This is an overpriced tourist trap. It has mediocre food, and it is dishonest about the minimum 18% gratuity that they charge.

(Late post) We visited in October when it just started to get chilly. We were seated outdoors so we had to combat the wind and ashes from the campfire that blew our way. We had no trouble moving to another table but once we sat a bit farther from the fire I felt very cold very quickly. I ordered the fish and chips (it was phenomenal), their special $9 cocktail (which was okay), and their special of the night which was a brisket plate. For $32 we expected a bit more ... Also we saw people seating inside when we left, would have appreciated if we were given a choice. read more

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Definitely come for their local fish dishes ! Their PICKEREL FISH & CHIPS was sensational. The paper thin crisp coating on the fresh fish, the most amazing crisp fries, and vinegary slaw. Their tartar sauce is a lot thinner & liquidy than most though. Their TROUT POKE was good & honestly didn't even know we could have trout sashimi! Only complaint would be the pretty small size dish for the $28 price. Their daily dessert that day was a 'Plum & peanut cake with a honey burnt sugar cream'. Sound delicious? Prepare for a HUGE DISAPPOINTMENT... the 'CAKE' was a loaf slice. The 'HONEY BURNT SUGAR CREAM' was basic AF whipped cream. One of my pet peeves is when a restaurant writes the most glorified description for something it's not. $9 and this misleading description was NOT WORTH THE DESSERT. read more

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Their oysters are super fresh and amazing. I especially liked the kusshi from BC and lucky lime from PEI. The shrimp cocktail was tasty and so was the shishito peppers - Only thing about those two items was that the portion was super small for the price. Essentially $7 for each jumbo shrimp and $4 for each pepper. I had a taste of the seafood chowder and it was quite plain, not as much flavour as I'd expect in a chowder. Two of the people in our group had the linguine and clam pasta and they found it was delicious. The pasta was cooked al dente. read more

This restaurant is fantastic if you love seafood and really fresh food. They are all set up outdoors for a safe Covid-19 dining experience, and the service was excellent. It was a hot, hot day and we were there right at opening (5 pm). We had our dog with us, and she was welcomed and greeted just like a family member. The first thing they brought to our table was a bowl of water for her! We enjoyed oysters as a starter and they did not disappoint. There were 4 different types to try and we tried 3 of those. Sorry I don't remember the names anymore but they were plump and juicy, complemented perfectly with freshly grated horseradish and two house made dressings. For mains we ordered fish and chips and a poke bowl. We asked for the fish to be seared rather than battered, but it came battered and we ate it anyways. We are not fans of deep frying but the fish was delicious and by sharing it, it wasn't too rich for the palate (for us... who are not fans of anything battered). The poke bowl was delicious. We loved the suggested wine and it went perfectly with the meal, as the server said it would. We ordered an Eton mess for dessert, which was tasty and a good size for sharing. The bill was high but not shocking considering the oysters (we ate a LOT of oysters!), the freshness of the food and the overall dining experience. We did notice that both Google maps and Apple maps (and Yelp) had trouble with the address. It's not actually at the Sandbanks Park entrance which is what the maps show. It's actually close to the Isaiah Tubbs Inn. read more

A very swanky little restaurant bar located right outside of the Sand Banks Provincial park and beach. Seems to be the closest restaurant on your way out of the Sand Banks beach. Saw this place during the drive back to the 401 on Country Road 62 and decided to stop by. For a place so small it is very busy and attracts a large crowd, but be prepared to wait for a seat during peak hours. Recommended attire is a bit on the dressy side which is not the state most people would be in as they head out from the beach. Their options are limited, they specialize in Oysters and cocktails. Their Oysters are usually Canadian caught and shipped alive from different parts of the country. They are more on the pricey side, especially for an oyster bar. Portions are very small (As expected) so this isn't the best place to go if you are looking for something to fill you up. Decor and environment is high quality with a country boujee feel. We tried three different oysters - Lucky Lime From PEI (more sour) - French Kiss From New Brunswick (neutral tasting) - Kusshi From British Columbia (creamy but more on the rank tasting side) If you end up going here please try the fresh coleslaw side order. It is the best coleslaw i've ever eaten. it has no Mayo but is instead tossed in a mixture of apple cider vinegar, red wine vinegar and citrus flavours. Pros: 1) Boujee environment 2) Canadian caught oysters from across the country 3) Friendly and good service 4) Right beside Sand Banks Beach 5) Is also a bar Cons: 1) Quite expensive 2) Possible long wait times 3) Popular spot for wedding parties and other events (could get busy) 4) Far from the city (20 min drive from Belleville) 5) Area gets dark at night, not easy to get back if you've been drinking read more

