Evan’s Seafood Restaurant

Halifax being the type of city that it is (port, with a colonial British-​centric background), there’s a lot of fish and chips here. Even pizza places have it as a menu fixture! And with that comes even more opinions on who serves the best. Truth be told, a third is going to be average, if you’re lucky. The bulk of the rest is worse than forgettable; so mushy or overcooked that you’d prefer to forget it and it went back to the freezer from whence it came, but its awfulness has scarred your taste buds’ memories.
Evan’s, however, is a humble place just across the harbour (and I mean *just*), that consistently comes up when the best fish and chips joints in the city are being discussed. Located right in Alderney Landing, it’s owned by a fishing family, so that’s a big feather in their cap of legitimacy (it’s the latest fashion).
While slowly whittling down my list of restaurants to try out for the first time, I decided to take the ferry over to Evan’s on a cool, but sunny, winter day. Not being particularly familiar with the complex, I took an embarrassingly long time to find the place, so the easy directions for others is just go left once you’re off the ferry. Not up any steps, just keep going left. Learn from my shame. I planned my trip to arrive after the lunch rush would be over, so there was no line and just a couple of the tables that were occupied in the food court-​ish set up.
To no one’s surprise, their compact menu is honed in on seafood, with the likes of fish and chips, scallops, lobster rolls and lobster poutine. Given the way this review started, it will also come as no surprise that I went with the fish and chips, although just one piece so that I wouldn’t put myself in a fried food-​coma. After ordering at the counter, I sat down and took in the nice view across the harbour.
My food was brought out in fairly quick order. The fish was a respectable size and the pile of hand-​cut fries was healthy (figuratively) as well. I knew what I was getting into when it came to the style of fish here at Evan’s — they use a gluten free breading instead of my preferred beer batter. That said it was crispy, and the fish was super fresh, although a little thin compared to most places. The fries were quite crispy for hand-​cut ones, and the tartar sauce was so good that I was dipping my fries in it.
While a breaded piece of fish will never be the best of the best in my books, this was a fine entry and they know what they’re doing at Evan’s. Bonus points for a menu that is mostly gluten free, which is nice for a type of food that typically isn’t accessible to people with celiac.

Don’t know of any other spots in the city that do gluten free fish and chips and in a gluten free oil fryer. Delicious and the price was good. Nice work!

Best fish and chips we ever had always go there fish burger is a 1 service very good as always fast meals on the go great view of the harbor and ferry if we are headed over to Hali

Lobster poutine is amazing! The fries are golden perfection, they use a creamy garlic gravy instead of brown sauce that compliments the lobster so well! It’s a little pricey but very filling and it has lots of lobster in it so I would say it is worth it! Great view of Halifax from the ferry terminal too!

I am eating my way through Evan’s menu, and I haven’t had a regret yet — far from it. The food is simple, but prepared with obvious care. The simplicity extends to the décor and service. You order from the counter and may sit at a picnic table outside; but with the beautiful view of the harbour and the ferries coming and going what’s not to love? Or, order yours to go twenty minutes prior to the ferry and enjoy while crossing the harbour.
Evan, apparently, is the father of the two young women that run the restaurant. He is a fisherman, and supplies them with their fresh produce. Love it — small business at its best.
When family or friends come to town, Evan’s is on our must-​do list.

Still the best. Took me 2 years to get back but still as good as I remembered. The price has gone up considerably, 12.99 for just the lobster roll or 16.99 with a side. Still a good value compared to what I’ve received at other places for the same price. Had the fries this time and they were done perfectly. Not waiting 2 years til the next visit.

If you like lobster this is a must.
Had the lobster roll which was excellent — they didn’t skimp out on the amount of lobster and it tasted magical.
I also had the lobster poutine. The large was the perfect amount to share with two guys and feel very full. The poutine was a lot better than I expected (didn’t think those two went together).
My friend got a half order of clams and they weren’t all that great. But that may be because I’m not a huge fan of clams.
The best thing is that the food isn’t very heavy and not all that greasy, so you don’t feel gross after eating. I went for a run just an hour later and felt fine.

