Seafood

Captain’s Boil is one of those places you go to when you’re in the mood for a hands-on, slightly messy, seafood-focused meal. Located on West Hunt Club, it benefits from a large shared parking lot, making it easy to access without worrying about street parking or tight urban spaces.

The restaurant itself has a pretty large dining area, and during our visit, most of the tables were filled. It’s clearly a popular spot, especially for groups. The energy inside is lively but not chaotic, and the casual setup makes it well suited for sharing dishes and eating with your hands.

Captain’s Boil is best known for its seafood boils, where your choice of seafood, seasoning, and sauce is cooked together and served in a bag. It’s meant to be interactive — you put on gloves, dig in, and enjoy the flavours directly from the bag. That experience is part of the appeal.

The staff were friendly and welcoming, and even though the restaurant was busy, the food came out pretty quickly. Service was efficient, and the overall experience felt organized.

While the seafood boil is their signature, we tried a few other items on the menu.

Supply and Demand is a popular, upscale restaurant that’s been around for quite some time. They’re known for their housemade pasta, seafood dishes, and stylish interior, and it’s a place that tends to stay busy — for good reason.

Located on Merivale Road, Red Lobster is a chain that many are familiar with, though in recent years there has been talk about the company facing financial troubles. With that in mind, I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect when we walked in.

The first impression was positive: the restaurant has a large dining room with plenty of seating. It wasn’t overly busy when we visited, and service was friendly and attentive. Our server made the experience enjoyable and ensured dishes arrived fairly quickly. Lots of free parking in the large parking lot of the plaza.

Pelican Grill is located in a plaza on Bank Street, and honestly, you wouldn’t necessarily expect to find great seafood in a spot like this. The plaza is filled with fairly ordinary businesses, and if you were just driving by, you probably wouldn’t peg it as home to one of Ottawa’s best-known seafood restaurants. That hidden-gem quality makes it even more enjoyable once you step inside.

Seafood Grill on Merivale can be a little tricky to spot at first. It’s tucked away in a plaza, giving it that “hidden gem” vibe, though in reality it’s not as hidden as it feels once you know where to look. The restaurant shares space with a few other businesses, and there’s a parking lot right out front. Parking is limited, with just a few spots, so at busy times you may need to circle around or wait for a space to open up.