Garden Berry Cafe Ottawa — Restaurant in Ottawa

You should know that this visit happened on a holiday weekend with a staff shortage we were only aware of when we complained about our experience. We were offered a chance to speak to the owner but I just wanted to go home.

I really wanted to like this place and I'm willing to return to see if my experience was a fluke. But it was a big flop for me. It's located inside what looks like a Mexican restaurant, unless the pyramid from Chichén Itzá has some breakfast significance I've failed to grasp. Maybe theyre still working on the decor. We didn't mind the wait to be seated because a busy restaurant is usually a good sign but we were seated at a dirty table and no one ever came to clear the dirty bowls of empty creamer containers. Our server arrived promptly to take our drink order and followed up to take our breakfast order. The food came out from the kitchen quickly, (maybe too quickly, because the home fried potatoes were a little crunchy) but we couldn't eat it because we had no cutlery. We flagged down our server and asked for forks. She apologized and walked away to another table to take their order, completely forgetting about us. Tired of waiting, I went to the counter and plucked my own out of the bins. We never received our breakfast sides, nor the juice I ordered, but which showed up on my bill. Then came the challenge of communicating this with the manager who spoke no English. A hostess came over to try and translate. God love her. She deserves a raise. We managed to get out of there less the cost of one absent OJ and our return visit is questionable. The food we did receive was edible, minus the...

The food was okay, but the overall experience was completely ruined by how shady the billing process felt. They sneakily increased the prices of items on the bill, clearly hoping customers won’t notice. When I pointed it out, they feigned confusion and promised to 'check on it,' but it was obvious they knew exactly what they were doing. Even after addressing it, they didn’t fully remove the extra charges. ($3.00 plus $1.37 supplemental fee.)

On top of that, what even is a 'supplemental fee'? At first, I thought it might be for service, but isn’t that what tips are for? I'm not getting delivery. This fee felt completely unjustified. It wasn’t explained, and it felt like just another way to nickel-and-dime customers. These little upcharges may seem minor, but they undoubtedly add up fast for the restaurant, padding their bottom line with every unsuspecting customer.

I can't think of another restaurant in town that has any hidden fees or upcharges.

To put this in perspective, I can have a full meal for two with an appetizer at Cracker Barrel for $45—or spend even less at the highway for much better food and service. This place is overpriced and reeks of dishonesty. Definitely not worth the hassle or the cost. This is my second time here; I won't be...

We came back to give this place one more shot after a sub par experience on opening week and unfortunately nothing seems to have changed. The staff is extremely friendly and work fast however the food is just below mediocre. They seem to have a quantity over quality mentality here as you get a great amount of food, taking home left overs is almost guaranteed. After trying the Stuffed French toast and not being wowed originally I opted for the Tijuana Omelet this go around and was disappointed by the lack of flavor and chewy steak. The California crepe was also unfortunate in the flavor department somehow being too sweet for its savory ingredients. The hollandaise sauce on top was bland and tasted off when spread over the too sweet crepe. However the diced potatoes are fantastic perfectly seasoned and crispy without being too oily and the bacons and sausage always come out perfectly. In all it’s a fine place with great workers and fast cooks but the food just isn’t great especially...