Al’s Diner

Worst waitress ever! On Friday nights. I think her name is Julia

Food was okay. Used to more of a home cooked meal. The bacon and sausages tasted microwaved. Speed of service is epic though

Food is delicious; portions are big but not oversized; prices are VERY reasonable, 22 $ got breakfast for 2 with a generous tip.
This is the kind of diner that has real nostalgia for me, not that fake 50s style, but rather the kind of place that reminds me of my childhood and Sunday breakfasts with my family in a small town. The food was delicious, the kind of breakfast that makes you feel at home. The atmosphere was that of a true diner from the 90s, and it was constantly busy. And the price was amazing.
Only one little complaint: the bathrooms could use some love.
But, overall, I will come back, and I will bring out of town company.

Ate there by accident last week in mid afternoon when restaurants are usually at their worst.
Not this place.
Excellent in all respects: service and food.
Off my usual routes but it will be well worth a detour some time soon.
John Delroy

Went there for breakfast on a Saturday morning. The place is pretty big, especially with the outdoor patio in the summer.
Had the «Al’s Big Hit» breakfast (2 eggs, choice of meat, home fries, toast, choice of pancake or french toast, and tea or coffee) for under $ 8!!!
I chose the pancake, it wasn’t really fluffy and the flavour was ok. Next time I’ll try the french toast.
Service was super fast and very friendly.
For that price and service I will be definitely going back.

Prices are great and the food was good. We got the half priced pizza, beer, and a cola for two of us and it was around 20 bucks. We really enjoyed the pizza. I was really surprised how big the patio was when we got out there. The inside of the restaurant is pretty big too. Nice for a good, cheap, place. Nothing and no one pretentious here. Great for a relaxed, reasonably priced night. We’ll be back.

My first time at this joint. Went for half price pizza on a Thursday night. The pizza was meh. Not the worst I’ve had, but not the best either. Middle of the road. Had better. But definitely worth it at half price. Would not pay full.
Where this place fell short for me was the attitude of the waitress. Her name was Mal and a ticking time bomb! You can’t say anything to this waitress without her snapping at you. Our group was afraid to ask for anything. If you are having a bad day you should not take it out on the customers. A response to a customer who asks for a beverage when you get a minute should be ‘sure’, and not «YOU ARE GOING TO HAVE TO WAIT I HAVE OTHER TABLES TO LOOK AFTER». One of the guests in my party requested his bill whenever the waitress had a moment and she literally went off again. Management should not hire staff who are not friendly to customers. And we were not a group that required a lot of service. We simply requested a refill and a bill. She seems very short and lacks customer service. If you don’t like your job, then quit. Worst server experience ever in my life.

Always fast service, good homestyle breakfast and *excellent prices. Nothing fancy at all here folks it’s pretty much like Al’s Diner — the sitcom — without the beehive. Parking is a pain if you don’t nail a spot after rounding the place so if you are a risk-​taker you could try Canadian Tire across the street.

Love this place!
My boyfriend and I eat here all the time. Great prices about $ 20.00 for us both to have a full breakfast. Service is fast and the servers are very nice. Food is good normal breakfast food but if that’s what your looking for then its perfect.
They only complaint I have is on the weekends is loud but that’s because its always full in there but I have never had to wait long for a table.

We had a great breakfast today! Everything was perfect!

Decent place for breakfast. The prices are average ranging from 7 – 10 for breakfast. The fruit bowl was disappointing. Melon and cantaloupe was really sour.

I have only been there for breakfast. The initial feature that attracted me was that it opens at 05:00. My breakfast is unsophisticated, but getting it done right is a rare experience, and Al’s Diner does it. In particular, the eggs sunny-​side-​up come with the yolks completely runny and no brown lace in the whites. The service is prompt, and with the cheerful attitude that one wants to encounter in early morning, free from the word «awesome». The interior is reminiscent of a private home in the 1950s.

This place reminds me so much of the Russell Restaurant that I used to frequent when I was in high school, in a little tiny town. It’s got advertisements for local businesses on their menus, sponsored sports team photos on the walls and china from the 70s. I can generally sum up a few things when I such such paraphernalia: they probably have an item with liver on the menu, and 2, they serve breakfast late and they do it right!
Fauve G and her lovely boyfriend brought me here for a late breakfast last weekend and it was just as I imagined: quick, greasy, served with mounds of homefries and delicious. And they serve it till 3!
I ordered a straight up BLT and homefries and it was exactly what diner breakfast should be. It soaked up any remainder alcohol left over from the night before’s Halloween party, tasted freaking delish and made me think I probably didn’t need to eat for the rest of the day. Also — super inexpensive.
I thought this place was a well-​kept secret/​50+ hang out, but it was packed on a Sunday at noon and people were coming steadily in and out. Across from the Canadian Tire on Carlingwood in a definite industrial area, it’s off the beaten path but an awesome choice for breakfast.

