42nd Street Oyster Bar

We were two couples this evening and chose to sit at a high top table in the bar area. We stuck primarily to fresh shucked oysters (4 doz.), some Rockefeller oysters, shrimp cocktail, crab & artichoke dip, and bacon wrapped scallops, hush puppies and some great apple pie with rum sauce. Service was ideal, drinks were great (we had beer, wine, and whisky) and the ambience totally conducive to leisurely conversation. We splurged, we knew we doing so and everything was grand. Despite the naysayers, I found that this restaurant very much still hits the mark.

• Excellent food, cool old-school atmosphere.

Reservations are a must, especially anywhere near a weekend.
Public parking a couple of streets down.
Oysters were lovely and ambiance was very cool.

I had dinner here and sat at the bar as a walk-in with my group. We had a great view of the kitchen and the staff shucking oysters right in front of us. Our server was friendly and attentive. The hush puppies were very tasty with a little hint of sweetness. I ordered the Caesar side salad, the Virginia sea scallops, and a side of the cheese potatoes. The salad was good, with a well-balanced quantity of dressing, cheese, and croutons. The scallops were excellent - tender and flavorful with a little spice and garlic. They were definitely the star of my meal. The cheese potatoes were very cheesy, more than I anticipated. They were good but quite rich. The restaurant decor kept with the seafood theme and included a display of the NC political figures who have dined at the establishment.

Anna Kate was our server. She was lovely and very helpful in deciding what to order. We ordered the bacon wrapped scallops and oysters Rockefeller for appetizers. Both excellent!! Would highly recommend them. For entrees my sister and her husband split the 42nd St Platter with blackened swordfish, shrimp and scallops. They loved it. I had the Penne Primavera with shrimp. Very tasty! Shrimp was fresh and delicious. Pasta so good too. My wife had the shrimp and crabmeat fettuccine. Very rich - as you’d imagine - but also very good. We had a side of coke slaw which was good too. No room for dessert but next time I’m saving room for the apple pie with rum sauce! Like the terminator says: “We’ll be back”!

We tried the steamed clams, baked oyster sampler, shrimp & grits, cheesy potato, and the fried green tomatoes. This was way too much food for two people, but we enjoyed everything (and had some leftovers). They also bring hush puppies to the table to start. The cheesy potato was especially delicious. For the baked oysters, I liked the 42nd Street the best by far. Fried green tomatoes were surprisingly filling because we didn’t realize they came with shrimp, but we loved it! Wish we would have had room for key lime pie, but we will just have to try it next time.

This was a beautiful restaurant with incredible food. The atmosphere hits you as soon as you enter the place: fun, cozy, relaxed. The food is incredible. We ordered a half dozen oysters, a few appetizers (bacon wrapped scallops, artichoke crab dip, and calamari), and the ciopinno (Italian seafood soup) to share. The portions are hearty. We would have been comfortably full if we had skipped the calamari. The service was great. Everything was amazing!

Was recommended to try this place out for seafood by the hotel we stayed at. The wife and I were still a bit full from lunch but wanted to grab a quick bite before heading to our concert. We grabbed half a dozen oysters, crab dip, and fried shrimp. All the appetizers dishes tasted fresh and and crisp! This restaurant has a lot of history behind it and is packed. Lots of families and the service was amazing. They have a nice selection of wine and craft beer which I enjoyed! The parking situation is a little odd for, I’ve seen paid valet service in USA but not in Canada, maybe it’s a culture thing. I would recommend just parking on the street and saving yourself some money.

Great service—terrific energy and focus—-with all recommendations spot on! All the food was great from the NE Clam Chowder to the sweet potato side and ceased salad to the key lime pie—and the shrimp and crab cakes and buffalo shrimp! Worth a stop if you’re in town!

Really great seafood spot in downtown Raleigh with a ton of history (it’s been around for 90 years!). We sat at the counter, where we were served by one of the oyster shuckers, a young man named Owen who was super attentive and did a great job. They serve free hush puppies as soon as you sit down instead of bread! I’ve never seen that before. We started with a dozen shucked-to-order raw oysters, two of every variety they had that day (Chesapeakes, Core Sounders, Beaufort Brines, Pamlicos, Pirate Pearls and Southern Salts). They even printed the ticket when they served the oysters to us so we could keep track, which I thought was a nice touch. Then for entrees, we had the Blackened Swordfish and the Sea Bass. Both were excellent. Awesome experience overall.

