Eggspectation - Ottawa

Restaurant · Centretown

Eggspectation - Ottawa

Restaurant · Centretown
171 Bank St, Ottawa, ON K2P 1W5, Canada

Photos

Eggspectation - Ottawa by null
Eggspectation - Ottawa by null
Eggspectation - Ottawa by null
Eggspectation - Ottawa by null
Eggspectation - Ottawa by null
Eggspectation - Ottawa by null
Eggspectation - Ottawa by null
Eggspectation - Ottawa by null
Eggspectation - Ottawa by null
Eggspectation - Ottawa by null
Eggspectation - Ottawa by null
Eggspectation - Ottawa by null
Eggspectation - Ottawa by null
Eggspectation - Ottawa by null
Eggspectation - Ottawa by null
Eggspectation - Ottawa by null
Eggspectation - Ottawa by null
Eggspectation - Ottawa by null
Eggspectation - Ottawa by null
Eggspectation - Ottawa by null
Eggspectation - Ottawa by null
Eggspectation - Ottawa by null
Eggspectation - Ottawa by null
Eggspectation - Ottawa by null
Eggspectation - Ottawa by null
Eggspectation - Ottawa by null
Eggspectation - Ottawa by null
Eggspectation - Ottawa by null
Eggspectation - Ottawa by null
Eggspectation - Ottawa by null
Eggspectation - Ottawa by null
Eggspectation - Ottawa by null
Eggspectation - Ottawa by null
Eggspectation - Ottawa by null
Eggspectation - Ottawa by null
Eggspectation - Ottawa by null
Eggspectation - Ottawa by null
Eggspectation - Ottawa by null
Eggspectation - Ottawa by null
Eggspectation - Ottawa by null
Eggspectation - Ottawa by null
Eggspectation - Ottawa by null
Eggspectation - Ottawa by null

Highlights

Stylish chain serving egg-focused breakfast, American lunch & dinner.  

Placeholder
Placeholder

171 Bank St, Ottawa, ON K2P 1W5, Canada Get directions

eggspectation.ca
@eggspectationca

CA$20–30 · Menu

Information

Static Map

171 Bank St, Ottawa, ON K2P 1W5, Canada Get directions

+1 613 569 6505
eggspectation.ca
@eggspectationca

CA$20–30 · Menu

Features

wifi
payment credit card
Tap to pay
reservations

Last updated

Aug 23, 2025

Powered By

You might also like

Terms of Use • Privacy Policy • Cookie Policy
 © 2025 Postcard Technologies, Inc.

Danika Lorrain

Google
The food was delicious! Service was very nice and fast. The potatoes tasted buttery and they are crispy, loved the onion, great addition! French toast were thick and fluffy.

aymika lacroix

Google
--- Disappointing and Unsettling Experience Stopped in for lunch and ordered the chicken club sandwich — the chicken was extremely chewy and tasted overcooked or old. The table was sticky when we sat down, which was already off-putting. We also ordered five chicken fingers but only received two. After pointing it out and asking for the remaining three, they only brought out two more — still short. To make things worse, there was a hair floating in my water, and the bathrooms were dirty and clearly not maintained. I even started feeling sick not long after eating. The staff was polite enough, but between the food issues, cleanliness, and mix-ups with the order, the whole lunch just wasn’t worth the money. I won’t be returning.

P.I.M. Weimar

Google
The service was outstanding! The food was delicious! We were so pleasantly surprised with this experience! Thank you very much to everyone working there this morning!

Rich Irving

Google
Had brunch here and it was great! Loved the food, staff were friendly and helpful. Great spot

Goeun Choi

Google
I went to second floor, it has good vibe with a lot of big windows! I ordered a mushroom burger! It is big for the price and the taste was not bad! I like sweet potatoes so I upgraded. It has too much pepper taste but how it fried was perfect for me.

Shehzana Bawa

Google
Just after reaching Ottawa I was looking for a lunch place open on a Sunday near my hotel. This place was the nearest and had good menu to offer. Reached the place and got seated in minutes. Ordered mushroom melt burger combo for lunch and as I am a sweet tooth ordered french toast for dessert. The food came after a long waiting time of almost 45 minutes. The food was not piping hot and as I was very hungry I had the food without any further delays. Mushroom melt burger was average tasting, slightly bitter tasting, felt like burnt patty. Fries were cold, not freshly cooked. French toast was okay. I felt disappointed and realized this place has better breakfast options than main course. Service was slow although the place was not very busy during lunchtime. Music was a little loud. Overall it is a better option for breakfast than lunch.

