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The Lobster Man
Category: Food Specialty Food Seafood Markets Seafood Markets [Edit]
1807 Mast Tower RdGranville Island
Vancouver, BC V6H 3X7
Neighbourhood: Granville Island/False Creek
(604) 687-4228
- Hours:
Mon-Sun 9 am - 6 pm
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street, Private Lot
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
27 reviews for The Lobster Man
Review Highlights
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"I would definitely go back for some more oysters." In 20 reviews -
"Great selection and prices." In 3 reviews -
"They have Spot Prawns live and kicking." In 3 reviews
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27 reviews in English
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Review from E C.
Vancouver, BC
5/13/2012 1 Check-in Here
The best place to buy oysters in Vancouver. Fresh, cheap and good selection. Cost about $1-1.5 each oyster. Also good place to buy spot prawns or any shell fish.
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Review from Dee B.
11/11/2011
WOW! I love this place. It's cheaper than finest at sea and the selection is unbelievable.
So far, I have tried their PEI mussels and Kumamoto and Kusshi oysters.
Such a good deal: $4.99/lb for mussels, avg about $16/doz for oysters.
The Lobster Man doesn't carry fish. It's all things shells. Crab, lobster, and all shell fish.
I'm heading back today for another round of oysters tonight. -
Review from Sarah D.
8/31/2011
Does anyone remember that old SNL sketch where Jimmy Fallon played the "Leather Man?" You know the one where his clothing squeaks whenever he moves, and he talks in that creepy, breathy voice? Well, for some reason, whenever I read "The Lobster Man," Jimmy Fallon's creepy, breathy voice echoes in my head. It's not a bad thing. In fact, it makes me smile every time. But I digress...
I paid my first visit to the Lobster Man last Saturday while foraging for oysters for the Yelp Secret Supper. There is a fish monger much closer to my house, but the other members of my team spoke highly of this place, so I took the trip out to Granville Island to rendezvous with them and see what all the hype was about.
When I got there, my first thought was that it looked like some employees-only warehouse. This is not a bad thing at all, since customers are able to get up-close-and-personal with the seafood, but this does mean that the water sloshes around a bit. (Note: it's a good idea NOT to wear flip-flops, unless you like shellfish water on your feet)
As far as oysters go, there were about 6-7 varieties, all priced fairly reasonably. Most were in the $8.95/dozen range, but others went up to $15.95/dozen. My group was buying 150, and the kind woman who worked there was nice enough to bag up the oysters for us in the back, giving us access to the absolute freshest oysters in the house. In the end, for 150 oysters AND a large, insulated box, the bill came up to $128. Not bad considering we were feeding ~50 people!
Since the Lobster Man is a decent trek from my home, it's unlikely that I'll be going back regularly, but for those looking for ingredients for a special dinner, I'd recommend you give them a try.
Bonus: for shellfish cooking n00bs like myself, their website has instructions for how to cook a lobster and shuck a clam. I'm still too a-scared to do it myself, but there you have it! -
Review from Melissa E.
Vancouver, BC
5/22/2011
In honour of the day of rapture (wow, we're still here!!) a bunch of us got together for a seafood feast. Spot prawns were purchased from Hung Win (see review) and I decided that I would stop being intimidated by oysters and learn how to shuck them myself as opposed to forking over $3/each in a restaurant.
Lobster Man...i love you. I bought a dozen Fanny Bays (9$/dozen), 4 Royal Miyagi and another 4 teeny little Kumamoto. Oh and an oyster shucker.
Can I just say that once I got the hang of it...super easy to shuck oysters!! And so satisfying to do it yourself!! They were unbelievably delicious... Fresh, fresh, fresh. I made up a few mignonettes for toppings and served on top of a bed of ice. HEAVEN. We were in heaven...and given the rapture theme...made all kinds a sense.
So go for it. Check out a few youtube videos on how to shuck...get your arse down to the Lobster Man and don't bother thanking me. I know.Listed in: Places to take Papas, Here fishy fishy fishy
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Review from WaYnE c.
