AL'S STEAK HOUSE - Ottawa

A good range of steaks and more served in a smart casual atmosphere (recently renovated and quite contemporary) offered at reasonable prices. Very good service read more A good range of steaks and more served in a smart casual atmosphere (recently renovated and quite contemporary) offered at reasonable prices. Very good service

With the closing of Hy's for good, Ottawa realty does need a good steak house. I though Al's was it. At least by reputation. How disappointing. Poor service. Gr... read more With the closing of Hy's for good, Ottawa realty does need a good steak house. I though Al's was it. At least by reputation. How disappointing. Poor service. Great bread. Tolerable salad. Awful steak. Drowned asparagus. And french fries which were not at all what should have been expected; especially at the price. Getting back to the steak, 12 ounce sirloin, it was tender but grainy and with not discernible beefy taste. More like what we used to get at Ponderosa. Remember that place. I'd give Al's a miss. And I have reasonably low standards.

It's been a while since we dined at Al's and it was nice to see it had been renovated. Our staff were friendly and attentive and the food was good. The escargot... read more It's been a while since we dined at Al's and it was nice to see it had been renovated. Our staff were friendly and attentive and the food was good. The escargot arrived nice and hot with a nice layer of cheese on top; the rolls were warm and fresh. For the main course the 6 oz. filet was chosen and it was a bit under cooked - I asked for medium rare but t was a little on the rare side. The accompanying salad was nice and fresh and Al's salad dressing is always a hit with me. Will definitely go back.

Came here for a birthday dinner we were visting from Montreal. After googling some steakhouses in the rea, Al 's seemed like a top contender as it had the most... read more Came here for a birthday dinner we were visting from Montreal. After googling some steakhouses in the rea, Al 's seemed like a top contender as it had the most reviews and mostly favorable experiences. We dined here on Saturday April 6, 2024 we made reservation for 5PM, the restaurant was still pretty empty at that time but we undersood most tables were reserved for the later hours. The location has lots of free street parking options on the weekend, it did not take long to find a spot. Upon entering, the restaurant is a decent size classy looking interior, carpet, mix of booths and tables. The lighting is dim, there are candles, a waterfall and nice bar area. Service was amazing we were greeted and seated right away, server was consistent in taking our orders, refilling our water multiple times and we had at least 3 people ask us if our food was to our liking. I presume the managers/owners walking by as these were men dressed in suits. We tried the ribeye and the pepper steak entrees opted for a side of stuffed baked potato for an additional charge $5). These came with Al 's house side which had a delicious garlic/italian type dressing. Very fresh and unique. The steaks were cooked well however perhaps not seasoned as generously as other steakhouses I 've been to. I noticed that they placed a small bowl of rock salt or fleur de sel type salt in the middle of the table for us to sprinkle ourselves. I found this a nice touch but wish the steaks did come a bit seasoned as is. As far as steakhouses go, food size and pricing was a bit on the higher end but still fair. One thing I didn 't really like was the way the floor kind of bounced or shook as people walked by. Probably due to this being an old building and the fact we were seated in the middle of the restaurant perhaps those sitting closer to the walls or other corners didn 't have this issue. The constant shaking and vibrations of the floor can be annoying.

Went here for family celebration. Wonderful beef steaks. More than a human needs to eat grilled perfectly. Ambiance: Seating was comfy but sound level did get a... read more Went here for family celebration. Wonderful beef steaks. More than a human needs to eat grilled perfectly. Ambiance: Seating was comfy but sound level did get a bit loud. Service: very attentive waiter host and high attention to detail. Be prepared to empty your wallet but worth the price for a special events.