I absolutely love Evan’s! They were one of the first restaurants in Dartmouth to boast an entirely gluten free menu, and not have it taste like dirt.
Friendly, close-​to-​home wait staff, fresh delicious fish and chips, and a very Nova Scotian feel to it. A must for tourists, especially with a view of the harbour.
Only issues were fairly slow service and one unpleasant cashier. Otherwise, I highly recommend anyone to go!

Easily my favorite fish and chips spot in the city. The haddock isn’t greasy, and is completely fresh, and the fries are just delicious. I’ve never heard anybody have anything but great things to say about Evan’s.

Evan’s sells fresh uncooked seafood so you can grab some on your way home. I have stopped in many times and bought something to cook at home, but until today, had never stopped to eat there. So I took the family in for some fish and chips, was expecting the John’s Lunch variety. Got much more than that, really; it was like what Wharf Wraps in Eastern Passage used to be, before they glammed up the place, upped each dish by 5 bucks, and ditched the homecut fries. Remember those days?
Well, Evan’s has what I would deem the BEST pan-​fried and fried seafood on the Dartmouth side. They beat John’s by a country mile. Sorry for all the John’s fans, that is just how it is; I encourage you to try it for yourself and find out. John’s still has its place as an awesome spot to get your grease fix; but Evans is the spot to get your taste buds tickled a bit.
Lobster poutine? Yes, please… Absolutely decadent. We will be back!
The only ONE thing I did not enjoy is the seating. It is the standard Alderney Market plastic lawn chair variety. I would encourage Evans to invest in something a bit less rickety and more comfy. Or to encourage Alderney’s management to upgrade.

Some of the best fish I’ve ever had. The menu is short and sweet, they stick to what they do best and use fresh, quality ingredients.

Finally tried this place out after many many trips to Alderney… what was I thinking waiting so long? Gluten free to boot! Amazing!
I ordered a one piece fish and chips to go, even though I was staying, because 99% of the time I eat out I take home leftovers. Well not today! I scarfed everything down, not even sure I took a breath! Fish was crispy, flaky and delicious, fries were thick and Dutch like… just the way I like them. And I could bathe in the tartar sauce… just kidding, but it was really good!
Thank you for the wonderful service and the chat after I ate! I will be back, I will bring friends! :)

Worked not too far from here so decided this would be a good place to check out for lunch. They serve food as well as fresh seafood you can take home to cook. There was a line when I got there around lunch-​time and for good reason! There was a lot of options and I was there for a short amount of time so I had to choose wisely.
Lobster Roll — The bread it was served with was delicious. Crispy on the outside, but soft on the inside. The lobster mix was quite tasty as well but for ~16 CAD, it is pretty pricey and I am not sure if it’s worth it.
Spicy Fish Sandwich — delicious. The batter was flavorful and the fish was fresh. The spicy mix had just the right amount of kick and I finished this pretty quickly.
Great lunch place and if I am ever back in Halifax this is where I will go. I want to try their other options as they all sound delicious. Also, ask for extra tartar sauce because it is awesome.

Spicy fish burger was epic, old lady got the GF fish and chips and loved it! Over all the place was welcoming and had great food.
Also fresh fish to take home!

Despite the fact that we live right beside the ocean, it’s not always easy to find fish and chips that are downright great. However, Evan’s has nailed it in my opinion! Having had their sweet potato fries several times and being impressed, I met my aunt there for lunch figuring we would both be able to find something tasty. I was right! We both got the fish and chips with sweet potato fries. The tarter sauce is tangy and delicious (no prepackaged crap!), the fish is lightly breaded and deep fried (no gross thick greasy batter), and the sweet potato fries were crispy and perfect! There are a lot of menu options I would like to try out here — lobster poutine anyone?! — and they have gluten free options, which is always great to see.
Here is the only downside to Evan’s — they’re really popular. In general, that means it’s not a quick lunch, because they make everything to order, there’s usually a line up and it can be tough to find a seat. Usually though, one opens up by the time you get your order. The staff are also very friendly and as accommodating as possible.
Lastly, their fish is really fresh. Makes a big difference in the quality of the meal. Definitely would 100% recommend!

