Lots of seating outside on the patio and some seating inside (currently). The food looked great, but we only had beer. The beer selection was pretty big with a variety of different styles of beer made in-house. The raspberry wheat was great (very wheaty with a nice strong tart raspberry flavor as well). The ESB was an excellent version of that style with lots of maltiness and a nice bitter finish. read more

I'm a sucker for small brewers. And while it's been years since the Clocktower chain was "small", they're still a local Ottawa restaurant with decent food, at decent prices. A friend and I stopped here for lunch recently, in advance of heading out to see a movie. It was reasonably busy with the pre-Christmas crowd, but our server did a decent job of attending to us, getting us our pints of the December Dark beer that was their monthly special. With Christmas around the corner, how could we resist the Christmas poutine? I have only two complaints about our visit, overall. First, rather than using real turkey meat, the Christmas poutine used deli meat. There's a huge taste and texture difference. Second, there wasn't sufficient staff on hand for the number of customers, so our server was pulled in all directions; while our drink and meal service was reasonably quick, she never did get us the water we asked for midway through our dining. Overall, though, it's an enjoyable place to visit, whether for a bite or for a pint. read more

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Went to meet some friends on a weekday evening 2 weeks ago. The place wasn't too busy. I waited 20 minutes after sitting down, while watching servers clean tables around me until a server walking by threw a menu on the table without saying a word, and just kept walking... no joke... I chalked it up to a bad day, everyone deserves a break, until a friend recently suggested we go for a pint on a patio. He told me he didn't want to go there because he was there a week ago and the service was bad... so it's not "me" or an isolated experience. The servers weren't rude at all, in fact they were quite nice... just a little clueless about their clients experience and I'm there to have a pint, not to enlighten staff on awareness of service norms... won't be returning again. read more

This was my first time visiting the Clocktower on Richmond, and since I love their Bank St. and Clarence St. locations I thought I'd give it a try. Seeing Chloe's review definitely sent me in with low expectations, but ever the optimist I tried to maintain a positive attitude I was super thrilled with the venue - I love me a good patio! The Clocktower Brew Pub has a sprawling outdoor space (which was actually extended to the middle of Richmond Rd. since it was Westfest and the street was closed - AMAZING!) with lots of umbrellas and tables it didn't feel cramped at all, which I sometimes loathe at the patios downtown - though I must admit it does make it harder to overhear interesting conversations. My first disappointment was the fact that I couldn't try the butter chicken potato skins I had seen online, because the menu was cut was down for Westfest. Of course, that was totally understandable considering they were most likely serving twice their normal capacity for a Sunday afternoon. Since I missed those scrumptious looking skins I decided to opt for the club sandwich and our table shared a plate of nachos. I was pretty psyched for the nachos considering the other location's were always great. Unfortunately what arrived was some corn chips with a small amount of salsa and cheese and a few jalapenos thrown on top. It looks slapped together and didn't have nearly enough toppings, but I have to admit, the salsa was delicious. While I was bummed about the less than awesome nachos, my club was pretty delicious. The chicken was great - tasted like homemade bbq, the bun was fresh as were the veggies, and the bacon was perfect - crispy but not burnt. While the service was less than awesome (we had to ask 3 times for refills and everything took forever), our server was very friendly. I can say without a doubt this is a great spot to hang out with friends and have drinks on the patio. I'll have to reserve any judgement on the food until my next visit, because I'm seriously hoping to lack of culinary stardom was due to the chaos of Westfest. read more

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Better quality imo than the other locations! I tried the crispy chicken wrap and the fish and chips. The chicken was very crispy and yummy. The fish and chip batter was a bit thick, but the fish was fresh and the tartar sauce was perfectly tart! I got a pitcher of the raspberry beer to share which was delicious. Only disappointment was the strawberry shortcake dessert; I thought it would be like a cake slice, but it was only crumble with slice strawberries and whipped cream on top. Service is friendly, and atmosphere is very airy and open and comfortable! Stairs are upstairs! read more

