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Bowman's Bar & Grill

4.5 (102 reviews)
Open 4:00 pm - 11:00 PM

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Sarah R.

I had a tall task in front of me - choosing a restaurant to satisfy friends who have very different food preferences in an a convenient area of town. Of course, I went searching on Yelp to find such a magical place and, when Bowman's came up as one of the top-rated restaurants in Ottawa, it seemed to check many of the boxes! Located right off the highway and with parking, but not too far from downtown, with menu items like a pork belly sandwich and a large craft beer list. Although I later learned some were hesitant when I sent along the website and suggested dinner here, everyone was raving by the end of the night! The beer list was great - my beer-brewing husband got to try some really nice Ontario beers! We each started with a jalapeno corn bread muffin. There were not cheap but sooooo worth it! Several of us had the Bowman burger, which was a rich, well cooked burger with a sweet savoury bacon jam. I loved the style of fries. My husband enjoyed the Southern fried chicken sandwich, and my friend really liked the fish tacos. We had a great time chatting with the owner, who seems like such a down to earth guy. I was so happy to come in and support his restaurant, and also very proud of myself for finding something to satisfy different appetites!

Menu - Starters, Entrees, Burgers and Sandwiches
Andie E.

We popped in for a quick lunch. Had been here before and enjoyed the food and atmosphere. Wednesday's offer "5$ off any hamburger" and that's just what my dining partner got. I got the Caesar salad with a side of hanger steak and oh my gosh it was delicious. They also make their own Cesar dressing which was extra cheesy and creamy. It was quiet while we were there, we got a seat by the window. Ample free parking, and the service was very swift. Our server was on top of offering refills for coffee (which are included) will definitely be returning.

Yummy Mexican specials!
Andrea B.

I was pretty surprised to see such high ratings for a seemingly standard pub, but this place certainly earns the five stars. From the kind and friendly service from Mike, to the awesome food (churros for the win!), this place was great. Jennifer P and I came for dinner around 6pm on a Wednesday night, and the place was dead, except for a few regulars who sat at the bar to watch the baseball game. They did have a few other guests pop in while we were there, but I'm betting this place is generally pretty quiet on Wednesday nights. Neither of us are beer drinkers, but they do have an awesome selection of local craft beers on tap, so be sure to check those out if you're a beer drinker. We didn't see a cocktail list, but Mike assured us they had plenty of liquors, spirits and the like if we wanted him to mix something for us. They also have a wine list. We opted to stick to water as we didn't want to waste calories on alcohol! We started with the chips and guacamole which was tasty. I don't know if the chips were made in house, but they were warm and crunchy and were perfect with the guac. It was very flavourful, but I almost wished their was a bit more avocado and less onion, but it was still really good. We munched away happily, as our salads arrived. The salad size was perfect, and all the ingredients were fresh and tasty. The big hit here was the dressing - it came on the side and was so good! It was dill (which I love!), and creamy and wonderful, and we actually kept some to dip our fries in as well. One thing I enjoyed here is that you can order two sides (I always have such a hard time choosing!), so while we started with our salad, I was also able to order a tortilla soup with my burger. The food came out super fast (likely due to the fact that they were so quiet), and looked positively awesome. I ordered the Mexican burger (this was my first time ordering a burger in a restaurant!), and it was amazing. The patty was cooked perfectly, and it was topped with more of the yummy guacamole, pico de gallo, yummy jack cheese, chipotle aioli and cabbage. The bun was from Rideau Bakery and was everything a hamburger bun should be - fresh, chewy and delicious. The tortilla soup was good, but not as flavourful as I expected. Maybe a dollop of sour cream would have been good. Either way, I still ate it up. For dessert we split the brownie sundae (a flourless brownie made with nutella!) topped with homemade ice cream (so rich and good!) and the churros. I hadn't ever tried churros before and I totally fell in love. I would come back here just for those! This place was so unexpectedly awesome, I can't wait to come back and try more dishes. They also have an open mic night on Saturdays, and trivia night on Mondays. This is an awesome spot in a community with few great restaurants. Stop by for superb food and excellent service.

Beer menu at Bowmans
Carrie H.

In town on business and found Bowman's on Yelp. So glad I did!! Walking in, Peter (the owner) gave me a friendly wave and made me feel welcome from the first moment. Decor was modern (love the lighting) and bench was comfy with a great view of the Jays game. Bathroom was clean. Started by checking out their diverse selection of craft and seasonal beers to suit any taste - ask for a sample if you're next not sure. While the feature sounded amazing (gnocchi with roasted red pepper) I went for the Bowman Burger and wasn't disappointed. The bacon onion jam and aged cheddar make this stand apart from regular pub grub. Perfectly salted fries and attentive service made for a perfect meal. The cappuccino was frothy and delicious too. Only regret is that I didn't save room for dessert - I will be back and highly recommend.

