I don't say this often, but believe the hype. It was totally worth working through the reservation system for a couple of days in order to grab a table at the blue mussel. I was there in early October 2021, on a personal mission to eat as much seafood as possible while in PEI. This spot comes up frequently and searches, and the first day when I tried to just pop in, I was turned away at the door as they were full. The next day I managed to secure a table, and luckily despite being full it is not the kind of place where they rush out a single diner to free up the table. My entire meal was incredibly wonderful, from the seafood chowder, to the scallop entrée, to the flourless chocolate cake, to the cider, to the coffee. It had been sometime since I had eaten inside a restaurant, so I accidentally ordered everything to come to my table at once. The space is very well ventilated and as it was rather chilly inside, I asked to have my later courses brought back to the kitchen and kept warm. The server was incredibly accommodating and my meal was exceptional. I wish I could have it again right now. Make a reservation, be kind to the service staff, and get ready for one of the best seafood meals on the island. read more

See all

We came here on recommendation from our bed and breakfast hosts as it is apparently their favourite restaurant on the island. It ended up being hit and miss for us. Reservations are not given and there was quite a long lineup when we arrived at dinnertime, especially considering it was mid-September, close to the end of prime season. Nevertheless, the hostess was efficient (not friendly) and the queue moved at a reasonable pace, so we patiently waited our turn. We ordered: - Beer and lime mussels: So, so disappointing. Completely bland. Not in a sense that they weren't seasoned enough, but the mussels had no flavour whatsoever. You would take a bite and taste... nothing, as if your taste buds suddenly stopped working. Then maybe the slightest hint of blueberry aftertaste. Very peculiar. I strongly regret not trying the white wine garlic mussels. - Daisy Bay oysters: Fresh, tasty, that's about it. - Seafood chowder: Quite good. The dash of chili oil over top took it to the next level. Cheddar biscuit was excellent and the maple butter on the side really sealed the deal. - Lobster dinner: Meh, you can definitely get better value elsewhere. I would go as far as to say my lobster was ever so slightly overcooked. - Seafood bubbly bake: A real winner. Just the sort of cheesy, creamy goodness you would expect in a comforting homestyle seafood casserole. Salad vinaigrette was very well done too. - Gahan blueberry ale radler: Wow, this was amazing. If the sound of this appeals to you, you should definitely go for it. - Seasonal apple pie inspired dessert with chai ice cream: Alright, but not a must try. Overall, would recommend the few items that stood out above, but otherwise, save yourself some time and money because this place is a far cry from the best that PEI has to offer. read more

See all

Loved every appetizer, main and dessert. Our favorite on the island. Have to have the lobster dip!!

Blue mussel cafe was one of the highlights of my east coast trip; the food was phenomenal, the service was awesome, and I loved the atmosphere here. It's just so relaxing here. We came here knowing this is a very busy place so we came for a late lunch at 3:30pm and didn't have to wait (this in the off season in mid September). With so many good things to try we ended up sharing all the dishes. Everything was so just good! My favourite dishes were definitely the seafood chowder, the bubbly bake, and the halibut. The chowder and bake were both so rich and creamy and just packed with seafood. Every bite had a morsel of lobster, scallop, or fish. You can just tell how fresh all their seafood are here. The oysters, the mussels, the fish, and the lobster; you can tell the difference! There's an increased tenderness to it. Their halibut is a must order! I can see why they won awards with it. The fish was perfectly seasoned with spices and the mango salsa worked perfectly with the fish. I also really enjoyed the daisy bay oysters (which were grown right in Rustico Bay). They were so sweet yet salty at the same time. Their sauces were sublime. Finished with a chocolate potato cake with ice cream, I couldn't ask for a better meal. Prices were reasonable and is well worth the price considering the amazing quality of the food here. read more

See all

What can I say, the best chowder I've ever had. And I've had a lot of chowder. We came for lunch and ordered the seafood chowder and a large order of mussels, French style. Both entrees were superb. In fact, the mussels were near the top of my all time mussel meals. Mussels are one of my favorite dishes and I consider myself somewhat of a "Mussel Aficionado". I would come back again and again, if I didn't live five-thousand miles away. Truly deserving of five stars. read more

Blue Mussel Cafe - Seafood Near Me - Rustico, Prince Edward Island

A bit over rated. Mussels, their specialty was not so special. Gave it a B in my book.

