I wanted to like this place, I really did. And I love to support local businesses over chain restaurants. Perhaps it was built up in my mind for too long before I went there. But to be honest I was disappointed. Let's start with the "Pro" column: - Our waitress was fantastic, and she was tackling the entire place by herself, including playing hostess and expediter. - The décor is cute kitsch, I love it. - My daughter's lemonade was spot-on: tart but still sweet (I'm assuming it was homemade. If was Countrytime then I just look like a fool reviewing it ;0) - Fries were great, and I'm super picky. Clearly they were a Kennebec potato recently, cuz the fries were fresh and crispy-soft. - homemade tartar sauce was great. Ok, now the "Cons": - My halibut was SO disappointing. They were the thinnest filets I've ever seen off a halibut, and they were WAY overfried so it was like shoe leather. - Everything was overfried. The onion rings had potential but they were SO crispy it was hard to eat, as were the shrimp. - Price. I know it's an independent and so prices aren't going to be as cheap, but then quality should be way up, shouldn't it? My disappointing halibut with upgraded onion rings (and nothing else included) was $32. Even the chowder soup was close to $20 and it only had the tiny canned-size shrimp in it, and very few of those. Sorry Pelican, like I said, I wanted to like you, I really did. But for $32 I'll go somewhere fancier and have much better halibut. read more

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I warn you now, my fish and chips palate is not the most distinguished. Seafood is one thing this born and raised Albertan doesn't know a lot about yet. But what I do know is I enjoyed heading over to visit the Pelican Pier last night after seeing one of the yelpers check in there. Turns out there are a lot of Calgarians who love the fish and chips from Pelican Pier. I hopped in my car and drove down in the wicked wind storm that was blowing through Calgary. I had to walk sideways to the door to keep the dust from getting in my eyes. This better be good. It was an hour before they closed and I was the only one inside. Sweet! I've got the place to myself. I sat down and took a look at the menu. Different kinds of fish and chips, shrimp, pastas-I was in a seafood joint alright. I ordered the haddock dinner and a grasshopper to drink. Decor: The Pelican Pier is not what I expected from the looks of the outside. It's housed in a strip mall on 14th St. Back when I lived up in Huntington Hills, I'd pass this everyday and wonder what it was like. But mom and pop shop seafood places in Calgary scare me, so I never ventured in. The interior is nothing like the exterior. It's painted a bright sea blue and is decorated to look like a pier (go figure!). There's even a large plastic pelican perched on a pole and a live aquarium with a couple of cute little fish swimming around in it. Food: I quite enjoyed my haddock dinner. I just ordered it with chips, but substitutes of soup or salad were also available. My meal came served on a plate shaped like a fish. A plateful of fries on the bottom, 4 pieces of battered haddock on top and ketchup, tartar sauce and a slice of lemon on the side. What I liked most about the haddock was that it was well battered, crisply fried, but I didn't feel like I'd be increasing my chances of a heart attack after eating it. It wasn't as greasy as I expected deep-fried fish to be. The fries were a-ok. I think next time I'll be diving into the experience full throttle and dousing a bit of vinegar on them. Service: Lovely. The hostess/server was on her game. She was as cute as a button. I half expected an Eastern Canadian accent to come out of her mouth when she spoke. No accent, but she's just as friendly as any Maritimer I've ever met. All in all, worth braving the dust/wind storm for :). read more

Pelican Pier Seafood Bar - Seafood Near Me - Calgary, Alberta

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I found my fish and chips craving restaurant but when it comes to price- i still prefer Joey's! This place has a nice ambiance to it. With the decoration that they have, I feel like when I look out the window I'd see the ocean! The fish and chips (Halibut) was awesome! It's very flavourful though a bit pricey. The chips that goes with it taste like homemade ones! Not like it's was frozen and then fried. We also loved our deluxe seafood chowder! Very delicious! Our server was friendly and nice and not too chattery- what we prefer! She forgot to serve my glass of wine so to apologize she gave it for free- which was really nice of her. I'll come back here when I'm really craving for seafood and traditional fish and chips! read more

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Hidden in a strip mall, you wouldn't notice this place. Luckily Pelican is a place my friend and her family frequent quite often and I got to tag along to dinner one night. They've got kitschy nautical decor throughout which makes a fun atmosphere. Looking over their menu, I wanted to try all their appetizers (really any battered and deep fried seafood will hook me in!), my friend and I decided to share the calamari. For my cajun shrimp entree, I was so glad I could get their clam chowder as a side because I really wanted to try it but I didn't want a huge bowl of it. (It was delish BTW, they didn't skimp on the seafood) Pricing wise, it's pretty reasonable. Considering there aren't a lot of seafood places in the NW, I'm glad Pelican is an option. read more

