In an area rife with casual dining seafood offerings, the Rusty Anchor emerges as our family favorite. The portion sizes are astounding: it seems that they are putting an entire lobster into each sandwich. The same goes for the lobster poutine. The chowder is excellent, the drink menu is great, and the ambience, scenery and service is everything you could ask for. As a bonus, GF options abound. Worth a trip. read more

Service was friendly but the food was below average. The French fries with the fish and chips were bad, the very cheap kind that were previously frozen and did not fry well. You get spoiled by eating freshly cut French fries (or a higher quality frozen fry) and immediately know when a restaurant is using cheap frozen fries. Seafood was fine but definitely better options. Gave the lasting impression of using the cheapest ingredients overall read more

Friendly service, restaurant with a nice view. Seafood is good, enjoyed the lobster, fisherman platter, bucket of mussels. This restaurant has kids meals for 12 and under. read more

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The staff were extremely nice and helpful! We found the restaurant clean and inviting. The speed of the food was great! The food itself was fresh however we found there could be more flavours used to grill the seafood. We had the lobster roll, oysters and fisherman's platter. Its a good spot for a bite if you're on the island since options are more limited! read more

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Pleasant early dinner served by friendly staff. Had Bucket O' Mussels and the Fisherman's Platter. Menu on restaurant's website does not include prices, so posting pics here for reference (July 2025) read more

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Nice looking place inside - staff all very friendly and a nice size menu. Since at home there are next to no places that serve Poutine and none at all that serve Lobster Poutine, guess what we tried..... The menu states: Our modern twist on a local traditional favorite! Crispy fries topped with fresh lobster, mozza cheese,and sauce. It was good but not great with way more French fries than lobster but that was to be expected. Interesting to try but not something that I would rush to have again. I guess I'll stick with usual Poutine - which I love - when I can find it. read more

Rusty Anchor Restaurant - Lobster Poutine - Seafood Near Me - Pleasant Bay, Nova Scotia

Clean restaurant and bathrooms. Popular local place with good seafood. The oysters are small (and look funny but maybe that's just this area) but taste good. The lobster and crab legs come with butter and lemon which is nice. Service is good; they check on you several times throughout the meal. read more

Rusty Anchor Restaurant - Outdoor seating - Seafood Near Me - Pleasant Bay, Nova Scotia

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Food was mediocre and pricing was outrageous for the quality. Recommend getting food to cook before coming to the tip of the island

Great food large portions. The server was pleasant. Fast service even though it was packed. Good job! read more

Rusty Anchor Restaurant - 6 Oyster's - Seafood Near Me - Pleasant Bay, Nova Scotia

After an afternoon of hiking with young kids, this restaurant was an epic win for four hungry parents and four kids (4-12yo). No gimmicks, just amazing food at the end of an amazing hike and short, epically scenic drive down from the mountains. The portions were huge (omg the lobster poutine!!!). The lobster roll had whole claws in it and wasn't smothered with mayo. The ribs were tangy. The oysters were great. And the kids got affordable stuffies to remember a great adventure. Clean, well staffed, attentive service with plenty of refills. Can't ask for much more! read more

Ok, so there are EXTREMELY few choices when you get this far north and we were pleasantly surprised to find this place. We were fogged in but there is an outdoor space on the waterside cliff. While we ate inside, there was still a great outdoor ambience. Food was great, service attentive and friendly. Local snow crab and lobster rolls were stellar, as were the fish cakes with NO bread filling! The inside was spacious and clean but a little sterile. We went down the road a bit to the other restaurant for dessert (lesser but cheaper food), and great live Celtic music. We were so happy Rusty Anchor was there! Just wish they had music. They have the space! read more

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Enjoyed the fresh seafood and the nautical decor. Service was friendly and in and area that has few restaurants it is worth the trip.