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My husband and I had a great visit this past weekend. We sat on the picnic tables out back, very beachy old school vibe. We had oysters, the lobster sandwich, ceviche, and a few cocktails. I loved my spicy peach marg. Very pricey but definitely a great treat! I'd come back! read more

I think this place deserves a 3.75 rating. What we ate: The oysters were solid as expected - typical sides and good quality. Noteworthy: Hot sauce was fantastic. 4.5/5 The Oyster Po Boy Bao was lacklustre and somewhat left a lot to be desired. At $16, the value didn't seem to match the cost. The taste was mediocre. 3/5 Rainbow Trout Poke bowl - lots of different toppings/ingredients to go along with the trout. Not a whole lot of fish and needed more sauce. At $28, you could get better for less. The quality of the ingredients was there but the flavours just didn't come through. Again, the price really didn't match the product. 3.75/5 The fish and chips came with a generous portion, the tartare sauce was quite tasty. Good meal, not great. Value was fair at $21. 4/5 The venue and service. Outside dining area was beautiful and the service was attentive and knowledgeable. Overall the experience was above average but the theme that we took away was the food quality to cost ratio didn't align. It wasn't wow but it was good. Nothing in particular stood out besides the oysters which you can kind of get anywhere. read more

Sand And Pearl - 12 assorted oysters from the east coast. - Bars Near Me - Picton, Ontario

If I could give this place 6 stars I would. Had the fish and chips and oysters and WOW. DEEEELISH. The best fish & chips I've had in my life. I especially loved the dill-tartare sauce that was included and the pickled cabbage coleslaw. Anyone here complaining that this place is expensive has never eaten at a high quality seafood restaurant. This is the real deal. AND their patio is dog friendly :) Our server was great too! PERFECT date spot. read more

After over a year and waiting the winter out we were all excited to try out S&P. Unfortunately our experience was not what we had hoped for and I would today say 'don't bother' Last night when I got home I read some of the reviews here when we got home and felt even more irritated. So here is the run down-loud music albeit there is a screened in patio and the area we sat in that thankfully muffled the high volume music...we're having dinner not dancing after all. Our server, likely a nice girl, though seemed rushed and not overly conscientious. When our crab and Doritos & seafood bag arrived I knew something was a miss - where were the dozen oysters we ordered? Normally they would be the first and coldest item to come out, and so I asked and was told the o-bar was backed up and then came the arrival of our warm entrees and the hostess who recognized the oysters should have come out first. The food: chowder cup- nothing worth noting, 12 oysters from three regions-delicious, Alaskan King Crab legs-delicious, Doritos & seafood mix -delicious however irritating to eat as the presentation should be refined for easier eating/sharing, lobster roll delicious though the sides need some further development related to value; and the pickerel and chips - decent however a little on the greasy side. 1 bottle of wine (wine was primarily local and priced well. Which brings me back to the cost of our meal for 4 adults, keeping in mind portions were small, $300 and change plus tip!!! I see from a review last week they have increased the lobster roll from $24 to $34...that is steep and likely to NOT be a result of rising lobster prices but notoriety (last years article on this place) and greed. This was $150 pub meal and while the food was good it was not that good and nor was the overall experience. Traveling and being in the area for years I see S&P as another example of how places are losing their county charm working to be metropolitan in all ways. read more

