The Mermaid and The Oyster

Don’t even know where to start; the owner/​chef is personable and knowledgeable, the staff is friendly, and the food is amazing. The lobster roll and chowder are outstanding; both packed with fresh seafood. The fish tacos have this crazy spicy slaw that make you want to stuff your face, but you can’t because they give you three huge portions. And how can you call yourself a seafood place and not make killer fish & chips.
I’ve never gone when it’s been super busy so I don’t know how they handle a crowd, but it’s one of our fave places in Oakville.

I finally popped into the Mermaid and the Oyster after living in Oakville for almost 4 years, and boy have I been missing out! I thought it was a seafood market, so I popped in to buy shrimp for a dinner. There isn’t a huge selection but everything is very fresh.
I then saw they had a small menu and were part of Taste of Oakville, so I tried a Lobster roll and clam chowder which were on special. Holy yumminess! There was a very generous portion of lobster and it was so fresh it reminded me of eating lobster caught same day in Maine. The chowder was absolutely delicious. I’ve been back recently and discovered ‘buck a shuck’ Thursday’s… Oh happy day!
They also offer take out, and we’ve had some great mussels and a lobster dinner special for Valentines Day.
You can dine in, it’s very casual with just a few tables. Note they don’t have a liquor license though, so if you’d like a glass of wine with your lobster, you’ll want to plan for take out :)

In search of something different on the Kerr strip, we found The Mermaid and The Oyster. This place will make you wonder why all seafood restaurants aren’t still sporting mermaid wall murals and fishnet drapery, but it’s the food that’ll really knock you out. One bite of their lobster rolls and you’ll be hooked!
ATMOSPHERE:
This is a specialty seafood store/​seafood restaurant hybrid. Meaning after you sample their delish menu, you can also grab some fresh salmon for the road. The space is decked out in sea-​themed kitsch which makes your dining experience more theatrical and fun than tacky. This in itself makes the spot a must-​visit. For seating, they’ve got pretty basic outdoor furniture, and there’s only so many seats so coming in with larger groups may be difficult. 2 – 4 people seems to be the magic number.
SERVICE:
As we walked into the shop and asked for a menu, we were greeted with smiles and Hello’s! from the staff behind the counter. Our table service was perfectly adequate as well, with our waitress offering her menu favourites and remaining attentive throughout the meal.
C-​FOOD:
No human being should have to relive Goldilocks’ horror each time they bite into a seemingly normal lobster roll. Yet all too often we’re confronted with lobster roll predicaments. We’re either robbed of precious lobster meat, or the butter factor is supercharged or the filling is too mayo-​y, too dill-​y, too onion-​y, etc.
Not this lobster roll.
While it may be on the smaller side, this sandwich is packed with lobster meat, and the seasoning and filling is incredibly fresh. In fact, I saw the chef whipping it up behind the counter to-​order. The bun is buttery enough that you taste it, but not over-​the-​top, and the overall flavours are very balanced. In other words, this place has got their lobster rolls ON LOCK.
Aside from that, we had «Buck-​a-​Shuck» oysters that we’re deeeeeeeelicious, and my coleslaw side was just the right amount of creamy.
OVERALL:
If you’re an Oakvillian, you should be grabbing your keys and running out the door this very instant. This is an awesome local spot in a town that lacks classic seafood restaurants with big taste. For anyone passing by Oakville, it’s worth the stop off the highway! Don’t let this place be the one that got away!

This just happened today and I needed to rave about it (just a little) because you know, that’s what you do when something amazing happens.
Following an eventful morning working from the Kerr st Café, I went with my dining companion for a short walk to see what other eats we could dig up along the Kerr Village aside from Stoney’s (still got mad love for Stoney’s… but I needed something new). Ali (GTA’s new Marketing Assistant) said she had heard that an old seafood store had recently begun to double as a lunch spot, offering a menu of made to order seafood faves in addition to their cooler filled with fish you could take home to prepare to your liking.
It’s a humble shop, nothing fancy, simple tables, simple chairs, and an eclectic array of seafaring knick knacks and décor to make the place feel warm. Don’t go in expecting a Red Lobster, this is first and foremost a specialty fish shop which offers some places to sit while you enjoy some freshly cooked fare — so basically, don’t be a jerk and take a star away because it’s paper napkins and seafood and not white glove service — I’m just sayin’.
To the food now… Egad, what a menu! Lobster. On. Everything! See the pictures, but from a Gooey Lobster grilled cheese, to a classic lobster roll to lobster bisque and lobster this and lobster that, I was in maritime heaven! Add to the line up of lobster faves, classics like clam chowder, and traditional fish and chips — I was as happy as a clam you might say!
Much to our glee we discovered that today ALSO just so happened to be buck-​a-​shuck Oyster day. Seriously? So we shared a dozen (or so). We both went for the Lobster rolls because… lobster rolls you guys!
The roll was magnificent, a little less mayo, exactly as I liked it (too many times places will charge you big $$ for less Lobster and more filler — celery, dill, mayo, etc). These buns were toasted and buttery and jam packed with tons of lobster — amazing! I decided to forego the salad on the side when I found out that they fresh cut and fresh cook their fries (thick cut too). They were amazing, had a little seasoning on them and kept their crunch even after I doused them in salt and malt vinegar! Yum — still drooling!
The bill was a tad higher than I would normally spend on a lunch, but heck for lobster and oysters on the cheap, I would have gladly paid even more if asked. Everything was amazing and I was SO happy to discover this hidden aspect of this little local gem!
Eatcrest Out!

We’ve been here two times. My favourite would be the tuna tacos for sure. The tuna is lightly seared on the outside (and you get a good amount of tuna per taco as well) along with crisp veggies, crunchy noodles and peanuts topped with a wasabi mayo (which I always ask for extra of). Both times we ordered the tuna tacos and it was consistent on both occasions. There are three generous tacos which we didn’t realize the first time so we shared it the second time. We also had the oysters both times (Thursdays are oyster night — $ 1 although they are a little smaller in size that when we ordered the regular priced ones). Oysters did not come with the sauces or fresh horseradish as I normally prefer (only came with pre-​made horseradish, cocktail sauce and lemon). Clam chowder and lobster grilled cheese were both good. Lobster bisque was ok, but I prefer the clam chowder personally. As everyone has mentioned they do not serve alcohol and the tables are more like patio tables than true dining tables but other than that, I highly recommend the restaurant. We don’t live too far away so we’ll definitely become regulars.

3.5 stars. Great service, cute place. The ladies at the counter are super friendly. Had the lobster roll. Very fresh and nicely seasoned with fresh herbs, but just a bit too much mayo for my liking.

We came on our way back to Toronto from Niagara Falls. There are a lot of restaurants along Kerr Street, and there are parking meters on both sides of the street. We parked our car at the meters and later found out that there are free parking at the back of the restaurant.
The restaurant is small with only 4 small tables. We had lobster roll and crab cake. The lobster roll is fabulous. There are big chunks of lobster meat. They fried the roll and it came out warm and crispy. It is $ 14 and it is so worth. The crab cake is $ 4 each and we ordered two. They came with sauce and it’s both delicious to eat the cake by itself or with the sauce. We ordered a mermaid chowder and two more crab cakes to go. The chowder is kind of disappointed coz it is kind of watery. I personally like thick and creamy chowder. The crab cake tasted as delicious as eat-​in after reheated back home.

We had a lobster roll, lobster BLT and raw oysters. All were excellent! They have a couple tables inside and three small tables outside. Nice quaint spot. They sell fish, oysters and shell fish at their counter as well. I would note they don’t have a liquor license.