I am a huge fan of diners. The great ones are clean and friendly and serve honest food. They usually have the friendly lifelong waitress.
Als scores 1 out of 3
They charge 2.50 extra for breakfast after 11. Thats not friendly. Thats just being bossy and greedy and stupid, and breakfsst is a diner’s major margin maker at any time of the day
The plastic tabletalkers are covered in a layer of grease.
The waitress wins the point for being friendly and trying to explain why the upcharge makes sense.
How is food? 1 point isn’t good enough to try it.
Als earned its way off my list in the first 4 minutes.

(This review relates to Al’s breakfast menu. I can’t comment on their lunch or dinner items).
After checking out reviews for nearby breakfast places, I decided to try out Al’s. I’ve now been three times in the past two weeks so, I guess you can say I like it.
PRICE AND SPEED
The two main reasons to go to Al’s are that the dishes are relatively cheap ($ 10 for most dishes like Eggs Benedict) and your food comes pretty darn fast after ordering ((really can’t say I waited more than 10 minutes each time after ordering).
I have not been to another restaurant in Ottawa that is as fast or likely as cheap as Al’s and for that pretty much alone they get the four stars.
FOOD
Now while the price and speed is great, I have to say that in terms of the food, I would rate is as normal and decent. Now there is nothing bad with ‘normal’. To me that would be like what you can get making it yourself and in fact I think Al’s prides themselves on offering ‘home cooking’. But just keep in mind that you wont get fancy dishes with fancy ingredients. You also wont have to be waiting in line to get a breakfast, miss an appointment because you are waiting for your food or take out a second mortgage to pay for it.
SERVICE
I had quite a varied experience with the service on my three visits. The first time I have to say the waitress was more interested in having conversations with colleagues and customers then actually serving them (so wasn’t too impressed but the speed in getting my order offset that). The second time, I was left waiting 10 – 15 minutes for someone to take my order as the waitress forgot (though she apologized and again the food came quick). And the third time everything was just right… Almost like Goldilocks and the three bears I guess…
OTHER
What else can I say. They have a decent amount of parking so you should be able to park at the restaurant as I don’t think you can park on the street.
There are also a fair number of tables inside so you shouldn’t have to wait.
SUMMARY
To summarize all this, yes I liked it, yes I would go back. With that being said, I don’t think I would go out of my way to go here though as I think its strength relies on it being an easy access kind of place where you could be at home thinking about making breakfast and thinking to yourself… Hmm… I could be at Al’s in 5 minutes and save myself the cooking and not spend too much. So, easy decision. If I had to drive 20 – 30 minutes to get there… well then I’d probably go more local or more fancy and pay the difference.

Al’s has the BEST breakfast in Ottawa! I get eggs benedict every time I go out for breakfast, and Al’s takes the cake!
Boyfriend gets the breakfast special at whatever location we go to, and he can only rave about Al’s. The split sausages were done to perfection, eggs were excellently runny, and the hash browns were amazing!
To top it all off, it took about 10 minutes for our food! The shortest wait for breakfast in town!
Coffee was great, staff were better :)

Best place I’ve come across yet for breakfast. Fast service, decent prices and good quality food. I’ve eaten here 3 times and it has stayed consistant whether it is busy or dead.
Its a basic diner with outdated décor but I love it.

While my partner popped into an auto service shop, I opened up the Unilocal app to look for a nearby place to have lunch. At the top of the list was Al’s, and after perusing through the reviews, I was set on eating at this diner. I was just about to share this information with my partner, when he told me that the owner of the garage had suggested we go to Al’s Diner. It might have been fate, or maybe, it’s just Al’s classic diner food done right. Simple, cheap, and fast, everything we ordered was delicious and hearty. We were having lunch (a club sandwich for him and a good olé burger for me), but most of the other patrons seemed to be delving into the breakfast offerings. Judging by the satisfied looks on every face, the breakfast is just as good as the lunch.

I love coming here for breakfast! Anything you order here is bound to be good! Classic diner breakfast!

Al’s Diner does its job well: serve a greasy spoon at a reasonable price. The staff is friendly and does a good job refilling your coffee and water. If you’re looking for fancier brunch, that’s not the place for you. I highly recommend going there before 10am though, or after noon.