Decent Spot for Drinks & Apps, but Didn't Quite Wow Us We originally planned to have dinner at McKelvie's, but after getting a few local recommendations, we decided to head elsewhere for the main meal. That said, we still stopped in later that night for a couple of drinks and some appetizers, just to check it out. There's a solid selection of craft beers and cocktails, and the service was friendly. The atmosphere, though, felt a bit underwhelming--not quite as lively or unique as many of the other Halifax spots we visited during our trip. We tried a couple of appetizers: the cornbread with chipotle butter and the burrata. I actually thought the cornbread was pretty tasty, but my wife wasn't a fan of the flavour combo with the chipotle butter. The burrata was just okay--not bad, but nothing memorable. Even the locals weren't praising it. Feels like a chain restaurant. There's plenty of better options around in our opinion. Overall, it was a decent stop for some light fare and drinks, but compared to the other amazing restaurants in Halifax, McKelvie's didn't really stand out for us. read more

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I popped in for a quick pint or two. The garrison red is solid beer. I did not have much honestly. I did the 1/2 dozen oysters Rockefeller, So yummy! They have a decent local lunch crowd. That's speak accolades about their food. The open kitchen concept I have always been a fan of. Don't think twice about coming in here for a pint or bite. read more

McKelvie's - Seafood Near Me - Halifax, Nova Scotia

The lunch menu was very short and few fish options. The food and service were great.

Average food and pricey Skimpy portions. Scallops better elsewhere. They were tiny and overcooked. Shrimp also tiny. Fries tasted like McDonald's and slaw was cabbage, carrots and vinegar. The only good item was the beet salad. read more

Burrata appetizer, shrimp and mussels linguine, lamb shank - all excellent. Service and ambiance too!

My husband and I had dinner at McKelvies and we loved it. My husband saw online on their website that they have a Daily Special from 4-6pm where you can get an appetizer, main and dessert (you chose from a set list of options) for $30. We looked at the menu online and it looked great, so we decided to go. When we arrived, shortly before 5pm, on a Monday, we were only given the regular menus. We inquired about the special listed on their website and our server said "that menu is not usually offered in the summer" (it was August), but it was actively on their website at the time of our visit, so it was honoured. I got the fish cakes, Crunchy Haddock with salad, and the Ovation pie. My husband also got the fish cakes and Crunchy Haddock with salad, but he got the Coconut Cream pie instead. (Note that you also have the option of getting just an appetizer and main with no dessert for $24). Service was efficient. I advised the server of my sesame seed and poppy seed allergy and the kitchen was able to accommodate. The only modification they had to make was to omit the sauce from my fish cakes as the sauce had sesame seeds in it. I also asked for the dressing on the side for my salad, and it arrived as requested. The fish cakes were fantastic. They were full of fish and potatoes. Very tasty. The star of the night for us was definitely the Crunchy Haddock. I don't know how they make the breading so crunchy, but it was so delicious. The fish was tender and flakey. It was easily the best crusted fish I've ever had. The sauce that came with the fish was a mildly spicy curry sauce. It was great. The accompanying salad was a real spring mix, no cheapie iceberg lettuce. It had radishes, carrots, tomatoes, red cabbage, and cucumbers too. The dressing was sweet and creamy. I would definitely order this again. My Ovation pie was a mint and chocolate ice cream pie with an Oreo crust and chocolate drizzle. It came with a generous dollop of whipped cream. It was rich and decadent. My husband loved his coconut cream pie. It had so much whipped cream! Lol. I had a taste and it was good, but I'm not a huge coconut cream pie fan. My husband is, and this one was an A+ in his books. We ate on the patio and it's lovely on the patio. It's in between two tall buildings, so it's nice and shaded and wasn't too hot. You do hear the cars racing by though, sometimes with loud sound systems, lol. McKelvies might have to be on the ever-growing list of places to return to the next time we are in Halifax ;) Street parking only. read more

