Sir John A Pub

The food was awful. I got the bruschetta, which I thought was something one couldn’t mess up. Boy was I wrong. The bread was cold and soggy, the cheese fell off, the tomato’s were barely diced. A pile of lettuce came next to it? Very weird. Drinks were fine. Service was awful, waiter was friendly but I had to ask for the bill several times before he finally got it for me. I waited 35 minutes for the bill. Seems a tad excessive… had to go in and actually find him. Would not recommend going here unless you’re extremely intoxicated and fine with horrible service and food

The food was alright but the service is what prompted me to write this review. It wasn’t busy at any point we were there, but service was slow. We ordered two drafts and waters and it probably took close to ten minutes for us to get our drinks and waters were forgotten. We order some apps, they come, and that was the last we saw our server. She never came back to ask how our food was, my spouse sat with an empty beer glass throughout half our meal and finally our plates were empty and she still never came, despite us looking over at her. Finally my spouse got up to ask for the bill, we paid and all she had to say was “do you want your receipt”… no “thank you” or “have a good day”. We’re easy customers so this was disappointing.

Sir John A’s is a regular haunt of ours whenever we are in Ottawa. They have BROAD selection of domestic and international draught beer options available. The food menu is extensive, whether you are looking for snack items/appetizers or main courses. We are especially fond of the Nachos. The kitchen stays open as late as 12:30am (usually, not guaranteed), and the staff is very attentive and accommodating.

I absolutely love Sir John A!!! They have the most amazing staff and are always so kind and helpful. This is 100% a place we always make sure to hit when we go on nights out and is a great place for a couple nice drinks and conversation. Management are so nice and staff are all very accommodating!

Great beer selection and top-notch service! Atmosphere is pretty generic and lacking in character otherwise. Burger and fries were pretty disappointing, not bad but clearly cooked from frozen and again, generic. Serving size was great and the bacon on the burger was awesome, but perhaps I've been spoiled by pubs that make their own patties and fries. These are things that can be improved, but I likely won't be back to find out.

We visited last night for a celebration and ordered the peppercorn steak and "Chicken Portobello Penne." The menu described the penne as "Penne with grilled chicken breast and portobello mushrooms," which led me to expect a whole grilled chicken breast. However, it was served with chicken chunks, likely only half of a chicken breast. When I noticed this, I wanted to change my order, but the waiter refused and said I would still be charged. I felt the quality didn't justify the price. The steak was much better, likely cooked over a charcoal grill, and the sauce was excellent. However, the steak was not aged and was of medium quality, so the texture was not the best, and it wasn't very tender. The taste, however, was good. The cocktail selection was limited, and they weren't made with real lemon or lime juice. The venue was also very crowded and noisy, more so than I prefer. Overall, it wasn't a bad experience, but I probably wouldn't go back.

Food was great and so many choices of beer 🍺 would recommend

Great sports bar but on this occasion we were just there for drinks and ended up with food. The service was amazing and I'm only annoyed and not getting the name of the lovely woman looking after us so that I could big her up. Dark hair. Tats on the arms. Super helpful and smiley..... Hopefully that helps haha. Anyway. If you work out it's you. Thanks for helping me and my brother in law have a great night

They have a nice beer selection and a patio. If you are a sports fan, it is the place to be! You can grab a cold one while watching a game on the patio. Also, the staff is super nice and the service fast!

Decor is decent. Service is sufficient. Terrible burger. Pre-made, frozen patty overcooked to a sawdust texture and served with no sauce at all - not even butter (they offer mustard and relish). Great beer selection on tap.

Stopped in for a break from the heat while walking back from parliament to our hotel. Got the nachos, a Bourbon Lemonade, Ashton Blueberry Wheat and our daughter had a mocktail sunrise (I think?!). It came in a cool Tiki cup so she thought it was extra awesome. Food was great. Bourbon Lemonade was fantastic. Beer is beer. ‍ Great location and atmosphere.

I hope they don't change the name of this classic British/Canadian style pub. Very good service, friendly and fast. Good selection of draught beers. Busy spot with lots of good cheer in the air. Had chicken wings, which were very good. Has a historic feel to it.

