The Short Version: Chain restaurant with everyday Happy…read moreHour. Food is good for what it is. Friendly service. The Long Version: State and Main is a Canadian chain restaurant that started out in Calgary, AB. I feel it's similar to Moxies. Most items are not made from scratch and the menu while it has creative elements is never all that adventurous. It's a great restaurant for a mixed group. Those meat and potatoes types will find something inoffensive to them, and those with a more adventurous palate won't be too bored. I'm a bit critical of chain restaurants in general because I prefer small independently owned mom and pop shops where everything is made from scratch, and usually with love and passion. My preference is no secret to anyone who knows me. However, I feel that State and Main is one of the better chains. I went to State and Main with 2 of my friends for a late lunch that coincided with their Happy Hour. Their Happy Hour is 2-5pm and 9pm to close, 7 days a week. Their Happy Hour is not that much of a deal though as you only save $1.50-$3 off the regular menu prices, depending on the item. It's not like those half-price Happy Hours. I started with a State Soda (HH $6, regularly $8). I enjoyed it because it wasn't too sweet. It was vodka, club soda and a tiny bit of their signature "slush." I was going to get their soup dumplings, but cannot have sesame seeds and was advised that the packaging on the dumplings said "contains sesame" so I opted to get the Baja Brussels Sprouts instead. I asked for them to go light on the sauce, as I don't like my food too saucy and our lovely server, Dakota, suggested that I get the sauce on the side. Which was a fantastic idea! I also got a side portion of their mixed greens salad with the dressing on the side ($5.50). The Brussels sprouts were very good. They were crispy on the outside and had powdered Parmesan cheese sprinkled on them. There was also bacon and roasted red peppers pieces in the dish. The lime and cilantro sauce that came on the side was almost not really needed because the Brussels sprouts tasted good as is. I did try a bit of the sauce and it was pleasant. I would get the Brussels sprouts again. The mixed greens salad was better than I expected. It was a true mixed greens salad and not just romaine lettuce or the dreaded (well, I dread it because it's cheapie filler IMO) iceberg lettuce (it actually had no iceberg lettuce, yahoo!). It also had beets, goat cheese, pumpkin seeds and roasted chickpeas. Nothing too wild, but a bit more oomph than your run-of-the-mill garden salad. A few of the romaine spines were browning, but otherwise the other ingredients were fresh. I enjoyed the dijon vinaigrette and am happy I got it on the side because I used less than half of it. One friend got the State Smash cocktail ($10 HH menu, regularly $12) and she enjoyed the raspberry flavour. She also got the Chili Coconut Calamari ($16 HH menu, regularly $18.50). She wasn't as happy with her meal as found it a bit too spicy and found the calamari not large or plump enough. Visually the calamari did look rather small and not meaty. My other friend got the Baja Tacos with fries from their regular menu ($19). She really enjoyed her meal and the tacos looked great. The fish was battered and deep-fried. The fries were thicker cut but looked to be slightly battered or at least seasoned, and very crispy. We had a lovely time and our server, Dakota, was friendly and helpful. There was a slight error in our bills as the Happy Hour foods were charged at regular prices, but when I pointed this out, it was quickly fixed. The decor I would describe as "casual plus." It's a bit more elevated than casual. They have fun framed prints on the walls. It has a pub feel. The restaurant is in the Gloucester Centre complex. It's not part of the actual mall though. Lots of free parking available in the shopping complex parking lot. #72 (2026)

A fun family meal was had at this very pleasant restaurant in Ottawa. They accommodated my loud…read moreniece and nephew and for the most part took good care of us. Our server was very sweet with big smiles and tried her hardest: she was a little overworked and had a lot of apologies. The food was good: Asian themed shrimp and salads, a very nice salmon my niece took down, and some flavorful cocktails. Fresh and delivered quickly, it was definitely an enjoyable dinner!

Great local and family friendly venue. Kids love their meals and half price appetizers are always…read morea good deal. The staff and service really make this place good.

Good breakfast served quickly on a busy weekend without the "processed" feeling. On this occasion…read morewe didn't have to line up to get in.

I made an order through Door Dash with Shoeless Joe's in Orleans, Ont. tonight (June 13, 2026). I…read morehave never written a review before but I had to tonight. We ordered the large nachos with grilled chicken. It came overcooked and the cheese had hardened solid. I could find a little bit or corn in there but no chicken. There was to salsa on it or included on side . No sour cream either. It was inedible. Just a block of slightly burned chips. My son had the cheese pizza with fries. Fries were wet and the pizza was also overcooked and hard. I've eaten at Shoeless Joe's before at other locations and am not overly picky, but this was terrible. Guys, please do better. Pete

Very good burger and they got the food out very fast. The servers were very nice and always had a…read moresmile. The general look of the restaurant is very cool there is a lot of tvs to watch and I really enjoyed my experience here.

