Rock Lobster Food Co

I came here and had the Lobster Rolls.
They were okay.
The first bite was great but as I continued into it I noticed the lobster was very chewy/​rubbery and the entire thing seemed to be dripping in butter. A very insane amount of butter. It quickly turned a great piece of bread into a soggy mess.
I also got a piece of shell jammed between my teeth.
The fries were good and the atmosphere of the place was nice.

Great Oysters, awesome Caesar cocktail, comes with a bug lobster tail, nice environment, modern but cozy and relaxed. Service was ok, and their food is great too. I had the mussels, they were good! Nice place to go to meet new people or hang out with friends.

Came to this location for the first time sometime in July 2015 for my mom’s birthday.
We had made reservations at the Leslieville location (which I had been to many times), unfortunately it was storming out and a patio umbrella was swept up by the wind and knocked down their power supply. So after being told we could not order any food (and receiving zero compensation for the drinks we had already ordered) we had to switch locations. We called the Queen West location and told them what had happened and not only did this girl have poor phone etiquette, but she also said they would not reserve a table for us as we only had 3 people… however when our waitress was kind enough to call Ossington they were very understanding and had our table ready when we arrived. The server at Ossington was super sweet and he was great with my 1 year old niece who was infatuated with him.
The food is delicious!
Lobster Mac & Cheese is great, as well as the Lobster Poutine.
The Maine Roll is my absolute favourite though, there is sooo much lobster and it is just delicious. The french fries are also a hit on their own.
The Lobster dip was really good too, a bit too much fennel for my taste though. Not sure if they sell it anymore as it is not on their online menu.
I am not a Caesar fan but my mom and sister both loved theirs, which is to be expected as they have been winning best Caesar in Toronto for a few years.
Food has always been a solid ¹⁰⁄₁₀.
Service at THIS location was superb, but I was really disappointed with Queen West and Leslieville.

Rock Lobster Food Co originally started up as a pop-​up at several food events (such as TUM), and eventually opened a restaurant in 2012. Since then they have added a second location on Queen St. One Saturday night, I had dinner at their original location which was just a short walk away from where I was that night. My favorite seafood of all time has to be lobsters with mussels (being a close second). The menu is a simple one-​pager with several lobsters (and seafood) dishes, and another page for drinks.
The Rock Lobster Roll ($ 14) was served with Yukon chips and a slice of McClure’s dill pickle. I have had a couple of different lobster rolls throughout the years, and this one is on the top of my list of favorites. I liked that there was a generous portion of fresh lobster. Additionally, the topped sauce was creamy and the toasty bun made it even better.
The Lobster Mac ‘n’ Cheese ($ 14) [fresh lobster, aged Canadian cheddar, and panko crust] was a comforting dish. This dish wasn’t a personal favorite of the night but it’s good if you have a craving for some mac and cheese with an added seafood twist. There was an okay amount of shredded lobster but you have to dig deep into the cheese to get some. Overall, it was a decent dish and I did like the crispy texture of the panko crust.
Lastly, we got the Lobster Supper ($ 39) [fresh Nova Scotia lobster, butter, creamed spinach, mashed potato and bread roll]. The steamed lobster was a decent size, as there wasn’t that much meat inside of it. However, it tasted pretty good when dipped with the accompanied hot butter. The bread roll was also fresh and buttery. They do have a special on Sunday where it’s only $ 25, which I think is a fairer price for the size of the lobster in comparison to its regular price.
Overall, the dimly lit Ossington Avenue space offers a warming dining experience. If you like lobsters, then this place is pretty good for it.

