Reel Seafood Grill — Restaurant in Greensboro

I have always loved Reel Seafood. It was my favorite seafood restaurant in Greensboro until last night 2/19/21.

My husband and I are frequent diners here. We had a reservation as we called as we always do. Upon entering we had to wait quite a while for an attendant to even acknowledge us. When they did they did not have us down for a reservation. Other reservations were seated before us as they were in the books. We were patient. Now it's about 15 minutes in. Then there is a large amount of patrons coming in, all without reservations, that help themselves to seats at the bar that we were told for us. The attendant did not have the guts to remove these folks from that area that they were occupying. To be real, my husband and I were the only Black people in the restaurant and were treated like second class patrons. The other people were treated like priorities as we were left still standing and waiting for anyone to come and update us on the status of our seats.

I then had to go to the manager, 25 minutes in, to ask what was going on with our seats since they were not coming to us. He said that he was getting us a table. I told him we were informed that we would have the bar area being occupied and he seemed surprised. I told him that if he did not have an immediate table, that we wanted that area at the bar. He then saw my frustration through my mask and offered to comp our meal so we decided to stay and wait for the table which came quickly.

The table service was nothing to write home about as the server forgot our cutlery, plates and was busy as they seemed short staffed and everything took a LONG time. I notice everyone around us that came in after us had food and drinks well before we did.

When the bill came, I expected the meal to be comped as we were told. Well, not the case, they then only took off the appetizers and the rest we paid. I did not argue bc I was already done with the night that they ruined!

The food though was the best we had ever had there so that is the reason for the two stars. Had the consideration and service had even been fair, I would have rated them at least a 4 at minimum as the good was that good.

That was probably my last time going in a long time if I go back at all. I felt disregarded and truly felt they catered to white, wealthy-looking patrons and disregarded us and cast us, the only two Black patrons in there at the time, to the side as unworthy of consideration, appreciation for loyalty, and treated as secondary.

It felt like a "Get Out" moment. I will be returning to the establishment today to enlighten them on my sentiments as they have only grown in disgust since leaving as I continue to reflect upon what used to be my favorite spot for...

Regrets.....I regret that that we just had our first visit to Reel and they've been open for 5 years! I've been missing good, and I mean good seafood in GSO and only really enjoyed MJ's in the past so we were totally blown away by Todd and his team. The quaint location is "casual quality" tastefully decorated allowing for a truly enjoyable atmosphere. The seating is limited so reservations is highly recommended.

Oysters from the raw bar are seasonal based on locations and they bring in many types to please anyone; they can be raw, steamed or broiled. Best I've had in GSO.

Char-grilled N.C. Grouper Picatta was done perfectly. The Picatta was my favorite with zing and bite which compliments the light flavor of Grouper. My sides of Collard Greens and Cheese Grits satisfied my southern palate.

Fresh seasonal fish and shellfish is brought in weekly or bi-weekly so the menu changes making Reel Seafood the "go-to" seafood restaurant in GSO. Don't be upset if they run out of an option as another reviewer found to be irritating--fresh means buying only what you can serve immediately and that's what they do, just ask the server!

Kid friendly with non seafood options as well and a nice selection of steaks for land lovers too!

Shannon and Mick work the bar area and although busy they were patient and well versed in the menu. A wide selection of wines and specialty drinks are inviting making a trip to the raw bar alone worthwhile.

Hats off to the executive chef, Brad, for holding his crew accountable to quality and having pride in what they send out....

What has set this restaurant apart was that Todd, the owner, came by to talk with us, made suggestions and checked on our visit throughout our meal. You dont get that from many places anymore and to still have the passion years later is a dedication that few...

I keep getting told by friends to check this place out. I finally gave in and went. My wife and I went on a Wednesday night. We were only the 2nd table in the restaurant seated. When I looked through the menu one thing stood out. They really need to get some organization to the menu. They are trying to do too much. Some entrees come with 2 sides, some with 3 but you don't find that out until you order.

We ordered an appetizer and then our entrees. The crab dip was good, a nice start to the meal. We both had salads and it took a long time for them to come out. When they did come out they were room temperature. Salads should be cold, especially since they used chilled bowls to serve them. The dressings were homemade and were really good. Definitely the best part of the salad.

Then another waiting game to get the entrees. Another downside of their menu was no descriptions on the preparation. I ordered shrimp and grits and was unaware that it was served with mushrooms. I usually try never to send anything back but unfortunately this one had to be redone. Once corrected it was good. My wife had the blackened salmon and it was good. Warning, if you like your salmon medium you will have to specify. It came out well done but was not dry.

Overall it was ok. The service was SLOW. Really slow. Annoying slow. The food was good, not great. I will probably go back but I will not be in a hurry to do so.

On a side note, rolls/hush puppies are a side. It seem cheap to use bread as a side. It should be included. If you are going to charge $20-$30 an entree don't nickel and dime...