We went with a large party on a Saturday night and had made a reservation. Parking is valet in a pretty small lot given the size of the restaurant or you can park somewhere nearby on the street or a nearby garage. Our server was really attentive and the food was some of the most fresh seafood I’ve ever had! I’d say the pricing is fair but high. Overall we had an excellent experience, I’d definitely return for a birthday or anniversary when we have a little bigger budget.
My only complaint is there is no changing station in the men’s room so dads who go alone with their kiddos or take turns with their partners changing diapers can’t.

The food is AMAZING! You can tell it's great quality from just the first bite! I'll be back next time I visit Raleigh.

Amazing server who gave plenty of dish recommendations and knew everything about the different types of oysters.
Food:
Complementary hush puppies; delicious, very difficult to not fill up on them before the meal!
Oysters; so many different kinds, truly high end. The pirates pearl were great.
The bacon wrapped scallops are delicious, decadent, and a must-have. The sauce they came with was to die for as well.
The Norfolk style crabmeat was delicious and had tons of flavor (and butter). It was very garlic-y. The collard greens were also delicious. It's a smaller dish though, so definitely get an appetizer with it.
The blackened Asian seabass was an amazing dish, with very crispy and flavorful shoestring potatoes, super fresh and flavorful seabass, on a bed of garlic-y spinach that absorbs all of the delicious fish flavors and seasonings. The couple of cherry tomatoes burst in your mouth with a hot, buttery, and flavorful pop.
The side salads were covered in croutons, and not the best.

Love 42nd street.... Very consistent and atmosphere is great. My favorite dish is blackened chicken. Yes, it's a seafood restaurant and my favorite is chicken. Everything I have ordered is great though. I have had numerous company and group dinners at 42nd street and they are always a hit. Highly recommended.!

Great place, great location, vibe is mix of old school and modern.

Seafood selection is moderate and each dish is good. Had the crab cakes with collard greens - both delicious.

The hush puppies are a nice touch - served for each table instead of bread.

I love this restaurant! We were a large crowd (14). Our server was amazing (should have gotten his name) he brought us as nice, warm basket of bread which so many restaurants don't anymore. Was it takes longer for a party of our size to get drinks, then applied, then salads, a bread basket is a must at 7;30 pm.
I had the blackened shrimp on penne. Delicious.
I will be back, and so should you

I drove there and found out their parking lot is full so I suggest to go there early or just park on the street. Their food is great and I like there are many options for oysters. I ordered the Cajun fried flounder. It is very yummy and tender. Very good texture. Because their food is very good, when I came to the restaurant, there was a long line at the door waiting for tables. I came to the cocktail bar because it is open seating. Their food was very fast. I feel like it was only a few minutes after I ordered, my dishes were served in front of me.

Being from Rhode Island, I was a little skeptical about dining here, but the cioppino was amazing! Mussels, clams, plump oysters, sea scallops, and white fish were prepared perfectly in a light tomato broth. The complimentary hush puppies were a nice touch. We had slices of French silk pie and an apple pie to go. Desserts are not their strong point, however, the seafood is definitely on point.

Very busy place! We recently visited Raleigh, NC and the guy at the hotel recommended this place. Despute how busy they were, we were seated immediately. It did not disappoint! Our server, David, was great. Very pleasant and accommodating. He brought us some nice hot and fresh hushpuppies that were delicious. We ordered 1 doz raw oysters-OMG these were so fresh and delicious! We also ordered fried Buffalo oysters, steamed crab leg entree w/ a salad and Collard Greens, and a bowl of oyster stew. Only issue for me is that the stew didn't have any flavor. Had to add some salt, pepper, and hot sauce. Otherwise, definitely a great place to dine

We had great food and service. We had a large group for a birthday with no complaints. We had amazing service and the food was great. We had many pecks of steamed oysters, steamed shrimp, popcorn shrimp and salads. There were many sides ordered and drinks. We had a group of 15 and couldn’t have been better. We will be back.

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!