Grow theirs own cocktails herb and flowers…read more The patio is charming and so is the interior. The staff is very knowledgeable it's very pleasant to know more about the dishes.

I was SO stoked to finally visit the Moonroom after seven or so years of wanting to go!…read more After a Saturday night at Bluesfest, we waited somewhere else for about half an hour before they told us the kitchen was backed up, so we walked down Preston and I was so glad the Moonroom was still open. We didn't get there until about 12:30am and it was pretty full. We didn't leave until maybe 2:30am and it was still pretty full considering the time. They're not normally open this late, but it seems like a lot of the businesses on Preston decided to stay open later to catch the post-Bluesfest crowd. Good call! We decided to sit inside since there was an empty table, otherwise I would've liked to sit out on their back patio, which looked really pretty with the lights. Inside was a nice vibe though, too. It's small/narrow, dimly lit, with sheets covering the different coloured ceiling lights, and candles on the table. It's very intimate and pretty romantic. We sat close to the bar and there was another party of two beside us. The music was a bit louder so we couldn't really hear the other table's conversations, but not so loud that we couldn't hear each other. They were playing the Bee Gees when we walked (danced) in, so we were really about the jams. My husband got a rotating draught IPA by Daft Brewing, can't remember which one it was. I got the Jill Collins, which had Tanqueray Gin, Affino Limone, fresh lemon and mint, cane syrup, and a Moon soda top. It was super refreshing, bright, and not too sweet, which is exactly what I wanted. We shared/I mostly ate the "OG Grilled Cheese" and "Panzanella-esque Salad". The grilled cheese had aged Balderson and cream cheeses in a crunchy baguette smothered in toasted garlic butter, served with Moon ketchup. It was exactly as described, with very crunchy, buttery garlic bread and creamy cheese. The Moon ketchup is made in-house, thinner and chunkier than processed, store-bought ketchup, with stronger flavours. It was okay, but I didn't need to dip much in the ketchup because I really enjoyed the sandwich and it was on the saltier side itself. Because it was a lot creamier than gooey, I'd say it was more of a sandwich than a grilled cheese, but still very tasty. I really am not a huge fan of salad in general, but I can't complain when it was burrata on top. It also had salty bread, arugula, roasted tomatoes, fresh peaches, herbs, and honey. The peaches were more firm than ripe and juicy, which was good for a salad, though I wish they were a bit sweeter. The burrata wasn't creamy inside like I expected, but I love cheese in any form. I really don't know what possessed me to get salad, especially after a bunch of drinks in the wee hours of the night, but my body thanked me later. Salty, bitter, a little sweet, fresh, and not heavy, even with (more) bread and cheese. It was great. They unfortunately ran out of the affogato, which probably would've convinced my husband to stay longer. Too bad. The vegan dark chocolate gelato from Farinella that they put in it sounded amazing. The beer was $10.50, my cocktail was $19, grilled cheese $16, and salad $17, which was pricey. BUT, the fresh herbs are from their garden on the back patio, they make their own soda and ketchup (among other things), everything was delicious, and even late at night the cocktails and dishes were still well put together and tasted great, plus I finally came here after so long. No regrets! Our server was super nice, same with owner and one of the bartenders, who even popped over and sat with us for a bit to chat. And not in a weird/creepy/in-your-face way lol she was cool. She was the one who greeted us when we came in and said bye to us on our way out. There's no flash photography (I forgot to turn my auto flash off for my salad, sorry!). They're open all week from 5pm to 2am, no reservations, no large groups, and no phone (just stop by). I wasn't sure if it would meet the high expectations and hype I had built up in my head after waiting so long to visit, but it totally did. It's such a nice spot, we had an amazing time, and we will definitely be back!

