Elmdale Oyster House & Tavern — Restaurant in Ottawa

October 18, 2019 I almost didn't order one because we have free pizza in the office today, but I caved. I guess it's celery sticks for dinner tonight. Thank you for the exquisite Fried Chicken Sandwich, Elmdale!

October 4, 2019 I thought I started a diet, so I missed last Payday Friday, but I couldn't stay away. I tried the "Le Petit Matt" burger for the first time and it was melt in your mouth tender and juicy. Also, we let our co-worker try the sweet potato fries and I think she is running over now for an order.

September 6, 2019 Payday Friday Fried Chicken Sandwiches and Sweet Potato Fries were awesome! Thank you!

August 23rd, 2019 (2nd visit) My boyfriend and I stopped for a late night takeout snack. We got 3 Fried Chicken Sandwiches and an order of fries. I think you know by now that I like the Fried Chicken sandwich, but I thought I would leave a note that the fries and classic garlic aioli that come with them are very good!

August 23rd, 2019 (1st visit) We had the delish Fried Chicken Sandwiches again for lunch today. So good! We also tried the sweet potato fries and I love them! They are like tempura style and so crispy (even though we got take-out!), and they come with this awesome roasted red pepper sambal aioli (correct me if I am wrong about the flavours). Happy Birthday to me! See you again soon.

August 15th, 2019 I took my Aunt for buck-a-shuck and we indulged to say the least. I tried the famous jerk chicken wings and they are really good. We also tried the calamari and escargot; they weren't anything special - but we enjoyed the whole experience. We will be back!

August 9th, 2019 We just ordered take-out Fried Chicken Sandwiches and Lobster Rolls for our office across the street and they were amazing. Great reviews from the whole team. Thank you for making our Friday! See you again soon.

June 24, 2014 Yummy Dinner. I went back to The Elmdale Oyster House on Saturday night with two co-workers. Since Big Daddy's closed we have been trying out restaurants with oysters on the menu and this is a great option. We had a bunch of small plates to share: -Smoked Fish and Mackerel Rilette Platter -Salt Fish Fritters -KFC Oysters -Scallop Ceviche -Dirty Mussels -AND of course a dozen oysters (from BC) I decided on my last visit that pacific oysters are my favourite so we ordered the whole dozen in oysters from BC. They were amazing. My co-workers loved that scotch was served instead of vodka as it is a much better match for the flavour. We all loved the scotch bonnet hot sauce and the red wine sauce. The dirty mussels (play on dirty martini) were more for my co-workers, but I tried the broth. It was just plain, but they enjoyed them. I thought the scallop ceviche was great. I would want the whole portion to myself though because I only got three little slices of scallop. The pairing with avocado and jalapeno was great. The "KFC" oysters were fantastic. Again I would want this portion all to myself because they were so good. But I didn't mind sharing as I will have LOTS in NOLA in 39 days!! :) The Salt Cod Fritters were yummy, but needed more salt. I think they were soaking too long and lost too much salt. I almost wanted to grab the salt shaker, but they have great potential. I loved the Mackerel Rillette in the platter. There wasn't really enough of everything for us to have a tasteful portion, but it was still good. Our server was very attentive. He overheard all of our compliments and made sure to join our conversations. It was great service. My co-workers had a really hard time seeing me as the sun was behind me, maybe different window features or more lighting is needed. I didn't mind that they couldn't see me though. Haha. I will be back!

June 13, 2014 Very Good Lunch. I took my Dad here for an early Father's Day present. I tried BC Oysters for the first time and I...

My experience at Elmdale Oyster House & Tavern was disappointing, primarily due to poor service and inadequate seating. From the start, my two girlfriends and I felt ignored. After our initial greeting and placing an order, our original server was nowhere to be found. We had to flag down staff every time we needed something, whether it was water or ordering another menu item.

When it was time for the bill, the server (a taller man who was primarily tending the bar) failed to split shared items and placed everything on one check. We waited about 10 minutes for him to return, but he never did. I eventually went to the bar, where I found him taking a shot with another customer. When he finally brought the corrected bill, he didn’t acknowledge or apologize for the mistake.

Adding to the disappointment was our seating arrangement. We were placed at an undersized high-top table by the window, right next to the entrance. Every time the door opened, a rush of cold air came in, making it feel at least 10 degrees colder than the rest of the restaurant. A heater or better zoning of that space would have made a huge difference, or at the very least, the restaurant should discount this area given its significantly lower comfort level. In the winter, adequate heating near the entrance is essential if the space is being used for dining.

On a positive note, the food was good and met expectations based on online reviews. However, while the quality was solid, it wasn’t exceptional enough to make up for the poor service and uncomfortable environment. There are plenty of restaurants in Ottawa that offer a far better overall dining experience.

Overall, while the food was enjoyable, the lack of attentiveness and poor seating left a lot to be desired. There are much better places in Ottawa for a night out, ones that prioritize both service and comfort, which is especially important in the winter. At nearly $70 per person, Elmdale Oyster House & Tavern simply...

I was part of the table that was unsatisfied with the whole experience last night, right below. Funny how perceptions are... Nobody at the table swore or was rude, I don't how the manager feel ok to write that. We simply stated that a 30$ crab dish with very little meat was not impressive. The server kindly offered to replace with something else and given we were not satisfied with the whole experience - bread was stale, fries were burnt, servers were rude - we chose to decline. This is when the manager (I suppose he was the manager) came and showed the way out, with his thumb, saying : "We'll take care of the bill, just get out". So kudos to the manager for offering to cover the charges but it's flabbergasting that you would not be interested in why the experience was not good for us. Bottom line : bad restaurant, bad food, bad service. No interest in finding out how the experience was not good, which is concerning : no chance of getting any better. So many good restaurants in Ottawa, just skip this one : not worth it. And important note : I left my reading glasses on the table and they got rid of them. It's ok to not be happy with us as customers, it is dishonest to throw away a perfectly good pair of reading glasses that are worth 200$. Basic integrity requires a minimum of decency which the management of this...