My family had driven about 20 hours and we decided to eat here, it was about 25 minutes before closing and they refused to let us sit down. After that they offered take out instead of sitting down. Personally I think if they had enough time to make the food for us and package it , then they would have enough time to allow us to quickly sit down and enjoy our meal. We did not end up eating here and it was a huge disappointment! Since I did not try any of the food I will not comment on that. read more

Just be aware that this restaurant does not allow dogs on the outside deck. You are permitted to tether your dog off the deck, but would not consider the restaurant "pet friendly. We did order lunch and found the wait staff and food to be very good. read more

This place is busy when we got here for lunch during our Cape Brenton drive. We ordered the oyster and mussel as they said it's the fresh from local and yes it didn't disappoint me, however we found it's a bit pricey. The seafood chowder is very water down, not recommend. I believe they also have a special seafood wrap which I noticed a lot of people ordered. The patio is very nice but with lots of wasps (don't know where they come from) and it's really windy too maybe because it's close to the ocean. Wifi don't work at all when sitting on the patio so kids complains, but if I get to choose again, I would still recommend patio as it's really nice out there. read more

Rusty Anchor Restaurant - Fried fish and chips - Seafood Near Me - Pleasant Bay, Nova Scotia

Driving in an area with no service was a bit uneasy since it was nearing dinner time and we had no idea what was open or where places to eat are!! We drove past this at first and turned around to go back. The view is beautiful, overlooks the water and you can see a beautiful sunset if you go at the right time. They had a deck/patio area where you could eat but it was windy the day we came and we sat inside. Everyone was really friendly, servers were friendly, covid protocols were followed, and the food was amazing!! We tried the lobster mac and cheese, the lobster was so good, and the haddock, which was also really good. Menu is small and almost all seafood based, but it seems like they take the time to really make each dish which did cause a bit of a longer wait for food. read more

Beautiful views and right on the water. Food was ok. Lobster Roll came with hot butter but cold lobster. Asked if they could heat the lobster or flash fry it and they refused. It was ok but odd that the butter is warmed and served with cold lobster. Friendly service. read more

All I can say about this place is all you really need to know. They have the best lobster roll I have had anytime, anywhere. Period. There is nothing special about it. I think all they do is put some butter on it and put it in a bun. No mayo. No tuna fish looking concoction. Just the best lobster ever. Clean. Tender, not chewy. Delectable. It seemed like they pulled that crustacean off the ocean floor five minutes before I got there. That's how fresh and incredible it tasted. The fries were pretty dang tasty, too. But that lobster roll, y'all. That lobster roll. All you need to know going in. read more

Rusty Anchor Restaurant - Lobster roll - Seafood Near Me - Pleasant Bay, Nova Scotia

We came here because it was it was one of the few restaurants open on the Cabot Trail when we were driving. We just got the sampler platter and oysters and some beers. But everything was great. Great deck to the bay. Our server was kind and prompt even though she was extremely busy. Food was delish. I would recommend this place if you need some rejuvination! read more

Rusty Anchor Restaurant - Seafood Near Me - Pleasant Bay, Nova Scotia

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Limited options at this part of the Cabot trail... but this place seemed like a good stop for lunch. Waitress was friendly. Food was average and pricier. Place was mostly touristy, as expected. Tried the blueberry lemonade, which could have been more lemony and sour. Basically a lemonade with frozen blueberries thrown in and then dyed blue. As for the food, seafood sampler was tasty and seemed popular among most tables. Same with the fish and chips... they were pan fried rather than deep fried and you could taste the egg batter that coated the fish. Lobster poutine was a huge portion of fries and should probably be shared. read more

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Cool spot by the ocean. I ordered oysters, clam chowder , chicken sandwich and a local IPA . Service was good . We took the table inside but they have outdoor tables as well convenient for people who travel with pets. read more

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We were looking forward to a fresh lobster roll but it wasn't great. It tasted previously frozen. A lot of liquid in it so it was soggy. Blueberry lemonade was delicious. read more

