I've been here a couple times now and it's a place in sure I will frequent. The food is very good and it's a nice atmosphere. Both times now I've had their Miami style short ribs with grits. The grits there taste like Mac n Cheese so there's that bit of awesome. My friend had their chicken drumsticks, which I would like to try next time, they looked pretty killer. Their cocktails are very good. Bourbon lemonade is a highlight along with their gin and tonic. The only thing That isn't ideal, but is generally ok is the fact that they have communal seating at some of the big tables. So if you have a family beside you, you would have to be careful with what words you use. One of the cooler things is the speakeasy they have in the basement behind a bookshelf. Neat place to go for a couple drinks. read more

Dear body, I'm sorry for what has just happened. Let's go through the meal piece by piece - For starters we were brought boiled peanuts. Warm, damp peanuts (in shell) that tasted vaguely of tamari. They were sort of gross, sort of addictive. I'm not sure what to say. Our appetizer was the fried green tomatoes. They came deep fried in corn grits, with shredded cheese, corn, and ham. There was variation in the temperature of the different elements, which was a bit weird. This was OK. For mains we shared the pork jowl and the fried chicken... The pork jowl (which, admittedly, I haven't tried before) was way too fatty for me. It was about 70% fat to 30% pork. I ate it all and I feel guilty. However, it came paired with an amazing salad of sliced green onions, mint, watermelon, apples, and sesame seeds. This was a key element for cutting the richness of the jowl. I would never recommend trying to eat this entire dish on your own. $16 The fried chicken - while delicious, moist, and covered in an amazing crust - came entirely on its own. No salad or grits, just 2 pieces of chicken. We ordered a side of corn bread and a side of biscuits and gravy. The corn bread was good but too buttery when paired with everything else that was rich. The biscuits were a bit tough, even under the gravy. The gravy itself was thick and tasted of cheese. Not my idea of a good gravy. Overall, the meal was ok. Though, it ended up being a whopping $110 for both of us including (2 beers each) tax and tip. The ambiance was interesting. We were seated in the downstairs. It had the feel of a prohibition-era speakeasy. Lots of wood, iron, and vintage light bulbs. They were even playing a bit of Cab Calloway and other tunes from the 30s. A majority of the lighting was provided by small candles. I had a hard time seeing the food and that really diminished my capacity to enjoy the food. I may come back to try something one day but I'm definitely not in a rush. read more

Holy delicious food! When I heard we were going for southern food in Canada (being from the USA), I was a little surprised to say the least. I mean really, how can southern food be done well in Canada? And won't it just be heavy and deep fried? Well, I was pleasantly surprised by both the quality of the food and the decor. My friend and I went here for dinner and started with their divine cocktails. And seriously they were out of this world. We each tried a couple (and were quite "relaxed" by the end of dinner). The Dark & Stormy (which happens to be a favorite drink of mine) is made with their homemade ginger syrup, which adds quite a punch of ginger to the drink - perfection. I had the Dragon-something and a cocktail with pickle juice - both oh so good. Talk to your bartender and get tips. For dinner, we split the salad with beets, which was fresh and light (and they kindly put it on 2 plates). Then I had the oysters (spicy with a touch of the sea - served on a bed of salt so watch out for those granuals - such cute pating that I hope it's always like this). Also had a side of the grits (cheeeeeeesy deliciousness). My friend had the fried chicken -- which she said was great and ended up taking home -- along with the cornbread. Honestly, it was moist and delicious. If you like drier cornbread, don't get this - it's almost custard like and so lovely. Oh yeah - make sure you try the boiled peanuts - they bring them out as you're waiting for your food. I hate peanuts. I hate peanut butter. I hate pad thai (because there are peanuts in it). But damn did I love these peanuts. They have almost a bean like texture and almost no traditional peanut flavor. Lightly salty and oh so good. I'd be mistaken to not mention the decor. Great family style seating. Awesome reuse of items (bottles on chandelliers) and my favorite of all is the set of mismatched knives on the beer taps. Utterly brilliant. It's a great night out and I'd recommend making reservations - I think they're pretty much mandatory here. read more

