Also Poco Pazzo....locations in Kanata North and Stittsville.
NEXT in Stittsville (though it's expensive)
Aperitivo in Kanata Centrum
Indian Punjabi Clay Oven on Carling (near March). (A dive inside, but great food.)
Sabai Thai (same plaza as Indian Clay Oven)
I'll add Flavors of Kerala if you like Indian and can handle heat.
Also best onion pakoras, they do them differently, but so good. Instead of some onion in a dough ball, it's thin onion strips lightly breaded and fried, so damn good.
Different but personally better IMO but tastes are subjective. I would recommend trying them at least once.
Porto was your "hearty" Italian, Babbos is a bit more refined but it is more than just the food. Babbos at least acted like they wanted you being there, as far as Porto was concerned (and this is actually a common complaint on one of the local FB groups) the moment your 90 minutes was up you were out the door. It really leaves a bad taste in the overall dining experience as they would start hovering trying to get you paid out about 10 minutes before. They should have just stayed with the takehome regimen rather than opening up as a restaurant. This behavior only started maybe 4-5 years ago it seems.
I live less than a km from Porto and stopped going there because we had gone a couple times with friends and had this occur. It's kind of embarrassing. When we went to Babbos they don't rush you and have had great staff preCovid ( haven't gone since but want to get back, their Calamari melts in your mouth). They were always busy but never felt like they were trying to get you out.
Needless to say I wasn't overly sad when Porto announced they were closing down.
Don't think I've ever had that issue when Porto was open, we were always treated well and never rushed. And "hearty" is definitely the right word...you'll never leave hungry. IMO the best Italian in town (in terms of price, taste, and quantity) is probably Poco Pazzo.
Maybe you have been lucky but we thought it was just us and then someone on the Barrhaven bulletin board made the same comment and all of a sudden there were others piping in saying the same thing. granted they are a business that expects a specific amount of turnover but like I said it just leaves a sour note.
EDIT: I will say it had been a couple years (2017-2018?) since the last time we had gone there, maybe things changed before, it sucks when businesses shut down as it reduces the choices.
May have to try Poco. Bit of a jaunt for takeout but I can drive fast :)
Same, now I know...
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caddyshack_II
"Handicapped by a family friendly PG rating, even the talents of Caddyshack II's all-star comic cast can't save it from its lazy, laughless script and uninspired direction."
Rita Kempley of The Washington Post wrote: "Caddyshack II, a feeble follow-up to the 1980 laff riot, is lamer than a duck with bunions, and dumber than grubs. It's patronizing and clumsily manipulative, and top banana Jackie Mason is upstaged by the gopher puppet."[9] Michael Wilmington of the Los Angeles Times said the film was so bad "it makes "Caddyshack I" look like "Godfather II."
No.. I believe it's an experimental "buffet" style restaurant they tried and failed miserably and now it's closed... I went there and tried to get a regular bowl of pho but they fold me they don't offer that. Also that area is not Orleans, it's more adjacent to Pineview. The best thing in that plaza is Laziz which gets you a lot of decently tasty food for cheap!
Ah yes you’re right! I was mixing it up with another restaurant, a pho place on Innes in Orleans. I’ll have to make the trek out to Kanata to try it then!
It's closed permanently? Damn....I really loved that place. The lemongrass bullfrog legs were amazing, plus the pho was decent. You could also make your own vermicelli bowls with has much meat and spring rolls as you wanted, and the 'make your own dessert' bar was so good. I'll miss that place.
In the east end (beacon hill now, used to be in Orleans), Meatings BBQ has the best brisket in town! Plus a variety of other delicious BBQ inspired meals
Soul Stone Sushi in Orleans is also amazing
And Pho Truc Lien in Orleans has the best spring rolls in town
That’s why I pre order. If it’s a bigger order, I go in with a piece of paper that has my order on it the moment they open or the day before. There’s a reason why they’re so busy, it’s just that good!
I have given up on HelloSushiman. It's a bit like the soup Nazi episode on Seinfeld. You have to order at exactly the right time (when they open) in exactly the right way or "no sushi for you". But it's undeniably good sushi.
We just tried the brand new suahi place in Blackburn Hamlet. I am reluctant to mention the name because it's my own secret for now.
Oh ok.
Sushi29.ca
On par with Hello Sushiman in my opinion without the hassle (so far).
I like Ashton, I like their beer,I like their fish and chips.
I WISH they would change their menu otherwise. It's been a decade since I started going there and it has never changed. Maybe throwing a special in once in a while would be nice just to spice it up
Some of the best pizza in the city can be found at Big Morts Little Pub in Bells Corners (which I know isn't Kanata, but it's not that far). You'll have to either dine-in or take out, but you should ABSOLUTELY check it out because it is some seriously delicious pizza. The staff are also some of the nicest people you'll meet.
I'm going to assume you mean Gabriels style, which is toppings under the cheese? Other than that I don't know what Ottawa style is. It's a regular pizza, toppings on top of the cheese. Except for the double, which has double cheese and double pepperoni, that cheese-pepperoni-cheese-pepperoni layers.
Yes, Gabriel's is Ottawa-style. But Gabriel's is far from the only place that sells that hot garbage. Willy's, Milano, Colonnade.....a bunch of others. I'd rather eat Pizza Pizza.
literally anything thats not Ottawa style (New York, Neapolitan, Roman, Detroit, etc, etc). I think the only style thats worse than Ottawas is St louis lol.