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I've always like this mainstay of Halifax downtown. When trendy new restaurants continue to pop up all around it, and others continue to close, McKelvie's continues to provide great food and service in its own way. I met my family for an early dinner. On a beautiful hot afternoon, we sat on a cozy patio, enjoyed friendly service, cold beer, and some pretty good seafood. While they serve several meat dishes, their specialty is definitely seafood. From lobster to Acadian Jambalaya, their menu is broad but not too complicated. They also have a well priced early bird set menu for my parents or anyone else who likes to eat dinner at 4:30 pm. Add a good local beer menu and a wine list, what could be better. read more

McKelvie's - Fish Fry - Seafood Near Me - Halifax, Nova Scotia

We dined with a large group and every dish was beautifully cooked. Out of 7 dinners out in downtown Halifax this was the one place that the seafood was perfectly cooked. The service was prompt, courteous, and helpful. read more

We came from a cruise ship and walked about 25 minutes to get to McKelvies for lunch. It was a Thursday at opening time, so the place was pretty empty. We were seated promptly and there was an outside seating area with shade. Service: Our waitress was quick to put together a table for 10 and got our orders immediately. Food: There was a good deal on lobster roll and soup dish. You can either get seafood chowder or crab bisque. They were both delicious and flavorful. Asides from all the dishes, one of our friends ordered a caesar salad and there was hair in it. They brought back and new salad with chicken included. read more

Really good panko fish fry platter. Not greasy like some fish and chips can be. Good tarter. Good fries. Seafood chowder and chopped salad were really good too. Ambiance was nice and cozy and the restaurant's location was easy to get to and park near. Street was nice and quiet, considering it was in the heart of downtown Halifax. read more

We took our friend there from out of town. The lobster roll and the scallops were good. The lobster pasta seemed like it was reheated in the microwave - it was scorching hot and tasted overcooked. The service was not good. One of our guests was inquiring about items containing dairy due to an allergy and instead of saying he would check with the kitchen, he said "they probably don't have dairy, I don't really know". Also, he never checked on us once after we were served, our water and cocktails were completely empty the entire time. There were two other examples of poor service from the waiter. read more

Arrived in Halifax via cruiseship and wanted to a have a lobster roll experience. Did an online search and McKelvie's popped up. Location was close to the ship and they had takeout. Win Win. Or so we thought. We phoned in our lobster roll orders and picked it up. Then we opened the containers... to lobster meat that was practically shredded and slightly mushy, NOT firm chunks of lobster meat one would expect. We were clearly TAKEN, perhaps because it was a takeout order or because we were tourists?!?! What a shame, we were so looking forward to a GOOD lobster roll = Don't come here for it! read more

I came a long ways for good whole lobster. The service by Ashley was quick and I immediately had a nice table and a glass of Keith's India Pale Ale. My lobster was steamed and delish! That was all that I wanted. Five Stars for the lobster and service in a nice bar and restaurant. The ambiance was nice. read more

McKelvie's - A Great American Lobster, sorry Halifax that's the official fisheries science name for the beast LOL! - Seafood Near Me - Halifax, Nova Scotia

Great atmosphere! No loud music. Great menu, great drink offering and great food!! Our table got the surf and turf, fresh oysters, fish fry and seafood chowder, salmon deviled eggs, bacon wrapped dingy scallops and a crab cake. Not a word was spoken while eating. It was delicious! Service was ok, it was busy and I understood that. Definitely a good time and good food! read more

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This was a nice find we were walking the board walk and saw the sign. It had a very nice ambiance. We checked the menu and all four us agreed to stop walking. Are server was very nice. The food was fabulous. read more

We had an early dinner and ordered the whole lobster dinner with side of scallops. The food was fine with the exception of the overcooked scallops. The server spent too much time chatting with the other staff than paying attention to us, the customers. The place needs an update. The carpet is pretty dirty, tables have major dents and scratches. You would only see this during the day. Dine at night, you won't see any of this. I will not be back. read more

Fun and lively atmosphere. Wait staff was attentive and helpful. Soups were fantastic as well as the mussels. My husband had the breaded haddock and was a bit disappointed in the thinness of the fish. Because it was so thin it was a bit dry. He loves the BBQ dipping sauce that came with it read more

Fantastic diner. Excellent service. I'll be back next time I'm in Halifax. It is located not far from the ferry terminal which makes it an easy walk. read more