J. Lamar H.

Google
From the silent traveler to all of you be well, be safe, be positive. This is a place if you like a good breakfast and you love eggs this is the right place for you. I've been to quite a few breakfast places but this is one that has a great atmosphere good service great attitudes amongst the staff very pleasant place to be with family friends or just yourself when you want to get away from things. As you can see from the pictures I had the monster all you can eat meat omelette. I say all you can eat but trust me it's not but you will feel like that after eating that monster of an omelette. It filled me up 10 times over as if I was at a buffet bar. Also what I didn't get in the picture was I got a green smoothie they also have a green juice as well which is really good to try out a highly recommend this place if you are in the area you can't and will not go wrong.

nanc.y.b

Google
Busy location! The restaurant is in an older building in a very busy part of town. The room is very large and offers little soundproofing. The food was great as was our service!
google avatar

Christy M.

Yelp
I stopped in for a late breakfast while traveling alone for business. The food and service were amazing. The eggs Benedict was huge and I opted for fruit rather than potatoes. I couldn't believe the large amount of fruit i got! I got a chocolate and banana crepe to go (snack in my hotel room) and that tasted great and was huge. I can't wait to travel to Ottawa again so I can go here for breakfast or lunch.
google avatar

Emily H.

Yelp
I went in for lunch at around 11 am. Only two other tables than myself. It took about 15 minutes to get a water, and another 2 to put in an order. i got the classic eggs benedict with ham and it had cheese on it, which was weird. I thought the cheese would only be included with the florentine version, but i guess that's on me. the eggs were poached medium (no runny yolk), which i hadn't asked for, and the english muffin wasn't toasted. the home fries were good though. not sure if the restaurant was trying to go for a "rustic" feel, but if it was, it failed. the restaurant looks old and beaten up. i don't think i would return to eat here.
google avatar

Michelle R.

Yelp
I usually go to this Eggspectation and I always get a good service and a nice breakfast. It's located in the Ottawa downtown so it's close to hotels, shops and restaurants. Depending on the time of the day, you will find it busy or not. The place is clean and well-maintained. Service is good and fast and the staff is nice. Prices are the standard ones for a brunch place. Their menu is pretty good with options such as Benedict eggs, pancakes, French toast, etc. Also, their drink menu is quite diverse with options like non-alcoholic beverages like smoothies, juices, coffees and teas and also, drinks as mimosas. I got the Classic Benedict eggs with the Café Au Lait and everything was good and delicious. I would recommend it if you ever find yourself wanting a fast and good breakfast.
google avatar

Massiel R.

Yelp
Good food, the poutine here in Ottawa is different tho. They make good drinks and food was good. Good option and a lot of food. Waitress was really nice and help to choose
google avatar

Eric L.

Yelp
We had a great brunch here after walking down from the parliament building and watching the marching ceremony. I was surprised to see how bad the reviews are for this place since we love Eggspectations in Montréal. I did spot a few recent reviews by elite and other prolific reviewers which reassured me it would be a good meal. The children's menu was a great bang for the buck. My son had 2 eggs over easy with 2 big strips of bacon, 3 pieces of fresh fruit (cantaloupe, pineapple and melon) and delicious home fries for only $7.50 I had excellent refillable coffee, and the lobster benny. The taste was a bit cheesy for me and the $30 price was high but the 2 poached eggs were good and the lobster meat tasted good. I also had the fruit and fries accompaniments. My wife had spinach and grilled chicken crepe which was delicious. So far it's been our best meal in Ottawa. The service was great too. Our server was very friendly and helpful.
google avatar

Hubert T.

Yelp
As it's name would suggest, this business specializes in breakfasts/brunches, and the variety and selection of their menu shows it. Lots of variations of eggs benedicts & omelettes, as well as classic pancakes, waffles, steak & eggs. The food is every bit as delicious as their plating in the photos suggests.... But seriously, I gotta take a star off for service! WHY do you serve coffee/tea in tiny teensy little mugs? And if you're going to insist on using children sized mugs, why are you not more attentive to topping up our mugs? And when a table of three asks for sugar and cream to go with the coffee/tea, you bring us a tiny teensy bowl with only three each splenda, sugar, milk and cream.... Why!?!? Other than that tiny teensy blemish, my group enjoyed an excellent brunch experience, will probably come again!
google avatar

Lynn W.

Yelp
Awesome!! my grandchildren always want to go here when we are in the area! Super great place! Five star! Everybody always seems to have a great time!
google avatar

Jessica L.

