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Big Daddy's Crabshack & Oyster Bar
Categories: Restaurants Seafood Restaurants Cajun/Creole Seafood, Cajun/Creole [Edit]
212 King St WToronto, ON M5H 1K5
Neighbourhoods: Entertainment District, Downtown Core
(416) 599-5200
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take Away:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Quiet
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- No
24 reviews for Big Daddy's Crabshack & Oyster Bar
Review Highlights
"...that I added the cajun-fried alligator to be adventurous on..."
(in 3 reviews)
"The seafood fondue was flavorful, large, and chock-full of..."
(in 4 reviews)
"Their range of house-made sauces always amuse the first..."
(in 5 reviews)
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24 reviews in English
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Review from Lauren H.
11/26/2011
The scene: a whirlwind, 36-hour visit to Toronto. 3G is disabled to prevent astronomical roaming charges, and the hotel charges $15/day for wireless. We are lost, hungry, and Yelpless, and it's getting late. We accost a stranger and ask, "where is good food?" He wraps a protective arm around his girlfriend points in the general direction of King Street before hurrying away. We walk a few blocks south and turn down a dark stairwell. We find Big Daddy's Crabshack and Oyster Bar.
She does not get eaten by the eels at this time. What I mean to say is, the story gets less scary from here. I'm explaining to you because you look nervous.
We walked in to what looked like a cross between an Irish pub and classy cocktail bar. Dark wood everything, but with a certain elegance. Our friendly waitress informed us that we were beginning "Voodoo hours" (10pm to midnight in this particular location, if I recall), which meant that all of their small plates were $2 off. This meant 4 oysters (with fixins') could be had for a mere $5.
Now, you may recall that we were Yelpless, so we were a little hesitant about ordering discount raw seafood. But you may also recall that we were very hungry as well. Raw oysters it was. And seafood fondue after that, and coconut chicken tenders after that. The oysters were fresh and delicious. The seafood fondue was flavorful, large, and chock-full of fresh seafood. The coconut chicken tenders were overcooked, greasy, and boring. 2 out of 3 ain't bad, but stick with the "surf" if you visit.
We left full and happy. The end. -
Review from Bryan C.
Toronto, ON
11/26/2011 1 Check-in Here
This is going to be a really weird review for two reasons. The first and most important is that I do not like seafood. The second is that they have some really good wines in bottle, to which a few of those have been finished as of just an hour ago. Basically, this is a review based on "turf" and not much "surf", and plenty of booze. So here we go!
When first arriving it had more of a pub feel to the restaurant than a Red Lobster feel, which made me feel more at home and in my proper element. We were a group of 16, but within 5 minutes of being seated we all had drinks in front of us and were being told the specials. After reading over the menu, I went with their "3-course prix fixe" option where I chose coconut-crusted chicken tenders as the appetizer, Big Daddy's BBQ pork back ribs as the entrée, and the red velvet sweet treat cupcake as the dessert. On top of that I added the cajun-fried alligator to be adventurous on the free appetizer from joining their mailing list.
The first thing that was put in front of me very quickly was the alligator. I was kind of worried about giving it a try, but when I got the courage to take the first bite I was amazed. When it came out it looked kind of like small nuggets of breaded chicken, and that gave me a little bit of a push to actually eat it. I am very picky when it comes to food (as you might have read in my previous reviews), but I have been trying to broaden my horizons and try new things, and alligator is definitely something new. It had a taste that seems like a mix of popcorn shrimp and chicken, but with the consistency of a medium rare cooked steak that was breaded and deep fried. It was really good, to the point that I shared it with others at the table. Those who know me know that I DO NOT share my food, but this was so random and good that I had to. I was impressed already.
The coconut-crusted chicken tenders were not quite as good. They were not horrible, but they were no where near as tasty as the alligator had been. I tried the first one without the jalapeño & orange dipping sauce that came with it, just to give it a proper try. Because of how thin the chicken was, I tasted more toasted coconut than anything else. Also because of how thing the chicken was, the chicken itself was kind of dry with the skewering and deep frying process. It was not horrible by any means, but it is not something I would order again if there was something else on the menu that I thought could compare (like the popcorn shrimp).
