La Cabaña — Restaurant in Ottawa

So let this review be proclaimed, as the one true above all. The unholy sacrilege that is the sad unfortunate excuse for what is a pupusa, is what you have here. Ive tried a many in my life and its exetremley diffcult to make one poorly, even for a novice. Unless that is... if you take no care nor the passion for making this delicacy. But enough with my self righteous proclamations on my pedestaled dish. Just by matter of facts now, yes? Atmosphere: has quite literally not changed in over a decade, legitimately. It has no air of authenticity, it has the products but not the soul. The service was.. lack luster would be a compliment. These poor children wouldnt know hospitality and customer service if it was being served to them. The server was nice in generic sense but there was no semblance of good service. I mean no regards to being personable, slow. Theres no flow no customer consideration no sign whether to be seated or not and no one at the ready to welcome you. We waited so long for a bill and it turns you have to go up to the counter, mala mia for not asking while waiting but we couldve walked out. She had cleared our table but nothing. To begin food wise it took too long i get how theyre cooked and the process but it... was so disappointing.

Now for the figurative meat and potatoes folks. Which i prefaced above. Down to facts though it was terrible food the pupsas were not pupusad they were ...bad. It was disgustingly oily I felt ill for the remainder of the evening. My stomach was upset. The food was tasteless, plain and simply lacking the soul of this remarkable and tradtional dish. the traditional sides were completeley wrong, i mean Regional differences are a welcomed innovation in cuisine but wrong is wrong. The tomato sauce was just glorified garbage ketchup and the pickled cabage the that serves as the perfect paring was done improperly no more needs to be said. It was just comprably bad to the original masterpiece. It was bad period. There was no care or regard for the tradtion and heritage that is a cornerstone in the salvadorean cuisine. It sullied the good name and disappoints. Those who say otherwise simply are unaware of where the true magic of this dish resides. This is without malice, or disdain. Just simple factual observation...

I've been coming to this restaurant for years and years, since I've been a child really. Unfortunately going there for years means that I've seen the decline in quality over the years. The dine in experience has always left a bit to be desired, mostly because it takes so long for the food to get made so you'd be waiting nearly an hour for the food to come out, even when there weren't many people in the place.

The decline has usually been caused by financial reasons, i.e. food prices going up, and portion sizes going down, however today's decline was due to the quality or consistency.

(I'll speak only on this time's experience and not my past experiences in this place) The first mistake came when we ordered pupusas with pork and beans and they came with only pork, for me it wasn't a big deal but others really wanted more than just pork in there. Pupusas are always served with a tomato sauce and a pickled cabbage salad called Curtido. Although the flavour of the curtido was good, it was definitely overly spicy. The curtido has always had a nice little kick of spice, but this time I kept sweating with the littlest bit of curtido with a big bite of pupusa. The curtido is essential for eating pupusas as it brings a level of freshness with the heavy and fried pupusa, so determined to eat the curtido, I decided to put it in a strainer and to wash it with water so as to remove the spice; doing this helped, but the spice was still prevalent and I could still only eat about a tablespoon of it as opposed to my usual 1cm layer of curtido that I've always done.

I'm hoping this was just a one-time mistake and not how La Cabana always operates. I would say that despite my review, it is still very worth it to come and try the food, especially the pupusas, but maybe ask if they can make the curtido less spicy... Don't skip...

The Cabaña restaurant in Ottawa offers a delightful escape into a world of vibrant flavors and a charming ambiance that seems to whisk you away from the bustle of the city. Nestled in a cozy corner of the city, this quaint eatery serves up a fusion of traditional and contemporary dishes that are both innovative and satisfying.

The interior of Cabaña is tastefully decorated with a touch of rustic elegance, creating a warm and inviting atmosphere. The lighting is soft and the seating comfortable, making it an ideal spot for both romantic dinners and casual gatherings.

The menu is a standout, featuring a variety of dishes that cater to all tastes. The seafood is particularly notable, with the grilled octopus and scallops receiving rave reviews for their freshness and flavor. Vegetarians and meat lovers alike will find plenty to savor, from the creatively assembled salads to the richly marinated steaks.

Service at Cabaña is attentive without being intrusive. The staff is knowledgeable about the menu, happily providing recommendations and accommodating dietary restrictions with ease.

Desserts are not to be missed, with the chocolate lava cake and the homemade sorbets being popular choices to finish off a meal.

Overall, Cabaña is a gem in Ottawa's dining scene, offering an experience that is both gastronomically satisfying and aesthetically pleasing. Whether you're a local or just passing through, a meal here promises to...