Tout près de l'hôtel je cherchais un Pub pour un fish and chips et une bonne bière. j'aime bien m'assoir au bar et voir l'action des employés et les écrans de TV. Je crois que ma serveuse était Kelsie excellent service. Elle m'a fait goûter a 2 bières blanches pour m,aider a faire mon choix. Une bonne bière dans son verre personnalisé le fish and chips etait un des meilleurs que j'ai mangé Les frites étaient congelées mais bonnes. comme les frites du Mcdonalds j'ai pris un digestif et j'ai marche jusqu'à l'hotel Ce fut un souper parfait

Dropped in for a snack and was totally pleased with the minestrone soup and the Nachos. Will return fir a complete meal when possible. Recommended highly! Pleasant server, hospitality evident!

Had a fantastic chicken curry with rice last night- tender delectable chicken, curry just right, tasty rice, and the chef substituted sauteed vegetables rather than naan at my request (no extra charge either). Mmm good! Super nice server, Branden. All for a reasonable price, too...You can either eat out on the patio overlooking Elgin Street, or indoors. And clean, accessible washrooms as well.

Good old cozy pub for a cold night out! Broad selection of draft beers. Warm ambiance and great staff. Have not eaten here yet, but definitely a great place for a late night rendezvous.

lJuly 26, 2022: Last night after my standup comedy class and watching the new talent night at Absolute Comedy, I walked to Elgin Street and noticed the Sir John A patio was open. A group of guys were having a fun discussion about Nathan Fielder's new show. The hostess came up and asked if I wanted a table and she told me the kitchen was open till 1 PM. I felt like being part of the festive atmosphere, so I got a little table alone. I ordered the Sir John A burger and an orange juice. I was impressed that the chef left the lettuce, tomato and onion on the plate for me to add to the burger myself, so they didn't wilt before hand. And afterward, the server asked if I wanted dessert so I decided to get apple crumble with ice cream. It was all delicious. The apple crumble was a big size, and I liked how the chef took extra care to add whipped cream and a drizzle of caramel. I remembered I had talked to the server when she was working behind the bar a couple of years ago and I think I made up a nickname for her which she liked, and we couldn't remember what it was, but I will keep thinking. It might've had to do with her Halloween costume at the time.

Good service but we had to get their attention for the bill. Bruschetta didn't have much flavor but the bread is soft. Quesadillas were great. My husband liked the goat cheese salad. We asked for sweet potato fries and half regular and it was amazing! Definitely one of my favorite fries!

This pub far exceeded my expectations. Friendly staff with great suggestions. Had the chicken pot pie and it was fabulous!! Our waitress was friendly, efficient and so helpful. So many items on the menu to choose from. Lots of beer selection , wine and so much more. Great spot right in the middle of everything! Will be returning before I leave Ottawa.

I visited Sir John A for two nights while in Canada. At first, I was not sure what to expect but the food was incredible. This place was hopping! The menu was very diverse and allowed for both local flare and other types of dishes. Having this as my family's first trip to CA, we opted for the Poutine to start with. It was delicious! If the idea of cheese curds puts you off, don't let it. They are delicious! It was like tasting little balls of mozzarella with gravy. We thanked the staff and owner on our way out the first night. When we returned the second night, the staff and the owner recognized us immediately, which I think is a good sign of a business that remembers their patrons. Food yet again, was absolutely outrageous. If you are planning on visiting Ottawa, you should make this a stop for you and your family for a great dinner out. When we return to Canada, this is going to be a regular stop.

This place is the best and its popularity on a recent Wednesday night confirms it. A fantastic Canadian pub in every respect, from the beer list -- OMG the beer list! -- to the legit food (try the philly steak poutine), to the charming service. Solid in every way.

