big fish dockside

we're oyster converts!. my wife and i have never been huge fans of oysters, but after an oyster night at big fish we're excited for the next time we can start suckin' back shellfish. we also really enjoyed our frogs' legs, but the ladies had some troubles with the appearance of the dish; i had an excellent tuna and soba salad that called back to my time in japan without being a particularly ethnic dish. we'll be back to big fish, and very soon i think.

today we went to big fish for lunch. 1112 edmonton trail ne. we started with a dozen oysters before got into the lunch menu. they were fantastic. a variety of oysters from the east & west coast. and there were 5 different sauces to choose from. after our oyster sampler we ordered the special lunch menu. for $25 we enjoyed a 3 course meal. the appetizer was a maple smoked salmon on organic greens with seaweed vinaigrette and radicchio. the salad was good, but you have to watch that you don't end up with a bite of radicchio without the dressing to take away the bitter taste. the main dish was an open faced fish taco with roasted chilies, guacamole and oven dried tomato mango salsa. the guacamole and salsa really put this dish over the top. despite drooling over the soft crab

really bad service for large groups. last year a group of 10 friends and i went out for my birthday to big fish. i had gone to the restaurant before and had really enjoyed the food and the service. however that night it seemed everything went wrong. first of all when i made the reservation, i had asked if bringing in a birthday cake would be ok and i was assured that it would be. whoever took the reservation didn't mention that there would be a plating fee. i understand the need for a plating fee but what was really embarrassing is that the waitress didn't mention it to me when i brought in the cake. it only came up when the bill was presented. i would have gladly paid the fee and absorbed the cost of my friends. i wasn't given the option. secondly, the service was painfully slow and the food subpar. when one of my friends wanted to send the swordfish back b/c it was undercooked the waitress gave her a lecture on how it was supposed to be that way. my buddy is from the coast so she knows how it's supposed to be served. the waitress eventually took it away in a huff. insult to injury because we were a large group we would still have to tip the waitress which i realize is normal for most restaurants. also consider if you are going to big fish, the parking is terrible. there is minimal parking allotted to the restaurant and there is no legal street parking. sadly i've not gone back and neither have my friends.

the weekend is here and it's time for another restaurant! yay! this week: big fish dockside. located at the top of the hill along edmonton trail, big fish shares the same building with open range (i think it's owned by the same people along with diner del

yes! yes!. great fish! good service. reasonable pricing :)

loves big fish. this is by far one of my fave restos. they have the best and freshest ingredients. must try the appy platter, you will not be disappointed, their smoked trout/salmon, salmon pate.....its hard to compare it to anything else in this city. seafood soup is tdf as well!
if you get a chance to try brunch, soft shell crab sandwich!!!!!!!!service is fantastic, always on top of things, always smiling, super friendly.

tasty. living in calgary, one doesn't really expect to get seafood fresh and cooked well. big fish has both.their oysters remind me of what i can get down home. the halibut hot pot was delicious, the fish was cooked to a turn. dessert, a lemon pound cake was big enough for two. the next time i have a fish craving in land-locked calgary, i'm coming back here.

big fun. i'm a fan of open range, so big fish was an irresistible draw when it came time to get several friends together for what started as a quest for fresh oysters. our large group planned our invasion, booked a few tables, and ultimately descended on big fish this past saturday evening.

5 varieties of both east and west coast oysters were on offer, and worth the expense. they were very fresh, and the standard triplet of sauces complimented the shellfish well.

dinner was also very good. my wife and i had the dinner feature of chili-marinated swordfish. after the main course, i had a dram of the springbank 15yr single malt scotch and a guinness float. i recommend both, the springbank as a very well balanced scotch ad the guinness float as an interesting experiment if nothing else.

next time we go, i'm going to be all over their appetizer platter which by all reports was excellent.

