My card got flagged for fraud after using it to pay at Pronto in Russell. I have been getting…read morephone calls from people with heavy accents pretending to be from my bank asking for my bank card number and CVV after getting a new card. I will not be shopping there again.

I have narrowed down my ice cream of choice here to Butter Pecan!…read more For a while I was experimenting and getting 1 scoop of butter pecan and 1 of something else in my cup but every time I was doing that I was saying why didnt I just get all butter pecan?! Crazy amount of pecans in this ice cream, not just your usual one token piece of pecan so that it qualifies. They have a great range of flavours from moose tracks, heath bar, lemon, blackberry cheesecake, double fudge, peanut butter cup, tiger tail and a ton more that you don't need to know since you should just get the butter pecan! In previous years they stop the operation of the ice cream bar in the store around October time so this year is probably no different. If you're out this way definitely stop in before its gone!

great service very friendly. great product the almost have everything, its so great to shop…read morewithout going out.

This variety store was at the bottom of the building where I lived during a few years of…read moreuniversity. The main advantage was that you could access it without even going outside! This made wintertime and study sessions much more bearable. I would just run downstairs and grabs some cereal and milk or some other staples and go back upstairs and keep working! Prices are a little high on regular items, but sometimes it is worth it for the convenience. You can get papers and magazines here too and you could actually rent movies from a small collection. There is coffee if you are running late in the morning and bus tickets that you can grab as you are running out the door. All in all, this is a very handy spot.

TL;DR: Convenience store in an unassuming plaza has a counter at the back that sells pizza and…read moreMiddle Eastern pies. The pies are good, albeit a bit greasy from all the cheese, lol. I discovered Middle Eastern meat pies when I first moved to Ottawa and have been hooked ever since. So I'm always up for checking out new places. I learned that SM Market, a convenience store in the Alta Vista Shopping Centre (it's really more of a plaza), had meat pies, so when I was in the area, I dropped by. The store itself had a lot of things that appealed to me. They have Mini Melts, which are little dots of freeze-dried ice cream. They are similar to Dippin Dots. I love this frozen treat! They also have a wall of unusual soda flavours. And they have a slushie machine. It's Slush Puppie though, my least favourite slushie brand, but still, in a pinch, I'd drink Slush Puppie, lol. Their meat pie counter is at the back of the store. They have meat pies, cheese pies, and zataar pies. They also have pizza by the slice, or you can order an entire pizza. I got a cheese pie ($3.99), beef and cheese pie ($4.99) and chicken and cheese pie ($7.99). They were all delicious. They are generous with the cheese, as a result, the pies are a bit greasy from all the fat in the cheese, lol. Staff were courteous. If you like Middle Eastern meat pies, don't overlook this hidden place. Lots of free parking in the plaza parking lot. (142)

Been going here for years , the staff members are so friendly, they always chat me up because they…read moreremember daily faces The store itself has amazing coffee And always funny new arrivals in for nic nacks

I stopped by Food Frenz to pick up some Lebanese meat pies. They were $3.75 each (including taxes)…read more The pastry was thick and crispy on the outside. The meat was flavourful. I asked for spice and unlike most places, the spice had some heat to it :) The pie lacked the smoky flavour that I like with Lebanese meat pies, but it was still very good. A solid pie for sure. Service was very friendly. I think they employ university students who live in the area, which I think is great. They had some prepared foods like salads, rice with chicken, and falafel balls. They also had slices of cakes for $5.99 each and tiramisu in a cup for $3.99. I like that they have prepared foods in addition to regular items you would find at a convenience store. The store is in the heart of where a lot of University of Ottawa students live, so I'm sure they do really well with the student crowd. Since it's more for locals, there's no parking, so you have to park on the street.

I have been going to this store for a few years now. It is a little gem in the Sandy Hill area. The…read morecustomer service has always been friendly. If you're looking for ready made meals or groceries, Food Frenz has it! They have an awesome salad section and pantry staples in you need one or two items. Today I had the Manakish. Fresh and big in size.

Great store with very friendly staff. Nice selection of fresh vegetables and fruit. Very good…read moreselection of everyday items when you can't/don't want to go to the grocery store. Open from 7 a.m. to 9 pm. daily so that is a plus as well.

Lollies and Scoops just opened in the Manotick Mews today (February 3, 2023) and I had to check…read morethem out after seeing their coming soon sign for so long. Christine, the shop owner, was warm and welcoming right from when we entered her shop. Lollies and Scoops has sooo many different options of treats, both salty and sweet as well as international ones! At the front of the shop, there is a freezer with some frozen treats like Neale's Sweet n' Nice Ice Cream ($3ish, made out of Toronto with yummy Caribbean flavours to choose from). There is also a cold display case housing edible cookie dough (around $5) and some international drinks! Yummm! We picked up a Reese flavoured cookie dough one to try and two drinks. The shop has different categories labelled on the walls to help guide shoppers, such as Old School, International, Salty, etc. There are also fun stuffies, socks, earrings, etc. making this place a whimsical gift shop in addition to being a sweets shop. Christine mentioned that they will be scooping ice cream too come the summertime. I can see that being very successful with the locals as well as tourists. What an awesome addition to the Village of Manotick - looking forward to stopping in here as a regular! Welcome to Lollies and Scoops!

I don't know what a Bestone is, but I do know this store is great if you've ever forgotten…read moresomething at the grocery store, or you have nothing in the cupboard. They sell pretty much everything, including some fresh produce. Their selection of frozen foods is also pretty huge, super convenient on the way to work. They sell a variety of Chinese foods and vegetables and even have a freezer full of dumplings I have yet to try. The best part of this store is the cutest little Asian lady I've ever seen in my life, she is friendly and always smiling, I want to pinch her cheeks every time I'm there. Only complaint is that the prices are a tad high, but I guess that can be expected with most convenience stores.