Oyster Shack
Going to the MMFA tomorrow and need info on Oyster Shack. A few people have told me about their Chowder (That it's wonderful), I however, am not a chowder fan but I do love seafood. Anyone tried it?
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I don't see what's so special about this place... nothing they do here is particularly great. It's all good to passable fare. The seafood is nothing special. Chowder is good for Montreal, I guess? It's intentions are good but I find it a mediocre experience overall. You would think that (not unlike MTL bbq for the longest time) a restaurant specializing in a certain type of regional fare or cuisine would make it a point to serve the absolute best since it's in their agenda, but perhaps the lack of these types of restaurants makes the city accepting of mediocrity. The one thing I can say is that every time I've passed by it's been completely dead inside which is a bad sign. I wish them well, but don't expect them to be a longstanding operation in the area. I think it's an awkward location as well, as if they're almost relying on a downtown walk-in attendance rather than discerning eaters. That said, I wouldn't want to dissuade anyone frome ating there... but it's far from the shanty shack coastal experience you might come to expect from reviews and such!
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re: oana
It's really not. Unless this new chef does something vastly different and improved. Their menu looks exactly the same to me. Lots of fried and deep battered stuff, nothing done particularly well or with any distinctive taste. It's an entirely bland and boring experience, overpriced and unmemorable. No reason to go out of your way to eat there when you can get everything (oysters, chowder, fish & chips, crab, lobster rolls, etc) at much better value and preparation elsewhere in the city. This is just another typical downtown eating establishment that doesn't really strive to be anything more. I think the only reason that there was any talk surrounding this joint last summer (or whenever it first opened) was because of the novel idea that was falsely delivered of a coastal-Maritime sea shack experience. Not even remotely... it's the Baton Rouge of seafood in Montreal.
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re: celfie
Really, when's the last time you've been? I used to like their ribs for what theyr were and found it a decent family restaurant, but it's basically an Applebees or TGIFridays now. Completely terrible.
Oyster Shack turns out the same kind of bland uninspired food aimed at the lowest common denominator, but what's frustrating is that their whole marketing schtick would lead you to believe otherwise. They dish out overpriced fried clams and chicken fingers and happy-hour bar style shrimp drowned in syrupy sauces. Their burgers taste like they're cooked up from a frozen supermarket box. They serve a $16 lobster roll which fails to satisfy alongside tasteless french fries. Their fish and chips are greasy and bland. The crab cake is pretty well done and I liked their chowder (not even comparable to anything I've had outside of this city though!), but everything else I've tried has been a miss. I've never bothered to order their $30 scampis or surf & turf platters because frankly, I would never go to a place like Oyster Shack to pay those prices for that kind of food. It's a good concept in theory but is extremely poorly realized and while nothing on the menu is outright terrible, noithing is particularly good either. It's all passable uninspired fare which would be fine for conventional maritime shack snacks if they dished it out competently, but nothing they do is worth my time or consideration, personally speaking. Hence the comparisson to a middle of the road and run-of-the-mill resto like BR.
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Going once again tomorrow night. Not too fancy, but for Montreal it has decent seafood. I say this with some qualification as I was the chef/owner of a good Vancouver seafood/fish restaurant.
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re: bigfellow
Haggisboy
Aug 31, 2010 05:44 PM
Does anybody know what type of catfish they use in their fish and chips, as well as their burger? Equally, from those who have been there, do you think, or know, if the servers would be able to tell you? The only reason I ask is because I'd want to know if they're using the Vietnamese variety commonly called Basa here in Montreal (if you buy it frozen from Super C, they use the name Pangasius), or if it's one of the two true "classic" American varieties such as Blue or Channel catfish.
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Just want to add my thumbs up for Oyster Shack since the thread is titled so.
Been there on two occasions since the start of this year. Staff is very friendly. Resto is decorated to look like a seaside seafood shack - very relaxed yet still white-cloth napkin service!One Thursday happy hour night (customer appreciation night? not sure.) there were non stop rounds of free fresh raw oysters, fried shrimps, shrimp cocktail and bruschetta. And they were all yummy! The bruschetta was done nicely - the right crunch noting its freshness and non sogginess and a hint of basil - TASTY! Their fish & chips was heavenly - if I remember it is catfish. Batter was light, cripsy, and no taste of re-used oil. I also had the clam chowder poutine and it was also good and very filling!
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amelie1980
Mar 4, 2009 05:23 AM
I've tried it, but I'm not a fan of seafood (so I had the lamb, which was good but very salty). The people I was with had fish, though, and they liked it. There's also a clam chowder poutine!
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