The ribs were fall off the bone for sure! They were cooked perfectly and the meat was very good and quite lean. Back ribs are usually lean, but these were meaty with steal being very lean which you don't find so often. The sauce that was on the ribs was a little sub-par though. When eating the ribs I definitely knew I was at a seafood restaurant. Whether that is good or bad I will let you decide as it IS a seafood restaurant, but I was not impressed by it. Usually I love sweet potato fries, but this was the rare occasion when I wish I had ordered regular fries as they were soggy and even if cooked a little longer they still would have suffered by being underneath the moist ribs. The entrée was not as impressing as the appetizer was.
I am a sucker for dessert and have come to love red velvet cake. They instead went with the smaller red velvet in cupcake form. While the red velvet part of it was quite good, the icing to cake ratio was a little low for my liking. Red velvet cake is really good, but it is the icing that gives it that extra zip into really good, but this just didn't have what it took to get to that level. It was still a very moist cupcake, but it was small and lacking in too many ways to think of as excellent.
A couple of those in the group got the 7oz beef tenderloin steak that was on the feature menu, and their opinion was even though the size was quite small, the steak itself was amazing and full of flavour. I took a small bite and know what I will be ordering the next time I am at Big Daddy's. One of them also got the fries which were a whole lot better than the mushy sweet potato fries that I got with my meal. I didn't taste the garlic roasted red skin potatoes, but that does sound quite nice. Everyone else (and that is 16 of us in total which is very hard to please) really enjoyed their meals and it was a good experience by everyone.
The two waitresses that we did have serving us were really great and courteous, and our main girl was also very knowledgeable about the food and what was good on the menu. Overall it was a great experience and the ambiance of the place was really nice. I recommend not just the restaurant (even to people who don't like seafood) and the alligator, but also the Dancing Bull wine which exceeded my expectations and was a great recommendation from out main waitress. Big Daddy's Crabshack & Oyster Bar is somewhere that I will be returning too, even if I am not into creatures of the sea. -
Review from Yvonne T.
Big Daddy's - I can't count the number of times that an oyster recommendation has been requested and this name comes up!
Unfortunately, oysters were not a part of the Dishcrawl menu so I'll have to go back!
The venue itself is pretty cool. In the middle you have an elevated "gazebo" filled with plush lounge chairs and small tables... perfect for a jazz band to set up and for people to enjoy a few drinks.
Towards the back you have decor that mimics houses you would see down south with hanging planters above your head. Hope those are on there sturdily!
On the menu tonight, as explained by Big Daddy manager Carlos would be a traditional Jalapeno Corn Bread topped with bruschetta and mozzarella, coconut shrimp with sweet marmalade sauce and farm-raised alligator (tail meat, which is supposed to be the most tender part) on a bed of chorizo-creole sauce and a cornmeal batter.
Everything I tasted was very flavourful. My favourite would've been the coconut shrimp. I don't know if it was the batter itself, or that the sweet marmalade sauce really brought out the coconut flavour, but this was indeed a COCONUT shrimp! The alligator was tender, and if I hadn't known better I probably would've thought it was chicken! The jalapeno corn bread would've been better on its own, as I found the bruschetta and mozzarella not only made the bread soggy, but also detracted from the goodness of the bread.
The restaurant itself features good, down-south cooking from New Orleans, featuring recipes from the founder's mother, who was born and raised in Louisiana. Almost all of their food is made in-house (95%).
It is worth mentioning that Monday-Wednesdays is their $5 bar rail featuring double shots (2oz drinks). If you want Bourbon though, that will COST you double! -
Review from Brian T.
1/20/2012 2 photos
A good choice for dining prior to a show or a movie in Toronto's Entertainment District. Certainly, if you are craving Cajun-style food, this is a far better restaurant than N'awlins (up the street), both in terms of food and service.
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Review from Emily H.
11/4/2011
If anyone knows Big Daddy personally, could you tell him Happy Hour called and said it isn't as happy as it used to be?
First of all, I feel bad for all the other reviewers who have not discovered the wonders of their Happy Hour (aka the now Voodoo Hour) menu. Why would you go here for the regular dinner menu? The share plates are much more fun and worth it for your money! With that said, the long time patrons of Big Daddy's, like myself, will know that the Happy Hour menus used to be a much better deal, with more items to choose from! The current deal is $2 off all the share items during Voodoo hours (check the website for specifics).
