The Lobster Trap

The best lobster in Toronto! Love all the food and the staff and service are amazing! Try the bisque!

I had been a customer of the Lobster Trap’s Avenue Road location for over 40 years and spent many a birthday dinner there with my family. Unfortunately the service, atmosphere & food had really gone downhill recently so we had been searching for an alternative.
I was thrilled to find that the original chef (Sathiya) had moved to the The Lobster Trap’s Vaughan location so we decided to take a chance & try it. Boy, I am glad we did!
From the moment we walked in, we were well looked after. Our waiter (Mehmet) was extremely attentive and made sure my birthday dinner was perfect from start to finish.
Our Dinner started with the Trap’s yummy garlic bread. Next, the Caesar salad with homemade dressing was to-​die-​for. Seriously, Sathiya should bottle the stuff, it’s that good & far better than the salads ever were at the Avenue location. The lobster bisque was exactly as I remembered it, creamy & full of that sweet lobster meat. For my main dish I ordered the classic live 1 ½ lb. broiled lobster. I was not disappointed… the lobster was cooked to PERFECTION. If you had been a customer at the Avenue location you knew that lobster was really the only reason to dine there but my husband, who is not a lobster fan, decided to order the 10 oz. filet mignon. Surprisingly, his steak was also perfectly cooked (medium rare) and cut like butter.
To end off the meal & since we were there to celebrate my birthday, Mehmet surprised us with a piece of Bailey’s cheesecake topped with a sparkler… or should I say fireworks. The cake was delicious & the piece big enough for all of us to share. What a perfect ending to a perfect meal.
Thank you Sathiya for the delicious food & Mehmet for making us feel so special. We will definitely be back!

The absolute best simply said. try it for yourself. My wife and I have been coming here for years. consistently amazing. Fantastic service only out done by amazing seafood

We went here for a friend’s birthday and had an incredible experience. Service was a bit slow but it was worth the wait. We ordered the oysters for our appetizer and the seafood platter for our main. Everything was super fresh and really delicious. Our waiter was excellent and truly delivered a memorable experience including a round of shots at the end of our meal, as a thank-​you for being patient. Definitely going back.

Tonight was the first time we came to this place. After an hour of driving we found this place on the way and SO glad that we did. We were itching for some seafood and oysters and my my this place was exactly what our taste buds were wanting. The staff continued to check on us and make sure we were okay. Our server, Grace, was amazing– she was genuinely thoughtful. Food was a bit pricier but the food was just soooo good. So worth it. Side note– make sure to get the lobster bisque.

I didn’t enjoy much at all but than I was the idiot who went to a lobster spot and didn’t want to eat lobster
My party enjoyed and would return and the lobster roll looked good
I would return for a lobster roll or to bring someone who wanted to try it

They give an unlimited amount of yummy garlic bread. I found that their seafood platter which consisted of raw oysters, lobster and mussels was not fresh at all. Their seafood pasta was tasteless, there was basically no sauce at all. The only thing I really enjoyed about this place is that their kids meal was $ 5 for a large plate of fish and chips. The portion was big enough for an adult and it was very tasty. I would only go back for the kids meal and garlic bread.

I frequented the original/​former location many, many times as I was growing up and as an adult. I took my boyfriend for his birthday to show him what a lobster experience is and this place was as good as ever! Maybe even better since the service was impeccable. Shout out to our server named Reza who was awesome. Don’t hesitate to eat at this place because it’s amazing.
Also to all the bad reviews… y’all are whack this place is amazing.