Evan’s Seafood! Why didn’t I know you existed? Probably because I just moved over the bridge…
After searching on Unilocal to figure out where we wanted to eat, Evan’s won! I love fish burgers, and every review pretty much agrees that it’s a must order here. Add me to the list! Delicious fresh fish, sandwiched between an incredible soft bun, covered in (what I’m guessing is) home-​made tartar sauce — at only $ 5.00, this is a must order! You can also order a spicy fish burger…
We also got the lobster poutine, and some fried scallops (we were very hungry) The lobster poutine was super good, but, there wasn’t very many pieces of lobster in it, for nearly $ 10 with tax, and it was fairly small.
Their tartar sauce was the best I’ve ever had — I can’t even explain it, you have to try it for yourself.
The food was great, the service was great — however, we found the price (overall) to be quite high for just the two of us, considering, there was no seating (very limited and already filled) and we were still a bit hungry after finishing. However, I will definitely get another fish burger from here in the near future!

THE*** best seafood in Halifax. Hands down.
The fish and chips is to die for.

I was in Halifax and wanted a lobster roll. A lobster roll is the kind of thing that I feel weird having in a fancy sit-​down restaurant. I wanted to have one in a place that didn’t feel pretentious and Evan’s was a perfect fit. Located in a legit food-​court in Dartmouth, their menu sounded fresh and looked quite appealing. I decided on a Lobster roll with a side of Lobster Poutine (adds $ 8 to your meal).
The lobster roll was served hot, which I like, and tasted fresh and not-​overly-​complicated. With that said, the seasoning was not entirely to my liking and it could have used a bit more lobster and been a bit more creamy. The lobster poutine had those features in abundance and was delicious. It was quite a lot of food, but I left having finished it all and feeling quite satisfied.
I’d definitely recommend checking it out.

In reality this place is a 4.5, but Unilocal doesn’t like those half stars.
We visited during the free ferry day during the Natal day celebrations. Service is minimal and in true Halifax style. You order and pay at the counter and sit down outside on the nice patio looking out on to the Halifax coastline. The servers bring out your food and you eat.
We ordered the Lobster Roll with salad and Lobster Poutine. The roll had a lot of lobster meat on it with a light mayo dressing. The bun was buttery but if I recall correctly it wasn’t toasted. The salad was a much better choice that fries, it’s a nice light side for a heavy meal. It had nice additions of raw mushrooms and the housemade dressing (Maple Dijon) was delicious.
Unfortunately, I was not a fan of the poutine. The fries were cooked perfectly, the gravy was great and the lobster portion was good but the cheese was all wrong. I think the poutine would’ve been much better with proper cheese curds. It just made the whole thing too messy and stringy. Don’t get me wrong, the poutine was very good. Just not something I enjoy personally.

This is really as good as it gets! Holy!
Got the 2 pc fish n chips and this is by far the best fish n chips I’ve ever had. They got the fish just right — which I find most places don’t understand. I think the best balance of a good recipe is the following:
— White, flaky haddock (or another type of fish)
— Thin, subtle batter that compliments the fish instead of drowning it
— Just the right amount of spices/​flavour in the batter
Most places will make the batter too thick that the insides aren’t fully cooked, or that there’s more batter than fish, etc. etc.
Not Evan’s…not even close baby.
The service is just outstanding. Staff is super friendly and welcoming — they even remember your face and order. What a great bunch.
All in all, I’ll find it very difficult to eat fish n chips again that aren’t on these standards…