Pelican Pier Seafood Bar - Cajun shrimp, clam chowder and side of veggies - Seafood Near Me - Calgary, Alberta

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Lovin' this place! From the scenic view, to their coconutty shrimp paired with pineapple curry sauce! Although the seagulls look so real I'm afraid they're going to snag a few of my fries. The fried halibut was amazing. Don't be startled by Steve the Shark when you walk in. He's quite friendly if you decide to pet him. Ahoy mates! read more

Pelican Pier Seafood Bar - Fish n Chips at its finest! - Seafood Near Me - Calgary, Alberta

Best fish and chips in Calgary. Great service. Large helping of very tasty fresh food. Will definitely go back and recommend to friends. Thanks for a great evening. read more

Four of us enjoyed a wonderful lunch at Pelican Pier. Friendly staff. Appreciate that the fish is only lightly battered so you can taste the fish. The size of the clam chowder that came with the fish tacos was bigger than I expected. Very good soup! Washrooms were clean. We will be back. read more

Ordered fish and chip meal on door dash for two and was delivered raw fish, a tub of runny batter, and partially cooked fries. The image was a beautiful crispy fish and fries. I tried calling and they pickup, don't answer and there's no response. read more

Absolutely a hidden gem! I always drive by this place, and had yet to eat there! As a seafood lover, I appreciate fresh and flavourful seafood, and have been on the lookout for somewhere better than your average chain seafood places! Upon arrival, the interior design is fit to the theme! We had very friendly and timely service, and the menu has lots of options for seafood, fish and chicken! Battered, grilled, the choice is all yours! We started with the PEI Mussels and the Coconut Shrimp. Very delicious and filling portions! The coconut shrimp is battered beautifully, not greasy like most places. It comes with a mild pineapple curry dipping sauce. The mussels came with a piece of thick garlic bread and in a white wine sauce, topped with fresh tomatoes. For entrees, I knew I would be full at this point, so I ordered the starter size of the seafood chowder. My goodness, it was loaded with so much seafood for the price! Amazing value. Clams, shrimp, scallops, salmon and white fish! It definitely did not feel like a typical starter size, I can only imagine the regular portion! My boyfriend had the breaded scallops, and he chose the seafood chowder as his side! (We kept the pineapple dipping sauce for the scallops! So good) This time, there was not room for desert, but at our next visit there will be room for the coconut cream pie!! They have a service counter filled with fresh seafood for purchase, along with a few freezers full of everything to buy! (You know we will be back to buy things for dinner soon!!) A wonderful place with friendly and fast service that we for sure will be coming back to! Thank you Pelican Pier for being a step above the rest! read more

Pelican Pier Seafood Bar - This is the coconut shrimp (minus a few eaten) with the pineapple curry dipping sauce! - Seafood Near Me - Calgary, Alberta

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In my option this is the best fish and chips in Calgary. A work lunch go to for me. Fish is always fresh and crisp. Clients i take here are always excited to have finally found a great fish and chips restaurant in Calgary. Tip: They also sell frozen fish goods and have specialty items. read more

After 3 no shows we finally had some roofers show up to re-shingle our roof. I was at home during the day and so it wasn't long before the headache started due to the hammering. Anyone who says it's not so bad/loud is crazy. It was thunderous...so much so the TV was hard to hear and the kids were complaining. It was quite the Friday and I needed to get out of the house once 5pm hit. So off for dinner we went. After discussing options we decided on Fish & Chips feeding my desire to find a great Fish & Chips place in Calgary and share it with the world. That led us to Pelican Pier based on several recommendations from fellow Yelpers. Quaint little place and it was busy....but we managed to get a table right away. The kids automatically loved the decor and cozy feel of the place....and when they are happy...everyone is happy...or is that if Momma's happy everyone is happy?! Either way the headache & hammering had stopped and I was looking forward to a bevy & good meal out with the Fam. Immediately our waitress came along and gave us (for the duration of our time there) superior customer service. And she was very friendly with the kids. We decided on the popcorn shrimp to start & share. Holy Cow was it good. The boy who typically doesn't like shrimp was stealing them off my plate. The girl who typically doesn't like fried seafood was also devouring them. Hubs & I got about 4 each but they were so lip smacking good I could eat a plate of them. The kids were able to order kids meals (always makes me happy especially when it is kid size). Hubs got the haddock & chips, I ordered the cod & cesar salad. We shared our plates and I must say I was very impressed. The haddock was equally as good as the cod. The batter was light and you could taste the fish. Fries were crispy goodness. Washed down with a beer it was the perfect meal and end to a loud/long day. Pelican Pier has set the bar pretty high and since my kids adore the place (citing it is now one of their favourites) we will return. Now to see if there are any other great Fish & Chips places in Calgary...... read more

