Seafood Archives ~ NC Triangle Dining

August 22, 2019 by Ron Wen

St. Roch in Raleigh – A Taste of New Orleans Seafood for the Discerning Palate

Front of St. Roch in Raleigh - nctriangledining.com — Front of St. Roch in Raleigh – nctriangledining.com

While Raleigh may be a bit land-locked in the center of the state, thankfully great seafood is only a couple of hours away at the coast. And in the past two years we’ve seen the addition of great seafood restaurants like Saint James out in Durham along with Cortez Seafood in Raleigh. One restaurant that had slipped past my food radar screen was St. Roch (pronounced “saint rock”) out on Wilmington Street. It’s funny because I never ate much at this location given the previous tenant (Joule) and that just continued on as it transformed into St. Roch. But eventually I decided it was time to see what this eatery was doing for seafood in the Oak City!

Bar at St. Roch in Raleigh - nctriangledining.com — Bar at St. Roch in Raleigh – nctriangledining.com

Interior of St. Roch in Raleigh - nctriangledining.com — Interior of St. Roch in Raleigh – nctriangledining.com

The first think you’ll notice about St. Roch is the unique entryway: white tile floor, long, glass display windows to either side that give away it’s origins as an old men’s clothing store. Out front, St Roch exudes an early 20th century art deco feel but inside, it all gets hip! St. Roch’s dining room is a great looking place with a long bar to the right (perfect for slurping oysters) leather button-tufted booths down the middle and little two-tops to the side. A white metal stamped ceiling and stainless steel lamps hanging overhead give the space a great evening ambiance that’s dark and sultry. Some chalkboard menus behind the bar show off the daily specials along with the raw oysters available.

Oysters on ice at St. Roch in Raleigh - nctriangledining.com — Oysters on ice at St. Roch in Raleigh – nctriangledining.com

The staff at St. Roch is young, hip and they know the menu very well. I’d recommend starting with a plate of fresh oysters on the half-shell. Here at St. Roch, they are served with cocktail sauce, mignonette (red wine vinegar-shallots-pepper), jalapenos and fried saltines, yum! Putting a plump bivalve on that saltine with a dollop of cocktail sauce seems like a classic way to go. Take advantage of dollar oyster Tuesday’s if you want to save some money!

Fried oyster poboy at St. Roch in Raleigh - nctriangledining.com — Fried oyster poboy at St. Roch in Raleigh – nctriangledining.com

Crab St Roch at St. Roch in Raleigh - nctriangledining.com — Crab St Roch at St. Roch in Raleigh – nctriangledining.com

For the rest of the menu, I’ve tried an fried oyster poboy which literally had oysters spilling out of the roll. Perfectly fried plump oysters served with remoulade, lettuce and chives, a great sandwich. The crab St. Roch is a chilled mix of crab, shrimp and egg (seafood dip) served with those fried saltines again. And the fries at St. Roch are excellent, served skin-on with aioli and ketchup.

Fries with aioli at St. Roch in Raleigh - nctriangledining.com — Fries with aioli at St. Roch in Raleigh – nctriangledining.com

Brioche beignet at St. Roch Oyster Bar in Raleigh - nctriangledining.com — Brioche beignet at St. Roch Oyster Bar in Raleigh – nctriangledining.com

Over the course of several visits at St. Roch, I got the feel the St. Roch has a bunch of regulars here given its innocuous and slightly hidden space. And it’s earned that loyal following by dishing out great seafood prepared as a homage to the Big Easy. While it’s certainly not inexpensive, good seafood rarely is and St. Roch is serving up very good seafood with a touch of New Orleans. Offering up brunch, dinner and now lunch, you’ve got a lot of options to try out this great seafood eatery out on Wilmington Street!

