Eddy's Diner — Restaurant in Ottawa

Let's be real, here, for a moment: pancakes, being themselves comprised primarily of flour, are essentially a delivery mechanism for syrup and butter. So imagine my alarm when, having ordered pancakes plus accompanying ham, I was served little more than – get this – pancakes (three) plus accompanying ham (one slice). The disposable container of syrup provided contained enough liquid sugar to be applied sparingly to one and a half pancakes. (The astute reader will observe that number to be sharply disparate from the aforementioned total quantity of pancakes.) And butter? None to be seen. (Full disclosure: my dining partner requested their toast without butter; it's possible that I received none for my pancakes in kind, and I did not inquire of our server. However, I was never specifically given the option one way or the other.) Diner pancakes, having the fluffy, cakey consistency they do, are fairly unpleasant to eat mostly-dry, but I soldiered on to the ham. Thereupon I encountered my second disappointment.

Look, again, I was fully aware I was eating in a diner, and I don't expect a gourmet-class experience, but why does the ham taste like spam? It tasted like processed ham. That's not cool. You know why it's not cool for it to be processed ham? Because it was three dollars. Three dollars. For a single sandwich slice of ham. You know how when you get ham at a diner and it's like a quarter of an inch thick and it's been pan-fried and it's delicious? This ham was not that. It was maybe an eighth of an inch thick, of typical sandwich diameter, and was that weird sort of warm where you can't tell if someone actually tried to heat it or if it was just left on the counter for twenty minutes while the rest of the meal was cooking. Let's be clear, here: this ham was not mediocre; it was disappointing.

Oh, and there was a token gesture to health offered in a dollop of fruit consisting of pineapple, cantaloupe, honeydew, and green apple. It was fruit. I ate it. It momentarily helped qualm the raging terrors in my brain, as food does. It was otherwise unremarkable.

So that brings us to the last stage of the meal: the bill. First, let me acknowledge that running a business – any business – is hard, especially financially. And this business is in the Glebe, which is especially financially difficult. But it's a breakfast place in the Glebe, so that guarantees some level of traffic, and on that basis I make my judgement: Eddie's is poor value for money. (At least if you're getting pancakes.) Not only do I feel there are legitimate complaints to be made about the food, but I paid (before tax and tip) $12 for three pancakes and one single, sole, sad slice of ham, both of which were predominantly unadorned with the trimmings I would normally expect when ordering those items at a diner. To be clear, I don't feel this is a quantity problem: it's a quality problem. I was absolutely fine with the amount of food served; it just fell short on too many quality levels. I feel like I can get better at Denny's for the same money. And that really sucks, for both me and...

🥞☕ Local Diner Vibes: A Hidden Gem (With Character!)

This spot is a true neighborhood classic — the kind of place that doesn’t try too hard, and honestly, that’s part of its charm. You walk in and immediately get that “local hangout” feel — no pretense, just comfort, coffee, and casual conversation.

✨ Summer Bonus: One of my favorite things is that garage-door-style front — when the weather’s warm, they open it all the way up, and it feels like the whole diner spills out into the street. Sunlight, breeze, chatter — it’s the kind of atmosphere that makes you linger a little longer over that second cup of coffee.

🎨 Interior? Retro… unintentionally The inside definitely leans vintage, and not in a curated Pinterest way. More like, “hasn’t been updated in a decade or two.” But you know what? It kind of works. If you grew up going to diners like this, it feels nostalgic. Still, a refresh wouldn’t hurt — especially the booths and lighting.

🧑‍🍳 Service & Food The staff is always friendly and attentive — the kind of team that keeps your coffee full and doesn’t rush you out, even on busy mornings. As for the food? Solid. Not life-changing, but dependable and satisfying.

Highlights: • The breakfast sausages were surprisingly great — juicy, flavorful, not greasy. • The $12.99 breakfast combo is a steal in today’s brunch economy. Eggs, toast, hashbrowns, meat — the classics, done right. • And free coffee? You just don’t see that anymore. Big win.

🤝 Perfect For: • A low-key brunch with friends after a night out • A Sunday morning pit stop before doing groceries or heading to IKEA • Anyone in their late 20s or early 30s who just wants eggs, toast, and peace.

👃 The One Downside: Sometimes — just sometimes — there’s a faint lingering scent of last night’s bar crowd. It’s not overwhelming, but it’s there. Let’s just call it… ambiance...

April 14, 2025. Son and I stopped by for lunch (Our first visit). At first glance, this place hasn't been touched since it opened probably back in the 70s. The light fixtures are old, the chairs are showing signs of fatigue. The loud country music was very distracting. No one to greet us. We sat in a "booth" We were presented with the menu which was pretty boring. I ordered the steak and salad wrap with a side Poutine, my son ordered the cheese burger with fries. Coke and Sprite (glass) Waiting time was reasonable however the food was very disappointing. As for the wrap; not sure what cut of beef they use but it was stringy and tough to chew and over cooked. Whatever salad dressing they used, it was tangy, runny and the lettuce was soggy. Way too much pepper was used. I'd rate it 1 out of 10. The poutine; the gravy wasn't homemade. I counted 18 tiny cheese curds. I'd give it 3 out of 10. As for the burger: Cleary this was a frozen patty. Wrong type of lettuce, the cheese hadn't fully melted and the bun wasn't fresh: 2 out 10 We saw the waitress once and that was when she took our order. Never came to check if things were okay or not. I left half of my wrap as I couldn't stand the taste. I walked to the bar to pay. No idea what this waitress was doing. Paid my bill and the way we went. In general I give this place a 2 out of 10 Not worth the $60 and not worth...