Fil’s Diner - Ottawa, Ontario

We stopped in to Fil's dinner for breakfast on a visit to Ottawa and it was exactly what we were looking for. Their hash browns with onions were a nice treat and the staff were super friendly. Music and decor were a nice bonus. Would definitely return!

My husband and I travelled across town to come to Fil's because our 2 previous experiences there, about a year ago (breakfasts) were good. Yesterday, even though we still really liked the diner vibe and old music, the experience was really bad. Fil's is connected to a pub through an ... open doorway and to a bowling alley through a closed doorway. We arrived for dinner and waited a long time to be acknowledged (we were the only ones in there besides one man who left) and after we were acknowledged, it took a long time again to have our order taken. Turns out the waitress was at the bar side dealing with a client there who needed to be removed from the premises (we actually heard the whole thing from our table). Finally we gave our order - fish & chips for my husband, Ground Sirloin Steak for me. The waitress came back to confirm what I wanted, pointing to the item (Ground Sirloin) on the menu and I said yes. My meal was to include mashed potatoes, veggies and garlic bread. When the meals arrived, my husband's was as described but I got a plate with a hamburger steak with gravy and onions and fries. The small plate of garlic bread was actually hamburger buns buttered on the bread side, some burnt. I told her my plate was not right. She left it on the table and told the cook about the problem. Instead of taking my plate to the kitchen to reassemble it to include everything, she came back with a small plate of mashed and another small plate of frozen veggies that were very unappealing. By the time I got to eat the steak, the gravy had congealed into a thick mass and was cold. I took one bite out of the garlic bread, then stopped because it was cold. My husband said he didn't enjoy his meal because the fish was bland and not fresh. When it was time to go it took a long time to have someone bring our bill. Our waitress was sitting at the counter - when we finally asked for our bill, she asked someone else to bring it, that person was prompt. Paying $20 for the mess I got really irked me. I did because I knew I'd never be back. Everyone was nice and polite with us, but not enough to make up for bad service and terrible food. A positive - the restaurant was very clean. Possibly the breakfasts are still good there but I'll never know because my husband says he's never going back. I do not recommend Fil's Diner. Read more

The worst brunch I’ve had in a long time. The food was mediocore, home fries were stale. Our original table was dirty. The service was trash. Our server had attitude, was unenthusiastic and inattentive. She never came to check up on us, this was especially a problem because she had forgotten ... to give us sugar and cream for our coffee. After finally getting her attention because she was serving the table beside us, she took their sugar and cream and put it on our table. This was very unprofessional and disruptive to the diners beside us. Won’t be coming back. Read more

Last time we'll visit ever. Absolutely disgusting. Fil's has gone downhill. I feel sick to my stomach. The batter on the BF's fish and chips was raw, made him sick to his stomach. I ordered a HOT chicken sandwich and the chicken was literally ICE COLD only the bread and ... gravy was heated. Chicken is not even actually chicken, it's sliced sandwich meat chicken. Not impressed at all. Thanks for making us sick to our stomachs. Never again. Read more

March 2023 This was a fun place to eat. An old nostalgic diner vibe with cheap prices. Our soup and sandwich special was around $10.00. Our waitress served us, but she was not friendly or wanting to talk to us and make us feel welcome.