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Elgin Street Diner
Categories: Restaurants Diners Restaurants Canadian (New) Diners, Canadian (New) [Edit]
374 Elgin StOttawa, ON K2P 1N1
(613) 237-9700
- Hours:
Mon-Sun 12 am - 12 am
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Delivery:
- No
- Take Away:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Good For:
- Late Night, Breakfast
- Alcohol:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
31 reviews for Elgin Street Diner
Review Highlights
"My personal favourite is their poutine."
(in 20 reviews)
"All in all, this was a very satisfying late night dish."
(in 4 reviews)
"Service was great and friendly and super fast."
(in 2 reviews)
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31 reviews in English
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Review from Steph K.
Richmond Hill, ON
2/9/2012
Very good option for late night food in downtown Ottawa.
Coming from out of town, I thought there would surely be a lot of options for downtown Ottawa in terms of restaurants - turns out I was wrong!
Found out about Elgin Street Diner, which is open 24 hrs.
The service was great and the food was really quite good.
Would def recommend if looking for a late night bite. -
Review from Coy W.
12/20/2011
I'm not sure the hype on this place but I'm definitely filing you under tastes better when you're drunk!
I avoided this place for years and went twice 3 times this year...once sober and twice after a few drinks. The one time I went sober I tried what many have told me is the best poutine in Ottawa. The portion is massive but man it's definitely far from the best poutine in town. My biggest problem with the poutine is that it tastes like it has enough salt to last me the week.
On the 2 visits after the bar I ordered a chili dog and that was terrible. It tasted like a hot dog from a bulk no name pack and canned chili. If I think that's how it tastes after a few drinks I really don't want to try it sober. The other time was for breakfast and that was ok but would definitely not be my first choice. I also tried some of my friends smoked meat poutine and that was kind of gross. The smoked meat reminds me of Dunn's or a lower quality.
If you do come after the bar expect it to be PACKED and you'll have some waiting to do. -
Review from Ken C.
Ottawa, ON
2/7/2012
Huge portions-
Excellent servers and open late(24hr?)
But high prices and not the best food. I'd go elsewhere if there was the option..
bad salad, dry burgers.. maybe the poutine? -
Review from Wendy W.
Nepean, ON
1/28/2012
Please read this review!! I had breakfast at the Elgin Street Diner this AM. My server was excellent and the breakfast was good but here is where my experience takes a nose dive. I ordered an egg white omlette with onions, red peppers, ham and a bit of cheese. When I receive the bill, I was charged $9.99 for the omlette, $2.75 for the egg whites, $0.99 for the onions, $0.99 for the red peppers, $0.99 for the cheese and $0.99 for the ham. I was quite surprised and mentioned it to the server. He suggested I speak with the owner, which I did. The owner's response was "you should have read the menu". I told him that I expected that an omlette would include onions, etc. which for most would be considered the norm and that I felt it was very expensive. His response " I have been here for 20 years and I'll be here for another 20 years" then walked away.
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Review from Danielle F.
Toronto, ON
Updated - 4/17/2011
In the past, I haven't been so impressed with ESD. But last night, they stole my heart a little!
Piece of advice: if you get there even a minute before 2 AM hits, you'll get a table in no time. After that, you're on your own and will probably have to wait a while.
I don't know how but our server remembered six fairly intricate orders (dishes and sides and drinks) perfectly. He was quick to fill up the water glasses and the food came out quickly. Also, people that work those hours have insane amounts of patience and calmness.
I ordered a hot dog! I don't remember the last time I did this but once I saw it on the menu, I could not be deterred. It came with a side, so I got the cesar salad. Both were delish! The hot dog was exactly as should be and while the salad was a little overdressed, it was fresh and tasty still. The waiter quickly brought me ketchup, mustard and some Franks Red Hot. All in all, this was a very satisfying late night dish!Listed in: Late Night EATS
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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1/2/2011
Elgin Street Diner is a decent standby for some food at any time of day in Ottawa. There are not… Read more »
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Review from Pat M.
Orléans, ON
9/23/2011
The Elgin Street Diner may be just fine if it's the wee small hours of the morning and you're finishing off an evening of bar hopping. The diner itself is nice enough. Unfortunately, it would appear that the staff here have been dealing with the late-night bar crowd for so long that they treat everyone as if they have just crawled over from the last bar, so don't expect any pleasantries here. As for the breakfast, not one person in our party got their food the way they had requested and all the meat appeared to have been sitting on the grill or under a heat lamp for a few hours before it hit our plates. If you're looking for a breakfast spot to start your day off right, this is probably not the place you want...keep looking...there's no shortage of better restaurants in the area.
