I keep trying to remember the last meal out I've had where EVERY bite of EVERYTHING was 150%…read more Nerra, this weekend, comes close and could perhaps exceed that benchmark. Nerra is at 506 Ramseur Street, Durham, NC. Get a reservation. Don't show up hoping. We went for a belated Father's Day, a week late, because my wife and son let the date slip past them. They'll deny it. I know better. And I'm not actually upset about it, because if they'd remembered, we'd have missed this. We started the night with the Baker's Flight (pumpernickel, cheddar rosemary biscuits, cornbread, house butters). The pastries were excellent. The butter was something else entirely. I asked for 8oz to take home, which is not a thing I do. I don't need more butter in my life. Seriously. But this butter was coming home wiht me regardless. Our entries: Shrimp and Grits (built on stone-milled grits with jumbo shrimp, spinach, seared peppers, smoked gouda and parmesan, under a Cajun cream sauce). Number two, the Sun-Fire Jerk Chicken (bone-in, braised and marinated, with fried plantains, island jerk sauce, jasmine rice, and a salsa). Lastly: The Whole Roasted Fish (Snapper this particular night, with spinach, tomatoes, citrus caper, and roasted potatoes). Each dish was spectacular. As if not enough, we still ordered dessert. Mama Made, we were told. Cheesecake and a Chocolate Brownie with ice cream. I'm not going to lie here and say either were shared. Somewhere about this time I was doing math in my head of how we could come to Nerra on a weekly basis. Seriously, I was. The Chef came by the table. The Chef's Mama came by too. Our server, Andrea, did the kind of work that doesn't get talked about enough. Andrea was attentive without hovering, present without performing. Andrea should take some time to right the manual on how to take care of a table and party, cause she's a master at it. If none of this moves you, I don't think I can do more for you here. If it does, you already know you're booking a reservation in the next 30 minutes. We are absolutely going back. The only question is how often I can make that happen without rearranging our entire budget. I'm working on it.

I don't go to restaurants to complain and disparage. But Nerra was a seriously uneven experience…read more The good news is: friendly solicitous staff, great fish, Caesar salad, brussels sprouts. At home I put a good deal of salt on my food, so even though I had read the Yelp reviews saying that the chef was overly generous with the salt shaker, I thought, "This should be no problem." I was wrong. My brother-in-law's short ribs and my gumbo were at the top edge of salt tolerance. We did our best to politely eat, and didn't complain at the start, which some might say is our fault. By the way, I have eaten a lot of New Orleans gumbo, which characteristically is thicker and less salty. I ate half of mine, not wanting to stop the party, and when I was full, I called the waiter over and quietly mentioned the high salt level. She seemed astonished and said I should have asked for a different dish. Indeed I had waited too long, but when is it the diner's responsibility to sound the alarm about the chef's excesses? At this point, we paid the bill and I left a generous tip. On the way out, I chatted with the host/manager and politely informed her about the salt. She had her own explanation: the gumbo has been cooking all week and thus it gets very reduced and salty. Again, if this is true, there's no oversight in the kitchen, no one tasting the dish before it hits the table. Finally, it was too late, because of my polite hesitation, to offer me another dish. Was it too late to adjust the bill? Had that been offered, I would still be drinking many glasses of water but I would not be writing this review, an anomaly for me since the majority of my Yelp reviews are wildly positive. Eaters beware.

This is the ONLY place we get our oysters. And their mignonette is very good! Not all are equal…read more We've been coming here for years, and the food is always fresh and delicious. They crack those oysters there and then. Lots of fresh oyster liquor. Not some dried up tasteless oyster. I never once considered waffle fries with tartar sauce. Now, it's almost an addiction. We'll typically sit at the side bar area and chat with the employees, who are always friendly and knowledgeable about what they serve. And we'll grab a beer from the nearby bar- it is a food hall, after all- and enjoy a nice meal. They have new specials based on what's good, and they always make them tasty. We love this spot. Always on our rotation.