Loved it. Ordered for starter / shareable the Philly Steak Poutine - was delicious. Beef gravy was on the spot - not too salty as many other places serve. That's definitely a dish for two or a main dish. In addition, ordered the Somersby Sangeria - what a pleasent surprise. It wasn't too sweet and was served in a large glass - I couldn't even finish it. But it was so nice - and I am really picky in cocktails. For main dishes, we've ordered the BBQ Burger with Sweet Potato fries and the Shepard's Pie with house salad + creamy poppy seed dressing, and it was delicious. Both ofthe dishes were very good and generous. Sweet potato fries were the best I've ever eaten. For a dessert, we've ordered the Peanut Butter Cheesecake... Wow, just wow. It was amazing! For peanut butter lovers it would taste like heaven, especially the bottom layer (don't want to spoil...). From what I've noticed, they also have a large variety of local and imported beer menu. You won't regret!

OK pub...great staff. I've been by here more times than I can count. It's usually an easy meeting spot for our group of friends to get together and start our night. It's in a great spot on Elgin and more importantly has a patio in the summer! The pub on the inside is pretty much what you'd expect, except it has some higher middle tables that runs parallel to the bar instead of shoddy tables that shake like most other pubs in town. The atmosphere is pretty relaxed and a lot of people that hang out here aren't so bad. If you come by for a game or when the weather is nice, it'll be hard to get a seat. The menu is exactly what you'd expect from a pub. You should stick to the regular pub fare as it is a frickin pub! Drink menu is pretty standard. Why do we keep coming back? The staff! They're pretty awesome and friendly. I believe we've even had to owner come sit with us and have a drink on slower days and the bartenders and wait staff come hang out when it's not overly busy. I've never gone an extended period without being checked up on. Some of the better pub staff in town!

I can't remember if I'd ever eaten here before, so I was interested in trying a new place for lunch but was disappointed when I saw the menu. I found a lot of it to be your standard bar food and I had heard it wasn't very good, either. Nothing on the menu jumped out at me, but I was happy to hear that the special of the day was a club wrap and house salad or fries for $10. I thought it was a very reasonable price and usually you can't go wrong with a club sandwich, so I ordered it with the salad, balsamic dressing on the side, and a glass of white wine sangria. The sandwich came in a reddish-coloured tortilla, which I'm assuming was sundried tomato, and had a good amount of chicken and bacon, which really made the whole wrap. It had less mayo in it than most restaurants add, which is actually my preference and I quite enjoyed. The salad was a garden salad and the dressing wasn't too oily or sour - there was quite a bit given on the side and I only ended up using less than half. The sangria was good, and though refreshing, tasted more like juice than anything. I ended up getting the grapefruit radler beer they had afterward, which I may have liked better. The service was fine out on the patio for a group as large as ours - it look some time to get her attention for another drink and the cheque, but that was to be expected. All in all, it was okay, but nothing special and I wouldn't choose to eat here over the other restaurants in the area, especially with the menu items at regular price.

Went for late night eats. Bar was pretty full with a mixed age group. Hostess and server were quite pleasant. Ordered Poutine and John A MacDonald burger. Both very tasty. Poutine-its all about the gravy and curd quality. Both on point. Generous portion and fair price. Service was fast. Only negative -wished the fries were fresh home cut rather than shoestring. Also ordered wine and soda. Fair price. Location -in heart of where all bars and restaurants are. Everything is within walking distance. Crowds are quite lively on Saturday night :) Only rated 3 stars bc I don't know how to rate 3.5. We didn't experience anything over the top And only stayed a short while ordering very basic menu items. I'm sure they have the Potential to be a 4 though.

A lot of pubs along Elgin seem to have the same beers on tap. Don't get me wrong I love Guinness, Boddingtons and Smithwicks, but I do love some variety. Sir John A's has more beers on tap that anyone else. The wait staff is very friendly and quite knowledgeable about all of their beers and food. The hamburgers are very tasty and the fries are always crisp. I particularly love their poutine burger.

Sir John A is a favourite of mine when I am in Ottawa. Part of the Elgin St. strip, it opens up in the summer which is nice. Staff have been consistently good, the food is generally great, burgers of course my go to. Selection of draught beer is excellent.

Most honest review ever. I have horrifying anxiety when it comes to eating alone. Maybe it was the sheer horror the hostess saw in my eyes, or maybe it was one of those "Let's get this weirdo away from normal people", either way I was genuinely relieved when she sat me in the corner near the fireplace. First star. Second. Nobody was a gaping pile of douche. Third star. House red didn't make me gag. Fourth. Food was actually good. For someone who sucks at human interaction when they're not being paid to kiss ass, and appreciates a mean chicken Parmesan with not-terrible cheap glass of wine, this place rocks. I should add that it was actually a pretty inviting atmosphere. I saw several random tables interacting with each other amicably. It seems pretty fun.