There wasn't a lot of options for restaurants on the Cabot Trail, so we were not expecting much...but wow what a surprise! The staff was amazing and super friendly. We were doing a day of hiking so we came hungry and we were definitely full and satisfied leaving the restaurant! We got the Bucket of Mussels as an appetizer and ordered the Cape Breton style Fish & Chips and the Burger that ate Cape Breton for our main. Mussels were really good and portion was huuuge!! The fish and chips was definitely one of best we had in the Maritimes. The batter was the perfect crisp and doesn't overpower the fish. It was delicious! I'm not a huge fan of fish sandwiches but the guacamole really complimented the dish. They were also very generous with the seafood portion. Overall really good and would order the same things again! read more

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This is my favourite restaurant in the whole Cape Breton! I tried the Lobster Roll, which was delicious! Each little sandwich has a whole claw plus pieces in the bun, and the lobster is fresh and crunchy. What I like about their food is that you taste the primary ingredient of the dish, and is not masked with sauces and salt. I was delightedly surprised with the potato salad-- it was not slathered with mayo and I tasted only potatoes! Their restaurant has an amazing ocean view, and we caught the sunset on the patio! The only thing is that the area has no service so I couldn't check-in yelp. But I still highly recommend. A spectacular site with amazing food. What a treat after a long hike. read more

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I'm surprised at other 5 star reviews - maybe something has changed recently? It was the most over priced low quality meal I have ever paid for. I realize the price of seafood has increased among everything else but $17.99 for a chicken club? It was your standard white bread (I wasn't given any other options) along with a small portion of fries. I won't complain on taste - it was alright but certainly not worth the cost. My wife got the fish and chips - which later made her almost vomit a few hours later along the road. We both passed on supper this evening. Outdoor seating was available but why not toss in a few umbrellas rather than making guests sit under the hot sun? Higher end umbrellas along with the proper anchor will with stand the breeze. read more

Very good! Scallops were very delicious. Fish not too dry or greasy. One of the best seafood we had in our trip to NS. read more

Rusty Anchor Restaurant - Fisherman platter - Seafood Near Me - Pleasant Bay, Nova Scotia

We were unfortunate to only be able to get to this restaurant on their last day of the season. They were out of a few things including what we originally wanted to try it for, their lobster. We instead settled for fish and chips (Cape Breton style) and a seafood chowder. I discovered that I'm not a fan of the Cape Breton style of fish and chips and would rather the English style where the fish is battered and deep fried instead of pan fried. The chowder was quite nice though the bread that came with it was hard and definitely not fresh. I'd give them a three star but will leave it at a four star given that it was the end of season and their last day open. read more

Rusty Anchor Restaurant - Seafood Chowder - Seafood Near Me - Pleasant Bay, Nova Scotia

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We enjoyed our meal at the Rusty Anchor. We tried the seafood chowder, Rusty's salad, fresh Nova Scotia lobster, and lobster mac & cheese. My personal favorite was the mac & cheese that's perfectly creamy and flavorful. It's made with a blend of three types of cheeses, plenty of tender juicy lobster bites, and crunchy aromatic garlic herb breadcrumbs. So delicious! The salad was pretty refreshing as well with fresh mixed greens, walnuts, cranberries, apple slices, and homemade maple vinaigrette dressing - wonderfully nutty & sweet. The lobster and seafood chowder were both very fresh. Flavors for the seafood were very simple, and the chowder was slightly watery. All in all, a very decent meal. read more

Rusty Anchor Restaurant - Menu - Seafood Near Me - Pleasant Bay, Nova Scotia

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Perfect location, great service and fantastic food. Loved the haddock burger. Definitely on my best of vacation stops list

Wonderful place. The name made me think it would be a dive, but it was actually quite nice. Absolutely enormous inside and a beautiful patio with a view of the water. We were biking so opted for the inside. We shared the seafood wrap and the pan seared haddock. The seafood on this island cannot be beat. So fresh and delicious! The wrap came with chips and salsa which was odd, but actually good with the wrap. Good food, good prices, and so quick! Could not believe how fast the food came out. read more

Rusty Anchor was a nice little find in an area with few restaurants. My husband and I shared the seafood dip and a seafood platter. Both were really good. We only wish the seafood dip would have come with more dip. It was packed with tons of seafood (crab, lobster, and shrimp I believe) and very creamy! The seafood platter had everything cooked perfectly and all super fresh! read more

