Raleigh–Durham, NCFish Fry

Saltbox Seafood Joint cooks North Carolina catch in Durham with Calabash seafood as one reference point. Lightly fried, boldly seasoned shrimp, oysters and flounder are the fried-fish draw, while the menu changes with the seasons. Order from the day's catch for a fish-shack plate shaped by the coast.

Inside Durham Food Hall, Locals Seafood serves platters of fried coastal catch. The Calabash-style spread can bring shrimp and oysters with waffle fries and tartar sauce, connecting the counter to the North Carolina fish markets behind the business. Order a fried seafood platter for the food hall's take on the coastal fry.

St. Roch serves fried seafood with a New Orleans accent in downtown Raleigh. Its Carolina Calabash platter brings together fried fish, oysters and shrimp with fried pickles, fries and crawfish-stuffed hushpuppies. Order the platter when you want the fried-fish tradition as a full mixed-seafood meal.

At the State Farmers Market, NC Seafood Restaurant sends the smell of fried seafood through the stalls. Its straightforward menu brings the Calabash style inland, including deviled crab alongside the fried catch. Stop at the market counter for the coastal tradition in Raleigh.

Captain Stanley's serves a Calabash-style fried-fish plate in a dining room decorated with fish, a ship's helm and images of the sea. Order fried white fish with shrimp and hushpuppies; traditional Southern sides round out the meal. The Wilmington Street restaurant keeps the seafood-counter approach centered on a generous fried platter.