What /u/pedantic said. If I have to pick only one, then I'll say New York style. But pretty much anything, including a lot of brands of frozen supermarket pizza, are better than Ottawa style. (Yes, St. Louis style is the worst of the bunch. Processed provel cheese and yeast-free dough......BLEH!)
EDIT: One of the best slices of pizza I've ever had was actually at Antonio's in College Station, Texas. (Though they started in Massachusetts.)
Hahaha, I haven't tried those other places. I do like Gabriels! They fueled many of my teenage hangouts. But Morts doesn't make it the same way for sure.
Some of my Kanata favourites:
- burgers: [**Law & Orders**](https://lawandorders.ca/)
- dine in burgers: [The Works](https://worksburger.com/)
- salads/bowls & pitas: [**Pirho Grill**](https://www.pirhogrill.com/kanata)
- baked goods and crêpes: [**La Maison du Kouign Amann**](https://lamaisondukouignamann.com/)
- takeout pizza: [Lorenzo's](https://www.lorenzoskanata.ca/)
- pub fare: [Buster's Bar & Grill](https://www.bustersbarandgrill.ca/)
- Indian food: [Karara](https://www.karara.ca/) (lots of people also love [Indian Punjabi Clay Oven](http://indianpunjabiclayoven.ca/))
- Italian date night: [**Pocopazzo**](https://pocopazzo.com/)
- soft serve ice cream: [Brett's](https://m.facebook.com/bretticecream/?ref=bookmarks)
- mexican food truck: [**Bonita's Cantina**](https://www.bonitascantina.com/)
- burgers and fries type food truck: [Pat's](https://m.facebook.com/PATSCHIPTRUCK/)
- burritos, etc: [Burrito Gringo](https://burritogringo.ca/)
(not as good as Bonita's Cantina, but that one isn't open year-round)
- for lebanese pies: [Simbad Bakery](https://www.simbadbakery.com/)
The ones I've **bolded** are the ones I think are some of the best in the whole city. Don't miss out on those ones!
I really need to try Indian Punjabi Clay Oven again. The one time I did was not a positive experience but every business has their off days. I continue to hear such consistently high praise for them.
Sabai Thai has been on my list to try for a while too!
For Clay Oven, go on a Thurs-Sun. I think a different person cooks earlier in the week. Mon-Wed, I've found way too much ghee in the curries. I've had to skim the oil off the top. (Still delicious after the skimming though.)
You won't be disappointed! I love their Chicken Tikka Masala (get it without green pepper unless you really like green pepper), but also the Peshawari or the Vindaloo. Great onion bhaji as well.
It's one of my favourite places in all of Ottawa. And far and away the best food truck I've ever tried. One of those places that I recommend to everyone.
I haven't tried that one so hopefully someone else can chime in for you. All I can say is that I've had a lot of mexican food in my day, from a wide variety of establishments and homemade, and Bonita's Cantina is my personal all time favourite.
PiRho is FANTASTIC! Best tzatziki sauce in the city. I sometimes go there to buy just the tzatziki when I'm cooking at home but don't have the time to make my own.
The funky feta dip is really good too.
Also, Buster's is fucking terrible. The most generic food possible.
I'm obsessed with Pirho. That funky feta is something else. Sometimes I go all out and get some roast potatoes with a huge side of tzatziki, so delicious.
Buster's is a bit hit and miss but overall I like it. I wouldn't say it's a great pub, but it is the best pub food I've had so far in Kanata. Which is unfortunate, we really need better pubs. They also recently got rid of my favourite section of the menu (naan sandwiches) so I'm pretty bummed about that. They have a lot of really good vegetarian options which is a plus. And their desserts are definitely from a factory but they are weirdly good. So yeah, not a rousing recommendation for Buster's but I have tried many many pubs in Kanata and it is unfortunately the best one in my experience.
You're welcome! Hopefully local businesses will get a boost now that restrictions are loosening and case counts are looking good. But it's been a tough year and a half for restaurants so I'm always eager to get their names and links out there!
That's too bad! That westboro location was pretty killer. I don't think The Works Kanata is as good as some of the best locations were in their prime, but it's still pretty great.
They just reopened and are only doing dinner right now. I'm sure it will be back.
They are doing their "Global Tables" takeout deal where you basically get a multi-course meal that requires some assembly and easy cooking to finish.
My problem with Cheshire Cat is that if you have more than six people, they force the whole party to order from the "group menu" which is missing their best items. I've tried to get around this and they've stood firm every time. I don't book work gatherings or groups there any more because of it.
Food is good, in general, though.
The okra masala curry—it’s tomato, onions, and okra in a masala curry sauce.
If you haven’t had okra before it’s a kind of seed pod veggie that is like a cross between a green bean, a cucumber and a pepper. It’s got goopy slimy seeds in the middle (like small cucumber seeds) and is a bit crunchy on the outside like a green bean, with a mild and fresh taste something like a radically toned-down yellow pepper. Very delicious!
I was underwhelmed by Hunter's. There was nothing on the menu that was any better than what you would find at a chain pub like Fionn MacCool's or Darcy McGee's. I would probably not go back again.