big fish serves up brunch in their sunny, spacious dining room every saturday and sunday from 10 to 2. many of the menu items feature seafood and/or local ingredients, with most of the dishes in the $12-$15 range. the service is also a little more upscale

delightful!. it starts with the very friendly wait staff (who kindly offered us bar seats as we had no reservations and their cozy little restaurant was quite busy), and it goes on with excellent food. the bar wasn't a bad spot to sit, btw, as it's a nice wood bar, you get to watch a bit of food prep, and the staff's nice. i had the seafood pot-au-feu and it was really excellent - the bread was nice too. we had some good beer as well. if only i'd written this up when we went (months ago), i could elaborate, but i can't recall what my husband ordered. what drew me to this place initially was an article in a magazine mentioning their soft-shell crab sandwich (insert drool here). it's not on the dinner menu, so i'll be sure to return sometime for brunch or lunch to have it. i *must* have it.

fantastic all around!!!. great service, wonderful menu, fantastic food, and a nice environment. i took my parents, husband and grandfather to big fish yesterday. my mom and i shared two dishes, the soft shell crab sandwich with bacon, tomato, lettuce and homemade mayo on top of a lightly toasted tuscan bread accompanied by yam chips...outstanding! nice crunch to the lightly battered soft crab, but soft and yummy inside. the second dish was the special of the day a nice piece of halibut topped with shrimp and lobster bruschetta on a bed of beautiful and tasty lentils. my dad and hubbie opted for the wild ale battered mackerel...so good they barely talked. they received two huge pieces of fish with plenty of homemade fries accompanied by homemade tartar sauce and homemade ketchup. for dessert, i tried the orange creme caramel - fantastically creamy and oh so good. my dad tried the callebaut chocolate pecan tart - i stole a bite and found it was perfectly balanced in its sweetness, as they used dark chocolate. amazing lunch!!!


-----08 dec, 2009-----

love this place!!!. interesting decor inside; plain yet cozy and definitely not pretentious. has a few decor elements that hint about the seafood/fish based menu. the waiter was excellent; efficient, not intrusive, and pleasant. the menu was small, but it was difficult to choose a meal, as all of the choices sounded fantastic. i opted for the lunch special. a large and thick piece of fresh halibut pan fried in panko crumbs just perfectly pan fried so that it was flaky and juicy. the fish was set atop tuscan bread that was not to crispy or tough to chew and sat among thick slices of perfectly cooked bacon, lettuce, tomato and lime, miso mayo. fantastic!!!! accompanying the beautiful artisan sandwich was an outstanding cup of chowder that included a beautiful creamy broth (not too thick or rich) and asparagus with potatoes. wow!!! i would absolutely return!!!

big surprise. if it weren't for diner deluxe being closed due to plumbing issues, we would have never discovered this hidden gem. the restaurant itself is very cozy, and definately not as busy as diner deluxe, so no long waits in line. we were there during their weekend brunch, which i thought you needed reservations for, but we were taken to a table immediately, no questions asked. i've mentioned in a few of my other reviews about how much i love eggs benny. and these eggs benny were certainly something to rave about. i had the ones with dungeonous crab, and they were amazing. the hollandaise was perfectly creamy, and flavourful, and the potatoes were the best non-shredded breakfast potatoes ive ever had from anywhere! they were crunchy, and the ketchup, that i believe was homemade, was the perfect accompaniment. all in all, it was a great experience, and if you're a seafood lover, an even better one. don't be afraid! try it out! i definately need to try their soft shell crab sandwich. looks amazing.

i was looking for a different brunch place from the regular diners that attract lineups, and big fish kept popping up on chowhound and other boards. yes, yes, i’m aware alberta is a land-locked province, but b.c. isn’t that far away and really, freezers h

delicious oysters!. loved the food. pricey, but very imaginative drinks and menu choices. would love to come with friends on a wednesday for free corkage. staff was friendly and very willing to work with my gluten-free needs. (substituting potatoes for bread...)
i will definitely be back for more fresh fish!