I was in the neighbourhood and decide to give it a try.
Environment/​Service:
The place is easy to find and inside is a standard hipster casual atmosphere. I went there when it opened (around 6pm) so it was pretty quiet. They have a lot of wall decorations which gives it a nice vibe. The waiter serving us was very nice — gave us a few recommendations on what’s good since it was my first time. Food came pretty quick as well and they were kind in asking how we were doing, whether we wanted take out boxes since we couldn’t finish all the food.
Food
— Lobster Poutine. It’s what you expect — lobster pieces with a poutine! The gravy sauce was well made and it didn’t cover up the lobster’s taste. It’s a perfect side dish/​appetizer to share with others if you have the fries craving. The lobster meat, which I believe is the claw, is also refreshing.
— Lobster Mac’n Cheese. This one is very very cheesy! But a little too cheesy that I found it a bit too much — but it’s never enough cheese for some others. The cheese on this dish did overpower the lobster pieces (which again is from the claw). But it’s been baked so it has a crispy touch when you put it in your mouth.
Overall it’s nice for a first try. I would come back to try some of their lobster theme cocktails. Also, with a few more people, I can try more dishes. Prices here is a little higher than I expected — but once in a while, it’s not too bad.

We ordered the Jerk shimp and crab legs, Lobster poutine and Lobster Mac & cheese
The lobster poutine tasted good but there wasn’t much lobster
The lobster mac and cheese tasted bland but there wasn’t much lobster
The jerk shrimp & crab legs tasted good but I recognized the Jerk flavour because I’ve got it at home…
Home.
Home?
I don’t go out to eat food that tastes like crap I can make at home. That’s my cardinal rule. That’s why I don’t eat at subway – i can make a sandwich at home. I don’t even buy pasta dishes for this reason but I went in on the Lobster mac and cheese for the lobster that was barely even there… sigh.
How is it $ 20 for each dish when there wasn”t much lobster?
Anyway, the customer service was great. The guy with the ponytail was very helpful. I kept mistaking him for the other guy w the pony tail.
4 stars

Came here for the first time after hearing my friend rave about how good it was and surely I was not disappointed:
— the staff is extremely attentive, the waiter checked on us regularly or would at least look at our table to make sure everything was perfect.
— the food was extremely worth the price, the amounts of lobster are generous, I had the lobster poutine and the rock burger she had the lobster macaroni and cheese
— after being lost in deep conversation I suddenly noticed that we were the only customers left in the restaurant, i looked at my watch and noticed we were there 10 minutes past closing, not once did the staff mention it to us rudely or threaten to kick us out, they simply let us sit there and talk, after having addressed it with the waiter he assured us that we can take our time and that they will just close once we leave!
If I could give this place ⁶⁄₅ stars I would, one of the best places I have ever been to in terms of service and the food was definitely above what I was expecting.
Will definitely be back.

(RATING 2.5 stars) Been here a bunch of times, and it’s more of an overpriced chain than a genuine seafood experience. The staff is friendly and the food is somewhat OK, but very overpriced. $ 16 for a small, bland lobster roll in a wonder bread bun with a side of potato chips. And $ 6 for a small, bland (again) fish taco that can’t hold a candle to Seven Lives or even La Carnita, especially for that price.
The lobster and crab are also on the small side, and the lobster I had was overcooked and tough. Even the oysters they sell behind the bar are small and tasteless, what’s with this place?
With the amazing Oyster Boy not too far away, I can’t see any reason to go here, it’s just not worth it.
**The volume here can get pretty ridiculous at times**

I loved the Rock Lobster at Queen and Bathurst so much I had to try this one.
We came here on a week day for an earlier dinner before catching a show at the Lower Ossington Theatre. We got there so early that we were the only people there which I was totally okay with.
It was fantastic! I realized that the two locations had slightly different menus so I needed to order something that wasn’t on the other one!
I got the cesar to star which I’ve had before, delicious as usual, and I got the jerk crab and shrimp. I’m not a huge spicy food eater and this meal was on FIRE!!! But needless to say it was delicious. Extremely messy though! Had a bib on and everything, but sometimes it’s kind of fun to work for your food!
I will definitely return, great food, great atmosphere and great neighbourhood!

Finally revisited Rock Lobster yesterday for dinner.
Service was great. Since it was a Monday, it wasn’t busy, so that was as nice bonus. The Rock Lobster Caesar is great ! comes garnished with a lobster tail and rimmed with steak spice. We got the three cheese lobster dip, which was super duper cheesy and delicious! The chips that come with it are amazing. We also got lobster mac n cheese, which was good, but nothing to boost about — could’ve used more flavour. We also had fresh oysters which were REALLY fresh and also broiled crab. This place falls under the seafood category, so prices match that of other seafood establishments. Great place for lobster dishes.