Yelp
This review is from my experience a few years ago, but it needs to be said. I have a shellfish allergy, a serious, I will die allergy. Now before you get on me, I'm not the type to demand you cater to me. If you can't accommodate me, that's okay I'll eat elsewhere, just tell me. I noticed they were making lobster dishes as it was in season, so I brought it up to the waitress that it was a serious severe allergy. She assured me it would be fine, and so I ordered a breakfast plate, eggs, bacon, home fries and toast. As I'm eating with my friend and husband I start scratching my neck, not really clueing into it. My friend sitting across from me told me I was starting to look puffy. I had to run to the pharmacy and chug a bottle of Benadryl to help keep me from having to use an epi pen. When I brought that up with my waitress she fought me on it, saying there was no way that happened because the staff knew it was an allergy. But my face and throat said otherwise, obviously there was a slip up somewhere. Management did reach out to apologize and offered me a gift certificate but there's no way I was ever eating there again. I write this to say, if you have allergies, do not eat there it's not worth the risk. Now if you don't have allergies; the food was okay, nothing spectacular but wasn't bad either. I'm still gonna give it one star because well they almost killed me so.
google avatar

Andrew L.

Yelp
My local friend recommended this place. You can always see a lineup at this spot, a good sign that it's popular. When I arrived, the 10:30am crowd had left but they didn't let many go in. When we finally entered and asked to sit in second floor, there were plenty of empty tables! Staff frequently checked and topped up coffee and water. I ordered smoked salmon Benedict which was delicious. The baked potato slices were not too dry. Overall experience would have been 5 stars, but the front counter staff that handles the lines had a bit of an attitude so it lost a star from that. Other wait staff were fabulous.
google avatar

Alex N.

Yelp
One of the best breakfast/brunch restaurants that I have been to (in terms of taste alone) Food: Blackstone eggs - 5/5 - very delicious, fresh, high quality and beautiful presentation Eggs Florentine - 5/5 - very delicious, fresh, high quality and beautiful presentation Bravocado - 5/5 - very delicious, fresh, high quality and beautiful presentation Waffle bacon Benedict- 5/5 - very delicious, fresh, high quality and beautiful presentation; waffle is very fluffy and aromatic Crab cake Benedict - 2/5 - coming from Maryland, home of Maryland style crab cakes, this couldn't compare at because it didn't have the jumbo lump crab taste rather it was quite breaded and flour-y Eggspectation burger - 5/5 - very delicious, fresh, high quality and beautiful presentation Chicken arugula pasta - 3.5/5 - good, not exceptional... anything that doesn't feature egg isn't really recommended LOL. Juice bar: delicious options like go bananas, page paradise, tropical teaser Service: Canadian hospitality - friendly and patient! Ambience: Rustic and spacious; closes around 3pm Downtown Ottawa location - super convenient walk away from the main government tourist sites

Mark A.

Yelp
I ordered grapefruit juice and crab cake Benedict. Both are on the menu but are no longer being served...why? Just put a line through them on the menu. Otherwise the food and service was pretty good overall.
google avatar

Wendy L.

Yelp
Eggspectation is a great generic breakfast place that will work for anyone who is looking for a basic breakfast for everyone in the family. My friends will usually go for the bigger dinner menus, but I usually go for the basic breakfast. For about $10, you can get basic eggs, ham, baked beans and home fries. it is very filling and if you want to make any changes, it is super easy to customize. They have a really neat interior and a second floor that is well spaced out. Hopefully will be able to go with friends again when the pandemic/lockdown is over!
google avatar

Anita C.

Yelp
I had the waffle benedict and it was pretty good! The food came out in a timely manner. We sat on the second level so there were stairs to walk up to get to our seats. Plenty of tables to hold larger groups but I would suggest making a reservation since it can get busy as it is situated downtown. They were able to take our reservation on a Saturday. If you're fortunate to get a table by the windows you get a nice view of downtown. We happened to be visiting during the Santa Claus parade so we got a good view. The menu is large and full of variety to fit dietary needs. It was definitely a struggle to pick just one thing to try. I will have to be back to try other things on the menu. The interior decor is simple and a little dated but there is nothing wrong with that. The place was clean and that is all that matters. The service was good and our waitress was very friendly. The hostess however...could smile a little more and be a little bit more friendly. It seemed like she was having a bad day.

Ron W.

