Goderich Harbour Restaurant aka The Old Saltie — Restaurant in Goderich

I decided on a whim to make my way to Goderich Harbour to visit a spot my dad took me when I was just a kid.

I noticed this spot as I came down the hill and before I hit the road again, I decided to give it a try.

This is definitely one of those places where you are rewarded time and again for refusing to judge a book by its cover. It's a small shack with a gravel parking lot right at the edge of a fairly heavily industrialized section of town. Nothing about it screams fine dining.

I was given a small hint of what I was about to experience when I saw their menu of vinegars and salts. 20 different vinegar choices and around 30 different seasoning salts. And while I did not speak to the owner I guarantee the reason they charge for ketchup and tartar is because the last thing they want you to do is pass up trying something new and different.

I'd never tried black vinegar, so I chose that and paired it with a Sriracha salt. Sat down at one of their picnic tables and opened up my meal. Again, had I judged the food on its looks, my immediate feeling would have been one of disappointment. The piece of fish was deceptively small, the batter dark, and the fries at a glance looked limp and not because of the vinegar.

However, I dug in, and was rewarded. The fries were the perfect balance of crisp and tender, and I'd rate them a close second to Mar's Cosmic Fries up in Sauble Beach (an institution that is now sadly permanently closed). The Black Vinegar was a nice mild flavour and the Sriracha salt added just a little kick of warmth. Even without those additions, the fries left naked were properly seasoned, something I've been finding lately to my disappointment not many restaurants do well anymore.

But the fish! One of the things I have gotten used to because it is so common, even though it is something I frankly despise, is battered fish where the batter is so thick and doughy that it feels like chewing through a chicken ball from a second rate Chinese food restaurant, while the fish is a limp, damp afterthought huddling in a soggy hollow in the centre. This fish was NOT that. This fish was singularly, hands down the best battered fish I have ever had the pleasure of tasting. The batter was light, thin, crispy, perfectly seasoned and almost elegant in its simplicity. And it complemented the fish instead of overpowering it. The haddock was perfectly cooked, tender and fresh and practically sumptuous. I devoured the entire meal so fast my head spun.

Some reviews take issue with the portion sizes. And I think again that comes down to the fact that a lot of restaurants make up for poor food with bigger portions. I left perfectly sated, happy with my decision to visit, and with the intent in future to drive the nearly two hour distance between home and Goderich JUST to visit this establishment again....

We were by the pier area to visit and noticed this place at the side road. It's a local hole so we thought we would try it. The place only serves fish and chips. There is an outdoor area with benches, and a small eat in at the side that you can ask to open.

There is no washroom on site. The servers were friendly. It was less than 10 minutes wait as there were about 3 to 4 orders ahead of ours.

We had 2 orders of the fish and chips and 2 packets of tartar sauce. There are vinegar and salt flavours to choose from to top off the fish and chips. The fish portion is small, but it was cooked fresh, crispy and tasty. We asked for the smoked and malt vinegar for flavor, which they spray on the fish. The fries could be crisper. I had the onion and garlic flavour while he chose the dill salt.

I get the choosing of different flavours of vinegars and salts, but the spray amount they put on the fish I find isn't enough for myself and the same with the salt flavour for the fries. My partner had the dill salt and said he couldn't taste anything on his fries and was disappointed.

The place doesn't offer ketchup or tartar sauce for free or having malt vinegar on the side counter, compared to other restaurant establishments. It is 50 cents for a packet of tartar and 25 cents for a small packet of ketchup. I prefer having my own control of how much vinegar to put on my fish as opposed to someone spraying the flavour and same goes for the salt as well. Food is average, would be nice if there was a choice of being able to add your own vinegar and having tartar sauce and...

First time at Old Salty in Goderich.... Fish was indeed awesome...just the right amount of batter ie: thin. Fries were excellent. 4/5 stars not 5 but could have been 5, I suppose. Now here is what to know: Tartar sauce is $0.50 and 'specialty' salts n' vinegars are extra $ too. Best to take your own supply of condiments AND your own knives and forks. They apply yer salt n' vinegar. It's a control thing, apparently. Service was a tiny bit awkward but not unpleasant. As for atmosphere, 'dining in' means taking to a picnic table outside which....was awesome in that y'all are exactly at the 'head' of the freighter mooring docks. The water and air was sooo refreshing on this sunny Aug 4 th. I learned from a gent customer that the property and building are owned by the town of Goderich which MAY clue one in as to why the structure is all but falling down on the outside and the weeds at 2 ft high, everywhere you look.....so bottom line, don't blame the Old Salty for shabby surroundings. Would I go back? IF I were in the area anyway....yes, no question. Would I drive all the way from London again? Only if the drive portion were of importance too. There IS a reduced price for one order if one shows his/her Legion card...not for more than one person's meal. (2 membership cards, 2 discounts) Debit and/or cash are preferred. ....and they DO have beer, many local types. I had an...