Rye, I’ve had it all over too, and it takes a LOT to impress me cuisine wise (my avatar matches me well and well as the Yogi Bear persona). Take in the Dinner at Dusk special at Washington Duke. Three courses and the desserts are impressive too. That place went to the top of our list for THE dinner place to go in the triangle for special occasions. Oak Leaf in Pittsboro is pretty good too. I promise you that you’ll be impressed from the first bite.
Capt Stanley’s ain’t bad for a cheap meal of seafood. I grew up 20 miles from Calabash and the state of all the restaurants down there is pitiful now days. Time was (50s/60s/70s) that Calabash was known for fresh seafood straight off the boats that pulled up to the dock around 3 PM everyday. 99 % of all seafood places now serve from frozen. YUCK!
I still love oyster roasts because frozen is impossible there. That being said Horry’s on highway 9 at the Waccamaw River Bridge going into North Myrtle is pretty good. For really good east coast oysters head down to McClennanville (between Georgetown and Mt. Pleasant) on Highway 17. Pick up a bushel or two and roast ’em yourself. Many a day I rode 100 miles to home on my way back from the College of Charleston with 2 bushels in the back of my car. I can still remember that smell like it was yesterday. YUM!
Smarter than the average bear