Yelp
Visited this location on 4/23/23 and was appalled at how mismanaged it was. We arrived at approximately 12:30, a party of 3 and we were told it would be a 30 minute wait. We said fine and the girl took down our name. After 10 minutes the girl disappeared upstairs and never returned. Tables on the main level were emptying out and being cleaned but nobody was being seated. Soon after, an employee (waiter ?) from upstairs would come downstairs every few minutes and randomly ask people (some that arrived after us) how many in their party and then take them upstairs. The 30 minutes were up, the girl at the desk never returned, no more names were crossed off on her list so we gave up and went to Tim Horton's. We will never return to this location.
google avatar

Alex C.

Yelp
I came here because my girlfriend had a good experience at the Toronto location. Food was subpar and the place was run in an amateurish way. Food was lukewarm when I got it, food was handled in an unsanitary manner (specifically the toasted bread), and food was not prepared well. I had the Meat Lovers omelette and the omelette wasn't soft and flavourful. It was hard and dry. I didn't finish it. Front of staff prepares the toast served to customers with their bare hands. The kitchen should be handling the bread instead of the front of house staff. The front of house touches dirty dishes, money, and other things that don't mix with food. Therefore, I didn't eat the toasted bread. The booths are terribly uncomfortable. They had cafeteria type tables where they kept bread, cups, and random items. It seemed the staff kept their own personal belongings out in the open in the restaurant. I saw staff keep food on this cafeteria table, which they would eat during their shift. Not acceptable and not professional. I would not come back here again.
google avatar

Beth R.

Yelp
Loved this place! Our waiter was really kind, the food was great! The potatoes were phenomenal. The restaurant is really spacious, especially with the COVID accommodations.
google avatar

Pitseolak P.

Yelp
Cockroaches in your restaurant this morning. "I'm not paying". "We're not expecting you to". Ya think? Never coming back.

H L.

Yelp
Poor portion and quality for the price they ask for. 3 cold and very dry pancakes with what tastes like corn syrup. Will not return. If you do go then best order with zero eggspectations.
google avatar

HM M.

Yelp
Nice spot for breakfast and brunch. The atmosphere inside is very cosy especially on a rainy day. Nice view of bank street from the top floor. They have good breakfast and the service is friendly. I went here on a weekday morning and it wasn't too busy. But I suppose it gets busier on weekends.
google avatar

Alexandra K.

Yelp
We were sitted right next to the front entrance, it was extremely cold and windy. When asked to be moved, the staff refused "because of Covid". On top if that, the phone kept ringing right next to us. We ended up taking our food and leaving. Very disappointing experience
google avatar

Amanda B.

Yelp
I just went here last week and I had the best experience! It was Sunday around noon, and as you would expect, the place was packed - both floors. There were a bunch of people near the door, waiting to be seated, so we asked the lady at the front how long of a wait it would be. She said 10 minutes, and I was pretty skeptical because of all of the people, but we said sure, anyway. To my surprise, we did only wait 10 minutes! It took a little while to look over the menu and decide what to order, but I was set on ordering some type of Eggs Benedict. I ordered the Boca Raton Benedict, which was two poached eggs on English muffins with spinach, guacamole, Gruyere cheese, and Hollandaise sauce. It also came with roasted potatoes, a slice of honeydew melon, and an orange slice. I'm the kind of person that always needs to eat meat, so I ordered some ham on the side. I'm also not a coffee drinker, but I was feeling really tired, so I asked for a Caffè Moka Nero, which is actually espresso and hot chocolate with whipped cream, instead of just coffee. Our server asked me if I wanted a cup or a bowl, and I chose bowl, but I thought it was cool that I had a choice. My boyfriend ordered the All American breakfast, with scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage, ham, roasted potatoes, baked beans, and melon and orange slices. They put the baked beans in a small little plastic cup, and I thought it was great that they separated them, since restaurants usually just slap it on the plate with the rest of the food. It took less than 10 minutes for our food to get to our table. It was hot and fast, and was absolutely delicious. I'd never had Eggs Benedict with guacamole before, and this may be a bold statement, but I do believe it's my new favorite! The potatoes weren't greasy, there was far more ham than I expected and could finish, and the plates were neatly presented. We were so happy with the food and the service, and I had such a good breakfast/brunch, that I'm absolutely ready to go back!
google avatar

Cla S.

