Ferris' Oyster Bar & Grill Victoria
• 536 Yates St | Victoria, BC | V8W 1K8
Average User Rating:
8.64/10
8.64/10
Recommended by:
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"Received a little more than expected"
Marion Ann
February 2012 — "Ferris upstairs Oyster bar is an extension of Ferris oyster bar. It is located upstairs from the main part of the restaurant. It offers a more up scale menu of appetizers and sharing plates, and a soft but unique atmosphere. The service staff is very welcoming, you should try to make reservations as it seems to be a local’s favorite. We tried a variety of oysters offered, my favorite so far is between the Seahorse (horseradish, lemon and butter) and the Beach roast (fresh lemon and Tabasco), then we ordered a few of the sharing plates, so we tried as much as we could. The portions are average size at a reasonable price. I loved the Saltspring Island mussels and the roasted mushroom ravioli is fantastic! The sharing plates do come with accompanying sides and you have the choice to order other sides as well. You won’t be leaving hungry. If you are looking for an evening of great food with your friends or family, I would highly suggest you try Ferris’ upstairs bar, I can’t wait to go back and try the bouillabaisse"
User Rating
8.83/10
8.83/10
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"Solid Choice for Lunch"
Ryan
February 2012 — "My wife and I had lunch at Ferris' yesterday, and everything turned out great. I had the falafel and my wife had veggie sandwich -- both were fresh and tasty. The atmosphere at this restaurant is great and the service is good as well. My only quibble is that the tables near the door were VERY close together, almost like you're dining with the strangers next to you (good thing they were nice people)."
User Rating
7.83/10
7.83/10
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"The best soup ever!"
Marion Ann
January 2012 — "Ferris’ on Yates street downtown Victoria is another local favorite. My friend and I went to Ferris’ downstairs grill for lunch. There is Ferris’s upstairs oyster bar as well for dinner service.
When we arrived to the downstairs grill it was at 11:30am and we were greeted with a warm welcome. My friend has been to Ferris’ before and our server remembered her which is a nice feeling of being welcomed back. The décor of the restaurant is very unique, almost like a homey log cabin with great historical pictures of Victoria.
I tried the chicken penne soup that was highly recommended by my friend. When our server brought out our soups I was pleasantly surprized with the generous portions. The soup is a hot and sour base with a lot of hearty vegetables and rice dumplings which are sweet that compliments the spicy soup. You definitely don’t need any of the complementary bread that is offered with every meal. As we enjoyed our lunch I noticed how quickly the restaurant was filled with lunch time patrons and I noticed the portions of the lunch menu, all very hearty portions for reasonable costs. If you’re craving a great bowl of soup that won’t leave you hungry I highly recommend Ferris’ Oyster Bar and Grill.
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User Rating
10/10
10/10
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"Mussels were Fantastic"
Sebastien
October 2009 — "Had dinner here the other night with a couple of friends from out of town. Because downstairs was packed -- as it always is -- we opted to try the upstairs dining room.
We started with fresh oysters and mussels, then for entrees had the halibut and smoked trout. Overall, everything was excellent (we all agreed that the mussels were among the best we've ever had) and the service was well above average, especially for a busy Saturday night.
Well done Ferris's, as usual -- I'll be back..."
User Rating
8.50/10
8.50/10
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"SO GOOD!"
Twyla
August 2009 — "This place had the most amazing food I have ever tasted at a restaurant! WOW! To back up, we arrived at the restaurant on a Friday evening. The restaurant was busy but we heard it was worth that wait, and our wait was only about 20 minutes. We sat out on the patio which we thought would be a bit too cool for our liking, however the patio had heat lamps which made it comfortable. When I started to review the menu, I realized that I was going to have a hard time choosing what to eat. There were many things to choose from, many of which I found appealing. I ended up ordering the Veggie Nut Burger and I was NOT disappointed with my choice. It was SOO tasty. The flavour was fabulous and the burger although a bit crumbly had a very nice texture. I got the burger with a house salad. The salad itself was extremely fresh with a variety of vegetables. It was served with a mint dressing that was very nice. I enjoyed my meal with a glass of house white wine. The service was good but the food was excellent. I will definitely go back again and I highly recommend this restaurant!"
User Rating
8.83/10
8.83/10
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"Tiny Patio Huge Flavour!"