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Review from Amanda B.
Ottawa, ON
11/23/2010 1 photo
My boyfriend and I were getting a bit hungry, but we weren't in the mood for anything too fancy. I had never been to Elgin Street Diner before, and he raved about their poutine, so I thought I would find out for myself.
We walked in on a Friday around noon. The place is an average size but wasn't packed, though people slowly started coming for lunchtime. We came for the poutine, but I must say I was starting to get a bit swayed by their breakfast menu. They have all-day breakfast, sandwiches, burgers, other meals, snacks, milkshakes, and alcohol. They're also open 24 hours, so it's nice to know I can try the rest of their menu whenever I get the chance.
After looking over their menu, I decided to have poutine afterall. My boyfriend ordered their Smoke Meat Poutine, and I had their ESD Poutine, which came with fried onions and bacon. All of their poutines are about $10 before tax, and I thought that was really expensive.. until they arrived at the table. I was so shocked at how enormous their portions were! If you've never been there before, you can check out the picture I uploaded with this review to see for yourself.
The ESD Poutine was very tasty, but also very salty and sweet because of the onions. The onions weren't fried crispy and tasted more like they were sauteed. The bacon was cut up into small pieces and sprinkled all over the fries, along with the cheese curds and lots of gravy poured on top. The fries themselves weren't crispy because of all the gravy, which I liked much better because it was easier to eat. There was no way I could have finished my plate, but I think it was because I was both full and just plain tired of eating that much poutine. We guzzled a couple glasses of water, as we were incredibly thirsty from all that sodium, and left with full tummies. Great meal-sized poutine!Listed in: Glutton
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Review from Grace Joy P.
12/19/2010 3 photos
Best poutine in Ottawa!
Main reason I stopped over there after a night at Nine IX on Elgin was because I heard many good things about this place. And all I had to do was walk the Elgin strip, not a big deal.
Really difficult to get a table around 2 am because everyone is coming out of the bars on Elgin. I suggest you go a bit earlier or a bit later if you don't want to wait in line.
I tried their their four cheese poutine, philly steak poutine, and onion ring poutine. All of them were exceptionally good! Honestly a bit on the salty side, but their gravy is to die for! My favorite dish was the onion ring poutine. If you love onions, you will LOVE this dish!
I will definitely go back and try the rest of their menu, but their poutine left me extremely satisfied and I highly recommend that you go check it out! -
Review from Andrew K.
Ottawa, ON
4/1/2011
What could be more fun than a big plate of greasy food at 2 AM at the Elgin St. Diner!
You can get eggs, but instead of hash browns, you can substitute poutine. Imagine: poutine, eggs, bacon and sausages, all mixed together with whatever booze you may have consumed that night. All sloshing around!
The long suffering serving staff negotiate treacherous paths between tables full of screeching semi-literate Ottawa U students, while ginos look on leeringly, toying with their cell- phones.
Eggs with poutine runs you about $10. -
Review from Darren M.
Ottawa, ON
12/25/2010 1 Check-in Here
I do love their poutine and I'll be honest -- I sometimes get cravings for Elgin Street Diner poutine.
But to be honest, the rest of their food is just 'meh' I find. It's not cheap but I'd still argue that the poutine is worth the price. If you're going to get a side of something I'd discourage you to get anything BUT the poutine. The fries are typically very chopped up fine pieces of potato. I've also never really enjoyed their salad.
Service is always fast and the men and women who work there are good at their jobs. They must put up with a lot of stuff when they work the late shift as this is the most popular after bar diner in the city. The lineups can be quite large between 2am and 3am.
The place is quite large and setup like a classic diner but is missing one major part -- the bar stools. It's a nice laid back place that you can count on any hour of the day.
Oh and they now accept Interac so you no longer have to save that extra $20 bill you have from the bar. -
Review from Minh D.
Gatineau, QC
Open 24 hours a day and on Ottawa's main bar strip, if you can call Elgin that. It's pretty popular late night on summer week-ends.
Pretty standard diner food, very generous portions, especially on the homemade fries. Their poutine is great hangover food.
Best milkshake (chocolate) in town, it's what I think of when I think of Pulp Fiction's $5 shake. :) -
Review from Angela L.