This place never disappoints. Came here on a Sunday as a second choice but easily became one of the…read morebest meals in a long time. Plenty of seating since it's shared with all the other vendors. Being that it's in a food hall, if someone in your party doesn't particularly care of Locals, they can easily get something different. This is a huge selling point so that everyone can be happy and full. We ordered: - 4 grilled oysters - a dozen raw oysters - shrimp po boy (with generous portions of shrimp) - some huge fish, maybe snapper? - kale salad Everything about this place is so fresh. You never have to wonder how long it's sat there or if there has been enough patrons to keep the supply fresh. You know at Locals that everything is always on point. Highly recommend to anyone with a fresh seafood itch!

I've been to this restaurant twice now and it hits every time. I apologize for not having photos…read morebut I'll have to add them next time. The Crawfish and Shrimp Croquettes are delicious. They're full and you don't have to wonder where the meat is within the ball. The Gumbo with Tasso Ham, Andouille, Chicken, Okra has all the flavor you'd ever want. It's so warm and good. Even better with the bread if you ask me but you don't need the bread to enjoy it. The fried NC catfish over Red Beans and Rice, and Smoked Ham is so perfect. The catfish is fried just right and the flavor coming from the red beans and rice lights up your tastebuds. My absolute favorite entre from this restaurant thus far is definitely the blackened redfish with Crawfish Etouffee and Popcorn Rice. Make sure you have a bit of each item on your fork! The flavor is unbelievably delicious. I can't wait to go back honestly!

Great place to grab NOLA-inspired food in the heart of Downtown Durham!…read more A few of my friends and I wanted to have a girls' night in Durham. One of the girls is a Durham native and suggested we come here, and I'm glad she did. I LOVE the food in NOLA, but their food is often imitated and not done right. Seraphine does a GREAT job! The space itself is a bit small, so I highly suggest getting a reservation. I love how small it is, though, because it gives it a quaint and cozy feel, which is a lot like the restaurants and places in NOLA. I'm not sure about parking since we walked from the Aloft. The staff was great, and our server gave us great recommendations, which I love. For my drink, I ordered a glass of the Avissi Prosecco Veneto, and it was the best prosecco I think I've ever had! So crisp and delicious. They also have beer, wine, speciality cocktails, a full bar, and THC drinks. We ordered a couple of Caesar salads to share, and they were delicious and crisp. We also ordered the Broiled Oysters Rockefeller-style. Although they tasted good, I prefer my oysters on the half shell, and they serve the broiled oysters on a tray, which I didn't like. For my entree, I ordered the Shrimp and Grits, and it was delicious! The mushrooms added a nice texture that was different, but worked well for the dish. I definitely recommend and can't wait to return!

Loved my seafood bowl! Sauce had really good flavor and my seafood was super fresh. I would…read moredefinitely go back again.

I have only been here a couple of times but each time was a good experience. The staff is always…read morefriendly and the food was great. This time I got a shrimp boil....so much great flavor! The seafood is always fresh. The restaurant is clean..that's always a plus. Oh before I forget, my husband enjoyed his oyster po boy...immensely!

We visited in a Monday a little after 5pm, after whole day at Duke…read more On arrival, easy parking and then we were greeted by a big smile from the young lady behind the bar (Megan) and we sat outside. We started with a dozen oysters, and calamari- followed by tacos. The food was fresh, their coleslaw is made in house and was delicious. The oysters were fresh and tasty. I had the grilled mahi tacos and my husband had the shrimp- it was all amazing. The ambiance was relax and welcoming. Fast service too. Priced reasonably.

We were greeted warmly by Renee as soon as we walked in. She told us to sit wherever we'd like. We…read morechose a high top. There's bar seating and a main seating area with about 8 tables. It's small, but comfortable and inviting. Renee single handedly with ease and a smile served 6 tables while I was there. She never seemed rushed or overwhelmed. We started with the Happy Hour special (4pm - 6pm) raw oysters (or steamed) for $1.50 each. They were good. We then ordered our entrees. I had the Fried combo with oysters, shrimp and fries...absolutely delicious and fried perfectly. My daughter had the Lobster Roll and fries. She said it was really good and was pleasantly surprised. We had a great dinner and loved the service Renee provided!

