the food had been excellent & service was terrific. However, last night it was terrible. Firstly the 2 servers at the bar area were rude. We waited more than 20 minutes for them to even notice us. They never came back to ask us for our order after giving us the menu. We decided to move over to the bar instead. There was only ONE bar-tender and he was doing a great job trying to accommodate everyone. The food that I ordered was tasteless and lukewarm. My son & my husband agreed that theirs was not that good as before. Now, this is for the OWNERS & MANAGERS!! PAY ATTENTION!! HIRE MORE STAFF!! You all are working your current skeleton staff ragged. If you have a reservation for 300 people in one night, you all need to hire more people. DO NOT FORGO QUALITY FOR QUANTITY!! It will be a very long time before we go back there to dine. We love food & willing to pay more for good food & service. But we refuse to pay good money for BAD service. My hats off to the bar tender we had last night, he went above & beyond to do whatever he can ALONE!! We actually had a reservation for 7.30pm but decided to just dine at the bar instead as we had arrived there an hour early.

Philip Maxwell

Seafood, mmm, delicious. i give this spot two thumbs up. it has a great atmosphere.

Scott Paiement

I had the crab cakes and they were phenomenal, as were the cheese potatoes. Key Lime Pie is also excellent. The service is attentive and friendly. Overall worth every penny.

Ken Triplett

Very good food, great service, always a great experience whether eating a meal or just having a drink at the bar. Live music adds to the fun vibe some nights.

Jonathan Brown-King

Outstanding food. I should have wrote it in the restaurant but my phone was dead. The servers work here and certainly earn there tip based on how they get food and drink to you. The server when I was served was also outstanding. The food was more than prepare to order and I would definitely suggest having told who your going with what you plan on doing after because the food has the effect where you don't want to do anything. This place is family friendly and they can have bigger tables aranged for you. Not to make this review to lengthy but please look the menu over but really I would suggest asking the waiter or server.

Christian Fessler

Great atmosphere. Great drink and wine selection which definitely compliment our AMAZING food and dinner. 5 stars is not enough! Definitely need to try this place. If you can handle a $100-200 (or more) dinner bill, then you'll love it!!!

David Stahr

Went there with a group of 10. Service was excellent. Waiter really was top notch. The salad and house dressing (mustard vinegrette) were excellent. The shrimp was great. BUT, the crab cakes were just good, not great. I'm from Maryland and have a high standard for crab cakes, but these missed the mark. Not sure whether it was the filler or what they fried them in, but they did not taste pure. The group I was with all seemed happy, so will try again, but will avoid the crab cakes.

William Pate

I was looking forward to coming all week as I was coming to NC for the weekend. The wait was not bad for a Friday but it was also raining pretty hard so some folks may have stayed away. Thanks staff was friendly as usual and the bartender had a good selection to choose from while we waited. We wanted.oyster from the bar and was seated after about 15 minutes. We ordered soups and a peck of oysters. The problem started with my wife's chowder that arrived cold. I was finished with mine before they were able to bring her another bowl. The oysters then arrived and unfortunately they were some of the most bland oysters we have eaten. No sweetness, brine, or any semblance of the taste of the coast. I hope it was just the season but they need to look at who is harvesting for them. I have had many good meals here so I will be back and hope that this was just a bad night. The hush puppies were the highlight of the meal.

Marsha Wells

Food was Awesome and service was great! I had the sampler oysters all 3 very good Then the scallops wrapped in bacon were Delioius! Lastly I had the shrimp cocktail and it was really good as well! I was going to take pictures of it all but ate it all before I could!! YUM YUM

Miyan Nagib

Buffet restaurant level of food quality, priced at a white cloth dining experience. I think this place is still alive off reputation and heritage instead of their food. There's plenty of better seafood spots downtown that are cleaner, deliver better food, and their prices are equal or less.