I met a few friends for drinks here on Friday evening and we had an entertaining night. I was feeling a bit peckish, so I ordered some sweet potato fries and boy were they yummy! They were soft inside and crispy outside and the garlic dip was super yummy as well (just don't hope for any goodnight kisses afterwards)! The beer selection is sure to delight any beer drinker. I thought it was nifty that each beer came in its own specific glass--there was some pretty interesting glassware at our table by the end of the night. As a non-beer drinker I sampled their Martini menu, which was also yummy. I especially enjoyed the Strawberry Blush because it was frothy! Our server was attentive without at annoying hovering that happens sometimes. When I switched to water part way through the night she did an excellent job keeping my glass full. Is it weird to comment on bathrooms? I'm not sure, but the ladies room at Sir John A was in good shape--it was clean, there wasn't a crazy line, soap and paper towels were well stocked and the space was good because I didn't feel like I was infringing on someone's personal space while washing my hands. I'm pretty sure there was an office holiday party there that night, and boy were they having a good time. On more than one occasion they burst into song, sometimes holiday songs and sometimes pop songs. The highlight of the night occurred when another table joined in the singing of some boy band songs. In short, Sir John A has a relaxed and enjoyable atmosphere.

I was pleasantly surprised how delicious the chicken Parmesan and penne Alfredo was here. I opted for the pasta as a side and it was great. I stopped in for a late bite and the food exceeded my expectations it was delicious and perfectly cooked. I'll be returning again soon. Service is always great here as well.

Terrible. I only come here if dragged by colleagues for lunch or drinks. It's all overpriced, frozen and then fried or reheated pub fare. The zucchini sticks are disgusting, long, slimy breaded (where the breading pulls away from the vegetable). Worst zucchini sticks I've ever had. The onion rings are good, but again, waaaaay overpriced. My boss and I shared a wrap with fries and salad that was pretty good about two weeks ago. I've gone to SJA's at least once a year for the last 5 years or so, but it is my least favourite place on Elgin. The patio is a bonus; it's too bad you have to have their food.

This is not a flashy, "Hey, look at me!" kind of a bar. It's simply a solid bar with a good patio, lengthy beer menu and good food. The patio is great for people watching in the summer, and inside there are a good amount of seats for the chillier times of the year. I'd love to complain, but I have yet to have a bad experience.

Great beer list. Had a Cornish Orchards Gold Cider instead of beer though, it was great and I haven't seen it on any other beer lists. Ordered a portobello burger, way too much goat cheese (yes, I just wrote that), it was OK. Shoestring fries were fine if you like unseasoned thin (but not that thin) fries. Partner had the basic burger, patty was actually delicious, and huge! I would definitely order a burger with toppings next time. Sweet potato fries were good, served with a garlic mayo sauce. Service was great!

The patio in the summertime is great and I love the beer menu. However, I was pretty disappointed that they only serve brunch and a VERY limited lunch menu on weekends before 2 pm. The food is average pub style food, nothing fancy, but it's good.

Walk in and it's a very nice English pub/sports bar feel. Very nice decor, decent lighting, and not over crowded tables. Staff: Very friendly, knows the menu for both food and drink. Serves well, takes care of you while you're there. The manager even did some rounds around the room, making sure people were happy and greeting everyone that came in. Menu: lots of food choices. I had the classic bangers and mash. Fresh veggies, well cooked, tasted amazing and very well prepared. Fries however, nothing impressive. They could have been cut fresh and been much better. It was a nice touch that the daily specials were invented by some members of the wait staff instead of just the kitchen. Food arrived in well under 10 minutes, barely even 5. Fresh, fast and hot! Drinks: this is not a cocktail bar. This is a scotch and beer bar. HUGE selection of 50+ different beers ON TAP, and at least another 20 different scotches and whiskeys. For an English pub, I was very impressed. Very nice atmosphere, not too loud, great food and great drinks! Would definitely come again if I'm in the area.