Heard good things about this place so we figured we'd try it out. Top marks for the restaurant environment. Atmosphere is pretty cool. The cocktails were good but we're a bit on the pricey side, especially since the one my girlfriend got was very small. After we ordered the waitress brought by some boiled peanuts. Not a fan of these (may just be personal taste) very hard to open, quite messy and the texture and flavour were a bit odd. For our mains I ordered the fried chicken and my girlfriend ordered the catfish. the catfish came with a bit of garnish but the chicken was all on its lonesome. The chicken was ok (3/5) and the catfish was nothing special. For the price I would have expected sides to be included or a bit more work on the presentation side of things. Given the limited menu options I expected a bit more attention to detail on those items. Sadly, I probably won't be going back. read more

This place used to be pretty good, but has really gone down hill. Unfriendly service and bland food. There are better places with better food nearby. read more

Cool, hip and loud. The place was packed when we arrived for our reservation table at 8:00 and we were seated at a high table in the bar in minutes. The decor is salvaged wood with cast iron pipe fixtures. The clever beer bottle lighting is dim. Drinks are served in mason jars, dishes and cutlery are mismatched. Food comes on little aluminum trays. We were served a complimentary basket of boiled peanuts upon arrival. Some reviewers commented on them being wet, but perhaps hadn't fully appreciated the meaning of "boiled". They were salty, delicious and habit forming. My wife started with the crab salad, which was good, but a bit stingy on the crab. I had the ham, lean, sliced thin and served with spicy mustard and a few salad veggies. My wife had the fried chicken as a main with a side of broccoli. I had the hog jowl with a side of hominy grits. The jowl was not at all fatty as another reviewer found. The grits were delicious and hot. The jowl was served with cold roasted beets and some greens and I think I would have preferred that hot. We shared a side of absolutely delicious cornbread. The service was good as was the atmosphere. The clientele is mainly 30-somethings. A fun place for an evening out with friends. read more

Union 613 does a hipster take on southern comfort food. The decor is really interesting, there's a lot of "communal" seating and interesting light fixtures which makes for a chill, relaxed ambiance. They offer a complementary "amuse bouche" consisting of salty, boiled potatoes. Be sure to arm yourself with a napkin as these guys can make a bit of a mess. For the entrée, you have the option of ordering various mains and then selecting your side separately. I would say the yard bird is their most popular item which is slow cooked, fried chicken. It's Essentially a suuped up version of KFC. They also offer a gluten free version of the yard bird. Tastes slightly different but overall still very good. The catfish was also delicious. Don't be shy to ask the serves for an explanation of the menu items, in my experience they were all very friendly and helpful. Tip: Make sure you check out the speak easy in the basement. Modeled after secret bars that arose out of the prohibition era, it is concealed behind a bookshelf in the basement beside the bathrooms. Seating is limited inside and fills up fast; would be a neat room to rent out for a private event or celebration. read more

Positively awesome time here! We came in on a frigid Thursday evening without a reservation and rather than making us wait for a table to free up we were seated at the chef's table. I was a bit wary of eating in a restaurant's kitchen, but I found the experience enjoyable. The entire staff was knowledgeable, friendly, and helpful. Beyond that, they seemed genuinely passionate about the food and drinks. Their cocktail selection is unique so I wasn't sure what to try, but the bartender guy (he seemed to do everything actually) helped me decide on a Dark & Stormy--gingery and the right kind of spicy it was an awesome selection and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Their beer selection was enjoyed by my dining partner as well. They start you off with some boiled peanuts. Kind of strange, right? So awesome though! Even though they're a bit messy, I totally ate all of them. They have a saltiness that's a bit subtle but very yummy. Definitely give them a try. The menu is fairly small, but I got the sense it changes regularly. The interesting thing they do here is a deconstructed menu, so you choose a main dish and then you choose a side or two or whatever you like (maybe just sides). I think this makes it a great place for sharing with friends. The cornbread is the best I've had in Canada, so some pretty serious props for that. We also tried the grits were super cheesy and the pinnacle of comfort food--great for the frigid weather we were experiencing. The mains--a steak for my dining partner and a pork tenderloin for me--were equally as satisfying and great portions. The atmosphere is sort of rustic/casual and simple/elegant all at the same time. Mason jars are everywhere, which was kind of awesome--glasses, candle holders, receipt holders, lots of things! Eating at the chef's table was pretty awesome too--we got to watch the kitchen staff plate and cook and all the restaurant dramas sort of like watching reality TV. I have to say these guys knew what they were doing and that was cool to watch. Someone was having a birthday and they took extra care plating and getting the candle just right and everything--that's commitment to your guests and to the food (looked soo yummy, I was wishing I hadn't filled up on peanuts so I could have some of my own!). The best dining experience I've had in Ottawa, hands down. 14/30 read more