A Rogers

Very good food, service was slow.

chad alston

Great dining experience. Would recommend for anyone

Howard Romaine

HISTORIC OLD LARGE place with huge crowds enjoying raw oysters and a great variety of seafoods, Italian dishes, salads, drink varieties, local craft beers, and all exquisitely presented on a white tablecloth, on which I dropped pieces of chocolate from my birthday cake, so I would be remembered here!!!! Great place for a festive gathering, less good for simall intimate conversation or romantic evening.

mario dibiase

Very nice place. The oysters are fresh and tasty. A little touristy but still good. Our server was amazing

Joey Mackenzie

Had an amazing time here. The environment was nice, all of the staff were super kind, and not to mention the food was fantastic. If your looking for a nice pleasent night out as a date or something then I definitely recommend this place. This is definitely on my list of places to come back to. I cannot thank everyone enough from the waitors/waitresses to the chefs for facilitating such a nice time. See you soon!

Christopher Lee

The wife and I went for an anniversary dinner and we were not disappointed. From the food to the drinks everything was spectacular!! My wife highly recommends the Cosmo and Apple Martini and we both recommend trying several different oyster options especially the baked 42nd St. style! The staff was also very pleasant and overall just a wonderful dining experience thanks!!!

Tiffany Andrews

I had fried platter with Cajun fried Shrimp, fried scallops wrapped in bacon and a crab cake. I am from Maryland so you better do the crab cake right or don't be bringing it to my table. No Old Bay but that was OK - it was delish! The …

Cynthia Tran

They let us crowd 6 people (and 2 babies) at an island at the bar so we could order the steamed oysters, which was nice. We had 2 pecks of oysters (one steamed and one raw, $35 each) and there were so many! Quantity depends on the size of the oysters, and tonight's were medium sized and it was more than enough. The clam chowder was yummy, but next time we'll skip the calamari - it was a little soggy. We'll be back to try out some of the entrees.

matthew willis

Just ok. I don't see myself going back anytime soon. The food is lazily prepared in my opinion. Wait staff is extremely average.

Peggy Taylor

Love the atmosphere..food is delicious ..employees friendly and efficient.

Walter Heckman IV

The food and oysters are great. They have by far the best shrimp cocktail in town.

Shunda Richardson

I love it and will be return! Very nice waitress, food was great and people was so friendly

Lynn Wynn

Blake the bartender was the best! Food, drink and ambiance are awesome here! It's been too long since I have been to historic 42nd street, I'm glad to be back and I won't wait so long to return!

Donna Boswell

This is always a favorite restaurant of mine. Even when they're busy, the wait is not bad. Reservations are a big help. Servers are efficient. The food is just amazing. And a nice selection of craft beer. The bartender knows his stuff.

Karla Dalrymple

My heart is broken. This was my first bad experience with 42nd Street in our 15 year history with the restaurant. I know everyone has an off day, but this was a bad experience start to finish. The hostess was rude... we had reservations and were seated where everyone who walked past bumped our chairs. The table was also right beside the “party table” that was full of kids and very loud. When the food arrived, the portions were smaller and the fried seafood was cold and over cooked. For 15 years we’ve looked forward to going to 42nd Street for every special occasion. I guess it’s time to find another place. At least we’ll have our memories of what a great place it used to be.

Robert Adams

Great food, great service (Noah was our serve, great job Noah) reservations hard to get unless you call at least a week in advance. We'll definitely be back.

VC Hall

Sitting at the Oyster bar was an amazing experience. No oyster shucking required. We ordered a 1/4 peck and a very delightful waiter (college student Jack) came up to the bar and shucked all of them. So delicious! I will definitely return. even though I like in High Point! Highly Recommend!

Natasha Esworthy

Wonderful sea food diner done in retro style. Great food and dessert!

Jeff Smith

If you are into scallops, order the bacon wrapped scallops (not officially on the menu).... they are fantastic. The service was outstanding as well

Glen Edwards

First-time customers for a birthday event. I was impressed with the service, the food was very good. Nice selection of raw oysters. Also an excellent wine list. The atmosphere was more laid back than I anticipated (I thought more fancy pants, but it was laid back and casual--which is a good thing in my book). Easy parking in front or across the street. I'll be back!

Vanessa Amick

The food was fairly good. My husband's food was too salty and he couldn't eat but a portion of the crabcakes.the blackenedbacon wrapped scallops were amazing though. My entree was ok. I have had better to be honest. It's atmosphere is what the draw is I believe.

