Ossington & Argyle : Rock Lobster Food Co.

The spontaneous decision to eat out on a Tuesday night had me tromping through Parkdale in the rain, well after dark, in search of the perfect last-minute meal. After hearing that the wait time at the ever-cool, ever-popular Grand Electric was (unsurprisingly) at least an hour, we decided to try someplace new. On Ossington, between Queen and Dundas, Rock Lobster Food Co. is serving up maritime classics with an urban twist. 

The menu takes on a real urban-foodie-vibe off the top. The first main course on the list is the fancy-sounding Lobster Cappuccino ($6), which is described as Bisque + Creme Fraiche + Fresh Lobster + Chives. In contrast, the rest of the menu focuses more on seafood staples : oysters ($2.25 each), shrimp (6 for $12), Crab Cluster ($10), and classic Lobster Supper ($39). They also feature homestyle mains with an ocean touch. The Lobster Mac N Cheese ($14) and Lobster Poutine ($13) both feel like a grown-up version of our childhood favourites. For those who prefer the taste of dry land, the chef offers Crispy Maple Pork Belly ($12) and Flank Steak ($14). 

At first glance, the prices seem very reasonable, but the portions are not large. We ordered the Lobster Poutine and the Flank Steak, and since both are heavy in protein and carbs we didn't leave hungry, perhaps just wanting a little bit more. 

Photo by Paul S. Manson

The Lobster Poutine was true to its name. Instead of traditional beef gravy, the fresh-cut fries were coated in just the right amount of lobster bisque gravy, ensuring that the seafood flavour was carried through the entire dish. Generous helpings of lobster and Quebec cheese curds topped it all off to perfection. 

Photo by Paul S. Manson

The Flank Steak is served Medium Rare unless specified otherwise. The steak strips are nestled in next to simple hickory sticks topped with a fried duck egg, and are served with a side of Crown Royal Whiskey Barbecue Sauce. This dish was good, but not great. The steak was tender and flavourful, but it was the kind of simple dish I could easily have made at home. The hickory sticks were addictively crispy but lacked that smokey hickory flavour, and the side sauce didn't differ from classic barbecue. All in all, next time I would stick to the seafood at Rock Lobster, it's definitely what they do best. 

Photo by Paul S. Manson

Desert was delicious and made it relatively easy to overlook the fact that they only offer one desert option. The Whale Tail ($6) is the Rock Lobster version of a Beaver Tail. A generous portion of deep-fried dough is topped with plenty of cinnamon sugar, maple sugar, and creme anglaise. The Whale Tail is sweet enough to satisfy without feeling too rich or heavy. 

The desert is perhaps one of the strongest culinary elements to highlight the restaurant's clear bent toward Canadiana. The servers were both wearing plaid, which managed to be a nod to both Canadian clichés and the west-end hipster uniform. The artwork on the walls feature a Canadian flag, a Canadian postage stamp, and an RCMP officer. Both the atmosphere and the food succeed in emphasizing that you are in the world of homegrown, maritime Canadiana without going over the top with the theme and walking the line between hometown tradition and urban trend.  

Rock Lobster Food Co.

110 Ossington Ave.

416-533-1800

Tuesday - Thursday : 5pm - 12am

Friday - Sunday : 5pm - 2am

Closed Monday

No Reservations