The Captain’s Boil
https://www.thecaptainsboil.com
2501 Hampshire Gate, Oakville, ON

Lobster for $15.98.
Have I got your attention yet?

Last week, I was thrilled to be invited to a media event with The Captain’s Boil in Oakville. I wouldn’t normally go that far for just a dinner (I like to stick to my little #HamOnt radius 😉 ), but I am a huge seafood lover and big fan of seafood boils in particular, so I couldn’t say no. There’s just something about a low country boil that I can’t resist.

Amanda (from LATEST WRINKLE) and I attended the event together, and I’m so glad we decided to go! First of all, until August 7th, their lobster is only $15.98 rather than the usual $41+. What a deal! I feel like I will go back again in that timeframe, because how often do you get good lobster at that price?

I’ve also found that the trick to seafood boil restaurants is to order lots of add-ins inside your bag, so that you actually get full. (Seafood is pricey to fill up on!)

How does it work?:
Pick your seafood. Pick your sauce. Pick your spice level. Pick your add-ons.
You’ll get no utensils or plates, just a bib and some gloves. Prepare to get messy! Your food will all come to you in a plastic bag (sorry – not very Instagram friendly. It’s all about the experience!) and you’re ready to go to town.

*Insiders Tip* You can choose to have your add-ons inside or outside of the bag. If you aren’t sure of your sauce pick the first time around, this could be a good option. Even the mild spice level ending up being kind of hot, so make sure you choose carefully!

Onto the review:
The space is classy inside – fancier than I would have expected, with big booths and sailing ropes decorating the ceiling. This location just had their grand opening, but you really couldn’t tell they’re brand new to the restaurant scene because it was already PACKED when we were there. Good news travels fast, I suppose!

For our meal, we went with the Lobster (obviously) with the Captain’s Boil sauce – the server told us this is basically a mix of all three of their sauce options and is the most popular – with okra, lotus root and corn. We also chose the cajun sauce with crawfish, potato and corn.

The lobster was great. For $15.98 you got a full shellfish that had been pre-cracked, so lots of big and accessible pieces of meat could be eaten. We still had a smidge of difficulty getting to the good stuff, since we both don’t eat lobster often, but the work was completely worth it. The Cajun and Captain’s Boil sauces tasted sort of similar, but I’m not sure if that’s because the Cajun sauce is the dominant flavour in the Captain’s Boil. (Next time I’d try the Lemon Pepper just to taste something different!). The okra had that definitely okra texture that some love and some loathe, but it tasted like it was fresh and never frozen…so I was a fan. The lotus root stayed hard and crunch – Amanda described it as “Similar to a water chestnut”, which I think is a great comparison.

The crawfish was even more work than the lobster. The shell is a lot softer, so you’re less likely to hurt your hands trying to bust it open (I’m delicate!), but the meat is in itty bitty pieces. It’s delish though, and still one of my favourite meals (reminds me of New Orleans) regardless of how much work I have to do. It’s similar to lobster on taste, but I find it more flavourful…though maybe I’m biased since I worked practically 8 hours on each crawfish. (Kidding! More like 2 mins. That’s all part of the fun anyways, right?) The potatoes and corn were cooked to perfection. I’d double up on those for next time and add in some sausage to make it like a real low country boil.

We went home messy and smelling like garlic (even after washing our hands and faces a few times), but you’ll be seeing me again very soon, The Captain’s Boil…with or without that price tag on the lobster! Thank you to The Captain’s Boil for inviting me out to this free meal. Thoughts and opinions are my own.

Follow them at
Instagram: @thecaptainsboil
Facebook: The Captain’s Boil 
Twitter: @thecaptainsboil