Great atmosphere and service but don't get the pasta with scallops. I chose that because lobster Thermidor was sold out It's good but don't get pasta at a seafood place read more

Fresh oysters with delicious sauces, today's halibut with a wonderful mango salsa, delicious chowder and too full to try their desserts. Couldn't ask for a better dinner. Service was very friendly and efficient. A harbour view and sunset to top it all off! Oh, a margarita to start it all off! Nothing but stars! read more

We are from western P.E.I. , and travel several times a summer to this great restaurant and it is well worth the drive! From the friendly owners Steve and Christine who greet you and look after you all through your meal - to their very fun and attentive staff - everything is done right here .Despite being super busy ; we have never had a poor meal - so the chefs in the back are bang on . All the staff go above and beyond, we have had Kristen numerous times and she is excellent. We actually met the owners son Curtis , when we were on vacation in Roatan a few years back . He was running a little bar called Hangover Hut and we got to know him and he told us about his parents restaurant in PEI - where he works in summers , so we started going to Blue Mussel Cafe. Terry a fun Irish lad , also was in Roatan and both are friendly and do a great job . As for the food , we have tried pretty much everything ; our favorites include the lobster dip , Seafood Bubbly Bake , Jamie's Famous Linguine and the Stuffed Chicken . read more

See all

Waited more than 2 hours to be seated even though the system told us to get to the restaurant at our desired seating time. Waited and waited and waited. It's about time that some sort of decent reservation system be employed because no customer should be subjected to that. Unfortunately the food this year was not up to its usual quality. My haddock was dry and overcooked and my veggies were over seasoned with a cloying herb that tasted burnt. Very disappointing. Taking a break from this restaurant next year. read more

Meal and service was amazing...atmosphere upbeat and cherry. Best lobster dip I have ever had and scallops cooked perfect. Home made blueberry pie to die for. Only suggestion is perhaps chairs that are a little more comfortable ..thanks for a super evening meal!!!! read more

Great experience. After several attempts over summer we finally got a seat and the food was as usual excellent. . Scallop bubbly and seafood linguine sp flavourful. Wait staff excellent. Water And wine perfection . Service very attentive. It was busy but not super so. Great spot. read more

Wait list is a joke - don't use it - we went on the day before and asked to be prompted to join the wait list to eat at 5:30 pm the next day - yelp says we'll prompt you to join at the right time. Then the afternoon we were planning to go - around 3:45- there's a text saying the restaurant has closed the wait list (before we were prompted to get on it!). Not helpful - why not just do reservations so people aren't disappointed? read more

We popped in for lunch and were seated immediately. We shared the chowder, 6 oysters, and the white wine mussels. The food was outstanding, and the servers were friendly. A fantastic place to eat if you are in the area. I highly recommend and cannot wait to return the next time we are in PEI. read more

See all

If you leave PEI without visiting this place, you're only cheating yourself. I loved this place - amazing food, casual atmosphere, excellent venue that filled up quickly. Servers were lovely and very attentive. If you come here, make sure you bring an empty stomach and treat yourself to a long lunch or late afternoon feast. I treated myself to a fresh local oyster app and a prosciutto wrapped piece of halibut with mussels. I came with a friend who doesn't eat seafood, but she was able to order a chicken Caesar wrap. Disappointing for me because I would have loved to order more dishes to share. read more

Blue Mussel Cafe - Appetizers. Come at me! - Seafood Near Me - Rustico, Prince Edward Island

See all

We tried to eat here as it was recommended to us. I emailed them in the am to ask if they took reservations and the Island Food Card. He didn't reply to the reservation question so as we were in the area in the afternoon, we asked staff. She said no reservations accepted but there could be a wait for a table. She mentioned checking the online wait list but didn't suggest that we add our names to it to get priority seating. We arrived to find out it was an hour wait and that if we'd been on the wait list, we would have had priority. It seems to us that the owner should have provided this information in the am and/or put us on the list! Poor performance! We went to On The Dock and had a very nice meal with efficient, courteous service. read more

Overrated not worth the trouble of "wait list ". I love seafood, i don't mind paying or waiting when the food is good. Blue mussels cafe was a huge disappointment in terms of food. Mussels were bland and small (perhaps overcooked?), lobster dip had not much lobster nor flavour, just salty. Honestly, the best thing here was the salad! Even the service sucked, the young blond waitress with a big fake smile never checked up on us forcing us to ask other waiters for water, spoon and the bill! Skip this one and go to the Malpeque oyster barn.... read more

