Ottawa Foodies

1

Went to the Manx last night for yet another great meal. We've been here many times, just realized now that I never wrote a review for it and I should have because it deserves the praise.

Last night, I had the curried potato and spinach soup (the only downfall of the night, wasn't awful but wasn't anything special) and the fried chicken special as my main. The chicken was really dark but the flavour was amazing and it was still moist. The avocado salad on the side I really liked, much better than fries with a dish that is already heavy. Others at the table had the Pork Chop with mac and cheese, lamb shank with mashed potatoes, and the lamb curry wrap. Everyone was perfectly happy and overly stuffed when we left.

Service is never anything special, but it's a pub afterall so I don't expect much. If you've never gone and are thinking about it, be prepared to wait or possibly not even get a table. Anytime we've gone we've had to wait for a table or squish 4 people into a table meant for 2 but it has always been worth it. It's not the best food in the world but it's probably the best "pub food" you'll ever have.

1

Popped in at 5:30 last evening to get the last table tucked away beside the bar. Ordered the burrito with cheddar,rice,beans and hot peppers off the special board. Who needs an extensive menu when you can change it up everyday with a bit of imagination. My burrito was one of the best I have had to date. The braised beef was savory with the beans and rice not just a filler but had nice flavor on their own. The kicker were the pickled hot peppers. One would think lazy but the tang of the pickling made them jump out and compete with the beef. A sauteed pepper just wouldn't have cut it in this instance. Wedge fries were extra crispy last night bonus! Ottawa needs more places like this preferably a little south since this end of the city seems to be under served by good pubs only Shawarma on every corner.

1

Here the other night when the special was coffee-braised brisket with cabbage, kale, and potatoes. I think it probably ended up being the priciest thing on the menu ($19) but it was pretty great. Possibly the best food I've had at the Manx to date. Quite a large serving although I could've gone for a bit of balance -- there was a lot of meat and potatoes and I took them home, but I had no cabbage or kale left. Anyway, the beef was savoury with hints of the roasted goodness of coffee but it was definitely not overpowering. Very tender of course as was the cabbage which I assume had been braised with the meat to pick up some of the beefiness. The kale was buttery and had some bacon on it which I thought was a bit of overkill since I love kale anyway.

Long story short: the food, beer, and service were all good. Maybe not my favourite summer destination as it is a basement with no patio, but great for a rainy day.

1

I absolutely LOVE this pub. I am a huge supporter of local beers and the Manx is where I discovered my deep love for Kichesippi. For the most part I have only gone here for drinks, but the other night I looked over the menu and could not resist the sound of the crab cake appetizer. I was not disappointed- they were fantastic. They were very moist and packed with layers of flavour. The crab meat was fresh and the outside was crunchy and golden brown. The portions were great too and went well with my two pints, I felt completely satisfied. What made this app so great was the layer of greek chickpea salad and creamy cucumber sauce, both were again so fresh and full of flavour.

The atmosphere at the Manx is my kind of thing. I love the coziness, the low ceilings, the local art and vintage seating. The staff is very warm and inviting and now I can say the food is great too. This little spot on Elgin is the place to go to catch up with old friends, coworkers or a place to go for a more intimate date. It is definitely worth a try, go go go!

3

I love the Manx, and the food and service in my experience are both consistently good. My only criticism is that on one occasion, there was a small band, with amps and all playing in that tiny cave-like dining room, and it was nearly impossible to enjoy the experience. Live music is fine, but in such a small space, acoustic should really be the only option.

Another tasty dish off the special board. Penne with mushrooms bacon and panchetta in a tomato cream sauce. Al dente pasta in a rich sauce that I thought would be overpowered by the two types of bacon surprisingly not. The crispy toast was a great pub touch. Service was fast and friendly as always. YUMMY! Had to take a bite before the pic someone was on the phone sorry.

1

Finally got around to trying the Manx last night. Perhaps we were lucky, but we went during a typical dinner hour (6pm on a saturday night) and we were seated right away and served very promptly. We weren't starving so we split the lamb curry wrap with the day's potato and leek soup. The soup was a standout - just like my mother makes it! I honestly could not have asked for a better potato leek soup. The wrap was good but not great - the lamb itself was well cooked but lacked the "curry" flavour it had claimed - it just tasted like lamb in a plain gravy with slightly chewy mushrooms. The best part of the wrap was the housemade herbed sour cream. We were impressed by the selection of local draughts and liked the cozy atmosphere. If I were to continue to get the prompt service that I experienced (which is apparently an anomaly) I will go back, but the food (aside from the soup) was not so astounding so I won't be rushing to go back.

2

Finaly took time to stop by this pub afer work and after so many good reviews.

