Squid’s

Went in for dinner to have ½ off oysters… the bar top was busy and I was asked by the hostess to sit In terms mail. Dining room… I was then told I wouldn’t be allowed to have the oysters at the Tuesday special price due to my not being in the bar… infuriated about this… it’s why I visited tonight… food and drinks were wonderful as usual though.

Have eaten at Squids twice, each time shrimp was over cooked and fish entrees (ex. Grouper) were dry from over cooking. Stick with the happy hour oysters on the half shell.

Exceeded expectations. Fun seafood restaurant, perhaps a little highly priced for what it is, but yet the food tasted very good for the most part, with only a couple of exceptions. It is really good to have a unique local seafood place like this in the area, as an alternative to the marginal national chains.
I’m not a hush puppy fan usually, but these were pretty delicious, tasting like little donuts. The only problem is a few of the pieces were served a little black and burnt on the outside which was a disappointment.
The French Fries were kind of bland and did not seem to be up to par with the other food. Perhaps, they should switch recipes on those.
However, cole slaw and fried seafood definitely impressed, as did the cocktail sauce and horse radish. Steamed and chilled seafood was Ok, but steamed clams seemed quite over priced around $ 7 I believe for six small local clams, and the oysters were just very basic Gulf variety vs. being something more elevated, interesting, and unique.
However, service was great and a definite differentiator. Drink glasses were always filled high, which I love. Fried shrimp and fried flounder were game on.
I’ll definitely be back, but with a few improvements, and perhaps more reasonable prices on some items, I would go a lot more often…

Squidly bloody didlies, this place is a time capsule, truly amazing and must be seen to be believed.
Here’s my feedback, I hope they read it:
— Opportunity is abounding from this place
— But the unlocked potential may never be exposed by a reluctance to drag themselves out of the 19^th century
— menu never changes
— dishes are plain and uninspiring
— oysters are lazy, only one type, and they have no taste
— hush puppies are doughy and boring
— décor is as old as the patrons
Tip for eating there, leave until a little later, although full at 5pm, it’s empty by 6:30pm…

Great dinner out with the family! Had a ½ pack of steamed oysters at the bar and some hush pups while waiting for a table — very busy on the weekend but worth the wait!

Squids is by far my favorite seafood restaurant in the triangle! I have yet to order anything that wasn’t delicious here, even their steak believe it or not! My favorite thing is they have half priced oysters from 4−6pm every day and they are always so good! You have to sit in the casual bar area to get them but you can also order their full menu there as well. The bar area is also a great place to watch the game but get there early if you want a spot for the oysters as it gets pretty packed. My other go to is their seafood chowder, you won’t regret it! While you wait they bring you out hushpuppies which is just another addition that makes this place great! Always a super friendly staff also and an overall happy environment!

Not sure how Squid’s doesn’t at least have a 4 star rating. This place is solid. Steaks, seafood, and hush puppies as soon as you sit down. I call this place the 42^nd St of Chapel Hill. It’s an old school chapel hill hangout. Avoid Franklin street and eat here before your next Tar Heel bball game.

Variety of seafood with reasonable price! We were visiting from MD and wanted to try southern style inspired seafood. I cannot say Squid’s is for that place, but their dishes are creativity filled with deliciousness!
One thing I have noticed is that the crowds were more on the older side. I am in 20s, didn’t feel out of place here and had a great time. It’s homey, welcoming and highly recommend!

My husband, who is VERY particular about his food, and I have gone four times now, and each time have been very pleased with our dinners. This time around we shared the fried oyster caesar salad and my husband was thrilled with the quality of both the oysters and the freshness of the romaine lettuce. I had a wonderful 1−½ lb. lobster ($ 37), and my husband had the grouper special ($ 27) — both great, and on the higher side price-​wise. Most dinner are ~$ 18.
I’m not a fan of potatoes with fish, so I substituted the basmati rice, which was super. Veggies are fresh and well prepared with some crunch, which is how I like them. Wine list is good — all the wines have been perfect with our meals. Many are under $ 25/​bottle.
Past dinners we have had the crab cakes — one was sufficient, pan seared salmon, tilapia filet, fried shrimp– all have been excellent.
The bar area, which opens at 4pm, looks like a lot of fun and we plan to come for a few drinks and some appetizers.
It is very obvious that the owner’s care a great deal about the food, service, cleanliness, etc. as everything is done well, with attention to detail. Kudos to the kitchen and wait staff for making each time a great dining experience!
My only wish is that they were open for lunch on the weekends…

I really enjoyed my meal at Squids tonight. The restaurant is somewhat divided into a more formal dining area and a more casual laid back bar. I sat at the bar and what a fun time we had! We watched the fresh oysters being cracked per order and they looked amazing — although I didn’t order them this time around. I’ll be back for them though, since they’re half price for happy hour!
I ordered a Moroccan salad made with home made roasted red pepper dressing and topped with goat cheese, almonds, and golden raisins. It was SO yummy. You can order half ($ 6.25) and full sized salads. We also munched on free, hot and fresh hush puppies as we waited for our meals.
I also ordered the half pound of steamed shrimp served with cocktail and butter sauce ($ 9). They were fantastic. I was stuffed before I even finished them but they were so good I had to eat them all up! The portion sizes were plentiful and the prices were friendly!
Some of the main entrée dishes were more pricey ($ 18 – 23) but for fresh seafood I would consider that fair.
My friend and I ate for $ 45 including dessert (chocolate mousse silk pie with raspberry drizzle, $ 6)! We were pleasantly surprised when the bill came.
The service was awesome! Props to your team at Squids!
I’ll definitely be back and would recommend for the seafood lovers out there!

