Rodney’s Oyster House — Restaurant in Toronto

I celebrated my 35th birthday at Rodney's, and it was a decent gathering. Having previously enjoyed a delightful date night at this spot, we had high expectations for the celebration – and I can't say that they delivered.

The hostess warmly greeted us, setting the tone for a lively and chill ambiance. Accommodating our party of 20 in the Cuddy Room, the setup included a long table for 14 and a smaller one for 6, with a TV. Our server, Jessa, impressed us with her direct and efficient service, managing our large group on her own with commendable skill. Daytime manager Julius went above and beyond, personally saying hi and assisting with bringing out dishes – truly easy to work with and accommodating. The surprise personalized menu, featuring a "Happy Birthday Mira" at the top, added a wonderful touch of warmth and surprise. Despite a small hiccup with my name being misspelled, we rolled with it, adding an unexpected element of laughter to our night.

Now, let's talk about the highlight – the food! The $68 prix fixe menu earned a solid 5/5. From Tuna Tartare at $25 (my personal favorite) to the perfectly balanced House Salad at $13 and the crunchy, just-right Calamari at $15, every dish delighted our taste buds. Moving on to the second course, the Lobster Rolls at $36 were generously packed with lobster, accompanied by a side of salad and onion rings that left me thoroughly satisfied. The Crab Cakes priced at $32 were both crunchy and impeccably cooked. The Black COD, our catch of the day at $33.16, was expertly seasoned and incredibly flavorful. Lastly, the scallops at $33.50 were nothing short of delicious – our entire group fell into a momentary silence as we savored each bite.

Our celebration at Rodney's descended into a series of regrettable incidents, casting a dark shadow over what should have been a joyous occasion. The initial blow came from a server's abrupt and discourteous interruption of our conversation, carrying plates of Crab Cakes while bluntly stating, "Okay, I have to put these down somewhere!" The impolite tone from the server caught our guests completely off guard, creating an unexpected and uncomfortable atmosphere.

The lack of communication and coordination between the daytime manager, Julius and our server, Jessa regarding pre-agreed separate bills for each family proved to be intensely frustrating. Despite our clear arrangement, Jessa obstinately insisted on the standard one-bill practice for the room, disregarding our prior understanding with the manager. The billing system added fuel to our dissatisfaction. Anticipating a straightforward prix fixe menu, we were instead met with a perplexing itemized breakdown. Jessa's loud and aggressive announcement, "I can't do separate bills; we occasionally don't do that for the Cuddy Room!" echoed through the entire group, creating an uncomfortable atmosphere that lingered for the rest of the night. While Pete attempted to shed light on the market price aspect, the uncommunicated promise of a bar tab left our group unaware, depriving us of an option we would have appreciated.

Understanding the market price aspect was crucial, especially for the majority of our guests experiencing Rodney's for the first time. As a group, we wanted to understand the reason the bill turned into an itemized breakdown. Regrettably, our server failed to invest time and effort at the end of the night, leaving the impression that she was merely eager to sign out. Upon thorough calculation of our entire bill, it became apparent that she had mistakenly charged us for an extra COD, facing unnecessary headaches that could have been avoided with a simple conversation. We called Julius and left a voice-mail yesterday; now, we are waiting for their response. While the food was exceptional, the deficiency in customer service was disheartening. It's a genuine disappointment considering the overall potential for a fantastic...

Rodney's Oyster House has been a Toronto institution since 1987 and is one of the most popular oyster spots in the city. Not only has the restaurant established itself as one of Toronto's top sources for seafood, but it has become one of the renowned importers and wholesalers as well.

Initially, Rodney came to Toronto by way of PEI to work as a graphic designer. His father would send him boxes of oysters on the back of a potato truck with instructions to drop them off at people's homes. Often he'd be invited back to shuck the oysters at parties helping to build relationships with Toronto's preeminent oyster lovers.

the King West restaurant is still a Toronto destination for seafood lovers. Near the front entrance there are tanks of live crab, lobsters and spot prawns. The nautically themed dining room is decked out with warm wood and adorned with shells signed by celebrities, mounted fish, photos and quirky mementos.

