42nd St. Oyster Bar

42nd St. Oyster Bar

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+1 919-831-2811+ Add websiteWrite a Review
Hours
Sun
5:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Mon
5:00 pm - 11:00 pm
Tue
5:00 pm - 9:00 pm5:00 pm - 10:00 pm
Wed
5:00 pm - 10:00 pm
Fri
5:00 pm - 8:00 pm
Sat
5:00 pm - 8:00 pm
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Ratings and reviews
4.5
4.5 of 5 bubbles

RATINGS
Food
4.3 of 5 bubbles
Service
4.5 of 5 bubbles
Value
3.9 of 5 bubbles
Atmosphere
4.2 of 5 bubbles
Is this a seafood restaurant?
PRICE RANGE
HK$62.00 – HK$257.00
CUISINES
American, Bar, Seafood
Special Diets
Vegetarian friendly, Gluten free options
Meals
Lunch, Dinner, After-hours
FEATURES
Takeout, Reservations, Seating, 有泊車位, Television, Highchairs Available, Wheelchair Accessible, Serves Alcohol, Full Bar, Free Wifi, Accepts Credit Cards, Table Service, Live Music
4.5
4.5 of 5 bubbles1,089 reviews
Excellent
595
Very good
304
Average
125
Poor
36
Terrible
29

DundeeDreams
20 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2020 business
We got to eat here on a business trip and we were not disappointed. All the seafood appeared very fresh and had fantastic flavor. MY personal favorite would have to be the grilled mahi-mahi. I would recommend getting the house made chips as a side. Service was good considering we had a very large group even though some dishes were missing.
Written 22 February 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

rufusdstephens
Chicago9 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2020 none
This restaurant is incomparable. It consistently pumps out some of the best seafood on earth It's always busy, but they always deliver. We had friends in recently from Chicago. This place knocked their socks off! If you're ever in the Raleigh-Durham area, you have got to eat here!
Written 7 March 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Brenda G
Chesapeake163 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Sept 2021 none
We had the oysters Rockefeller, the 42nd street oysters and one pound of steamed peel and eat shrimp. No complaints everything very delicious! They even give you a basket of hush puppies that are to die for. Our server Macmillan did a fantastic job!
Written 12 September 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

bakerm2290
Raleigh435 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2020 none
Unfortunately it must have been an off night for the restaurant. We were seated right away in a nice booth. Our server greeted us quickly. Once we perused the wine menu, which is fairly extensive, we choose a bottle. Our server brought us a bottle that was not what we ordered. They came back and said unfortunately that selection was no longer available. We choose another bottle. The second bottle was incorrect also. Once we were provided with another selection our server could not open the bottle- could not remove the foil and broke the cork in half after several attempts at opening. Another server was brought in to open a third bottle. Our food was good- we had oysters, swordfish and seared salmon. We enjoyed the food, but the overall dinner was a little disappointing- especially since it was a special birthday.
Written 7 February 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Virginia C
2 contributions
2.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2022 none
We took a party of 7 family members to celebrate a birthday last week. We went last year and had a great experience (but are now wondering if we'd just had 1 too many cocktails by the time we ate). 2 of us ordered the special, which was a shrimp stuffed flounder; 1 ordered oysters; 2 salmons; 1 soup and 1 ordered fried something. The special tasted like something out of a freezer box; I ate about 3 bites trying to find something redeeming about it. One of the young adults ate his (b/c he's a 24-year-old who eats anything) but also agreed it wasn't that good. The oyster eater tried a few because he'd really been looking forward to them. He left the rest and is still cringing at the taste a week later. 1 of the salmon eaters said hers was overcooked and didn't like the flavor. Our server was attentive, but I wondered why she didn't ask about my plate that looked much like it did when she served it. Same for the oysters plate. Out of 7 meals, 3 were pronounced good. This is not what we expected for the price and reputation. I'll be the first to admit that maybe it was an off night or I just ordered the wrong dish. But with all of the great restaurants in Raleigh, we left saying that we would not be back. I understand how bad reviews can be harmful to a place of business, but it's an expensive venue, and I wanted to give my honest opinion of our experience.
Written 13 February 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Anne M
Raleigh6 contributions
1.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2022 none
My husband and I were both disappointed with our meals. I had fried oysters and my husband had fried scallops. They came out immediately, before the salad, within a few minutes of ordering (Fast food for $80+) and were not very flavorful...clearly pre-made and sitting around. If I paid $10 at Long John Sliver's, I wouldn't have been so disappointed, but for a "nice restaurant" for $80+, I expected a flavorful, fresh meal, expedited correctly.
Written 24 July 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Joe F
Cary470 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2022 none
We haven’t been here in 20 years, not much has changed. The service from Jordan B was fantastic. But the food didn’t match that. The Jumbo Shrimp was overcooked, swordfish ordered medium came dry and over cooked. The Shrimps and Grits was overloaded with gravy and mushrooms, made it hard to find the Grits. I think it lives off a long-ago reputation. As mentioned by other reviewers parking is terrible.
Written 3 August 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Lisa B
Raleigh37 contributions
1.0 of 5 bubbles
Sept 2022 family
This experience was awful. We went for my son’s 21st birthday and the server acknowledged that when she first got to the table. The food was not good and the mashed potatoes my son & I got were not edible and tasted like rancid butter. I told the server and she said we will let the kitchen staff know and never offered us another side option or took money off. The server never brought a dessert or anything for his birthday. The food was just gross overall and not worth money. Never again.
Written 6 September 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

