Dean’s Seafood Grill and Bar

OK, where to begin? Well, it was my first experience at Dean’s. Nice atmosphere and the on-​tap Porter was good; beyond that, nothing was. We sat at 8:15 PM, the food arrived at 9:45…OK, Saturday night might be a quite a bit busy from 6:30 — 8:00; but 1.5 hours is a stretch; it wasn’t that busy. However, that wasn’t the problem, the food was. My sides were incorrect and my fish had to have been sitting under a warmer for at least 30 minutes. The way I could tell was that the seared faces of the Cod were chewy, slimy and warm and the interior of the fish was DRY, real dry. In addition to the sides, the sauce was wrong also. To add insult to injury, the incorrect side they plated next to my fish was creamed spinach; and although I realize it’s tough to make that dish appetizing on an open plate, the long heat lamp exposure caused it to flatten, run and ‘string’ (best adverb I can think of) along the plate as the top face dried out completely.

Terrible service; terrible food! Food was delivered over an hour after it was ordered and was barely room temperature. $ 27 grouper was dry and tasteless; $ 22 cod was chewy –sides and sauces were incorrect. Waiter was scarce – no bread – no apologies! Worst date night ever.

Excellent Fresh Oysters, and the Brunch is fantastic at the Cary/​Morrisville NC location. Companion restaurant to the Twisted Fork in North Raleigh, NC. Prices may be a little high for the area, however the back of the house makes up for the price based on quality of ingredients, freshness, cleanliness, accuracy and skill of preparation, along with fast service.

Held a reception for my grandson’s dedication yesterday, taking advantage of the Sunday brunch. They accommodated our group of 31 in the patio, with table cloth & centerpieces — i was not expecting these extra special accommodations. Food was great — the cold /​raw bar was fresh, the warm food was equally great. My guests enjoyed the spread, and it has great variety to accommodate all types of diet — vegetarian, gluten-​free, etc… They do not mandate a minimum gratuity for a large group because it was a buffet — but I gave a 20% tip regardless given the impeccable service we were given. This place will always be my first choice for large group gatherings.

Seated right away but the service was very slow. Not impressed with the seafood dishes nor did my daughter like the steak. The only reason I may consider coming back will be for the all you can eat crab legs, not much you can screw up there.

We tried this resturant because of the pics and the great reviews and it did not disappoint. The resturant was very clean and spacious. The staff were on point and everyone check on us often and acted like they genuinely cared about our experience. The staff were very helpful with recommendations and help guide us through the different flavors of their dishes. The blue crab dumplings were amazing. The spinach apple salad was amazing with its cinnamon dressing. I had a the Mahi Mahi with the mango salsa and my wife had the rainbow trout. My daughter (6) had a steak which was free with adult entrees. Very happy and will definitely be back!!!

Trying to purchase gift cards from their website (rocky top) — took my $ but it has been over 48 hrs and no promised email of certificate — call to # provided on website — waited 35 minutes with music playing then automated answer machine — leave msg — still waiting for response
Hope the restaurant is better than this process — not happy camper — btw — they have charged my credit card ! Next stop BBB complaint!!!

We made it just a couple minutes before happy hours ended and were able to get some good deals.
We got Harissa Mussels and raw oysters. The bowl of Harissa Mussels is huge! I could hardly dipped my bread in the broth when it first arrived because the amount of mussels. However, the mussels were on the smaller side. Aside from that, it was delicious. The broth is rich and as other Unilocaler has pointed out it could be a bit heavy on the wine flavor. I wish there could be a bit more heat, because Harissa, but it’s still yummy nonetheless.
The night we were there, they had 4 different oysters, so we got 3 of each to make a dozen. The oysters were fresh and very delicious.
We really enjoyed our visit and left with a happy tummy.
Would definitely come back and check out other items.
Check their website for their daily happy hour offerings!