St. Roch Fine Oysters and Bar

223 S Wilmington Street

Raleigh, NC 27601

919.322.0359

St Roch Oyster Bar menu

Location on Google maps

February 12, 2018 by Ron Wen

Media: Postal Fish Company in Pittsboro for a Swimmingly Good Seafood Meal

Postal Fish Company in Pittsboro - nctriangledining.com — Postal Fish Company in Pittsboro – nctriangledining.com

When it comes to a flourishing food scene, you’ll often find that cool and great new restaurants don’t open up in the usual hot areas. Over time, Durham and Raleigh have become increasingly expensive and as people move further out of the core downtown areas, the restaurants follow. Over the past year or so, I’ve seen this activity accelerate and the Postal Fish Company is one example of that trend! A recent media invite had me driving out to Pittsboro for a wonderful meal and dining experience at this new seafood restaurant on the outskirts of Chapel Hill. And even with the 40 minute ride out, it was definitely worth it. Here’s how this delicious dining experience went down…

Dining room at Postal Fish Company in Pittsboro - nctriangledining.com — Dining room at Postal Fish Company in Pittsboro – nctriangledining.com

Happy bloggers (Linda, Meg, Tara) at Postal Fish Company in Pittsboro - nctriangledining.com — Happy bloggers (Linda, Meg, Tara) at Postal Fish Company in Pittsboro – nctriangledining.com

Heading over to downtown Pittsboro on a Wednesday night, Postal Fish Company is located right off of Hillsboro Street and near City Tap, an old-school beer bar. It was a wet and cold night, Postal Fish Company is well lit up on this quiet street, beckoning like a foodie beacon! Converted from an older post office, you’ll immediately recognize the retro stone facing and ranch-style construction up front. Inside, the space is open and slightly industrial with a polished concrete floor, open faced beams overhead and a bar to the right. The space reminds me a bit of the Piedmont in Durham, a rustic but modern cafe set-up. To the left you’ll find a small kitchen and oyster bar manned by owners James Clark and Bill Hartley. A small group of bloggers are greeted by the two and we’re seated right near the kitchen to catch all the action.

At the oyster bar, Bill and James provide us the back-story to the restaurant. Working together for over 10 years at various restaurants in the Carolinas, Bill and James had worked on this local seafood concept for over four years. Their vision in bringing fresh, under-utilized seafood to the Triangle and being part of the growing food community was finally crystallized in October of 2017 in this converted post office. Both men live nearby in Pittsboro and outside of regular forays to the coast for fresh fish and seafood, spend a lot of time right in the neighborhood! And while they considered opening up in Chapel Hill given their experience at the Carolina Inn, it just made more sense to start their dream right here in downtown Pittsboro. Much of the fresh seafood is cooked at a wood grill in back which must be constantly tended to. And their seasonal menu changes regularly which means that it sometimes must be printed on a daily basis.

Smoked catfish and fried saltines at Postal Fish Company in Pittsboro - nctriangledining.com — Smoked catfish and fried saltines at Postal Fish Company in Pittsboro – nctriangledining.com

Garlic shrimp app at Postal Fish Company in Pittsboro - nctriangledining.com — Garlic shrimp app at Postal Fish Company in Pittsboro – nctriangledining.com

I had been warned to come hungry to this media event and it’s because we were about to be treated to a multi-course meal, highlighting many of the favorites from Postal Fish Company’s menu. Bring on the stretchy pants! Over the course of the next two hours, Bill and James treated the group to an amazing array of seafood dishes. Some highlights for me included a fantastic smoked catfish dip and fried saltines, simple but a wonderful presentation. And their garlic shrimp?! Fantastically pungent garlic highlighting the fresh, sweet meat of Carolina shrimp, loved it.