Clocktower Brew Pub Westboro - Crispy chicken wrap and fish and chips! Plus a pitcher of raspberry beer! - Pubs Near Me - Ottawa, Ontario

So this Clocktower Brew Pub has upped their game. My previous review was from 2012 and I just went there recently and they are definitely much better now. I guess with the opening of the Barley Mow across the street, and Churchills Pub and Corner Bar and Grill not too far away they knew they had to improve. And I'm glad that they did. My husband and I went there for brunch with some friends (another couple). The other couple wanted to go to the Clocktower, so we went (it was my first time back there in over 2 years). I had the Supreme Burger ($14.25) with a side salad. The Supreme Burger comes with bacon, onions, mushrooms, swiss and cheddar. The bun was so fresh and had a good chewy texture to it and it was perfectly toasted (crispy surface, not charred, and soft inside). The meat was flavourful and all the burger toppings tasted so great. The burger also came with fresh tomato slices and bibb lettuce. The side salad was great. It was mixed greens, with grape tomatoes, carrots and cucumber (no iceberg lettuce here, hooray!). I asked for the dressing on the side and it came on the side like requested. I wasn't too crazy about the balsamic vinaigrette because it was too much oil, not enough vinegar, so I just ate most of the salad without dressing. Our server was Denis (at least that's what it said on our receipt, he may have told us his name when he greeted us, but I didn't catch it). He was amazing. Really attentive without being intrusive, and friendly without being creepy. He brought a large bottle of water for the table and when everyone else at the table ordered alcohol and I said I was fine with just water, he brought me a big glass of water with ice and garnished with lemon and lime. So nice! I also inquired about the hamburger bun because I can't eat sesame or poppy seeds. He went to the kitchen to check and gave me very specific information (that the buns come in the same bag as bread that contains poppy seeds, so while the kitchen staff can brush off any poppy seeds that might be sticking on, there's still some contamination). I assured him it was not an anaphylactic allergy and that would be ok. Our server was really great and I would give 5 stars for the service we got. My husband and one of our friends both got the Clocktower 222 ($11.50) which was 2 eggs(any style), 2 pieces of bacon, 2 pieces of sausage, 2 pieces of peameal bacon, toast (white, brown, or sourdough) and homefries. They also got some generous fruit slices as garnish (orange, grapefruit, cantaloupe, honeydew, and pineapple - my husband said the pineapple was sweet and delicious). They both loved their meal, although our friend thought the sausage was too salty. My husband loved the sourdough bread. I tasted the homefries and felt they were not crispy enough and were a little too salty. Our other friend had the Breakfast Club ($10.75) which was fried egg, bacon, cheese, lettuce, tomato and mayo (although she asked them to hold the final 3 ingredients). She also had the homefries. She said it was good and she was happy with her meal. The prices on their online menu are now up-to-date. All in all, I have a better opinion of this Clocktower Brew Pub now. I hope they keep up the good work by continously improving their food and hiring more servers like Denis. read more

Been going here a long time. Since the beginning. Like most Westboro people. Even though I don't live the Westlife anymore, I still go here once in a while. Historically the wings have always been better than decent. They are better in the Bank St location (never been to the downtown one). The last time I was there prompted this review and star deduction. I would normally give them 4 stars but the quality has been slipping. I love wings. I could eat 1000 of them. But when you have a wing night, you better offer great wings. Clocktower used to have EXCELLENT wings. The last time I went - the wings were miserable. Small, improperly sauced and cold. I ate them all - because I was starving. But I told them the problem and they did what all good restauranteurs are supposed to do. They took care of us. Good on them for caring. It says a lot and it means I will be going back again. I hope to return this summer and give an additional star back. read more

Came here for a beer last night with my old roommate. He had the IPA , the new rotating tap and I had the bitter. I tasted both and to be honest didn't notice much difference. Both had that classic strong cask ale like finish and both were good beers. I like clocktower's beers and like to support local brewers. Service was fine. I can't speak to the food and from the other reviews that's seems to be where the problems are. read more