6/11/2009
On the weekday morning that I visit, the Elgin Street Diner is dotted with solo early birds hunched over their newspapers. The quintessential super nice server who has probably been working here forever is passionately discussing last night's hockey game with a table that has superstitiously committed to growing their beards out, but keeps an eye on her tables and hurries over with the coffee pot when the regular sitting in the corner calls her name and taps his mug.
I poured over the mini menu dedicated to their famous poutines, but decided that I just couldn't do it at this hour. I let my stomach decide and it growled for the three cheese omelet ($9.99) which came with baked beans, chunky mashed hash browns, and buttered toast with a glass of OJ ($2.99). In retrospect, I should've jumped at the chance to substitute poutine for my hash browns. When else am I ever going to be able to do that again?
Some minuses: My personal diner fave, eggs benedict (or any of its many hollandaised incarnations), is nowhere to be found on this rather large and varied menu. Also, for those who are veggie-inclined, there are few options other than pancakes ($8.99) and build-your-own omelets ($8.99 plain, fillings additional $0.80 each). All of the typical breakfast offerings are loaded with meats and have descriptions that end with "No substitutions please". These are just my buts and there's no problem if you come here with this knowledge and/or the proper expectations.
Otherwise, the swirly neon signs, cushy turquoise booths, busy open kitchen, and tantalizing cake display are all exactly what you would expect at your good ol' diner. My favourite thing on the wall is the comic strip featuring animal patrons at different hours throughout the day. Fun and funny! -
Review from Devan R.
Toronto, ON
6/18/2009 1 photo
Many argue the best poutine is in Montreal. I do not doubt this, however all the poutine I have tried from Montreal has come up short in comparison to my life changing experience at Elgin Street Diner. I am however still attempting to attend Drummondville's Poutine festival out in QC and will keep you posted.
The legendary ESD is well known in Ottawa for its sizeable menu of deliciousness, 24 hour service and high success rate of hangover treatment. The décor is well cozy and what you'd expect to see when you step into a classic style diner. In the diner you will find a wide array of breakfasts dishes, salads, sandwiches, burgers, platters, mains, POUTINE and shakes.
Believe me when I say I used to plan my Ottawa trips around going to the Elgin Street Diner. Their house special ESD Poutine changed my life for good. The poutine fries are shoestring style and browned well through. Their gravy is comfortingly rich, savory and delicious, I could drink it straight out of a glass. The St. Albert cheese curds est. 1894 melt and fuse so well with the fries, gravy and all additional toppings available.
ESD offers 8 different styles of poutine as follows:
Regular Poutine
Smoked Meat Poutine
Four Cheese Poutine
Chili Poutine
ESD Poutine
Philly Steak Poutine
Home Fry Poutine
Onion Ring Poutine
My beloved ESD poutine consists of a standard poutine topped with caramelized onions and strips of bacon. It is crucial to note that when I say caramelized onions, I mean onions caramelized for so long they are litreally black, not burnt but caramelized to sh!t. I feel the caramelizing process must include brown sugar, and I'm also quite confident the cooks deglaze the pan with Love. The bacon either comes in strips or chopped up in to bits, a win-win either way every time.
I dodge in and out of la la land each time the fork hits my mouth. Picture the perfectly browned crispy fries, covered with St. Albert's curds, swamped in the unicorn sweat infused gravy, covered with the sweetest onions you will ever have topped with bacon ios;2aohf;o6sh0kflkw3;hflkasdl335u5wyq442222222222 2222222222222
Sorry!! After recounting that last bit I was so overwhelmed with raging emotions I temporarily lost consciousness. Now I am SO hurting because best case scenario I'm 4ish hours away from eating the ESD poutine. It really gets to me.
The only downfall I've experienced with the poutine has been the price. Over the years I have seen it increase from $7.99 to $8.99, and now it's at $9.99. Come to think of it, I don't even care. My receipt should read: PRICELESS.
The rest of the items on the menu are also all bang-on. From the omellettes to the clubs (Dagwood) to the burgers you will find something to eat at this diner. Did I mention ESD offers Creamsicle Milkshakes?
THE END.
EAT IT -
Review from Sarah G.
Ottawa, ON
1/28/2009
There's a kind of pavlovian response that kicks in with my 3rd martini of the evening. It's a little voice in my head that says "Four Cheese Poutine."
