15 Best American Restaurants in Ottawa

“what a wonderful place with a very friendly staff and excellent food.“

“Amazing experience at Harvey’s! The food was fresh, hot, and made exactly how I wanted it. The burgers were juicy, the fries were perfectly crispy, and the toppings bar was well stocked. The staff was friendly, quick, and very welcoming, which made the visit even better. Great quality, great service, and consistent every time. Definitely coming back!“

“love their fries and gravy“

“Not only is the food delectable but the service from Ashley was genuinely the best i’ve ever had in ottawa. big group, birthday party, ashley handled it all and it was the most fantastic experience i could have asked for, 5 stars genuinely isn’t enough.“

“10/10! The White Album was amazing and some of the best garlic sauce I've ever had! They have incredible food.“

“The Barpa burger is my favourite burger in the whole region. Especially with the slice of roasted red pepper they added on for me!“

“We haven’t been there for 15 years and the staff were all friendly and served us the biggest nachos I’ve ever seen. Everything was perfect!“

“*Update 18 Mar 26:
My original post gave 1 star for poor service a month ago. As I said I like Swiss Chalet food and returned a few weeks later. This visit went smoothly. It was a weekday not a weekend and I used the drive through. The food was delivered to the window promptly and all was in good order. So kudos to the staff that day for a pleasant return. Positive review needed to be made.

ORIGINAL: No issue with the food. I like Swiss Chalet food or I wouldn't buy it.

The take out experience leaves a lot to be desired at this location. I can only assume its because it's chronically understaffed and overwhelmed by the demands of online orders so real live customers at the counter or drive thru are left listening to grass grow and pondering the meaning of life. Very poorly managed.

I went inside and ordered 2 family chalet chicken soups at the takeout. Thats it. I should've been out in 2 mins. I sat on a well worn chair and waited 20 mins and watched a gentleman who ordered 2 chicken dinners AFTER me, receive his order before my 2 lonely soups. The restaurant did not have a lot of dining in customers, take out orders were steady with a number of uber/skip drivers waiting. A few employees were busy behind the scenes putting together uber/skip orders. Clearly they weren't idle. In fact the lady working at the order desk was also responsible for putting them together and running back and forth to the order desk. In-store customers should have priority. They should also be served as the order is placed. Customers in store always seem to be standing and waiting for lengthy periods of time here.

Management needs to increase the staffing levels. They need dedicated staff for takeout /drive thru and separate staff for on-line orders. This is not rocket science its common sense. You cannot expect a smooth operation if you're perpetually short staffed.

A successful restaurant has to make a good impression, not just with good quality food at a reasonable price but with good service so the customer RETURNS. No one expects gourmet food from a chain restaurant but they do expect good service. If someone takes the time to physically go to your restaurant whether its take out or dine in they deserve better service. Do better.“

“I'm always in for trying somewhere new... I'm glad I stopped in for lunch today! I had the roadhouse beef dip hoagie and it was absolutely delicious! The staff were very friendly! All in all, from food, staff, atmosphere, decor it was without a doubt 10/10!!!“

“comedy night every Tuesday at 8pm is awesome👍“

“There's not much else close by if you are at this hotel complex and it's quite good, The place is a little beat up and every seat in our booth had a visible stain on it, so they are probably due for a refresh. No big deal, food was good, portions maybe a little small. Service was excellent.“

“The Manx pub is a great place. Not very big, lots of atmosphere. Food is great, large portions and reasonably priced 😁 *****“

“This restaurant is a gem, especially for weekend brunch. As a local permanent makeup artist with a studio downtown this is my favourite place to grab a full slow-food breakfast before my first client arrives. The table settings are luxury class with white linens and proper settings. The variety and quality of food is excellent. I imagine that travellers staying in the hotel would have an excellent experience. Having tried other hotel restaurants in the downtown core I can say that the Carleton Grill is competing very well.“

“While staying at the Courtyard by Marriott and seeing good reviews of the Bistro, we came here on the last day for breakfast.The food was overall ok. The flatbread was especially great. The burrito was a bit tough (the tortilla was a bit over toasted/grilled).In the photos I’m also showing the normal French toast vs. the kids menu French toast.The service was great. Staff was friendly.The restaurant is open concept located on the ground floor adjacent to the hotel seating area.Overall a good choice for breakfast.

Kid-friendliness: They have kid menu (although not displayed on the main menu)“