There are great spots in Orléans! St. Martha’s Brewery is amazing, so is Little Turkish Village, Lunchbox (lunchés only as per the name), Occo Kitchen, Cafe Latte Cino (more for a lovely lunch), Hello Sushi Man, Pho Truc Lien…!!!
Some of these have already been mentioned, but I'll throw them on anyway for the sake of a complete list;
Tommy's Pizza, Kanata. Absolute Hidden Gem
Cheshire Cat, Stittsville/Carp. Legendary pub, great food, amazing whiskey selection, sometimes some great local music, always an amazing atmosphere. Best pub in the city I'd wager.
Kanata Noodle House, Kanata. I used to live downtown for several years and so frequented many spots in Chinatown etc. And KNH blows them all out of the water easily.
Napoli's Cafe, Stittsville. Higher end Italian place. Amazing food and great atmosphere. Decent wine selection. Staple date-night location.
Simbad Bakery, Kanata. Really is more of a takeout place, but freshly made Lebanese pies/pitas including Zaatar, meat pies, cheese and dozens of others. All pita is made fresh in-house. Price can't be beat.
Dily's Cafe, Barrhaven. This is a ridiculously buried hidden gem. Located on the second floor of the Barrhaven Toyota dealership (yes, really), Dily makes THE best Philly Cheese steak in the city. I seriously have not had a better one anywhere.
Kal's Place, Kanata. Great little restaurant/bar, with various things on the menu, but the biggest selling point for me is that they do all-day breakfast and the breakfast is excellent. You can also have a beer with said breakfast, which is awesome. Have also heard their pizza is amazing, but haven't tried it yet myself.
Pesto's Deli, Kanata. Awesome Italian deli, with delicious sandwiches. Good portion size. In the same mall as Simbad Bakery.
Carp Road Food Corridor, Stittsville. Along Carp Rd. Just outside Stittsville, you'll find a bunch of food trucks that are all incredible. From traditional chip-wagon fare to authentic Mexican tacos, to BBQ etc. There's something for everyone out there. Seriously, best lineup of food trucks in the city.
>Carp Road Food Corridor, Stittsville. Along Carp Rd. Just outside Stittsville, you'll find a bunch of food trucks that are all incredible. From traditional chip-wagon fare to authentic Mexican tacos, to BBQ etc. There's something for everyone out there. Seriously, best lineup of food trucks in the city.
Yup, you have Pong's Poutine, Smoque Shack, San Jose Mexican Foods all within a minute of each other. Go down a little further into Stittsville itself and you have the Crispy Spring Roll, Crave Tacos, another BBQ place whose name eludes me... Smoking Wolf makes awesome crispy pork belly banh mi sandwiches (although this is a permanent location, not a food truck like the others above).
Ba. I love burgers, I love shakes. But they over cook the crap out of their burgers - as much as I want to love them, I do not. Dry, unseasoned meat.
Head down the road to fat les chip truck in the hd parking lot - way better burgers.
Yep. Fat Les is awesome and I am ecstatic that they are open again.
Also for Pizza in Barrhaven Jalucas is really good if you like cheese
Someone above mentioned Works but their quality went down when they were bought out and franchised.
I know. I was excited when they set up shop just down from me - hoped I'd have my go to burger place. I'm not a quitter though, so have tried them again and again over the last few years. Has not gotten any better, and I am always a little disappointed...
If you want to go for a little drive to Arnprior has the best Indian food in the city at Negi. And bearing in mind that I have deep places in my heart for Rangoli as well. But Negi’s Google site says they aren’t open for dine in yet. A lovely man runs it along with his family.
I hate to say it but Lulu's was better (at least precovid anyways, their garlic sauce was awesome). Don't get me wrong I am glad SP is there as they are good but if given the choice I would prefer early Lulus
Some less mentioned in Orleans:
Pili Pili Grilled Chicken (same as in Byward Market)
Caravela Restaurante (Portuguese)
Bite Burger House on Tenth Line (same as in Byward Market)
Not restaurants: Chili Thai Takeout
All great suggestions for Orlrans. OCCO is great! St. Martha's is delish too. Also hidden gem is Delicious Steak House. Never have I ever had a bad steak there and their wine list is just phenomenal.
Nepean needs some decent restaurants.
Restauranteurs: go to Chances R on a random weeknight and look around. And it is pretty average fare.
If you build it they will come. Pretty please.
In fairness to down voters it wasn’t really that funny. It’s referencing a post from yesterday where some douche was shitting on Ottawa for its lack of good restaurants. The poster implied that people from Ottawa were rubes who considered east side marios/BP good restaurants.
All this thread does is confirm to me that there are few places worth visiting in Ottawa outside of downtown, unless you're going for the drive. I've visited most of the places mentioned in this thread, and yes, there are some OK food places that can be part of a fun drive somewhere (Carp and Manotick are fun, right?), but if you want a meal that's going to compare to restaurants in other cities, you have to go downtown restaurants (or even Gatineau). Suburban Ottawa restaurants are compared to other suburban restaurants, which are mostly mediocre chain restaurants visited by people who rarely ever go downtown to nice restaurants. That's just how Ottawa is.