Had actually heard about this place through a friend and decided to go one night, when we called they told us they were fully booked and weren’t taking reservations for only 2 people, so we ended up at the lobster trap on avenue Rd (which is the original lobster trap, this company has no affiliation with the other lobster trap so we were informed by the original). The one on avenue is amazing as far as food quality and if you like a very old school rustic feel with a bit of a romantic setting, I did a review on them already you can find it on my profile.
Anyways …
We decided that we wanted to try this lobster trap as it’s closer to where my bf lives… When we called they didn’t seem to friendly… We showed up and had to wait a while by the door which was fine, we didn’t mind and they allowed us to sit wherever we preferred. We ordered the mussels, escargot, and 2 lobster tails which came with our choice of a side salad. The first thing to come out was the salad, when she came to set down the salad she did not set it down Infront of us but across the table and mine at the edge of the table which we found rather odd, about 3 minutes later before we could even enjoy the salad the muscles came (muscles were very bland and very fishy, no taste to them or flavour, probably the worst we have ever had. we couldn’t even finish them) along with the muscles came the escargot which were also terrible, they were not done in mushrooms caps, had zero flavour and were probably also the worst we have ever had, they were also burnt a little. She then asked us if we wanted our lobster now or if we wanted to wait a bit, we said now and she immediately went to the back and brought it right out (what would have happened if we said we wanted to wait a bit ! Guess it was already ready and had been sitting back there for us). The lobster I have to say was amazing, so tasty and delicious, so if you are going just for the lobster I would recommend.
The only downfall is the service, we were planning to have a couple more drinks before we went home and she didn’t even ask us if we wanted anything else she just went and brought the bill assuming we were finished… The waitress there, I wish I could remember her name but it was just poor non engaged service and food was not that Great aside from the lobster. We will be sticking with the avenue location and I would highly recommend them over this lobster trap, it may be new and updated but it’s Décor does not match the high prices. If you are looking for something more romantic but casual at the same time I would suggest the avenue lobster trap as well. It is worth the drive.

I have been coming here for years and have to say the best spot for lobster north of the 401. great atmosphere awesome food and no rush environment. Don’t come here looking for fast food and in and out experience. Sit down relax with a bottle of wine and enjoy the lobster. Truly worth it.

The seafood is great, the steak and chicken too. But it is the Lobster Trap — you really should have the seafood. The Coconut Shrimp is fantastic here, big shrimps, cooked perfectly, crispy coconut coating and a sweet tangy sause.
The service is professional and polite, the décor is a dressed down fine dining atmosphere. So you can dress up if you want — or not. Price is reasonable, maybe $ 30 per person. Its a nice night out.

This is my first post, but I feel I need to let ppl know about this. We went because I purchased the groupon. When we get there, we were surprise by how overprice it is. We ordered lobster bisque, 2 order crab cakes and a halibut steak. The bisque is okay but it’s a but too much wine, I actually like it but some people might not. The crab cake is extremely small and pricy. The taste was a bit salty and lastly the halibut steak is too small and vege is not fresh. I wonder never go back again.

Came in for dinner with a Groupon coupon. Ordered a pound and a half lobster with a baked potato and Oysters on a half shell as an appetizer. The food as fairly decent although I find $ 44 for a lobster quite on the expensive side but that’s because I can make my own.
The restaurant itself is far from fancy. It appears more like a diner. It could use a bit of ambiance.
Our waitress was very rough around the edges. I don’t think she meant to be rude but she certainly came off too aggressive.
I would expect that a place that charges high prices would be a bit classier.

Went in with $ 35 for $ 70 worth of food with a groupon. Ordered 2 1lb lobsters — 1 broiled, 1 steamed. 2 lobster bisques added on, sides were chef salad and baked potato. Bill (post-​tax and pre-​tip) came to $ 90. Tipped $ 15, but I feel like I should have tipped much less, considering the poor service I received.
Arrived 7 minutes late, waitress gave away table already. Would have been fine if they called to tell us this, but nope. They just did it without any notice. This was a little frustrating, but I gave them the benefit of the doubt. However, I feel that this is pretty poor business practice. If you’re going to ask for my phone number, why would you not use it?
Another waitress seated us, just to kick us out as she meant to seat another couple. This is just completely disorganized, as well as a bit frustrating. However, we ended up having a 4 person table for the two of us, so it ended up alright.
Ordered one broiled, one steamed. Waitress brought 2 broiled, then realized it was for the table behind us. Once again, disorganized.
The whole meal, the waitresses paid much more attention to the tables around us than to us. This was just the overall feeling I had at this restaurant.
When it came to paying, they just gave me the POS terminal and had me enter in all the information. This is just poor business practice, just because I could have entered in nothing at all and gone with it. If I didn’t know how to operate the terminals, it would be even more annoying.
Without the Groupon? I would have been very frustrated with the dining experience. Would have been paying quite a lot on good food but terrible service.