I first discovered this place maybe 3 years ago for my then-boyfriend's birthday. We loved it then and it became a regular outing for us - it deserved a 5 Stars then, IMO. Then the Happy Hour prices started going up and things started changing. I stayed away for a while.
I decided to give it another try recently when I was in the mood for some oysters. I was happy to see they had renovated to allow more seating in the bar/lounge area (a BIG plus!!) and took off most of the strange sketchy decor from before (another big plus!!!). The atmosphere is average - but usually I just focus on my oysters and don't look around the place. Service is alright but the kitchen is slow.
Oysters were still good. Their range of house-made sauces always amuse the first-timers. Happy to see the SEAFOOD FONDUE was still on the menu! This is one of their MUST MUST MUST TRY items. Warning: it is fricking delicious, but dangerously rich; so don't have it for yourself alone. Sharing is caring. Their Calamari and chowder are also good. I would advise to stay away from some of their fried stuff, they're pretty average (e.g. Gator Bites). Another warning: you may have the tendency to over-order because of the additional $2 off of every plate, but trust me, you'll explode.
Would go back, but I am not their #1 groupie like I once was. *tear
atmosphere - 2/5
food - 3.5/5
service - 3/5
price - 4/5
PS - Haven't tried it lately, but if you are going for the regular menu, give the Jambalaya a try - it was once my favourite pasta ever.Listed in: 30 Day November Challenge!
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Review from Alida S.
Toronto, ON
7/19/2011
My boyfriend and I decided to try out Big Daddy's Bistro as part of Toronto's Summerlicious food festival.
Our reservations were a bit too early, so we called the restaurant to see if it was possible to move our reservations from 6pm to 8pm. They told us they were fully booked for the night, so all they could do was give us a thirty minute period of grace. We had to rush to get to the restaurant, but luckily we managed to get there on time. When we got there, the restaurant was nowhere near as packed as we were led to believe. We were surrounded by empty tables most of the night. Bottom line, beware of their strict reservation policy.
Once we entered the restaurant, we were asked if we had been there before. Since it was our first time at Big Daddy's, we were given a mini tour of the restaurant. The hostess was very friendly and knowledgeable. As for the ambiance, the restaurant is very nicely decorated, albeit a bit too dark. It felt like a really posh family restaurant --there were a lot of families with kids, etc, but I'm sure this was due to Summerlicious and not the usual crowd.
As soon as we sat down, our waitress came to take our order. She looked very flustered. We told her we weren't ready to order yet so she said she would give us a few minutes. A "few minutes" turned into a 20 minute wait. When she finally came back, we ordered the Gator Bait (house drink) and a Hurricane for drinks. Our three course menu included: (1) Coconut Shrimp and Clam Chowder (2) Two medium rare 8oz Sirloin Steaks (3) Key Lime Pie and Apple Crumble for dessert. Even though the Summerlicious menu included Mississippi Mud Pie, the waitress informed us it was no longer available. The Mud Pie was one of the reasons I wanted to try out their Summerlicious menu, so the fact that it wasn't available was very disappointing. Never promise what you can't deliver.
As for the meal, it was rather lackluster and poorly executed. The drinks were okay. The Gator Bait had a very interesting flavour, but too watered down for my taste. The Hurricane was delicious, but you can't really ruin a frozen drink. The Coconut Shrimp were very overcooked. I didn't try the Clam Chowder, but my boyfriend said it was good. The steaks were grossly overcooked: I ordered a medium rare and got medium well. The presentation for the entrees was messy and off-putting. As for the desserts, the apple crumble was cold, and the Key Lime Pie had no lime flavour to it. It tasted like a vanilla cheesecake that was left out in the sun for a few days.
All in all, I won't be going back to this place. -
Review from Kathy H.
Mississauga, ON
9/19/2011
I came here for Winterlicious last year, for lunch. I was with three other close, wonderful friends, who didn't mind giving me a piece from their dish, so I got to try different dishes :p they were all yummy.