Plain and simple this is hands down the best meal out if ever had !! Everything was simply amazing. This restaurant will bring me back to PEI next year ;) read more

See all

Top place to hit before or after the beach. Great food, great ambiance, get service. Make sure to book in advance or be ready to put your name down early - line can be long in the summer! read more

This was one of my favorite places we stopped to eat during our trip around New England and the Maritimes! The atmosphere and decor provided a casual, yet cozy inside/outside feel. The Seafood chowder seemed like a must-have and the creamy, warm bowl with clams, mussels, halibut, shrimp and salmon was a perfect addition to the cool ocean breeze during the day. It also came with a cheesy roll with honey butter. Although listed as an appetizer, the large version is plenty enough for one person for an entire meal. If I ever come back to PEI, I would certainly return! read more

See all

My son said this place was supposed to be good so I looked it up. I love that I was able to see the live wait time on yelp and get myself in line for a table on yelp (while still driving there). It was about 40 minutes away from Charlottetown. It is a quaint restaurant on the water with windows all around and a rooftop with seating. It was chilly so we sat indoors and the heat lamps kept us toasty. We ordered mocktails ...a strawberry based one and a blueberry based one. Both were good. My son had a seafood bake and hubby had the lobster roll. They had a delicious vegan mushroom Wellington....but it was not gluten free. The lack of gf was one reason it wasn't 5 stars. The guys ended with bread pudding and blueberry pie. Both were served cold. The food was amazing, service was excellent and I love the rustic atmosphere. The 2 washrooms are small but serve their purpose. Worth the drive for the food and pretty scenery. read more

Food and ambience and service was great. Loved it so much went again and had the same wonderful experience best place in PEI seafood chowder, mussels and cocktails were top notch read more

Great food and service. Lovely vibe - this is like a little pocket of heaven. Entire family enjoyed

Excellent seafood. The restaurant is right on the water. Great atmosphere. The food is top notch. Locally sourced ingredients and exceptionally fresh fish. I ordered the halibut which was caught that morning. The staff is incredibly friendly and kind. This is a great place to dine if you are spending the day in Cavendish. I highly recommend it. read more

I loved this place !!! Fast and friendly!! Our waitress even wiped our table between h'ordeuvres and our main meal.we had the beer and limes mussels super yummy!!! Hubby loved the seafood bake and I had the sesame tuna omg delish .Busy place but worth it! read more

Very loooonnnggg wait! It took us an hour to get a table. I had the lobster, oysters and mussels. The food was good! If you're in a hurry this is not the place for you. read more

See all

The food was delicious and the seafood was very fresh. The service was friendly and efficient. It is very crowded and you may have to wait but you can put yourself on the waiting list on their website. Great views from the outside upstairs but can be windy up there. read more

We drove to this place because we wanted seafood from the Maritimes and this place has excellent reviews. It looks unassuming from the outside (we thought we were lost because it looks like a fishing harbour just for locals) and there's a decent amount of parking. We were seated immediately when we arrived. The ambience is welcoming, and has that clean, airy & modern rustic feel. It was comfortably warm inside & I feel there's a good amount of space between tables. Highchairs are available & there are kids menus that they can colour on with crayons they are provided with. I didn't see a change table in the washroom though. Service was friendly, but we were forgotten in the corner for a while though because we weren't initially ready to order after drinks were given. But once we got that order in, the started serving food out to us within 5 minutes. We ordered half order of oysters, half order of blue mussels, lobster dip that came with crostini, chicken linguine, and of course a whole lobster. My goodness, that food was amazing. Portions were huge, and personally I avoid mussels & oysters, but it was totally delicious here. There was balsamic vinegar in the crostini that balanced out the creaminess of the lobster dip, and the pasta even had capers in it to lend a nice saltiness for an extra hit of flavour to a chicken dish. I think the flavours were well thought out in the menu & everything complemented each other. Plus it was all hot & fresh. Unfortunately, we were too full for dessert after as it was hard enough to eat all that food with 2 adults, a toddler, and baby. I'm glad we came here, and I'd recommend this place to any visitor of PEI. It's truly a hidden gem and if I ever come back, this place would definitely be on my hit list. read more

See all

Out of this world lobster rolls. Don't believe the hype about OTHER lobster rolls. This place does something different and waaaay better. read more