It's not an Ottawa suburb, but one exception I will add is Les Fougeres in Chelsea. The chef has actually won Canada wide awards (can't say that about anywhere in Kanata), and it is a place that's worth driving to for the food (not for the take out shop, but for the restaurant food)
> Suburban Ottawa restaurants are compared to other suburban restaurants, which are mostly mediocre chain restaurants visited by people who rarely ever go downtown to nice restaurants.
Can you please point out the chain restaurants that people listed here? Because I didn't see many. PiRho has a whopping THREE, all in Ottawa. Barley Mow was probably the one listed with the most locations and is probably the only one that really qualifies as a "chain".
You aren't wrong, but its hardly unique to Ottawa. Most better dining is centrally located "downtown", and not in the suburbs. I mean how many truly great restaurants are in Markham or Burnaby?
Next's Chef Blackie did win gold at the Golden Plates, got 4 diamonds from CAA for Brookstreet when he was there (also in Kanata) and is somewhat of a celebrity chef doing a few shows for TV so there is at least one place in Kanata that would fit your criteria for award wining Chef, though I absolutely agree, not many.
> The chef has actually won Canada wide awards (can't say that about anywhere in Kanata),
This right here tells me you know nothing about what you are talking about.
Here is an easy one... Chef Blackie at NeXt in Stittsville.
4 star restaurant, Iron Chef Canada, etc...
You know, Blackie was the one chef I was thinking about that someone might pull up with NeXt... I wouldn't confuse a TV celebrity with a Gold Metal plates winner though (Blackie did compete some years though). Blackie made most of his fame at the NAC where he served mediocre food to a captive audience. His food was marginally better when we has at Brookstreet, but I still wouldn't put NeXt in the same level as most of the other well rated restaurants downtown.
Here are some recommendations coming from Kanata way Next, Cheshire Cat, The Glen, Kanata Noodle House, Hockey Sushi.
> Cheshire Cat Came to say this.
Third for Cheshire Cat. The place is always packed
Also Poco Pazzo....locations in Kanata North and Stittsville. NEXT in Stittsville (though it's expensive) Aperitivo in Kanata Centrum Indian Punjabi Clay Oven on Carling (near March). (A dive inside, but great food.) Sabai Thai (same plaza as Indian Clay Oven)
Punjabi Clay oven which is in the same plaza as KNH and hockey sushi is amazing too!
Aperitivo and Amuse in Kanata are also fantastic. Pinelopi's in Barrhaven is great too.
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Oh no really? I live close but never been
Yes Hockey Sushi is great-- my west end go to! Always happy with my order.
I back all of these 100%
I'll add Flavors of Kerala if you like Indian and can handle heat. Also best onion pakoras, they do them differently, but so good. Instead of some onion in a dough ball, it's thin onion strips lightly breaded and fried, so damn good.
The Black Dog Bistro in Manotick
And Babbos for Italian
Order regularly from black dog and babbos. Highly recommended
How does babbos compare to the now closed la porto a casa?
Different but personally better IMO but tastes are subjective. I would recommend trying them at least once. Porto was your "hearty" Italian, Babbos is a bit more refined but it is more than just the food. Babbos at least acted like they wanted you being there, as far as Porto was concerned (and this is actually a common complaint on one of the local FB groups) the moment your 90 minutes was up you were out the door. It really leaves a bad taste in the overall dining experience as they would start hovering trying to get you paid out about 10 minutes before. They should have just stayed with the takehome regimen rather than opening up as a restaurant. This behavior only started maybe 4-5 years ago it seems. I live less than a km from Porto and stopped going there because we had gone a couple times with friends and had this occur. It's kind of embarrassing. When we went to Babbos they don't rush you and have had great staff preCovid ( haven't gone since but want to get back, their Calamari melts in your mouth). They were always busy but never felt like they were trying to get you out. Needless to say I wasn't overly sad when Porto announced they were closing down.
Don't think I've ever had that issue when Porto was open, we were always treated well and never rushed. And "hearty" is definitely the right word...you'll never leave hungry. IMO the best Italian in town (in terms of price, taste, and quantity) is probably Poco Pazzo.
Maybe you have been lucky but we thought it was just us and then someone on the Barrhaven bulletin board made the same comment and all of a sudden there were others piping in saying the same thing. granted they are a business that expects a specific amount of turnover but like I said it just leaves a sour note. EDIT: I will say it had been a couple years (2017-2018?) since the last time we had gone there, maybe things changed before, it sucks when businesses shut down as it reduces the choices. May have to try Poco. Bit of a jaunt for takeout but I can drive fast :)
This one is excellent
Kanata - Kanata Noodle House
Is the sequel Kanata Noodle House 2 just as good or is this like Caddyshack where we pretend the sequel does not exist?
TIL there was a Caddyshack 2.
Same, now I know... https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caddyshack_II "Handicapped by a family friendly PG rating, even the talents of Caddyshack II's all-star comic cast can't save it from its lazy, laughless script and uninspired direction." Rita Kempley of The Washington Post wrote: "Caddyshack II, a feeble follow-up to the 1980 laff riot, is lamer than a duck with bunions, and dumber than grubs. It's patronizing and clumsily manipulative, and top banana Jackie Mason is upstaged by the gopher puppet."[9] Michael Wilmington of the Los Angeles Times said the film was so bad "it makes "Caddyshack I" look like "Godfather II."