Laura W.

Stopped by one day with my mom when they first opened and I had the chicken and waffles. The restaurant looks great inside, my dish was well presented and I was excited to dig in. Unfortunately my chicken was a bit under cooked on one side which I didn't eat and I was a bit disappointed. Flash forward to last summer and my boyfriend and I went for lunch with friends. We had the hangar steak and it was delicious! We definitely what to go back for the steak and I would try the chicken and waffles again. There aren't many good restaurants so close to home so I hope this place does well. Staff was very friendly and the restaurant was clean and renovated.

Lots of craft beers on tap!
Jenn B.

We were staying at the Macies Hotel and this restaurant was a lifesaver. We ate so many meals here and just loved every one of them. They have a vegetarian nut loaf that is out of this world good! Craft beer selection was wonderful for my husband and I enjoyed the wine.

Cheddar, pear, and walnut grilled cheese plus soup of the day

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2 years ago

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2 years ago

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2 years ago

Service was friendly, food was pretty good. Portion was a tad smaller than I anticipated but was quite yummy. Worth a try.

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5 years ago

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2 years ago

Excellent, food, very friendly and efficient service. Mike was very helpful in selecting a great beer.

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8 years ago

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3 years ago

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2 years ago

Great little pub with excellent food. Love their burgers! It's one of my 'go to' places when I'm hanging out with friends.

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8 years ago

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3 years ago

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8 years ago

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3 years ago

best place in Ottawa! Love the atmosphere and staff.

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7 years ago

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11 years ago

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The Rowan

The Rowan

4.2
(31 reviews)
3.6 km
$$

This is going to sound ridiculous but I'm going to recommend that you go to this place and order…read morecarrots. The guys in the open kitchen are, at the moment, performing some legitimate sorcery with a plate of grilled salt-roasted carrots laid on a bed of harissa yogurt, zucchini pesto and pistachio. I cannot even describe the flavour of this dish except in superlatives. It was one of the best things I have tasted in years; a stop-me-in-my-tracks, silence -inducing burst of sweet-laced, wood-smoke tinged umami. This is the kind of dish I know I will forever try to recreate but will never come close to. Other stuff on the menu is great too. But while they have them, get the f-ing carrots.

My partner wanted to try this place out for a while. I would recommend a reservation because we…read morewould always come and it was full. We got lucky today they had a table for 2 left in the corner. I took steak and eggs. It comes with a crispy egg but over easy...(very delicious) but I don't know how we call it. On top of the eggs you will find; onions, tomatoes, feta cheese and fried onion. Under all the goodness was sliced steak. ($28) the portion are good. Salade was made out of pomegranate, cucumber and radish. Not the highlight of my plate but good combination. My partner got the BLT he loved it. Because of the wait for our plated they gave us a complimentary dessert. Partner said it was delicious.

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The Rowan
Beef tartare
Beef tartare
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Spritz
The Wellington Gastropub

The Wellington Gastropub

4.0
(60 reviews)
1.4 km
$$$

Lovely spot for dinner. Service was prompt and attentive. I had the risotto and it was tasty and…read morefilling. For dessert, I highly recommend the warm sticky toffee pudding with ice cream.

This was a visit on a bitter cold day which could be bad thing depending upon where you are seated…read moreand if you need to make trips to the washrooms. I wasn't expecting this kinda setup as its a converted home from the looks of it. Not very accessible IMO as small steps and washrooms downstairs which due to being next to a fire exit the walk there was constant freezing breeze. First things kudos on a great beer list. I am not a fan of craft beers and appreciate when I see Belgian Beers on a menu. Good Stuff Here is a play by play Curdo hmm very bland and the texture had turned mushy. Beet salad was decent lots of ingredients that somehow went well together. Short Rib was OK. Now it doesn't take much to make this dish great. I enjoyed the sides more as found the meat to be dryer than it ought to be. Surprised as its hard to do that with short rib IMO. My fellow dinning companions enjoyed their main with the shrimp pasta getting a big thumbs up. Now for the service oh boy was it slow we are talking 30-45 min to get the apps with another 30 min to get the mains. I would give a half star bump for the beer selection so 3.5 stars all said and done.