My first time attending Sunday Brunch and I was very pleased with the service and taste of the food. My reservation was at 10:45 am for a party of 2. Not crowded at all, and we were greeted warmly and seated promptly at a booth by a window. The waiter explained how the brunch was set up around the bar. He mentioned a made to order omelet station and the omelet of the day. Next to it was a waffle station where they also had french toast and pancakes. Next to that, a carving station (today was turkey) and some autumn faves like sweet potato casserole and green beans almondine. There was a delicious Brussel sprout cauliflower casserole that I really enjoyed. The cold bar offered some salads, smoked salmon bilinis, steamed shrimp, oysters. Deans is known for its seafood, so everything was fresh. More offerings await on the hot bar like shrimp n grits, fried chicken, today salmon but the waiter reminded us to save room for dessert. So glad I did. that banana bread pudding with caramel, white chocolate chips was amazing !! Def a brunch to check out, great value and quality for the price!

Tried again against better judgment and gave up! Ordered drinks and took awhile. Waited to place order for 30 mins but waitress never returned. Told hostess to bring check to pay for drinks and then waitress arrived, told her the same thing. 30 mins for overpriced drinks. Don’t waste your time or money. Not busy on a Saturday night. How are they still in business?

We have been back several times since our original first Happy Hour stellar experience. We have tried the Sunday brunch which was good, but didn’t blow our socks off enough to do it again. Not that it wasn’t good, it was just fairly ordinary. And since we live on the opposite side of town, we prefer to drive for better than ordinary.
Which is why we came back for dinner and had a tasty experience that involved an unusual salmon carbonara dish for me and a wood-​fired filet for Husband. Very good.
On this Saturday, we decided it was time to see if they were still doing the Half-​Price Apps in the Bar for Happy Hour, and sure enough from 5 – 6 only they are. And lucky us, we were there when they opened at 5.
Husband had a Fullsteam Hogwash Smoky Porter that he really liked for about half of it, but said it got to be a bit much after that. I’m usually a wine-​gal, but was intrigued by the cocktail called Basil Grape Vine: Tito’s Vodka. Domaine De Canton. Fresh Lime Juice.
Simple Syrup. Sweet Red Grapes. Fresh Basil. –9
I asked for no simple syrup and was mostly obliged with just a touch of it, as Bartender thought it needed a bit. It was indeed just right. Refreshing, but not too sweet.
As for food, sure enough the menu was different from last time, but we were told that all of them were eligible for the half-​price deal. And DEAL it is. We started with the Sampler of Blue Crab Dumplings with Mango Chili Sauce (YUM!-they are fried, by the way), Oysters Rockefeller… very rich and good, and Bacon-​Wrapped BBQ Shrimp that were on what I think were Polenta Cakes. There were three pieces of each, so with the two of us we did do some sharing negotiating. :)
Next up, we tried the Tempura Lobster Fingers with Sweet Chili Mustard Sauce. I liked this. Husband, not so much, but he’s not the biggest lobster fan anyway. (so what does he know?).
Lastly, we shared what turned out to be a GIANT bowl of Harissa Mussels: ChorizoTomatoes. White Wine. Harissa Butter. Grilled Baguette. This had a heavy wine flavor (which is a positive as far as I’m concerned. Chorizo tasted a lot like pepperoni (we love pepperoni) and I can’t even tell you how many mussels there were… a LOT, and nicely cooked. My only disappointment was the bread, which was tasteless, and it was oddly chewy. Even when dunked it still didn’t quite work.
Once again the happy hour prices are phenomenal… Both the Sampler and The Lobster Fingers would have been $ 18 each. Mussels $ 12. A Steal for $ 9 and $ 6.

Customer Service done RIGHT! Been here many times, always great. Love it here! Tonight my dish was not done right at all & they responded EXACTLY as they should! Took it back, off the bill, made me a new dish, kept checking back in, etc. etc. I’ve worked food service, things happen. That’s life, no biggie. It’s how the entire team takes care of it that matters. I’m happy!!!

Had a business dinner there. The food was above average but quite pricy compared to other places in the category. In the same shopping center there is another restaurant but I forget the name. I had a dinner there and the food also was above average but again pricy.

Superb presentation of a variety of oysters, and beers to complement the flavors. We came here for hors d’oeuvres and beer on a beautiful evening sitting out on the patio. The owner introduced himself as he came to our table and chatted. The chef explained all the flavors and presentation of the oysters and there was a rep from double brewery who did a great presentation on the beers. There was also a rep from the oyster company who explained the process of sustainable oysters. The flavor was so delicate and very well presented with a variety of toppings on each oyster on the half shell.

