Nate's Deli in Ottawa

Had breakfast there and really disappointed. Ordered scrambled eggs got omlette style..bacon stuck together one piece not cooked.Pretty sure hash browns had been sitting around for a while..not good.

Love the atmosphere and the food is the best. Love the pickles

Was a good spot to stop for a quick lunch.

Vegetarian options: Salads Food

In my teens as a street urchin I used to fantasize about Nate s ribeye steak. I could not afford this dish, which of course made it even more desirable. Back then in the late 1960s, Canada s most colorful prime minister, Pierre Trudeau, used to sneak over to Nate s from the nearby parliament buildings. Sometimes he d bring along his son Justin. Justin Trudeau is Canada s current prime minister (2024).

Wonderful lunch place. Got the Ruben on pumpernickel and it was fresh and delicious. Patio was really nice and portions were generous.

The host at this place is extremely rude and disrespectful. I do not recommend this place if youre looking to have a pleasant evening.

First and last time here. There are plenty of better patios in the market. Or if you can get takeout just do that to avoid the frazzled staff. We came here because unlike Biermarket there was no wait and we were meeting old friends on the Hill before walking down to the concert at Lebreton. We now understand why this is the only patio with no wait. Food: decent but not as good or as tasty as the menu prices would suggest, it s a deli but it s not Dunns: you re paying for the location: $100 for two McDonald s orders worth of food. Service: they need more staff or better staff. Our waitress, a younger lady with tattoos seemed okay and service was quick, she even went out of her way to help a French family with many children get assistance when she couldn t speak French. On the other hand we the elderly lady hostess or senior waitress and she had an extremely miserable attitude the entire time we were there. I understand it s a stressful but there is no need to be rude. She was being extremely rude to a young woman and her dog. The dog had barked at her when the hostess tried to pet the dog even after the owners warned her not to do that. I don t know who in the right mind approaches a dog resting on a patio to try to touch its nose against the wishes of its owner. After the predictable barking she yelled something at the patrons and the atmosphere on the patio took a dive she also snapped at them and basically pushed them out of there.

Staff were rude. We saw some people leave before being seated, I wondered why and then I realized it was because they were extremely rude and didn t accommodate anyone. I saw some people waiting to be a seated for about 5 minutes the asked a waitress and she said you have to wait. I wouldn t recommend this place at all!!

We arrived Canada Day at 11:30 for some early lunch. The rudeness and unhappiness of the wait staff was palpable. Never in my 50+ years of paying for my own meals have I ever been so disappointed in the atmosphere of the entire staff. Not one smile, heck not even a your welcome when thanking our server for delivering our drinks. The food was delicious maybe the best French fries I ve ever had, for that reason alone I had to still leave a descent tip. Hoping the tip money would get to the kitchen staff as our waitress deserves nothing.

My breakfast yesterday was really good, everything tasted great and my over easy eggs were perfect. Had smoked meat instead of the traditional bacon or sausage/ham and it was delicious. Service was good people were smiling and looked genuinely happy to be there.

Came to enjoy ribs (RibFest) on the patio with a pint. Service was super friendly and fun #Isabelle gets !!!

Terrible experience. We arrived and the first question we were asked was if we were Italian. With a disgusted face we were told it shows Really in bad taste and rude at the highest levels. And then we Italians are accused of being racist. No Words!!! And in any case with a large consumption since there were 8 of us. I strongly advise against it.

We suffer from racism in the service

The waitress did not want to attend us

Bad service, the waitress was so mean and rude, my family and me just order a couple of drinks and the service was slowly and we were begging for them to bring us some drinks.

Simple and very nice. Tender meat not too salty. We sat outside.

More poutine than I could handle in one sitting!

I ordered the Reuben Sandwich. It was stacked high with smoked meat on delicious rye bread. I highly recommend this place for a lunch stop when in the Sparks St. area.

Amazing smoke meat!!!

Had a great lunch at Nate s. Michelle was amazing the food was excellent. It s been year s since of been, but clearly new ownership has made some much needed improvements . Definitely coming back soon.

Came in with coworkers for breakfast. Service was fast and friendly. Food was delicious, reasonably priced. Will be back.

Clean and bright with absolutely delicious food. I had the breakfast poutine with added smoked meat and it made my morning. Service was prompt, friendly, and helpful. My server Isabel was excellent.

Poor quality and expensive food

Love this place! Amazing sandwiches and great staff. This place is my go-to for the best pea soup ever! Great big chunks of smoked meat in it. If its on the menu, get it! You wont be disappointed. Ive also had the smoked meat poutine before and it was amazing. Definitely big enough to share with a friend.

This is a must stop every time I m in Ottawa. Great food and the coffee keeps coming. If you like to people watch, this is the place!

Why do you close at 3pm. That makes no sense.

