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ESD Poutine at Elgin Street Diner – Ottawa, Ontario

Post last updated January 26, 2016

Last week, I shared a few pics of what we ate during our visit to Ottawa and today I’m showing you the best dish from our weekend – Poutine at Elgin Street Diner.

Always interested in where the locals go, we asked the hotel staff for restaurant recommendations. Almost all surveyed replied “Elgin Street Diner. Try the ESD Poutine, don’t worry about the others on the menu.”

ESD Poutine Best Poutine Ottawa - Elgin Street Diner - Bacon, Onions, Gravy, Cheese | KIdsOnAPlane.com #foodie #poutine

After a few hours of playing in the snow and skating on the canal, we made our way over to the diner even though the weatherman was calling for 5 cm of snow by day’s end.

“This better be some amazing poutine or I’m going to yell at someone!” I said to myself while I held onto my daughter’s hand trudging through ankle deep snow and slush.

I could tell my husband was having a hard time pushing our 2 year old in his umbrella stroller but he didn’t show his frustration. Being the winter fan that he is, he turning back yelling “We can do this! No need for a car. What kind of Canadian are you?”

Eye roll. I’m the “I love the sun, I’m a summer baby” Canadian!

After 10 minutes of grumbling in my head, we stepped into a Seinfeld meets Friends meets I Love Lucy dining establishment.

A brick feature wall, chalkboard signs, metal and dark turquoise tables and chairs make Elgin Street Diner feel homey and inviting. I failed to take a photo of the outside of Elgin Street Diner due to my annoyance with the falling snow.

The place was packed. Every seat and table table was occupied. Who eats lunch at 3:30PM? Apparently many families in Ottawa.

I spotted this t-shirt on the wall. They mean business here – SERIOUS. POUTINE. BUSINESS.

ESD Poutine Elgin Street Diner Tshirt Ottawa - Bacon, Onions, Gravy, Cheese | KIdsOnAPlane.com #foodie #poutine

Shortly after being seated, we quickly placed our order. Strawberry Milkshake, Buffalo Chicken Salad, Tuna Scoop Salad, Fish and Chips for the kids to share and of course the ESD poutine.

Fish and Chips Kids Menu Elgin Street Diner

What were we thinking? The plates were massive and one salad split between my husband and I would have been enough. Obviously we should have looked around to see what others were eating before ordering.

Elgin Street Diner Buffalo Chicken Salad | KidsOnAPlane.com #foodie #Ottawa #Ontario #Canada

 

Elgin Street Diner Tuna Scoop Salad - KidsOnAPlane.com #foodie #Ottawa #Ontario #Canada

Once the poutine hit the table we forgot about everything else.

Smoky bacon, dark gravy, sweet caramelized onions and St. Albert cheese curds piled onto a stack of shoestring fries. Yes, poutine with shoestring fries! Who does that? ESD does.

ESD Poutine at Elgin Street Diner - Ottawa, Ontario - KidsOnAPlane.com #foodie

Mouthwatering, n’est-ce pas?

“I want those fries, Mommy!” said our 5 year old.

“Me try! Me try fries!” yelled our 2 year old.

It was full on “no holds barred” eating. Less than 10 minutes later, the poutine plate was clean.

Bravo Elgin Street Diner – your poutine rocks! The milkshake is pretty darn good too.

Poutine Elgin Street Diner and Strawberry Milkshake

It was everything the Holiday Inn staff said it would be. ESD Poutine – totally worth walking in a snowstorm (or semi snowstorm for).

LET’S EAT!

Elgin Street Diner
374 Elgin Street
Ottawa, Ontario
K2P 1N1
(613) 237-9700

Elgin Street Diner is open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

Elgin Street Diner - Ottawa, Ontario KidsOnAPlane.com #foodie #Canada

High chairs are available for those with babies and toddlers. Our meal rang up to $50 flat (tip included) – milkshake, two salads, ESD Poutine and Fish & Chips from the Kids’ Menu.

Come hungry or order plates to share. The serving sizes are very generous here and we ate our salads for dinner in our hotel room at 10 PM that night.



About Cheryl - Kids On A Plane

Cheryl daydreams about exploring the world with her family often and will travel for good food, lattes and theme park rides that don't require her to go too high in the sky. She's afraid of heights!

Comments

  1. Lisa Goodmurphy says

    February 28, 2014 at 2:55 pm

    We ate at the Elgin Street Diner the last time that we were in Ottawa but I’m afraid I just may be the only Canadian that doesn’t like poutine! Will keep the recommendation in mind the next time that someone asks me where to get good poutine though!

    • Cheryl says

      March 3, 2014 at 10:28 pm

      Oh, Lisa – this breaks my Canadian heart. 😉

      Well if you like salad then ESD is good for that too!

  2. Tonya {The Traveling Praters} says

    February 28, 2014 at 7:30 pm

    What a cool place to eat. I’m not sure I’d enjoy the poutine but I love the look of the diner.

    • Cheryl says

      March 3, 2014 at 10:34 pm

      Another non-poutine fan! HAHA… maybe this is an acquired taste

  3. Nancie says

    March 4, 2014 at 3:17 am

    My T-shirt would read “My Canada does NOT include Poutine” 🙂 I just don’t like the stuff. Some of the other food looks great!

  4. Cassey C says

    March 18, 2014 at 6:08 pm

    Theres no good poutine in Toronto…gotta try this when I am in Ottawa!

  5. angela m says

    March 22, 2014 at 4:02 pm

    I love poutine, and that looks delicious, I would love to try it.

  6. JoAnne Pfoh says

    March 23, 2014 at 2:52 am

    I am so with you I do not like Poutine either lol woohoo I am not alone.

  7. Diana Corlett says

    April 25, 2014 at 12:18 pm

    I love poutine too…these dishes all look so yummy. I haven’t been to Ottawa in over thirty years, but if I ever go again I now have a dining destination in mind!

  8. Melinda L. says

    April 27, 2014 at 8:28 pm

    Mmmm poutine. That looks like a mighty fine poutine!!

  9. DARLENE W says

    July 8, 2014 at 6:11 pm

    Poutine has made its way out west, my nephew lives in B.C. and said he visited an eatery and had some. Not as good as here though

  10. Hannah says

    September 9, 2014 at 8:16 pm

    Bad canadian confession- not a poutine fan. But I do love the elgin street diner 🙂

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