Although you try your best to eat healthy and look after yourself, sometimes every now and again, you just want a plate of good fish and chips. I mean, who doesn't love a crispy piece of flaky fried fish and some hot chips (fries) to go with it.
While Halibut House is not the best fish and chips I have had in the GTA, it is quite good and when I am in the neighborhood and start to get a craving for fried food (funny how that craving seems to occur every time I am in the neighborhood....), Halibut House is a great place to stop in and fulfill that desire.
The restaurant itself is pretty simple and straight-forward with no unnecessary frills. It is essentially a diner with booths set up along the perimeter and tables occupying the middle of the restaurant. The establishment is fairly large, clean, and open. There is a take out counter in the back corner of the restaurant in front of the kitchen with a bench to sit on while you are waiting for your order. Additionally, there is ample room for parking in front of the restaurant.
Service is generally friendly and efficient. Servers are also generally reasonably knowledgable and able to answer any questions you might have about the menu.
Now, on to the food.....
I typically get the Halibut while my wife gets the Haddock. Both fish get high marks for their texture and flavour. As you would expect, the Halibut is a little more dense or meatier but still flaky while the Haddock is a bit lighter in texture and also flaky. Both fish taste great. The batter for the fish is good as it comes out crispy and relatively light so as not be too thick and greasy. Additionally, the fish comes with a good portion of fries that I always find fulfilling. I have also had the fried scallops and fried shrimp which comes with a seafood cocktail sauce. Both the shrimp and the scallops are a good size and also quite flavourful. My only criticism, and what kept this review from getting a higher score, is that the tartar sauce they use is the one that comes out of the little plastic packets. While it's passable and helps to add some flavour to the fish, a good made-in-house tartar sauce is a pretty essential part of any fish and chip meal for me and this is where Halibut House may be slightly lacking. In the end, however, my plate is always empty and I walk away feeling rather satisfied - that is, until the next time I am in the neighborhood and that craving starts to return......
Final score 3.5 to 4.0 out of 5.