Ethel's Lounge in Waterloo

Didnt see tacos on the menu on a Saturday evening

A staple with the university crowd. Great food and fantastic specials all week long. Cant miss Taco Tuesday

Best place in town!!

Great place. The staff are pros and they like their jobs - put the customer first.

Really disappointed, I went with some friends and I ordered fries, to my surprise a place that serves burgers and sandwiches, didn t have French fries on the menu, but was given potato chips in place of fries. If I wanted beer and potato chips I would have stayed home. I won t be back again

Good for good times

Thursday meatloaf mmmmm Wheelchair accessibility: They now have a ramp Food : 4/5 |

Have been going here for years, always a great time. The staff is great, location is great, food is pretty good too. Best patio in the city for sure, still a good vibe off season.

I always go for Taco Tuesday!

It is a good place to be, but can get quite noisy

Had the Thursday meatloaf specialxcellent as usual!!burger this time great!

Man the brisket is fantastic

Their hamburgers are the best. They do not deep fry anything so you get potato chips instead. What a refreshing change.

Honestly the best place! Awesome food, awesome staff, gets busy but that s all part of being at Ethel s.

Ethels is great. Great selection of drinks, great atmosphere! Breakfast lunch and dinner are all awesome. Top quality! Best patio in town too! Awesome staff as well.

Ethels is the restaurant you go to and say why havent we come here before? Its delicious!

Always a great time at Ethels

Good nachos with the pulled pork....they were g

My wife and I and our son visited when dropping him off at University and we were blown away by how good the smoked ribs were. I don t think I ve had ribs that good at any restaurant before. We will definitely be back every time we are in Waterloo for a visit.

Gave this place a shot, food was amazing but the service was so SLOW. Waited 10 min for orders, 15min for drinks, 30 min for food (which was the only thing they told us would take time). Just disappointed in my overall first experience, but I would definitely come back for the food! However, the level of service we experienced is absolutely unacceptable.

The best sunset in town @WR Parking: Very friendly staff and service overall Food : 5/5 |

Super cool retro vibe. Excellent food.

When it comes to creating a warm, inviting and familiar place, Glenn (the owner), has the Midas touch. Even if its your first time there, you never feel uncomfortable.

Its a Waterloo staple with great food and a very large patio. You should never miss a chance to try this place and the signature meatloaf is as good as ever.

Came to this place on sep-5th around closing time but I had at least 15-20 min left what Google post time says. My friends were sitting out side and when I walked in to join them jezzzz the girl who were closing that night i guess came out and screaming at me I am closing so you need to go out side then I asked nicely and to make her feel better i said I wont order just wanna be with them till they finish their drinks, she said nooo were closed u want you out the patio so rudely, everyone was so shocked even the next table customers. no apology for inconvenience and what so ever. What a horrible customer service. As a business owner I dont like to leave a bad review but this one had to be done on behalf of 5 of us. Well never come back anyways, well spend our money somewhere else.

Great food and Service Parking: We dont drive to Ethels, we walk or take a cab Food : 5/5 |

My husband and I had to come to Kitchener for an appointment and decided to grab lunch. We both went to university in Waterloo many years ago so thought we would find a place to eat there. We walked along King St. and saw people on the patio at Ethel s so decided to try it out. Sat on the patio with a couple of drinks and enjoyed the Burrito Bowl and Quesadillas. Would pop in again if in the area. Wish Ethel s was here while at university!!

Has a really cool vibe with lots of local history was my first time there. Will definitely go back and try food next time. Staff are great and welcoming, great place for an afternoon brew session. Parking: Fair amount of parking out back.

Its a nice spot with a patio, but some of the staff can be quite rude. They seem distracted, often watching hockey instead of focusing on customers, so if youre unlucky and get one of them, you might end up waiting 20 minutes just to place an order.

My favourite dive bar in Waterloo. Consistently good food, great atmosphere.

The specials and feature nights are always worth to check out, but the location flourishes during the summer with their patio area. The staff are pleasant, the location has extremely neat character, and it is always an awesome experience being here.

Great local place with a cool, unique menu. Patio is fun but check ahead for when it s likely busiest!

Always great food and drinks and a good time at Ethels. A Waterloo institution, each day of the week has a different special, collect them all. Kid-friendliness: We take our kids to Ethels all the time. Brunch and dinner is always great.

Pretty decent

Favourite spot in Waterloo! Ethel s is the best!

The staff were very nice! However, the food was not good. Also, I truly believe that it s too pricey for the quality of food.