Yelp
This place only had to deliver on one item- its eggs. But it failed to do so and managed to make us sick instead. The Smoked Salmon Eggs Benny (with smoked wild sockeye salmon) caught my eye. The whole plate was served cold. The eggs were not poached perfectly, the multigrain toast was burnt. Only the PhiladelphiaTM cream cheese was recognizable, and even the hollandaise sauce tasted off. I did appreciate the sprinkle of red onions and capers and the fresh fruit. But for 13.95, this dish is not it. A friend got the Classic benny and also found the sauce off-putting and the muffin was soggy. Again, food was cold and her home fries were inedible. To boot- the service was terrible. We were all of two tables occupied in the whole place so I am not sure why service was slow and inattentive but it was. Lastly- we walked out feeling queasy. Both of us. What's that about? My only TIP/RECOMMENDATION: LOWER YOUR EGGSPECTATIONS with this place and bring your toughest stomach to the table.
google avatar

Jill B.

Yelp
Came here two days in a row and had two totally different experiences. The first day was excellent. We were seated promptly, had coffee and water within minutes and our food was excellent. My daughter has a gluten sensitivity so she ordered the gluten free bread, with no problem at all. We were in and out in a decent amount of time. Very enjoyable, which we expected, because we've gone to the Montreal locations and it's one of our favorite places. Day two was much different. We were seated pretty quickly but when the waiter came over he seemed irritable and rushed. When my daughter ordered the gluten free toast he said they didn't have gluten free bread...never have. I said we were just here yesterday and ordered it. He said he'd check on it but he had such an attitude about it. When he came back he said it was new. When our food finally came out it was delicious as normal but they forgot the beans that came with my daughter's breakfast. We didn't mention it because we didn't really have time to wait. We waited forever to get our check. I think we were there for almost 2 hours. It was crazy! The waiter was just so unfriendly. On the plus side, someone came out from the kitchen and told us that the potatoes are not totally gluten free (because of cross contamination or something like that). I was really impressed that they were concerned. So, like I said, a mixed review. I really hope the waiter was just having a bad day and isn't always like that because he certainly could turn people off to Eggspectations. We will still go to our Montreal locations for sure.
google avatar

John P.

Yelp
We've been here a few times, all right before the Santa Claus parade, so I'd say we're yearly customers. It is a beautiful restaurant with lots of sunlight. The menu had loads of wonderful combinations to choose from. All of our meals were wonderful. It is expensive, but when we go once a yet for the parade, I`m ok with that.
google avatar

Joshua S.

Yelp
This place reeks of mediocrity. My burger was pretty good, but a few strange practices make me acratch my head at exactly what they are doing to stay so busy. For one, the burgers are cooked well done by default, which I have literally never seen at any other establishment. Each member of my party had something off with their order; my carmelized onions were not actually carmelized, eggs were forgotten, salads given instead of fries, etc. When we asked the waitreaa about it she swore up and down that she entered the orders correctly, and the kitchen screwed up. That is not how you appease an unhappy customer, just fix the issue and appologize, and hopefully we wont send it back. The food was not bad, but I would not come back here due to the glacial slow service and several mistakes with the orders.
google avatar

David K.

Yelp
Didn't plan to stop in based on reviews. But a local pointed us to it and suggested we might enjoy a meal. I was so glad she did! Breakfast was terrific. Nice eggs. Good potatoes. Fluffy pancakes. Fresh orange juice. Yummy coffee. It was a win all the way around since my picky eaters we're happy.
google avatar

Rebecca M.

Yelp
Staff are super friendly and I haven't met a breakfast here that I didn't like! I've been here twice with my daughter while visiting my daughter and haven't been disappointed. Service is always fresh and fast!
google avatar

Erin V.

Yelp
Great food, great atmosphere, best service! The waitress even gave us great sight seeing recommendations!
google avatar

Bob N.

Yelp
Came here grudgingly when Capital Diner was unexpectedly closed on a Sunday morning. Sat upstairs, which has lots of windows looking down at the street. Service was decent. But my omelet and potatoes seemed like they were stamped out of a machine. The potatoes were brown disks; the omelet was flat, as if pressed down, not fluffy and full. It wasn't that tasty either. I wish I had waited and eaten in the Byward Market (which I found later).
google avatar

Eileen A.

Yelp
The name drew me in, but I was not impressed with the service. It was only 1 guy for the entire place. It was slow and so was he. He was very nice. I had the burger with bacon, cheese and added a fried egg. It was good. The salad was just greens only. My friend had Mac & Cheese with chicken instead of bacon. He said it wasn't creamy enough. He only are half. It came with garlic bread. Garlic was strong & good. My other friend had a salad tropical chicken. She enjoyed it no complaints. It was an experience. Don't think I would return if I'm very back in Ottawa again.
google avatar

Minh D.

