My wife and I went to Michael Dean's this past Sunday because a friend of ours told us that they had a really nice raw bar and we are big seafood fans. We were not dissapointed by the recommendation. We knew we didn't want an actual entree, so we decided to sit at the raw bar and have some fresh oysters and clams. The bar was fairly crowded for a Sunday (we soon realized that the crowd was there for the Sunday special - 1/2 off all raw bar items), but we found a couple of seats. The service was fast and friendly and the atmosphere was relaxed, but nice. The seafood was awesome - we opted for raw oysters instead of steamed, a risk for an inland raw bar, but the oysters were fresh and served with all the sauces we could ask for. The steamed clams were just as good. Overall, the recommendation proved to be well worth the trip out to Raleigh.
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