Oystercatcher Seafood Bar & Grill — Restaurant in Salt Spring Island Electoral Area

During my recent dining experience at the Oystercatcher Bar and Grill, I was captivated by the inviting ambiance and eager to indulge in their menu offerings. However, my overall experience was marred by an unsettling discrepancy between the prices listed on the menu and the final bill presented to me.

Opting for a seemingly modest burger priced at $26.99 according to the menu, on the receipt showed different price and I was taken aback when the bill totaled at nearly $50 per burger . . Additionally, the waiter informed us that we could choose soup, salad, or French fries as sides, only to find out later that each option incurred an extra charge. The discrepancy, though seemingly minor at first glance, raises concerns regarding transparency and integrity in pricing practices. What struck me the most was not the nominal increase of $1 in the final bill, but rather the implications it carries. It prompts one to ponder how frequently such discrepancies occur and how many patrons unwittingly bear the burden of these discrepancies.

Further compounding this issue was the lack of proactive resolution from our waiter upon bringing the matter to their attention. In light of this experience, I urge fellow diners to exercise diligence and attentiveness when settling their bills, thereby safeguarding against inadvertent discrepancies. While the Oystercatcher Bar and Grill offers a pleasant dining environment and a tantalizing menu, the issue of pricing transparency warrants consideration and vigilance on the part of patrons. Overall, my experience at the Oystercatcher Bar and Grill was tempered by this discrepancy, serving as a reminder of the importance of conscientiousness in all aspects of the dining experience. Would I recommend this restaurant to others? Proceed with caution and ensure meticulous scrutiny of your final bill. The final bill was 96.30$ for 2 burgers and a tea, the sides were charged extra. On the photos show the price in menu different...

I went to Oystercatcher's website to check out their menu for takeout (screenshot below) nd decided on the "Gulf Coast Style Fish Sandwich" with the crispy halibut option for $19.99. When I went to pick it up 20 minutes later, they gave me a bill that charged me $29.99 for an "Ahi Tuna Burger".

The server told me to that because they didn't offer a crispy halibut sandwich, they charged me for the Ahi Tuna Burger because "it would be the same price". I paid, a little confused as to why the total was so much. Then I showed her the website and the menu, where the item I had ordered said $19.99. She said it was supposed to say cod. I was starting to feel a little frustrated for paying $10 more than I had expected, when I hadn't been contacted to clarify this with me before I picked up. I asked her if I could switch to cod, since she said they were still making it. She went to get her manager.

Greg, her manager, came and told me he would just do a price adjustment, without asking me what had happened. Because I had already paid, he said "it's just five dollars, I'll take it out of my pocket". I showed him the menu and let him know my situation, to which he responded by showing me their menu in house. I asked him if it just hasn't been updated then; he left the money on the table and did not respond. When he handed me the burger, he ended our conversation with a "this is still the halibut you're getting" or something to that effect, like I should be grateful that I'm paying $5 extra with no communication or acknowledgement that it makes sense to be frustrated for being charged much more than I had expected, as per their website.

I have been in customer service for many years and I felt that I had been patient and open with my communication up to that point, yet I was met with condescending tones, like I had made the mistake.

I feel this could've been handled way better, or...

If you care about good service, the Oystercatcher is top-notch. We had our first experience after an hour-long ferry delay - so we were admittedly a little frazzled. No one wants to eat a 3:00 lunch, but the server was personable, funny, and handled everything with expertise in a very packed Saturday afternoon crowd. Because it was so late, we opted for share plate and had Calamari (outstanding), Scallops, and Fried Oysters with a couple of fantastic Caesars as well. The Island offers many great dining options so we hadn’t considered returning until we experienced the worst dining experience of our lives at Salt Spring Wild Cider tonight. Though it turned out to be one of those “Blessing and a Curse” experiences that made us realize it was clearly meant to be since it resulted in us leaving and ending up enjoying an amazing dining and customer service experience with fantastic live music to boot.

Dinner for the three of us included: A dozen Oysters, a lovely Bottle of Rosé, California Pizza, and Crab Cake - ALL were delectable. We finished with their excellent unbaked Cheesecake dessert, “Love in a Jar” that will live rent-free in our heads until we meet again. Our server, Sara, blew our MINDS when she asked my daughters age (17) and then told us that SHE TOO was 17!! We were FLOORED at how professional and hospitable she was after our earlier experience at Salt Spring Wild Cider with a server that was much older that couldn’t even muster up a basic freakin greeting until after we had to order at the bar ourselves almost 20 minutes into our seating. I digress, KUDOS to our server Sara and to the Management at Oystercatcher for employing people that actually CARE about the people patronizing their establishments. SSI has many wonderful eateries on the Island, but we will continue to choose this restaurant repeatedly. Thank you for making a bad evening into a...