Reviews of The Mermaid (Fish Shop)

Zack Hanna

This review is solely based on our taste preferences. We do not like bland food, we love flavors. Unfortunately, we didnt find any of that in 2 of their iems that we tried. First we tried, their famous Lobster Roll, although the lobster itself tasted nice, but it was put on this plain piece of bread, which i didnt like much, coz the dish did not come "together" when we tasted it. Bread was dry, so there was a lot that they could have done there. It was way over priced in our opinion (30+ CAD per roll). Second, we tried their Fish & Chips, i felt more oil & less flavor. Constantly i felt the need of putting salt over it to get some taste, as OIl overpowered any other taste the fish had. The only thing I loved truly in both were the CHIPS, they were really really good! I could actually pay only for chips to take out if they sell them. Service although is very good, very warm and affectionate people behind the counter. Nicely done place, cute little restaurant.

Angela Y

I had a craving for a good clam chowder, and saw reviews for this place. From Brampton it’s a 35 min drive on Sunday afternoon but it in happy to say it was worth it. I haven’t had a clam chowder this good since I was on the west coast in Seattle at Pike Place Market. Wife had the lobster bisque which she was good, and had nice pieces of lobster in it. We shared the lobster role which was light and fresh. Service was very friendly and prompt. The place is quite small, and the table we sat at was tight (reason for not 5 stars). I’m sure at busier times you’d have to get take out. We’ll be back for sure.

JayT Warsh

Meal type

Christopher Fortin

Exceptional service, awesome food selection and yes may favorite clam chowder and fish (haddock) and chips at a reasonable price. I recommend to try. Worth trying.

Vladimir Kravetz

Owner (or manager) walks around inside and out with no mask. Everyone else is compliant. I guess he feels he is above public health protocols in a pandemic. Food was good. Service was McDonald's style. You order at their register and you hope you get what you order. Of course that did not happen. Keep working at it guys.

Theresa B

Meal type

Sales-5SixPhoto

Enjoyed fresh, flavourful, crispy fish & chips, as well as, lobster grilled cheese for lunch after a walk at Tannery Park and vicinity on this lovely Saturday afternoon. We appreciate the selection of fresh fish available. Just disappointed that we haven’t “discovered” The Mermaid sooner. Happy to support local business!

Chris Kowalchuk

Terrible service!!! If you want to spend a nice evening, avoid this place. I had to wait 40 minutes for a dozen of shucked oysters and had to remind them that I was waiting for them. When I finally got the oysters, I asked for more lemon and they didn’t bring it either. No napkins, asked around 3 times to get my receipt. The place wasn’t even crowded or understaffed. When I told them that I would never be back to this place, the owner replied sarcastically “thank you for that”. I love to support local, but when I go out I hope to have a good time, not being disappointed for bad service.

Christian Plante

Lunch

Miroslav El (МиР)

Excellent service + fresh and delicious food. Highly recommend the lobster roll and Caribbean calamari! We got the lobster bisque to go and it was perfect perfect the next day!

David Tay

Fresh, huge portions, flavorful and amazing staff! The seafood stew was sooo yummy , highly recommend it for colder days. The calamari was crispy and delicious. Our new fav seafood spot in Oakville :)

Mandy Leung

We are very impressed with the quality of our food. The amount of food in our order is unbelievable! The last pic is just one bowl of the Newfie seafood stew! The entire order was probably just as much as the mussels in the pic, the container was the same size. This was my Mother’s Day dinner (at home) and I couldn’t be more pleased! The oysters were fresh!! We were given the option of shucked and not shucked, so we picked shucked for less work! ???? We will be ordering again soon!

Ralitza Iankova

Best seafood restaurant for miles great customer service and hospitality, the owner went over and beyond the call of duty on several occasions for us. Love the lobster bisque the clam chowder and of course freshest oysters around, keep up the good work guys.

Mel S

Excellent seafood joint that reminds me of the East coast. Pleasantly surprised at how fresh all the ingredients are. The seafood is meaty and fresh. The greens were vibrant and crisp. Even the fries were great, with a crisp exterior and tender centre. One small gripe is there were a few small shell pieces in my lobster roll. Would definitely still come back for more seafood.

Diane Garcia Cowan

Nice sheltered patio. Had lunch and ordered the Lobster rolls, jerk calamari and catch of the day. Tasty buttery bread with generous portions of lobster in the roll and jerk calamari was well spiced. Order at counter and they bring it out to you in the patio.

Nasir Amini

Take out

Mohammed Karimjee

Love the ???? rolls and soups! Do not miss their daily specials

Ethel

The absolute best location in the GTA to pick up oysters from. Dine-in, Take them home & shuck them yourself, or ask them to kindly do it! Either scenario works. If you appreciate a juicy oyster this is the location for you. Overall fresh seafood, highly recommended.

Indre Ra

I have been looking forward to giving the Mermaid a try and let me tell you it was worth the wait. I grabbed dinner for my wife’s birthday as resultants are closed to indoor dining (Covid) The food was amazing. Fresh, delicious great portion size. My wife is in love and can’t wait to go back. Great place you have to try !!!!