Judging from the name and their website, and I didn't see photos from Yelp or anywhere else, I thought this was a casual place like Rodney's. Did you click their website yet?? Honestly, I didn't expect it to be so elegant! But that was last year when I went, so I don't know about today!
My boyfriend had the Jambalaya, and I believe it was spicy. I had the Fish of the Day, and I think it was catfish. Nothing memorable..
I think I'd like to try other menu items on other days.
The person handling my reservation was very nice. Our waitress was alright... she hardly came by our table though. The place was very empty when we went. Saturday lunch.
Overall, food was acceptable. Service, acceptable. Atmosphere was nice. No complains on food/waitress. The lunch date was super fun, and my memory of this place is positive. 4 stars :) :) -
Review from Sergey S.
1/3/2011
Your challenge number one would be to find the entrance. First time I've been there I was like: "Ehm... so... all the way down, than on the right, downstairs, and on the left, eh?" But when you'll get in it actually looks pretty cool. New-orleanish design with fake windows and so on. Not bad at all, just cheap - strange, taking in account all those theatres and classy public around.
Seafood is good. Crabs are maybe not as exciting as you can expect from the name of the place, but they are ok, too. I've tried about half-dozen different plates there, never to be disappointed. Maybe it's just me but at times I was feeling like I am scrolling back and forth through the menu and still choosing the same thing I've already eaten before. Not that it's not much to choose from, but it feels like that.
Portions are ok, wine selection is more cute than impressive, but good enough for the food. Prices are right and service is decent. I never hesitate to visit Big Daddy's Crabshack again, even though I'm falling short to give it four stars. Maybe something like 3.5? -
Review from Tony F.
12/17/2010 1 Check-in Here
I used to love Big Daddy's. I'd come here and order up and share a bunch of appetizers. For me it was like a creating a faux dim-sum experience.
This time around however, they had a price fix menu. I brought a friend here for her first time and were both excited. I was building up the whole experience.
The service has always been fairly decent every time I've been and the food sometimes is a bit hit and miss.
We were there in the first early sitting as we were going out to a show after wards. Unfortunately the food was awful. Our salads were soggy, and must have been predressed and sitting there for a while. What was worse, our mains were cold! I had some kind of catfish thing, and she was a steak I think. We pointed out that both our dishes were cold to the touch and got new ones, and guess what? The exact same thing. By this time, it was running late, and we may have both consumed 30% of the meal?
To be honest, we were expecting some kind of comp or some sort or at least a discount. But nothing. Because we were running late, we didn't have time to talk to a manager. To be fair, the server seemed apologetic, and she was friendly, but the food was unacceptable.
This is coming from someone who used to LOVE BDCS. It's a one star for this experience.Listed in: Ridonckulousness! (Oh no you…
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Review from Jonathan E.
11/10/2010
I thought this was going to be one of those cheesy over-themed spots where I might be sitting on wooden picnic tables with chequered table cloths.
However it's pretty elegant inside. I enjoyed sitting at the handsome bar with a beer, bowl of nicely done mussels, while the friendly staff shucked oysters in front of us. -
Review from Marilyn R.
Toronto, ON
7/27/2011
I'm saddened by the bad reviews :( . My husband and I go to Big Daddy's all the time and we love it!. Voo-Doo hours are great! We go for late night drinks, appetizers and OYSTERS. My favorite is the Goat Cheese appetizer. The prices are very reasonable. No complaints here.
Listed in: My Neighborhood
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Review from Samantha S.
North York, ON
5/22/2011
This has got to be one of my favorite restaurants in Toronto. It has a very interesting decor and periodic special events. Last Thursday I went to their free crawfish event; the crawfish was absolutely delicious and came with sides, but I also got their creole mussel which are the best I have had in Toronto.
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Review from Robin D.
1/14/2011
Nice place. Lucky, we ordered some oysters to sample. Very nice and worth it.
The main entree on the other hand, seafood fettuccine, was good but mediocre still. Did not enjoy the service, but nice atmosphere. Not bad, I might come again just to have some more oysters!! -
Review from Jenny T.