Pretty much a generic English style pub, that stands out from the others by virtue of a very impressive tap menu. A wide selection of beers from local brews, to national favourites, to international. The place was hopping with almost no seating open on a Friday night in January, which says something for its popularity with the locals. The food (at least the items we've had on 2 separate occasions) is pretty ho-hum average, not bad at all, but not very imaginative either, pretty much the standard fare you'll find at this type of establishment. Go for the beers and atmosphere, skip the food for one of the awesome nearby restaurants.

After looking for another pub to dine at on the Elgin Street strip of restaurants, our group decided on this English style pub, because after all, Ottawa seems to be the land of the English style pub. Sir John A was a wise choice, as the food and beer was top notch. Sir John A has an indoor dining area, as well as a dining area along the sidewalk of Elgin Street. As for my meal, I ordered a poutine burger, which was delicious and well-prepared. Service was initially prompt, but started getting sporadic as the evening continued and the restaurant got busier. Still, I'd come back.

This place is a dump. It smells bad the foods bad the patio is probably the best part but the tables are sticky. The fact that it has a 4-star rating with maybe that people have no taste or class in this city

Stopped here for dinner since it's right by the hotel we stayed at. Loved it! The service was great - friendly and efficient. Our party of four ordered the chicken pesto burger, the Sir John A burger, the fish and chips, and the chicken pot pie. We all were totally happy with our food. The lowest rating from one of us was 4 1/2 out of 5! The fries were nice and crispy, the pesto mayo and roasted red pepper on the chicken burger were super tasty, and the pastry on the pot pie was so flaky and nice. The place was pretty busy (Saturday evening) and apparently would get much more so as the night went on, according to our server. So it was pretty loud, but not so bad that you couldn't have a conversation. I would've been just a titch happier if it was a bit cheaper, but even so I would most definitely be happy to eat here again.

Went for brunch on a Sunday morning. Was not impressed when the waitress gave us a blank stare when we asked the simplest question about portion sizes. Once we ordered a Sir John A Big Breakfast and an Eggs Benedict, we waited nearly 30 minutes for the food to arrive. The Sir John A Big Breakfast was fine. The hollandaise on the Eggs Benedict was thick and clumpy. It's just that the wait staff and the inexplicably long wait made this a bad experience.

Very satisfying meal here. The food was fresh - one complaint would be that beef tends to be overcooked. They said they had to make all hamburger meat well done - all the meat seems to come out well done as well. But that's the only complaint, besides the high alcohol prices of the Ottawa area (if not Ontario in general?). We all enjoyed our meals. Service started slipping toward the end as the place got busier rather quickly and they seemed to be short-staffed, but for most of our dinner the service was spot on.

On the early afternoon of Sunday, Dec 4th, while waiting for a later flight home, my husband and I were in search of TV's to watch football, and good wings. After a not so pleasant experience on one side of the street, we ventured into Sir John A. We were pleased with this establishment. We found this pub to be clean, modern yet cozy, with ample TVs -That perhaps could have each been showing different games instead of the same on 3. There were several patrons in business attire as well as a few couples. The bathrooms are also clean/modern with excelerator hand dryers. Once seated on the long granite bar table with good views of multiple TVs, we ordered wings and deep friend pickles. They were both cooked perfectly . Our on the side hot sauce was somewhat spicy - we have high tolerance- and I enjoyed the flavour, though we found it to taste a touch of vinegar. The drinks were well made and I suggest trying their Monkey's Lunch or Bailey's/caramel liqueur hot chocolate. The servers were conservative, nice and attentive. I would gladly go back in the fuutre while visiting Ottawa and will recommend.

Great place to stop at after work for a quick pint and snack. On tap you'll find locally brewed offerings from Beau's, BDT, and Kitchissipi as well as the staples of any pub. Food was good, and the service friendly. If your in the area, make sure to stop by for a moment.

I ate here with a large group for breakfast. The service was prompt, friendly, and courteous. The food was good, but nothing special. Prices were great though. I'd eat here again; great service trumps stellar food every time.