If you are looking for a great caesar come here! Not only is it s but it comes with a lobster tail! This place is worth checking out because almost every food item tastes good. My favourite is the lobster poutine and lobster mac and cheese. They portions are generous and you get lots of lobster in each entrée. The atmosphere is relaxing and cozy. A must try!

I stumbled here after trying to find a place for Post Game drinks to celebrate our teams awesome Ball Hockey Victory. We were seated in the back with dim lighting that they eventually brightened for us after we requested a non romantic atmosphere. Our table of 12 were all craving drinks and tons of food after our intense cardio activity. We let our server know ahead of time that we wanted seperate bills and she easily accommodated us with no hassles or excuses which is always nice.
I ordered a cocktail, vodka sprite, and the Lobster Poutine. I can tell you that I was skeptical about how good the Lobster Poutine would actually be… however when it hit my table I was pleasantly surprised with the Lobster to Poutine ratio. For $ 15 for a poutine it is WORTH it because my poutine was at least 40% lobster which is a huge plus in my books! The Mac and cheese was fresh and delicious as well along with the fish tacos.
This a great place on Ossington and I am glad we all stumbled in here. We will definitely be back to hopefully celebrate more victories or drown our sorrows… either way… we will be back!!!

Choose your meal items wisely. I’ve been to this location 3 times and the one on Queen once.
We had a team building event late Sunday afternoon for 9 people at this location and were seated right away. Ordered a caesar, lobster mac n’ cheese and a fish taco.
Caesar was decent and the lobster tail skewer was a nice touch.
Lobster mac n’ cheese had just enough sauce and a crisp top. The lighting was very dim so it was hard to see how much lobster was in the mix but I could definitely taste it.
Fish taco would have been perfect but they only used one tortilla so it literally crumbled in my hand forcing me to finish with a fork. Great combo of crispy and crunchy.
Service was accommodating and even if they didn’t have a solution to issues like dim lighting we felt like they made an effort.
Will definitely visit again.

Over priced over cooked
The burger was burnt, the shrimp salad came with 3 shrimp… Three!

After reading the back and forth reviews we were a little unsure of what we were walking into.
We started with oysters which were a bit small but delicious. We split both the lobster mac and cheese, which was huge, and a lobster roll, which were both fantastic. Yes the lobster roll was small, it’s a lobster sandwich, what else do you people want for $ 11? Order 2 next time if you’re so upset about how large it isn’t. The chips on the side were great, much preferred them to the usual french fries you get everywhere else.
The best part of the experience was the service. Our server looked like he just walked in from a skate park and started picking up tables but he could not have done a better job. Friendly, accommodating and even brought us a free drink on the house just because.
Couldn’t recommend this place more.

It was pleasantly fast to take the TTC street car west & south one stop south on Ossington. Pretty busy as it was a Saturday night but they did not have problems finding a table for two :)
We ordered the …
Lobster roll $ 15 — I was super hungry & had lunch 8 hrs prior. So it tasted extra good. I thought the size was right for me. But likely not enough for guys.
Lobster Chower $ 13 — The soup wasn’t thick at all. A bit too watered down imho. However, it had a lot of ingredients. But I really wish this was thicker to give it that richer taste. After all, what a price for a soup!
Service was excellent & everything came very quickly! We were likely done eating in 30 mins. Would love to come back again !