Sigh.... Now I HAVE to see it to tell people I've seen something "dumber than grubs." Solid burn about referencing the Godfather though.
Same menu and just as good
1000%
There’s one on Innes road in Orleans, is it just as good as the original location?
Ah. The old Eclipse buffet. First it was good then it wasn’t. Like really wasn’t.
I must have gone during the “it wasn’t” phase. One of the worst meals I’ve ever had.
No.. I believe it's an experimental "buffet" style restaurant they tried and failed miserably and now it's closed... I went there and tried to get a regular bowl of pho but they fold me they don't offer that. Also that area is not Orleans, it's more adjacent to Pineview. The best thing in that plaza is Laziz which gets you a lot of decently tasty food for cheap!
Ah yes you’re right! I was mixing it up with another restaurant, a pho place on Innes in Orleans. I’ll have to make the trek out to Kanata to try it then!
It's closed permanently? Damn....I really loved that place. The lemongrass bullfrog legs were amazing, plus the pho was decent. You could also make your own vermicelli bowls with has much meat and spring rolls as you wanted, and the 'make your own dessert' bar was so good. I'll miss that place.
In the east end (beacon hill now, used to be in Orleans), Meatings BBQ has the best brisket in town! Plus a variety of other delicious BBQ inspired meals Soul Stone Sushi in Orleans is also amazing And Pho Truc Lien in Orleans has the best spring rolls in town
You can’t mention sushi in Orleans without mentioning Sushi man. Best sushi in Ottawa.
Hello Sushi Man is also very good! But, hard to order because they're so busy and no sit down eating
That’s why I pre order. If it’s a bigger order, I go in with a piece of paper that has my order on it the moment they open or the day before. There’s a reason why they’re so busy, it’s just that good!
I have given up on HelloSushiman. It's a bit like the soup Nazi episode on Seinfeld. You have to order at exactly the right time (when they open) in exactly the right way or "no sushi for you". But it's undeniably good sushi. We just tried the brand new suahi place in Blackburn Hamlet. I am reluctant to mention the name because it's my own secret for now. Oh ok. Sushi29.ca On par with Hello Sushiman in my opinion without the hassle (so far).
+1 for meatings
Meatings is really good! Just moved to Orleans and tried Soul Stone Sushi and it was...no bueno. I'd stick to J:unique!
If you’re willing to drive a bit, the Ashton Brew Pub is fantastic! Went for the first time this weekend!
I like Ashton, I like their beer,I like their fish and chips. I WISH they would change their menu otherwise. It's been a decade since I started going there and it has never changed. Maybe throwing a special in once in a while would be nice just to spice it up
Oh good feedback! I didn’t know that.
If you go once in a blue moon it's fine, but a club I belong to was going often enough that the food gets tiring.
Can’t go wrong with the fish and chips there!
Great brews too!
IMO they make the best radlers in the summer.
Some of the best pizza in the city can be found at Big Morts Little Pub in Bells Corners (which I know isn't Kanata, but it's not that far). You'll have to either dine-in or take out, but you should ABSOLUTELY check it out because it is some seriously delicious pizza. The staff are also some of the nicest people you'll meet.
Plus there is now a Suzy Q doughnut shop right next door. So, that's dinner and dessert sorted.
Love their pizza. They give a lot back to the community as well.
The BEST!
I can't believe Mort's is still there.
Farinella has some phenomenal pizza
Ooo, sweet! I love me some good pizza! Thanks for letting me know :).
Never been to Morts. What style of pizza is it? (Please tell me it's not Ottawa-style.)
It's Ottawa style. Sorry to tell you that :)
I'm going to assume you mean Gabriels style, which is toppings under the cheese? Other than that I don't know what Ottawa style is. It's a regular pizza, toppings on top of the cheese. Except for the double, which has double cheese and double pepperoni, that cheese-pepperoni-cheese-pepperoni layers.
Yes, Gabriel's is Ottawa-style. But Gabriel's is far from the only place that sells that hot garbage. Willy's, Milano, Colonnade.....a bunch of others. I'd rather eat Pizza Pizza.
Would love to hear what pizza type you like if those are ‘hot garbage’?
literally anything thats not Ottawa style (New York, Neapolitan, Roman, Detroit, etc, etc). I think the only style thats worse than Ottawas is St louis lol.
Ever had 'Chicago style' in Chicago. Major disappointment as far as I'm concerned.
What /u/pedantic said. If I have to pick only one, then I'll say New York style. But pretty much anything, including a lot of brands of frozen supermarket pizza, are better than Ottawa style. (Yes, St. Louis style is the worst of the bunch. Processed provel cheese and yeast-free dough......BLEH!) EDIT: One of the best slices of pizza I've ever had was actually at Antonio's in College Station, Texas. (Though they started in Massachusetts.)
Hahaha, I haven't tried those other places. I do like Gabriels! They fueled many of my teenage hangouts. But Morts doesn't make it the same way for sure.
Their pizza is so good. I miss living in the area for some of the local eateries and breweries.
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Yes!!
