Wildside Grill
Categories: Restaurants Seafood Restaurants Burgers Seafood, Burgers [Edit]
1180 Pacific Rim HwyTofino, BC V0R
(250) 725-9453
- Hours:
Mon-Sun 10 am - 8 pm
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Private Lot
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Delivery:
- No
- Take Away:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- No
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Lunch
- Alcohol:
- No
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
20 reviews for Wildside Grill
Review Highlights
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"We had fish tacos, which were delicious." In 8 reviews -
"Had the gumbo the 1st day and the pulled pork today, both..." In 4 reviews -
"...from the prairies we have to go with the salmon burger." In 5 reviews
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20 reviews in English
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Review from Jennifer B.
10/31/2011
Stopped here off the highway pretty hungry & we weren't disappointed.
This grill was a fairly busy place & well worth the wait. The fish tacos were deliciously spicy, fresh & tasty, very, very yum! -
Review from Jeff M.
2/20/2012
Whoa...lots of 5 stars here...don't know if I can second that.
We arrived in Tofino on the Tofino Bus on a very rainy and...dreary...Sunday afternoon. After spending some time on Cox Bay Beach, we started walking. Walking in search of food. Our hotel didn't have a restaurant and we hadn't yet figured out that an excellent restaurant was just next door (darn Yelp!....I checked my Yelp! app and was directed to a Taco place down the road as the closest place to get food...but we never found it).
We walked 2 miles and, rounding a bend we swore would be the last before we turned back, found the Wildside Grill. It was a very unassuming place tucked in a corner, one of four businesses open (of at least 8 in this business park) when we arrived at 6 PM on a Sunday. It was raining and there was little shelter from the storm. It seemed most of the other customers to the Grill arrived in cars, understandable considering the season and the weather.
We ordered Fish Tacos and Salmon & Chips. The food was prepared fresh, that was good. We sat in the covered, outdoor seating area, awaiting our food. We were soaked and warm from the walk, but cooling quickly with no hope for getting warm or truly dry. Some sort of protected or indoor seating, particularly in Winter, would have been nice.
The food came after a reasonable time for cooking. It was hot and fresh. The tacos were quite good. Devoured quickly with little left-over. The Salmon & Chips were good, too. The fish was better than the chips. Very nice sized pieces of Salmon, though the breadcrumb crust seemed a bit too much for the fish. The fries were...meh...I've had better.
All in all, I appreciate the "fresh and local" message of this restaurant. The food was good, it just didn't knock my socks off. Some sort of protected outdoor seating would have been appreciated (we weren't the only folks to be hudled under the sparse cover, devouring out meals).
Worth a stop, maybe I'll come back on a warm Summer's Eve. Ah, maybe that's what I was missing!?! -
Review from Crystal H.
Vancouver, BC
4/1/2011 1 Check-in Here
You, my water-worshipping, Tofino-tripping, yelping friends led me to greatness.
With a hankering for spice, tortilla soup lept from the chalkboard menu and into a hefty full size order of this cheesy, brothy, warm up in a cup. I never thought that okra would work so well in my soup, but hey, this ain't Mexico and on the island, one must improvise with deliciousness!
Rain or sun, sitting out under their branch-canopy was the right way to savour this slurp. And the fish taco bite I got to score off of one Peter S proved one thing - I'll be back!Listed in: Vancouver Island Travels
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Review from Richard S.
Vancouver, BC
8/18/2011
Tuna burger is good. Bean sprouts add an interesting flavour. Salmon burger is better though. Fries are pretty standard "fish and chip" style. Nothing bad, but nothing memorable.
Burgers (ex. Salmon, Tuna, oyster, elk, chicken, beef) Oyster seems to be sold out usually. Range - $11-$14
Outdoor scattering of tables and chairs gives this place a fun "Caribbean" vibe. -
Review from Peter S.
4/11/2011 1 Check-in Here
That was indeed the best fish taco I have ever eaten!
Perfectly borderline cooked fish with just the right amount of subtle sauces and toppings to compliment the light pescado.
My only complaint was the dog-poo landmines strewn about around the outdoor sitting area. Perhaps this was the reason why all the locals were wearing rubber boots. And I of course was strutting leaky sneakers. Oh silly city folk!
Landmines aside, Wildside rocked my world that morning.Listed in: Tofino
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Review from Kate W.
Vancouver, BC
4/27/2011 1 Check-in Here
DELICIOUS!!!
Had a Veggie Ciabatta on the way out of town. Would go back for the sandwich alone. Delish!! -
Review from Adam Q.
10/3/2011
After eating fish for 7 days... this was still delicious. Totally my scene... outside seating, locals place, ultra-fresh!
Wish they served beer but we brought our own. Don't miss the sunset on the beach just down the road. -
Review from Lydia Chur E.
7/23/2011 2 photos
This is a fabulous find, reasonably priced by Tofino standards and would be welcomed in any town anywhere. (Well maybe not snooty East or West coast towns which shall remain nameless.)
This is an order at the window kind of place, so there is not much service, but the food was cooked quickly.
