Poutine is a Canadian staple, and when you crave some of the french fries piled high with gravy, cheese curds, and all the fixings, you want to get the best the city offers. Of course, you can find poutine on the menu at most eateries around town, but finding one that really hits the spot, now that's a challenge. To help take the burden off your shoulders, Jim Tubman Chevrolet has put together this useful list of the best eateries serving poutine in Ottawa, so all you have to worry about is getting there.

Chips & Dairy Fast Food

Location: 2920 Bank St., Ottawa, Ontario.

Hours: 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Friday and Saturday.

Serving an eclectic menu, Chips & Dairy Fast Food is a unique place that you don't want to miss. It has Canadian staples, such as tasty poutine, as well as Chinese fare for an authentic yet simple Asian meal. You can get everything from burgers to General Tao chicken, so there's something here for everyone. Its poutine comes in small, medium, and large sizes, which makes it easy to get just the right amount. Make sure you leave room for dessert because this place has amazing milkshakes, banana splits, and sundaes that are the perfect end to any meal.

The Koven

Location: 93 Murray St., Ottawa, Ontario.

Hours: 4 p.m. to 2 a.m. daily.

Enjoy your poutine in a laid-back, rock-inspired atmosphere. The Koven features some dark art on the walls, interesting chandeliers, and lots of good food. You can often catch a live music event that pairs nicely with anything you order off the menu. Some of its poutine offerings feature catchy names, such as Municipal Waste, Cannibal Corpse, and Septic Flesh. But don't let the names fool you. These poutines are some of the best around. They come with hand-cut fries, St. Albert's cheese curds, and, depending on what you get, chicken, ground beef, sausage, bacon, and lots of other unique twists.

Zak's Diner

Location: 220 Elgin St., Ottawa, Ontario.

Hours: 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily.

You'll feel like you stepped back in time when you enter Zak's Diner. The old-fashioned diner style makes it a fun place to eat with family and friends. It has counter seating and large booths that can fit a crowd. If you go for the poutine, you have to get The Quebecer — it was voted the best poutine in Ottawa. But Zak's Diner also offers otherdelicious poutines, such as smoked meat, breakfast, or bacon and sausage, or try something different and opt for the curly fry. No matter what you get, it won't disappoint.

The Wellington Diner

Location: 1385 Wellington St. W., Ottawa, Ontario.

Hours: 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily.

Stop in and eat at The Wellington Diner for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. This place likes to keep it simple, and it focuses on offering great food made with fresh ingredients. Its famous poutines will surely satisfy, as they come in heaping portions of fries smothered in homemade beef gravy topped with St. Albert's cheese curds. Get the Piggy's Poutine if you want yours topped with in-house slow-roasted pork and caramelized onions. The Wellington Poutine comes with thinly sliced seasoned steak, mixed peppers, onions, and mushrooms for a dish that will make you think you've gone to heaven.

It also serves some unforgettable burgers, wraps, mac and cheese specialties, and steak entrees that leave you wanting more. A kid's menu makes this the perfect place to dine with the whole family.

Elgin Street Diner

Location: 374 Elgin St., Ottawa, Ontario.

Hours: Open 24 hours.

For over 22 years, Elgin Street Diner has been a casual place for the residents of Ottawa to come for all their dining needs. The restaurant's many awards pay tribute to how great the food is, and its poutine helped make it famous. You'll want to try it all, but some of the most popular poutines include the onion ring, ESD, and smoked meat that's topped with Montreal smoked meat. It also offers breakfast all day, so you can get pancakes and French toast meals if you're not in the mood for poutine.

Those who need more than poutine for their main meal can get entrees, including hamburger steak or meatloaf, and the place has a variety of burgers, sandwiches, and more. Save room for dessert because mouth-watering options, such as chocolate peanut butter pie, key lime pie, and rice pudding, are not to be missed.

The Great Canadian Poutinerie

Location: 200 Deschamps Ave., Ottawa, 311 Bank St., Ottawa and 2020 Lanthier Drive, Orleans, Ontario.

Hours: 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday.

The Great Canadian Poutinerie has three locations, and two of them are right here in Ottawa. This eatery understands what goes into making a delicious batch of poutine, and while it's simple to create, not everyone can get it right. To ensure it has the best, the only thing on its menu is its specialty poutine offerings, so you can rest easy knowing this place has perfected the art of crafting this Canadian staple. All of its poutines start off with crispy fries, local cheese curds that squeak when you bite into them, and hot brown gravy.

