Orléans Food Spot Review - Broadway Bar & Grill

When it comes to finding one of the best brunches in Orléans, Broadway Bar & Grill consistently rises to the top of the list. In fact, when we polled readers of Orléans Connect, Broadway was the voted as the best breakfast & brunch in all of Orléans, just ahead of The Bad Alibi.

Broadway, located at 1968 Portobello Blvd, opened in January 1995 and with another Orléans location at 1615 Orléans Blvd has been serving up great breakfasts with what many consider the best home fries around. That's thirty years of feeding the community, and it shows, not in any kind of tired complacency, but in the kind of confident, well-practiced hospitality that only comes with time. We've been coming here for years, through breakfasts, lunches, and dinners alike, and the food has never let us down.

The location itself is tucked into a strip mall located at the corner of Portobello & Innes, with ample parking that makes popping in on a weekend morning refreshingly stress-free. And, it's the kind of spot that feels like it belongs to the neighbourhood. Whether you're a longtime resident or just passing through the east end of Ottawa, Broadway has a magnetic pull that's hard to resist, particularly on a lazy weekend morning when the smell of eggs and golden fried potatoes is drifting through the air.

Inside, the décor is unmistakably bar and grill: a large, handsome wooden bar anchors the space, and the walls are lined with televisions positioned from virtually every angle,. perfect for catching whatever game is on. There’s plenty of tables and booths, and the atmosphere leans casual and unpretentious. While the décor is admittedly showing its age and could use a bit of a refresh, it really doesn't detract from the overall vibe. If anything, the slightly worn edges add to the charm. This is a place that's been lived in and loved, and you can feel it the moment you walk through the door.

We recently visited during an Olympic men's hockey game, with Canada squaring off against France, and Broadway was the perfect venue for it. Every screen was tuned in, the crowd was engaged, and the energy in the room was electric, even though the outcome of the game was pretty much a foregone conclusion. There's something special about watching Canada play hockey with a room full of fellow fans, drinks in hand and a hot plate of food on the way. Moments like these are exactly what a great bar and grill should deliver, and Broadway nails it.

The service on our visit was terrific. Attentive without being intrusive, friendly without being performative. Our server kept the beverages topped up without being asked, checked in at just the right intervals, and had an unobtrusive pleasantness that made the whole experience feel welcoming. Good service is so often taken for granted until it's missing, here, it's a quiet but consistent strength.

When it came time to order, we went with three of our favourites: the Kids French Toast, the Great Canadian Omelette, and the Broadway Skillet. The Kids French Toast was exactly what you'd hope for: golden, fluffy, with just the right amount of sweetness, the kind of dish that makes young diners give two thumbs up.

The Broadway Skillet, meanwhile, is a hearty, satisfying plate that arrives heaping with homefries, topped with bacon, sausage, scrambled eggs, and shredded cheese, a true all-in-one breakfast that leaves you full and satisfied. You better be very hungry for the breakfast skillets, as the plate is overflowing, and that's not an exaggeration. These are generous portions. It should be also be noted that when it comes to the home fries, there’s an option to have your home fries done plainly as they are usually cooked with onions and garlic sauce.

Beyond breakfast and brunch, Broadway's menu spans a wide range of casual dining options that serve the crowd from morning through to late evening. The lunch and dinner menus feature everything from loaded nachos, wings, wraps, fried pickles, and club sandwiches to pasta dishes, burgers, and sandwiches. There's also an impressive lineup of grilled mains and comfort food options that make this a reliable choice no matter what time of day you arrive. All-day breakfast availability is a crowd-pleaser for those who believe eggs are appropriate at any hour, which if you’re anything like me, you do.

One of the best reasons to visit Broadway, besides the food, is their Happy Hour, which runs every day from 3:00 to 5:00 PM and again from 8:00 PM to close. During those windows, select drinks are just $5 and appetizers are half price, making it one of the better deals in the area for after-work unwinding or a late-night snack. Given the quality of their appetizers, the Buffalo Chicken Fingers, in particular, have developed a loyal following, getting them at half price feels almost too good. It's the kind of daily promotion that rewards regulars and entices newcomers in equal measure.

🍳 The Broadway Skillet - 4.6 out of 5

🥤 Blue Cotton Candy milkshake - 4.5 out of 5

🍳 Great Canadian Omelette - 4.5 out of 5

🍞 French Toast - 4.3 out of 5

⭐️ 4.7 stars out of 5

Broadway Bar & Grill is celebrated for its inviting atmosphere and exceptional offerings and after thirty years of operation, it has more than earned its reputation as a neighbourhood staple. Yes, the décor could use some updating, a fresh coat of paint here, some new fixtures there, but the bones of the place are solid, the food is consistently great, and the sense of community that fills the room on any given weekend morning is something that no amount of renovation can manufacture.

Whether you're coming for a leisurely brunch, a game-day afternoon, or a late-night round of half-price apps, Broadway Bar & Grill delivers the goods. We'll keep coming back, and I have no doubt that, thirty years from now, others will be saying the same.