David B
Charlotte10 contributions
2.0 of 5 bubbles
Apr 2022 family
Being out of town, we visited 42nd St. Oyster Bar a couple of times over the past 25 years. The previous experiences seemed fine. Today, we found the food bland to poor tasting with the overuse of dried spices. The Cioppino tasted as if they used a jar of Prego or Ragu for the base. It lacked any depth of flavor and certainly was void of any underlying taste of the ocean. The garlic shrimp and scallops tasted of the heavy hand of dried thyme. Seems amateurish. The raw oysters were ok. The hush puppies given at the beginning were fine. The service was great, it is just sad that the food did not live up to what we expected.
Written 16 April 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

hdrider
Durham18 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2020 none
42nd St is a highly rated seafood house with a wonderful ambience. Reminiscent of Shaw's in Chicago and Scoma's in San Francisco. Our server Alex was wonderfully attentive without being pushing. Meal started with a basket of hush puppies. If fried dough is your thing, enjoy. Very nice selection of oysters. One from VA, six others from NC. We did 18 oysters from 3 different locales, all delicious. The Bells Reef being our favorite. Unfortunately this where our excitement trailed off. For starters and entrees, largely battered and fried offerings. However we went after the bacon wrapped scallops. These came out hot, but way over seasoned and charred. Scallops are delicate and mild to begin with. These were ruined. For an entree we opted for cioppino. One of our favorites and have had some good finds outside of San Francisco. Not so much here. While loaded with a good seafood selection. The tomato based broth was milky, lean on veggies, and below average, almost bland flavor. In the end a comfortable and pleasing establishment. We will be back, but only for the oysters.
Written 1 November 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Phil M
Clayton750 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2022 couples
Our overall experience was great. The atmosphere was unique with the history of the restaurant. The seafood was excellent, one of the best in town. The blackened tuna appetizer was outstanding. The stuffed flounder was excellent and the collards were perfectly cooked and seasoned. We had the chocolate pie, which was also excellent. One of the best seafood restaurants in Raleigh.
Written 9 January 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

TravelExpert007
59 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jun 2021 none
My wife and I ate there for dinner and made reservations via “open table,” which I’d recommended. The crab cake, fried shrimp, and fried oysters were all delicious. I had a side of cheesy potatoes, and that was tasty as well. It’s best to go hungry! The restaurant has an extensive wine and beer selection and lots of different mixed drinks as well. The restaurant has been a popular place for decades and worth the trip. They have desserts too, but we were too full to try those, maybe next time!
Written 20 June 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

ACarswell
34 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2022 couples
Great service and fresh seafood. We sat at the bar and our server Hanson was very helpful with a great sense of humor, he shucked a peck of oysters at the table. The crab n artichoke dip was excellent . Hush puppies were sooo good n hot. Fresh delicious oysters. The staff were friendly and attentive . The best place in Raleigh.
Written 19 July 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

JAXers
Jacksonville340 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Sept 2022 none
I remember first visiting this restaurant many years ago when it was a bit more of a dive, serving fantastic steamers by the peck. They still have the steamers and the restaurant is still very good, updated (yuppified). I enjoyed my meal.
Written 21 September 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Kelly F
Orlando3 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2022 family
Just wanted to let everyone know they will not accept large parties. I called about a large group of 30 or more for a birthday party and it was declined. I’ve never eaten here before so I can’t say anything about the food.
Written 26 August 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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42ND ST. OYSTER BAR, Raleigh - Glenwood South - Restaurant Reviews, Photos & Reservations - Tripadvisor

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