Sand And Pearl - Alaskan Crab Legs - Bars Near Me - Picton, Ontario

I think I was disappointed as my expectations were high. It was a chilly September night and they put us on the patio and I was freezing the whole time. The options for eat were limited (which is fine) and the prices were very high end - but the atmosphere was very very casual. Our bill for 4 people with NO alcohol purchase was $200 and we had some oysters to start and 3 mains, no dessert. I really really wanted to love this place but I just didn't :( read more

Went here for dinner and the front parking was a great indication that we made a good choice - it was packed! It's incredibly family friendly and there's lots of seating. We chose to sit in the front patio - there's also a back patio with a fire pit! My girlfriend and I had the seafood chowder to start. It was really good, but it caught us by surprise since it was tomato base. I think there should be a minor change to the menu to indicate that it's a Manhattan seafood chowder because we were expecting more of the New England cream base kind... I just had oysters as my main. They have a pretty good selection and the oysters were pretty fresh. This time they had Lucky lime, Kusshi, 4" of Pleasure and French kiss. Like I said, they were all fresh (as fresh as they can be since we're not directly along the east coast!). Hubby got the lobster rolls and they were really buttery and delicious. They come with pickled hot peppers, so you can add them if you want. The dusted chips were pretty good. My girlfriend's husband had the double cheeseburger and it looked amazing and let's just say he inhaled it, so it was just that damn good. The fries were just perfect! Crispy, salty and just the ideal thing for having with drinks. We ordered a side of fries to have with our drinks and it was the perfect thing. The cold beers and cocktails with a salty pairing! It's definitely a fun place and the service was exceptional! The only thing I recommend is when sitting on the patio, even though it's covered: bring bug spray. The covering keeps bigger things out, but the mosquitos make it in and we got eaten alive. Overall, I highly recommend this place and we'd go back the next time we're back in the county. read more

Love their casual County outdoor area. The fire pit is far from the diners and a lovely cosy spot after dinner to enjoy the fire in the evenings. Servers are all lovely young people. The food does have high end options but it has something for everyone. Their fish and chips are above par. I think it was pickerel. If they have their fish tacos on feature be sure to order them. They are the best by far and I order fish tacos often so I have many to compare to. Bar drinks like gin and tonic are so affordable and a generous pour. read more

We went to Sand and Pearl this Saturday, we were 13 girls on a bachelorette and had to rush through dinner to make it home for the psychic. The service was AMAZING! We knew we were asking for a lot to be in and out with such a big group within an hour and a half but the second we alerted the staff, they rushed for us and made it happen. We loved the atmosphere, the food & drinks and kind service. Thank you for a wonderful dinner! P.S. we made it in time for the psychic :) read more

Sand And Pearl - 13 girls, in and out within an hour and half, thank you so much Sand and Pearl Oyster Bar!!! - Bars Near Me - Picton, Ontario

We really wanted to love this place and were very excited to visit, but it ended up being a giant disappointment unfortunately. We went last night for dinner and every time we turned around, people were either complaining about the food, or the wait times to get the food. We had 5 dishes and 2 drinks and the bill was just over $200... the Lobster Roll alone was $23 and boasted 1/2lb of lobster on the menu, but there were only 5 small pieces on the bun, which was also slightly burnt. If you're charging that much for food, it better be on point. We ended up sending back the salt cod fritters, as they were more dough then fish... thankfully they were removed off of the bill, but we just hate sending food back. All the servers were nice, however, simple things like cutlery and napkins were neglected and no tools to break down the crab legs were provided, those we had to ask for. The oysters were delicious and well shucked, but at $3 to $4.50 each, ordering more than a dozen becomes a bit dear. The place itself is charming and has great potential, but the prices and quality of food needs to be looked at and reflect what is actually served. read more

I should have read the reviews is all I will say. The staff were pleasant and the place itself was cute but that is about it. This place was overrated. Overpriced. The food was underwhelming and I wish we had spent our money elsewhere for the special occasion we we're celebrating as there are so many great places to dine in the PEC and Picton areas. $38 for a tiny portioned lobster roll served with a crumpled mini bag of chips and stale coleslaw is all that needs to be said ... read more

