Dukes

“One of my new favorite brunch places in Ottawa. Excellent service, food was great, very cozy atmosphere. They have a great take on a hashbrown and I recommend the Roman iced coffee on the patio on a summer's day. Reservation suggested.”

“Highly recommend!! Best brunch spot in Ottawa. We had the breakfast sandwich with avocado, the everyday breakfast and a side of their sourdough pancakes. The iced americano’s are delicious as well. Service is very friendly and welcoming!”

“This cute spot does diner-style breakfast and lunch really well. I’ve never tried their lunch items (sandwiches etc), but I’ve enjoyed every breakfast item I’ve tried, from the classic eggs and bacon to the scrambled egg sammie to the hash. I love that so many items are available as sides — including and especially the truly excellent pancakes. On occasion, I have found the cooking of the food to be a tiny bit inconsistent — my egg whites not quite set one time, or the bacon a bit too floppy, or the excellent hash browns just maybe a bit too fried — but everything tastes great and the service is really friendly. It’s very popular though, so either make a reservation or show up early (I do wish they opened earlier than 9!).”

“My first time visiting a couple of weeks ago was lovely and enjoyable. I got the full stack of banana chocolate chip pancakes and had a great time. The second time today, unfortunately, was less pleasant of an experience. Long story short, I was charged $14 for a single badly-burnt pancake. I had ordered a side pancake to accompany my meal, and only got to trying it last at the end of the meal to discover the whole bottom was burnt and black. As we planned to depart soon and my friends were finished their meals, I decided not to mention it and pick at the parts that were edible which sadly did not include much of the banana or chocolate chips as they were on the bottom. When the bill was brought over, I was shocked to discover the full up-charge equivalent to that of a full 4 stack of pancakes was applied and it cost $7 on top of the $6.50 pancake charge which was unexpected. I verified with the waitress and she said this correct, and also has a demeanor of annoyance while my party paid our bills. This was extremely disappointing as I had recommended this as the venue for my friend’s birthday, and the experience was significantly less enjoyable than my first time. I’m not sure if I would return, but I would definitely reconsider recommending adding a pancake or side to your meal.”

“We recently visited for breakfast and had mixed feelings about our experience. The food was good, and our server was genuinely very nice, which we appreciated. However, the service at the front left a lot to be desired. When we walked in, the girl behind the bar didn’t greet us or acknowledge us at all. We stood there waiting and eventually had to approach her ourselves to ask for a table. I’ve worked in the service industry for 15 years, and I understand that hospitality starts the moment guests walk in — a simple hello goes a long way. After our food arrived, we realized we had no cutlery. While our server and another staff member were bringing out food, we mentioned it to the same girl at the front. She seemed annoyed, sighed, and brought it over without saying anything, which honestly made us feel like we were inconveniencing her. We also asked for a side of blue cheese, and she said she didn’t know what that was and had never heard of it — which was surprising considering there’s a Cobb salad on the menu that includes blue cheese. The food itself was enjoyable, but good service matters just as much. Unfortunately, it feels like customer service and hospitality are becoming rare, and first impressions really do matter.”