Vance Rivera

Had an amazing brunch here. The chicken n biscuits with gravy topped with a medium over easy egg was delicious. The shrimp and grits was also terrific

Gayle Taitt

Great place. Pleasent ambiance, very good service and excellent food. Definitely coming back...

Andreas Willis

I had fried platter with Cajun fried Shrimp, fried scallops wrapped in bacon and a crab cake. I am from Maryland so you better do the crab cake right or don't be bringing it to my table. No Old Bay but that was OK - it was delish! The Coconut Shrimp Appetizer was also great. I did not try the selection of beers that they had but they have a vast selection along with an extended wine list. Our server Michael was great. Stop in and enjoy this place - more elegant than I expected but still had the feel of a fresh fish market genre.

Susan Elias-White

Had a lovely date night here. Neat atmosphere, lots of history in this place. Such a large restaurant for downtown Raleigh. Everyone on staff was cordial and helpful. Our waiter, John, took great care of us and was even interested in our responses & opinion to usually rhetorical questions. Went the extra mile to make sure we enjoyed our meal. Crab legs (shown) were delicious, prepared perfectly & fairly priced. Highly recommend!

Steve Wysocki

Raleigh classic nothing is bad here. Great fritters with ever meal

Ivy W

I ate here once with my family and loved it. Their seafood is fresh and perfectly cook. I sat at the bar counter and was served my food pretty quickly. Our waiter was amazing. Can’t wait to dine there again.

Tyika Johnson-Edwards

The atmosphere here is awesome. It's a great place for middle- aged folks who want to hear good live music, have some good food and drinks, and laugh with friends. They have some unique items on the menu that were fun to try. Convince your party to have a couple oyster shooters! Can't wait to go back! Would highly recommend!

James Lee

I love the place but this time the food was to grease they need to change the grease

Jean McInnis

My family views 42nd Street Oyster Bar as our number one restaurant. We have never had a meal that wasn’t first rate. The food, wait staff and atmosphere are always the best! Even our extended family wants to go there when they visit.

Ronnie Williams

Best seafood in town and out of town including any n.c beach location Ronnie Williams

Michael Slates

Great atmosphere. Good place to go for fresh oysters. A little disappointed that the selection of available harvest locations wasnt larger, but you cant have everything. Food was good. Service was good and attentive. Pricing was reasonable. These guys have been in business for decades and still manage to do a great job

Mark Johnson

Great food, great *team* service. Go there and take a moment to watch the teamwork. You will leave with not only a satisfied stomach, but a sense of how a restaurant should work.

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Nice atmosphere. Great staff. Wonderful food. Fairly priced. Large portions. Two thumbs up all around. Best to make reservations as this is a popular eatery.

Robyn W.

It's funny; I don't really like cooked seafood but I love raw seafood. Poke, sushi, oysters on the half shell, that's all for me. But I have to get some kind of non-seafood entree because the raw options here are limited, and I know it's my …

Natalie Smith

The absolute best Long Island ice tea i have ever had. Such a NY feeling! Took me back home! Loved it!

Jamie Min

Great oysters, wish they had more selection or oyster specials

Jim Johnson

My wife and I are new to the area and the 42nd Street Oyster Bar is quickly becoming a go-to fav for quality seafood. Nostalgic local history in a nautical theme combined with a witty atmosphere only enhances the wonderful menu items prepared and presented smartly. Open kitchen allows a view of the preparation and there is plenty of seating room.

Cindy Hughey

Always a joy to dine here! My family and I have sat at the oyster bar of 42nd Street on numerous occasions for over 10 years. We regularly order a peck or half a peck of steamed oysters and a half pound of steamed spicy shrimp. I love the Seafood Bisque! We trust the service to be excellent and the food is always wonderful! They also have a large amount of local draft beers to suit the IPA to the Stout crowd.

elizabeth gonzalez

We had a nice experience with our first visit. Parking wasn't too bad nor was the wait for a Sunday evening. The dining area was like a formal dining set, fabric table cloths/napkins. The bar side had several high pub table style seating and lots of TV's. Live bands on Sat night..check out the events tab! The kitchen is open view, which was pretty neat! It was a mixture of day casual vs "business-casual" atmosphere. They have a bar side as well as a dining side. (Some items not available depending on what side you choose make sure to inquire on) Very busy, energetic place with a great mix of people. The prices were a little high on some things, but for the location and the quality of food and service it is to be expected and well worth it. Very fitting for an adult night out, or business dinner meet. I particularly wouldn't bring small kids, but to each their own.