Look at the place, it is well decorated its exceptional. We need to support this place, is clean they put out good deli, what more can we ask for,

My coworker friends and I came here today for my birthday. My 3 friends ordered hamburgers and were told that they had no buns left. So instead they had their burgers on pieces of toast which were not burgers at all. The veggie burger had no sauce at all and I didnt use the bathrooms but my friend described them as horrible. No discount was given or nothing extra. Not even a free desert for my birthday. The server even had the audacity to say, I dont know why you havent tipped me but okay thank you This made us feel extremely uncomfortable and we could not get out fast enough. None of us will ever be coming back.

Decided to visit a restaurant my mother worked as a waitress when I was a very young child. It has moved from Rideau Street to Sparks Street ... had the Reuben . . Smoked meat was so juicy and lean ...

Great place to enjoy a summer afternoon with friends with a few refreshments

I ordered a Smoke meat combo sandwich. I was really disappointed with the fries, they were very greasy. The presentation of the dish was a disaster. The coleslaw was passable and the Smoke meat sandwich was quite good. Regarding the service, the person who served me was not very welcoming, no smile, very cold experience. In conclusion, I dont think Ill go back. Parking: You would have to find parking in the surrounding streets.

Food is just ok. Service absolutely horrible. Rude staff and manager. Stay clear of this place.

Good smoke meat poutine.

Really great place to eat. Had the deli club sandwich at lunch, Ive never had meat that good. Came with a lot of fries, also very good. Also ordered for my lo and had lots of leftovers. Good prices and good options - I appreciate that its a simple menu. Kid-friendliness: Had some colors for my baby and a highchair. The food was good, classic restaurant food, but I do wish they had a different option instead of just fries with their meal, like maybe some cut veggies or fruit.

We where traveling with 3 adults and 2 kids, I grew up around Ottawa and Nate s was a great deli in its day. . From the start we where obviously bothering the waiter who may have been the owner or manager. The food was average, the service was the worst I ve experienced in a long time. $100 for 2 burgers, 3 smoked meat sandwiches and a 5 ice teas. Unfortunately it s a nothing like the Nate s I remember from 20 + years ago. Dietary restrictions: Not willing to help out. Kid-friendliness: Not at all Wheelchair accessibility: Not

Had breakfast on the patio. Not bad, but nothing special. Its priced fairly for a standard breakfast. Server was complaining about her section within earshot and only became friendly and smiley when handing us the debit terminal. Its too late to affect the tip at that point, dear.

i love nates food but its the perfect example of relying on government workers to survive. we live close by, but work out of the downtown core. nates isnt open after 5pm during the week, and closed weekends. they have a massive patio on sparks street which sits sad and empty every weekend. its a big disappointment to downtown residents who want to support local businesses.

Absolute trash hole of a place. Horrible service.

Food was very slow to come. It was alright, but not great. On the plus side, there were lots of fries. Waited over 20 minutes to pay the bill despite asking politely. Server disappeared for another 5 minutes with cash payment, possibly to see if wed give up and leave her with the difference (20 percent)? Wouldnt recommend.

Perfect for a traveling family. Everything was tasty and affordable. Great smoked meat! And breakfasts all day! Kid-friendliness: Great kids menu!

Great soup and sandwich. Nice staff, reasonable

I d seen the sign for Nate s deli every day on my walk to work and finally had the opportunity to try it, and would HIGHLY recommend it to anyone, wide variety of options on the menu, and very reasonably priced - I got a burger topped with goat cheese and avocado and WOW, perfectly prepared and definitely hit the spot - the atmosphere was incredible too, with high ceilings and a retro but somehow still modern decor - will definitely be going back

Found Nate s Deli on a google search on my most recent work trip to Ottawa. The food was delicious, served fast and hot. Steve was very hospitable, personal, friendly, and made my breakfast time enjoyable with his great stories and chats. I would eat here again when I return.

This is a great spot for a quick lunch break. We were seated, served, and out the door in under 45 minutes. The hostess and the server were both very kind and friendly. The beer, fries, and sandwich combo is really filling and a good deal!

Service was slow. Food was ok. Great spot and good views from windows

Average food, average service Kid-friendliness: Inappropriate

Why are you closed during the protests? Your business would be thriving. Ill delete my review if its the building owners choice and not yours. If its yours then show your support for your fellow Canadians. They will support you and be thankful. Cheers.

Stopped here for lunch today- the food was great and the service friendly

Always great food and great service never disappointed.

Good spot. Great service.

The food was decent but the service was really slow. I felt bad for the waitress as she was the only one working and it was during Rogers outage so they could only take cash so things were a bit chaotic. I got Eggs Benedict

Excellent welcome, fast service, delicious dishes and lovely attention from our waitress.