Went to this place with a friend for drinks. I had heard of their speakeasy before but thought it was really hard to get into so we planned to go to the upstairs for some drinks. When we got there at about 6:20 pm on a Thursday, the place was already busy. Since they had some difficulty finding us a spot upstairs they offered us to go downstairs to the Speakeasy. The atmosphere was great!! Dim lit, swing music, vintage decorations with a floor board ceiling and the steps visible it was fun and cozy! My friend had a glass of wine and I had a cocktail (i don't remember the name) of bourbon, red wine, cinnamon syrup and sage. It was delicious. I was a bit skeptic when I ordered it but it really was delicious. We stayed for approximately 1.5 hrs and although we only had one drink each the staff were great! Very attentive and nice. The food looked and smelled amazing as well. I would definitely go back to this place and maybe try the food this time! read more

I was the first one there for lunch, stepped in right at 11:30am. I was greeted warmly by the staff and was offered some boiled peanuts. It was a little hard to peel but it was great, moist and salty. I then had the fried chicken with a salad. The salad was great. However, two small things about the fried chicken: the batter was very well seasoned but it was way too thick. Also, unfortunately, the chicken was under-cooked. Otherwise, it was great. Please remember to check out the beer tap station. read more

Let's say, thank god for yelp. If you're not in the know, you won't know. Even with the address in hand, you're like- is this really the place? We got in with no reservations, and ended up in the speakeasy, which was pretty entertaining in itself. Fantastic drinks from a witty bartender. Great food. Salad, fried chicken, a curry dish, the boiled peanuts. I'm just glad we ended up here with only two nights in town. read more

Fun place. Great cocktails. Food is probably four stars... Lots of experimenting (which I fully support) and some stuff works while others don't. But they definitely care about their craft and the service is superb. read more

Union: Local 613 has been open for about 3 months and I finally had the chance to head over for lunch. Having gone I regret waiting as long as I did. The food was excellent, the service was prompt and the décor was a nice change of pace. The strip of Somerset between Bank and O'Conner has seen a lot of restaurant come and go over the years. I'm rooting for Union to succeed because they fill a niche missing in the Ottawa food scene (southern comfort food). When you walk into Union the first thing you see is a few high top tables and a big booth. There is a section of communal seating towards the back but since there were only two of us and we opted for a high top. The décor is very hip there are some interesting murals on the walls, the lighting is converted pipes and you drink out of mason jars. My only complaint would be the combination of hard surfaces and corners results in a loud dining area, which wasn't helped by the sound system. Maybe they turn it down a bit at night or it is quieter in the back section by the kitchen. We had a late lunch I got the mac and cheese and my partner had a meatloaf brisket sandwich. My mac and cheese was very good. I was skeptical about the roast cauliflower being included but it worked well and acted as a cheese sponge. The pasta was slightly over cooked for what I'd like but not enough to keep me from ordering the same thing again. My partner loved the meatloaf the bite I tried was really good the horseradish mayo was nice but the blue benedictin really added something to the sandwich. I was pleased to see the prices were a bit lower on the menu than what was posted on the website (the Mac and Cheese was $2 cheaper). Lunch came out to be $25 before tax and tip which is what I expect to pay at in this area and the food was better than a lot of other restaurants nearby. Our server was helpful and quick getting us our food and bill. He told me they are able to accommodate gluten free if you let them know in advance and suggested we make reservation if we want to do dinner on a weekend to avoid having to wait. Union passed the lunch test and I have a feeling we'll be back for dinner. read more

This place is one of my Ottawa favourites! I've only ever dined downstairs, so my experience is limited in that way, but I can't recommend this place enough! The decor is meticulous with even the smallest touch adding to the southern, old fashioned theme. This attention to detail extends to their food and drink offerings which offer balanced, creative flavours which offer interesting takes on southern standards. Vegetarians might be found wanting here as most of their dishes have some sort of delicious meat. You can't go wrong with this place. read more