Fried grits with mushroom chowder at Postal Fish Company in Pittsboro - nctriangledining.com — Fried grits with mushroom chowder at Postal Fish Company in Pittsboro – nctriangledining.com

Scotch oysters at Postal Fish Company in Pittsboro - nctriangledining.com — Scotch oysters at Postal Fish Company in Pittsboro – nctriangledining.com

I’d also highly recommend the Scottish oysters, a play on the Scottish egg! But instead of an egg, Postal Fish Company inserts a soft, plump oyster into a sausage and bread crumb wrap, delicious! The fried grits are served up as lightly browned sticks and alongside “mushroom chowder”, a fun and savory play on fried risotto. We were also able to sample some fresh Sounders oysters, SC mussels in a lemon-thyme cream sauce and Jolthead porgy crudo, wow!

Triggerfish and brussels sprouts at Postal Fish Company in Pittsboro - nctriangledining.com — Triggerfish and brussels sprouts at Postal Fish Company in Pittsboro – nctriangledining.com

Tilefish and brussels sprouts at Postal Fish Company in Pittsboro - nctriangledining.com — Tilefish, pureed parsnips, butternut squash at Postal Fish Company in Pittsboro – nctriangledining.com

Given the seasonal menu and creativity in the kitchen, you may not find exactly the same dishes on the menu if you’re to visit Postal Fish Company but I’m pretty certain you’ll get some variation on the deliciousness we experienced. Our main fish dishes included a triggerfish served over brussels sprouts along with a tilefish dish which was my favorite. The lightly grilled tilefish was served on top of pureed parsnips along with soft butternut squash which brought a wonderful sweetness to the palate. One thing’s for sure, Bill and James know their way around good fish and how to prepare it, properly.

Vanilla-coconut cake at Postal Fish Company in Pittsboro - nctriangledining.com — Vanilla-coconut cake at Postal Fish Company in Pittsboro – nctriangledining.com

And even after this enormous meal, Bill and James wanted to make sure we tried the desserts at Postal Fish Company. We were treated to a chocolate cake with stout frosting along with a fantastic vanilla cake with coconut cream. The vanilla cake is composed of thinner layers of cake stacked with soft, coconut-custard making for a rich and creamy bite! Big thumbs up here, apparently the desserts are baked by James’ wife, Postal Fish Company is truly a family business.

Downtown Pittsboro at night - nctriangledining.com — Downtown Pittsboro at night – nctriangledining.com

As we finished our dinner at Postal Fish Company, we thanked Bill and James for their hospitality and wonderful seafood. The restaurant was quiet on a rainy Wednesday night and I suspect that not everyone knows about this hidden gem of a seafood restaurant out here in Pittsboro. While the food would qualify in my book as upscale seafood, prices at Postal Fish Company are quite reasonable with appetizers in the $7 to $14 range and entrees in the $18 to $25 range. A great dining deal for what you get here! But I am thankful for having such a great restaurant out in Pittsboro. While I may not get out this way that often, Postal Fish Company is a great example of the vibrancy of the local food and restaurant scene. When you’re getting great dining experiences in even the quieter areas of the Triangle, you know that things are going great! So thank you Bill and James, it was a wonderful treat exploring downtown Pittsboro and the fresh seafood at Postal Fish Company!

Postal Fish Company

75 W Salisbury Street

Pittsboro, NC 27312

919.704.8612

Location on Google maps

November 13, 2017 by Ron Wen

Saint James Seafood, Durham: A Dazzling Culinary Cruise for Oysters, Fish and Ambiance

Front of Saint James Seafood Restaurant in Durham - nctriangledining.com — Front of Saint James Seafood Restaurant in Durham – nctriangledining.com

If you love the food scene in Durham, you sometimes think it can’t get any better. But every now and then, you still run into some very impressive surprises. Take the new Saint James Seafood Restaurant out on W. Main Street! While I knew that Chef Matt Kelly (Mateo, Mothers and Sons) was leading the build-out of the space and I was impressed with his resume, there have been so many new openings of late, I lost track of the Saint James. And located in the old Fishmongers space, I had concerns about what the Saint James would be about given how basic the decor had been. But as luck would have it, I was in Durham the day Saint James Seafood opened up and decided to change my dinner plans to see what all the hub-bub was about!