Siddharatha Mehta

I am in love with this place. A must try is their Lobster Bisque & Fresh Oysters with Amazingly delicious signature Horseradish sauce. They moved to their new location down the street and they did an amazing job with the entourage of the place, you can feel how much love was added to it. It is a small restaurant so I would recommend you book your table. The Staff is friendly and definitely knows what they are doing, Big 5 Stars to them and the food

Amna Al-Omari

First time visiting and had a great experience. Ordered the cod crunch sandwich and the 2 piece haddock fish and chips. Sandwich was delicious, cod was nice a crunchy, satisfying portion! Bottom bun got a tad soggy in some spots but not a big issue. 2 Piece haddock and chips were also delicious. Super generous portions and I love that they make their own tartar sauce. Fries could’ve been crunchier as they were a little oily and soggy. Definitely coming back again!

Kelly Lee

Ordered the lobster roll. A lobster roll is a lobster roll, I find them similar in many places. It tasted fresh, but wanted to see if this $29 sandwich was better than the rest but sadly it was not. With taxes it goes to $32. Then they ask you to tip (takeout). Means that this meal was $35+ Wasn't worth the money. Will maybe try the regular fish and chips one day.

Brian Sharp

What a great East Coast seafood treat on a rainy summer day in Oakville! Lobster roll, tacos, catch of the day (hali) and avocado crab salad were all super fresh and delicious. Will MOST DEFINITELY be back to try everything else on the menu.

Samar Harb

Was driving by and the theme of this restaurant attracted me instantaneously. On visiting this restaurant and looking at this menu I felt like having one of each. I AM A BIG SEAFOOD LOVER, so on this occasion me and my son tried the oyster and fish taco, both were tremendously enjoyed. Service and hospitality was spot on and the level of hygiene was exceptional. Gonna try the lobster sandwich next time.

Ana Moaz

Dine in

Nathan Goswell

Happy to be back, we used to go to mermaid and oysters many years ago in the old location, but stopped due to busy schedules. We sure are very happy to be back, the food is as fresh and delicious and it used to be. Hands down one of the best restaurants in town. Their longevity is proof of how good the food is, in this town of ever changing restaurants.

Jason Y

Catering - Oysters! Jumbo Shrimp Cocktail! and a TOWER of Lobster rolls!! We are so happy with our choice to have the Mermaid and the Oyster cater my brother Wedding on the weekend. The Lobster rolls were over flowing with lobster meat, the shrimp cocktail was amazing with the zingy cocktail sauce, lots of Tabasco to choose from and horseradish. Every Oyster was full of liquor, perfectly shucked and super chilled! very important seeing as it was 30 degree weather! The Oyster shucker was personable and friendly she really added to the night, and the owner Dean showed up to make an appearance which was really apricated. I recommend the mermaid and the oyster for not only their quality of seafood but also their customer service. Thanks again!

Rajeev Sharma

Driven by here many times but never really noticed it. Decided to get takeout and I was glad I did. Ordered the Fishermen Stew which was packed with flavour and the portion was enough for two people. It was my favorite. Also got the Tuna Poke and Seared Tuna Slaw, both were fresh and favourable. Another solid order. I wasn't too keen on the crab cakes, a tad bland in my opinion. Can't wait to go back and try the oysters!

Patrick I

Definitely will come back. Ordered take out and everything was absolutely delicious. Ordered the Mermaid Chowder, oysters and Tuna poke. The Chowder had so much flavour in every bite. The tuna poke tasted so fresh and the flavours were sooo balanced. The oysters were delicious and so big. I trust the quality seafood here. Soooo goood.

Miah Grace

Really disappointed with my order today. When I got home and took out my order, the soup container looked too small to contain 24oz and I was right. As you can see in the photos I ordered 24oz and only received 18oz. Hopefully this is a one off and they are usually properly measured.

Cynthia McAlindon

My experience was ruined by the level of service. I placed an order close to closing time for take-out. By the time I got home with the meal, I found one of the items was missing. By that time the restaurant had closed. Over the next week, I had tried contacting them through email, Facebook, and I tried calling, only to have to leave a message. Not once did they attempt to even respond.

Quinn Nguyen

Some of the best seafood I've had in a while. The server was also really friendly. Pro-tip: get the fish tacos.

L

The Mermaid, has now become our new hot spot for a quick bite of some awesome lobster rolls and calamari. The food here is beyond phenomenal and the staff was super friendly. First time at this restaurant and will not be the last. My wife and I are excited to bring our parents here next time. Thank you The Mermaid!

郭Anne

Great lobster roll, staff is annoying...a simple order or transaction involves too many inquiries...someone is stepping in "I need one lobster roll with fries to go" why so much other questions after that? In my opinion the answer should be $32 .... in 10 minutes.