Sadly disappointing unfortunately. Ill start by saying that this restaurant has an amazing layout/decor/atmosphere. You almost forget you're in Ottawa when you're in there. Its got a southern industrial/hipster/communal theme going on. The mason jars are a tad overused but the music is well picked and the tableware is very appropriate for the overall feel of the place. The service is extremely friendly, attentive, and knowledgeable. Super packed on the weekend. Definitely one of the coolest places I've been to in Ottawa- probably dozens of similar joints in TO but for this city it's a standout for sure. Unfortunately I was much less thrilled with the food- it didn't have any wow factor and for a place that is highly regarded on the Ottawa food scene, some of the dishes were quite disappointing. The bar menu is cool for sure but doesn't have a lot of 'girly' options (almost everything is made with bourbon or whiskey). Wine is available though. The corn bread (quite famous) was alright. Needed more seasoning and less butter in my opinion. The boiled peanuts every table gets become addictive as you keep eating them. I had the catfish main with a side of pinto beans. The catfish was decent. Not heavily breaded and not overcooked but not well seasoned either. Good size fillet though. The accompanying pecan puree was good but not very pecany. The wilted frisee was very good. Overall, a good dish but I didn't think the flavours were that complimentary. The pinto beans are to be avoided, that's for sure. They are supposed to essentially be baked beans. They were bad on all fronts. Not cooked enough, too watery, not seasoned AT ALL (needed both more sugar and salt), and worst of all the scallions/jalapenos in them left a horrible bitter taste in your mouth. I had a small bite of someone's fried chicken. Tasted good- very moist. Seemed like it was brined which is a must for southern chicken but the coating wasn't sticking to it very well so I wouldn't say it blew me away. Portion size for the chicken was good too (as in no KFC size buckets here). I was told the pork jowl was good too but I didn't try any. Overall, an original place that can use some serious finessing over the menu. I would need to see some new options before I would come back. Cash only $5 parking lot is right next door. read more

First time at Union. First a Of all the staff....Awesome!!!! Very attentive without being in your face. The room, warm and inviting with a bit of hipster feeling to it. Great reads on the book shelves. Now for the Best part ... the food... OMG. Try anything on the menu and you tastebuds will go crazy. Over all the best place for brunch!! read more

Ottawa, why do you have so many good restaurants? I think I gained a few pounds over my 5 day visit. I really enjoyed my time at Union, our group had a reservation, and we were late arriving, but the people occupying our second table still had yet to leave, so wait some more we did. The restaurant isn't really cohesive to standing around in, we were always in the way. I tried to press myself up against the wall, but alas. The server did get me beers while we waited, which were served out of mason jars. This I liked tremendously. Other than the table snag, when we were finally seated, I could finally bask comfortably in the ambiance of Union. Along with the mason jar, they have those cool lights, and I can't actually think of the name for them, but they are bad ass (incandescent? or is that all light bulbs! Ha!), the pages of the menus are separated with a mesh fabric, butcher knives adorn the taps. It's a nice place. I ordered the yard-bird (which took me awhile to compute as fried chicken) and our group shared the cornbread, carrots, grits, potatoes, black eyed peas and the deviled eggs. DEE-LICIOUS. We apparently drank the Union out of house and home as two kegs were finished off in our visit. Go here, it is good! read more

I came here last year for lunch with my brother visiting from out of town. I hadn't heard much but we decided that the menu looked great and took a chance. Boy am I glad we did! The tables are very unique as it's banquet style but nonetheless, awesome. We had a few pints of their local brew and had some if their boiled peanuts as we waited for our starters. I got the beetroot salad that was quite nice and wasn't too sweet which beets tend to get. My brother got a sausage app that he loved. For the mains, we both got catfish po boys....easily one of the best sandwiches I've ever had. Not greasy at all and every bite was flavourful. I highly recommend Union 613 for someone who wants to eat outside the box and taste food the way it was meant to be eaten. Simple. Flavourful. satisfying read more