Yelp
Eggspectation's is part of a franchise, but for something like breakfast, that doesn't bother me too much. The food is consistent and although a bit on the pricey side, especially if you start ordering their smoothies and special juices, it hits the spot when you feel like breaky on a lazy week-end morning. They have good variety on their menu, so if someone doesn't feel like eggs or very basic pancakes, then this place is for them. However if you're just looking for very basic eggs, toast and bacon/sausage, you may be better off looking for a diner of some sort.
google avatar

Amanda B.

Yelp
Visiting from Pennsylvania, this place was a lovely brunch for our Sunday during Winterlude. The menu is varied, something for everyone, and everything sounded delicious. We were disappointed to learn at the time of ordering that they were out of lobster and gravy for poutine - our top 2 choices. I had the maple bacon Benedict and my boyfriend ended up being able to get the lobster omelet as they had just enough for one portion. Each came with potatoes and fresh fruit. Decent sized portions and very tasty, fresh food! We were not disappointed. We have 2 mornings left... I'll probably be back for more awesomeness. Our server was sweet and attentive as well. Def don't understand the poor past reviews...
google avatar

Mady L.

Yelp
Came on a sunday at noon... The place was packed and a 15 min. waite to be seated. It was loud with a sticky/dirty floor. Service was ok, I had egg benedict on crêpe and it was... good. But I'm not sure I'll be back. Not impressed at all... Overall cleaness of the restaurant, this place needs a revamp! Maybe it's better now this was a year ago.
google avatar

Alexa C.

Yelp
Great location, great food and very fast service! My boyfriend and I only went here because it was the first place on google maps to show up and thank god we did! My meal came out completely wrong and had to be taken back, but it was pretty minor. Overall , great meal and we will be back!
google avatar

Nicolas L.

Yelp
Yesterday morning would've been my second time at this restaurant. And I just want to highlight one work from that last sentence: would've. The food is pretty good, but the service is mostly appalling. The first time I went, I felt that my server was slightly disconnected from the experience and she wasn't very welcoming - the restaurant was empty.... Yesterday, we got there and stood at the door without greeting for about ten minutes. My friend and I then went looking for a staff member upstairs so get an idea as to what the wait time is because the restaurant was busy. This is when a server *hollered* at us saying "what do you think you're doing? Go back downstairs and wait to be told you can come up". Pardon me? Was I just told off by an employee? Yes, I certainly was... Needless to say I won't be coming back.
google avatar

Kim H.

Yelp
Was expecting to be disappointed based on other reviews. But the food was decent if you are looking for a varied menu for breakfast. Everyone said smoothies were good. I had classic waffle, wish I would've had S'mores waffle. Ambience and space is awesome. Service is sufficient.

Gabe C.

Yelp
Was not up to a nice standard. Waitress gave bad vibes to begin with which continued throughout dining experience. Said on menu they had mimosas but they were apparently out of orange juice, so we asked if we could just have the champagne and she said no, then asked if they had literally any other juices and she said no, to which my friend proceeded to order an apple juice and get it, she said they could only make a Caesar even though they had more options on the menu. The caesars tasted like Alphabet soup. The food was probably the best thing about the dining experience, food cooked well, but I was brought bacon instead of sausage like I asked, but that's a minor thing.
google avatar

Tammy B.

Yelp
So disappointed in breakfast at Eggspectation...years ago this place was hopping and packed to the gills, now it echoes like an airplane hanger. We had reservations that were clearly not needed - I walked in and there was no one. The kitchen staff could see me but no one said a word. There was a hostess station so I waited - until someone from the kitchen yelled - go upstairs - was I supposed to know that I should go upstairs? I go and there is a sign in the stairwell that says "Please wait to be seated" - perhaps that sign - with a please go upstairs would be useful at the entrance? -1 star I was seated at our table for 8 by the window but man it was cold near the windows so we requested another table - so don't sit near the tables in -40 degree weather unless you want to eat in your toque and parka. We easily had another table, it wasn't very busy, and we ordered. The menu is large and perhaps too large for such an empty place - not to mention that my favorite menu item (from years gone by) was gone, but I was open to new things and ordered an omelet. Our food came with relative ease, but other than the fruit plate that looked fabulous, the food was cold (- 1 star) and not amazing by any means and no one commented on how good their meal was. My omelet, as with most of the dishes came with what they called their famous Lyonnaise-style potatoes which were far from those described in the menu. They were clearly frozen and over fried and if you got a carmelized onion it was by accident, don't get them, they were horrible. (-1 star) This location is so amazing but I will have to agree with my fellow Yelper Joshua S - this place does reek of mediocrity. I don't think we will be back.
google avatar

Audrey L.

