We noticed that you're using an unsupported browser. The Tripadvisor website may not display properly.We support the following browsers:
Windows: Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox, Google Chrome. Mac: Safari.

“Not good”

Saltwater Seafood & Fry Shack
Ranked #71 of 147 Quick Bites in Raleigh
Cuisines: Seafood
Neighborhood: Mordecai
Restaurant details
Neighborhood: Mordecai
Reviewed August 28, 2013

I normally go to the seafood restaurant at the farmer's market but I was looking for a change so I decided to try Saltwater Seafood. There was one other person waiting for their food when I arrived. I ordered oysters and scallops with fries and coleslaw. It took about 15 minutes for my order to be done which was a little longer than I expected but not too bad. I tried one of the scallops on the way back to the office and it tasted pretty good. As it turns out, that was the only part of the meal that was good. The oysters were coated in quite a bit of very dark brown batter; they had obviously been cooked too long. That was bad enough but they also smelled like the oil was old and had been burnt or something. The fries tasted strange, I couldn't figure out what the taste was and I did not finish them. Also, the largest fry was only about two inches long, very strange.... The coleslaw was ok but nothing to write home about. For the price I paid, $14.00, I expected more. At the very least I expected the oysters to be cooked properly. I won't be returning and I'll stick with where I've been going.

Date of visit: August 2013
11  Thank NCFamily04
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.
Reviews (20)
Traveler rating
Traveler type
Time of year
Language

17 - 20 of 20 reviews

Reviewed August 6, 2013

Fortunately for Saltwater Seafood this comment is not about the food. Unfortunately, however, it is about the lack of customer service that I recently experienced. I am a Special Events planner and at my client's request, placed an order to have cole slaw specifically made by this establishment (because she thought it was the best around) to be served at an event on Saturday, August 3. Unfortunately, and very disappointed, the client did not receive the cole slaw as requested... instead a bag of chopped cabbage. On Monday, I went to Saltwater Seafood to find out what had happened to the order. The staff at the counter remembered the order and directed me to the owner, Mike Earp who had taken the order over the telephone. I approached Mr. Earp and mind you I am a professional business woman and did not expect the rudeness or the insensitive response that I received. The owner emphatically told me that I did not order cole slaw and had ordered the chopped cabbage, and that I had received what I paid for. I reminded him that during our telephone conversation he indicated that if we wanted to pick the order up on Friday it could be "mixed" and would be perfectly fine to hold until Saturday. He refused to acknowlege that he had made a mistake and in so many words said that it was my fault (that "he" messed up the order). He offered no apology, which in the least would have been acceptable because mistakes are made all the time. If my client had wanted to make the slaw herself she certainly did not need to drive the distance from Franklin County to Wake County just to buy a cabbage. The lack of professionalism and disrespect that was shown by this man and as an owner was appalling. I would not recommend dealing with this owner ever again. Perhaps this is why it is a seafood market and not a catering establishment or restaurant.

Date of visit: August 2013
11  Thank xyzlee
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.
Reviewed June 1, 2013 via mobile

Bizarrely located between a no-tell motel and a used car lot this seafood business also has a fry shack. If you live in North Raleigh and have been driving to the seafood restaurant at the NC farmers market your days of trekking to S. Saunders street are over. Same great seafood, just with no place to sit down and eat. It's take-out only. You trade in ambience for portion size. Not that the seafood restaurant at the NC farmers market has an ambience to speak of anyway, but you getting drift.

Date of visit: June 2013
    • Value
    • Atmosphere
    • Service
    • Food
1  Thank dhinnant
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.
Reviewed March 14, 2013

I was looking for a good seafood joint and decided to check this place out after reading some reviews. I spotted the Saltwater Seafood & Fry Shack sign on a little white building in the middle of the road; you wouldn't know it was there if you weren't looking for it, I thought I had found a hidden gem. I should have known what I was in for based on the smell of the parking lot that hit me as I opened the car door, I can only imagine how it smells in the heat of summer.

I entered the building to find a handful of people ordering / waiting for their food, amongst the same rotten smell from the parking lot. I assume this is partially the result of the restaurant counter being only a few feet from the raw seafood on the other side of the room, though fresh seafood doesn't smell like that (if you catch my drift). Good thing it is a take-out only restaurant.

You decide what you want, order / pay at the counter and wait with your ticket until they call your order. They called my order and, despite all the warning signs, I was excited to eat. When I did, I realized why nobody had ever heard of this place…it was not good.

I ordered the Shrimp and Flounder with hush puppies, fried okra and french fries. The flounder was curled up in a way that I had never seen before, though I dove in anyway and experienced a nasty old fish taste (not sure the best ingredients are used here). The breading also had a very odd taste, I think cardboard and motor oil are used somewhere in the process. On to the french fries and hush puppies; the same odd flavor and soggy. Fried okra; covered with that odd flavor and mediocre at best. Some hope left for the mountain of fried shrimp; they were second-rate and most still had the tails.

I do not often leave food on my plate, though I left the lions share in my Styrofoam container that day and won’t be heading back for more.

Date of visit: March 2013
    • Value
    • Atmosphere
    • Service
    • Food
10  Thank IchBesorgeDasBier
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.

Travelers who viewed Saltwater Seafood & Fry Shack also viewed

 

Been to Saltwater Seafood & Fry Shack? Share your experiences!

Write a Review Add Photos & Videos

Owners: What's your side of the story?

Own or manage this property? Claim your listing for free to respond to reviews, update your profile and much more.

Claim Your Listing
© 2024 Tripadvisor LLC All rights reserved.

This is the version of our website addressed to speakers of English in the United States. If you are a resident of another country or region, please select the appropriate version of Tripadvisor for your country or region in the drop-down menu.