Oh Union is fun. This is eating with a big 'ol grin on the whole time. Calling it 'inauthentic Southern food' is one part accurate (yes, it's a mash up of tastes of cultures) and one part self-effacing Canadianism. Saying it's 'inauthentic' might lead one to imagine that it's either: 1) of low or specious quality, bad or 2) fusion cooking. Neither. Union is very smart locally minded Southern cooking. Where such a concept came to Ottawa, I have no clue, but I am happy for it and especially glad to have their chicken and waffles (this of course is truly inauthentic Southern food, since chicken and waffles originates with Roscoe's in Los Angeles) close by in the capital. Everything is great here, but aiming to avoid food comas, I'm fervently committed to Union for brunch, where I feel less guilty to linger through a pile of beignets (now called 'brunch balls') and smother chicken in that spicy, tangy, maple syrup--nectar of the gods. It's a small menu on the weekend, but you can't actually make a wrong turn, unless you were looking for light and guilt-free. Union embraces the lard-core but does so with an ample supply of fresh produce. It isn't kitschy or silly but you're not eating a fruit salad either. Servers here are effortlessly charming even when the weekend rush has them running at high hum. The food is fantastic, fun, and downright smile-inducing; the folks serving it up are a wonderfully kind accompaniment. If the food was vaguely homey, there's no doubting the comfort in a good-natured crew that have always made me feel like I just walked in to their living room. And lest I forget, punch bowls! Nothing says comfort like a big bowl of booze and fruit juice. There are plenty of seductive cocktails here for good measure, but there's something so charming about a punch bowl at brunch--maybe a bit decadent, a little whimsical, and very fun. That's Union and that's why I love it! read more

Traveling back to NY tomorrow and decided to visit this place again. Excellent service and food again. I tried the hog's jowl and it was absolutely fantastic. This hidden gem in Ottawa made my trip very pleasant. I hope to come back here again. read more

Was SO excited to try this place out. First I went with a friend just for drinks. Tried a cocktail and a beer, which were both great. Fast forward about a month and a friends birthday party is planned to be held there. I showed up with nearly half the party (4 out of 8) right at our reservation time and had to wait almost 15 minutes for our table (our reso was for 630). The peanuts they give you at the beginning are gross, I'm sorry, I just don't get it. No one at our table liked them. My BIGGEST problem with this place is the lack of description on their menu. As a vegetarian, I would of appreciated being told that there was bacon on the devilled eggs. The place is very dark and I thought it was fried onion or something, thankfully I only ate one when I realized. Then, I ordered the ONLY vegetarian item on the menu (rice, chick peas, raisins...yummm) and it was one of the spiciest dishes I've ever had in my entire life. (Again, no description of the food). I can take some spice, but even a friend with us tried it (who loves spicy food) and mentioned it was pretty spicy, even for his taste. I had maybe 1/4 of the bowl and had to stop and was still so hungry. ALSO, we were there for over 3 hours. There was a big group at the back when we walked in, but they left before we ordered our entrees and it took us more than an entire hour to get our food. One of my friends ordered steak, got the pork chops, but ate them anyways because she knew it would take forever to get another plate of food. All in all, I have been so excited to try this place. I don't usually ever write reviews, because I am seriously not that picky, but I was quite disappointed in the food and food service. Drinks are good, speakeasy is pretty cool. As a 'hipster' bar I thought they would be more creative and have more options for vegans, vegs, etc... read more

Loved the cocktails! Fresh for summer and lots of fun! The serving staff was great and the patio was a great atmosphere!! read more

Union Local 613 - Southern Near Me - Ottawa, Ontario

I usually do not rate restaurants, however, after eating at Union 613 I decided to create a yelp account to warm people against this terrible place. The food was very bad from start to end. The service was rushed, rude, and the waitress had terrible B.O. This was the worst meal I ever had. read more

Had a very solid meal here on a Monday night when I was in town for business. Fried chicken was cooked well, and had an unusual spice mixture that made it unique. Boiled peanuts worked as a complimentary starter. Skillet corn bread was good. Nice selection of draft beers. Overall, I'd recommend Union 613 to anyone looking for good drinks, and good southern food this far away from Dixie. Impressed that it was crowded at 8:00 pm on a Monday night, which jives with other reviews saying you should make reservations. read more