Allison
June 2009 — "One of my favourite restaurants to visit, is Ferris's Oyster Bar and Grill. It is a small restaurant located in the heart of Victoria's downtown. I love the atmosphere, it is full of people who enjoy good food! When the weather is nice, i always try to sit outside on their tiny backyard patio. It probably has 15-20 small 2 seater tables n the back ( they can be pushed together for larger parties). they have beautiful plants and small white lights hanging from lattice work all along the top and sides of the patio. it is beautiful and relaxing. (they have heaters too if it is a bit chilly)
i have eaten at this restaurant so many times, that it would take me ages to review everything that i have eaten. This time in particular, i had the pulled pork sandwich. It, as usual, was delicious. fresh, and sauced to perfection. The sweet potato fries and dip sampler is always my side choice and is Awesome! cant find better sweet potato fries! They have a wonderful wine selection, and the servers are prompt and friendly. You often see the owner serving and bar tending himself. My husband has the phone number of this restaurant saved into his phone, we love going there and i highly recommend it!"
User Rating
9.17/10
9.17/10
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"Skip the lamb burger"Diana
May 2009 — "I've enjoyed many great meals at Ferris over the years, and I expected more of the same when we popped in yesterday to have a bite after work. We weren't craving seafood this time, but had noticed their impressive selection of burgers and sandwiches on a prior visit, so decided to give those a try.
There were several appealing choices that went beyond the ordinary, including the Gina Lola (grilled veggies with humous & feta) and Oyster & Halibut burgers as well as the usual fare. Most items were $10 or less, a good value. We both settled on the lamb burger with pesto mayo and feta cheese, with a mixture of potato & yam fries as accompaniment.
The lamb patties were thin, and the burger as a whole a little too dry. I also felt meat of that intensity would have benefited from a stronger cheese to balance it out (the feta they served was mild, and not plentiful). Our yam fries were also quite burnt.
Not our usual good experience at this favourite haunt. Maybe you need to stick to what they're famous for here."
User Rating
7.50/10
7.50/10
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"Must Visit"
Shane
May 2009 — "I think this restaurant is one of the hidden jems in this city. I am always amazed by the number of people that live in Victoria yet have never been to (or heard of) this classic. It has been here for a long time, and consistently has great food. I often get the reaction "yuk! I don't like oysters" but there menu is much much more than this. Probably the best place in the city for burgers of all types, and yam fries to follow. My favorite dish is the Oyster Caliente and I recommend it without hesitation. It is a fantastic pasta dish with cream sauce and oysters. The owner is a pug lover, where there are picture of these little snorting dogs all over the place. The place is not huge, and is always packed, so plan ahead on that one. I don't think they even take reservations for dinner. "
User Rating
9.17/10
9.17/10
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"Busy and Good burgers"Gary
January 2009 — "What a great little busy place, emphasis on busy. Ferris Oyster Bar is located in downtown Victoria on Yates street and is extremely popular. We arrived there on a Monday night without a reservation and that was mistake as the place was packed. We decided to wait out the half an hour for a table as the place was recommended to us. There were four of us standing in their tiny doorway, which was not too comfortable. Whilst standing there, about another twenty diners arrived without reservations and most of them left when told the wait time had now increased to forty-five minutes and then an hour. All through this time, the host was very good at explaining how long the wait was, etc. My only suggestion was perhaps he could have offered drinks while we waited. Once inside and warming up from the cold doorway, the restaurant is long and narrow and gives a nice intimate feel. You may think to try the oysters when considering the name of the restaurant but we went with the burgers as we were advised these were good. And we were not disappointed, the burgers are large so you do not need a starter plus you can get them served with yam fries or regular fries. Definitely try this place but make sure you have a reservation."
User Rating
9/10
9/10
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"Comforting & Cozy"Sara
November 2008 — "I recommend this restaurant to anybody looking for a new place to check out - I've never heard any negative feedback. In fact, it usually becomes a regular place to go or take new folks in town to. It's a great local restaurant that's cozy with the brick walls and smaller size. It's always packed and it's best to make reservations it seems, as I've stood outside for over half an hour before (their waiting area is the size of a phone booth). On this Friday night, 4 of us went to Ferris before catching a movie. I was in the mood for something light and warm so I ordered their Chicken Penne Soup, which I've had numerous times before and love it! It's a Ferris' classic so it's always on the menu. It's a large bowl with chicken, celery, carrots, 2 big rice dumpling in a delicious broth that on some days is spicier than others. My couple of my friends ordered burgers and the fourth ordered Colin's Special, which is a smoked salmon with pasta dish. Everybody was happy and very full as the portions are very large at Ferris'. I would highly recommend this cool place!"