OK. So if you look at my profile, its kinda like I never have anything bad to say about the places I eat. Well, get on the positivity train, 'cause this one isn't going to be any different! The Sand & Pearl is not only a fantastic venue, but the selection and attention to quality and detail is beyond any other seafood place I have been to. I am a foodie. Presentation, taste, freshness and price factor into every meal I have. However, the overshadowing factor that impacts all my great dining experiences is SERVICE. And the service is delivered by the staff. Staff can take a transformative meal, fit for a King, and destroy it. Utterly. The staff at Sand and Pearl are completely, heartwarmingly awesome. They are friendly and genuinely care how you are doing, even when busy. They smile often and without provocation, are attentive without smothering, and are knowledgable about everything offered. I can go there alone, and not feel like I am dining alone. That by itself is remarkable. Now add on some of the best, freshest and perfectly curated seafood you can get your hands on, and a burning desire by the owners to source even more directly (like, flying it in themselves from suppliers), and you get an explosive dining experience that can really move you. I mean seriously move you. If you care about food (raw seafood in particular) like I do, this place will be on par with a religious experience. Now if oysters are your forte, you NEEED TO GET HERE. I had my mind blown in texture, taste and umami with a seasonal selection I practically ate all by myself. Yes, I almost ate them out of a Kusshi BC oysters. The shuckers can shuck like the wind, I never had to wait long for successive orders, and everything they put in front of me was at the peak of freshness. I already have the dates for next years availability booked in my calendar. If you want good seafood, go somewhere else. If you want an EXCEPTIONAL seafood EXPERIENCE, immerse yourself at The Sand and Pearl. Oh and come alone the first time so you don't have to share. read more

Exceeded my expectations! Was a bit wary to come across an oyster place on a seemingly random pebbled street, but all fears were assauged. Oysters are fresh, clean, and skillfully shucked with no grit or broken shells in sight. The menu is constantly changing, and the fish and chips featured a perfectly crispy and tender pickerel. The clam linguine could've used more pasta to satiate, but the amount of clams are pretty generous. read more

Amazing oysters and just great food overall, I got the shoreline fry basket and oysters. One of the best meals I've had in a long time. Great family run business and just a good environment to be around. The prices are reasonable but you for sure do get what you pay for! I am coming back for sure! You know the place is good because it's always packed!!! Amazing restaurant! read more