When under stress I'm like a small shivering mouse: I just want to crawl into a deep dark hole and regroup. You know, 'cause life and death and blood and soil and love and loss are not often easy things to work through. Union stepped up with a tiny hole for me to scurry into. Secret spaces beyond stacks of dusty spines. Elixirs with house-made everythings. Strong booze-forward drinks (it's off menu, but the bartender made me some sort of artichoke bitters, something-tasty-infused-bourbon drink and it judiciously hit the spot). Mellow tunes. Quiet, vibrant, quirky human creatures. Upright servers. Steamy dish cleaning under Louisiana swamp barge bistro lights. Atmosphere for miles (compressed into a 200'ish square foot footprint). After we downed our drinks, we walked down Somerset to see a sea of shut down restaurants and bars. Don't let Union suffer the same fate. Go belly up to the bar, Molly Brown, and support them so this ship don't sink. read more

Get that corn bread. Yeah. Get that corn bread. Yeah. Get that corn bread. Yeah. Get that corn bread. Yeah. Get that corn bread. Yeah. Get that corn bread. Yeah. Get that corn bread. Yeah. Get that corn bread. Yeah. Drinks are good too. Known for dark & stormy. Owner has humorous social media presence. read more

Went for brunch on a Saturday afternoon and was delighted! The brunch menu features really interesting and delicious choices. Great service and a super cool atmosphere. Definitely will be returning, and I am excited to try drinks and the lunch and dinner menus. Update: Returned for after dinner cocktails. So wonderful to sip on delicious drink on their pretty patio! Try the tropical tea, it was delicious. read more

Last night was my first visit to Union 613 and it has immediately shot to the upper echelons of my list of favorite restaurants in Ottawa! It may even be my new favourite, I am not sure but holy crap is this place awesome. First the decor and atmosphere is really cool, sorta southern and industrial themed, but not overly kitschy like the Works can be, just really cool. I particularly like the lights made out of old clear beer bottles (or some sort of similar style bottles). For drinks they have some great mixed drinks as well as a fantastic whisky and bourbon menu (yes they have a separate menu for bourbon as well as a great menu for other kinds of whisky). They also have 7 microbrews on tap, which is a great bonus. For service there are no complaints either, our waitress was very attentive and very helpful as well as having a nice smile on her face, so no complaints there. Now to the food, oh the food. As sort of complimentary (I think) table munchies you get these awesome boiled (I think) peanuts that are really tasty. We also ordered some tasty fried dill pickle spears for the table that were most excellent as well. For main course I had the ribs with yellowy BBQ sauce and slices of amazing bread and butter pickles. The ribs were perfectly tender and really tasty. I also had aside of greens and rabbit (a rainbow chard green) that although sounds odd was absolutely epic! My friends had the fried chicken, catfish, and hog jowl (pig face) which were all well received although apparently pig face was much fattier than my friend was expecting (so be warned). I also hear that the Lunch menu is amazing, and I will have to give it a try. Union 613 is an expensive restaurant but it is work every penny in my opinion, my only regret is that it took me this long to go. read more

Went there with my bf and my mom for dinner. We like the setting of environment. But can't praise too much for the food... The boiled peanuts was good but salty... We prefer the one we can simply make at home. We ordered the fried chicken( like the regular one better, we are from Toronto and miss the stockyards one), the shortrib( seemed like overturned) and catfish( the best out of three). For sides, we got shroom( too salty again) and vegetables and rabbit meat( not special). But overall, the service was good. Probably not for people like us who are not fun of southern style though. Be careful when going... read more

This was a lovely experience. Cool speakeasy with a cool vibe. Interesting menu for both drinks and food. Shane and Tristan were awesome, gave that special treatment and guided us through the menu, helping us find the drinks and snacks that were to suited our tastes. read more

Loved it. Atmosphere was amazing, service was spectacular and the food was delicious. Go eat and be merry here! read more

i used to get takeout there during the pandemic and it was great. The quality was good and so were the portions. Unfortunaly, it is not the case anymore. the drop in quality and service is stellar. And it makes the price of the food impossible to justify. Would pay half of what they charge at the moment. read more

It's an experience more than a meal. With a cozy atmosphere on the upper floor and a fun, dark and almost faux-dank atmosphere in the secret room they call the "speakeasy", it's easy to get into this place. The drinks and cocktails are top notch. Most of the ingredients are made in-house (they make their own tonic...) and it shows You'll be hard pressed to find a better selection of top quality booze and high-end cocktails. Don't let that last sentence fool you, the prices are more than reasonable for the quality. As far as food goes, my meal (fried chicken) was quite good, as were the fingerling potatoes. Corn bread was a bit dry, and my GF's pork chop was good but not great. I'd give the food a 7/10 and the drinks 9/10. Go here at least once to dine, then come back fro a few drinks. read more