Nice large patio and friendly service. There's your 2 stars. The food: pass. I've tried many times/several visits & it's just passable, barely. read more

Had a terrific experience of service tonight. After a hard day of work, I was hungry, and so had the spaghetti special. It was good, but when it came time for dessert, I just needed something ... more than the usual. I asked for a meaty dessert. My server and I discussed meat loaf (just the loaf) because the Clocktower's is well regarded. She talked with the kitchen, and meat loaf just wasn't going to happen. She negotiated with them for chicken, knowing I might like that, and came back with a proposal for chicken breast. I asked Could it be fried, and she said Probably yes, and went back to the kitchen. Some minutes later, my server returned to tell me that, not only did she procure a piece of chicken for my dessert, but she managed a fried chicken *thigh*, understanding intuitively that I would be partial to dark meat. Spot on! The result was glorious: juicy and crunchy, boneless thigh of chicken, in a generous flavourful batter not overly herbed or spiced. A great dessert for a hungry worker. read more

Clocktower Brew Pub Westboro - My custom dessert chicken, as discussed in my review, thanks to a resourceful server who understands the meaning of service. - Pubs Near Me - Ottawa, Ontario

Nicely situated in the heart of Westboro. It is a perfect location for people to hangout. The Blackened salmon salad is great.

Awesome service, food and outdoor patio! We had two of their own brewed beers, both great! read more

Clocktower Brew Pub Westboro - Awesome Cajun Dusted Wings and beer! - Pubs Near Me - Ottawa, Ontario

I have not had the greatest of history with the clock tower pubs, generally I have found the food to be average at best and the beer to be sub par, but I ended up here on family day evening when not much else was open. Unfortunately my overall impression is still decidedly average and in this area there are many places I would prefer going, unless I had another coupon... Arrived here with my girlfriend and it was pretty empty. The decor is nice, nothing special but nice nonetheless. We each ordered a beer, I had their ESB, which was a bit watery and bland but not terrible while my girlfriend had Kolsch which she enjoyed. I ordered a special curry type dish on rice. The meat and vegetables were quite tasty but the rice was cold, it really took the meal down a few notches. My girlfriend had a fish and chips which she said was good (but not amazing). The service was good, although their debit machines were mostly broken, it took a few times to get things sorted out. Overall this place is not bad, but the averageness of it means that it will struggle to get me to return. In the cut throat world of pubs in Ottawa, Average simply doesn't cut it. read more

I have a very sensitive stomach when it comes to eating out anywhere. I had lunch here and felt fantastic! I didn't feel sick at all and felt full for the entire afternoon evening! Excellent quality food and service here. I had the sandwich of the day (crispy chicken wrap at the time) with fries for lunch. I was visiting from Toronto and came out of my way on my way home so I could have a meal that would sit well for the ride home. I am so pleased with the service and food. I had chips and dip and the sweet and spicy ginger wings with fries and their spicy mayo. I would recommend this to absolutely everyone. I rarely feel so passionately about a restaurant. Worth the money and detour for sure. See you again soon clocktower!!!!!!!!! read more

Great location to come and have drinks however food is a bit disappointing. Prices are high for what you actually get. Ordered supreme burger which was good but nothing special. Upgraded to Onion rings for an extra $2.50. Plate showed up with 4 onion rings. Total of $18.25 for middle the road burger and literally 4 onion rings. Service was friendly but messed up on order that had to be sent back. Will not go out of way to come back again. read more