It was a nice night for the patio!

wish they would re-open the patio during the summer. taco tuesday taco tuesday

Fun fact, they give alcohol to minors (including their workers who are underage) and their staff do coke in the bathroom and smoke weed outside no one s ever sober and it s actually disgusting

Try the baked nachos !!

Great restaurant my favourite in KW!

Cool atmosphere and decor. Feel like your are back in the 60s. Food was good. Service was great. Thanks

Pricey but portion sizes are huge. Would be worth it to split a main.

Ethyl s is a great local restaurant in Waterloo. The food is amazing, but don t expect to get fries, they don t serve them. The wait staff is always very friendly, and it has one of the best patios in the city.

Great place to be! The patio is awesome in the summer, the staff is kind and the food is great!

Kid-friendliness: I have seen lots of families with kids here, and the staff are very good with them. Wheelchair accessibility: There is a ramp to access the main restaurant, however the patio is up a few stairs.

Good schmeat cant complain beers cold and burgers are cheap

I eat here more than I do my own kitchen.

Great food, great patio and they have beer

Nice place downtown Kitchener. Good food, decent service.

Order tacos, and wings. Tacos were alright wings were really good tho. It was really busy but the server did check up on us. Will definitely come back again

Always good friendly service and a nice menu at reasonable prices.

I have been going to Ethels for years. The staff is always welcoming and capable. The food is somewhat an unexpected awesome. Ethels also is the owner of the The Best Patio in Uptown. Highly recommend!

Blonde waitress was incredibly rude to my friends and I. I would highly recommend not coming to this establishment until management fixes their serving staff. Incredibly unprofessional behaviour.

10/10 would recommend, enjoyed the nachos!

Stale cold toast with next to no butter, Luke warm hash brown. I told her I wasnt eating it and asked for the bill so I can square up. She brought my bill telling me she discounted my breakfast. I told her I ate none of it and I am paying for none of it. Ive never been to a restaurant that has ever charged me for a meal I did not eat. I could understand had I eaten it and then complained. I was offered to have the breakfast made again but Im not a fan of having I disgruntled cook remake my food when it was obvious that the cook took no pride in what they were doing to begin with. Wont be back.

Taco Tuesdays deserves 6 stars, just for the value alone.

Food was just okay. Would not go back for it. Service was provided by a young lady with blond hair, who looked as interested in providing service worth a gratuity as I would be redoing a math exam. Hence none was given. $62 wasted. It used to be a nice place to go. USED to be. Shame.

Ethels covers all the bases; good food, cold beer, friendly service, and a comfortable environment to hang out in.

Food was disgusting, no flavor at all if you have a simple palette definitely for you. Staff was great and atmosphere was nice. Other than that was not impressed at all!!!

Great patio in the summer months. Can be kind of dark inside but very eclectic!

I ve been coming to Ethel s with my friends for years. It is our favourite patio. I ve always supported the business and I ve even participated in the tray races. Everyone has always been to nice, I ve always loved the regular servers that is until today. Today I travelled from out of town to specifically come to Ethel s for an early dinner with my girlfriends. When I arrived I parked my bike out of the way beside the building. I gladly waited for a table on the patio and had a fantastic dinner and drinks. When I went to leave I noticed the kitchen had pulled out the bbq for burgers my bike was in the vicinity but not directly in the way, I walked over and apologized to the chef told him I was leaving right away I was sorry. I then notice someone leaning over the glass on the patio yelling YOU CANT PARK THERE and I responded I know, I m leaving sorry. I was SO EMBARRASSED half the patio is watching me. So I start putting my gear and on getting ready. And he yells a SECOND time, which I respond I m leaving I m leaving The guy then leaves the patio area approaches me in the parking lot while I m rushing to get my safety gear and he stands in front of me with his arms crossed, and tells me I am no longer welcome here I ve been coming to this establishment for YEARS and my friends are at Ethel s on a regular basis. I m almost in tears and I m so uncomfortable that he s standing directly in front of me while im dressing and I m trying to get ready to ride my motorcycle. I asked him what his name is, he said Brad or Brandon, he was the bar back/food runner manager . Never in my life have I had a man yell at me from a patio full of people then follow me into the parking lot and watch me while I was getting dressed in my gear. It s HUMILIATING and absolutely inappropriate. I have been a part of the serving industry for years and I ve never witnessed or would ever allow a coworker to treat a customer in such a way. I did not deserve to be humiliated in-front of patio and parking lot of people. I ended up rushing out of the parking lot and having to pull over on the side of the road (so not cool) so I could connect my map to my helmet while I was shaking. I really do hope this is a one off and who ever this guy is doesn t treat all the customers this way. Absolutely insane.