Oysters are a must and longtime patrons know to get their orders in ASAP, even before ordering a drink. The list changes daily based on what's fresh, but expect to find a seasonal assortment culled from both Atlantic and Pacific coasts as well as a select few from European waters.

Many like to leave it up to the oyster shuckers to select whatever looks best. Today this includes small but deep kumamotos, massive flats from Maine and even some little littleneck clams. They're delicious au natural but come with freshly grated horseradish, lemon wedges and an array of house-made sauces such as a sweet cocktail sauce and fiery scotch bonnet sauce.

Craft beer (from $7 per pint) and dry white wines like the house Sea Legs Oyster White (from $9 a glass) are prominently featured at the bar and selected for their oyster-friendly flavours. The selection of cocktails is limited to Caesars ($12.50) crafted with Walter's mix and spiked with vodka, scotch or bourbon.

From the list of menu fixtures, the first thing we try is the Smokers Platter ($23), an assorted spread featuring peppered steelhead trout with beer horseradish, candied salmon with red pepper jelly, flakey hot smoked salmon with creamy horseradish, marinated mussels and Danish-style smoked salmon with cream cheese, red onions, capers and squares of sweet pumpernickel.

Another staple on the menu is the lobster roll ($29), a toasty split top bun overflowing with claw meat dressed in brown butter aioli and paired with a strip of bacon. It is indeed a very good and meaty sandwich. Sides of beer battered onion rings and an arugula salad round out the dish.

Daily specials (MP) are how the kitchen spotlights seasonal ingredients in their prime and this extends well beyond seafood.

The stunning dry scallop dish I'm served on my recent visit is an excellent example. The scallops themselves are sweet and caramelized to perfection, but it's the spring vegetables, a medley of fiddleheads, sprouted garbanzo beans, wild leeks and morels that makes this an ephemeral pleasure that I feel lucky to have sampled.

Canadian oysters are at their best from May to December, and they get better towards the tail end of the season as the molluscs plump up in anticipation of winter weather. I've marked my calendar for a repeat visit in the fall, though I'll be back before then... oysters on a patio might just be my definition of heaven.

Source from Liora...

I visited this restaurant yesterday Monday March 25th before 8pm, and it was enjoyable and fun. I sat at the bar with my friend who was leaving for Japan soon, so I wanted to treat her. I had a great time; the food was amazing, and our waiter, Wood or Woody, was excellent. Sean also joined in our conversation, and I ordered some Tequila shots for us to share and cheers to my friend's trip to Japan. My total spend was about $400.

However, I did not have a pleasant experience with the hostess at the door. Her mannerism was not welcoming. As usual, she asked if I had a reservation, and when I said no, she informed us of a 10-minute wait. I agreed, but as we waited, I observed other patrons being seated promptly, leading me to assume they had reservations.

Before a table became available, the hostess advised us to have a seat in the waiting area, which was about 200 meters from her desk and slightly obstructed from her view. After a few minutes, I heard her scream that a table was ready. As we approached her and waited for directions, she remained fixated on her computer screen, which struck me as odd and somewhat unwelcoming. It made me wonder if guests, especially people of color, have similar experiences.

At one point during my dining , I needed a fork, and my bartender wasn’t visible or around. This happened after 9 pm, when most patrons were already leaving, and I was one of the few last guests, so the bar wasn’t busy at all, and it wasn't noisy. The hostess walked towards me, she was so close that if I blew air from my mouth, she would feel it. I said excuse me twice, but she didn’t respond. My friend had to say it one more time before she raised her head towards me. It’s funny because when I tried to get her attention, she pretended she didn’t hear me, but when my friend called her attention, she finally looked up and looked straight at me.

She appeared informed and competent, her attitude left much to be desired. Ultimately, I just wanted to enjoy a meal, and everyone should feel welcome to do so, especially in a diverse city like Toronto.

I'm sharing this feedback not as a punitive measure or to call her out, but because I couldn't help but notice the professionalism exhibited by the bartenders Woody, Sean and others that didn’t even attend to me and waitstaff in contrast to the hostess's demeanor.

Despite my mixed experience with the hostess, I would still visit again. However, I couldn't ignore the initial impression she left, which made me hesitate...