Their calamari appetizer is lightly battered and cooked just right. When you order fish (I've tried haddock) you can substitute a salad or chowder for the chips, and it makes for a hearty meal, especially since the chowder is chock-full of seafood! The cozy, themed interior decor adds to the charm, and service is efficient and cheery. A great family-friendly place for lunch or dinner if you're in the area. read more

I love this place. Growing up in NW Calgary, it was a frequent trip for our family of 4 to head over to Pelican Pier. Now it has also been cemented as a great place for fish & chips as my English boyfriend has rued every fish and chip meal he has ever had in Calgary aside from here and Trawlers. The decor is fun and cheesy, the walls painted a lovely blue and sea green, rope hangs along the window tables making me long for the seaside. The food even comes on fish shaped plates and is missing that pesky coleslaw (ask any Englishmen, this is apparently unnatural). On our last visit our server was wonderful, attentive and friendly. This joint is also hopping with seniors, so if you're feeling old, head on down here to get a dose of reality. You can also buy frozen and fresh seafood from the counter when you walk in. I have yet to do this, but those frozen king crab legs are looking pretty good. read more

First reaction walking into the restaurant was Wow. Their setup, decor is nicely put together and related to their name. Pelicans, ships, anchors, fishes all around the restaurant. In one side they also have a freezer with seafood ( few chicken options as well). Our food took a while to come to the table. Honestly I had very high hopes for the food but was disappointed. Just the taste, presentation needs lot of work specially for the price you are paying. Fish chips was good and their grilled snapper was good. But halibut and jumbo cajun shrimp dishes were very sad and blaah! read more

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We were really craving Fish and Chips and had no idea where to go in Calgary. Thanks to my fellow Yelpers, the idea to hit the Pelican was born! Glad we did our homework. We had a nice visit and it will not be our last. We went on a Sat before the dinner rush, it was perfect. (430pm) Service was great throughout and our waitress was knowledgeable about the menu and how things were prepped there (refreshing!) Ordered - the calamari ($10) and the haddock and chips ($16). Both were great. (also available - pollock, cod and at a pricier cost - halibut for $23) The calamari is just lightly floured and very lightly fried. Not a drop of oil was seen on the plate! The fish (2 pieces) was also cooked perfectly and the restaurant makes its own yummy tartar sauce! The deliciously hot fries were cut in house and left unsalted so you could season them how you want. The malt vinegar on the table was a nice addition too. Hot sauce can be brought to you as well as extra lemon, you just need to ask! The only thing I did not see on the plate was coleslaw - this was a first for me. We spoke to the owner on our way out and he was a great conversationalist! He loves talking about fish and knows his stuff. The look and feel of the cozy restaurant makes you feel like you are in a roadside/seaside shanty in NS. I loved this aspect of the place and the beer was nice and cold! Lots of people were coming in for take-out so we know it has to be a local fave. We also bought some bacon wrapped scallops on our way out - they have a freezer that is well stocked full of goodies for purchase. They also have a cooler front and center when you walk in where you can buy fresh salmon, various other fish, shellfish, canned crab. I look forward to coming back here to try the clam chowder and buy some more stuff! read more

What a great little neighborhood restaurant. My spouse and I visited for the first time this evening. It's very casual with quick service and reasonable prices. I had the two piece fish dinner with a side of white seafood chowder. The portion of fries is massive and my spouse ate at least half for me. The fish is lightly breaded and I also appreciated that the fries weren't salted. The chowder was thick, flavorful and served very hot. My spouse ate half of this as well and despite how much of my meal I shared with him, I was full. He had his own haddock dinner too and said it was the best fish he'd had from a fish and chips meal. The decor is cute and I'd have no problem going back. I'll likely try a pasta dish the next time around. read more

