My friend and I ventured to Carrboro to check out this local seafood market. The market offers a number of options from the NC coast. Options include shrimp, crabs, oysters (when in season), scallops and numerous types of fish. The location is small and the staff were friendly + knowledgeable about the seafood available. The staff picks up seafood from the NC coast on Wednesdays and sells through Saturday. read more

Tom Robinson's Seafood - Seafood Markets Near Me - Carrboro, North Carolina

First time stopping here for some local fish. This is something important to me as I used to live near the ocean. I tried some shrimp and it was reasonably priced. Tom explained how they bring the fresh fish from the coast mid week so check the website for information. read more

Tom Robinson's Seafood - Seafood Markets Near Me - Carrboro, North Carolina

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I got Carolina shrimp and scallops. They were fresh. They were excellent. No problems. Just remember to bring cash when I forgot my cash. The customer service rep just put the things on ice for me and I told her I'd be back and they were ready for me when I got back. I highly recommend it. I'll be going back next. Best thing to being on the coast read more

Great old school seafood market featuring NC caught fish and shell fish along with some items from beyond. Knowledgeable staff, fair prices and usually a very good selection - get there early! read more

This is has been the best place for truly fresh seafood in this section of the state for a number of years, and remains so today, more than 2 years after the death of the iconic former owner, Tom Robinson. The urban legend among many customers was that Tom himself caught the fish he sold, but that was simply a legend - the truth is that he traveled to the coast each Wednesday, bought the best, freshest seafood he could find from among the fishermen, merchants, and other folks that he had come to know over the years, and trucked them back to Carrboro. Which ever you choose to believe, the seafood here remains fresh and varied, and Thursday morning is the best time for the best selection.There is a chalk board listing on the left hand wall that identifies what is available for that day, at that time - stuff moves out at a pretty good rate. These folks are very knowledgeable and will answer your questions, quickly and clearly - and give you sound advice. The place doesn't look like much, but you are coming to buy the fish - ambiance is for the ensuing meal, not the buying. The variety ranges from Grouper (if they have the Strawberry variety, buy it), Snapper, Salmon, Flounder, Trigger Fish, Trout, Dolphin, Tile Fish, Tuna, and even plain ole Catfish, and lowly Spot (a great fish, agreat value), and even more. The listing changes as the seasons do, but whatever is there is fresh. They have Shrimp, Scallops, and today they offered LIVE Soft Shell Crab - you can not get it fresher than that - and they fried up beautifully in a light, tempura type batter. Also bought a nice, whole grouper (about 2 1/4 pounds, and we'll bake him (head and all) Sunday for dinner. Finished the order with 4 pretty Butterfish (pompano to most of us) - these we'll freeze and pan sautee later. You pickout you seafood, request if and how you wish them cleaned, pay and wait. NOTE: Cash or Check only. The cleaning moves fairly fast, and soon you have your order. I have been coming here off and on for nearly 15 years, and have never had a bad item - NEVER. So grab a cooler, put in the ice, and head to Carrboro. read more

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Great selection, and nice people. We got a bunch of fish and seafood, and it was all great!

I've been here about a half a dozen times over the years, and they've always sold me great fish, priced below Whole Foods and Weaver Street. The story was always that the late Tom Robinson would catch it early in the week, then drive it back to Carrboro, or something like that. Cash only. read more

Easily some of the best fresh fish I've ever bought - and this far from the coast. I am a new englander, many a summer spent on the coast and while that might not certify me to judge seafood, I feel I can safely say Tom Robinson's offers fresh fish at competitive prices. Get there on Thursday to pick out the week's catches and Friday or Saturday to pick it up before it sells out! I purchased 6 pounds of fresh whole fish, left it to chill for 2 days, and still it was some of the best fish I've made at home. read more

Tom Robinson's Seafood - Really the place to buy seafood in the Chapel Hill area - Seafood Markets Near Me - Carrboro, North Carolina

I bought some sashimi-grade salmon and mackerel here for a sushi dinner I was making at home. I also got some whole shrimp for a shrimp tempura. The clerk was very helpful in answering my questions and the fish was amazingly fresh and delicious. They helped make my sushi dinner a success! They only accept cash or checks and they are only opened Thursday-Saturday. 9:30 am to 6:30 pm on Thursday and Friday. 8:30 am to 6:30 pm on Saturday. Also, take a cooler with some crushed ice to help keep your purchase unspoiled on the trip home. read more

