Oh My Cod

Oh My Cod is a seasonal seafood counter and food truck in Martins River, five minutes east of Mahone Bay on the South Shore's Trunk 3 corridor. The operation moved from its original Mahone Bay location to the parking lot of Shore Cycle and Marine, where a kitchen on wheels turns out some of the most talked-about fish and chips in the region, a claim backed by a 4.7-star Google rating from more than 1,200 reviews and a Facebook following that tracks the truck's every opening. For a town-by-town eating itinerary along this coast, see our South Shore travel guide.

The menu is built around Atlantic cod in a light crisped batter, with the lobster croissant as the unofficial second headline, a buttered roll piled with local lobster that reviewers single out as worth the drive on its own. Scallops, clams, and poutine round out a short board that changes with the day boats, and there are vegetarian options for anyone in the car who does not eat from the sea. Portions run generous and prices stay firmly in the $$ range, which explains the steady stream of Halifax day-trippers mixing with cottage-country regulars on a summer Friday.

Why People Keep Coming Back

The through-line in nearly every review is freshness. This is a kitchen buying from the harbour a few minutes away, cooking to order, and handing food across a counter window — the fish-and-chips model at its most direct, with none of the freezer-to-fryer shortcuts that plague highway-adjacent seafood stops. Reviewers describe batter that stays crisp, cod that flakes in whole pieces, and chips that arrive piping hot; the Foursquare rating of 7.9/10 and the Facebook score of 4.7/5 from more than 700 ratings agree with the Google picture.

The second strength is the setting itself. The truck sits in the Shore Cycle lot a minute off Highway 103 Exit 10, with outdoor picnic seating that turns a quick lunch into a stop on a coastal drive between Mahone Bay, Lunenburg, and Chester. A meal here slots naturally into the fall foliage route that follows this same shore in October, when the crowd thins and the kitchen keeps frying.

The Honest Picture

It is a food truck, not a restaurant. That means no indoor seating, no reservations, and weather-dependent comfort — the picnic tables are the dining room, and a rainy Tuesday on the Atlantic coast is a different experience than a sunny Saturday. Service is counter-service pace at peak times; on weekends in July and August the line can stretch, and everything is cooked to order rather than held under lamps, so a wait of twenty-plus minutes at the height of lunch rush is normal rather than an exception.

The season matters as much as the weather. Oh My Cod operates on a seasonal schedule — typically Tuesday through Saturday, noon to 7:00 p.m., from late spring through the fall — and closes outright outside that window. Hours at independent food trucks shift week to week with staffing and weather, so a quick check of the truck's Facebook page before a dedicated drive is the reliable move. Cash and card are both accepted, and parking is free in the Shore Cycle lot.

Practical Details

Address & Location
7940 Nova Scotia Trunk 3, Martins River (Mahone Bay), NS B0J 2E0 — in the Shore Cycle and Marine parking lot, one minute from Highway 103 Exit 10, roughly 10 minutes from Lunenburg and 25 minutes from Chester.

Hours
Seasonal, generally Tuesday to Saturday noon to 7:00 p.m.; closed Sunday and Monday and outside the operating season. Confirm current hours on Facebook before visiting.

Price Range
$$ — fish and chips, lobster croissant, scallops, and poutine; most orders land between $15 and $30 per person.

Reservations
None — counter service and takeout only.

Parking
Free on-site parking in the Shore Cycle and Marine lot.

For the full driving loop that connects this stretch of coast — Mahone Bay's three churches, Lunenburg's Old Town, and the lighthouse at Chester — pair lunch here with our South Shore travel guide, and see our Mahone Bay town page for what to do after you eat.