42nd St. Oyster Bar & Seafood Grill

42nd St. Oyster Bar & Seafood Grill42nd St. Oyster Bar & Seafood Grill
42nd St. Oyster Bar & Seafood Grill42nd St. Oyster Bar & Seafood Grill
Bar, Eatery

508 W Jones St
Raleigh, North Carolina, 27603-1429
United States

(919) 831-2811 | map
42ndstoysterbar.com
PLACE STATS
Average:
4.15
Reviews:
6
Ratings:
14
pDev:
7.95%
View: Place Reviews
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by LordOfTheBeer:
Photo of LordOfTheBeer
Reviewed by LordOfTheBeer from Oklahoma

4/5  rDev -3.6%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4.5 | selection: 3.5 | food: 4
42nd St. OB is a Raleigh classic. Very well established and the staff provides great service. The food is excellent and the beer selection is a little heavy on the bottle side. The local breweries are supported quite well with at least 10 taps, which was a pleasant surprise. Their Beer IQ grade gets a D. The servers, although very attentive, have not been trained in serving beer. Improper glassware and frozen pint glasses for all bottled beers (even belgians) really takes away from a very good experience.
Oct 07, 2010
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 3.55 by runo from North Carolina

Nov 09, 2018
 
Rated: 4.3 by AngryVeteran from North Carolina

Mar 05, 2015
 
Rated: 3.96 by Macsimus from North Carolina

Feb 02, 2015
 
Rated: 4 by Soto from North Carolina

Sep 27, 2014
 
Rated: 4.5 by HopUpTriad from North Carolina

Aug 03, 2014
 
Rated: 4 by woodchip from North Carolina

Jun 25, 2014
 
Rated: 5 by Packlifenc from North Carolina

Jan 08, 2014
 
Rated: 3.75 by dbrauneis from North Carolina

Dec 09, 2013
Photo of SaCkErZ9
Reviewed by SaCkErZ9 from South Carolina

4.14/5  rDev -0.2%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4.5
After going to lunch down the street at Hibernian, and being highly disappointed in the selection, I figured this place couldnt be any worse.

A nice vibe with the faux meat cooler in the front. Bar to the right. Pulled up and my eyes were amazed. They had tons of beers. Most were bottled. I think there were 6 taps. But holy shit; the bottle selection was quite amazing. Basically anything and everything. One thing I did like is that the beer menu is divided up into groups, one of the groups being NC beers. I always like when an establishment pimps the local beers.

Didnt have any food but when I need oysters and beer in the Raleigh area, I will most certainly be back here. Cant believe I havent been here before.
May 20, 2009
Photo of wagenvolks
Reviewed by wagenvolks from Texas

4.28/5  rDev +3.1%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 4.5 | food: 3.5
Took the lady to 42nd street for some seafood and beer one night in Raleigh. Atmosphere is amazing, with high ceilings, a long oyster bar, dark wood, low hanging lights, and giant fish posted up on the walls. The service was fast and friendly, and everything we ordered came out within 10 minutes, if not sooner. However, the waitress was a bit awkward, it must've been her first week working there...

The beer selection is pretty damn good. Lots of local brews, including Duck Rabbit, Carolina Brewing, and Edenton. There are about a dozen micro-brews on tap and twice as many in bottles, including an extensive belgian and german selection. The beer was relatively inexpensive, however the meal was not. My seafood pasta (nothing special, I recommend you order something else) was $19.00, and a half order of raw oysters was $8.00. Hush puppies were free, a trademark of good southern seafood restaurants. All in all this is a fun place to eat with lots of good beer, if you wallet can stomach the bill.
Jul 06, 2007
Photo of MuddyFeet
Reviewed by MuddyFeet from North Carolina

4.18/5  rDev +0.7%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4
My in-laws tried to take me here for my birthday last month, but it was the night of the NC State-UNC men's basketball game and the wait for a table was over 2 hours. So we went elsewhere.

Finally got around to going back last night with a large group to celbrate the bar exam being over. When I saw it the first time I knew I would lke this restaraunt. Definitely has a New England seafood vibe going on. Big high warehouse ceilings. Big fish on the wall. Bog bar area on the right and a large oyster bar dead ahead when you walk in. Lots of tables in the dining area. Loud and boisterous. Nice dinner hall atmosphere. I felt at home.

Surprisingly great selection of beer on-tap and in the bottle. On-tap was Cambridge Brewing Company, Highland Brewing, victory, Terrapin, Bell's among others. Hell, they even have bottle specials and one was Bell's Kalamazoo Stout for $3 a bottle. I've seen that sold for twice and more in some restaurants. Also, a fairly large bottle selection in the coolers but I never got a look at the list. However, seeing what my friends all got in bottles they did have a decent selection going on.

Food was wuite good and very reasonaly priced. I got a half dozen oysters for $8 and a decent sized plat of fried seafood for $17. It was all very good too. Very comparable to back home (I know I am being a little whispish by comparing it to New England but I am picky about my seafood restauarants). Service was wuite good. Not sure about their beer knowledge (they serve the beer in frosted glasses) but when I mentioned it they poured me a fresh beer ina non-frosted glass. So they are willing to work with you. Defintely going back.
Mar 01, 2007
Photo of blackie
Reviewed by blackie from Oregon

4.22/5  rDev +1.7%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4.5
atmosphere: Bustling early-era fish market/restaurant type atmosphere. I've always loved the old-school feeling. The construction is wooden from the tables to the floor and walls. This building has been around quite awhile in the downtown Raleigh area, and it has quite a historic feel to it. Old newspaper clippings and other nostalgia adorn the walls alongside lifesize mounts of various saltwater fished. There is a huge oyster bar that spans the outer perimiter of the kitchen area where employees shuck oysters for patrons. On the left there is a bar area with a few bar tables and a platform where bands play on weekends. The rest of the area is occupied by dining tables and booths on a raised surface to the right of the restaurant. Slightly upscale, yet comfortable.

quality: I've never had a beer at 42nd Street that seemed to be past its peak.

service: The servers are not especially knowledgeable about the beers, but they do know which beers (eg impy stout) require a warning for those who may not be as beer savvy as the rest of us. They are also able to give basic descriptions of the beers they serve. As far as dining as a whole goes, the service is very good.

selection: 42nd Street has quite a selection of rare NC seasonals that you would have a hard time finding anywhere else...from Duck Rabbit, Carolina Brewing Company, and Edenton among others. There are also some varying micros I've seen in the past such as Avery The Czar. Be sure and ask to see the draft list.

food: A huge selection of fresh seafood dishes, from fried to boiled to blackened and beyond. Be sure to ask about the specials. The cheese potatoes are to die for, and the cajun fried oysters are amazing. As a whole, delicious.
Aug 30, 2006
Photo of GCBrewingCo
Reviewed by GCBrewingCo from North Carolina

4.22/5  rDev +1.7%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4
10-24-03
The beer selection is actually very good. The food can be hit or miss in my experience. The atmosphere can sometimes be a pickup bar, but if you are looking for a good place to have a beer before you head out for dinner, this is not a bad place at all. It has been around forever.

6-19-04
I believe the quality of the food is much improved. The beer selection and the beer quality is well done. Our service on the last few visits has been stellar and we were allowed to take a look at the bottles of beer from the cold case without purchase. Nice touch. They currently had 5 local micros on tap and a nice tap list of 12 beers. The bottled beer list is nothing to scoff at either...
Oct 24, 2003
42nd St. Oyster Bar & Seafood Grill in Raleigh, NC
Place rating: 4.15 out of 5 with 14 ratings