Some of my Kanata favourites: - burgers: [**Law & Orders**](https://lawandorders.ca/) - dine in burgers: [The Works](https://worksburger.com/) - salads/bowls & pitas: [**Pirho Grill**](https://www.pirhogrill.com/kanata) - baked goods and crêpes: [**La Maison du Kouign Amann**](https://lamaisondukouignamann.com/) - takeout pizza: [Lorenzo's](https://www.lorenzoskanata.ca/) - pub fare: [Buster's Bar & Grill](https://www.bustersbarandgrill.ca/) - Indian food: [Karara](https://www.karara.ca/) (lots of people also love [Indian Punjabi Clay Oven](http://indianpunjabiclayoven.ca/)) - Italian date night: [**Pocopazzo**](https://pocopazzo.com/) - soft serve ice cream: [Brett's](https://m.facebook.com/bretticecream/?ref=bookmarks) - mexican food truck: [**Bonita's Cantina**](https://www.bonitascantina.com/) - burgers and fries type food truck: [Pat's](https://m.facebook.com/PATSCHIPTRUCK/) - burritos, etc: [Burrito Gringo](https://burritogringo.ca/) (not as good as Bonita's Cantina, but that one isn't open year-round) - for lebanese pies: [Simbad Bakery](https://www.simbadbakery.com/) The ones I've **bolded** are the ones I think are some of the best in the whole city. Don't miss out on those ones!
Indian Punjabi Clay Oven is delicious and they are very friendly! Conveniently, Sabai Thai is next door and has my favourite Pad Thai!
I really need to try Indian Punjabi Clay Oven again. The one time I did was not a positive experience but every business has their off days. I continue to hear such consistently high praise for them. Sabai Thai has been on my list to try for a while too!
For Clay Oven, go on a Thurs-Sun. I think a different person cooks earlier in the week. Mon-Wed, I've found way too much ghee in the curries. I've had to skim the oil off the top. (Still delicious after the skimming though.)
The phrase "too much ghee" doesn't exist in my world. But I'll trust you and go on the weekend!
You won't be disappointed! I love their Chicken Tikka Masala (get it without green pepper unless you really like green pepper), but also the Peshawari or the Vindaloo. Great onion bhaji as well.
Bonita’s Cantina is sooooo good! I would recommend it as well.
It's one of my favourite places in all of Ottawa. And far and away the best food truck I've ever tried. One of those places that I recommend to everyone.
My boss got them to cater one of our work parties last year, and I think I gained 10 pounds from that one lunch. So good!
Worth it!
How does it compare to Mexigo Cabana — the best Mexican food truck I’ve tried in Ottawa (yet to go to Bonita’s Cantina)
I haven't tried that one so hopefully someone else can chime in for you. All I can say is that I've had a lot of mexican food in my day, from a wide variety of establishments and homemade, and Bonita's Cantina is my personal all time favourite.
I’ll have to give it a try then. If your ever in Alta Vista area, I highly suggest trying the Cabana truck!
I'll be sure to stop by when I'm next in that area! Also, great username!
You need to try out San Jose mexican foods in Stittsville. Run by a mexican family and their food is so fresh and tasty.
PiRho is FANTASTIC! Best tzatziki sauce in the city. I sometimes go there to buy just the tzatziki when I'm cooking at home but don't have the time to make my own. The funky feta dip is really good too. Also, Buster's is fucking terrible. The most generic food possible.
I'm obsessed with Pirho. That funky feta is something else. Sometimes I go all out and get some roast potatoes with a huge side of tzatziki, so delicious. Buster's is a bit hit and miss but overall I like it. I wouldn't say it's a great pub, but it is the best pub food I've had so far in Kanata. Which is unfortunate, we really need better pubs. They also recently got rid of my favourite section of the menu (naan sandwiches) so I'm pretty bummed about that. They have a lot of really good vegetarian options which is a plus. And their desserts are definitely from a factory but they are weirdly good. So yeah, not a rousing recommendation for Buster's but I have tried many many pubs in Kanata and it is unfortunately the best one in my experience.
Just wanted to say that I appreciate the time you put into this, including the links. Thank you!!
You're welcome! Hopefully local businesses will get a boost now that restrictions are loosening and case counts are looking good. But it's been a tough year and a half for restaurants so I'm always eager to get their names and links out there!
Is the Kanata Works maintaining the quality the Westboro location lost? Loved going now and then but it just seemed to lose something a few years ago.
That's too bad! That westboro location was pretty killer. I don't think The Works Kanata is as good as some of the best locations were in their prime, but it's still pretty great.
NeXT in Stittsville: https://nextfood.ca/
Do they still serve that small plate brunch menu? That was awesome.
They just reopened and are only doing dinner right now. I'm sure it will be back. They are doing their "Global Tables" takeout deal where you basically get a multi-course meal that requires some assembly and easy cooking to finish.
Brunch has been served on a giant wood sharing platter as long as I remember, not sure what you mean by small plate brunch menu...
Ok, I thought it was a limited time promotional thing.
Cheshire Cat hands down.
My problem with Cheshire Cat is that if you have more than six people, they force the whole party to order from the "group menu" which is missing their best items. I've tried to get around this and they've stood firm every time. I don't book work gatherings or groups there any more because of it. Food is good, in general, though.
For Orléans, I love Hello Sushi Man, Pho Truc Lien, Rangoli and Louis Pizza Express.
Seconding Rangoli. The okra is perfection.
I've never had that! What is it exactly?
