Phil's Seafood - Halifax, NS

I was more than happy to leave behind the snowy cold of Edmonton for the shores of Halifax, NS. Unfortunately, I had booked a flight that left Edmonton at 9 PM and wasn't to arrive until 6 AM the next morning (3 AM Edmonton time). After an hour bus ride from the airport and a half hour walk to my accommodations lugging two large suitcases behind me like a crazy person, I was exhausted and not in the mood for anything but sleep. By the time I finally mustered enough energy to go outside, it was 3 PM and I was starving. I was pleased to discover that Quinpool Road was thirty seconds away, and filled with an array of restaurants, everything from Korean to Greek to Japanese and not surprisingly, seafood. It was an easy choice for me - my first meal in Halifax obviously had to be from the ocean! So I stopped for some takeout from Phil's Seafood, which had an impressive 87% on Urbanspoon. Inside, the restaurant was almost empty (not surprising considering it was 3 PM) and I was cheerfully greeted. Phil's menu is full of cheap eats, which made it difficult for me to choose just one item. Added to the fact that I hadn't eaten in over 15 hours, of course I was overambitious in my ordering. I settled for one pound of steamed mussels ($5.50) and the regular sized fish and chips ($6.25). Probably because I was one of the only customers there, my food was ready in less than ten minutes. 

My food was still steaming by the time I made it home. Although the mussels tasted fresh, I found them very grainy. They had supposedly been steamed in lemon, butter, and spices, but all I could taste was the lemon and butter. I felt the mussels were lacking in depth of flavor. I have definitely had tastier mussels at many other restaurants. When done right I can scarf down more than my fair share of mussels in no time, but I only ate a few of these, partially because they just weren't that great and partially because I knew I still had a hefty portion of fish and chips to get through.

The piece of haddock was huge, especially for $6.25. I could barely eat half of it before I gave up. The haddock was fresh and flaky but unfortunately the breading left something to be desired. It was seasoned well and thankfully not too greasy, but it did such a poor job of adhering to the fish that I ended up eating fish and breading separately (not by choice). I'll admit, though, that I prefer batter over breading so I may be a bit biased. The fries were soggy, underseasoned, and overall lifeless. The coleslaw was decent, nothing to complain about, but nothing special either.

If you value quantity, Phil's is the place for you. Their prices are more than reasonable and the service is quick and friendly. Unfortunately, my meal today was only average and I am not sure that I will return during my stay in Halifax.

http://philsseafood.ca

Top Pick of the Day: Nothing really stood out

Rating:

3/5 Erics