Ottawa Foodies

Met some friends here last week for drinks and quick bite after being out for the evening. My glass of wine was ok (nothing special on the menu here). We ordered some Chicken Nachos, I have to say they were absolutely awful. Seems to be a sort of "hang out" in Barrhaven for a younger crowd... probably because they have longer hours than most spots (close at 2:00 AM). Overall not the best experience.

Finally had an excuse to check this place out... dropped in here for a "cold one" with my sports buddies after a recent work out. Service was friendly and welcoming.

As MUhrblock noted in his review (June 10, 2008) the biggest hang-up with this place is the decor. They did very little in the way of renovations after the last tenant, just a few big screen tvs hanging on freshly painted walls. It's hard to get past the thought that this place isn't still the Terra Grill. It just looks and feels too much like a sit down restaurant vs a sports bar.

I visited the new Johnny Canuck's in Barrhaven last night. As mentioned, this location is in the former location of Terra Grill and Austin City Grill. While I never visited Austin City, the decor has changed very little since Terra Grill so if you ever visited there, it will feel familiar. It has the same setup, and all the same tables etc. The only difference is the LCD TVs that have been added to the walls.

I went for a bite and a beer with a buddy of mine and on Monday to Wednesday they have half-price appetizers. We ordered a few standard things; nachos, chicken wings, potato skins and mini-burgers. The service was prompt and friendly. The food, however, was just adequate. Nothing too special, and since we were sitting by the kitchen door, we could see everything coming out to the other tables. Nothing came out that I thought, 'wow, that looks good.' No complaints, since you can't beat half-price apps but I am not sure I would return for a meal.

It seems to me that this could be a great spot to watch sports except the bar area is so small. There are only three or four high-top tables and then the rest of the restaurant is more of a traditional sit-down affair. I am not sure how that will affect them but it almost seems that they are trying to hit both markets; the sit-down family restaurant and the sports bar scene. Perhaps the split will work out fine, as it clearly has for them in Orleans.

My Barrhaven Buddies tell me that Johnny Canuck's is now open. This newest Sports Bar & Grill is operating out of the space that was shortly occupied by Austin City Grill after the demise of Terra Grill.

Chicken Nachos

We ordered the chicken nachos, they come with the dark & light nacho chips. Toppings were the standard mix of things. Nothing new, interesting or tasty here. Might be the WORST nachos I've ever had.