Good food Good service…read more Good place Good ambiance A lot of food selections Highly recommended

I ordered the large snow crab legs and half pound of crawfish. At first, it did not look like a lot…read moreof food but wow, it filled me up. I wish there was a little bit more sauce. I also ordered a side of rice and it was cooked to perfection. These seafood tasted fresh, which I appreciate it. overall, fantastic. Customer service from start to finish.

I feel so bad I have been to the Salt Box many times and I love love love their food!…read more I have gotten the Crab Cakes, Flounder, and Drum. There isn't a thing in the Sea they can't make taste amazing! If I could recommend one place I will always have them on my list. There is a line and a wait for the food but it is soo worth it! The main guy at the register does an amazing job helping the customers and getting through the line. Place is also well decorated. 5 out of 5

I had the fried sheep's head. It was cooked just the way I remember my Grandmother cooking it. I…read moregrew up on Lake Erie, so fishing was a common activity in my family. What a great food memory. The fish here is top shelf in its preparation and flavor. The staff is very friendly. The portions are nice. Dining inside is a nice experience. It is not a huge dining area, but it is a perfect space where members of the community can gather over great fish and conversation. There are a few tables outside as well to enjoy the weather. Prices are what you would expect from freshly prepared fish meals. Not expensive but definitely not fast food prices. The fish changes daily so you should come often to experience the range of goodness! As you can tell, I highly recommend this restaurant.

I've always wondered about Squid's since the parking lot seems to be full whenever I drive by. Even…read moreif the front lot looks packed, there's more parking in the back. My friend and I made a reservation, so we were seated right away. Since it was our first time, our server was super friendly and gave us a few recommendations while answering all of our questions. The meal started with complimentary hushpuppies, which were a nice touch. I ordered the pan-seared crab cakes, and they were good--you could actually see plenty of crab throughout them. The mashed potatoes and sautéed vegetables, though, were pretty bland and forgettable. Overall, I can see why Squid's is a Chapel Hill staple, and I think it's worth trying at least once!

First time at Squids and the Service was really great! The crab legs were ok, unfortunately, the…read morefish the and sides the party ordered were not as seasoned as we'd like. The calamari was really chewy and the not as crispy as you'd expect. The cocktails were good. I'd def give them another try. Maybe it was just an off night.

Took my father out for dinner, we were looking for some good fish and chips, food come out quick…read moreand hot, but it was just very average, for was ok.

We are addicted to the big bang seasoning! Since my husband has a shellfish allergy we generally…read moreget the sausages with the big bang seasoning at hot/ extra hot spice levels! We were also told that they can make it extra extra hot if we just ask them to. The lady had once given us the spice mix in little dip containers to increase the heat for our to go order. Every-time we are in or around that area we have to grab a lb of the sausages! If you do try the sausages, do not forget to add corn and potatoes and grab a side of white rice to help soak up the spicy garlicky goodness! I think the other seafood options do come with potatoes and corn with them. The place has a cute ship themed interior with booths lining the walls of the space, and multiple tables in the centre too! While I do enjoy the shrimp, I think the mussels are still my fav and the shells are perfect to scoop up the sauce and pour it onto the rice (or in your mouth) whatever is preferred. Do get ready to get your hands dirty and do a little work like peeling the shrimp or getting the mussels meat off the shell, but it's so worth the effort. I have gotten a few of my friends hooked onto this place, and I plan on bringing some more friends too.

Loved the restaurant. We went for the "boat drink" bloody marry with all sorts of ingredients on…read moretop. Delicious, and awesome atmosphere. Favorite ingredient in the drink: filet, homemade fried okra and onion rings, lobster tail. It was all delicious. Their specialty cocktails were also top notch!! Expect a long wait if you go at peak times, but it's worth the wait.

Sadly, there were so many flies inside the restaurant while we were trying to eat our food…read more The food itself was delicious! The service was great and our drinks were very good too!