Good selection of local beer (Kishipi, Wellington, St-Anbroise etc) and nice simple menu

I had the Tofu tacos (hard shell) which i liked but it wasn't over the top good...maybe because i like soft shell better. The salsa was good but not super flavourfull...needed coriander and more Jalapenos. Salad was very good with a mix of veggies.

My friend had the Beef Burger with blackbeans and he said it was delicious.

Overall, nice little pub with fresh food and great local beer...can't go wrong.

1

I was here again last night -- I had the baseball steak which Tina details pretty well below. I thought it was pretty good although I don't think I would order it again as the portion size was perhaps a little too small. Steak was really well prepared though, medium rare right on. Beets and potatoes were good, as was the gravy. I actually really enjoyed the spinach and kind of wished that I had more. The price point is attractive but the sandwich platters with fries/salad/both end up providing better bang for the buck and they're tasty to boot.

Service was also better than past visits, despite it being very busy (lineup out the door).

1

I'd like to revise my Manx-burger aversion that I noted last time. I was here last night and I had their burger of the day (provolone, bacon, and spinach -- nothing fancy). It was pretty great; more well done than serious burger fiends might like but still juicy with a nice crust on the outside. All the toppings were great and the bun held up pretty well, although I worried it might go at the end. Got salad and potatoes and, while I hate paying the 0.75c. premium, you get a good amount of both. Potatoes are salty and crisp, salad had a nice light dressing with shredded carrots and beets on top.

Beer selection great, as always. Both Kichesippis, various Mill St., Beau's Lugtread, Muskoka Double Choc. Cranberry Stout, St. Ambroise, Creemore, and more on tap now. Good selection in bottles too, if that's your thing (Muskoka Mad Tom, Czechvar and more).

Service can be spotty but I take it as part of the Manx experience by now.

ashley - i'd suggest having them try some of the microbrew options on tap. you can order 1/2 pint sizes if you want to try a variety of options - i find their 1/2 pint pours are usually very generous (unless they use the 1/2 pint glasses). the manx staff is really helpful at navigating the beer selection based on what your friends like. i could tell you to give your friends a pale ale, but if they don't like bitterness in their beer, they would be unhappy. an easy selection is beau's lugtread (ottawa), i find it fairly mild and pleasing. i am not a big beer drinker though. i like stuart's natural session ale (it's organic). it is slightly hoppy, but not too much.

if they like a light fruit flavoured beer (my husband would call it a girl beer), i'd suggest the mcauslan apricot wheat. also on tap (sometimes) is the waupoos cider (from picton area) which i find less sweet than british ciders.

Can I get a list of MUST TRY beer list here? We will bring our out of town friends here for the beers.

1

Was here on Monday for a few drinks with a friend from DC. Definitely an credible selection, very yummy, and super quick service!

1

The Manx is the best place in Ottawa for drinks when the patios close for the season or it is raining in my opinion. Cozy atomosphere.
Only place in the city where you can get a Churchkey, delicious! Lots of other great choices aswell.
People are nice too which of course makes the beer taste better :)
Love the potato wedges, make it possiable to have just one more beer.

One of the few places in Ottawa where you can get beer from the Church Key brewery (near Campbellford) a (relatively) local brewery that we enjoy. Great selection of beer overall and great food. The only downside is that it is often too crowded to get a table!

Great beer selection, including (last few times I went) the new "Lug Tread" ale from Beau's All Natural Brewing Company -- very tasty.

I can't say it's not good but, to be honest, there are several other places in the city just as good and it's not worth the drive downtown, the long wait for a table, and the crowded atmosphere.

I like it, but I don't see what's so special about it that it's ranked so highly.

Had a very good Father's Day Brunch at the Manx. Just the regular brunch, but it was Father's Day.

Enjoyed my eggs benedict thoroughly. Nice egg on top of peameal bacon. Mmm peameal. Picked at my daughter's cowboy beans. She thought it was too spicy, but she thinks ketchup is too spicy. Not home on the range, but a good side. Coffee could use a taste punch.

Overall a tasty brunch and kid friendly.

I always get the same thing when we go to the Manx for brunch (the one vegan option), the tofu scramble wrap. It's served with a side salad and is an enormous portion size. Very tasty, and I love the salad dressing. My one complaint is that the wrap can be a bit spicy for the first meal of the day. They pre-mix the spices, so you can't get them to tone down the heat, unfortunately. I also love the orange and mango juice and the limitless supply of yummy coffee.

Haven't been in 3 years, but they had the most sensuous, satisfying garlic mashed potatoes accompanying your original benny. They would poke a couple of little garlic sprouts into the top of the pile of mash; it just made me giggle. Plus its so cozy and informal, you just want to have a game of checkers after brunch so that you can get around to ordering a pint from their ample bar. This place is one of the bigger reasons I want to move back to Ottawa.