Blue Mussel Cafe - Seafood Near Me - Rustico, Prince Edward Island

See all

Have been a frequent customer since it opened. It's getting busier and busier each season but the quality remains high and the service is very good. The view is incredible and it's become our fav place on PEI. read more

We had a lovely dinner here on a somewhat cold evening. We were offered blankets and really made comfortable. What a great casual atmosphere. The service was fast and the staff were very friendly and worked together as a team to make sure we had everything we needed. The seafood chowder was delicious and the mains we chose: halibut- perfection as well as the scallop linguini- generous portion and so good! We would recommend for sure! read more

We had a great time here. We had crafted soda which was great start of the dinner. Then, we had mussels and oysters both of which were amazingly fresh. They did not have any bitter in taste. For main, we ordered scallop linguine and halibut. These are excellent taste again. For dessert, we ordered blueberry pie, which is also a blaster. We would definitely come back here! read more

Blue Mussel Cafe - Seafood Near Me - Rustico, Prince Edward Island

Excellent food, service and atmosphere. Every spring we can't wait for it to open. Blue mussel is a culinary highlight of every Island summer! read more

We attempted to eat here and were placed on the wait list for 1 hour and 15 minutes. There is a to-go area where we attempted to get a beer each while we wait. They would not serve us without purchasing food. Even though we were waiting to eat with our dogs and could not go to the inside bar. Extremely unaccommodating to travelers. We left. read more

Amazing meal! My only complaint was that there where no "kid friendly" dinner choices. We were on vacation (so no sitter) and really wanted to try out this cafe! We live with two extremely picky eaters so mashed potatoes with apple and green stuff (heaven forbid) just doesn't fly for them. Even having fries as an option for the littles would have been appreciated and made for less complaints (so that the adults could enjoy their delicious meal in peace). Our meals were 10/10 delicious though. We didn't realize there was not a kids menu until we had waited a half hour for a table so there was no turning back! We ended up eating our meals and most of the meal that the kids shared. They ended up having sandwiches once we got home. We would definitely go back though! Maybe next time without the kids...unless they had something on the menu for the fussy eaters :) read more

Absolutely loved this restaurant. There can be a wait without a reservation but they text when a table is available so you can walk around and enjoy the town/shops. The atmosphere was bright and open, and the food was amazing. Our group had mussels, pasta, chowder, etc and all were fantastic! Had one small issue with a drink not being mixed right but they fixed it right away and made sure it was right. Not to be missed if you are in the area read more

See all

Delicious, fresh, and perfectly cooked seafood ... what more could you ask for. Friendly and personable servers too!! The bread pudding was aaaaamazing. Very fun vibe. read more

Blue Mussel Cafe - Bread pudding & ice cream - Seafood Near Me - Rustico, Prince Edward Island

See all

Cesar salad was delicious and the service was attentive. Mussels and lobster roll were disappointing.

Must try! I typically hate chowder of any variety. Like do not want it on my table. So if you are like me go against your better judgement and try the chowder. I was dining here while on vacation and my grandmother ordered the chowder. She gave me the clams in the shell and I was completely blown away. It was creamy, earthy, but not too heavy. I could have eaten the whole bowl!! Outside of the life changing chowder, I would recommend the lobster roll, mussels, and haddock. They gave us blankets to use while we eat which was a memorable touch. This place is a total gem from the decor to the food. If I ever make it this way again I will make a point to eat here again!!!! read more

Blue Mussel Cafe - Briny oysters - Seafood Near Me - Rustico, Prince Edward Island

See all

Ordered the oysters, sauteed scallops, and the lobster dinner. All were delicious! Wish my lobster came with something more substantial than a small spoonful of pickled cabbage though. The service was great, and the restaurant is well kept, with a cool nautical vibe. We didn't realize this was one of the best spots on the island until afterwards when we told people we'd eaten here. They would say "Oh that's our favorite spot!" or "Oh wow we love it there!", then we realized we'd accidentally stumbled upon a gem! People told us it takes forever to get seated, but we had actually gotten right in with a party of 6 at prime-time, so we must have got lucky! Giving it 4 stars because it's quite pricey for the portions of our dinners, but I realize quality always beats quantity. I will definitely be trying the chowder next time! read more

Blue Mussel Cafe - Seafood Near Me - Rustico, Prince Edward Island