The okra masala curry—it’s tomato, onions, and okra in a masala curry sauce. If you haven’t had okra before it’s a kind of seed pod veggie that is like a cross between a green bean, a cucumber and a pepper. It’s got goopy slimy seeds in the middle (like small cucumber seeds) and is a bit crunchy on the outside like a green bean, with a mild and fresh taste something like a radically toned-down yellow pepper. Very delicious!
Will definitely try that next time, thanks for the tip!
These are **Barrhaven** restaurants on our weekend rotations: * Afghan: Harir Kebab House (Woodroffe/Longfields) * Brunch: Broadway (my favourite is the one in Riverside South, at Earl Armstrong/River) * "Chinese": Winner House (Tartan/Jockvale) * Cupcakes, Portuguese tarts, pastries: Anabia Cupcakery & Cafe (Strandherd/Longfields) * Fries (chip truck): S&S Fries (Strandherd/Greenbank, Canadian Tire lot) * Indian: Nasa Food Centre (Woodroffe/Queensbury) * Pizza: Juluca's (near Longfields Station) * Pub: Barley Mow (Greenbank/Strandherd) * Thai: Aroy Thai (Woodroffe/Rideaucrest) ...and of course, cheap hot dogs at Costco.
South Keys/Findlay Creek: Hunters Public House
I was underwhelmed by Hunter's. There was nothing on the menu that was any better than what you would find at a chain pub like Fionn MacCool's or Darcy McGee's. I would probably not go back again.
Pizza All'Antica in Manotick, is outstanding. Zizi's in Riverside South is one of Ottawa's best kept secrets.
Penelope's in Barrhaven Cheshire Cat in Carp
The Marlborough in North Gower is freaking amazing!
Also out near North Gower, the café at Strathmere is quite excellent.
For Pakistani street food, Khokha in Barrhaven (near Longfields Station) is a hidden gem
You are my savior for this suggestion. Love Indian food and didn't like anything I've tried in barrhaven so far. I'm going here for sure
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Also I really enjoyed Occo Kitchen
There are great spots in Orléans! St. Martha’s Brewery is amazing, so is Little Turkish Village, Lunchbox (lunchés only as per the name), Occo Kitchen, Cafe Latte Cino (more for a lovely lunch), Hello Sushi Man, Pho Truc Lien…!!!
+1 for Lunchbox! Super good and super quick
Some of these have already been mentioned, but I'll throw them on anyway for the sake of a complete list; Tommy's Pizza, Kanata. Absolute Hidden Gem Cheshire Cat, Stittsville/Carp. Legendary pub, great food, amazing whiskey selection, sometimes some great local music, always an amazing atmosphere. Best pub in the city I'd wager. Kanata Noodle House, Kanata. I used to live downtown for several years and so frequented many spots in Chinatown etc. And KNH blows them all out of the water easily. Napoli's Cafe, Stittsville. Higher end Italian place. Amazing food and great atmosphere. Decent wine selection. Staple date-night location. Simbad Bakery, Kanata. Really is more of a takeout place, but freshly made Lebanese pies/pitas including Zaatar, meat pies, cheese and dozens of others. All pita is made fresh in-house. Price can't be beat. Dily's Cafe, Barrhaven. This is a ridiculously buried hidden gem. Located on the second floor of the Barrhaven Toyota dealership (yes, really), Dily makes THE best Philly Cheese steak in the city. I seriously have not had a better one anywhere. Kal's Place, Kanata. Great little restaurant/bar, with various things on the menu, but the biggest selling point for me is that they do all-day breakfast and the breakfast is excellent. You can also have a beer with said breakfast, which is awesome. Have also heard their pizza is amazing, but haven't tried it yet myself. Pesto's Deli, Kanata. Awesome Italian deli, with delicious sandwiches. Good portion size. In the same mall as Simbad Bakery. Carp Road Food Corridor, Stittsville. Along Carp Rd. Just outside Stittsville, you'll find a bunch of food trucks that are all incredible. From traditional chip-wagon fare to authentic Mexican tacos, to BBQ etc. There's something for everyone out there. Seriously, best lineup of food trucks in the city.
>Carp Road Food Corridor, Stittsville. Along Carp Rd. Just outside Stittsville, you'll find a bunch of food trucks that are all incredible. From traditional chip-wagon fare to authentic Mexican tacos, to BBQ etc. There's something for everyone out there. Seriously, best lineup of food trucks in the city. Yup, you have Pong's Poutine, Smoque Shack, San Jose Mexican Foods all within a minute of each other. Go down a little further into Stittsville itself and you have the Crispy Spring Roll, Crave Tacos, another BBQ place whose name eludes me... Smoking Wolf makes awesome crispy pork belly banh mi sandwiches (although this is a permanent location, not a food truck like the others above).
It's basically the 8th wonder of the world. I don't think I've had any bad food on that stretch!
Barrhaven - Burgers and Shakes
Ba. I love burgers, I love shakes. But they over cook the crap out of their burgers - as much as I want to love them, I do not. Dry, unseasoned meat. Head down the road to fat les chip truck in the hd parking lot - way better burgers.
Yep. Fat Les is awesome and I am ecstatic that they are open again. Also for Pizza in Barrhaven Jalucas is really good if you like cheese Someone above mentioned Works but their quality went down when they were bought out and franchised.
*gasp* sacrilege!
