Check out the Latest Posts:

With a cheeky name like the Happy Hooker (@HappyhookerTDOT), I don’t think you can expect anything less than a playful menu consisting of items “between the buns” and other fun seafood dishes.

Jokes aside, the Happy Hooker is definitely churning out some serious food out of its tiny kitchen. Closing in on their one-year anniversary, I was invited to a media preview to check out some of their offerings. My only regret is not discovering this seafood joint sooner!

The Happy Hooker

Located on Dundas, between Bathurst and Ossington, the Happy Hooker is open everyday for lunch and dinner. You can’t miss this restaurant – just look for the sea blue building with a fish hanging on its exterior wall.

The interior

The interior resembles a wooden shack that I’d see myself ice fishing in (not that I’ve ever gone ice fishing before…but I gather this is what’s its like from what I’ve seen on tv!) and the space is decorated with a mix of kitschy mismatched furnishings.

The interior

It occupies a small space so I bet they’re popular with the take-out crowd. But if you don’t think you’d make it home before digging into your purchases, they have a few tables and counter seating in the space.

Chef and owner Attilio Pugliese (@attilio25) has created quite the menu including items like shrimp corn dogs and oyster sliders. They also recently received their liquor license so you can enjoy a cold one with their tasty dishes!

Our menu for the evening

Without further ado, here’s a look at what we tried:

Dark & Stormy….definitely not a bad way to start off the meal!

Dark & Stormy

Kale Salad – organic kale, baby arugula, watermelon radishes, cucumbers, pickled cabbage & house made red wine vinaigrette

Kale Salad

Baja Fries – crispy russet potatoes, cheddar cheese, adobo chipotle sauce, lime crema, onion, cilantro & house made guacamole

Baja Fries

Shrimp Po’Boy – cornmeal breaded shrimp, lemon aioli, baby arugula, sliced tomato, pickled habaneros & kosher pickles on a butter toasted Portuguese bun

Shrimp Po’Boy

Shrimp Taco – grilled shrimp seasoned with cumin, salt, adobo chipotle sauce, lime crema, pickled green cabbage & habanero pico di gallo

Shrimp Taco

Cali Baja Taco – breaded and fried Alaskan pollock, melted cheddar cheese, shredded romaine lettuce, diced tomato, lime crema & house made guacamole

Cali Baja Taco

Grouper Taco – beer battered grouper, melted cheese, pineapple habanero salsa, lime crema, pickled red cabbage, onion & cilantro

The Grouper Taco

Lobster Roll – east coast lobster, mayo, celery & celery salt on a butter toasted top slice bun

Lobster Roll

Like I said, they churn out some pretty serious food here. Highlights for me included the shrimp po’boy, grouper taco and lobster roll.

The Shrimp Po’Boy consisted of perfectly crisp pieces of plump shrimp on a damn good Portuguese bun. The bun held up incredibly well against the ingredients and had a really nice chew to it. Beware of the pickled habaneros though – they come with a delicious but powerful kick!

The Grouper Taco was my favourite taco of the three that we tried. The beer battered grouper was lightly fried, the pineapple habanero salsa added a nice sweet and spicy component to it and it was topped with the perfect amount of pickled red cabbage.

Attilio definitely saved the best for last when he brought out the Lobster Roll that everyone had been anxiously waiting for. The perfectly buttered and toasted bun was generous filled with chunks of lobster. I loved the bits of celery in it which gave it a nice crunch and appreciated the fact that it wasn’t overly dressed – you could definitely taste the lobster in it. One of the best lobster rolls in the city!

With reasonable prices (most dishes are under $10) and a kitchen that churns out one of the best lobster rolls in the city, you’ve gotta eat here!

*This was a complimentary meal. The opinions in the post, as always, are my own.*

Happy Hooker on Urbanspoon



  1. Kenny G Jr (Reply) on Tuesday 25, 2014

    After reading your review, I’m just curious what you would rate this place (based on your rating scale)? I want to try this place, but looking at your pics (which are very good BTW) the portions look small.

    • Jess (Reply) on Tuesday 25, 2014

      Hi Kenny! I’d give it a 4 – the lobster roll definitely gets a 5/5 though! I wouldn’t say portions are huge (except the Baja fries which comes with a mountain of fries) but the prices are reasonable given that it’s all seafood. If you go, I highly recommend getting the shrimp po’boy and lobster roll 🙂