Randall Weddig

Very good seafood and atmosphere. Great selection of oysters. A bit expensive but quite enjoyable

Bat Travis

No place else like it in Raleigh. Their reputation for excellence is well earned. The extensive menu, charming atmosphere and superb service make our family feel like we’re dining on an elegant cruise ship, while only minutes from home. Absolutely a top choice for celebrating any special occasion.

Robby M

The good was great as usual. I drove over an hour to eat here for supper. Our server Laura never let our glasses get half empty and was so nice. Would recommend this restaurant to everyone.

Linda Karigan

First time we have been. Excellent food and service. Very nice evening to celebrate our son's birthday. Will definitely go back.

Whitney Mantooth

Great place to eat. Staff is very attentive and food is great.

rustin mcwhorter

Semi casual atmosphere. Very good oysters and seafood dishes. Prices are somewhat high, but the quality, quantity and service was on par. I got the fried scallops and I'd highly recommend them.

John Wilson

Uhhh...is vibrantly chill a thing?? Right off you get the cool ambiance - busy, but not chaotic.. Quiet, but not sleepy. Then you get the staff that knows their stuff and aims to make your experience a delightful one. Then you get the foods!! So good. And perfect portions. I had hush puppies, an oyster sampler, salad, salmon, black-eyed peas AND key lime pie... And still respected myself. Amazing, right? Satisfied but not stuffed. Perfect.

Amanda Bowden

The food was really good and our waitress Adrian was super nice and helpful :)

Ellen S

Good food. Decent service. The oysters were amazing. Although the fried seafood I ordered was not piping hot. I like the place and would return again.

debra coleman

I have been going here for special occasions for the past 30 years. Tonight I went for celebrating my 66th birthday. It's a great place for celebrations of any kind. The food is excellent and very fresh.

Chuck Pearsall

Iconic Raleigh institution. Seafood is as good as you get at the beach. Excellent service. Lots of fun.

Ocean Graice

Haven't had the food yet. Only went a few weekends for the drinks and live band. Best place to go for dancing and drinking on the weekend. Love it. I highly recommend it to anyone who loves listening to a cover band and having a good time.

Renee Warren

This is my first time at this place. The service was excellent and the food very good. There for my mother's 84th birthday. We had a rather unexpected large party ant the staff was very accommodating. I would definitely go there again.

Cherie Finkbeiner

Love this place, a must when we visit Raleigh. Service is always top notch and the food is always good.and plentyful.

Brant Dupree

On the higher side of price but worth the cost if you are an oyster lover or seafood lover. Great staff who is knowledgeable on the menu and cool atmosphere. One of the best seafood places in Raleigh if not the best.

Scott T

The food here is always excellent. Unfortunately I always have far to many of their hush puppies when we go there. It normally is crowded so I would recommend reservations. We have waited 50 minutes for a table when we didn't reserve a table. Great selection of seafood always well prepared.

Steven Hogan

Food and service were great, awesome atmosphere.

Larry Burgess

The ambiance or store decor harkens back to a seafood restaurant of the 50s with historic photos of Raleigh in that era. That makes it charming. The seating and service was good and fast. Unfortunately the food was not as good. The value is less than what I would expect, and there are much better alternatives in the city and area. Yet, the restaurant is also about its clientele, and if you are more about the type of setting, than the food, you may enjoy this place a lot.

Wesley Beauchamp

Ok below average experience. Food ok crab legs good, raw oysters were good but way over priced, scallops were over cooked along with shrimp, collards were average, cheese potatoes tasted funky like instant potatoes mixed with real potatoes, and terrible bloody Mary. If I wanted nasty tomatoes juice and liquor well I would not pay 9.01 for it. Next if someone say they have a broke foot and we requested to be by the door, do not seat them as far as you can away. On top of that we said it was our anniversary, 12 years actually and not one gesture or even comment towards us. Why ask if we are celebrating anything. And servers are rude as hell they will wack you in the back of chair and not even say excuse me. Happen to both my wife and I. Remember my wife is on crutches and has broke ankle. My wife was hit so hard she almost fell out of chair. We spent 140 and feel horrible about our anniversary dinner that we will be doing it over. This was our first and last time here.