That's right folks: Four Cheese Poutine. Count 'em. There's four cheeses on this poutine.
Unfortunately, everyone else in Ottawa seems to have the same idea, because everytime I stumble down Elgin after a few too many cups of liquid courage, I find myself lost in a sea of very 'courageous' people. The good news is that the wait isn't generally that long, and it's pretty easy to meet a good looking stranger in the crowd. Okay, I use the term good looking very loosely here.
But I digress....
I love ESD. Yeah, that's what we regulars call it. What other place has peanut butter and banana sandwiches on the menu?Listed in: Pooter Heaven
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Review from Sean B.
8/5/2009
Got the ESD poutine since that was hyped a fair amount by other reviewers. Wasn't bad except WAY TOO SALTY. I needed a gallon of water after eating the poutine. The problem is in the gravy.
Clean restaurant though, and efficient service. Prices reasonable too. Just a shame about the salty factor. -
Review from Adam P.
Toronto, ON
11/2/2009
Went to this place because of the popularity surrounding it. Didn't really know what to expect but now that I've been there I don't regret going. The interior fits the stereotypical greasy spoon restaurant. It is clean, the decor is something back from days yonder and the staff is friendly.
My wife had the burger special and I had the mexican burger with an upgraded poutine. My wife didn't care much for the burger at all, as she said it tasted like meatloaf. I on the other hand, actually really liked my mexican burger. It was a marinated piece of chicken topped with a salsa and guacamole. I found it to be very tasty. The poutine was good too although I would say it is a tad on the salty side.
A few points of note;
People have commented on how they remember everything. My waiter must have had an off day because he messed up my order (although corrected it quickly)
The prices here are about 3-4 overpriced in my opinion. My sandwich was $13 I believe with an extra $3.50 to upgrade that to a poutine.
Overall the food is fine but I don't know how often I'd go to pay that much for a diner dinner. I dunno, I may be getting cheaper as I age. -
Review from Isabel R.
Toronto, ON
3/23/2010
I was in Ottawa for a day, and on the way out, pondering whether to stop, or get breakfast on the road, my friend said he knew the best diner and we really had to stop.
While I'm not sorry we stopped, it also wasn't my favorite diner breakfast in the world. So I'll lay out the pros and cons, some of which echo things said in previous reviews. Also, I hear the poutine is amazing, but I can't comment on that, so keep this in mind.
PROS:
- Overall, good food. Eggs cooked the way I like them, bacon as well. Toast was good quality bread.
- Coffee came with the breakfast
- Good atmosphere, friendly waitstaff
- Quick service
CONS:
- Maybe I'm turning into a geezer, but from anything other than the basic breakfast, it was a few bucks more than I'd like to pay. Not outrageous, just a little steep.
- On the same page, switching to peameal bacon meant a price increase of a couple of dollars. no thanks.
- No substitutions! Sometimes you want a pancake with your eggs, and it would be great to be able to substitute this for hash browns or toast.
- Though coffee was included, I could have used more awareness on the refills department.
I definitely would go back next time I'm in Ottawa, if I'm in the neighborhood, but I wont be going out of my way. -
Review from Sandra M.
Toronto, ON
3/21/2011
Sunday morning breakfast.....I am really not a morning person and I know that you're supposed to eat the biggest meal at the start of the day and although the menu selections looked tempting (almost everything is over $10, by the way) I chose a toasted bagel and cream cheese and coffee. Plain and simple. Service was great. The place was clean. I even saw the chef come out and she looked fabulous. This place looks like it's always busy and for good reason.
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Review from Devon B.
Calgary, AB
9/30/2008
The Elgin Street Diner is an absolute institution in the National Capital area. Open 24/7, this place is busy all times of the day and night and is popular amongst all sorts of different crowds.
Elgin Street is one of Ottawa's most frequented. Whether it be by foot, car, bike or bus, Elgin is usually busy. With that, so is the Elgin Street Diner. tourists, kids, the elderly and drunk college kids alike come here, and love it.
The decor is a classic diner look, with a fairly open kitchen to peak at and chalk drawings throughout that promote some of the diner's specialties.
Breakfast is served all the time, and always done well. The various types of poutine (popular among the after bars crowd) are creative and delicious. On the healthier side of things the diner does have more nutritional options but that isn't why people come to the diner. They come for the greasy stuff and it is to die for.