As I approached the Saint James from across Main Street, I really wasn’t sure what to expect. Bright Duke blue awning, large plate glass windows, I spied a handful of diners inside at 5:30pm. Peering inside, I’m met by the host and hinted that I was probably only going to stop in for a drink, so I’m seated at the bar. But I can tell you for sure that the decor and interior of Saint James Seafood is totally unrecognizable from the previous tenant. Gone are the long and worn wooden benches to be replaced by a beautiful and modern nautical theme throughout the dining room. Black and white tiled floors, patterned white globe lamps overhead, deep blue and yellow leather seating and stools show off splashes of color and style throughout the space. The white tiled back-wall behind the bar is classic seafood restaurant style and reminds me a bit of my trips to New Orleans.

Bar area at Saint James Seafood Restaurant in Durham - nctriangledining.com — Bar area at Saint James Seafood Restaurant in Durham – nctriangledining.com

At the bar I take in the whole scene and it’s a breath of fresh air. The staff here is decked out in colorful Hawaiian shirts while the kitchen is in classic navy and white aprons. There’s several displays of fresh seafood on ice and the beautiful brass lamps overhead resemble spotlights that you might find on an old merchant ship! I put in an order for a Fog Cutter drink (rum, gin, brandy with fruit juices) and start to take a closer look at the menu. And it’s a really interesting menu covering raw seafood, baked oysters, 10 or so appetizers and 8 seafood entrees along with some Calabash-style seafood plates. It’s all quite ambitious for a new restaurant but after perusing the menu, I realize that I’m eating dinner at Saint James tonight! 95% of the menu is seafood-focused along with a smattering of vegetable and meat dishes. I put in my order for baked Oysters Ashworth and a red drum fish dish. As I wait, my tangy Fog Cutter shows up in a ceramic tiki tumbler along with a dish of spicy crackers!

Oysters Ashworth at Saint James Seafood Restaurant in Durham - nctriangledining.com — Oysters Ashworth at Saint James Seafood Restaurant in Durham – nctriangledining.com

My Oysters Ashworth appetizer is placed in front of me and it’s a beautiful dish! Bright yellow, seared Hollandaise sauce covering up spinach, bacon and the oysters all served on top of rock salt. The hollandaise shows off a lemony tang which cuts through the richness of the butter, oyster and bacon. With four on the plate, there’s a lot to eat here for a solo diner. And I’m definitely looking forward to trying some raw oysters here, sometime soon!

Red drum with crawfish butter at Saint James Seafood Restaurant in Durham - nctriangledining.com — Red drum with crawfish butter at Saint James Seafood Restaurant in Durham – nctriangledining.com

My red drum entree is next and it’s a stunning plate! The fish is served on top of crawfish “butter” and fried dirty rice, you get a New Orleans etouffee feel here. The red drum is a large, perfectly seared meaty whitefish that plays off well with the savory crawfish and spicy rice. But what really makes the dish are the long slivers of fried okra on top which give an awful lot of delicate flavor and texture to the meal, very inventive. Overall it’s a very creative and well-executed plate taking advantage of this fleshy and firm fish. Entrees at Saint James Seafood run in the $20 to $32 range with appetizers from $8 to $14.

Second floor dining room at Saint James Seafood Restaurant in Durham - nctriangledining.com — Second floor dining room at Saint James Seafood Restaurant in Durham – nctriangledining.com

As you can guess, service was solid throughout the meal. Saint James Seafood was heavily staffed for its opening day and I suspect they will do well here given the overall dining experiences I’ve had in their sister restaurants. After the meal, I explored the upstairs area of the Saint James, called the Captain’s Quarters. Take the stairway on the ends of the dining room, up the non-slip metal stairs and through a narrow hallway to reach it. While it’s primarily for private parties, there were seated diners in here when I visited. It’s a very cozy and more traditional space compared to the downstairs, showcasing a lot of warm woods, nautical paintings, three beautiful circular chandeliers and portholes that look out on the main dining room. Very cool and very well designed, a quiet spot compared to the bustling main dining room.