Due to the ferocious spitting of freezing rain last evening, my boyfriend and I quickly entered the nearest restaurant we could find, which happened to be this one. We entered the whacky, yet awesome - looking restaurant/pub which was decorated in different styles, colours, and sizes of clocks. We were denied access to the booths by our waiter, so we sat down on the uncomfortable wooden chairs. They looked nice, but definately wasn't so appealing for my backside! Though the waiter was not so welcoming, he was prompt and attentive, with a professional attitude. He quickly took our orders, and had arrived with our meals within minutes. My boyfriend ordered the pulled pork lasagna, which sounded way better than it looked! The lasagna came in a small dish, and he said it lacked spices and flavour. His meal also came with a potato and bacon soup, which was pretty standard. I wasn't too impressed with the menu, so I settled for the only other soup on the menu other than the soup of the day, (which was the potato and bacon soup). My French onion soup was nicely arranged in a unique bowl, topped with lots of cheese and shallots. The French onion soup contained soft bread croutons, beef broth, spices, and of course, onions. The soup was nothing special. I enjoyed the amount of cheese that was added on top, and the bread croutons, but it was too sugary for my liking. The pricing of the restaurant was fairly decent; $8.50 for the French onion soup, and $17.00 for the pulled pork lasagna, and the potato and bacon soup. I wouldn't say that I'd come back for the food on my own will. Though, I am sure that the beer is great there since it is a brewery pub! read more

The Clocktower has great interior space, a cozy atmosphere, and has brought a much-needed patio to Westboro. (There has been a bit of a flourishing of rooftop patios since then, but it was still the first really and is still by far the biggest.) And it sells its own Ottawa-brewed beer, which is a great thing. The Clocktower's flaws are that it's beers are ok-but-not-great, and they do not sell any other microbrews. The food is "acceptable pub food" but it is not up to the standard that the physical space sets up, or to the expectations set by the menu descriptions ... I usually find it mildly disappointing. And there are TVs everywhere that are always on whether or not there is a "big game" on; perhaps a non-sports-bar could reserve TVs for game nights. The Clocktower is a great place to meet friends, especially bigger groups of friends, either inside or out. Update Summer 2018 - The menu keeps getting tweaked, but it remains no better than "acceptable pub food" taste. A month or so ago we got served actually bad nachos. Who ever heard of nachos being actively bad? Last week our kids got absurdly small meals from the kids menu. My not-big-for-his-age 7yo complained that he was still hungry after his kids salmon meal. His 9yo old bigger brother was similarly underfed with the two toonie-sized sliders. I think we're in three strikes territory now. read more

Great for a group as there is plenty of room. I have come here for a couple of work events and the second floor was booked in advance. We had tons of space and the noise levels were reasonable. The nachos are really good and they have Somersby cider so perfect for a hot summer day! read more

I was just at this location today and experienced terrible service. The waitresses were rude and we waited a long time to get our meals. I'm hoping management reads reviews in order to improve on many areas that are lacking at this restaurant read more

The waitress was extremely rude and made my girlfriend and I feel uncomfortable for complaining that the food was cold. Not only that it wasn't quality food yet they charge absurd prices. Shame. read more

Can't believe this place only has 3 stars! It still feels like a small Ottawa restaurant, the food is good, and the service is fast! I really liked all of the appetizer options, especially the boar poutine. So yummy! Will be back. read more

This was my second visit to this Clocktower. I honestly expected far more. My first visit was in the fall and only had drinks. I had the seasonal pumpkin ale and thought it was fantastic. I can't say the same for this visit. The beer was far less exciting and almost everyone in our group of six left disappointed. I had a sandwich that was unremarkable with fries that were cold and soggy. The other highlight in our group was the tasteless artichoke dip that had to be sent back because it was still cold in the middle. However, since the serving comes in a giant bowl, it was no surprise that it was also returned cold. The food was slightly below average as far as pub food goes. The atmosphere is great and this place has so much potential, but unless/until the menu undergoes a complete overhaul you'd be best to try one of the other local pubs. read more

Decent craft beer--food needs an upgrade- went with 4 people and everyones food was just okay.

