Jake’s Grill & Oyster House: Burlington, Ontario

Freshly shucked oysters

I hate to admit it but I can be somewhat of a food snob from time to time. Don’t get me wrong, I will eat just about anything but certain things, like restaurants attached to hotels, don’t typically appeal to me... but, people can change, right? When I recently got a hankering for seafood and googled “seafood Burlington”, Jake’s Grill & Oyster House popped up. I scanned the menu and thought it looked great so I drove over, anxious to try a new place. I admit that I was initially somewhat dismayed to see that it was adjacent to a hotel; I hadn’t done my full research and was pretty much sold on going for a bite as soon as I saw fish tacos on the menu. Though skeptical, I decided to check it out and was not disappointed.

The place is pretty spacious and though kitschy in their over-the-top boathouse theme, it felt cozy and warm. My friends and I sat down and began to go through their small but impressive menu. We decided to start off with a platter of fresh shucked oysters on the half shell and were served 15 incredible malpeques. They came on a bowl of ice with freshly grated horseradish, lemon wedges and a variety of sauces. We easily polished them off and wished we had ordered more.

Tilapia fish tacos

Next on the menu was the fish taco that initially drew me in. After having enjoyed incredible fish tacos in Ottawa at Burrito Borracho about a month ago, I had been trying to find something nearby to satisfy my craving. These tacos were fully loaded with a generous portion of bronzed tilapia, nappa cabbage, pico de gallo and a delicious and creamy cilantro lime aioli. The lunch orders consisted of two large tacos and a side salad. My first taco was incredible but sadly the second one had to be sent back because the fish was raw inside. The server quickly ordered me a fresh plate and the manager came out and apologized promptly. I got a whole new order (2 tacos!) in no time and they were delicious. The fish was fresh, the cabbage was crisp and the aioli was perfect, adding just the right amount of creaminess and bite.

While I didn’t have a chance to sample much else on the menu because we all ordered the exact same thing, I wanted to share this place none-the-less. If you are looking for fresh, reasonably priced seafood in the area, I would recommend giving Jake’s a try!