Yelp
I don't know HOW it's possible that a chain this bad still exists. True, there isn't much competition for breakfast spots in downtown Ottawa on the weekend (Scone Witch, just a couple blocks over!) but it amazes me that locations in Toronto and Montreal are still running. I hate nothing more than spending any kind of money on food and leaving feeling all kinds of unsatisfied. I would rather pay $20 for a good hot dog from a street cart than $20 for a crappy steak... and this feeling is exactly what I have after having dined at Eggspectations. I got the "Eggstravaganza" - french toast, eggs over easy, sausage and their "famous" lyonnaise potatoes. The French toast was lackluster, the sausage some of the worst I've had as of late and the lyonnaise potatoes looked and tasted as if theyd been leftovers from yesterday, left under the heat lamp since. The eggs were ok. But it's hard to mess that up. The service is just as terrible. The waitress seemed disinterested in being here at all (I don't blame her) and it showed in her service. Terrible place, truly. Go to McD's - they have all day breakfast, and at least you'll get your bang for your buck there.
google avatar

Faloola F.

Yelp
I went to Eggspectation with some colleagues for breakfast. Given how the restaurant looks I had some expectation (HA!) that it would be something quite good but honestly, meh, I've experienced better. The restaurant itself looks nice from the outside and is kinda cool on the inside. It's 2 levels on the inside with the kitchen on the street level. It's located on the corner of O'Conner and Laurier West in downtown Ottawa which is good convenient location for some of the weekday government crowd. The day we were there the heat was out so they said we should sit upstairs. Upstairs was very chilly too so not that comfortable to enjoy a meal. It was sub zero temperatures outside so..... We were greeted in a friendly manner but our waitress was a bit of disaster. She spilled hot coffee on my friend and then dropped a glass of water behind me that shattered everywhere. Not much of an apology or check to see if okay either. Service was slow as well but certainly not because the restaurant was busy because it wasn't, it actually did not have a lot of patrons. The food was not bad, but it wasn't great either. The menu looks exciting with all the fun names of the dishes (like Yolk Around the Clock) but then nothing great, just mediocre when it gets to the table. Given there are so many places to eat breakfast, I probably would pass on Eggspectation and pick somewhere else to go next time around.
google avatar

Adriano A.

Yelp
We were having really bad luck with restaurants on our long-weekend trip to Ottawa, so we decided to play it safe for breakfast and go to a chain. All I wanted was an omelet and this restaurant was close enough to the hotel that I figured we'd give it a shot. We walked in and the woman at the door was very nice and courteous. She informed us that it's not really worth sitting downstairs as the view is nicer from the second floor. There isn't very much to see anyway, but she was right enough. I got a western omelet and it got to me before I finished preparing my coffee. The wait staff and kitchen were really on top of everything, except for the food itself. My omelet, which was said to be three eggs, was paper thin to the point of being crunchy. The potatoes were alright and the "seasonal vegetables" were pretty good to, but I was just so sour about how my omelet turned out that I had a hard time enjoying the rest of the meal. I got a little more upset when the bill came. It cost more than the dinner we had the night before. We avoided Cora's, which came pretty highly recommended here on Yelp!, for that very reason. I left with my head down and my wallet - and stomach - empty.
google avatar

Tim B.

Yelp
The food is reasonably good and they have fair prices for a breakfast place - about what you would expect. The home fries are nice. Cora's has better food, if you want a comparable, for about the same price. The bench seats and chairs are all very uncomfortable. People with short legs often complain their legs are falling asleep on the benches, which are an odd shape. It seems like an odd complaint, but you'll notice it if you go there.
google avatar

Joshua C.

Yelp
Bf and I wanted a simple breakfast and we thought we would give this place a go. I hadn't read anybody he reviews - to which I should have. Place was very noisy and the two birthday shout outs didn't help. But okay so it's a busy place, large capacity, it's bound to be loud....maybe it's their "thing". Service - our server was nice, attempted to speak French, though everything took forever! Even our pop order took over 20 mins, our order arrived incorrect and with no quality check from the server we just grinned and bared (ate) it. The price was right and as I said the food wasn't bad (just incorrect ha ha). Out server acknowledged that things took a little longer than normal and apologized. I probably won't return as there are plenty of other great places in the neighbourhood.
google avatar

Derek L.