Sand And Pearl - Shoreline fry basket, yum! - Bars Near Me - Picton, Ontario

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We were a family of 14, there to celebrate my mother-in-law's 70th birthday. We read the great reviews online and couldn't wait to have dinner there. We arrive at 7:10 pm with our reservation made weeks in advance. Let's start with the positives: Cute look to the resto, lovely backyard area with well-distanced picnic tables and lots of land for the kids to run around. I'm afraid that's where the positives stop.As soon as we arrive, we are brought to our picnic tables (which were not as described on the phone to us as "picnic tables together by the fire pit) but as far from the fire pit as tables could be placed. The manager comes outside to move the tables together. Instead of asking his staff to help, he asks "the strong men of the family" to help him, which is "fine". We sit down, look over at the menus and no less than 5 minutes later, the same manager comes over and explains that there is some rule he just found out about that we cannot be seated together and must return the tables as they originally were and not even side by side apart, but front to back apart, so because I was facing the restaurant, I could not see anyone behind me. I mean, it's frustrating, because he is the manager and he should know the rules ahead of time. It's very weird, but we can handle that. It's covid times, rules have changed, we can respect that. We order our food, it takes over 30 minutes to receive our appetizers and we were NOT IMPRESSED with them. The "Caldosa" is ceviche and doritos. It arrives in a small bag of Doritos with the top cut off, the fish and tomatoes swishing around in the bag, we get our hands wet trying to scoop out the fish at the bottom of the bag and the only thing we taste is DORITOS. Not great. Others order the "escabeche" which is a seafood medley. It comes in a small jar with two pack of crackers, still in their bags and not the "Premium Plus" saltines either. We can get over that. Then we wait and wait and wait and wait. No one comes to pick up our finished appetizers for another 45 minutes. Nobody comes to see us. Finally, the manager shows up and we have to ask him where our food is. He THEN explains that there was a "computer malfunction" when the waitress put in our big order. In the meantime, we have three kids under the age of 5 who are restless, crying and hungry. It doesn't help that while we were waiting, we see EVERY OTHER table that arrived AFTER us being served their food. Why were the kids' meals not served first? I have been a waitress for 10 years of my life, if anyone is sympathetic to wait staff, it's me, HOWEVER, if there is a malfunction or a delay, SOMEONE has to go to the table and INFORM the clients that there is a delay. You don't leave people waiting 1.5 hours after ordering their meal to just sit there, ignored and not serviced at all. The manager profusely apologized, then said the words "I will take care of the bills and I will make sure the kids are served right away". At least 4 of us heard those words.While we wait for our meals, the manager hands us a few small bags of chips and not one per person either. The meals come, finally, and at this point we are quite hungry/hangry. My $38 lobster roll came with one hot dog bun (high end bun, but still), one piece of lettuce and lobster on top, the lobster tasted fine, but the sides were a small bag of Miss Vickie's with the top cut off, five little round slices of homemade pickles and coleslaw in a little paper container. My roll just tasted dry and just not "wow". I mean, for $38, I'm expecting just a lot better presentation and content than that. I tasted my husband's fish and chips and the fish was fine, but not a very big piece and the best thing of everything was their french fries. Delicious french fries.That should not be what I remember from an expensive meal. So, after our meals, the manager comes over a few times to try to "smooth" things over and repeatedly apologizes, unfortunately, the damage is done. We simply didn't want to be disrespected and ignored. The manager then hears us say we are here for a birthday, so he returns with two shots of premium tequila. Who got to take the shots? THE MANAGER himself and my mother-in-law. I mean, if you want to repair the damage, you bring ALL OF US a shot of tequila. THAT we would've appreciated. Then, he returns with champagne glasses, because he "made a mistake and opened the wrong bottle". Oh and NOT everyone got a glass of champagne either. "ONLY THE LADIES". I mean, what the hell is that??!! Then he offered three pieces of pie "on the house" which we never asked for. Making people share a pie in covid times is not cool either.  We cannot sit together, but we can share a pie. Smart! ONE bill, NOTHING taken off, not even the kids meals, only deduction for what HE offered us for free. So yeah, we "saved" $54 on pies and little sundaes that we never ordered. Brilliant! Terrible experience. Manager: "Rough start, but I got it back in the end". No, sir, you did not. read more

The only reason I give two starts is for the very warm service. The rest was very bad, 3 little shrimps that were told us were big cost 35$ where I can find them in a fish place for 10$. The shrimps were bland and bad. Food was super expensive for a scetchy place and for no reason read more

Surprised! This place was rammed on a Saturday! We only had oysters and salad but I would go back for their full menu. Quirky, attentive and friendly staff. Love entertainment. This is a dining experience. Very casual and fun! read more

Absolutely terrible!! We were a group of 6 women who were told this was a great restaurant. It was a horrible experience!! We arrived at 7:45 and were seated right away. We then waited for about 30-40 minutes to get our drinks. The best part of that is that 1 of us got our appetizer before the drinks even came. We had all ordered appetizers so we should have all gotten them together. We ordered seviche that came in a doritos bag with doritos and some seviche on it. We questioned the very high prices of everything. $38 for a lobster roll and an extra $2 for fries. Werent we surprised when the lobster roll was not very good at all. It was a couple pieces of lobster (nothing on it or mixed with anything), a piece of lettuce on a very soggy bun with less than a handful of fries. We were in a side room with the back door and patio door open so as it got later, we got even more cold. We waited forever without the waitress coming to ask us if we wanted anything else and sat there freezing and very upset about our meals. When 1 of us finally went up to ask for the bills, the waitress came over to tell us they would give us a couple deserts for having to wait. She then handed us 1 bill. Apparently, it is written on the menu (which you cant see because the lights were turned down so low we had to use our phones flashlight to read the menu), that they only give 1 bill for the table. After the bad service, low lighting, being very cold and very overpriced bad food, we were angry. 1 of us went to speak to the owner who then acted like we were crazy and that everything was perfectly fine and completely dismissed our issues. They did agree finally to allow us to pay separately. BTW, the 2 deserts they gave us didnt come for half an hour and they were not even good. So with all that being said, I hightly recommend you find another restaurant to go to. NOT WORTH THE PRICE!!! Also, the owner was rude and clearly does not care about his customers. There are so many wonderful places in Sandbanks and PEC to try. Avoid this one! read more