We had fish tacos, which were delicious. The fresh fish was tasty and the fixins inside were flavorful. We also had fried prawns. Honestly, the local prawns aren't as "shrimpy" as Gulf Coast shrimp - and I like shrimpy. But they were fresh and the chile sauce that came with it was perfect. I was really wowed by the crisp, housemade fries. The caesar salad was large, but nothing to write home about.
The seating is all outdoors,under trees, with some unique tables and palapa (for lack of a better word). You hardly notice you are just off the parking lot. -
Review from Jeff M.
Vancouver, BC
7/22/2011
Ah the gem of Tofino. It's basically a food shack. Outdoor seating only. I was in Tofino for 4 days. I ate here every day ! :D My favourite was their fish tacos.
The only thing i was disappointed in was that the entire time i was in Tofino, they didn't have any chowder. :( (The plaque on their wall says that they're the current chowder champions on the island) -
Review from Jack T.
Regina, SK
6/9/2011
We're in Tofino for 2 days and see that everyone who has written a review with 5 stars for this place. Obviously we gotta try it out, so as I order I show them the reviews on my iphone and they are so excited. It was hilarious as they had no idea they were appreciated so much.
The menu was very diverse and we had a hard time deciding, but as we've arrived from the prairies we have to go with the salmon burger. We can't even get one of those back home. Talk about mouth-watering delicious. It was prepared on a wholewheat bun with lettuce and tomato and some sort of avocado-corn salsa, and it all had a slight smokey flavor. Yummy! The fries were perfect, too.
We figure if Canada had a Guy Fieri's, "Diners, Drive-ins and Dives" tv show, this would be one of the featured locations on an episode. -
Review from Mike J.
10/24/2011
Been two days in a row now for lunch, that says something, right? Had the gumbo the 1st day and the pulled pork today, both amazingly duh-licious. Highly recommend stopping by for a quick bite
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Review from Liz K.
7/22/2010
This place is so cool and the staff is really friendly. I can't remember exactly what I ate here, but it was some sort of vegetarian wrap and I had sweet potato fries as well.
Both were really good and really well priced. Totally worth eating here, both for the great food and cool atmosphere. -
Review from Caro W.
Victoria, BC
5/30/2010
Delicious fish tacos!
It was pouring rain and we were drenched! Our spirits were kept high the moment we ate our fish tacos!
Excellent balance between guacamole, salsa, chipotle mayo and (of course) fish! The only downside is that the tacos are too small and my appetite too big!
My sister and I told the cook to grill the chocolate chip hazelnut oatmeal cookie. He did and neither one of us have any regrets!
Will definitely go back again and try everything on the menu! -
Review from Serge D.
3/14/2010 2 photos
The best roadside surfer seafood grill in North America. Super fresh sustainably harvested local seafood and very friendly and knowledgeable owner. Go for a surf and stop by and try fish tacos, the grilled salmon burger and seafood gumbo. I surf and work in Baja and this beats anything there.
Serge Dedina, Executive Director, WiLDCOAST, http://www.wildcoast.net -
Review from Dave D.
3/14/2010
Small stand about 2 km outside of Tofino in a small cluster of shops that include a surf shop, grocery, chocolate shop. If heading north to Tofino, it will be on your right. The actual shop is off the road, so look for the Wildside Grill sign and a red surfboard sign for the surf shop.
Not sure why some of the best food comes not in fancy restaurants, and this is no exception. In three days in town, we ate here twice.
The scallop burger was awesome and loaded with fixins (onions, onion rings, tomatos, lettuce, sauce, etc).
The carnitas were delicious as well.
Had the wonton soup per previous recommendation and this was full of vegetables, shrimp, noodles, and wonton. This was different than Chinese wonton soup, but a good version with seafood flair.
My only regret is that I was not able to try all the different soups, fish, and sandwiches. Next time! -
Review from Gregory A.
9/7/2011
Had Cod Club. one word. Perfect.
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Review from Judy H.
Vancouver, BC
3/1/2011 1 Check-in Here
Best oyster burger I have ever had! Perfectly crunchy panko crusted oysters with bacon and cole slaw -- it was a special kind, not their regular oyster burger, I think. Half way into it, I wanted to eat another one. Definitely a highlight from my Tofino trip. The gumbo was pretty good, too, but definitely get the oyster burger if you're at all curious.
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Review from Charles M.
Tofino, BC
4/26/2011
Everything on the menu is always fresh and a taste sensation. My personal favorite is the single salmon with half the fries and extra cole slaw but the fish tacos are a close second or is it the fish and chips wait maybe the burger ah well you get the picture.
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Review from O C.
9/6/2011
Be prepared. This is casual eating, where you order from a window and sit outside in the lovely garden to eat your food. We had grilled salmon (the menu only mentions fish and chips, but you can get the fish grilled instead of battered, just ask), a divine gumbo that tasted more like chowder, and lingcod fish tacos. A very happy eating experience.
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Review from Rob C.
9/6/2009
Fantastic "roadside stand" just outside of Tofino town. My family and I eat here twice during our trip an were blown away each time. The grill features fresh fish tacos and burgers - the fish is caught that morning. They had amazing carnitas and a terrific version of won ton soup. Its an eclectic place with outdoor seating, but its not to be missed