I discovered this place on one of my many walks to the UNC campus from my current home in Carrboro. For someone who's used to getting their fish at Harris Teeter, it was a godsend. The owner (didn't catch his name) is a really friendly guy who loves fishmongering (yeah, who knew?). He apparently catches it all himself once a week, which is amazing to me given the sheer quantity and diversity of fish there. My palette isn't the most refined in the world, but this stuff certainly tastes fresh enough, so I'm not inclined to question it. The prices can get a little up there, but that's what you get for guaranteed fresh seafood from a local seller. read more

This is a small place that packs the best fresh seafood in the area. I always go here for scallops because they have the largest around. The staff is very nice and always the same although I don't know their names. I've bought great fish, shrimp, scallops and crabmeat from here. Seafood is fresh from the coast. Advice...go early so you can get what u want because things will run out. You can even bring your own cooler if you live far or aren't going right home. I'm about to graduate and will miss lil ol Robinson's. I appreciate the meat guy at Weaver St Market in Southern Village for putting me on to them!! read more

DON'T GO TO THIS PLACE. I went there to get Shad roe. It was expensive, but the whole fish with the roe was cheap. I asked for the whole fish with the roe and for the fish to be cleaned. I got home and did not have the roe. I called and was told to come back, but they would not give me the roe I had paid for but wanted me to buy it again. Don't deal with these people. Not like when Tom was there. read more

A local insitution and perhaps the only place to get fresh, local, seafood in season. Plus the only place I can ever find roe, unless I catch it myself. Great prices and great people too. Only open Thursday to Sat. read more

My boyfriend and I just moved here and we were very excited that North Carolina had many options for seafood. We were even more excited to visit Tom Robinson's Seafood because of the great reviews and the story on their website of the original owner. Unfortunately, we were very wrong as to how the experience would actually turn out to be. First off, we walked in and my boyfriend told one of the workers that we were new and had never been there before. Her response was "oh, okay." Then when we were looking at all the fish, she asked the people behind us, "Is there anyone else I can help who knows what they want already?" My boyfriend and I moved out of the way and stood there, not sure what to do. We had no idea what they had in stock and so we looked at the menu, since the worker didn't want to help us. Then once we picked what we wanted, we found out they didn't have it, which is fine. What isn't fine however is the fact that the worker didn't tell us that the menu did not correlate to what they actually had. We ended up deciding to try the blue fish and the mussels, two dishes we have made multiple times before. We tried talking to the worker again about other options, but she was extremely rude and acted as though we were wasting her time. Once we left, we decided that if the seafood tasted okay, then we didn't care about the service. That's how much we like seafood. We tried the blue fish that night and it made us both sick. We tried the mussels the next day, EVERY mussel either had grit in it or it had hardened seaweed that the mussels had been eating. It was very unfortunate. If the worker had talked to us about the establishment, about how the fish was kept, if the fish was farm raised or not, then we maybe would have had a chance at preparing what we got the right way. Even then though, I still don't think it would have been great because the mussels were inedible due to the seaweed. I haven't even gotten to the worst part. I called the establishment after we had the mussels and got a voice mail. I left a message, asking them to call my boyfriend back because we wanted a refund and he was the one who wrote the check. I didn't hear back. After four days, I called them again, got the voice mail again, and I told them they seriously needed to call us back because it was a ridiculous situation. I even told them I was going to write a review online to get their attention because I couldn't seem to get their attention by calling them. The next morning, the manager calls my boyfriend. She tells him that she couldn't really hear the messages I left because they have an "old system" for recordings. And yet, she seemed to know about everything I had said in my voice mails. Furthermore, after she agreed to give us our money back, she then told my boyfriend this: "I don't care if your girlfriend leaves a bad review about us. It doesn't matter to me." Well, okay then. We received a letter in the mail a few days letter with our check. Awesome, right? Well, to be honest, we didn't really need our money back. It's not like we are strapped for cash and it was only $16 (though we were only given $15). We just don't want to pay for non-edible food. I was glad that we got our money back for that reason. Then, I read the passive aggressive letter from the manager. She talked about how they have sold lots of fish and have had no complaints, that her staff is courteous, and that she was very surprised that we had any problems. She didn't sound like a manager at all. She even said at one point, "For your information, I sold more than 60 pounds of the bluefish that you said made you sick, and more than 300 pounds of the mussels in a two-week period in both wholesale and retail transactions. This is the only complaint I have received about either item." One, just because you haven't heard a complaint doesn't mean that there haven't been other problems. Two, maybe if the worker had actually talked to us about how the fish was done, we would have been better prepared. Three, managers shouldn't be sending letters like this over one complaint that wasn't even public (until now). She continued on in her letter to say "My staff also is courteous and helpful and I am surprised that you were so dissatisfied with that interchange as well." It actually scares me to think this person now knows our address now as well as our phone numbers. All I wanted was my money back for bad, overpriced seafood. Not to be sent passive aggressive letters or threatened over the phone. If the service had been wonderful and we had just gotten unlucky with the seafood, we would go back. If the manager had understood our frustrations and been kind to us, we would go back. If the seafood had been edible, we would go back. Unfortunately, they messed up three out of three times. There are other seafood markets in the area that have been better to us with good seafood. My advice would be to try those places before this one. read more