Toronto, ON
10/18/2009
I dined here on a Saturday evening without reservations. Initially, the hostess advised us (myself and two others) that we would need to wait at the bar for about 30 minutes, but a colleague of hers was quick to correct her that they had a table available. It didn't matter to us who made the mistake, we were just glad to get a table.
We had fresh oysters to start. Their assortment of sauces was satisfactory. The cocktail sauce was tasty and the shallot vinaigrette tasted perfect, but the shallots were absent from sight. I would definitely return for fresh oysters.
When we asked our server about the portions for the Crab Shack Boil, she was forthcoming and told us how it's a rather large portion and recommended we order 2 for the three of us. She was absolutely right. My party and I did not touch the potatoes since they'd fill us up too quickly. We left about of the food behind even though we had barely touched the bread either. The food was well-seasoned for me, meaning it might be too salty for those who prefer the lighter seasoned taste. Their garlic butter was to-die-for!
The service was okay. If you prefer your server approach you every once in a while to check up on you rather than having to flag them down, you're probably better off at Rodney's or Oyster Boy.
I found that the prices here were well worth a switch from my two other favorite oyster joints. They have featured oysters here, or their 'specials'. The price of their special was almost a steal. 12 Malpeques for $18.99! -
Review from M P.
Toronto, ON
7/4/2010
Looking for a patio to hang out on a hot Summer day? Stop by Big Daddy's. They have a neat little (seriously little) patio with cool drinks and oysters to freshen you up.
Their menu is not bad either.... My friends and I ordered the Mixed Platter which consists of scalops, shrimps and a crab leg with a side of creole rice.... Quite tasty!!!
We also ordered scampis à la Créole, Cajan Fried Alligator and Jambalaya rice. Starvation central, you say?!? Not just a little!!!! The food was deeeelicious, not just because we were starving but really yummmza!!! The alligator meat itself is practically tasteless hence more batter than meat, but it's worth trying....
After a big meal, we could only try one dessert on the menu - the molten chocolate brownie. It was a-ok!! -
Review from Todd V.
Toronto, ON
12/5/2008 1 photo
Whenever I go into Big Daddy's I always feel like I'm going to be cheated for some reason, but the place is surprisingly good. Just the name of the place and the kind-of-polished almost-franchise-y look of the place always makes me feel like I'm not going to have a good time here. But by the time I get a beer, have some oysters, and get something blackened, I'm feeling okay.
Below street level, Big Daddy's always warns you to mind your step as you walk in. So do. Once inside a nice urban-chic bar and lounge is visible and the run of drinks there is decent enough. Once seated in one of the main atriums, the décor has flavours of New Orleans but is not overpoweringly gaudy about it. All in all, it's pretty tasteful.
The staff are typically fun and efficient and helpful with the menu if need be. One of the last times I was in Big Daddy's I took a stab at the oysters and found them to be decent enough for a place that doesn't make it a principle dish like Rodney's (http://www.yelp.ca/biz...), or Oyster Boy (http://www.yelp.ca/biz...). The rest of the menu follows suit and ranges from decent to tasty. Not a bad place at all, and you won't feel cheated. -
Review from Trevor T.
Toronto, ON
2/22/2011
On the whim of a hangover Saturday and a quest for alligator meat my brother and I decided that a quest to creole castle was necessary. Once getting our brains wrapped around the idea of putting on street clothes and leaving the house, which took about 3 hours of staring at the television, we made with haste on the people's chariot (read streetcar).
We arrived around 2:30pm thinking of a late lunch, where we found a very closed restaurant. We searched about the place looking for hours of operation to no avail, eventually we called a friend to look it up on the internet (as the restaurant's website hates my blackberry), where we came to the startling realization that we would have to come back at 4pm. With an hour and a half to kill we went to the Shoeless Joe's down the block (to be reviewed late) drank and swore like sailors until the hour of feast was upon us.
I have to say that I appreciated the darkened jazzy atmosphere, with it's Cajun fishermen details and N'Orleans oyster bar style, as it went well with the efficient buzz that I had collected. Unfortunately with the smoking ban in Ontario this place did not reek of cigarettes and cigars with in my opinion took away from the authenticity, but I digress. Heck this upperclass dining establishment was trying so hard to be a blues dive bar they even had novelty signs, such as; "Our credit manager is Helen Waite. If you want credit, go to Helen Waite". We made our way to the bar and we didn't have reservations for the entirely empty restaurant and couldn't possibly serve us anywhere else.