Maple, ON
3/3/2011 6 photos
Lobster Man wasn't around when I arrived. Great little open-to-pubic Seafood Shop offering LIVE Dungeness Crab, Atlantic Lobster, and plenty of Oysters. This is the most PERFECT Lunch I've had in Vancouver yet.
Dungeness Crab($9.98/lb) which I requested a smaller one of 1.5lb and they had a couple industrial size pots to cook my Crab in 20 minutes. Walked a few steps out to the Dockside and dug into some of the freshest Crab I've had.
They only cook your Crab or Lobster between the hours of 9am to 5pm.
This is way better than DIGGING for Clams or Mussels on English Bay. I found NOTHING all morning, stupid Seagulls. : (Listed in: 4+ ****Stars****, Vancouver'ing for the Week
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Review from Crystal H.
Vancouver, BC
12/31/2010 2 Check-ins Here
You know the "Trojan Man" commercials? Well, when I walk into the Lobster Man, I can't help but say said name with the same inflection.
And why wouldn't I? Oysters are an aphrodisiac (some argue), when I cook lobster I get a bit drunk first (one shot of vodka for you, one shot of vodka for me), and the foodgasm I get from a home cooked meal that starts from a Lobster Man visit IS something to write home about. Some might say a trip to the seafood market is like the precursor to bedroom happenings.
If you've never cooked lobster before ask for their cooking time print out and at the cashier, request that they weigh each dude (or dudette) individually. Perhaps it's the "sea" air inside, but buddying up to others waiting for their catch seems to result in neighbourly chitchat, interesting "remember when" stories or a new way to cook. -
Review from Ralson C.
Vancouver, BC
12/25/2011
Quality seafood worth the premium. I bought some dungeoness crab here and clams. They are much more more expensive then those T&T and supermarket prices, but it's well worth it and honestly how often do you have good seafood and if you do might as well get the good stuff right? The dungeoness crab was good, you can tell if they have lots of legs and are big. They do offer to cook them, but get a good steamer and look on the internet how to properly steam crab and it's fun doing it a home and have yourself a seafood buffet.
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Review from Yunn A.
1/3/2011
Oysters. Fresh. Great selection and prices.
Uni - will provide depending on season.
Best fresh seafood you can buy yourself. Need I say more? -
Review from Athena S.
3/3/2011
DIVINE!
We enjoyed way too many succulent oysters and of course, the namesake, lobster! When I die, I will bring Lobster man with me.
AH, if only they delivered to San Francisco!Listed in: Fcuking Amazing
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Review from Taian C.
6/19/2011 1 Check-in Here
We were looking for a oyster bar and thought this place was going to be a sit down restaurant. It ended up being a shellfish market instead.
They sold shuckers, lemons and hot sauce so instead of trying to find a restaurant we risked our luck with losing a finger or two and decided to shuck our own oysters.
They had a variety of oysters. The staff was friendly and although they had a shipment they were busily unloading they still to the time to help us out. The descriptions of where they were caught and how they were suppose to taste helped us select the type of oysters we wanted. They had bags we could sharpie the different types of oysters we selected-although we didn't by all of their selection we chose about seven or eight of them and headed towards the parking lot and set up shop.
We were having some trouble shucking the first few shells but before anyone lost a finger a nice man saw us and helped us out. FYI- insert the point of the knife at the soft part of the hinge and twist. Pops rigjt open. Shuck at your own risk.
In the end the oysters caught in B.C. turned out to be our favorites. -
Review from Larry L.
5/22/2011 1 Check-in Here
You know, I've always wondered about the Lobster Man and after all those years, where people have told me - "You can get better lobster elsewhere. " and "you can get it cheaper elsewhere".
5 times out of 10 (mostly if I'm in the area) I woould get my lobster from the Lobster Man. I think back in the day, they would certainly be the more expensive out of the places you can get shelfish, but I think that more recently they've been more competitive with their pricing. There is certainly alot of competition out there!
But if you still want good healthy live lobster and crab and shelfish that you can trust, then it really has to be here. The Lobster Man.
And they take plastic and they will ship to your destination.
