elgin street diner

if you ask anyone about elgin street diner you will hear about the esd poutine - by far the best thing to eat after drinking. its a huge portion of fried with fresh st.albert cheese curds and special-recipe gravy. after you try it once, you'll make a frequent stop at esd after the bar. i have seen the spoked meat poutine and the four cheese poutine - really you cant go wrong with any o

welcome to meh-lgin street. this is diner food for people who don't ask for much but an ok cheeseburger with too many fries. nothing wrong with that, but not something i'd go out of my way for.

and the famous poutine? maybe when you have no other option, and are drunk as a lord. during daylight hours, there are at least half a dozen chip trucks in centretown more than capable of producing the real thing.

hey - taste is personal. i just wish this legendary spot was a little more special once the food arrived. for me, it's part of the old ottawa scene that didn't really care.

great poutine. i've never had anything else off the menu. the poutine is what they're famous for and they do it very very well.

esd special with caramelized onions and bacon, doesn't get much better. only issue is they maintain a moronic no free refills on soft drinks policy dating back to the early 90's.

awful poutine. i have to agree with the reviewer who was disappointed with the fries. re: poutine; not real curds. lousy. disappointing. invest in the real thing please~

great diner food. been here a bunch of times and never had a bad meal. great poutine, and diner-style sandwiches, burgers etc. open 24 hours too

great for experiences. there are a number of items on the menu that i've had over the past two years since i started making this a regular stop. my favourite is the farmers' benedict that is served on weekends and holidays. for diner fare, the food is decent albeit at a bit of a premium.

perhaps the most outstanding feature of the place is the staff. you can expect to see the same staff there on each visit, which to me means that they are happy. and, if the owner's public appearances are any indication of how he operates behind closed doors, my guess is that he treats them well.

if you like to watch local colour, this place is fun late at night or early in the morning.

the only drawback is that the washrooms are terrible and need a significant overhaul.

i was tempted to try out the hangover special, which includes poutine instead of home fries. however, i couldn't justify the extra $4.

luv this place. the absolute best poutine and sandwiches in ottawa.
real diner staff, never write anything down, fast and friendly all the time..(even 2:00 am when i am a wreck)

i am completely addicted to the hangover special and the farmers benny (sundays only)
as far as diners go this is 5 stars

not bad, nothing amazing. if you're the type that avoids dinners, u can avoid this one too. reuben's was good. the poutine sauce was weird. fries not bad. 7/10

amazing poutine. i can't comment on much else but their poutine, but i'm a huge poutine fan and have loved every one that i've tried. the smoked meat poutine is great, especially at 3am after the bars. love this place.

24 hrs is a plus. went to this place because of the popularity surrounding it. didn't really know what to expect but now that i've been there i don't regret going. the interior fits the stereotypical greasy spoon restaurant. it is clean, the decor is something back from days yonder and the staff is friendly.

my wife had the burger special and i had the mexican burger with an upgraded poutine. my wife didn't care much for the burger at all, as she said it tasted like meatloaf. i on the other hand, actually really liked my mexican burger. it was a marinated piece of chicken topped with a salsa and guacamole. i found it to be very tasty. the poutine was good too although i would say it is a tad on the salty side.

a few points of note;
people have commented on how they remember everything. my waiter must have had an off day because he messed up my order (although corrected it quickly)
the prices here are about 3-4 overpriced in my opinion. my sandwich was $13 i believe with an extra $3.50 to upgrade that to a poutine.

overall the food is fine but i don't know how often i'd go to pay that much for a diner dinner. i dunno, i may be getting cheaper as i age.

amazing poutine but i think the rest is over priced for what it is.

be there anytime (even after the bars and clubs!) for friendly professional service. food is pretty good.

not great - not bad. an interesting place and an overall solid diner... even at 3:00am. :-)

classic dinner fare. not great, not bad ... you go for the colour.