The place is packed a lot of the time, so don't be surprised if you have to wait a few minutes for a seat. It is wort it though, and the staff does make an effort to keep tables moving so as many people can experience the diner as possible.
the only gripe I have is having to go to the bank machine; they don't take debit directly. Still a small price to pay for a classic Ottawa meal. -
Review from Nandan F.
Ottawa, ON
2/25/2011
So adding to the ESD hype, they do have really good poutine and milkshakes. They have about 8 varieties of poutine combinations. Some may find the poutine a bit too salty. The drinks are expensive and I feel that the place is pricey but is very convenient for some grease to absorb the booze in the middle of the night. The place is usually very busy and is popular for their smoked meats as well. Other than that, the rest of the food is average at best. The place does not allow substitutions if that's a big deal. The decor is average and setup diner style..duh! I don't find the service and ambiance equate the price but it sure is convinient. My biggest issue was that the coffee refills weren't prompt and for an addict, that's a deal breaker!
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Review from Dan S.
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Review from Dena B.
Richmond, ON
1/13/2011
Whenever I have friends or family come to vist from out of town I bring them to ESD for the best poutine ever. They are all hooked!!!
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Review from Anton S.
Ottawa, ON
12/4/2009
It's reputation precedes it! Cannot say I have anything bad to say other than the service was mediocre, the food OK, but way overpriced. Like others have said, $13 for a greasy burger is not exactly cheap, and it is not like the atmosphere in there is conducive to anything other than somewhere to get food when drunk or for the day after. In summary, don't believe the hype.
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Review from Andrea L.
York, ON
5/30/2009
Oh Elgin Street Diner, I miss you. I spent some time in Ottawa going to school and Elgin Street Diner was a go-to place for my friends and I. There were times when I would be sitting in my Constitutional Law class and all I could think about was the ESD poutine (hold the bacon). I also had a penchant for craving the pancakes with blueberries and banana after a night out at the bar. I guess I was eating breakfast before going to sleep?
Each time I return to Ottawa I have to make a stop and have some poutine. I've brought various friends and family to experience the poutine with me, and everyone has loved it!
I've got some great memories from ESD, but two stick out for me. Both occurred after the bar, one involved a "Canadian celebrity" in a booth with four rather underage looking ladies, and the other involved an entire wedding party in their finery - bride and groom included. Yay! -
Review from Hassan A.
Toronto, ON
3/10/2009
What a place!! I was there with a bunch of people early morning on a Sunday and the line was out the door. People were being served coffee by the waitresses for free while waiting to be seated. Everything on their menu is amazing. My personal favourite is their poutine! Their poutine ROCKS!! I have never had such amazing poutine EVER. I love this place. They are open late night as well and have great mixed drinks etc
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Review from Thomas B.
North Bay, ON
5/23/2009
Stopped here on the way home from Yuk Yuk's. This place is great. My friend was ranting and raving about their poutine. Which was surprisingly really good. MY only complaint was that the serving was quite small for a $8.99 poutine. Also, the fries were a weird style of fry for a classic poutine although still tasty. Some of them had that feeling like they were coated in sand or something I'm sure you all know what I mean. Service was great and friendly and super fast! The place also had a classic diner look and feel to and was relatively clean. All in all a good experience! Check it out if you have the chance.
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Review from Ryan R.
Ottawa, ON
2/21/2010
Everything you'd want in a diner, except dirt cheap prices. Servers are great any time of the day, food is prepared quickly and you are guaranteed to get large portions... if that's what you're looking for.
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Review from Anthony L.
5/6/2009
incredibly good Poutine. This is the place to try it. They have a whole selection of different types. Try them all.
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Review from shelly a.
11/20/2010
I stopped in here on a cold, windy autumn day and was greeted by smiling waiters. Good food, hearty portions and great staff.
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Review from John A.
Edmonton, AB
6/25/2009
The best thing about it is the diner feel as fhe food is mediocre. Brunch for 3 with tax and tip $46. 2 big breakfast snd 1 turkey dinner. Turkey dinner no grsvy on instant potatoes, 4 oz of white sliced meat not from a whole turkey snd 12 carrots. Eat elsewhere.
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Review from Tyler S.
Ottawa, ON
6/14/2009
Haven't found a better poutine place yet in Ottawa, the ESD has an extensive selection. Great place for breakfast, and if you are really hungry go for the blue plate special, I can pretty much guarantee you won't finish it. It is a popular spot for after the bars start to empty out, expect to wait in line.