Stairs to second floor at Saint James Seafood Restaurant in Durham - nctriangledining.com — Stairs to second floor at Saint James Seafood Restaurant in Durham – nctriangledining.com

All in all I can say that I was VERY impressed with Saint James Seafood Restaurant on its opening day. The team here knows what it’s doing and everything I experienced was sublime. From decor to food to service and the entire meal, it all just feels comfortable, modern and impeccably well put together. But I guess I shouldn’t be that surprised given the success of Mateo and Mothers and Sons. So welcome to the Bull City, Saint James Seafood! I’m pretty sure that you’ll be dealing with very long lines of excited diners, soon enough…

Saint James Seafood Restaurant and Raw Bar

806 W Main Street

Durham, NC 27701

984.219.7900

Location on Google maps

June 11, 2017 by Ron Wen

Media: Cortez Seafood + Cocktail Offering Up Fresh Flavors and Seafood to Raleigh!

While the S. Glenwood neighborhood has always been known for fun bars, lively clubs and friendly pubs, good food was always tougher to find. There are some half-decent options for dining but not as many as you would expect on this popular and busy street. So when I heard that Cortez Seafood + Cocktail was coming to S. Glenwood, I was pretty pumped! Brought to you by the Ibarra family that runs Jose and Sons along with several other Mexican restaurants in the area, Cortez would be taking over the old Helios space next to Solas. And since I live in the neighborhood, I was able to watch its build out over the months. Thankfully, I received and invite from the Ibarra family to preview Cortez Seafood as it was in its final shake-down run before its opening. And it was a great experience, here’s how it all went down!

Ambiance and interior at the Cortez Seafood + Cocktail, Raleigh

Patio at Cortez Seafood in Raleigh - NC Triangle Dining — Patio at Cortez Seafood in Raleigh – NC Triangle Dining

Heading on over to 413 S Glenwood, the first thing you’ll notice is that the patio area at Cortez Seafood has been opened up. Previously a wall of hedges to provide privacy, the lovely patio is now more visible from the street and sidewalk making for a more inviting destination and dining location. The staff at Cortez is decked out in more traditional black slacks and white shirts. I check in at the small hostess kiosk up front and head on over to the bar to wait for friends.

Bar at Cortez Seafood in Raleigh - NC Triangle Dining — Bar at Cortez Seafood in Raleigh – NC Triangle Dining

At the bar I get a chance to scan Cortez Seafood’s menu for the evening. Given it’s a friends and family night, there are no prices and it may not be the official menu for the public opening but it should give you a good idea about their food concept. Raw oysters, seafood salads, some larger plates and sides along with a short selection of wine, beer and cocktails! So you need to be a seafood lover outside of a handful of dishes with meat.

Stylish dining room at Cortez Seafood in Raleigh - NC Triangle Dining — Stylish dining room at Cortez Seafood in Raleigh – NC Triangle Dining

Cortez Seafood seats about 70 people in the dining room and on the patio. The dining room is clean and gives a Mediterranean feel with the turquoise leather bench seating, chamfered table tops and chairs along with speckled floor. It all feels very comfortable, open and stylish, very nicely done on the interior. With about 12 seats at the bar you’ve got some good seating options depending on the weather. My hungry friends show up ( including Kristen, @gadaboutfood) and we’re seated at a 4-top and ready to eat!

Food and menu at the Cortez Seafood + Cocktail, Raleigh

Fresh NC oysters at Cortez Seafood in Raleigh - NC Triangle Dining — Fresh NC oysters at Cortez Seafood in Raleigh – NC Triangle Dining

Poached shrimp w dill at Cortez Seafood in Raleigh - NC Triangle Dining — Poached shrimp w dill at Cortez Seafood in Raleigh – NC Triangle Dining

We start off with a plate of raw NC oysters on ice served with rose mignonette and cocktail sauce. These bivalves are beautifully briny with the pure taste of the ocean. Raleigh’s been on an oyster roll of late, don’t miss these! Our next small plate is the wonderful cold, poached shrimp. These plump shrimp are paired with tzatziki and some dill making for a bright and light bite, loved this fresh starter plate of shrimp. The dill really pops out on the palate and pairs perfectly with the seafood.