Brittany Tom

Lunch

Matt Davidson

Went for a late lunch with the wife. Good reviews online went to try it out. Ordered The lobster roll, she had the catch of the day. Service was good, Food came out within a reasonable amount of time. The lobster roll was underwhelming, basically boiled lobster with a hint of lemon Juice, was expecting more for a $29.00 dish. I Ordered it with a salad which had a hair in it. Didn't say anything, I used to work in a restaurant, it happens. The fish of the day my wife choose was Cod. Came out looking delicious it was over salted... Not a little to much salt it was an insane amount totally unedible. We mentioned it to the waitress, she was totally confused with the situation. We explained it had waaaay to much salt and she kept repeating ok refire no salt. We asked her to take the dish back. She reached across the table grabbed a napkin and offered to just take the fish back in a napkin. I'm guessing the manager stepped in said no we'll just replate the dish. Food came back out with no salt. Like zero salt. Tasted like hospital food. She just wanted fish with a regular amount of salt nothing too crazy. The last thing was the amount of flies constantly hovering around while trying to eat, my guess is the proximity of the garbage bin that is caused that many files. Disappointed will not be returning.

Jin Kim

Hardworking staff and awesome food. Amazing fish and chips and the lobster bisque is excellent. Tight space inside but they've got a little patio outside as well. Order ahead for take out, they get busy.

Mariah Brown

Had lunch today on The patio. The server was so kind and put on the outdoor heater for us. Great fresh oysters / tasty fish tacos and delicious crab & shrimp avocado salad. Hidden gem. Love this place. Cheers - JAY T WARSH

Kaleigh otto

The good - The food I had was all very good - lobster roll, chowder, even coleslaw. (Eventually the oysters too, more on that later). The not so good - My husbands catch of the day was pretty skimpy. The vegetables were well cooked, the rice was bland. The bad - We got forgotten. Always a frustrating experience. When you order oysters, they typically arrive before the mains, like an app. I had to ask twice to get them, and they arrived just as my husband was finishing his meal. Our service was noticeably slow, other patrons that arrived after us got their food significantly quicker. No explanations or apologies. Not the best first impression. This could have been a great experience, but for an $80 lunch, I expect more attention to service. This really took the wind out of the sails, so to speak.

Tony Tarantella

We ordered a dozen oysters, the calamari and fish tacos for take out to have a picnic at Lakeside Park! The oysters were meaty, super fresh and perfectly packaged. Calamari was super tasty I loved the banana peppers and not too salty. And the fish tacos were so nicely wrapped up making it really easy to eat! Loved this place and will definitely come back!!!

Amman

Incompetent and rude staff. The manager SLAMMED a notebook on our table to sign for contact tracing. The "waitress" brought us food we did not order. The oysters were served without ice. The fish and chips were served without tartar sauce and ketchup had to ask for them. When asked for a to go box they tried to give us a dirty one lol. Order take out - do not eat there.

Izabela Stirling

Service

J S

The best fried calamari I’ve ever had! Perfectly tender inside and super crunchy outside! Perfect seasoning and goes well with fried peppers. It comes with aioli which is good, but I wish it would come with huge piece of lemon to be able season by myself. Fried cod sandwich was pretty good. The fish is definitely perfectly cooked and crunchy outside, the bun is nice and soft, just wish for a little bit more flavour in the sandwich, maybe some acidic spread would be great or once again a piece of lemon. Lobster roll didn’t amaze us as it was a little bit dry and the lobster was more of the ground lobster that actual pieces. Also it’s a bit pricey $29, so I’d rather try other menu items for that price. Overall great experience! Everything seems to be super fresh, made to order. I’d love to come back to try something else and definitely get those calamari rings again!

CurdyGirl Irl

The food was amazing and our server, Danielle, was so kind and attentive all night. Oysters and cocktails were delicious. We went for happy hour and it was an amazing deal

Devin MacDonald

Service

Rachel Nnnn

I had the Clam chowder and steamed clams dish. First the chowder: It's gluten free!!! It's perfection, a wonderful mix of clams, potato, spices, and a creamy broth. Also watch out it retains its heat very well so it'll be wonderful start to finish. The Steamed clams was a very nice counterpoint, the chorizo sausage providing a tiny kick to the dish. My only wish was that they had a gluten free bun to soak up the spicy broth at the end. Finally, great staff.

Victor Korsun

Great food! had lobster roll. Lots of meat and good flavor. 32$ for roll and chips. Good Down East taste, enjoyed beside lake O on a fall day....just missing the salt water mist!

Ryan Stirling

Randomly found this place. Small but super cute inside. Great service!! Most importantly delicious lobster roll! This place did not disappoint! Must try in Oakville :)

Sherri Aitchison

Please just go see for yourself how amazing this place is. It is best for lunch, but dinner works also. All their lobster dishes are stupid good. Prices are higher - just over $20 average for an entrée alone, but it is worth it. Call ahead for specials, I know Thursday usually is their oyster special day. Can confirm the oysters are great also. Just go.

J Lin

Came here for the first time the other day and ordered mussels and oysters which were delicious (for takeout). When we placed our order they said it’ll take about 10 mins so we waited outside and came back in after a bit just to check if the order was ready, the girl preparing the oysters seemed very irritated when we came to check if our food was ready and said she’s going in the order of the names and going as fast as she can. No one even pressured her or said anything to rush her, not sure why she was on edge but the other girl helping us was very friendly.