Oysters are my very favorite food to eat, whether they’re fried, steamed, pimento’d, on a saltine with hot sauce, or charbroiled. After much discussion with some of my oyster loving friends, I decided to head out on an oyster crawl to find the best oysters in Raleigh. Here are the five best places to stop for your own Raleigh Oyster Crawl!
The Great Raleigh Oyster Crawl
Raleigh Oyster Crawl Stop #1 : Locals Oyster Bar
Locals Oyster Bar, located in Transfer Co. Food Hall, is a delicious spot for oysters of all types. I’m quite fond of their oyster bar, serving up some of the best North Carolina oysters, but also their po’ boys. Meet your friends here, grab a glass of rosé and enjoy some of the best North Carolina seafood in the area.
Hours: Wednesday-Sunday 3:00-8:00PM
Raleigh Oyster Crawl Stop #2: Whiskey Kitchen
Y’all, these fried oysters at Whiskey Kitchen are absolutely delicious! I really loved the jalapeños and lemons with them as well. I ordered that dish, which is on the small plates list and the wedged potatoes for a meal and it was amazing. I was pleasantly surprised when the chef brought out more raw oysters and they were so delicious, too.
Hours: Monday: 5:00PM-2:00AM, Tuesday-Sunday: 11:00AM-2:00AM
Special thanks to Tabletop Mediaand Whiskey Kitchen for their hospitality and serving up some amazing oysters. As always, all opinions are my own.
Raleigh Oyster Crawl Stop #3: Cortez
Cortez is such a fun spot on Glenwood South, and their three selections of oysters are all delicious. We tried all three types of oysters raw and then dressed all up. I definitely found my favorite to be the Core Sounders that were just raw.
Hours: Dinner: Tuesday-Saturday 5:00-10:00PM, Sunday 5:00-9:00PM
Brunch: Saturday-Sunday 11:00-2:00
Raleigh Oyster Crawl Stop #4: St. Roch
When I found out that Joule was closing, I was devastated; however, when I found that a Cajun-inspired oyster restaurant was taking over, I was over the moon. I am a huge fan of traditional raw oysters, but their roasted oyster selection are delicious, too! My favorite is the pimiento’d because, well, pimiento cheese and jalapeños are my favorite!
St. Roch Specials: Tuesday nights are oyster happy hour night (as seen above), Wednesday nights are Chef’s seafood boil and $5 wine, and then Sundays are oysters & champagne.
St. Roch Hours: Dinner: Tuesday- Thursday 5-10, Friday & Saturday 5-11, Sunday 5-9
Brunch: Saturday & Sunday 10-2
P.S. How cute is the decor here? I mean, I love the exterior design so much.
Raleigh Oyster Crawl #5: Hummingbird
These charbroiled oysters at Hummingbird were the best charbroiled oysters I’ve ever had. I cannot recommend these enough. Glory was with me and she isn’t a huge oyster fan, and now she’s a believer. These paired great with a glass of sparkling rosé (for me) and a Hummingbird Fizz for Glory.
Hours: Monday-Saturday 8:00am-12:00am, Lunch 11:00-3:00, Dinner 5:00-10:00
So, there you have it. My top five oyster spots in Raleigh. Where is your favorite? What is your favorite type of oyster?
Did you check out this week’s posts? Here’s a weekending post from Raleigh and my love letter to North Carolina. You can also see other Raleigh favorites here: Date Night Itineraries in 3 Raleigh Neighborhoods, Raleigh Restaurants Offering Curbside Delivery, and the Best Brunch Spots in Raleigh.
This post was originally published in 2018 and has since been updated and recirculated for 2020.
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