Excellent welcome however waiting time of one hour to get small plates for very expensive.

Went here for breakfast. Ok. Better priced than a lot of other options in the area. Their bagels could use an upgrade. It is a deli after all.

Nice sandwich!

Extremely slow service: over an hour to be served.

Excellent smoked meat sandwich, fast service, and pleasant atmosphere. My only gripe: The prices are not cheap. That said, if you like smoked meat, then this is the best option in this part of Ottawa.

Its a short walk from Parliament Hill and Rideau Centre. Atmosphere is nice. Its bright and theres music. Server was friendly and funny. We didnt have to wait long for lunch, it was pretty quick to arrive. Our food was good. Smoked meat, fries and coleslaw. We found our Smoked Meat to be a bit bit tougher than normal

Smoked meat sandwich s should be served at breakfast - aside from that zero complaints

Great breakfast and lunch options for vegetarians and meat eaters alike! Im obsessed with their vegetarian California Club Sandwich.

Super cute place, friendly and attentive service. I had the smoked meat plate with fries and it was great! Very filling too I got a doggy bag.

Didnt like it

Great food. Decently priced. Portion sizes were great. The restaurant was clean and very spacious and comfortable! It was within walking distance to our hotel which was very convenient. Our server was also the supervisor and he was great with recommendations and even remembered us when we went back a few days later. If you want a good breakfast or lunch while visiting Ottawa I highly recommend going here!

There are better places to eat.

Food was good and our server (Angela) was excellent. Kept our coffee filled, attentive, even gave me some almond milk from her personal stash and thought to give me my toast dry when I forgot to request it. Best service ever!

Visited this location today. Had the famous coney island foot long dog and upgrade fries to poutine. My wife had the steak sandwich, with onion rings. The food took a reasonable amount of time but was Luke warm. Even the poutine was the same. There was hardly any saurkraut on the dog, the steak was over cooked and almost cold. The food was obviously up on the pass too long. Staff were friendly enough and thecwaiter offered to put the onion rings back into the fryer. The bottom of the hot dog bun was soggy from the kraft, not properly drained I guess. We ate we paid we left, unimpressed.

Fantastic service and great food for adults and kids.

A relatively hidden gem in my opinion. The fish and chips were excellent and the tartar sauce is very delicious. I loved the onion rings and was very impressed by the steak. The staff are super friendly as well! If youre in the area, I highly recommend going here.

Only open till 3pm...but great location. Clean and well laid out space. A bit pricey FYI

Burger was good and the fries but not above expectations. My friends plate was a smoked meat. It was not even served with fries or not even a pickle or salada. He said he eaten better smoked meat at La Belle Province... The service was very polite and friendly. It is well located.

Great food was fast. Service was pretty good.

Great food! Smoked meat sandwich!

Great service. Breakfast special downtown great deal. Until 9am only!

Super

Love their smoked meat

Great service, and thee foods fantastic too!

I used to go there with my grandmother great food staff is very kind

Ottawa classic

Very good smoked meat as always. No service in French.

Just had coffee.

Nice location and good service

Excellent food very good service.

Wonderful loved

Service was a little slow but worth the wait. The food is great!!

Have been here many times. Always get the smoked meat because it is excellent. Rye bread is always very fresh and fries are excellent. Combo plate comes with sandwich, fries, pickle, coleslaw and either soda or beer for around $19-22. Wait staff are a little curt or direct not bothering with many pleasantries and they are efficient. Your food comes incredibly fast.

Phenomenal Montreal smoked meat sandwiches. Traditional deli decor, very fast service and an EXCELLENT craft beer menu (draft and cans/bottles).

Best service we had all weekend in Ottawa. Food was great as well. Nice to see a place open Sunday morning

Disappoinring smoked meat sandwich. Very fatty and grisly.

Awful customer service experience, the server didn t provide any info on the menu and sounded very rude

Awesome atmosphere and super staff. Smoked meat like mom used to buy.

Good service

I usually go to Nates for burgers cos I absolutely love their burgers. The ambiance is also pretty nice. I took my husband here during the ribfest and they were out of cocktails and most alcoholic drinks. We decided to settle for wine which was reasonable at $7 per glass. The waitress offered to get us mimosas instead and we agreed although it wasnt on the menu. By the time the bill came, our total charge was about $33. That is exorbitant for a mimosa at a deli. cmon, I dont think I would pay this much even at Beckta. If you are dining here and you are offered something that isnt on the menu, remember to ask for the price.

Verry good

Friendly staff but unfortunately had to wait 50 minutes for my meal.

The place for smoked meat sandwiches...will always go back..delicious!

This restaurant is the most unfriendly one I have met in Canada! They didnt let my five years old use their wash room even I was begging them in Canada day!

Great smoked meat sandwich! Quick service!