Food and drinks were very good. Our waitress, Maddy, was great and gave us some excellent food and drink recommendations! Overall, we really enjoyed our experience. read more

This Clocktower location has been open for a month or two. My wife and I met some friends for dinner there on a recent Friday evening to check it out. Welcome: good, friendly staff Decor: nice if a little schizophrenic with the faux copper walls meeting the exposed concrete of the ceiling replete with piping and cabling Beer (it is a brewpub...): we tried the IPA (inoffensive), Bitter (nice) and Red (hoppy but unbalanced to the point of undrinkability) Food: Fish and Chips -- okay.....but the Steak Frites should be renamed *Micro* Steak and Frites. This was definitely the smallest steak I have ever been served. I queried it with the server but was assured that this was the normal serving. Value for money: low Would I go again? Yes, it's close enough to walk but I certainly wouldn't go for the food and would be careful selecting the beer. Alternatives: locally Churchill's and Whispers are better, a little further afield The Wellington Gastropub is very hard to beat read more

The service was alright, but the food was mediocre. I had the salmon which I expected to be juicy and succulent, instead it was dry.

I was here this week for a work party where finger food platters were served as we were a large group and not able to order from the menu. The service was great, beer OK and the food meh. Overall not happy/satisfied with the cost for what we got. I have had a decent family Sunday brunch here with family so might be back. read more

Everywhere I go I order lamb if it is on the menu. Did the same here. Big mistake, it was the worse lamb dish I have ever had. I was offered $3 discount, the value of the rice read more

Met a friend for drinks on a busy Friday night and neither of us were impressed. Listen, it's a brew pub and the main draw should be the beer but if you're going to serve food you should do a better job than they are doing. The beer. I tried two, Oyster stout and their Kolsch. I liked the former and was completely bored by the latter. Beer taste is so subjective, though, so I'm willing to give it a pass. They were fresh and cold. Also, after having a semi strong flavoured pint the weaker brew might have suffered by comparison. I'd give the beer experience a 3 1/2 star review and am willing to keep an open mind. The food is where this place drops the ball. I ordered the Wild Boar Sausage Poutine my friend decided to pass on food or drink. He told me afterwards that his past experiences at this spot left him disinterested in anything more than a Diet Coke. What a jerk, he should have told me in advance! Lol. The poutine arrived in under five minutes. I commented to the server how fast that was and she smiled and agreed. After three bites I thought I understood why. The gravy was luke warm, the cheese was firm and the wild boar sausage...between warm and cold and so dry that it was coarse. If I had to guess I'd say that the sausage was cooked well in advance, sliced and then thrown into the cooler or freezer, only to be pulled out and thrown on top of the fries, cheese and gravy and thrown into the oven for five minutes. Yuck. I called our server over and she took it back apologizing and seemingly embarrassed. Almost as if she was used to this happening. She came back, you guessed it, five minutes later with a new bowl saying that the kitchen promises that this should be better. It was exactly the same as the first bowl but slightly warmer. I got through one quarter of the serving and gave up. Honestly, this shouldn't be difficult people The service. The gal who served us was friendly and courteous. She was attentive and prompt. No complaints. Come to think of it, the service was the best part of the experience. When she came back to see an unfinished bowl she said "It wasn't any better, was it?". We had a laugh about it and she offered to have the manager come over but really, I wasn't interested in taking any longer trying to help out a kitchen that couldn't manage the simplest of dishes. The only thing that could be said in favour of the food is that it is cheap. Not cheap enough to be an excuse for awful, though. I doubt that I'll return and if I do I'm going to avoid the food. read more

I like that they make their own brews (Duh) and they have other options on tap. They make a good Caesar too! I have never been overly excited about the food. Tried the burger which was the only thing I don't have a complaint about, however when we paid $2.25 extra for onion rings (which were also good) I expected more than 5 onion rings. Literally 5 rings. This was our first visit so we decided to try again. I ordered the stir fry and my boyfriend ordered the steak. I've seen/had better steak served from a diner! And he asked for medium and it came out well done..Not good. I had to ask for extra sauce for the stir fry because i couldn't taste anything and it was not hot when it came out, just warm, like it sat waiting for the steak and dried up. We love the atmosphere and the tall bartender guy is friendly and knows what he's doing, but I think we'll just stick to drinks from now on. read more