The Short Version: Beautiful rooftop patio restaurant with…read moregreat view of the city. Aesthetically pleasing food and drinks that also taste good. The Long Version: I was here for a colleague's retirement party. Rooftop Ottawa is part of YOW - York on William, which is, you guessed it at the corner of York St and William St. YOW is also the airport code for Ottawa, so I thought the name was clever. YOW - York on William is a collection of 3 venues, one on each floor. Apothecary Lounge (a speakeasy) is in the basement, Starling (a bird-themed restaurant) is on the ground floor, and Rooftop Ottawa is on the roof top. The view is beautiful. You can see all of the Byward Market. It's especially pretty at sunset. The food is also colourful and pretty. I got the Crispy Chicken Sandwich with a side salad ($26) and a Purple Martin cocktail ($18). The Purple Martin had a pretty purple colour from ube syrup and butterfly pea flower and tasted good too. The chicken sandwich was a bit monochromatic. But the side salad had vibrant pink hues from watermelon radish, beets and beet juice-soaked pickled onions. I also loved that the lettuce was a spring mix and not the dreaded iceberg lettuce, lol. I asked for the dressing on the side and it came as requested. The dressing was a creamy green dressing. I felt the sandwich could have benefited from some lettuce or shredded cabbage though because it was just fried chicken, pickles and bread. I did appreciate that it wasn't overly sauced and not wet or soggy. The fried chicken had a good crunch to it. It looked large, but had a lot of breading, so the amount of protein was not what it seemed initially. The flavour was good though. Service was excellent. We were served by Juliette and she was fantastic. Attentive without being intrusive and took great care in ensuring I wasn't served anything I was allergic to. She also made a point to advise our group that since we were a large group (around 15) that there would be an automatic 20% gratuity added to the bill. I appreciated the disclosure. Definitely 5-stars for Juliette. The YOW - York on William is in one of the oldest buildings in Ottawa, built in 1875. It's where The Fish Market, Coasters and Vineyards used to be. Paid street parking or paid parkade parking only. Review #179 (2025)

After shopping up a storm at various stores in the vicinity, I looked up and saw a Kelseys. I…read moredecided to drive over there on a hot summer day. There were folks on the patio. I wanted air conditioning. I walked in and was promptly seated at a table by the window, looking at the patio. It's nice to feel like I'm out on the patio, but I'm not. My server decided to greet me two tables away. That's just downright odd. He wasn't even staring at me when he did that. He didn't really talk at a normal voice throughout my stay. I suppose that since there were many older folks at this restaurant, he had to raise his voice to be heard. Frankly, I could have heard him across the restaurant with the music blasting. It was a huge turnoff, even though I'm sure Peter is a lovely person when he isn't serving folks in their sixties and older. Anyway, I ordered a Diet Pepsi and got it with a lime wedge. I was so thirsty that I eventually got a refill and downed most of it. I ordered my usual, which was New York-style wings with sea salt and black pepper. It comes with veggie sticks and ranch dip. My wings were good, except that it felt like someone went crazy with the black pepper shaker. Hey, I could have dipped my wings in a container of black pepper, too. The veggies were a nice contrast and were crisp. For dessert, I gave the chocolate berry cake with vanilla ice cream. By the time this dessert was given to me, the vanilla ice cream has slid to the plate's edge. The cake was okay. I wouldn't get it again, though. I'd sooner have the ice cream! This Kelseys is simply average. I have had better at other locations. I was pleased to get my SCENE card swiped. I collected 15x the points. There's the silver lining visiting this Kelseys. (282)

Take out 5. There is one thing we noticed since doing the take out reviews. Most restaurants don't…read morehave a lot of choices. Only higher end restaurants managed to have a more complete menu. We had not gone to a Kelsey's in awhile since we had always considered it to be more for young families. Seeing what was available, it only reinforced that even more. There was a lot of kid friendly choices.Fortunately, we opted for more of an adult choice: Nachos with avocado and tomato sauce and battered fish. We placed our order on the mobile app.(This is a great time saver when ordering during this exceptional time). We called in to this restaurant who told us it would take at least 1 hour. So we had timed our arrival so that our meals would still be warm when we took them back home. Only one criticism, you couldn't text them to say we were in the front of the restaurant. We had to present ourselves to the front entrance to pickup our meals...and we waited about another 10 minutes. I think this is more due to the fact that pickups and curbsides was still something new and the limited staff seemed overwhelmed. To our surprise, it tasted pretty good. Even better with our Organic beers from LCBO. $$

Mediocre, overpriced service was good…read morebut not worth the money, not exceptional, bland, and really expensive. Should be 60% cheaper not recommended

Great spot for date night or a night out with friends. Grabbed a spot at the bar with a friend on a…read moreSaturday night. The staff were so friendly and nice. We got two cocktails to start. They were both delicious. To eat we got the focaccia, beef carpaccio, and meatballs. The focaccia was amazing- so fresh and soft. The carpaccio is a shawarma inspired dished and included pickles. The meatballs were cooked to perfection and paired well with the focaccia. To end our meal we got the baked Alaska. It was the perfect end to the night. I would go back on my next Ottawa visit.

Large convenient located downtown restaurant. The food is good. I had the pistachio crusted salmon…read more Bit of I return I'll have a burger. The salmon was a nice thick piece of salmon cooked well on rice. It had a little bit too much salt and garlic, but it was fine. The hot apple cobbler was good, little bit sweet, but I needed something to balance the garlic.

Site specific website absolutely says happy hour 3-6. When we got there, they said ended at 5. I…read moreshowed hostess website, she said I don't know why it's wrong. Me neither. Not ok, especially for out of town folks looking for a place to go.