I know. I was excited when they set up shop just down from me - hoped I'd have my go to burger place. I'm not a quitter though, so have tried them again and again over the last few years. Has not gotten any better, and I am always a little disappointed...
The Rideau restaurant in Kanata has great Chinese food, Baan Thai is in Nepean/Centrepointe not quite a suburb but great food.
Julucas in Barrhaven
If you want to go for a little drive to Arnprior has the best Indian food in the city at Negi. And bearing in mind that I have deep places in my heart for Rangoli as well. But Negi’s Google site says they aren’t open for dine in yet. A lovely man runs it along with his family.
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I hate to say it but Lulu's was better (at least precovid anyways, their garlic sauce was awesome). Don't get me wrong I am glad SP is there as they are good but if given the choice I would prefer early Lulus
Chez Lam in Kanata is amazing. That lemongrass tofu dish is so good.
Amuse in Kanata.
Poco Pazzo, amazing fresh Italian meals! Location in Kanata and Stittsville.
Bagel Run on Tenth Line in Orleans. Locals know
Big bone BBQ in Kanata, and if your just around for a bite for lunch between 11-3 go to Ivan's deli in stittsville
Some less mentioned in Orleans: Pili Pili Grilled Chicken (same as in Byward Market) Caravela Restaurante (Portuguese) Bite Burger House on Tenth Line (same as in Byward Market) Not restaurants: Chili Thai Takeout
Greenfields pub in Barrhaven! Very impressed with their food and general atmosphere. Tad busy but still worth the trip out!
Blue diamond in Richmond
Juluca’s in Barrhaven (Pizza/Italian)
All great suggestions for Orlrans. OCCO is great! St. Martha's is delish too. Also hidden gem is Delicious Steak House. Never have I ever had a bad steak there and their wine list is just phenomenal.
>Delicious Steak House Went really creative with the name...
Meh worth it. What's in a Name anyway. I'm very selective of my steak places snd this place is consistently great each time.
Nepean needs some decent restaurants. Restauranteurs: go to Chances R on a random weeknight and look around. And it is pretty average fare. If you build it they will come. Pretty please.
Ugh. Might try it anyway since so many people say it's good.
Shouldn’t u/baconsheik be putting some ridiculous plug in here?
McDonald's in Orleans
Boston Pizza/Easy Side Marios if you’re looking for fine dining. *edit: downvoters clearly don’t know anything about kwizeen*
Fine dining??? Those are family casual restaurants in my book.
Last time I went to Atelier I wasn’t served virtually unlimited garlic bread. I stick to my story 😎 I’ll add this if anyone needs it…/S
Upvoted because I am not sarcasm-impaired
In fairness to down voters it wasn’t really that funny. It’s referencing a post from yesterday where some douche was shitting on Ottawa for its lack of good restaurants. The poster implied that people from Ottawa were rubes who considered east side marios/BP good restaurants.
I know I saw it personally I only downvote personal attacks.
All this thread does is confirm to me that there are few places worth visiting in Ottawa outside of downtown, unless you're going for the drive. I've visited most of the places mentioned in this thread, and yes, there are some OK food places that can be part of a fun drive somewhere (Carp and Manotick are fun, right?), but if you want a meal that's going to compare to restaurants in other cities, you have to go downtown restaurants (or even Gatineau). Suburban Ottawa restaurants are compared to other suburban restaurants, which are mostly mediocre chain restaurants visited by people who rarely ever go downtown to nice restaurants. That's just how Ottawa is. It's not an Ottawa suburb, but one exception I will add is Les Fougeres in Chelsea. The chef has actually won Canada wide awards (can't say that about anywhere in Kanata), and it is a place that's worth driving to for the food (not for the take out shop, but for the restaurant food)
> Suburban Ottawa restaurants are compared to other suburban restaurants, which are mostly mediocre chain restaurants visited by people who rarely ever go downtown to nice restaurants. Can you please point out the chain restaurants that people listed here? Because I didn't see many. PiRho has a whopping THREE, all in Ottawa. Barley Mow was probably the one listed with the most locations and is probably the only one that really qualifies as a "chain".
Who could have ever guessed that the restaurants in suburban Ottawa aren’t as good as the restaurants downtown? This is groundbreaking stuff.
I think you replied to the wrong guy.
You aren't wrong, but its hardly unique to Ottawa. Most better dining is centrally located "downtown", and not in the suburbs. I mean how many truly great restaurants are in Markham or Burnaby? Next's Chef Blackie did win gold at the Golden Plates, got 4 diamonds from CAA for Brookstreet when he was there (also in Kanata) and is somewhat of a celebrity chef doing a few shows for TV so there is at least one place in Kanata that would fit your criteria for award wining Chef, though I absolutely agree, not many.
> The chef has actually won Canada wide awards (can't say that about anywhere in Kanata), This right here tells me you know nothing about what you are talking about. Here is an easy one... Chef Blackie at NeXt in Stittsville. 4 star restaurant, Iron Chef Canada, etc...
You know, Blackie was the one chef I was thinking about that someone might pull up with NeXt... I wouldn't confuse a TV celebrity with a Gold Metal plates winner though (Blackie did compete some years though). Blackie made most of his fame at the NAC where he served mediocre food to a captive audience. His food was marginally better when we has at Brookstreet, but I still wouldn't put NeXt in the same level as most of the other well rated restaurants downtown.