Knightdale Seafood and BBQ

07/28/08

Formerly good, now lousy food

by LCPocher at Citysearch

KKnightdale Seafood and Barbecue is not as good as it used to be! My friend and used to go regularly, sometimes at the oyster bar and sometimes seated in the dining room. It was good until about Feb 19. My vegetables tasted like they had been dumped out of a can, nothing else done to them, and they weren't hot. Today (July 24) my friend and I were seated again in the dining area. Our hushpuppies were reheated from lunch, and we sent them back. My chicken pastry was ok, but not nearly as good as the last few times I have had it. Very little chicken. My vegetables were once again that out-of-the can taste, and the waitress verified it saying that's where all of the vegetables came from. Come on! It'summer, use fresh produce or at least frozen. My friend's food was overcooked. I understand there is new management and they are trying to cut costs. Well, they have lost my friend and I as customers from too much lousy food. If I am paying a lot for my food I at least expect it to taste good. New management=lousy food. I will not eat here again.

• Pros: Most waitresses are consistently prompt and eager to please
• Cons: food is no lousy

11/22/08

Kind of Average overall.

by jondix at Citysearch

The waitress was terrific. I loved the hushpuppies. I had the whole catfish platter with BBQ Beans and stewed cinnamon apples. My wife had the steak salad. I thought the catfish was a little plain. I like a more seasoned breading. My wife liked the steak salad. She would have perferred a creamy garlic dressing, not available here. The cost was probably a tad over average $32.00 with soft drinks and tip. They had the Carolina BBQ which I don't care to acquire a taste for. I was currious how there ribs were prepared. It would be up in the air if I would return again. Other than the hushpuppies there wasn't anything that would draw me back.

• Pros: The Hushpuppies were really tasty. Waitress was very attentive
• Cons: Nothing that really made it memorable

10/28/08

Don't bother

by jenniej61 at Citysearch

I liked K-dale Seafood and BBQ until I learned of the tyranical and unfare way they treat their loyal staff. I will never set foot in there again. Not too mention, the quality of the food has gone way down and the prices has skyrocketed. The owners, Phylis and Larry have gotten lazy and greedy!

02/18/08

If you like fried seafood and pork bbq, this is the place for you!

by euncapher at Citysearch

I read someone's review about the tuna and paying $40. Obviously, a fried greasy spoon type of restaurant won't have the best tuna nor the best preparation for tuna. Go to an upscale seafood restaurant if you want a good tuna steak. Actually, have you tried Winston's? I love their tuna steak! As far as the $40....wow, this person must've had a lot of wine!

Knightdale Seafood and BBQ is a family restaurant. It almost reminds me of a greasy spoon. The fried seafood is really good (and greasy)! The hush puppies are outstanding. The pork BBQ was very good. The fried chicken is good ole home-cookin'. So are the green beans, coleslaw, Brunswick Stew, etc. If you go, get the Family Style. For about $11.00, you can have pork BBQ, fried chicken, green beans, coleslaw, Brunswick Stew, boiled potatoes, and one fried seafood or fish item of your choice....all you can eat. If you have a big hungry family, that's the best way to go. It's very decently priced and the food is pretty good. Be prepared to eat greasy food, bring a couple wet-naps with you, and know what you are getting into before you come. This is southern down-home cookin'. Enjoy!

• Pros: Great fried southern home cookin' at a great price!
• Cons: Greasy, but that's what's so good about it. lol

01/23/08

Wonderful Food

by jb1183 at Citysearch

The menu is varied, from BBQ, seafood, steaks to the BEST Homemade Southern Cooking in East Wake County. They now offer lunch daily specials, several new salads, and catering is a speciality. Service is excellent and staff is friendly and personal. You feel at home here and Phyllis and Larry always give you their best, whether in the restaurant or the oyster bar. This is a local favorite and a pillar in the Knightdale community.

• Pros: Varied Menu
• Cons: On Hwy 64, but somewhat hidden by trees

12/21/07

My experience

by jackychang at Citysearch

I went to this restaurant because the good reviews here and also I am living at knightdale. It turns out that this was the first and will be the last time I went there. The food is so poorly prepared. The so call "oyster soup" is nothing but some oysters boiled in milk. The tuna is over cooked and tastes like well-done beef. The vegetable is so poorly prepared. I would rather eat at McDonald than go there again! I spent around $40 and with this money I should have bought some seafood and cooked by myself. By the way, this is a family-owned restaurant.

• Pros: seated promptly
• Cons: food is terrible

10/05/07

Oyster Bar is Wonderful - Wait Staff and Bar staff Great!

by dneal1960 at Citysearch

I recently tried the Oyster Bar at Knightdale Seafood and WOW - this is good stuff. The oysters were delicious and the steamed shrimp beyond words. Not to mention the great staff that shucked our oysters and provided us with excellent service! It was also the first time that I have had a mixed drink there and it to was very good. I would give them a 9.9 out of 10. I would definitely recommend it for those that love steamed oysters and shrimp. Prices were very reasonable too.

• Pros: Great people working the oyster bar - friendly and courteous, Lots of parking
• Cons: Can't think of one!

09/02/07

Great Southern Cooking

by dxnnld at Citysearch

The best home coooking in the area. The dishes are all made to order. The vegetables are fresh and cooked the way they should be. I have not tried one thing that I did not enjoy at this restaurant. Try family-sized meals as well. Beats Bojangles and/or Hardees.

07/23/07

Great down south cooking.

by ztowner at Citysearch

Barnmama must have an axe to grind. The place hasn't even been open 25 years... the old one closed 7 years ago and you are still talking about it?? Seems a bit odd. I have been eating there 8 years and without a doubt the best southern vegetables anywhere, wide variety of seafood (I love the whole catfish, cajun fried) and you always feel welcome. It's nice to see so many familiar faces from the staff when you go. The waitress we request, Dianne, has been there at least 6 years. In eight years I have never had a problem that the staff did not fix on the spot. Overall good food, more than your money's worth, and friendly folks.

• Pros: Large selection of Seafood
• Cons: No room for dessert

07/12/07

Sorry to see this great establishment going downhill

by barnmama at Citysearch

My family and I have been eating at Knightdale Seafood for 25 yrs. Originally located on the corner of Smithfield Rd and Hwy 64, we would stand in line for 30 minutes with our small sons in our arms waiting to get in to eat some delicious shrimp, flounder and piping hot hush puppies. Now they are relocated for the last 7 years, just east of the old location. What has happened?? We took relatives there last week and they, like us, had not been there in quite a while. We had been hearing that the food was not as good as it used to be but decided to try one more time. Well, rumors seem to be true!

We ordered all you can eat shrimp and steak. The hush puppies are still great but the steaks were tough, charcoaled and paper thin. The shrimp was chewy, overly breaded and the vegetables looked and tasted as if they had been warmed over several times.The cooked cabbage was brown and boiled potatoes tasted "old", slaw was not fresh either. The portions were much smaller and the prices were higher!

This was our last meal at Knightdale Seafood, there are just too many other places nearby and we feel that they can no longer compete with them. I hope that it is not too late for them to climb down from the clouds and get back to the basics of serving what was once the best seafood and barbeque around!

No "ax to grind" but we know about good southern cookin and about the "original place."

• Pros: Lots of parking space
• Cons: Food