Came 15 minutes before they closed. No issue, waitress was very polite and the food was excellent. My girlfriend had a martini that wasn’t very good but nevertheless this is a solid sea food place that any seafood lover should try in Chapel Hill.

Tops for seafood in the Triangle. Pig out on raw or steamed oysters at the oyster bar for half price. A chapel hill institution. Come early on weekends since it gets crowded

Moved from MD to NC and really missed having good seafood — especially crab cakes and raw liitleneck clams. Squid’s is awesome! Don’t let the name of the place scare you.. .this is a SEAFOOD restaurant, squid is just one thing on the menu. :-)

We went to Squids on Memorial Day. My In-​Laws were treating my 7 year old son to a Lobster dinner. He earned for doing so well in school. On Monday nights they have a lobster dinner special 25% off.
Everyone enjoyed there dinner. I had a steak at a seafood place. But they steak was cooked great, perfect medium rare, seasoned very nicely. The free basket of hush puppies are always a hit.
We will return again! Nice family run place that has not changed in the last 10 years. Same great food, nice cordial staff, clean restaurant and very reasonable prices. We live over an hour away otherwise we would go at least once a month or more.

Great experience!!! Oysters were amazing, and ½ off! Can’t beat that. They were large in size and came with all the bells and whistles (ie: crackers, horsey, cocktail, hot sauce). Service was wonderful. Truly a seafood must!!!
My only recommendation for them… Branch out make a little seafood market if you get your stuff fresh. That’s really what I went there thinking it was. A market. LOL. A pleasant surprise.

I was there at 4 o’clock for the raw bar early opening half price or Easters on the half shell. It was a fantastic experience stop in get a snack get more than you paid for and be on my way. Next time I have to spend some more time ordering other things off the menu but I was very impressed from the start.

Really, really good! My son had the boiled lobster, very fresh and ample size, probably weighed 1 ½ lbs., served with butter, lemon, a bib, and a shell cracker. I’m from New England, and a fairly good judge of lobster dinner. I had the pan-​fried catfish, which had a cornmeal crust, the fish was juicy, with a meaty texture and slightly sweet flavor. My only reason for not giving Squid’s a five star rating were the mussels appetizer, which was on special. The mussels were served in a delicious tomato basil cream sauce, but the meat of the mussels had an unfamiliar sour and bitter taste, which surprised me because they looked so good. Could have been a one off, though I’d be wary of ordering the mussels again.

I’ve lived in Chapel Hill for over 7 years and finally tried Squids. Phenomenal!!! Fresh, hot hush puppies are served the moment you sit down. They have an extensive menu with a variety of seafood options. Prices are a little steep but the quality is great. The fried oysters are some of the best I’ve ever had… so juicy! Katie was our waitress and was so awesome. A great waitstaff makes such a difference! I highly recommend Squids for great seafood. I’ll certainly be back!

I came here for dinner with my boyfriend one night because we wanted reasonably priced oysters and Squid’s has half-​priced oysters from 4 – 6 every night. We got a dozen and a half for about 12 bucks, so if you’re really into oysters, this is the place to be. You have to be seated at the bar, but that’s not a huge deal and the fresh oysters are shucked right in front of you. They’re pretty mild-​tasting and sweet, which is what I like, so that was nice.
For our entrees, we got the horseradish crusted tilapia and the tilapia filet. I really like the horseradish crusted tilapia, especially with onion cream (even though that made the crust kind of soggy), and the fish was cooked perfectly. It was flaky and tender and moist. However, the potatoes and the beans and mushrooms weren’t impressive. I felt like those elements didn’t add much to the dish — in fact they were kind of overly greasy. I stole a bit of my boyfriend’s mashed potatoes and they were indeed fluffy and deliciously seasoned.
Their entrees aren’t really the cheapest ones, and I’m not sure I would come back often for those, but the oysters are amazing. I will most definitely be back for that. Service was also very friendly.

Solid seafood restaurant overall. I ordered the seafood Kabobs which came out as one skewer with 2 shrimp and 2 scallops and another skewer with 3 decent size filets of different fish. The scallops and shrimp were cooked perfectly, two of the pieces of fish were moist and tasty but one was way too overdone. The mashed potatoes and sautéed vegetables served on the side were what you would expect (in a good way) and solid size portions. My girlfriend ordered the shrimp and scallop pasta dish which was pretty tasty as well. The waitress was slow to greet our table but other than that the service was very good!