I've been to Union a handful of times (in the evening), and every visit has been grand. The drinks and boiled peanuts are killer. Service is conversational and attentive (my friend was vegan and they made a creative alternative). Worth a visit :) read more

That was the best fried chicken I've ever had in Ottawa. Union Local 613 could, however, work on their side dishes. You'd think that at $25- $30 / plate, the side dishes would be great - But the the Sangria drink is to die for. Such a nice atmosphere, especially the downstairs portion. The staff is very nice. read more

Finally got around to trying Union while taking a few visitors from out of town to dinner. The ambiance of the place is very dark and hipster-y. It's cool, but casual. We came in as a group of four on a Sunday night around 7:00 and were seated right away because a reservation had cancelled, so reservations are probably a good call. The one downside was that it was so dark that one member of our party had a hard time reading the menu. The servers were all very friendly and happy to give us info about the menu, and both food and drinks came out in a reasonable time. Boiled peanuts came to the table automatically - delicious and salty! We started with the fried green tomatoes and poblano duck hearts to share. The fried green tomatoes themselves were some of the best I've had - better than some places in Charleston and Nashville! They also had pimento cheese which just made my night. For dinner I had the fried chicken and the corn on the cob, which were both delicious. The chicken was seasoned really nicely and I loved the vinegar it came with and the corn had all kinds of toppings and was just really delicious. If you're looking for quantity you might be disappointed - for $14 you can definitely get more fried chicken elsewhere. But it was plenty of food for me. The cornbread we got to share was also nice - a little sweet for my taste, but I prefer savoury. We did have dessert, but I was also satisfied with the amount we'd ordered (in case you're wondering how many dishes you should plan for) - I had the fried cherry and lavender pie. I felt that the lavender was washed out by the heaviness of deep-fried pie. It was tasty, but not amazing. Definitely big enough to share. Overall, we were very happy - I'm excited to bring visitors here and to try it out for lunch. Glad to have some Southern fare in Ottawa! read more

So the other day, in preparation for a trip to Ottawa, I find a buzzfeed article on the top bars in Canada. I scrolled through the list and VOILA Union 613 popped up. I read the article, the reviews online and figured it was worth a shot - no pun intended :D! First thing to note is that the downstairs is a speak-easy bar. Meaning, few know about it and you have to ask the servers in order to gain access. WHICH IS SUPER FUN! I mean, who doesn't love the notion that you know a secret place that no one else knows about? The waitress brings us down to the room (which is sealed by a bookcase) and seats us. The room is extremely small but so awesome. I awarded the three stars for a few reasons. The first is that upon ordering, the waiter told us that there were no egg whites left to make cocktails. Thinking this was no big deal, I noticed that the menu consists of 5 cocktails where 3 of them have egg white. Basically, we could only choose two... which REALLY SUCKS. So I ordered one cocktail and another person from our group ordered the other one. He loved his and I hated mine. Wasn't good at all and tasted like maple? or wood? A very weird flavour. However, those two points didn't bother me so much as the MUSIC. I feel like the space and service are a jazz type but the music that plays is hardcore rap. RAP. It really doesn't suit the place well since our waiter even said that the place is hipster. When yelp asks what the ambience is?! I can't answer!! All in all, if you haven't been to such a place yet then I'd highly recommend it just for the fun of it. However, if I do travel to Ottawa again, I won't be returning =( read more

This place was the best food experience I have ever had. Before the ambience was not very important this place really knows how to get you in the mood. The price of the meal was adequate read more

Union Local 613 - Speakeasy amazing setting - Southern Near Me - Ottawa, Ontario

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Loved it, great music food and the drink is just amazing.. Yes they offer boiled peanuts while waiting for your food read more

Union Local 613 - Southern Near Me - Ottawa, Ontario

This is one of my favourite restaurants in Ottawa. Great drink selection, excellent dinner options, and a delicious brunch menu. The staff have always been very helpful and friendly. They're especially great when it comes to asking for recommendations. read more