Despite an unpleasant experience at the Queen Street Rock Lobster, I was willing to give this location a shot due to my new quest to find the best lobster roll in Toronto.
SERVICE:
Right off the bat, the fine service at this location already made this a better experience than the last time — we were seated quickly, the server was quick to take our order and fill our request (e.g. for an extra spoon), and the food arrived much faster then expected.
FOOD:
Came here specifically for the Lobster Roll. As per other reviews, the roll was a bit smaller than I would have liked, and also somewhat on the soggy side. The contrast of the warm buttered bread with the chilled meat also felt odd at first, but as the roll was overall quite tasty nonetheless. The seemingly home-​made chips that accompanied the roll were too salty for my taste, but added some nice crunch to the meal (along with the pickle).
After hearing good things about the Lobster chowder, I also had to try it. Though quite pricey for a soup ($ 13!), and a bit more watery than expected for a chowder, there was plenty of chunks of lobster, potato, celery, ham etc. to liven it up.
ATMOSPHERE:
While a bit cramped, the restaurant did very well in terms of maximizing its seating capacity. There’s definitely a certain aura here that makes it a comfortable spot for a dinner or late night drinks. There’s also a couple TV’s near the small but serviceable bar.
SUMMARY:
Surprisingly prompt service given how busy it is. Lobster roll and chowder were good, but not fantastic — a decent place to grab some seafood and drinks with friends on a weekend.

We had supper last tonight at Rock Lobster. Gord had had their lobster mac ‘n cheese in the summer and liked it and wanted to try their lobster roll.
Gord ordered their Rock Lobster Roll. He said it was okay … a bit small.
I’m not a fan of seafood and ordered one of the two non-​seafood dishes on the menu … a burger (without lettuce and cheese) and fries. The burger was small … a bit bigger than a slider. The fries were delicious. The burger was overdone and a bit dry.

I had been curious about Rock Lobster for a very long time, but was very apprehensive about dining at one of their establishments because the reviews were all over the place-​most being quite negative. So when I saw that they were participating in Summerlicious, I was shocked, and stoked because I would get to try the food for a good price. For $ 25 you got to choose one appetizer, one main and one dessert from several options. So I gave them a call and made a reservation for 12 people. They had two sitting times (6pm and 8pm), I went with 6pm. Here is what I ordered:
Lobster taco: Not good. The tortilla was cold and hard, and as a result, one could not appreciate, or taste for that matter, the lobster. Such a shame. Lobster is too delicate to pair with a tortilla, specially a cold and hard one at that! I wish I hard ordered the deviled eggs or beet salad. Those two appetizers looked delicious, and those who ordered them, liked them.
Lobster roll: I really liked the lobster roll. The bread was warm, buttery, and soft. A perfect pairing with the creamy pieces of lobster. The chips I could have done without. They tasted burnt and bitter, and some had too much salt on them (the chips were seasoned after they were plated perhaps?)
Dessert: I ordered the daily future which on that evening was a huge chocolate chip cookie sandwich. And damn, it was SWEET! Too sweet. I was only able to have 2 bites (inside the cookie there was another cookie-​a Oreo cookie!). Talk about sugar overload. Though I probably would have finished it if I had a glass of milk. Maybe sell this cookie with a glass of milk? Now that is an idea! In terms of the other desserts, people were put off by the deconstructed feel of them and the taste was nothing to rave about.
The consensus was that if we had to rate our dinner out of 10, we would give it a ⁶⁄₁₀. The dishes were a hit or miss, and although we loved some dishes, others completely missed the mark. I am really glad I got to experience dinner at Rock Lobster during Summerlicious because there is no way that I would pay the regular price for any of these items.
WAIT! Now that I think about it, $ 25 was not much of a deal since the dessert would have been $ 6, the lobster roll $ 14 and the lobster taco $ 5. Argh, I got gypped! Sigh.

A bit disappointed by Rock Lobster… sorry.
I got the Oysters and I guess for the quality it was pretty good and fresh. However, it seemed a bit over priced.
The ambiance is also very lively, just like the rest of the Ossington Strip. The restaurant itself is pretty dark which is a good and bad thing…
The worst part was the servers. I’m a server myself so I know that the service was terrible. Like another previous review from Jennifer P., there were too many servers, hostesses, and food runners. Everybody seemed everywhere and it seemed pretty disorganized. Our server was quite fun, however she paid us no attention until we asked for the bill…
To be honest, I wouldn’t go back to this rock lobster. But I have hopes for the other Rock Lobsters. I’m definitely interested to try the one on Queen and the new one by Leslieville soooo fingers crossed!