Good wholesome food the whole family will enjoy. Fish 'n chips, shrimp 'n chips, scallops 'n chips, calamari 'n chips, chips 'n chips - all this and a little more. If you don't feel like fish, the chicken strips are actually really good - battered and fried just like the fish is, and tasty! They have pasta dishes as well, but I've never tried them. The place does get busy, so I usually try and go a little left or right of the dinner hour. One complaint is that it gets hot inside in the summer - west exposure and lots of windows. They serve beer to stay cool, and the soup is good, and yes they do have salads too. Try it, you'll like it... read more

I went there for the first time for lunch the other day. Great service, though a little slow. There was only one guy (the owner, himself, possibly?) serving the entire dining area so he was trying his best to serve everyone as quickly as humanly possible. I was surprised during the lunch hour that the entire place was full. I had the lunch special which was the 3-piece pollock and chips for $9.99. Great value for the portion size! The fish was fresh and the batter was light and crispy. The home cut fries was great too. It wasn't the most memorable F&C that I've ever had (the most memorable for me was at Murphy's in Truro, NS) but you can't really compare... esp. since we are in landlocked Calgary. I'll definitely be back... I also saw they had manhattan clam chowder on the menu.. so I'm curious to try next time I'm there as I rarely see it on the menu here in Calgary. read more

ordered 2 orders of polluck fish and chips...I have never seen a fish filet as thin as these 5 pieces were. good thing that there was some batter on them. worst fish and chips.. back to joey only for me. read more

Was good at one time, but the last time we went, the 2 piece fish portions were just one piece cut in half. This was as takeout.

Pelican Pier was OK for me. We started with their Calamari appetizer. It was all right - nothing spectacular. The calamari was not too rubbery but the batter was pretty bland. Had to dip in their cucumber dill sauce a lot. I liked their Seafood Chowder which was nice, smooth and creamy with lots of vege and pieces of seafood. It came with 2 pieces of bread which I didn't eat. I had the Scallops and opted for the Green Salad. The scallops were fresh and the batter good. Just didn't like the cocktail sauce that came with my dish. I had the tartar sauce instead. The green salad with Italian dressing took up about 3/4 of my plate, which incidentally, was in the shape of a fish. I had a taste of the fish n chips. It was all right. I found the little restaurant a little out of the way. If you go north on 14th Street NW, you can enter the restaurant on the east side of the street but when you exit, you cannot cross 14th Street NW if you want to go back south. I had to do a turnaround in the residential area. When I entered the restaurant, I was greeted by a lady. I asked for a table not a booth and she said that all they had were tables anyway. I apologized. When we sat down at our table, I noticed there were 2 booths in the corner! How weird for that lady to make me feel embarassed about my remark. There's a fresh seafood market if you are interested in purchasing seafood. One thing that caught my eye was the big tin of crab meat. Good to note for future crabmeat dishes. read more

Pelican Pier is a full on seafood restaurant and fish market, run by a chef from Saskatchewan if you can believe it. The fish and chips is the main reason come and for good reason. There's a variety of choices (pollock, cod, salmon), the fries are bottomless and the tartar sauce is fresh and homemade. The clam chowder is also a stand out, Manhattan, New England or a combo of "red and white". Beyond dinner fare, the deserts are awesome. The key lime pie is the best I've had outside of Florida and the ice cream sundae has made-from-scratch chocolate sauce. Once you're done dining be sure to check out the fish market where the owner will be happy to answer your questions and even tell you how to prepare your fish or shellfish. read more

Yep, I am going to say it... this is my favourite seafood place in Calgary. Being from Nova Scotia, it was no small feat to find a place I really enjoyed. Pros: Delicious seafood! The fish is lightly battered, which is so good I can't even tell you. Being able to taste the fish and not just batter is amazing. GREAT service every time I go. The owner is super friendly and so are all the servers, no matter if you dine in or take out. Prices are reasonable. They sell frozen & fresh seafood, great selection. Cons: Not close enough to my house! I would go here more often if I knew it was calorie free, definitely give it a try! read more

What a delightful find! It's not often one gets to taste half decent seafood in Calgary. Pelican pier has a pretty nifty atmosphere that feels like we are by the seaside in Vancouver. The food is fairly priced and the light batter on the calamari, popcorn shrimp and fish all make for a great meal. Their dips taste incredibly fresh with a little bit of added dill and their chowder has REAL seafood. Everything tastes quite fresh and while the service is a little slow, you probably won't notice it much as you enjoy your generous serving of fried fish. read more

Best Key lime pie I've had in my life. The fish was good also. Really nice place to stop by on a cold winters day.

