Chewies Oyster Bar (Coal Harbour) – Trying Gator For the First Time!

admin October 6, 2017March 25, 2018 0 Comments chewies, coal harbour, fried chicken, new orleans, new orleans cuisines, raw oysters, shrimp and grits

It’s funny, the last time I went to Chewies Oyster Bar was back in 2013 when the restaurant was still relatively new and trendy. I remember getting the buttermilk fried chicken which was all the rage and I really really enjoyed it. However, I was an amateur blogger back then and wrote his horrible post with dark photographs of the restaurant and dishes. So I guess, 4 years later, I’m ready to redeem myself with a new post on Chewies! Except this one is the new Coal Harbour location. 😛

I came here with a couple of other influencers and the Tangoo and Ready App team to discuss one of their latest projects. Luckily for us, this was a business meeting and we could order whatever we wanted (dream come true, amiright?)!

I have never had alligator before so I really wanted to try the Chicken Fried Gator & Hush Puppies ($13.50). Everyone was down to share with me so we ordered two portions!! The buttermilk soaked fried gator was surprisingly delicious, and tasted like a gross between chicken and eel (unagi). The corn hush puppies were delightfully crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside. Overall, a classic New Orleans appetizer that I would be happy to get again and again.

I got their House Wine and the thing I wanted to point out is that they serve their wine in these little water cups. What they do is pour the wine ALL the way till the top until it looks like it’s just about the spill over and then they stop. I forgot to take a picture of what it looked like when it was super full but the experience is kind of fun. You have to sip a little bit off the top before you pick it up or else you’re definitely going to have an accident.

We got a variety of the available half shell oysters and they were all very scrumptious. Their oysters are guaranteed to be fresh and it comes accompanied by fresh lemon, grated horseradish, and homemade sauces.

I ordered the Shrimp & Grits ($18) and it was served rustic style in an iron skillet. It had New Orleans style garlic herb BBQ shrimp alongside some aged white cheddar cheese grits. Overall I quite enjoyed the dish. The flavours were rich, luscious, and deep which is what New Orleans cuisine is all about.

Another influencer ordered the Beef Short Ribs ($28). This dish consists of twice braised boneless short ribs with broccolini on a smoked gorgonzola Mac N Cheese. She said it was heavenly.

Another influencer got the classic Southern Fried Chicken ($22) which had a giant piece of buttermilk marinated chicken breast and drum stick on mashed potatoes and green beans. The beauty of this dish really comes from the honey butter drizzle though. That sauce is bomb.

I didn’t order this but once I saw it I instantly regretted my shrimp and grits. This is their Salt Spring Island Mussels ($23) with garlic, white wine broth, fresh herbs, lemon, shallots and butter. The mussels were massive and looked incredibly plump! The garlic bread with herbs, oh god, how can you go wrong with that? Note to self, next time at Chewies….get the MUSSELS!!!