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Beet and haloomi salad
Beet and haloomi salad
Beef tartare
Beef tartare
Chicken sandwich: the bun was bready and dry, the chicken and fries greasy.

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Chicken sandwich: the bun was bready and dry, the chicken and fries greasy.
La Taverna

La Taverna

5.0
(2 reviews)
2.3 km

This place is such a gem! We came to have a drink and some eats before walking to Bluesfest. I…read morethink it's meant to be more of a tapas/small plates/shareable food menu. There's a larger patio in the back/side (separated by a wooden fence) with games, but we sat on the front patio and it was a lot more chill. We were a party of four and sat next to the fence. The table and chairs were a bit rickety and it was a pretty tight, so were thankful our server cleared our table often. My husband ordered a tall can of local City Goose California IPA and I ordered the grapefruit Old Fashioned. I thought the Old Fashioned was a nice refreshing change from a regular Old Fashioned, and not too strong. It had Bulleit Bourbon, Dolin vermouth, orange bitters, grapefruit juice, and smoked orange rind. Just what I was looking for on a hot summer day on the patio for someone like me, who isn't into super sugary drinks. Our friends had been a few times before and ordered the house fries. They're not just regular fries - they have honey chili, scallions, and sesame seeds. They were delicious and definitely meant for sharing. Our friends said the last order of fries they had were crispier, but my husband and I thought they were still quite crispy and more sticky than saucy, if that makes sense. They also ordered an off-menu garlic aioli with it, which I would absolutely recommend. What are fries without dip? On our friends' recommendation, my husband ordered the pulled pork croquettes. Even the server said it was one of their most popular menu items and that he wished they made a ton of them to eat like Timbits haha. They had beer-braised pulled pork, chimichurri, topped with house beer BBQ demi glace and scallions. I had a taste (of course), and they really were tasty. Nice and crispy on the outside and much meatier than I expected, with minimal breading, and not too salty. I ordered the salmon ceviche. I was worried that it would be cooked salmon (I've mistakenly made the assumption in the past that it was raw), but our server confirmed that it was true ceviche, with raw salmon that was "cooked" in the acidity of the citrus. It was 7oz of salmon, charred cobbed corn, plantain chips, and charred jalapeno. It also came with thinly sliced red onions and cilantro on top of the salmon, and, to my surprise, a side of mixed salad greens, as well as a citrusy green dressing. The jalapenos weren't spicy at all (no seeds other than one stray), and the corn was tasty, but I cut off the kernels so that it was easier to eat all together. It was the perfect light and refreshing meal for that day, yet still filling and extremely satisfying. Our server was very friendly, helpful, and attentive as well. The door to the indoor part of the restaurant was open, not sure if there's no air conditioning or they just chose not to turn it on. The washroom was clean but a very tight space, even for little ol' me. I would absolutely come back here!

What a hidden gem in Little Italy. The food is fantastic and reasonably priced. Had the beef…read moretartare, meatballs, and brussel sprouts salad. Didn't know brussel sprouts could taste this good. The chef came out to check on our experience and passionately explained all the flavors. Our server, who happened to be the owner, was super great. Had a few drinks :-). All in all, a must try on Preston...

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La Taverna
La Taverna
La Taverna

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Greenfields Gastro Public House

Greenfields Gastro Public House

3.7
(45 reviews)
11.6 km
$$

Excellent food (pulled pork sandwich) beer selection, and very friendly staff. Highly recommend!…read moreGreat place to eat with kids too. They made a big fuss of my daughter and she enjoyed her time there too. Cheers

This place was recommended to us by the person we were house-sitting for. I can see why. This place…read morehas a great indoor space and outdoor space, and on a hot day it was nice to be inside for a bit. Looks like they probably do some concerts since they have a nice stage set up in the back. Servers were really friendly getting us situated with our daughter and the wagon we use to transport her around. Very family friendly as we saw several other parents with strollers as well. Nice menu and a lot of good beer options. Opted to try their radler and it was delicious, before I remembered I'm not supposed to have grapefruit. The waitress was quick to get me a replacement Guinness. The food came out pretty quick. My wife got the Tuna Poke Wonton, which came out deconstructed I guess... actually ended up working out pretty well. It was quite good, but the poke wasn't nearly as fresh as what we are used to in California. My chicken burger was delicious, the cranberry and brie on it made me feel like thanksgiving. It was really hearty and heavy for a chicken burger, but worth it! The highlight might be the kids menu though. The kids can pick from 4 items Poutine, Fish & Chips, Burger & Fries, or Mac n Cheese. But, it comes with a drink and dessert. Clearly our daughter was on cloud 9 getting chocolate milk and ice cream included in her meal. Her poutine was quite good too, not too salty, nice gravy flavor and melty curds. If you're in the area this is a great stop for food or drinks or both.