So Rock On Rock Lobster! Rock On! -
Review from Maria W.
Vancouver, BC
5/21/2011
Atlantic Lobster.
Alaska King Crab.
Dungeness Crab
Oysters.
Spotted prawns when in season.
Oh need I say more?
Their place offers fresh seafood and it's reasonably priced. I especially love how this place will cook your crab or lobster between the hours of 9-5pm. Perfect to take home for enjoying a nice dinner with wine and wind down for the evening. It's actually my secret go to place for creating that surprise dinner...hehe let's say I won't confess that I didn't clean and cook the lobster on my own unless asked :) sharing my secrets with you all on yelp because I am a selfless yelper, I am here to share the love!
Ok enough said, Granville Island here I come. -
Review from Ernesto G.
80 cents per oyster! Sign me up!!!
Had a craving for bbq'd oysters tonite, so went to my default place for fresh oysters for a great price. Hello Lobster Man.
Chuck a few of these bad boys on the bbq, pour yourself a glass of wine, and relax on the patio until you hear them pop. Dinner is served. Enjoy!Listed in: The 5 Star List, Where to shop at Granville…
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Review from Marc D.
Vancouver, BC
12/27/2008
25,000 gallons of salt water tanks. This spot is like an aquarium where you can eat all of the exhibits!
They have been here for over 30 years, and when you see the wonderful selection of Queen Charlotte Island Dungeness Crab, Nova Scotia Lobster, Alaskan king crab, dozens of varieties of oysters, clams, scallops, and mussels you will feel like you have died and gone to seafood heaven.
Or perhaps seafood hell if you are Kosher! (Probably just some frozen lox for you and everything else would be off-limits - you would probably want to step next door to Finest at Sea for a fresh variety of other items that aren't shellfish!)Listed in: Something fishy (hopefully…, Granville Island
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Review from Daniel L.
12/7/2009 ROTD 12/25/2009
Fresh is fresh with lots more than just lobster....
Oysters like 5 different types, Mussels, Clams, Scallops, Dungeness Crabs, even fish oh and of course lobster.... This is one of the best and most convenient places in the city... I have shopped and bought crab, oysters and lobster all over the city (northwest) and this place is priced the best or same....
Read some of the other postings like Marc D, well explained..
They will help you clean if need be, and then its all about the sweet flavours & enjoyment... If anyone needs a lesson or two in the art of cooking or cleaning; lobster, crabs or shucking and eating oysters raw or cooked.... I will happily show you all the tricks if you provide the supplies, Yummm Yummm "Oysters Daniel" fresh off the BBQ or endless crab cooked and ready to be peeled.... -
Review from Chicken Wing P.
New Westminster, BC
11/21/2009 3 photos
OK. I've only shopped at Lobster Man once so technically, I am not a fan, yet. ;) It was an eye-opening experience when my friends brought me to Lobster Man on Granville Island to pick up some seafood, which included several kinds of oysters (eaten raw), mussels (eaten 2 ways: coconut curry and white wine) and...uni, which is sea urchin. That's right. It's those spiky round creatures. We ate the uni raw...oh you need to get the yellow "flesh" out of the shell first. And yeah, you crack the sea urchin's "head" open...yeah...it's kind of yikey but treat me, your effort will be greatly rewarded.
I love the variety of seafood offered at Lobster Man. Their prices seems reasonable. Our seafood feast costs us $40 each. We ate so much sea urchin, I had sea urchin high at the end! Woohoo!
My friend called ahead to reserve the live sea urchin. They were not displayed in the many water tanks.
I would definitely go back for some more oysters.
Oh, yeah...we did the prep work ourselves and none of us have any problem with our tummies. :) That is just to show how fresh the seafood is at Lobster Man. -
Review from T'sters M.
8/22/2010 1 photo
Was on vacay in Vancouver and could not leave without eating more seafood. I stopped by the Lobster Man before driving back to the US. They steamed and cracked a 1.3 lb. lobster for me for $19.97. Score!
Best. Meal. Whilewaitinginlineatthebordercrossing. Ever. -
Review from Lee N.