James Clean

I ordered the $17 ahi tuna salad. The salad ingredients on the menu were: mixed greens, ginger dressing. The first item on the salad menu is “Mixed Greens” with a various amount of ingredients such as black olives, carrots, purple cabbage, …

Elle D

UPDATE: We were refunded the $6 today but still have yet to receive an apology. A simple apology would have went a long way with us, we definitely wont be back and wouldn't recommend to others. We decided to splurge on a super expensive dinner while my in laws were in town and I wish we just hadn't gone here. My FIL food (crab legs) were amazing, my husband's steak was decent nothing really special, my own food which was shrimp and scallops had such a weird taste and I'm not picky whatsoever. As if the food wasn't disappointing enough for the price we paid ($100 for 2 people to eat) our waitress Kaitlyn decided to control her own tip and add $6 on top of the good tip we left her. I made our check $100 even and even wrote in exact change for the tip, it was no mistake. I called them and after confirming everything they called back and said they will refund the $6 which is appreciated but it's the principle. We didn't get even an apology over the phone. I would never eat here again and I honestly would not recommend it to anyone.

Leonardo Ramos

The food was phenomenal. the service could be better. honestly I got disappoint about the service, even when the restaurant wasnt full they were delayed with everything , but the food was good. I'm unsure if I'd make it again.

Kathleen Marrero

This is a nice restaurant. been around forever the lines were incredible.. I got in because I was a single Patron sitting at the bar. I loved my old school waiter (been there 30 years) service was great. My oysters were very fresh and …

Gwendolyn Lucas

It was my first time at 42nd street oyster bar. I really enjoyed myself, I loved the fried green tomatoes. Will return again

David Rockefeller

My very favorite seafood restaurant in Wake County. Great atmosphere, excellent service, and even better seafood. Love the slaw, hushpuppies, and I always order a featured fish of the day — tuna, mahi-mahi, swordfish, grouper — always prepared exactly to order.

Donald Pearsall

I’ve eaten here for years, and the food seems to get better and better each time. The fried seafood options great! It’s light and tasty, hard to tell it has been fried at all. Appetizers are wonderful, too. Please be advised that there is a live band on Friday and Saturday nights, so if you’re not in the mood for a busy and boisterous (in a good way) type of atmosphere, then I wouldn’t recommend this place. Personally, I don’t care for the live band. For me, the food is great, and that’s what keeps me coming back.

Felecia

My husband and I frequent this restaurant often. We appreciate the service and hot food. I will say I was very dissatisfied Sunday 7/14/19. I decided on this late afternoon to eat at the bar since I was alone after coming in from a 9 hour drive. I placed my order and a few minutes after I went to the rest room and upon return my food was sitting open on the bar. I ordered mashed potatoes, vegetable medley and flounder, everything was cold, and the fish was not fried crispy as I ordered it. This establishment was listed as one of my favorites - I have now changed that tune!

Rick Bobrofsky

Excellent restaurant, fresh catch choices were amazing!

Joneka Hartsfield

Came there for my birthday food and atmosphere was great.

Crystal Dorsey

My first time here and everything was amazing. Our service was phenomenal! Our server Michael was so friendly and knowledgeable and an overall gentleman. The food was delicious but it did take a while to come out so dessert was on the house. I would definitely recommend and would be back.

Beth Allison

The food was good, very good. However, I was frustrated with the lack of options for anyone that has dairy allergies or intolerance. More restaurants need to get with today's times. This is a major issue for many people. They had a gluten free menu, but what about making some changes for dairy allergies.

Steve Crowley

I was here with large group. Really thought wait times would be long. But no! The staff stepped up their efforts and made it happen. The best seafood I've had in years.

Donna David Mack

The food was great. Highly suggest reservations. They do have music later in the evening on the bar side.