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Greenfields Gastro Public House
Saturday pulled pork tacos $5 ea.
Saturday pulled pork tacos $5 ea.
Greenfields Gastro Public House

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L'Aubergiste

L'Aubergiste

4.6
(7 reviews)
9.4 km
$$

There is no question that their food is excellent but I found the menu small and limited…read more If you go, let's hope you're a duck fan because it's listed on the menu five times. For such a meager menu, I think that's duck overkill. Beef tartare comes in second being listed twice. Not being crazy over duck, I opted for the fish and chips and I have to give it to them, their's has got to be the best in the area. Their fish always just tastes so fresh and the batter is perfect. My husband had the duck salad and thoroughly enjoyed it. Despite the place not being busy, service was slow. It's a great place, I just wish the menu was more varied and I wish to God that not every table in that place was a high top. A few regular tables scattered about would not go amiss.

Very charming but tiny restaurant, very nice decor, sort of urban country and warm lighting, warm…read morewelcomes with great, but non invasive service! The waiters visit you frequently and refill your water many times throughout the meal. This place has a diverse menu with lots of interesting menu options, all equally as delicious as the next. Before this place wasn't so busy, but now it is hard to get a walk-in table. Be sure to call for reservations beforehand. I had and will always order their freaking amazing fish and chips that are cooked to a perfect golden brown crisp. Portion is quite large but I believe the price is very fair and can be split between 2 people with a smaller appetite. I will be posting a picture of the dish because the presentation is beautiful! Details about my dish: The fries are shoe string cut seasoned fries that are damn good. You get 3 filets of haddock that are never soggy with a perfect amount of crisp. The tartar sauce is paired with an alternative guacamole type spread that is equally as quite tasty. Ask for garlic mayo and it is great on the fish and chips or with the fries. There is a salad in the centre with mixed lettuce and a vinaigrette sauce that is also great... But not as great as the fish!

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Plat végétarien sept 2022
Plat végétarien sept 2022
L'Aubergiste
Vegan tofu dish

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Vegan tofu dish
Flora Hall Brewing

Flora Hall Brewing

3.6
(35 reviews)
3.8 km
$$

This is a comfy place to sit and chat, and the rotating beer selection is amazing. We have been…read morecoming here a few times a year since it opened. The beer choices are always interesting. Staff are great. It's a place. Be brave, try something you might not usually drink! We didn't eat this visit, but the small but mighty menu has always been good.

My friends and I were so excited to spend time at Flora since we had heard so many great things…read moreabout it since we left Ottawa in 2018. Parking was easy to find, and one of the girls even walked over from their place. When we entered, we spent a few minutes in the first room, where it appeared walk-ins could purchase beer to takeaway. We waited to see if we needed to be sat by a server, but, nobody came to check on us, so we meandered past the several men purchasing beer to go. When we made our way up the stairs, passing multiple staff, we were abruptly greeted by a staff member who, was not kind to us. She let us know that we made a mistake by not waiting to be seated, and she seemed quite disgruntled that we had made our way this far. We tried to explain that nobody helped us and that men had covered the sign that she referenced to wait to be seated, and we did not see it. She interrupted and did not let us explain. Finally, she took us to a dark table upstairs. We asked to be moved since it was, very dark, and not the vibe. Thankfully, the server that took care of us was kind, but, we were surprised to not be allowed to order flights. It's a brewery... this should be basic for new guests. But, she was great and allowed us to try tastes of brews before we could order. We were at Flora for a relaxing evening, so our group read our books for an hour or two to decompress after a busy week of travel. I ordered the burger, and, was surprised with how many potatoes were on the side. Given that the burger is at $20, I would recommend removing half of the potatoes to drop the price down a few dollars. Everyone in my group would have ordered one if it had been smaller and cheaper. Again, it was strange that they did not offer any coat hanging area, and, the initial experience here really left a bad taste for us. The one Ottawa local who was with us was shocked at the experience, given that she had been here before, and said that she would not return again.

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Entrance
Entrance
SUMMER SAUSAGE - house made sausage/ burrata/ artichoke salad/ hickory sticks
SUMMER SAUSAGE - house made sausage/ burrata/ artichoke salad/ hickory sticks
A cool guy and a cool beer

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A cool guy and a cool beer

Bowman's Bar & Grill - bars - Updated July 2026

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