Vancouver, BC
Updated - 7/5/2011
They have Spot Prawns live and kicking. The price is high but if you only need 1/2 Doz. for dish not a feast its OK.
2 Previous Reviews: Show all »
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5/2/2011
They now have 12 oysters in stock, halfshell heaven. Read more »
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Review from Trischa A.
Vancouver, BC
1/18/2011
The freshest seafood in Canada! I love that they will cook you the lobster and you can take it home ready to eat!
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Review from S H L.
12/29/2010
Went to Granville Island and couldn't pass by without ordering a cooked lobster. The lobster was so fresh and crunchy!!! They can cook the lobster for you (free of charge) on site. The price for a lobster is about $15/lb and they have different sizes from 1-3ibs! Probably the freshest lobster I've eaten. YUM.
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Review from Natasha L.
5/19/2009 ROTD 6/5/2009
Tucked away in the corner lies a magical place where live oyster, lobster, crab, and mussel lovers live peacefully (I presume) side by side. Nowhere else in Vancouver ( or maybe West coast) can compare with the freshness and varieties of oysters sold here. Take your pick: creamy Kumamoto or Miyagi, sharp flavoured Fanny Bay or Kushi, the choices are endless and the prices more recession friendly. The staffs have been very helpful too, explaining to us the difference and how to choose them. One of the best places to get your shell fish and friends.
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Review from Liz M.
4/15/2011
Though they are a Bitch to open, if you're a melon head, and by melon head I mean You Love Love Love Melons, well then I'd suggest the Golden Mantle Oysters. The staff is always helpful since I'm a bit squeamish about using the tongs to grab live oysters. I don't know, I just think I hear 'em screaming.
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Review from Nadine N.
Vancouver, BC
9/24/2008 1 photo
Whenever my wife gets a hankering for crab, we make a trip to Granville Island to the Lobster Man. According to the Lobster Man website, they been around since 1977 as one of the original tenants on Granville Island. I'm guessing that the Lobster Man has retired because every time we come here, there's a woman who grabs our crab. If you don't want to do the dirty work yourself, she'll kill the crab for you. Apparently, they'll even cook it for you. That's full service fresh seafood!
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Review from Noa G.
Vancouver, BC
10/16/2008 2 photos
Trust me. You won't find as wide an assortment of fresh seafood (oysters and lobsters and crabs, oh my!) in all of Vancouver. The Lobster Man in Granville Island is set up in a large facility that has the capacity to hold several large water tanks from which you can choose your soon-to-be dinner yourself. Once you've made your final decision (hook, line, and sinker!), the friendly staff will even cook your catch for you!
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Review from Luisa S.
Vancouver, BC
10/17/2008
I didn't even know this place existed until three days ago when my tourist friend took me here. It houses every kind of shellfish imaginable at prices that are marginally lower than the Public Market but are considerably lower than what you would see at Urban Fare. The quality here is superb. You'd be hard-pressed to find anything fresher, as well.
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Review from Justin L.
3/21/2011
Unless you find a reliable place with happy hour pricing (Rodney's Oyster House is great for that), oysters on the half shell are just one of those expensive things in restaurants. So buy yourself an oyster shucker and then head on down to The Lobster Man for several dozen Ostreidae. I've never actually purchased lobsters here (they're just too expensive on the west coast!) but there's always have a great selection of oysters, clams and mussels. What I love about coming here is that the staff are fast and knowledgeable. They can give you the run-down on any creature in the house and help you make your decisions. An added bonus is that they will do a quick check to make sure your oysters are all still alive. This is a great place to buy some oysters for home and sample a variety of them to determine your favourites. As with many other merchants on Granville Island, you can rely on them to be the experts so that you just tell them what you want. Back at the house, as you entertain and serve up your culinary acquisitions, everyone will think you're the expert. It's all about knowing where and from whom to get your products!
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Review from M L.
8/6/2009
there were over a dozen types of oysters there, I am a huge oyster fan! so this was heaven for me, if i lived in vancouver, i would shop here every freaking day.
