Squid's Restaurant-Oyster Bar

We have never been dissappointed here. Seafood nicely prepared and not overcooked. Menu has a nice variety. Never afraid to recommend this place or bring friends! more

My wife and I visited Squids tonight for the first time in several years. It was once our favorite restaurant but something has changed. The bartender was so aloof and seemed spaced out. She would not make eye contact so it was hard to get her attention to order. When we sat down for dinner, the waitress was also indifferent...not very pleasant. Neither one seemed to want to be there. I spoke to the manager on the way out...his excuse for the poor service...""we were very busy tonight""...I can remember when Squids had a 1-2 hour wait...they wer not that busy tonight so that was a lame excuse. I've heard that Mickey Euel (owner) has been ill recently so that might explain the poor service and management. We will not go back again. more

My wife and I visited Squid's recently. The wait was short at 530pm on a sunday (to be expected at that time) My dish was good - I had the Pan Seared Salmon (nicely cooked, with mexican style beans, tortilla chips, guacamole, and red sauce. My wife had the Genovese Shrimp and Scallops, unfortunately her dish was bland and could have been matched by a microwave meal. Sounds harsh I know, but it was really not up to par. The deserts however were excellent, we chose- a Mud Pie and a Chocolate Brownie. They weren't anything fancy, but we loved them. The ""coffee"" iced cream in my mud pie didn't taste like coffee flavor but it was still very good.

also, I see that for some reason CitySearch has this as 1 dollar sign in ""Meal Price"" that must be an error, this place is about $16 for an entree and $7 for a limoncello. Pros: good service, decent atmosphere, enjoyable food for the most part Cons: pricy for the quality of food, hush puppies seemed out of place in a seemingly upscale restaurant more

The Seafood was great the service was also great! Keep up the good work! I had the one of the best times eating out in chapel hill in a long time. The food is $$$$$$ But you get what you pay for! Pros: The Seafood Cons: Service more

Great selection of seafood, with an extensive wine list. It is a nice restaurant for a romantic date and wonderful meal. I especially liked the gia... more

I live in Cary, but I love going to Chapel Hill to eat. We love 411 West and Top of the Hill. Squids is hopping every time we pass by, so I figured, we are missing something. I got the most popular thing on the menu, the horseradish crusted tilapia,. I thought it was very greasy. Pros: Just an average restaurant Cons: Just an average restaurant more

Our first time at Squids and it won't be our last. I called ahead to get on the ""list"" and arrived at the appointed hour. When we arrived, it was packed! The as-promised 20 minute wait in the noisy, crowded bar area went by pretty quickly. If crowds are not to your liking, don't go after a Carolina home game. Judging by the light blue garb of the patrons, a large component came from the basketball game. Pros: Great food! The best. Cons: Does not take reservations, but uses a call ahead list. Seated after 20 minutes.. more

.I've been going to Squid's for years, long before I moved to Chapel Hill. Over the years when I'd come up to visit my parents, we always tried to make room to go to Squid's during my stay. I think consistency of food and service is what helps Squid's maintain its popularity. The cod has always been flavorful and moist, and the braised spinach that comes with it is cooked just right, never over-done. The tilapia has just enough horseradish to add zing, but not obscure the taste of the fish. The simpler tilapia dish, broiled with olive oil and white wine, is also one of my favorites. Squid's wisely concentrates on (surprise!) the fish, and has a short list of side orders and vegetables that come with the meal. For those worried about ""greasy fish"" (as mentioned in a review above), well, don't order fried fish! You can get it broiled or baked, ya know! Pros: Large selection of fish, good simple side dishes, great wait staff Cons: Could wait a while (half-hour or so) for a group of five or more more

One of the few seafood places around that has more than just fried fare. Grouper, snapper, salmon, sea bass, tilapia, mahi, tuna and more. They have no problem making it the way you want it. Don't leave without trying the chowder. more

I am a big fan of the group who owns the restaurant. We love 411 West and go often. We like the food and atomosphere at Spankys. And when we're in Raleigh, 718 is always a consideration. And the parking lot is always full. You'd think they were doing something right. Wrong. Just our opinion but this is a cheap fish place without the cheap prices. Hushpuppies are dry. Service is indifferent. Fish is no better than fair. We certainly expected more from Squids. And the only reason I gave it two stars is the fish was reasonably fresh. In other words, it didn't make us sick. But it didn't make us happy. more

Their seafood is NOT your typical fried seafood! Try the trout or talapia it is very good and it is not fried. Oysters are served during happy hour and it is a great time to pick up cute guys in the bar area. Pros: Happy Hour, Cute waitstaff Cons: Crowded, Thursdays Seniors more

Previous review seems pretty accurate. A pretentious setting featuring boring and very expensive seafood. Over-rated. On the lower range of average. more

I thought this place was overhyped. It is always packed and honestly the food is not that great. The food is quite greasy so definately not the place to go if you are watching you waistline. Pros: Location Cons: Greasy Food, Crowded more