Mermaid's Seafood Restaurant — Restaurant in Ottawa

We were in the mood for seafood and came across this restaurant with rave reviews online. We came here on a Thursday evening in August. Note that this is a halal restaurant. Therefore, no alcohol is served here. Pros: The staff was very nice. The octopus plate was small, but incredibly delicious. The whole, grilled red snapper was also very good. All of the sides were good (salad, rice, fries and potato wedges). The fried shrimp combo plate was good and very generous. (If we ever come back, we would try the sautéed shrimp instead, which is not breaded.) All of the dipping sauces served with the different dishes were delicious. Cons: The fried calamari tasted good but was over cooked and therefore rubbery. The cod was covered in a very thick layer of heavy, greasy batter and over cooked. The atmosphere was ruined by the fact that there was no music and, instead, there was a continuous, high-pitched noise coming out of the sound system or ventilation system - not sure which. Also, the lighting was very bright for a restaurant, and the temperature inside the restaurant was uncomfortably warm and muggy for a summer evening, as if the AC was not working. Bottom line: If you would like to try a halal restaurant that serves seafood alongside tabouleh and hummus, consider giving it a try. If you are looking for a traditional North American seafood restaurant that also serves fresh oysters, crab legs, lobster, etc., with a cold beer or glass of white wine,...

I have placed an order from Mermaids a few times now. I was not satisfied in my previous experiences, however I kept giving them the benefit of the doubt and decided to order once again since I couldn't find many seafood options. My overall experience thus far has been that this restaurant really does not follow order instructions. I ordered large amounts of fish, obviously to feed several people. I made a point to remind them to please put a sufficient amount of special dipping sauce for the fish. As usual, it was ignored and I was sent 1 tiny container that's as much as 2 ketchup packets. I ordered what they called a large fattouche salad, added an additional $10 to the salad making it $18.99, only to receive a salad that was easily for 1 person. I was in shock at the size of this salad and what they would charge and rip off a customer with. I will not be eating or ordering from a restaurant who clearly likes to overcharge and not give a customer what they have paid for in terms of quality and quantity. I have spent well over a few hundred dollars, maybe I was wrong to think they could've gotten an order wrong or didn't read instructions correctly, but they have proven time and time again that they overcharge and give as little...

A couple of stars were taken off for the service because it was painfully slow, I didn't get an itemized receipt (only a total was given on the pay pad), I had to ask for my receipt after I paid and our server forgot about drinks a couple of times.

The food is not cheap, but it's worth it. You pay for freshness and quality. We couldn't taste the oil in the fried foods, nor could I smell oil in the restaurant, so we assume they change the oil frequently. We spent $158 (before tax and tip) for 5 people.

I was impressed by the food at this restaurant. I enjoyed everything we tried! Here's a breakdown of the food: fried whiting - fresh, tender, crispy grilled sea bass - seasoning was delicious, tender, and moist calamari - tender with a light crust. There is no need for sauce. Potatoe wedges - there's an extra delicious coating. We're not potato people, but 3 out of 5 of the group thought it was the top 2 items they tied. Babaganoush/hummus/tabouli - as expected. Samki Harra - this was the first time I tried it, and I liked it. My brother-in-law is familiar with his mom's version and said it was great. Grape leaves - good, as...