«Take your Groupon and shove it up your F*****g A**» was the response I got after being hung up on, twice.
Even though I did read the so-​so reviews about The Lobster Trap (Woodbridge location) online, I did decide to give it a try with a Groupon offer. Unexpectedly, I had to change my reservation and when I called the morning of (a Thursday) to re-​schedule, I was told I could not without losing the value of the Groupon. I tried to reason with the woman as I was not cancelling my reservation, but re-​scheduling it. I was promptly told that there was nothing else that could be done and she hung up the phone. I called back again and spoke with the same woman who was again abrupt and rude, telling me there was nothing that could be done, before hanging up on me a second time.
Not wanting to leave this on a sour note I tried one more time to call back and reason with the woman. This time a gentleman answered the phone. After telling him that I had been hung up on twice, he told me that no I had not, it was a cell phone that got disconnected… twice… hmm… really? He then gave me the introductory line of this review and hung up the phone.
Thank you Lobster Trap for ensuring I never come to your restaurant, along with anyone else I know or can reach by social media.
Groupon, I would like my money back.

I have been to the Avenue Rd. locations numerous times over the years. It has been my favorite restaurant ever since I was introduced to it by a friend. When I found out that they had changed owners and moved to Vaughan, I thought i would give it a try since all the staff and cooks had moved to the new location.
I had an old dealfind coupon that was remaining but I was told that I could only use half of the value per visit. The new owner would not honor my dealfind coupon as purchased. He stated that the old owner went bankrupt because of these coupons and hence he could not afford to provide the face value of the coupon in one visit.
I had also purchased 3 groupons for $ 40 for $ 80 worth of food. The fine prints said one groupon per table. When I called, i was told that if i could arrive by 530pm that they would make an exception and seat our party of six together but that i shouldn’t mention it to anyone. Due to traffic, we arrived at 6pm to an empty restaurant and in spite that we had called to advise we were running late, the waitress advised that they could not accept the 3 groupons for our party of six. I told her that I had spoken to the owner who had authorized it so she went to speak to him and he said no. After much discussion, I asked to speak to the owner directly. He came out and he explained that because we were 30 minutes late, we had to sit at separate tables if we wanted him to honor the groupons. This being 2 days before my wedding day and 7 years since i had seen my parents and brother, the 6 of us had to split up into 3 tables of 2. Meanwhile, other patrons that walked in the door in two’s were seated at tables for 4 that were much more comfortable and the restaurant was still very much empty.
At the previous locations, they had more tables and there was always a line up no matter what time you showed up. At this place, there was hardly any patrons.
The food was still good and still the same. We ordered our usual 1 and ¼ pound lobster steamed which came with garlic bread and a side (baked potatoe, fries, rice, or salad). The bill is usually $ 80 for two people if we order nothing but a lobster each.
What disappointed me was the service and the experience that I had. The owner said he couldn’t have a party of six occupy his larger tables in case they had patrons that came in groups of 4. There were a dozen tables for 4 however when i looked around they were occupied by parties of 2. I never thought that by purchasing a groupon and going out of our way to get an earlier seating time of 6pm that the owner would be so inflexible. My parents and brother were obviously disappointed that we could talk and catchup after all these years.
The waitresses were very friendly and nice. The service was very good otherwise. It was just how the owner treated us that left a bad taste in our mouths. I still have the old dealfind coupon for which i had paid $ 40 for. I was also a regular customer at the old location which i frequented often without the purchase of a groupon. After being treated in such a horrible way that evening, I doubt that I will be going back there. It’s too bad because the food was still the same but the restaurant is no longer the same restaurant from avenue road that I use to love.