Our family of four had a great dinner at McKelvie's. We arrived for an early supper and the ambiance was great - we were happy it wasn't too busy. The service was excellent and the server let me try a few samples of beer before ordering. We had the lobster roll, lobster chowder and steaks with fries/veggies. The food was excellent and arrived quickly. Overall an excellent experience! read more

This place was recommended to me by a friend who had lived in Halifax for years! The service was pretty quick and we were seated right away with plenty of seating available (about 2pm on a Monday). My partner and I shared the seafood chowder, lobster roll with fries, and the chocolate mousse cake. I loveddddd the chowder- absolutely delicious! Creamy and full of seafood pieces, I could've ordered another just to my self! The fries and chocolate mousse cake were fantastic as well. The mousse came with a base that was sort of a crunchy wafer- like a ferrero rocher The only thing I wasn't thrilled with was the lobster roll, but disclaimer*, this was the first one I ever had so I had nothing to compare it to/know exactly what to expect. The lobster was cold, the bun was a bit too small for the amount of toppings and I just didn't love it *shrug* The inside wasn't anything glamorous, but it was quaint and had beautiful windows facing the street. After we paid, we overheard someone ordering the chowder with the lobster roll (instead of the fries/salad option on the menu) which was annoying because the server didn't offer it to us when we ordered. (We wouldn't have got the fries if we had known). read more

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Went there with a group of 5 and we could immediately be seated. We got: oysters (4/5), mussels (3.7/5), lox appetizer (4/5) though portion is small, and the lobster roll (3.9/5). Definitely not the cheapest place but the seafood was decent. Looks like it can use a bit of an update. read more

McKelvie's - Oysters - Seafood Near Me - Halifax, Nova Scotia

Yelp came thru again! Visiting Martine Museum, McKelvies was across street. Darling Resturant , friendly staff & best lobster roll I've had in 3 ports. Thank you read more

Very fresh salad. Fries were very good Ordered lobster rolls and they were tasty. Good amount of lobster and good sauce. Lobster was fresh. I like it a bit spicier but I am from Texas! Roll bread was soft and had some nice grill marks. I would recommend highly. read more

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Came into Halifax from a cruise ship and was on our Hop on Hop off portion of the tour. The group I was part of decided to get off at the stop McKelvie's was at. We decided on McKelvies's to eat for lunch and we weren't disappointed! We were seated promptly, our waitress Rebecca came by to introduce herself to us and provided excellent service throughout. She was fantastic!! We tried out the local beer for drinks, I recommend the Red, and was very happy with our choices. Water was provided for everyone and a bottle was left to refill as needed. A variety of food was chosen to have and everybody enjoyed their food. Most of us went with the Lobster Roll with a side. The Restaruant was clean as were the restrooms & everybody was very nice. If I lived in the city, I would definitely be back again!!! read more

McKelvie's - Side and my Red - Seafood Near Me - Halifax, Nova Scotia

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Fresh Oysters, live music, tasty beer....what else do you need? A short walk to the water if you need a change of view. Love this place

'Just so you know ... chickens have veins.' It was our last night in Halifax and we were so excited for nice seafood. Our appetizers were underwhelming, good thing for salt and pepper. Time for main courses, two diners had 'roasted' chicken, which bled when cut into. Upon reporting this, we were met with a response 'oh, okay' and the plates were taken away. Several minutes later after watching a lengthy discussion in the kitchen we were informed that chicken have veins, we can cook it longer but it may come back the same way. We were also told the Chicken was steamed for 3 hours, then deep fried, so it was obviously cooked. Not sure how this is 'roasted' It felt argumentative and was unfortunate and nobody really wanted to finish their meals. The prices here were more than bicycle thief, which we ate at earlier that day and was OUTSTANDING. Save your money. Skip it. Anatomy lesson not required. read more

McKelvie's has been around forever - and there is a reason - good food and friendly service. I was there recently for a family dinner, one of our party had some gluten sensitivities and the server was very helpful in helping to determine good choices. We tried a good cross section of the menu it was all delicious but we especially enjoyed the crab bisque and lobster roles and there is an appetizer that is a combo of fish cakes and bacon wrapped scallops - so you can try a bit of everything read more

