Seaside Seafood Lunch

I had heard of the historic village of Steveston, but I had no recollection of visiting there, so a stop there was in order during a driving tour of the coast between the Canada-US border and Vancouver itself.  Steveston is now really part of the urban fabric of the City of Richmond, but in its glory days Steveston was a major fishing and seafood canning town.  The Gulf of Georgia Cannery National Historic Site stands as testament to Steveston's rich history of the fishing industry.  Fishing boats still dock at this village today, oftentimes bringing back fresh hauls of seafood to sell directly from the boats.

Beer-battered oyster from Sockeye City Grill.

A look inside a deep-fried oyster.

I had to also visit Steveston because of a treat: deep-fried oysters.  Until now that was one preparation method I hadn't tried when it comes to oysters.  My parents and sister first discovered these at the take-out stall of Sockeye City Grill, and so my parents and I thought we'd go and try a lunch there along with those oysters.  My parents and I decided to order a 4-piece Oysters and Chips dish to share as an appetizer, and those beauties didn't disappoint.  They were big and plump, crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, and they were very umami and delightful!

Seafood Chowder

I also had a bowl of seafood chowder as part of my main course order.  Of course, it did have salmon pieces in it (this is, after all, salmon country), and it was thick and belly-warming, which was nice since the morning started out cool and cloudy.

Sockeye Burger - Caramelized onion jam, honey mustard glaze.

For my main course I opted for the Sockeye Burger.  No patties were used here.  In this case, a whole piece of wild sockeye was grilled and topped with a honey mustard glaze and caramelized onion jam.  The flavours were quite nice, though unfortunately the fish was cooked to a slightly dry side.  One other noteworthy dish was my father's order of the Warm Seafood Salad.  It was full of fresh clams, mussels, scallops and calamari tossed in a garlic olive oil dressing, and the seafood in that salad dish was not overcooked.

Most seats at Sockeye City Grill have decent views of the harbour through the large windows.  However, if you don't have time for a bite to eat in the restaurant, at the very least I'd suggest ordering some fried oysters from the take-out booth to nibble while walking along the boardwalk and piers.


Name: Sockeye City Grill
Address: 108-3800 Bayview St., Steveston, BC 
Cuisine: Seafood
Price Range: Lunch $15-$40; Dinner $20-$90
Accessible: Yes