Amazing Seafood at Captain’s Boil

Bib and gloves at Captain's Boil

While my youngest DD#2 is not too fond of seafood, the rest of the family LOVES them. So, when Hubby and Grandma’s birthdays came around, I looked for yet another seafood resto in town. Good thing Captain’s Boil in North York was not too far from us. It opened just last November 2015 and is the first and only seafood boil place in Toronto so far. We were excited to give this a try!

We got there early for lunch as they do not take reservations for a party less than 8. I already browsed their menu online so I pretty much knew what to get. So, the ordering goes like this—first, select what seafood you want, or in their words, “choose your catch.” They have a selection of crawfish (of course!), several kinds of crab, lobster, mussels, clams and shrimp. Then, you select your flavour: Cajun, lemon pepper, garlic or Captain’s boil which is a mix of all three flavours. The last step is choosing your heat: from non-spicy to fire.

We ordered Dungeness crab, lobster, clams and shrimp. All of which we flavoured with Captain’s boil. We got non-spicy for the shrimp, just for DD#2, and the rest we got in mild heat. We also got seafood fried rice.

Now, what is a Seafood Boil? There are several versions depending on which US state you are in, but in a nutshell, it is a mix of fresh seafood boiled in spices. This blog is one of the harder ones to write as when I recall what we ate and how it tasted, I start to get hungry. And as it is not the cheapest of dining options, one must control her cravings!

Anyway, our rice arrived first and it was delicious. We realized later on, though, that we should have just ordered plain rice not only because this quickly ran out (a serving is better for 2-3) but also because the flavours of the rice were lost in the Captain’s Boil sauce. It was packed with a good amount of seafood though and would be good to order if you are not focused on the shellfish. But then again, why wouldn’t you be?

Seafood rice at Captain's Boil

The rest of the dishes arrived with the lobster and crab last as these took longer to cook. They came in big, clear plastic bags oozing with steam. As we opened the bags, the aroma from the spices wafted through our noses and watered our tongues. So, we quickly put on the bibs and gloves provided and dug in. 

Yummy seafood at Captain's Boil

It was just heavenly. The seafood was fresh and wonderfully cooked. The mild heat got our noses runny. We can just imagine what “Fire” would be (they did describe it as “my mouth is on fire!”). DD#1, lover of lobster, was all giddy and already asking when we were coming back. This was after the first few bites! We ate the rest of the sweet, tender, melt in your mouth clams, shrimp, lobster and crab with no regard for sauce-covered, drippy gloves and splattered-on bibs. It was just divine.

not a pretty picture but it was a delicious mess at Captain's Boil

Now, as I said, it was not the cheapest of dining options. A lobster or crab is about $30-40 each while the others are about $13/lb. As well, street parking can be a challenge. But going to Captain’s Boil is so totally worth it. We cannot wait to go back.