The food. After perusing the menu for sometime and with slight intoxication fantasizing about all the different types of sea animals we could eat, we finally decided to create our own tasting menu to split in order to maximize our oceanic slaughter. We opened our experience with the 'Chef's Choice half dozen oysters' which were excellent, served with more sauces than you could shake a stick at, I know as I was to stop shaking my stick at them, fresh grated horseradish and lemon wedges.
Next we had 'Cajun fried alligator' and as expected with was quite good, though how could you not like a deep-fried piece moist alligator served over a spicy marinara sauce, you can't it's impossible.
Finally we had "Big Daddy's Mixed Platter" which is described as: Broiled or pecan-crusted jumbo shrimp, king crab, bronzed catfish and jalapeño bacon-wrapped scallops, served with seasonal
vegetables and Creole-style rice. Upon the recommendation of our server, who in this case is also the bartender and the 'Chef' that makes the oyster selections, we chose the pecan crusted shrimp for that optional portion. Upon it's arrival I could tell that my disappoint for this dish was looming. In Haute cuisine style my plate was piled very high. As a base was a small hill of creole rice, which although good tasted pretty much like a Zatarain instant rice. On the side of my rice hill was a selection of mediocre mixed vege, carrots, zucchini and green beans, all of which were blanched to a slightly less then al dente, I am sure they have a dressing but it was unmemorable. On the other side of the hill was the 3 micro-jumbo-shrimp, what a oxymoron that was, fried in a crust of apparently pecan. I believe to qualify as jumbo in size the shrimp must be a 10-15ct and the minuscule specimens that was served to me would be extremely lucky if they came near the 15 side of that, and these were obviously previously frozen. At the base of the hill were the jalapeño bacon-wrapped scallops, there were fine though the scallops were overcooked I was compensated by the bacon which they had some how infused with jalapeño. Laying over the peak was the bronzed catfish, which I imagine would have been more palatable if it were actually bronzed in metal, it tasted of being previously frozen, dull with spice and a hint of laying out too long, so I spat out the bite I took of this offended fish. Did I mention that this dish came with butter heated by tea candle? Well it did and in fact it was put down on the bar long before the mixed plate had arrived, it was there taunting me letting my whimsically imagine the the crab legs that were coming, oh the delicate texture, the juice of the shell snapping through the claw pulling out every delicate morsel. Reality set in for this whole platter right as soon as it was served due to this detail alone, the king crab, which served as the spire above the hill of rice, the body of catfish, the embattlements of vege and shrimp and the village of scallops, which although what was there was good there had only been a meagre 1 and 1/4th of a crab claw/leg, it was to say the least disheartening.
In summary the food was for the most part good, however the parts that were lacking were very lacking and at worst inedible. -
Review from Russell L.
8/7/2011
Looks like a dive when you walk down the steps... But the place has lots of atmosphere... Had great seafood and pasta... Service great.
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Review from Jen S.
Toronto, ON
11/10/2010
Ok so I'm an Oyster lover and I've been searching for the right Oyster place for a while until accidently stumbled on Big Daddy. The Oysters here have always been fresh! They have about 6 or 7 different kind of Oysters to choose from. I only go here for the Oysters and drinks. The food here is not the best as well as the staff. The staff are soooo slow and that that friendly but the Oysters are Grrreat!
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Review from Mike P.
Brampton, ON
11/27/2009
I am not really a big seafood fan but I have been to Big Daddy's Crabshack about 3 - 4 times, mostly for lunch and once for dinner.
For a seafood place they have lots of selection, they have something for the casual seafood fan (like me) and something for those who really love seafood (my date).
I am kind of a appetizer addict - in that sometimes i;ll order a couple of appetizers and call it a night. That being said, this place has some really tasty appetizers and recommend basically everything lol.
This place gives you good value for your money - you know your going to get high quality food at nice portions and of course the service is friendly.
Only thing that kind of bothers me, is that the lighting isn't that great, makes it feel glum - i dont know maybe its just me.
