Buster’s Sea Cove

Stay away from this restaurant. It is total fraud!!! I was supposed to receive $ 17 change and the cashier only give me $ 12 and receipt saying $ 17 change. When I asked where is my $ 5 bill she yelled at me «trust me I gave you and you took $ 5 somewhere» and treated me like I am the person lying. In my hand only ten dollar bill and two dollar coin and receipt. How am I supposed to magically remove $ 5 bill from my hand. Also the only reason I paid with cash is because they said no credit card. When the next person said they don’t have any cash, they suddenly take out credit card machine from underneath. Total fraud restaurant!!’
I don’t want to this is my first meal in Toronto and don’t want to ever visit Toronto again.

Came by late afternoon to try their famous lobster roll and must say, for the price I was a tad disappointed. At 15 bucks, the roll was served on what seemed to be s hotdog bun and was far from overflowing. It was unevenly placed and there were lots of parts with just white bread making it unappealing to look at. The taste however was much better as it wasn’t over dressed and the salad it came with was actually quite big and fresh. The only problem was a size for price issue. Also tried a halibut on a bun with added rings and it was much better. Much larger in size, it was a fillet of fried halibut with tomatoes, lettuce and a nice ciabatta bun. The rings were a small portion but fresh from the fryer.
Overall, I was expecting a bit more and was left underwhelmed.

Located inside of Kensington market in one of the corners.
Let’s just say ordering and production is a well oiled machines. Someone calls in the order for you while your in line.
By the time you get to the cash register, your food is almost ready. The cash register takes your payment then you wait to the right of it to get your food and pick up your soup at another counter.
Lobster roll 15 Canadian dollars with fries was just okay. We had a few better ones in new York and cali so it was a little hard to beat. The roll was not really heated and I sure do enjoy a warm roll with the cold lobster Cole slaw.
Small clam chowder 4.50 Canadian was okay also. Nothing special but better than canned.
I probably would only try this place once but would probably skip it next time.

I had the Calamari Po Boy and it was absolutely delicious! had plenty of crispy calamari on it and they asked me how I spicy I wanted it as they added some hot sauce. although it didn’t have that much sauce in the actual sandwich but overall it was still pretty good as it also came with fries. good price for a good portion!

Make sure to check what the waitress did to your bill. I ordered a crab cake sandwich with NO fries or salad last week. And I payed by debit card. When the waitress gave me the machine, it asked me for the password which means skipped the tip selection. But I didn’t think too much. And that waitress didn’t give me the receipt. But when I checked my bank statement today, it showed that I spent 14. xx dollars. I know there is a tax on that but it shouldn’t be more that $ 14. Because the crab cake sandwich is 9.95. I feel so disappointed with their tricks.

I really think Buster’s has one of the best lobster rolls in Toronto! It’s filled with tons of lobster with the right amount of mayo/​sauce and their rolls are always crispy and buttered appropriately! Their coleslaw could be creamier but love that you get to choose salad or fries!
Tried the clam chowder today for the first time; although people do say the small $ 5 isn’t worth the price but it really is. It’s filling and not too heavy with chunks of ingredients. Mm so good!
I wish Buster’s had their own restaurant separate from the St. Lawrence Market as it gets super busy and crowded in there/​near Buster’s where you order/​pick up your food. But it makes for a great meal and trip to the market!

I’ve given this place 3 tries. It’s been overpriced, incredibly slow, and mediocre in taste. By the way, they don’t take credit cards and they have a surcharge for all debit transactions.
* Seafood Orzo: It was one of their «recommended dishes,» but it was the worst thing I had here. They have a little portable burner and a skillet, they throw some oil and pre-​cooked orzo from a container, then they add the pre-​made marinara from another container, add the seafood, then butter, oil and cheese. There must have been over 1800 calories in that container because the top was a lake of oil.
* Grilled swordfish with salad: I thought this was the healthy option, and everything was going well until the guy slathers the fish in butter/​oil… The whole thing was drenched in it, and it was all I could taste! It was really mediocre, and oily as f.
* Fish and chips: This was probably the best dish, but even then, it was nothing special.
My 2 star review has nothing to do with the unhealthy factor. It was purely due to the mediocre taste and poor price value.

3.5 stars… I wanted to give it 4 stars, but it just wasn’t there. First, let me say their operation is crazy, in a good way! They fired off so many orders – never seen anything like it. We had the shrimp po’ boy, calamari po’ boy, and fries. The shrimp po’ boy was good, but could’ve used more shrimp. Calamari one was good, but the calamari needed to be fried a little more. The fries were not bad. Maybe next time we’ll try something else?

I came here today with my family and I have mixed feelings on this place. I ordered the halibut and chips, and my parents both ordered the shrimp po boy with chips. We also decided to split a cup of the chicken and shrimp gumbo.
The fish was delicious. The breading was crispy and the halibut was flaky and fresh. I took a bite of the po boy and it was great! Even the bread had an awesome texture/​flavor! By the way, don’t overlook the cabbage slaw underneath everything. It’s crunchy, slightly sweet, and beautifully compliments the fried seafood. The gumbo, on the other hand, was absolutely disgusting. It tasted like something that came out of a can. No flavor, not enough rice or veggies, and the chicken tasted processed. Come on, guys. You can do better than charging $ 5 for a small cup of canned soup.
PS: cash only!

