Moose McGuire's Huntclub — Restaurant in Ottawa

Went to this restaurant for their advertised mother’s days brunch. First be forewarned, this restaurant is not fully accessible for people with mobility impairments.

We were looking forward to a good brunch. Selection was minimal.

White bread stacked on a plate, no tongs.

Bacon, half crispy half not. They were ok.

Sausage links. Cooked ok.

Eggs? Bin was empty when we arrived, empty when we all went to get food, and remained empty for close to half an hour.

Some variation of quiche but it was cold.

Pancakes that were one step shy of being raw. Couldn’t even pick one up without them crumbling apart in lumps of dough.

French toast, although it should just be called wet egg bread, because the bread was pure mush, no cinnamon no nutmeg nothing. Tasted like the bread was dipped in water and tossed In a cold pan.

Breakfast potatoes. Basic, but edible.

Random bowl of fruit, most of which you had to pick through with your hands.

Jar of maple syrup that sat empty for half an hour even after asking two people for more (asked for them to bring me some and of course never did)

Some cookies that were the only thing not under cooked if anything they were short of being burnt.

Some random little cakes.

And at the end when the place was empty and everyone was leaving they had croissants turned into sandwhiches but no one had a clue what kind, just some random grey stuff inside. Fish? Turkkey? Who knows.

Oh and a plate with raw tuna for those who like fish. But no one dared eat it. If they can’t get pancakes right no one was going to risk raw fish.

Service was ok when they came and checked on us. Which was seldom. Got coffee when we arrived, no one offered anything else. Kids left with nothing to drink for the first 15 minutes.

Finally got our own pot of coffee, but no creamers no sugar. When we asked the server came back and literally tossed a bowl of creamers into the table and said “there was some right here on the empty table” that someone else was just eating at.

In the end, I would never darken their doorstep again. There was nearly nothing for vegan eaters or glutten intolerance - not even allowed to order from the menu.

Don’t know how they stay open, but I’ll guess it’s where they all go to drink and don’t care about service or quality.

Gave two stars only because it was easy to book a reservation for a large family, and ample parking right at the door (which should have been signs of what to expect)

Avoid at all...

It's a lounge, it's a restaurant, it's a live music venue, it's a sports bar. No, it's Mooooooose McGuire's!!!

How they have managed to make it all these things is beyond me. But do it, they have. At any given moment you can move around the place and the atmosphere changes.

Not the most handicap friendly, but the staff sure do try to accommodate.I have to say the staff make your visit more than just a meal. They are friendly but not intrusive. They have opinions about their favourite choices and are not afraid to tell you.

My dining partners that evening ordered the Fish and Chips, the BBQ Bacon Burger and I had the Beef Dip Sandwich because I had heard it was awesome. They were right.

The burger was hand made on the spot and we were told it would take a few more minutes than the other entrées. Nice touch. It was a towering piece of heaven which included a huge onion ring on it.

The fish (Haddock) was nice and crisp and the fish flaky and not overdone. They have a special cole slaw made with red cabbage that they serve. I sneaked a little taste and it was really good. There was an ingredient in the dressing that I couldn't quite put my finger on, but it "made" the slaw. Not your standard side dish afterthought.

The Beef Dip came and was a little larger than I anticipated. Filled with shaved melt-in-your-mouth beef. The Dip was flavourful and not too greasy. Perfect for dipping.

2 out of 3 of us loved the fries; the one is particularly fussy about her food. But she loved the fish and the cole slaw, which is saying something.

One should note that their coffee is exceptionally strong. Great for those of us that like it that way.

All in all we will be going back. There is enough on their menu to keep me happily trying their fare for...

My cousin, a bit of a regular at Moose McGuires, suggested we go there for a meal and a couple beers to catch up during my visit from Australia. It was a perfect relaxed setting, a bit rustic and comfortable, with none of the fake pretense you get from the roadhouse chains. Our server was friendly and efficient. The beer menu falls a bit short if you are looking for a craft beer selection, but I found a nice amber that fit the bill for me. They carry all the mainstream commercial stuff if that is your thing. They apparently have meal specials every or most nights. I ordered a pound of wings to start, and they were excellent. They are a weekly special apparently - not this night, but they are not overpriced. Wednesday had half price fish and chips, which made it $8 each... and this was incredible value. The beer battered haddock was excellent, with 2 large pieces accompanied with good fries. I've paid 3 times that much for much poorer quality. A band was just firing up as we left around 9PM, so if live music in a small intimate venue is your thing, make sure you check what is on. Overall, I had a good evening at Moose McGuires and would happily head there again... will just be hoping they have a bit more on the...