User Rating
9/10
9/10
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"More like Ferris' Veggie Burger Bar"Thomas
June 2008 — "I have been to Ferris' twice now. Normally I would try something new on a return visit to a restaurant, however, Ferris's veggie burger is so good that I can't say no. It's huge, and homemade—a rare combination for non-beef patties in most dining scenes—it comes with a selection of alternative toppings and the combination of yam and potato fries that come with it are excellent.
I have no complaints about the service, the price or the environment. All in all, its a great place to enjoy dinner and the patio outback is ideal for summer dinning."
User Rating
8.33/10
8.33/10
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"One of the best Victoria has to offer."Tiemen
May 2008 — "OK, let me say this…Ferris’s has become one of our favorite restaurants in Victoria. Why? The food is good, it’s got a pleasant atmosphere, and the prices are decent. I have yet to try the oysters. Shame on me. The burgers are great, especially the Hamburger, which is probably the best I’ve had in town. The Lamb Burger ranges from very good to Ok depending on the night. When it’s good, it rivals Darcy’s lamb Burger for title of best in town, when it’s off, it’s because there is too much feta, making it too salty. I sill enjoy it with a side of yam fries though. I also recently tried their pulled pork sandwich (also with a side of Yam fries), which was very good. Supposedly their soups and pastas are great too…oh yeah, and the oysters. A burger will cost you 9 bucks…pastas will cost you $14...portions are big. The place gets packed during peak hours so make a reservation or show up early. This is the kind of place that they’d call trendy or pretentious if the prices were higher…the fact that they serve great food at good prices in a nice atmosphere, right downtown…just makes it one of Victoria’s best restaurants. There’s a reason Ferris’s has been a popular place for a while now…check it out."
User Rating
8.50/10
8.50/10
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"Great Choice for Lunch"Miguel
January 2008 — "My wife and I were looking for a good place for lunch the other day when we stumbled upon Ferris' Oyster Bar and Grill. We arrived at noon (weekend) and were promptly seated at a small table near the kitchen. It definitely wasn't the best seat in the house, but we still enjoyed the quaint atmosphere. We started off with a large order of pan-fried oysters -- these are sauteed in butter, herbs and garlic -- which were great ($12 for 6). Then we both ordered the Ciopinno Soup, a tomato-based stew filled with mussels, oysters, clams, salmon and prawns. The spiciness was just right, and we ate every last bit ($10 each).
Overall, we had a very positive experience at Ferris', and would definitely recommend it to others."
User Rating
8.17/10
8.17/10
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"Best Burger I've Ever Had"Tara
November 2007 — "This is one of the best places I’ve been to since moving to Victoria. It’s small but it’s got a great cozy atmosphere. I think it’s almost a given that you will wait in line if you try to eat here, but we didn’t have to wait too long to be seated, maybe 10 or 15 minutes. The only problem was, it was taking forever to get our food. All we ordered were two burgers, one regular burger and one lamb burger and an order of yam fries. The waitress kept ensuring us that it was coming and that there was a larger order ahead of ours, and that's what the wait was all about. That explanation didn’t cut it when we noticed people who were seated ½ hour after us were getting their food before us. So the wait was ridiculous, but when the food finally came it was worth the wait. It was absolutely delicious. Honestly, I think maybe the best burger I’ve ever had. And it came with a huge side salad (or I could have chosen yam fries or regular fries) that came with sunflower seeds, chick peas and sprouts, definitely not your regular boring greens. The burger was seasoned to perfection and the special sauce they used was fantastic. Unfortunately the yam fries were just okay. They came way before our meal so I’m sure they would have been better with the burgers. We won’t hold it against them that the order took so long – we’re hoping it was just a one-time thing. The prices here are amazing. Our burgers with one big side was only about $10 each. Totally worth it! I should also let you know that the waitress was very apologetic and took the fries and our drinks off the bill so that made us feel better. We’ll be back for sure and I can’t wait!"
User Rating
8/10
8/10
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DescriptionFerris' Oyster Bar & Grill is located on Yates Street in Victoria. The restaurant's menu features an array of fine foods though oysters is their specialty.
Location Information536 Yates St
Victoria
BC
V8W 1K8