I ate at Dean’s one other time, and thought it was definitely not worth the price. I told Susan this, but she had never been there before, and wanted to try it… so, off we go.
Started with oysters that were over $ 3.65ea, and you couldn’t order less than a half dozen. Susan’s not a huge fan so, whatever I ordered was all mine. The Kaipara oysters were awesome, but not worth almost $ 4ea. She ordered a salad, and wanted a vinaigrette. Well, the server didn’t say it was going to be a creamy vinaigrette, which would have been nice to know as they’re normally not creamy.
So, as you can see, we’re off to a fabulous start — thankfully, the weather was awesome as we sat on the patio. Now, it’s time for the entrees…
I ordered the Sesame Tuna, and Susan ordered the Dean’s Cioppino Bowl.
For $ 26, I want a tuna steak, but what I get is seven slices laid over a bed of rice. Really?! Okay, since I’m not getting very much tuna, this better be some of the best tuna I’ve ever tasted — which of course, it’s not. Alright, I give up…
Now the Cioppino…, Dean’s version incorporates linguini, and I pointed this out to Susan while looking at the menu, but she wanted to give it a go, nonetheless. Well, unfortunately, the focus of the dish was a huge pile of linguini, and not the fish. Which, for $ 20, is another ripoff.
So, while we enjoyed each others company on a fine Friday evening, the food and service was just okay, and the pricing was, well — let’s just say…
RIP Dean’s.

Where do I start? Tried the Sunday Buffet for $ 23 a person. Thank goodness we had a groupon! The fried chicken were wings and thighs, the mac & cheese was cold and in an individual dish, the mashed potatoes were cold and hard. Their saving grace was the shrimp and grits (of which they were running low on) and the desserts were good.
Even still with the groupon and good desserts, I would not go back to the Sunday brunch Buffet… to many other tasty choices in the RDU area.

What an awesome dinner I had! It is hard to find a great seafood restaurant but this place has got me convinced it could be one. I ordered the mountain trout with the sides brie and sun-​dried tomato mac & cheese and asparagus. Everything on my plate was seasoned and cooked perfectly. The skin on the fish was crispy and the fish was not overcooked or overly greasy. The asparagus was cooked well and had a subtle seasoning. The brie and sun-​dried tomato mac and cheese, well, it tasted as delicious as it sounds! I was disappointed with the herb pistachio pesto accompaniment (sorry I can’t remember exactly which herb it was) as it was bland. However, I did not need it since the fish was so tasty on its own. The desserts deserve recognition as well. They have a nice variety which makes it very hard to choose. I recommend the s’mores dessert; a s’mores lovers dream.
The meal was expensive, but not unusual for seafood. The atmosphere seemed typical for a restaurant around the area however, the lighting inside was darker that I would have liked. They have a huge parking lot so no trouble finding a spot.

My wife and I just had dinner at Dean’s.
Our waiter Todd gets five stars.
I had the grilled Mahi with the fried brussel sprouts and the Mac & cheese as my sides. All very tasty and the portions were generous. My wife had the Ciopinno Bowl, which was okay, but not something she’s likely to order again.
We started with a ½ dozen Blue Point oysters and I had the Gala Apple & Pecan Salad, yummy. We finished our meal with coffee and the Bread Pudding a la mode… which was very good.
Our waiter sold us on the Sunday brunch which we’ll definitely come back for.

Did you know about the «all you ca eat» snow crab legs on Sundays? Delish — $ 29.99. Have also enjoyed their Sunday brunch — omelets, waffles, salad, chicken and veges, salmon and deserts to die for. They’re easy to work with — you can call to get on seating list.

We came in for happy hour night to check out their half priced appetizers which goes down in the bar area only.
We were seated quickly and upon telling our waitress we were trying to make a movie she definitely made sure out food came out quickly.
I didnt think the oysters rockafeller were that great because there wasnt much to them besides a few flakes of parmesan/​spinach and the calamari was average but the clams casino was something I would definitely order again. I thought it was worth what we paid but if we threw down full price I think I would have been a bit disappointed.
Service was fantastic and next time I think Ill check out the fried oysters.