Chef Ricky Moore – North Carolina’s seafood evangelist and owner of the popular Saltbox Seafood Joint restaurants in Durham, North Carolina – has retired the Old Five Points location but invites fans to celebrate one final service there, at 608 North Mangum Street, on Sunday August 22nd with his seasonal Shrimp Burgers.
“While I’m sad to say goodbye to this tiny little place that fulfilled so many dreams for me and my family, I’m proud of what we’ve accomplished in just 205 square feet,” said Moore, whose Five Points location lease ends, but whose second location at 2637 Durham-Chapel Hill Boulevard will continue to serve. “This is where it all started, and that makes it bittersweet, but our lease has ended so we are retiring the original location,” explained Moore. “We are thankful to still be so rooted in the Durham community! It has been exciting to be part of Durham’s growth, and we will continue to be part of Durham’s future,” said Moore, who added, “we can’t wait to see you at our Rockwood location, and look forward to sharing future plans for the Saltbox Seafood Joint brand with you soon/” (The Old Five Points location has closed and will be open once more only on August 22)
Since Moore opened the original location in September 2012, Saltbox Seafood Joint has earned praise from Our State Magazine to Travel & Leisure and Saveur, who called it a “tiny but mighty seafood shack.” Garden & Gun recognized Moore’s fried oysters among their “Southern Food in 50 Dishes,” Vivian Howard’s new “Somewhere South” PBS series featured it, and it was the cover story of The Local Palate’s Summer 2021 issue. After years of local and national success at the Five Points location, Moore expanded with a second 2,200 square foot location in 2017. In 2019, he produced The Saltbox Seafood Joint® Cookbook offering 60 recipes and his coastal culinary heritage, and earned a James Beard Foundation nod for “Best Chef Southeast.” During the 2020 pandemic, DISCOVER awarded Saltbox Seafood Joint a $25,000 #EatItForward award celebrating black-owned restaurants across the country and MOFAD included it in their Black History Month exhibit, “African/American: Making the Nation’s Table.”
To celebrate nine successful years at the original Saltbox Seafood Joint location, Moore invites fans to visit from noon until sold out on Sunday, August 22 for Moore’s Shrimp Burger and famous Hush Honeys. Service will be on a first come, first serve basis, and there will be a purchase order limit of two per person.