So for all you seafood lovers take a trip to Big Daddys. -
Review from Steve P.
10/7/2009 2 photos
My Fiancee' wanted to know what this place was all about. Seeing as to how I won't get the chance to take her down to New Orleans, this would be a decent compromise. The atmosphere is definitely trying to recreate the authentic "Nawlins" style restaurant, but they seem to be trying a little too hard. All you need is a large silver pot, and a guy standing next to it smacking whatever is trying to crawl out of it... Anywho..
So yes, the restaurant is packed full of flare. The servers were attentive and seemed pretty happy to be there, which is amazing considering when we were there, a band was playing pretty loudly and after a whole evening of that I would be seeking blood. However they must be used to it because each time we interacted everyone was giddy. We ordered the alligator bites as an appetizer. I was expecting little legs covered in bread to come to my table, but it was essentially chunks of chicken like meat. They were alright and had a good flavor to them. She ordered the seafood Fettuccine and I decided on Linguine Jambalaya. She was overly impressed with her dish. The different pieces of seafood that were on it were enough that there was a good pasta/meat ratio. Mine on the other hand was mostly huge chunks of sausage. There were 3 small shrimp, and what looked like a half chicken breast. The flavor was a little on the peppery side and was also a little dry. The presentation was nice with rather large strange shaped plates, but given the limit of table space, this turned out to be more of a hindrance than anything. We decided we enjoyed our experience, but for the amount per dish that is charged, we hoped to be a little more impressed with the food than we were. We may be back sometime. -
Review from Gayle G.
9/14/2008
It was ok. I was in town for work and my Canadian counterparts took me here without knowing that I'm from Louisiana. So, that was weird. Taking me to a New Orleans themed place. But, the food was ok, nothing earth shaking, but everything was decent. I didn't care for the crab cakes, but the lobster fondue was pretty tasty and definitely NOT a New Orleans thing. The Ahi tuna app as good too. My scallops were not fabulous, but I've had worse.
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Review from Loanie H.
8/12/2009
Came here on a Monday evening to take advantage of the happy hour. Great "medium-plate" sized selections to choose from. See their menu for specifics on dishes & prices. Everything we ordered between the two of us was off the happy hour menu and came to about $60 CAD total (including drinks & tips): mussels in creole sauce (very tasty, but not exactly "creole"), seafood linguine (especially tasty when dipped in the so-called creole sauce), escargot (lots of garlic, very tender), a dozen and a half $1 freshly shucked oysters (small Malpeque was the special of the day), and several rounds of cocktails (exactly 2 oz each -- the concept of drink menus labeled by ounces was quite new to this native Californian). Best part was the wide selection of sauces which accompanied the oysters. The sauces varied from regular malt vinegar to some kind of garlic-infused vodka-based vinegar (or perhaps it was my wish to have a vodka-based sauce). They also serve cocktail sauce and a few other "exotic" sauces with varying levels of spice. Interactive food is so much fun! Hopefully other nights at Big Daddy's is more lively than Mondays. All in all, a good time.
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Review from Tina N.
Toronto, ON
5/3/2010
I recently had dinner with my family at Big Daddy's for my sister's birthday and I must say, this place really surprised me. The decor didn't give me much expectation but most of the food we ordered was pretty good. I ordered a bunch of appetizers such as the crispy calamari (DELICIOUS), PEI mussels (average), coconut shrimp (very yummy), shrimp cocktail (only received 3 pieces of shrimp!) and of course OYSTERS! The Japanese oysters are by far my favorite as they have a crisp texture to it. They come with 6 different sauces but the oysters alone were just as good. If you go to Big Daddy's, you also must try their FONDUE especially if you love cheese. It's enough to share between two people for an appetizer, and trust me; you'll want it all for yourself. It's served hot with small pieces of toast. As for the main entrees, i found them ok compared to the appetizers (seafood fettuccini, seafood platter and crab cakes) but nothing special. The desserts that came with the set menu we ordered from were VERY sweet (brownies and bread pudding) - too sweet for my liking actually. For service i think it was AMAZING as we had gotten a very attentive waitress so nothing to really complain about. Overall, this place was a pretty good experience for us.