Wouldn't think much of it when you drive past it, but definitely worth stopping in. Great selection of fish, staff was extremely friendly and helpful. And most importantly, the fish turned out awesome! read more

Tom is an expert on creatures of the sea. He goes to the ocean, to catch all of his own seafood during the week and comes back to Carrboro to share "the catch" with the Carrboro family. He has the freshest fish and other seafood items available, great for grilling, a saute, or baking. They'll help you with your selection, scale it and clean it for you and wrap it up nice and neatly. I love stopping in here for my fresh seafood items. The service is superb and you can't beat, the high level of knowledge that comes with it. read more

I came here for live blue crabs all the time. I can't think of a second place in the area with fresh seafood of this quality.

you get a F for customer service. are you saving the good shrimp for larger customers?

This place is a bad place to do any kind of business. Despite the pic on Facebook, and the cute demure quaint store and store front, there is no more Tom Robinson (he died) and the business has been taken over by people who don't give a flip about the business itself or its customers. The staff is surly and impatient; the owners are rude and immovable. One operates illegally. The fish is overpriced and they will not do anything to it; if they dare to touch it with a knife they call it 'cleaning' it and they up-charge. They won't even hack it into bits since we can't cut it ourselves without a fish knife. I mean simply running the cleaver through it for 10 seconds. They run it through 3 seconds, breaking a large fish into about 4 5-inch chunks (what's that?); they don't even break the skin (which is the point!), and if they dare to break the skin, they charge you as if they've filleted it. I buy from local businesses no matter how bad they are, for the sake of principle, but I stop short of buying here. I find other outlets that are also local, no matter if they're convenient or not. I wouldn't send my worst enemy here on a bet. read more

Me and my wife moved here from So. Calif. a few months ago. All I can say is thank goodness I found this wonderful fish monger! Love it, great selection, always fresh and such terrific service. I went there today, Saturday at 3:00PM and they were closed. Kinda sad, Costco fish tonight )-; read more

This is a fantastic fish store -- a real rarity. Fish when they're really fresh --as they are here, especially on Thursday--are things of beauty. Most of the fish here are brought in by Salvador and his crew from the NC coast. They are happy to answer your questions (Salvador and co., not the fish). Bring cash as they don't accept credit cards. read more

It's hard to imagine why I would buy fish any place but here in Chapel Hill-Carrboro area. It is always excellent, whether filets or whole fish. The shrimp, crab, oysters, scallops, roe, all excellent too. It is the cleanest, freshest, tastiest fish store anywhere. A friend who grew up at the beach would never buy seafood 'inland', but has changed his mind since eating what I've prepared. Thanks to Kay and the nice folks who work at Tom's for keeping such a great place going. read more

The best freshest fish ever. When the Swordfish and Blues are in season, hop on over to this place....actually GREAT selection ALL year.