Mackerel gazpacho at Cortez Seafood in Raleigh - NC Triangle Dining — Mackerel gazpacho at Cortez Seafood in Raleigh – NC Triangle Dining

Leche de tigre ceviche at Cortez Seafood in Raleigh - NC Triangle Dining — Leche de tigre ceviche at Cortez Seafood in Raleigh – NC Triangle Dining

Yellowtail poke nori at Cortez Seafood - NC Triangle Dining — Yellowtail poke nori at Cortez Seafood – NC Triangle Dining

My friend has ordered up a beautiful mackerel gazpacho that’s full of color and texture. I’ve always been impressed with Chef Oscar’s food at Jose and Sons and I think you’ll see the same great preparation and plating here at Cortez Seafood. And it will be interesting to see what he comes up with, moving into a different category and cuisine of foods! But I have full faith he will dazzle your taste-buds like he usually does. The leche de tigre consists of yellow tail in an aji sauce and mixed with corn nuts, red onion, and avocado. Very creative and a bit creamy. We finish up with a yellowtail poke nori served with crunchy seaweed crackers, yum! All of Cortez’ cold plates are nicely balanced in terms of textures and colors along with taste, of course.

Mexrib sandwich at Cortez Seafood in Raleigh - NC Triangle Dining — Mexrib sandwich at Cortez Seafood in Raleigh – NC Triangle Dining

Seared mackerel with rapini at Cortez Seafood in Raleigh - NC Triangle Dining — Seared mackerel with rapini at Cortez Seafood in Raleigh – NC Triangle Dining

Now it’s on to the warm plates! At the table we’ve got the Mexrib sandwich (rib and pork shoulder patty) served with Carolina gold barbeque sauce and chips, it looks great. My seared mackerel is soft and tender on the tongue with a bit of crispy skin on top. I haven’t eaten a lot of mackerel, it’s usually considered an oily fish but the seared fish here is delicious and plays off nicely against the bright Carolina sunshine sauce. The warm potato salad and charred rapini are huge hits mixed with a bit of salty country ham and love the rapini topped with a soft poached egg.

Warm potato salad at Cortez Seafood - NC Triangle Dining — Warm potato salad at Cortez Seafood – NC Triangle Dining

Charred rapini with country ham at Cortez Seafood - NC Triangle Dining — Charred rapini with country ham at Cortez Seafood – NC Triangle Dining

Over the course of my meal at Cortez Seafood, you’ll notice the homage and tip of the hat to local NC ingredients. Which in my mind says, fresh! And the seafood preparation cuts across a swath of cuisine categories, playing with a lot of different styles and flavors. But all quite delicious.

Creamy creme brulee at Cortez Seafood in Raleigh - NC Triangle Dining — Creamy creme brulee at Cortez Seafood in Raleigh – NC Triangle Dining

We finish off with a dense and creamy creme brulee that’s perfect for a single person or a sharing couple. A really wonderful ending to our meal. The staff at Cortez Seafood is fairly new and working into their roles but they are well-trained and amenable. Again, I have no concerns here given my experience at many meals at Jose and Sons over the years. So a slow round of applause for the new Cortez Seafood + Cocktail! Love the concept, love the food and the great space. And while there may be a bit of menu overlap with what Vidrio is doing across the street, I think you’ll find the experience to be quite different here at this cozy little seafood eatery. Looking forward to my first visit after your official opening!