Yelp
Stopped in for breaky with my girlfriend while visiting Ottawa. My eggs benny suffered from runny egg whites. The potatoes were odd in that some seemed cooked well and others seemed overdone. Two different batches, maybe? The sliced fruit wasn't even ripe and the sliced pineapple still had the core attached. As a cook, I have to say that if you can't properly cut a friggin' pineapple, maybe you should be working in the dish pit. No excuse. Our visit was capped off watching four employees walking around trying to find a mouse that I saw clearly running around the bar by the second floor. We were already done our meal, so there wasn't much we could do other than swear we would never return. For the poor quality of food, I would also say the prices are too high. At least our server was nice and seemed to understand the complaint about the fruit.

D W.

Yelp
This is a surprisingly bad restaurant! The cutlery was dirty. The meat on the Eggs Benedict was mostly gristle and fat. The coffee was full of grounds. The fruit was dried out. It is very rare for us to mention bad food to the server (we are Canadian, so we usually say suffer in silence and never return) but we did this time because it was surprisingly bad. The server acknowledged that the coffee was chunky ("probably our coffee maker is broken") and the meat looked unappetizing ("Oh, I wouldn't eat it either, but some people do"). The server said that no one eats the fruit ("it's really a garnish")! The whole place leaves a bad taste in one's mouth -- figuratively and literally.
google avatar

Vera D.

Yelp
Ok let me start with yes its overpriced but its CANADA, so get over it. I had the Breton Benedict-Two eggs poached, two crêpes, ham, gruyere cheese with hollandaise sauce.($10.99) and I must say I was impressed. Ottawa has a few good restaurants and a lot of bad ones so as you can imagine my expectations are lower than if I was in a city such as Paris or NYC. (Yes, I think Ottawa sucks) Back to the food, get the Breton Benedict! Perfect combination of crepes, poached eggs, hollandaise sauce and cheese! mmmmmm. We went here around 10am and by the time we were done (11am) there was a long line (on a Saturday) Would definitely come back. No street parking. Smoothies are so-so ($5-6). Sit upstairs, better atmosphere.
google avatar

Felipe C.

Yelp
This place is horrible. The service is extremely slow. We waiting one hour for our food to come, and one one dish from the whole order came. On top of that, the dish (chicken parmigiano) was burnt, completely black and hard. We sent it back and left the place since none of the others dishes were coming and we didn't want to wait another hour to fix the burnt chicken. At least they didn't charge us for the orange juice we ordered which was the only good thing at this place. The services is horrible, our waiter was obnoxious and even when we said no to something he still did it in disrespect of whatever we just asked. We run into some friends and he was harassing them and trying to be funny. Please avoid this place at all costs, it's not worth your time at all.
google avatar

Karina F.

Yelp
I had been there a few times before. The food is okay. . .just okay. Like, for taste and quality range, I would rank it slightly lower than a Denny's Grandslam(which by the way is half the price). It is extremely overpriced. Like 15$ for an omelette, which contains 2 eggs, and like 2 slices of a jalapeno, which I could make myself at home for under 1$. The food isn't bad, but it is far from 15$ good. The last time I went, I was with my friend, and we walked in. And it was kind of busy, but not horribly busy, and no one would serve us. We were at that "please wait to be seated" sign, and the hostess seated 2 groups of people who came after us, but would seat us, so we just up and walked out. It's like because my friend and I are not in a family relationship, they don't want us in there. If you are that picky on what type of people you want in your restaurant, you should put a giant sign in your window that says, "Families only. We hate single, lonely people in their 20s". I am never going back to this place. You want breakfast on Bank Street in the morning, go down to Bramasole or Elgin Street Diner. You won't be discriminated there for family status, and the food is better and less expensive.
google avatar

Kaan S.

Yelp
We were really disappointed with the service and the quality of the food. It used to be our favorite place to have breakfast. I ordered some tomatoes and lettuce as a side to my bagel and the eggs. They charged me $3 for a single tomato and a leaf of lettuce (they did not even bother to slice the lettuce), and the humongous tomato was sliced into only 3 pieces :D Those pieces were fit for a horse - no joke! Ridiculous to think that we payed $45 (as 2 people) for soggy eggs, a subpar omelette, and a "tomato" side that was literally just that - slices of tomato that were as large as individual reasonable sized tomatoes. The quality of this place has diminished greatly over the years. We will not be coming again.