Buster’s Sea Cove is a hidden gem of the St. Lawrence Market. I very much like Fish & chips, tried it in few countries including Great Britain, but have never ever eaten such delicious halibut — chunky but delicate white battered fish served traditionally with freshly made chips, cabbage salad, and tartar sauce. You don’t have to wait long for your order and the staff is very friendly. I visited this place right before the closing hour and there was no problem with getting a seat, however I know it can be quite challenging, especially during the lunchtime. But they offer take out as well. Even the fact I stayed after it was already closed and the staff started to clean, they are very respectful and friendly — no rush, and you’re encouraged to take your time to finish the meal. I really enjoyed eating there. Long story short: delicious fish & very friendly customer service :-)
The St. Lawrence Market is ranked as No.1 among Top 10 Food Markets all over the world (!) and is definitely worth your visit. Get lost there, and it can be a value added to your date ;-)

This place used to be better a few years ago. Its not bad now, but just not as good as before. The crab cakes are good, but they used to be crispier on the outside. the bisque is probably one of my favorites.
Theres usually a line up of near by office workers who stepped out for a longer lunch and blue collar workers. The line up moves pretty quickly and the food is made right in front of you, so its worth the slight wait. Also, they only accept cash and debit. No credit.

Earlier this year I attended a food truck festival at Mississauga’s Celebration Square and I just couldn’t say no to what I saw on their menu. LOBSTER ROLL.
I liked it enough for me to visit their restaurant in downtown Toronto at the St. Lawrence Market for a second shot.
This time I tired their grilled swordfish and calamari Again I was mindblown. The swordfish was cooked very tenderly, wasn’t dry, but nor was it overpowered with seasoning. Portions were generous, I was full in the end. The only downside is the price — although totally worth it.
My old regret was I should have taken more pictures.

This was nice to find in the back of St Lawrence market. It definitely has the fried fish /​shrimp down. I have tried many meals here but my most favourite one is the shrimp Po boy! A must try at busters sea cove! Though their lobster roll is disappointing.

Dammit, the cole slaw was hidden below,
Didn’t grab a fork, now got veg on my elbow!

I had such a nice fried halibut sandwich with chips from this place.
Even if there is a bit of a queue, don’t worry! We came here in the lunch-​time rush hour, but it didn’t take them long to zoom through the line to give everyone delicious looking fish!
I am normally not very keen on coleslaw, but their version is not too mayonnaise-​y so I really enjoyed it.
If I lived in Toronto I’d definitely be back to try more of their seafood!

We got the mussels ($ 13), seafood orzo ($ 15), fish and chips (I forgot to take a picture of that side of the menu, so no price) and halibut sandwich. The mussels were juicy and yummy and came with a side of grilled bread, which was great to dip up the sauce. The seafood orzo wouldn’t have been my personal first choice, but I’m so glad we got it! The tomato broth absorbed all the great seafood flavor– I could have just eaten that and been really happy. Their fries are skinny and well-​fried (not limp and sad) and the sandwich was well-​dressed, with cucumbers (in addition to to the usual lettuce and tomatoes) to give it a good crunch.
I am partial, weirdly, to places where you need to hover to get a table– I usually feel pretty triumphant when I get one– but if you don’t like having tons of people around when you’re eating, I would stay away. Also, there was a quite a line, but don’t be scared! Someone will come down the line and take your order, so the process won’t take nearly as long as you fear.

Fast and efficient service (could take more time and be a bit nicer, though). Good food, but I had better fish’n chips in Victoria, BC, or London, UK. Fish is not that moist, not that tasty, with pretty small portions for the price, but overall OK.
A sure place, I guess, though nothing outstanding.

I came back here for the shrimp po’boy and my suspicions were correct. Stay away from the fry section! Get your fish and chips else where and stick to the sandwiches and grilled stuff!
This is one of the best po’boys if not the best one I’ve had. Nice meaty shrimp, well flavoured and nicely battered. Not too thick. Shrimp was not over cooked either!
Still a little pricey but definitely more worth it than the fish and chips.

Prices have gone up since the time I came here like 2 years ago, their starting for fish and chips is $ 9 and I believe it’s blue fish… me and my mom ordered the haddock n fries and the grilled Mahi Mahi
Big portions that really filled me up but the quality wasn’t that great, maybe it was busy but I found their haddock similar to frozen highliner fish and chips… batter is not up to par with other well known fish n chip places in toronto like old ye fish and chip, wasn’t crispy enough and their fish is so slim and unflavorful, fries are good tho
The grilled Mahi Mahi lacked flavor too and it was too chewy, felt it was overcooked… won’t be coming back for while

After a long wait, and planning around erratic St. Lawrence Market hours, I was FINALLY able to get to Buster’s Sea Cove to have another taste of their Lobster Roll…
Yup, just as moist and flavourful as I remembered it. Unlike some of it’s competitors, you can actually see the visible chunks of lobster meat mixed-​in, and spilling out the top of the buttered bread. Until another challenger comes along, the Lobster Roll here is THE standard.
Though a bit on the pricey side ($ 15), the roll comes with a side of coleslaw, and the choice of fries or salad. The salad looks pre-​packaged from somewhere else, but was fresh and varied. Though my focus was on the roll, the shoe-​string fries were also surprisingly good as they were just the right amount of oily and crispy.
The only improvement I (and I’m sure others) have/​can suggest for this place is to open up another location! The early-​close times of the market hours makes it difficult for some to get to in time, not to mention the cramped and somewhat unkept seating area of its current location. For those that work or live nearby though, Buster’s Sea Cove is a «can’t miss» for lunch and/​or early dinner.