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The crab stuffed mushrooms are my favourite. This has become a go-to dinner place every time my parents visit from Ontario. The Ovation Pie is also delicious, I wish they had a bigger dessert menu though. The decor is a bit dated but the staff are always lovely. Definitely recommend going on a quieter evening as service can be slow when they're bustling, but absolutely worth checking out if you like seafood! read more

This was a great choice, all of the restaurants closer to our hotel were booked for dinner so we took a walk and found this place had lots of open tables and the food was excellent, we had a group of 5 and everyone was very happy with their dinner. Definitely will be on our list next time we visit Halifax. read more

First time attending. Good service from newly hired young man. He gave good service and was friendly. Reason for my lower rated review is because I ordered a Caesar and it was most like worst one I ever had. Again this is not why you gave a low rating but when I returned my Caesar and stated I was not feeling it and would like something else. Bartender asked why and I gave polite but honest answer. "It's not a good Caesar and can't drink it" To which he rolled his eyes and turned his back to me. Obviously A lifer in the service industry and burnt out. I returned to table paid for cheque and left. Likely to never return because someone could not take a small hit to their ego. read more

Had a superb seafood meal with my wife. Food was all fresh and properly prepared. This restaurant has been at this location a long time and is a neighborhood gem. read more

Service was good, decor badly needs an update. The other food we had was decent but our first Halifax lobster was disappointing. We paid almost 70.00 and it was small and not meaty. I wouldn't mind paying that amount if it match the ambiance of the restaurant. It wasn't a fancy place. 2 days later we went to another restaurant and paid 35.00 for a better and meaty lobster that came with a soup and desert. read more

We visited this location in August 2018. Starter: Nova Scotia seafood chowder For the main: Acadiana jambalaya gulf shrimp, grilled chicken, fennel sausage, creole tomatoes, savoury rice and corn bread. The service was prompt and attentive. The waitress brought us bread and butter and offered us water with our drink order. The chowder was served and we took our time savouring it with bread and butter. The main was the highlight with the gulf shrimp, chicken and fennel sausage. This was quite savoury and filling and we truly enjoyed our meal. We were stuffed by the end of and decided to skip dessert and coffee. We recommend you try this for lunch. read more

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Pretty good for Seafood, and the mile high coconut creampie is a must order!! Came here with a group of 4 and I would say I have mixed feelings about this place. The service was excellent, the beer was cold, and the food overall was pretty good if you're looking for Seafood For a table of four, we ordered: Calamari appetizer: skip this.. it was shockingly tiny with a small pile of calimari for something like $14. Between the 4 of us, we each got 3 small morsels crab stuffed Mushroom appetizer: this was pretty good. Very cheesy and lots of crab Full lobster plate: I enjoyed this. The lobster was fresh and juicy, and not over-cooked. It came with a side of veg and mashed potatoes and was market price (I think about $50) Everyone also seemed to enjoy their mains. Lastly, dessert.. I ordered the coconut creampie per many positive reviews here, and it definitely did not disappoint! A good crust with a coconut custard filling topped with fresh whipped cream and toasted coconut flakes. Delish! Others at the table ordered the mint chocolate icecream cake and the cheesecake... They were both ok having taken bites... But the best was definitely the cream pie! Overall it was pretty good for Seafood.. but definitely not the cheapest place read more