We went to Sand and Pearl this summer, we were 13 girls on a bachelorette and had to rush through dinner to make it home for the psychic. The service was AMAZING! We knew we were asking for a lot to be in and out with such a big group within an hour and a half but the second we alerted the staff, they rushed for us and made it happen. We loved the atmosphere, the food & drinks and kind service. Thank you for a wonderful dinner! P.S. we made it home in time for the psychic :) read more

An Unmitigated Disaster We went to Sand and Pearl Oyster Bar last Saturday night. I would like to write a review of the food but we never got any. After an hour and a half - no hot food. We did get some oysters after about 30 minutes . They were ok. We had better down the road the night before. A more detailed report on the experience. We arrived approximately 7:20 PM at night. We sat down and were given menus. We went to the counter to order our meal. There is no waiter/waitress service to the table as such. So you order and then it is delivered. We ordered 2 bottles of Pellegrino, a dozen oysters and an entrée and salad. We wait. Patiently. 15 minutes and the bottles of Pellegrino come. No need to mix drinks - just take from cooler. Ok a little long but fine and when I ask for a glass of ice and lime it comes quickly. We get out oysters about a half an hour after ordering. Again, a little long but ok. Then the death march begins. And after approximately 45 minutes after the oysters, I ask a young server about our food. It is about 8:30 PM or so now. I say that it really an unacceptable wait. She disappears and 10 minutes later say "sorry, they are working on it.' I should add here that most of the people who were there when we arrived are long gone and a bunch of people have come in after us and I see almost no food coming out of the kitchen. So we are perhaps the 2nd of 3rd table in the queue for food. I watch another table give up and engage the owner. They came in long after we did and are heading out the door. I walk over and say I asked the young lady about our food and it is now almost an hour since oysters. He wants to say that when you order raw bar your food may be delayed in the queue. I say that the oysters came 45 minutes or more ago and I have not seen more than one table served and that all these other tables came in long after we were served oysters. I ask "how long?" He says he will check. I go back to the table and he goes to the kitchen. He comes out of the kitchen goes back behind the bar and says nothing to me. And then the insulting, annoying, unacceptable thing happens. Food comes out for tables who have been there LESS than 30 minutes. A bunch of it. I get up and approach him and he begins to scream at me. YES YOU READ THAT RIGHT. HE STARTS SCREAMING AT ME. "If you are going to yell at me - come over here and do it" He wants me to come to the register area so that I will be away from the tables. I say to him that people who showed up last are getting hot food? He wants to tell me the same ridiculous story about how the raw bar orders backs up your food. I do not buy it. He brings the chef out to talk to me and walks away. But not before telling me "If you yell at her, I am going to be very upset." Meanwhile he is the one doing the screaming. We leave. They offered to pack up the food. We decide against and leave. It is not 9 PM and we have nowhere to go. It is too late. This is the worst restaurant experience I have had in probably a decade or two. Nobody there seems to be running anything. What I mean is that nobody has their eye on the ball or is interested in making it better. For example, maybe someone might have thought about getting us our salad when the wait was outrageous. The fact that the owner is screaming at me instead of apologizing and passing me off to the chef who should be in the kitchen solving the disaster that is their service pretty much says it all. This is not an inexpensive seafood shack. It is a top dollar restaurant with entrees $23-34. So the whole notion that you order at a counter and then wait seems to be a problem. I would suggest that if the front of house staff which seemed to number a half dozen actually had responsibilities to tables, they could perhaps be more aware if there are problems. Just my thought. I am sure I will be ignored. read more