Great bar for cheap eats and drinks. Service was quick as well.

Decided to stop by Ethel s Lounge while visiting my girlfriend and some friends in Waterloo. It was a Friday night, and there was a group of 4 of us. Keep in mind I was not drinking as I have the designated driver for the night, the problems started when one of the staff came up to two of us and told us we couldn t sit at a table with some other friends that we met there. She quickly left when the people we were sitting with told us it was fine. 5 mins later, she came up to us again to bother us about how we were sitting (literally just sitting at a table). I decided to approach another staff member to ask about this odd behaviour, he assured me he would take care of it, but then the manager came out from behind the bar and told me I had to leave because her waitress told me I was standing on the table . This is impossible as the tables probably wouldn t hold me, not to mention the manager that said this was in eyesight the entire time I was there. She said she was gonna call the police if I didn t leave and refused to give my girlfriend the drink I payed for. Overall horrible experience, and I hope no one else has to go through this.

good drinks. engaging bartender. very busy but that s to be expected on st patrick s.

Food tasted great, service was without complaint and the bartender was fantastic. Despite how busy of a night it was, he made sure to keep up with orders and refills For a first visit, I will def be back

Great food, friendly staff and amazing patio seating for the summer. Highly recommend the antijitos

Good place to chill

Ethels is an institution. I remember the first time I walked in 20 years ago and thought, theres all these weird old people hanging around, but its a cool place. Great vibes for good times and a unique menu. Now Im the weird old guy and the next generation of Ethels customers is walking in and discovering it. Update: Ethels has been working itself back into my rotation again. Not sure why it dropped off for a bit. Did my first meatloaf Thursday in a couple of years and have to say the meatloaf is still as good as it ever was. Good selection of beers in tap and in cans/bottles. No awful sours, ridiculous imperial stouts, or froufrou fruit or sardine infused brewery experiments.

love getting the moscow mules here with my home girl. best place to go after a night at the nearby clubs!

My favourite place in all of kw Would absolutely recommend coming here. Lots of seating, great patio in the warmer weather. And amazing staff! Thr antijitos are a personal favourite of mine. Parking: At least 25 parking spaces available nearby as well as street parking. Also a large parking lot located on Regina which is free during the day and a short walk. Kid-friendliness: Always see people bringing their kids

Stayed for 10 days arround Waterloo and went 4 times to this place. To be honest I couldnt find any other place in the zone that could compete with Ethels Lounge regarding the Quality/Price balance. Almost all the times that we were here we ordered their Wings, which are a thousand times better than anywhere around because they do not fry them, as the others do. Also the Ribs on Saturday are a must for 25$.

Not sure how people are rating this place 5 stars. Makes me question the whole point of reviews. Food is as bland as it could get. They served us chicken tacquitos that were just tortilla and chicken...NO sauce, NO toppings at all. Chicken was dry. Service was ok initially. Asked for the bill, nothing came within 5-10 minutes. Got up and paid at the bar.

The quantity of the food is amazing . Pulled pork nacho is really good. Unfortunately, my stomach is too small. Otherwise, I will try some other dishes.

Had the pulled pork burger and a beer. What more could you want

Great beer selection, good cheap pub food, great service. Love the place!

My experience with Jimmy as a server was very very disappointing. There seemed to be a major lack of respect and time management skills, making it a horrible dining experience.

Absolutely wonderful spot Local entertainment history, diner style, relaxed atmosphere and solid staff. Loved every minute.

Rib night, they were excellent!

Very cute place and fantastic homemade burgers

Happy to have been frequenting this place more often! The food is great. A bit of a different offering because they dont have a deep fryer. Everything is very fresh! Its a great place to catch the game. The atmosphere is great and the staff have been nothing short of awesome!

Great food, super service, casual atmosphere.

I could have gone to Del s and ate a decent meal vs what I got and what we spent here. It s hugely over priced for what you get. I have never understood the draw to Ethel s. Sorry.

I dont love this place, but I keep going back to their patio. The food is always good. The staff is generally young and efficient. The indoors seems quaint, though I only pass through. Ill return.

Kid-friendliness: Good kid menu items and great price. Lots of cheese . Food

Don t ask about the deep fryer.

No deep fryer, unfortunate for a diner style restaurant. Waiter was alpha and rude but the pulled pork nachos do slap.

Love Ethels best pulled pork, wrap was really good.

Come here for taco Tuesdays and if youre

Slow service

Had a great meal with family at their recommendation as they love the place. Great food and atmosphere and great service.