The Cortez Seafood + Cocktail

413 S. Glenwood Avenue

Raleigh, NC 27601

919.342.8227

Location on Google maps

May 17, 2016 by Ron Wen Leave a Comment

First Take: Fresh Seafood at Full Moon Oyster Bar in Morrisville

Front of Full Moon Oyster Bar in Morrisville- NC Triangle Dining

When you think of seafood, it’s hard to go wrong with oysters, shrimp and fish. And with the lengthy NC coastline, we’ve got access to some great seafood options here in the Triangle! Full Moon Oyster Bar is a small seafood restaurant chain with four locations in state. The Morrisville location is one of the newer ones and located in the Park West complex along with Bad Daddy’s and Buffalo Wild Wings. Thankfully I had an excuse for a lunch visit recently and there were a couple of surprises that popped up during my visit…

Front bar at Full Moon Oyster Bar in Morrisville- NC Triangle Dining

Up front, Full Moon Oyster Bar is really deceiving. Narrow storefront with the generic strip mall signage. When you step inside you’re immediately in front of a bar-bar area with lots of weathered and antiqued woods. The main dining room is to the side and quite deep! The decor here at Full Moon Oyster Bar is totally nautical with heavy beach influences. The chairs are made of worn colored box slats with oyster bucket lamps overhead. What’s odd is the seating. There’s no standard four tops but instead, 4 or 5 horse-shoe shaped oyster bars with high-chair seating! So not a great option if you’re dining in a larger group and want to have some table conversation. My friend and I grab a couple of seats at the first bar to keep things easy for the staff.

Dining area at Full Moon Oyster Bar in Morrisville- NC Triangle Dining

The lunch menu here at Full Moon Oyster Bar is pretty sure, primarily sandwiches but they do serve the full dinner menu all day. My first visit here means I get to try out a lot! We order up a dozen char-grilled oysters to start with and the daily special is a Calabash seafood platter so we’ll take two of those, oyster bar-keep! But before we even get our food, a couple of aluminum trays are brought out with some pre-lunch snacks on it: a dish of slaw and seasoned red-skin potatoes. I’ve never seen this before but I can go with the food flow. The taters are tender and nicely seasoned while the slaw is pretty standard.

Cole slaw and seasoned potatoes at Full Moon Oyster Bar in Morrisville- NC Triangle Dining

Our oysters come out to start the real meal. We’ve got 12 seared oysters with some butter and cheese melty on top. Two pieces of toasted bread are served on top, it reminds me a bit of the char-grilled oysters I’ve gotten in New Orleans. And it’s a tasty, salty and rich treat, while I sometimes enjoy raw oysters, I prefer them cooked up in my world and Full Moon Oyster Bar does a nice job here.

Char-grilled oysters at Full Moon Oyster Bar in Morrisville- NC Triangle Dining

The seafood plate come out next and includes a piece of fried flounder, some smallish shrimp, hush-puppies and seasoned fries. Served with some cocktail and tartar sauce, it’s a good looking plate. Looks like they are using a light corn meal covering here on the fried foods for a bit of substance. The seafood is all solid and fresh, I wasn’t a huge fan of the hush-puppies but the fries are a nice accompaniment to the meal! Overall it’s just the right amount of food and nicely fried (little grease) for lunch.

Oddly enough, service at Full Moon Oyster Bar was a bit slower than expected. While the lunch crowd did grow over time, it was pretty empty coming in and getting the meal wrapped up and grabbing the check took longer than expected. But it doesn’t seem like a regular problem on their online reviews so maybe we just caught them on a tough day. So overall I was pretty impressed with Full Moon Oyster Bar. Standard seafood menu around here but pretty cool decor and reasonable prices for what you get and I’ve got few complaints. So if you’re in Morrisville and wanting a taste of the beach and NC coast you might want to stop by Full Moon Oyster Bar. They’re as real as you get for seafood but in nicer digs, enjoy!

Full Moon Oyster Bar

1600 Village Market Place

Morrisville, NC 27560

919.378.9524

Location on Google maps

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St. Roch in Raleigh – A Taste of New Orleans Seafood for the Discerning Palate