Smitty’s Oyster House is located in Gibson’s Wharf. It’s tucked away and hidden, so you need to walk closer to the wharf to be able to see the restaurant. Smitty’s Oyster House was opened by the same owner as Rodney’s Oyster House. It’s named after Henry Smitty, one of Gibsons’ early pioneers who built the blue box which used to be a marine repair shop.
On our way back from the Sunshine Coast, we decided to make a stop here to try some seafood. It was a bright and sunny day, so this place was buzzing by the patio. They were also recently feature on You Gotta Eat Here on Food Network.
Parts of the interior you can definitely tell have some resemblance to Rodney’s Oyster House. The staff don’t have the sexy sounding t-shirts, but they do have similar items on the menu.
Manhattan Clam Chowder ($9) is a tomato-based baby clam chowder. The baby clams were tiny, so it was sad to have so few clams in the chowder.
We ordered a dozen raw oysters, but we never figured out what types they were since the server never informed us. The sauces that came to the table was also a mystery since nothing was explained. Nonetheless, the oysters were shucked beautifully and had a great taste. Definitely recommended.
Halibut Fritters ($17) have crispy tempura beer battered halibut pieces topped with a malt vinegar reduction. It is also served with tartar sauce. He thought it was good, but it was quite expensive.
DIY Fish Tacos ($19) has cumin-baked mahi mahi, hand-cut pico de gallo, avocado, sour cream and shredded iceberg lettuce and warm corn tortilla. It was fun to put together, but with the amount of cumin on the mahi mahi, it was hard to taste the original flavour of the fish.
Oyster Po Boy ($15) has fried oysters on a steamed bun with spicy remoulade, lettuce & tomato.
Mmmm look at that fried oyster. CoffeeAddict really liked it.
Overall, the food was good, but one thing you have to order is the raw oysters. The food is a pricey, but where else in Gibson are you going to get this type of food? One thing we were not impressed with was the service, the server was rude at times and the speed at which the food arrived was very strange. One person finished their dish before the rest of the dishes arrived. The item I originally ordered was sold out, so they didn’t inform us until later in the meal and told me my dish would arrive way later than everyone else. Luckily it arrived a few minutes after everyone else’s meal. Despite it all, I would still come back for the raw oysters.
We Rate Smitty’s Oyster House: 
Address:
643 School Rd
Gibsons, BC
Website:
http://www.smittysoysterhouse.com/
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