Located on the happenning part of elgin, this place is perfect on a nice summer day to enjoy their patio or enjoy a game with almost 3 dozen plasma tv's inside. It is mostly the ambiance and location that make this place good. Oh and try and yam fries and dip....So Good!

Went on a quiet Monday night. I got quesadillas and they were delicious. The staff was amazing. The crowd is a little bit older, but they are still very nice.

Nothing special about this place. It's like every other restraunt downtown: mediocre and overpriced. Pass it over.

This pub really surprised me. I walked in thinking it would be just another tourist town watering hole where they don't care about service or good food because there's another sucker waiting to sit down. HOWEVER, it did not turn out like that at all. It was fairly empty when we went there (Saturday afternoon late summer). The service was great and so was the food. I remember having a tough time deciding what to order and settling on a salmon somethin-or-other. After one bite i was glad I chose that meal. Because it was tasty. I found the prices to be quite reasonable. My associate had a number of fruity beverages and although it is hearsay I will tell you she said they were delicious. I was going to give it a 4 but I changed my mind because thinking about it... it was just an overall good experience. But nothing worth bragging about. I'm saving my 4's and 5's for places I get pumped about visiting.

This pub was across the street from our hotel. The place was quite crowded - the Olympics were on, so there was a big crowd cheering on there. We did get a small table outside. We were pretty happy with the drinks available - they have a massive beer list with plenty of options from Ontario, and several ciders available for my wife. However, the appetizer pork nachos we ordered were bland and disappointing. I liked the look of the place and I would definitely go for drinks, maybe not for food.

This was my second time visiting Sir John A, the first time was mediocre and this time was just bad. Our hostess did give us choice of seating which was nice, but she was not very personable. The restaurant was STUPID hot, it was 28*C day and we asked to sit in the back so it might be cooler - wrong. Once our waitress came and she failed to introduce herself (otherwise I'd use her name) and she said "what do you want to drink" I replied with a Somersby to which she checked my I.D for probably 2 minutes then practically threw it at me. My sister order a water - and got a warm water, not cold not even room temp. It was WARM with no ice. (My drink was nice and cold though) We then ordered the pub platter for 2, it was okay. Not the best and probably one of the worst I've had. The waitress never checked up on us, never smiled, and was overall rude. When she came with the bill she said "the food was okay?" We replied, "yeah it was fine" and then she just looked at us... When leaving the restaurant there were 3 hostess/waitresses at the exit and they didn't even say bye. Worst customer service I've experience and I regret spending money here for a second time.

Low-key pub with with great service and food. A small group of us decided to escape the catered business meals and snuck out to the nearest pub. Sir John A it is! Clean, open floor plan (some pubs just get a little too tight...), and friendly wait stuff made this an enjoyable visit. The chicken pot pie, shephard's pie and poutine were all hits!

Didn't order food but as far as drinks go our server was a fucking magician. Service was insanely quick. Highly recommend.

Went here last night to catch the game with my boyfriend (go Sens!) and it was absolutely packed with hockey fans. We found a spot next to the patio so we got the best of both worlds in a sense. The waitress was attentive despite the crowds, and they had a great selection of beers on tap (including my fav, Kronenberg blanc). The place looks clean and upperscale for a pub. We had a blast and celebrated down "sens mile" after the game was over. I would definitely recommend this place... for a hockey game at least :)

Good hearty pub food. Good draft beer list. Friendly service. Nothing to write home about, but overall a solid pub.

Great service and lovely summer hang outs. Lots of selection and great choices. Wonderful atmosphere. Quick service.

So far, my favourite place for restaurant poutine. Yup, I said it... Picture McDonald shoe string fries with gravy and their special Quebec (soft) cheese curds. Their wings are pretty good too, no special flavours though. Staff is great! They have the largest selection of draft beers in Centretown. (Local micro breweries to imports) A great place to hang along the Elgin strip and catch a game.

Great inside/outside beer eatery with amazingly fast food and drink service. I had the special which was a wrap with a salad. My buddy had the club with fries. Both dishes arrived at the same time, looking great. Love the location on Elgin; bustling and lots of attractive people strolling by.