McKelvie's - Coconut cream pie - Seafood Near Me - Halifax, Nova Scotia

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Having only had 3 dinners in Halifax so far hardly qualifies me as an expert - an addict maybe. Each night I've considered looking for the place where I'll say, "I had THE seafood dinner of my stay here." All to often (i.e., every night), I've been tempted by something else interesting on that night's menu somewhere. So we made an effort to look for someplace that had an emphasis on seafood, and specifically not fried. As of this writing, the honor for THE seafood dinner goes to McKelvie's. Service was fine, no problems at all. But in this case, dinner is what it's all about. There were way too many options on the menu for me to make a quick decision. However the seafood combo option was just what I was looking for, i.e., a little of everything. Even better they had their summer special going - for $39 you got a choice of appetizer, entree, and dessert, and for an extra $10, you could substitute the seafood combo as your entree. Problem solved! That's what we all ordered. The "bisque" flavor of the crab bisque was not quite as strong, and slightly cheesier, than other bisques I have had. But that also allowed the taste of the fresh crab to come through more prominently. The seafood platter was lobster thermidor, a stuffed salmon filet, and seared shrimp and scallops in a bed of salsa, accompanied by red mashed potatoes, asparagus and broccoli. Everything was great, but for me the combination of the seared scallops in the salsa was the best. We deviated when it came to dessert. I got the lemon and blueberry tart, which was a small tart with a lemon cream and fresh blueberries. The mile-high coconut cream pie, while also delicious, didn't live up to its height. I've worked at other restaurants where the mile-high coconut cream pie was significantly higher. Maybe they should have called it the kilometer-high coconut cream pie. After all, it's supposed to be metric here, right? read more

McKelvie's - Seafood combo platter - Seafood Near Me - Halifax, Nova Scotia

Thank you to Yelp for directing me to a winner (time and time again)! I recently went to Halifax for the weekend; I would only have a few meals in this city so I had to choose good restaurants. We went to McKelvie's for dinner on Saturday night. It was busy that night. Without a reservation, my mother and I thought that we wouldn't be able to dine here. Luckily, there was a table for two available. The bread that came out before our meal was pretty good - raisin in bread can never go wrong. I ordered the mushroom soup and mussels (in a lemon and garlic sauce). The soup was delicious - I think shrimp stock was used as I could taste seafood. Not too creamy, it was a delicious soup. The sauce that the mussels were in was fantastic. The garlic and lemon were equally present in the sauce - it was a great balance. My mother ordered the lobster. Portions were generous. Service was great; I was chugging water that night and our server came to fill my glass with water numerous times. Not sure when I'll be back in Halifax; however, if I'm back in town, I will definitely be dining here again. read more

McKelvie's - Mushroom soup - Seafood Near Me - Halifax, Nova Scotia

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The beet apple salad was incredible- highly Recommend and decent value. The crab cake was good- but very expensive for the size. The seafood chowder was good but truthfully liked the chowder from the grab and go Arthur's up the road better. This chowder was very creamy, lots of fish but too creamy and rich for my taste. read more

Halifax is one of those places you can go and get great seafood because its location on the water. So, it is somewhat disappointing when the food does not live up to the region's reputation. That would be my experience at McKelvie's. The seafood was nothing to write home about. We had the seafood chowder to start...and it was ok; nothing great. The broth was tasteless but had fresh seafood thrown in. The sweet potatoe fries were crispy and hot and definately were the best part of the meal. The halibut was the daily special...but was underwhelming. It was a small piece and not very flavorful. Broccoli was lifeless. The desserts are made in house at their bakery downstairs so, the mile high coconut creme pie is definatley a must try. Perhaps I will try them again, as McKelvies has been around for quite some time so they may be just going through a phase. read more

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2nd visit would give a 3.5. Stopped in for lunch on an overcast Tuesday in July 2020 and there were two tables taken when we arrived at noon. I think two more maybe were filled in the next hour, which is fine during covid times. Anyway, friendly service again. I tried the lobster roll with artisan salad (21.99). The roll was great! Noting original or unique about it, but good sized chunks of lobster, the bun was soft, overall tasty flavor and I'd get it again. My friend read my last review of his fish & chips and at that time, felt it average, but decided to order it again. This time he found it better, a bit greasy, but the fish itself was cooked to perfection inside the batter with a nice light taste. We were both too full from our meals and a beer each to consider dessert. I'd like to come back here at night some time over the summer. read more

McKelvie's - lobster roll - Seafood Near Me - Halifax, Nova Scotia

Second time visiting. We were seated right away and there was a good crowd. Ordered the lobster roll and it was great, lots of lobster no filler. Tasted fresh and very delicious. The service was a little off this visit. Our server wasn't that attentive and provide basic non-personalized service. The star of the visit was the lobster roll and for that I'd be happy to visit again. read more

McKelvie's - Lobster roll - Seafood Near Me - Halifax, Nova Scotia

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