Was at Nates Deli Canada Day with my daughter. It was very busy but managed to get a table in the outdoor patio. Service was a bit slow but expected on this holiday. We both enjoyed a Nates Deli smoke meat sandwich with fries and a cold pop. Oh and the dill pickles, yum. Prices were reasonable, and the food delicious. Washrooms were very busy but again, it was a holiday. Nates has lots to offer food wise and you wont go home hungry. If your on the sparks street mall stop in for a bite, you cant go wrong. Cheers!

Nates remains the Top deli in Ottawa. Good food...good service... surroundings a little dated but otherwise is still a good eatery.

Smoked meat was fine; service was terrible.

The food was very bad

Great place

The chorizo poutine was Excellent!! It surprised me. And they serve good microbrewery beer too

Absolutely refused to accommodate 6, despite near empty patio.

Lunch time on a Saturday. Waited 10 minutes to be seated. Waited 15 minutes to order. No service at all. Left.

Good food and friendly service.

I took my kids to the restaurants outdoor seating area at noon. I sat down for less than five minutes and after placing my order, I felt it was very windy and wanted to move to a seat with sunshine. The waiter refused, saying that a different waiter would be involved when we ordered (meaning the tip would be Become someone elses), but I saw other people changing their seats indoors or moving to a sunny place one after another (and after ordering), do you think we are Asians and are racist?

Was very hungry and jetlagged, so decided to put up with Nates too-loud, thumpin sounds and opted for the calorie-fest that is the Lumberjack Scramble. Totally delicious but was scared Id need a cardiac ambulance to get home. Friendly and efficient service.

Excellent smoked meat

Theres a server there Barrera she made me feel right at home. Such amazing service highly recommended.

Good food. Great atmosphere.

Rude server. Sat inside because we were the only ones there for prompt service. People who sat down after us got served first, when we had placed our order retire to. Sandwiches are always faster to make vs there small pierogies. 50min before getting a quick snack. This caused us to be late for a very important meeting. Thanks for calling me a jerk when I left you no tip. Ive left that for the other seat to cover. Wont be back.

Very nice terrace to have an aperitif

The desserts have me coming back everytime

Good solid deli lunch

Great food and service, kudos to our server Maddie, very friendly and always checking in on us if we needed anything....

The best smoke meat in Ottawa

Delicious burger. great service.

After a long day, its good to sit on an outdoor patio and enjoy the downtown life bustle past you. Thats exactly what Nates offers you, along with a cold craft beer and probably one of the best sandwiches in town. A touch pricey, but worth it.

Slow service. Ordered a sandwich for take out for our drive back home to Toronto, took way too long to prepare a sandwhich. An older gentleman (Im guessing the owner) took our order. Zero customer service skills. McDonalds has more personable and pleasant servers. Food wasnt even that good. Never going back.

Excellent Deli sandwiches

Breakfast of scrambled eggs with toast not toasted for almost 25$ with tax and tip ! Never going back!!

Food was good. Service was good. But pricey for what you get. Look to spend almost 20 dollars for breakfast if you miss the special

Good place to eat, recommended

Eh. The service at lunch was super slow. Hardly ever saw our waitress. The fries in the poutine were way to salty almost ruining the dish entirely. Got our order wrong as well.

Lovely restaurant to go eat breakfast for a great deal.

Great smoked meat sandwich and putine!!!

Good food andservice reasonably priced. Highly recommend

Mediocre food (especially for the price), but convenient location. Good service.

Food was good. Service was slow.

They did not attend us after waiting more than 5 minutes. The place was relatively crowded and we spotted only two waiters, so it was not their fault. We recommend the manager to hire more people

Ottawa classic

Mmm.. smoked meat

Great location! Large restaurant. Courteous staff. Quick service. Lots of delicious comfort food.

This place is awesome, atmosphere is great, food is delicious, and service is top notch. Never go wrong with the smoked meat poutine, add extra meat, totally worth it

Its ok....our group enjoyed the time there.

Best smoked meat sandwich!!

Nice atmosphere, small selection of craft beer and one of the best smoked meat sandwiches Ive ever had outside of Montreal.

Horrible food, overly salty to the point of being inedible. Specifically asked for no cheese, meal came with cheese. Fries were at best luke warm and there was 3 odd looking fries that stood out from the rest on top of the rest, best described as pale. Took a bite out of one of them, cold and had the texture like it was sitting between the kitchen equipment and the floor - stale. Dont know if the cooks/staff was messing with my food but those fries definitely did not come from the deep fryer. Disgusting. The only thing they share in common from the old Nates on Rideau St. is the name.

Have loved Nates since it was on Rideau Street. Great price for breakfast, and the smoked meat is soooo gooood!!!

Slow service by waiters

Amazing food and service