So my family and I head over to pelicans and I'm the first to come in (my fam is still in the car getting out) and the women (I assume is the owner) completely ignores me, as if I'm not standing there waiting to be asked to be seated/how many. But my parents come in and she still ignore me and steps over to them and asks "for two?:)" my mom gave a face and was like "uhhh no for 4 actually" and the owner was like "oh". The owner was obviously prejudice because she couldn't wrap her mind around that we were a biracial family. She kept giving me looks as if she couldn't believe it or if I'm tricking these people to feed me? So overall I was very uncomfortable and could not enjoy my food. The decor in the resteraunt was very tacky, dirty and dusty so I won't be back because I know there are better seafood places in Calgary. read more

This is a great little seafood eatery on the end of a strip mall. The fish is fresh, and the food was served to us in very short order. They were kid friendly and ensured our order came out promptly to keep the little ones placated. The atmosphere is quite casual. The table setting is not spectacular, although it is clean. It is quiet enough to carry on a conversation, yet lively enough to feel you aren't eating by yourself. The fish, which is the reason we came, is some of the best Calgary has to offer. read more

We decided to try this place for the first time and ordered to go. When we got our $100 order, all the fries we were promised weren't there and on top of that the filets were cold and tasted like chlorine. The food was actually so bad my family got into a fight. read more

The best fish & chips that I've had in Calgary so far. The place design is cool. The only problem was that the waitress was very busy and we had to wait for a relatively long time. read more

What was once a favorite go-to fish place is now just an overpriced disappointment. Lukewarm weak coffee,brown lettuce. After complaining that it just wasn't the same anymore, was told that they would "pass it on". We'll take a pass on this place.. read more

I feel odd rating this so high as when you drive up it is "typical Calgary" and nestled into a strip mall - but I am getting used to this and force myself to look past it. Being a West Coaster we are used to having our fish and chippies overlooking water and fishing boats and sometimes when the food isn't great you overlook it for the view. That is not the case here - the no view (although some way funky decor) means it's all about the deep fry goodness. And this delivered. We had fish and chips (salmon) and coconut shrimp. When we asked if the salmon was wild the server said she would specifically pull a piece of wild for us from the fish counter for the kitchen to use! I thought that was amazing service. The portions aren't huge - but just right. They also have a seafood counter and frozen fish for sale. Overall this is a little gem of the NW...which I will visit again! read more

I will say that I have been here many times over the years and it usually doesn't fail to impress. However, for Mothers Day today, with a reservation for six people, it was decidedly lacking. Our server, Rebecca, was inattentive even when being beckoned over, despite the restaurant not being full. Busy-ish, but not packed. Probably 2/3 full at peak. Didn't ask how our food was, had to be flagged down every time for drinks and to clear dishes from our table - when we requested a second bottle of wine, she didn't take the (upside down) empty out of the wine cooler and just dropped a new bottle on the table without even opening it. Screw cap, but still... WTF? I had to walk up to the counter and interrupt her and two others conversing about something on her phone to get the desserts replaced as they were way overcooked, turning chocolate lava cake into just dry chocolate cake. The replacements were no better. And while we waited, there was a very audible timer going off on something for over 5mins that was being ignored while they chatted. Perhaps more chocolate cake? Our reservation was at 1pm, we had drinks and an appie while waiting for the sixth of our party who turned up at 1:30. By 2:10, we still hadn't had our meal order taken. It was an extraordinarily long wait for the meal to arrive, and even though we left almost as soon as we had finished and paid up, we still didn't get out of there until almost 4pm. Slow, the food was not as good as usual, but the service was terrible. And the absolute worst part was when I left 10% to reflect the poor service, she actually rolled her eyes and walked off without saying anything else. Rude! read more

Have driven past this place a hundred times and never bothered to stop in until I read the Yelp reviews. I'm pleased to say I was not disappointed. They have a solid range of seafood dishes and I was very pleased with my choice of scallops and seafood chowder. The chowder was quite thick and hearty and exactly what I was looking for on a cold evening. Service was warm, fast and friendly and there was a nice range of families and older folks having dinner. Would definitely recommend. Note that this is not a fancy 'impress-your-date' kind of a place, but the food was great. read more