Hello everyone this will be totally unbiased from a person who works VERY hard for their money. I got a groupon and thought WOW lets have a special evening at the new Lobster Trap. I used to love going to the one on Avenue Rd as a child with my big brother. What a treat… WELL, my husband and I thought lets rekindle a memory and and enjoy some lobster. FORGET IT… the lobster was chewy and the bill for two would have been 200! if it werent for my GROUPON for which i got 70 dollars off. I left the waitress 20 dollars even though I really didnt think it was worth the service at all. By the way, the waitress brought me boxes to pack up the leftovers by myself… Buy your own lobster and cook this at home. DID i mention that the garlic rolls were SOAKED in oil. not butter… YOU will be full by the time the entrée arrives because of all the OIL you ate in the rolls… GROSS…
Give you money to charity… dont get fooled by the special deal… there is no deal to be had here… the lobster wasnt sweet at all…
My husband didnt want to start a fight so he just said thank you baby for dinner… but he really was grossed out and I could tell. One day this WILL spring up in a fight about how much money I wasted on trash food. HONESTLY… they took money for nothing… MONEY for NOTHING… gone are the days of yummy lobster… unless I cook it myself.
btw: lobster is 5.99 a pound at Metro!!!
good luck y’all and remember I TOLD YOU SO!

Went for dinner in May 2013. The general atmosphere was confused and disorganized even but the service, overall, was excellent. Owners/​managers and staff are very pleasant and clearly want to keep the customers happy. I had the seafood pasta which was good but the shells on the claws was annoying, no fun digging out claw meat from rose sauced shells. Lobster tail was good, though a bit overdone probably from getting the crust golden. Bisque was delicious, oysters superb. Not sure about wine list, wasn’t offered and I didn’t ask. Beer options limited to usual suspects, would love to see some local craft brews. Nice place, well decorated. I’d lose the guitar and singer though, space is too small. Overall, I think once the owners get everything down to a science it will be a success. Will give it another try for sure.

I had a really great experience here just the other day. It started off a little rocky when I had purchased a voucher online for the location in Toronto. When I had called the number on the voucher a few weeks in advance I was told to go to the Woodbridge location. So I did, but but when I arrived the server told me she couldn’t accept the full value of it because it was for the other location. Although it was frustrating for me coming all the way I completely understood that she was doing her job. I left and called the number on the voucher again and the owner Valentino picked up. He was super friendly and told me not to worry he would accept the voucher.
I went back inside and the rest of the experience was rather wonderful! I was brought some delicious tasting garlic bread to start. When Valentino came in he sat down at my table to explain to me what happened with the voucher which was extremely nice of him. He truly is a great and experienced owner who understands good public relations. When I ordered my meal I asked my server for advice on an appetizer and she suggested the Lobster Bisque which I have to say was delicious! I ordered a broiled lobster for my meal. I worked in a seafood restaurant during my teenage years and ate a lot of lobster. I can honestly say this is the best one I’ve ever eaten. There was a large amount of tomalley in it which I’m not such a fan of, but besides that the lobster was juicy and cooked perfectly! Since I was going all out and treating myself the day before I was starting a diet I decided to order the chocolate cake. It was okay. Nothing special and a bit on the dry side, but with a squirt of caramel and chocolate sauce, and stuck in the oven for a minute to warm up and a scoop of ice cream it would have been perfect because the taste of it was good and it was huge!
The atmosphere itself is really nice. It’s clean and modern but also has a cozy feel. The service was excellent.
I’m really glad I went to this restaurant and even after the initial problem, I would highly recommend this place to anyone looking for a delicious lobster or seafood dinner. And I will definitely be going back!

Stop in for a business lunch, great food. Really nice décor, newer that the other location on Avenue road. Love Lobster! Definitely return.