Sherman's Food Adventures: Bow & Stern

Bow & Stern

For the second time within a month and a half, we headed out to Castle Fun Park for some go-karting and mini-golf.  Meeting up with us was Bluebeard and Nikita as well as their kids.  It was fun times and honestly, the games were only delaying what I really wanted to do...  go eat!  So while in Abby, we had to seek out some family-friendly eats that also satisfied the adults while not breaking the bank.  Having gluten-free options was important too. Ultimately, we decided on Bow & Stern in Downtown Abbotsford.

Now I'm not a huge fan of salads, but something about the Seafood Salad intrigued me.  It was a stellar decision as the darn thing was absolutely huge.  There was an overload of flaked halibut, dungeness crab and tiger prawns atop mixed greens dressed in lemon, herb & garlic vinaigrette.  Served on the side was  Marie Antoinette dressing and pickled asparagus.  I kid you not, this would be difficult for one person to finish.  The amount of fluffy crab and halibut was enough for 3 salads honestly.  I would totally order this again.

I didn't only have a salad because I also ordered the Lobster Mac n' Cheese with house-made mornay sauce and fresh herbed focaccia.  On the thinner side, the cheese sauce was still fairly flavourful, yet could've been cheesier and saltier.  There was a decent amount of beautifully cooked lobster meat nestled inside.  The pasta was tender and almost al dente.  Focaccia was soft and was great for soaking up the sauce.

Now my son was deciding between the lobster mac and the Chicken Burger, so I proposed that he split it with me and I would give him some mac.  It was a done deal especially since I had to try it (if you don't know, check out @shermaneatschickensandwiches).  This was a fairly standard burger with a crispy fried chicken breast.  It was a little dry, but still tender.  I found the overall flavour to be a bit plain, but it still ate well with a soft bun.
My daughter went for the Baja Fish Tacos with a side of Boston Clam Chowder.  These tacos were filled to the brim with pico de gallo, guacamole, colesalw and jalapeno.  Great for those who love plenty of condiments, not so good for my daughter.  No harm no foul, she just removed some of it.  The fried piece of fish was crispy and light while flaky inside.  As for the clam chowder, it was rich and creamy with plenty of chunky ingredients.  It could've been brinier, but it wasn't bland either.
Viv ended up with the Fried Oyster Po-Boy with peppers, mixed greens, remoulade, tomato and onion.  Once again, there was probably a bit too many other things in the po'boy that it detracted from the beautifully fried large fresh oysters.  Again, no big deal as we just removed some of the onions and peppers.  This way, we got the full briny sweetness of the oysters as well as the remoulade.  The side of fries were very good being crispy and having all the good qualities of being fresh cut.
Bluebeard went for the Halibut and Chips with house-made tartar and lemon wedge.  This was pretty darn solid with flaky fresh halibut encased in a light crispy batter.  Tartar was bright and creamy while the fries were good as mentioned above.  In the end, we were all satisfied with our meals and probably more so.  Portions were large, food was good and service was up to the task.  Combined with reasonable prices, Bow & Stern is a solid choice for casual eats in Abby.

The Good:
- Large portions
- Generally good food
- Attentive service

The Bad:
- Some things might have been a bit too busy, a few less ingredients would've been better

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