Nice roadside restaurant with great seafood. Lobster was $23, and was great. Very fresh food and nice service. The location is remote and in an area without cell phone service, so the free Wi-Fi was very useful. Very nice view of the ocean behind the restaurant. read more

Rusty Anchor Restaurant - Seafood Near Me - Pleasant Bay, Nova Scotia

We are going on our second week in Nova Scotia and this was the freshest fish we've gotten from a restaurant thus far. The portions were generous and flavorful. Three of us ordered The Sandwich that ate Cape Breton which had fried haddock, bacon, shrimp, guacamole, tomato, lettuce, and onion. The fish was fried in a sweet English style batter and was oh so delicious. Other members in our party ordered the pan fried haddock and the fisherman's platter. Great reviews from everyone. Would recommend to anyone cruising along the Cabot Trail! They also had plenty of outdoor seating with to die for views! read more

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Better than others, but nothing special. Friendly fast staff. Competitive prices. Lobster might have been too close to the seasons end. read more

Located on the Cabot Trail, is Rusty Anchor Restaurant - a casual seafood dining establishment with a large interior for those cold and blustery days, and a large outdoor area for the beautiful (and few) summer afternoons. I found this restaurant on Foursquare and on Yelp and after reading a few reviews, I knew I had to try this place. Well, Rusty Anchor was completely over-rated and overpriced. The lobster roll (which is recommended by several publications including GQ, CNN, Travel & Leisure), was tiny and only had a few minuscule pieces of lobster - not worth the hefty price tag. I also had the seafood cakes which were the winner here. I recommend checking out a different restaurant. Rusty Anchor, you let me down. read more

BEST Mussels for Miles ! There are very few options for eating out if you're staying in Pleasant Bay and that could mean that the restaurants don't have to try hard for a captive audience, but Rusty Anchor doesn't run by that logic. Their seafood is fresh and delicious, the staff are friendly and the views of the sun setting into the ocean are unspeakably special. We ate here two nights in a row (I did mention there is not a lot of choice in Pleasant Bay!) and both meals were very good, but the mussels were spectacular - let me say that in capital letters - they were SPECTACULAR. Fresh from the sea, locally sourced from Cape North and in a secret white wine sauce that enhanced, rather than overpowered, this delicious meal. read more

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Stopped in for lunch after a morning of hiking. Great lobster roll drizzled with butter and full of lobster! Had the bloody Cesar to drink. Everything was delicious. Nice outside area with a view but too cold for that today. Friendly, fast service. Our waitress, Elizabeth, was awesome. Would come back. read more

Very friendly little place on the Cabot Trail. Krista, the waitress was very helpful and pleasant. The Grilled Haddock dinner was the best I have ever tasted. I tried haddock at a couple of other restaurants in Cape Breton and Halifax but this one was far superior. On top of that , the serving size was very generous. Would highly recommend this meal ! The Chef at the time was Morgan. I was so impressed I had to send her compliments through Krista. read more

It's on a nice spot along the Cabot trail overlooking the water. It's a nice little mom n pop place. The staff was really friendly and the food was good. The wife had the Lobster and I had "The Burger that ate Cape Breton" aka the fish burger. There's a small selection of local brewed beers too. We got there a bit closer to closing so we didn't have the time to really enjoy the spot, but the food and service were definately great. It's a nice warm welcoming place to eat after a long day of hiking and sight seeing. read more

Rusty Anchor Restaurant - Seafood Near Me - Pleasant Bay, Nova Scotia

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Can I give this place more stars? Best lobster roll I've ever had... they took a simple classic and made it more simple and more classic and BETTER THAN EVER. Rolls are filled with claw meat that is undeniably fresh. Sweet and delish. Not mixed with mayo. Just a light coating of butter. Beautiful views at the top of cape Breton. Friendly service. Clean bathrooms. But be aware... two dollars worth of guacamole at this place won't be worth it. read more

Rusty Anchor Restaurant - Seafood Near Me - Pleasant Bay, Nova Scotia

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