This seafood restaurant is making the right kind of waves

Left to right: Bonnie, Anika, Kaila and Mike Brophy
Left to right: Bonnie, Anika, Kaila and Mike Brophy

We recently decided to try one of the newer restaurants on Bayview, The Captain’s Boil, a franchise operation with locations in Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver. We knew little about it before dining there except that it was primarily a seafood/fish restaurant. Great news for the three out of four members of our family who love seafood! Our other family member was very relieved to see chicken offered as a choice.

The restaurant has a casual/nautical theme – walls painted with lots of sea creatures and ropes hanging from the ceiling – that matches the menu very well. We knew that we were in for a unique experience when we saw bibs and plastic gloves waiting on our table for us. We each donned our gear and reviewed the menu.

This dining experience was very ‘hands on’: first you select an entrée (fish or seafood, which is sold by the pound), next you choose your seasoning (Cajun, Lemon Pepper, Garlic) as well as the level of spice that you prefer, and finally you select any side items that you would like to accompany your choice. Your dinner returns to you steaming hot in a plastic bag. The need for gloves became obvious as we dug into our dinner, sauce and all!

Two members of our party selected shrimp cooked in the ‘Captain’s Boil’ seasoning, which was a mix of the three spice flavours available. This was a mild spice level and provided a nice level of heat. Another member of our group selected the lobster, also in the ‘Captain’s Boil’ seasoning, and our non-seafood lover (aka the chicken lover) ordered the chicken teriyaki plate. The lobster was also served in a baggy, but the chicken arrived on a platter with rice and, as a final touch, the teriyaki sauce was added to the dish at the table. Portion sizes of all meals were very generous. Everyone enjoyed the flavours very much and liked trying the tactile (and messy) dining experience!

As side items we decided to try the garlic bread – a great choice that everyone enjoyed – corn on the cob, which we opted to have cooked in our bags with our seafood, and a bowl of white rice. Other vegetables on offer were okra, lotus root, or potatoes, cooked or fried.

We also decided to try a basket item. There are several choices for those who do not want to dig in with their hands. We selected the chicken wings and fries basket. Fries are offered with Cajun spices, which are very good, with a nice amount of spice. For those preferring something a bit less spicy, there are regular fries, as well as sweet potato fries.

The service was friendly and the staff did a great job of answering questions and making recommendations about spice levels and seasoning choices. Their guidance on spice (we found that medium is really quite spicy, and hot is extremely hot as it uses habanero peppers) was especially appreciated. At the end of the meal, we all agreed that it had been a fun experience and one that we would repeat again when we felt like something a bit out of the ordinary. Aye, aye, Captain!


We give $100 to help pay for a meal for three Leasiders at any restaurant in our area, the M4G postal code, which includes Leaside, Bennington Heights and the Leaside Business Park.