Food was less than basic , service was slow and okayish atmosphere

Nice beer and good chicken burger. Excellent staff.

Lots of energy. Great service. Pleasingly packed.

Love the simplistic vibe

Always a great atmosphere but wow has the food quality ever gone down hill, while the prices have just climbed. $15 plus dollars for 6 wings?? crazy pricing. This was once a place I d recommend to people that had discerning food tastes as the old Ethel s served quality fare. Those days are gone it seems. No rush to return for anything other than a pint.

Very busy popular.

They chill the beer glasses in advance

Great place with an amazing patio. All the food options are great as well, if you want some appetizers to share or a full meal. They also have a good selection of beer on tap.

Great food great service!

Great place to chill and enjoy drinks or munchies with friends.

Glasses were not cleaned properly. Service was alright though.

Retro style restaurant and pub ... a really fun place to go in Waterloo. Largely Tex Mex themed menu that really pleases. This spot has not changed much at all in the thirty years Ive been going and thats an excellent thing! The patio area has a lot of capacity

Ethels used to be my fav bar and now the servers ruined it for me. I was a regular, going there every second weekend. Today when I went with my boyfriend, I was refused any service and the Indian server was super dismissive. We asked him what was wrong and instead of telling us he kept on dismissing us and walking away. After lots of begging he told us that we dont treat the staff here right, I was shocked! Cause Ive not only been here every second weekend, Ive also been nice to every person Ive ever met. Ive brought more than 20+ people to this bar because I recommend Ethels to all my friends. Then when this server finally decided to address why he wasnt serving us he told us because we dont tip. Well, screw you, Ive tipped every single time, even when Ive had a single beer and I had bank account statements to prove that. This particular person had no proof and just openly accused us when Ive been one of the few students who decided to make Ethels my regular hub and have been tipping more than 20% in each visit. The most disrespectful and disgusting staff Ive ever seen in my life. Didnt even have the common courtesy to say things respectfully and atleast give us a proof before blaming us. Shame on them

Still the best nachos in KW.

Staple of Uptown Waterloo. Came with friends, sitting outside with a really nice patio setup. Servers are always friendly, prices are reasonable and food is pretty good and consistent. Tap to pay available, even has breakfast options and good drink selection. Will be back again

Always a great spot

They brought me the exact number of beers I ordered. They were still cold when they arrived.

Wellington helles lager is a great and classic beer Food is good but not fantastic so mostly come for patio drinking and reasonable prices Food : 4/5

Taco Tuesday, say no more.

Rude waiter. Nachos sucked. Cheese was undercooked.

Its a great place to have some drinks and finger food! Very chill and casual lounge.

Great patio, great food and great staff! Sunday pulled pork is amazing

good place to grab a drink k and get some food

The burger good but overpriced for its size. After ordering our food took 30+ minutes to arrive. The service was also extremely rude.

Great place to go for a beer. Its not going to be fancy like all the new bars. You can go in work clothes and you wont feel out of place.

First time visiting Ethels after living here 19 years. I loved it! Food was delicious and reasonably priced. Good selection of domestic, international and craft beer. Server was attentive and friendly and so was the Bartender. Patio has a really nice vibe. Enjoyed the music selection as well. Will be back for sure!

In a world of cookie-cutter chains and trendy, hipster hangouts, Ethels Lounge remains unique.

I honestly can t complain. I didn t expect much, I thought this was gonna just be some random food and it turned out to be so much better than I imagined! I tried the brisket sandwich and it was very tender, I would definitely eat this again. It was kind of cool getting chips instead of fries, it s unique. I ll be back to try more of this menu soon!

Staff are always amazing, food is fantastic (especially the antijitos!), some rotating drinks to offer variety in season, and the decor is awesome Parking: Parking is limited, but more options nearby too.

I mean its alright, the food was OK, Also theres no corona Food

Incredible.

Always a good time at Ethel s!

They were rammed at lunch time and service could have been better. You could tell there are lots of regulars who the wait staff enjoy talking with. Food was excellent.

Great place to catch up with friends!

Its nice place

Best spot in Waterloo

I have loved Ethels for thirty years. A perennial favourite with charm and real atmosphere, its the real deal. Kid-friendliness: Kids are welcome during kid-friendly hours.

Personally loved it, went on Thursday night it was pretty empty with good tunes. We bought food and drinks all of which were excellent and staff were great It took them a couple minutes for the staff to notice us though. Dietary restrictions: I am gluten free and they have options for tacos, pizza and burrito bowls plus the standard salads