From there, you can add the meat and veggie toppings of your choice. Veggies, such as caramelized onions, green peppers, pickles, olives, and turnips, are available. For the meat, you can get bacon, pulled pork, crispy chicken, or Philly steak. If you want something really special, go for one of the specialty poutines. The Bacon Grilled Cheese has grilled cheese bites and is quite popular, but you might like the Wolf, which has pulled pork, beef, and bacon, and it's drizzled with homemade barbecue sauce.

Have you been to any of the restaurants on our list? Did you try the poutine? Drop us a line and tell us which one is your favourite, and let us know how you like your poutine. We love hearing from our customers.

Poutine! by Shelby L. Bell is licensed with CC BY 2.0

Ottawa has a diverse culinary scene with new establishments opening every year. With so many dining options, you'll never run out of great places to eat; the problem is where you should start. From small, locally owned bistros to oyster bars, food trucks, and fine dining, there is always something for everyone. If you're looking for a place to take someone special, here are some of the top-rated restaurants in Ottawa.

Restaurant Les Fougères

If you head to Chelsea, just north of Ottawa, you can dine at Les Fougères . Owners Charles Part and Jennifer Warren-Part opened the restaurant almost 30 years ago and have been serving expertly crafted dishes in a fine-dining atmosphere ever since. This award-winning restaurant serves small and large plates created with local ingredients along with pizzas cooked in the hearth oven.

Some of the dishes you can get at Les Fougères include the Atlantic halibut with roasted cabbage and grapefruit and the seared grand bank's scallop, shrimp, and salt cod ravioli. If you can’t decide, the grilled flank steak with zucchini beef jus and shishito vinaigrette is always a good choice.

NEXT

NEXT first opened in 2013 and was rated as one of Canada's hottest 100 new restaurants in 2015. You'll find it in the west end of the city in Stittsville, offering a menu that reflects the best food memories of chef Michael Blackie. The food at NEXT is often described as a fusion of Canadian roots and influences from both Asia and Europe.

The dishes at NEXT are designed to be shared. You can start with small plates, such as the kapow cauliflower with sweet soy and plum vinegar sambal, cashew, and edamame, or try the shrimp and chorizo croquette. The oven-roasted asparagus is always a good choice. It's made with spiced miso cream, scallions, and pickled ginger. For your main dish, try Blackie's crispy chicken or the slow-roasted beef brisket. There's also a pan-seared ling cod and the 32-day aged Prince Edward Island prime beef rib-eye.

Atelier

With its 44-course tasting menu, Atelier offers a unique dining experience. When you plan a dinner at Atelier, plan for a four-hour event. The staff encourages smartphones, so you can take pictures of the Instagram-worthy plating and share them with your followers. Reservations are required, and when you book your dinner, you can request pairing options to go with your meal. There are options for full wine pairing, half wine pairing, and cocktail pairing. If you don't drink but still want the experience, the staff also provides placebo pairing.

Restaurant e18hteen

Chef Dave creates a menu for Restaurant e18hteen that highlights the best of Canada. He puts his own stamp on the food by finding ways to use ingredients in new and innovative ways. You'll find e18hteen in the ByWard Market, where you can feast on menu items such as grilled octopus, miso-glazed black cod, and Atlantic lobster.

Choose from several raw and chilled items, such as oysters, jumbo prawn cocktail, and yellowfin tuna tartare. The steak tartare is another delicious choice from this menu. You can also get steaks and chops cooked just the way you like, and these come with a choice of two sides and one sauce. The sides are just as good as the entrées, with russet pomme frites, seasonal vegetables, pomme purée, and herb salad to choose from.

Beckta

Beckta is a fine-dining experience with à-la-carte and tasting menus. If you prefer something a little more casual, the wine bar has a more laid-back atmosphere than the formal dining room but still offers the same fantastic food. The two dining areas share a menu but offer different dining experiences.

The menu at Beckta features a wonderful cheese and charcuterie board with a daily selection of meats, cheeses, and seasonal spreads. There are also several small plates to choose from for something light. The grilled prawns or charcoal grilled octopus are good options, along with the steak tartare and pan-seared sweetbreads. When you want more than just a small plate, the large plate menu has options for any diner, no matter what you like to eat. From smoked duck breast to pan-seared branzino and Beverly Creek striploin, this menu has something for everyone.

Beckta has an extensive wine menu with a variety of wines sold by the glass. The house cocktails are handcrafted by the talented staff with drinks such as the South Island Smoke with Ardbeg 10, gin, pomegranate, orange, lime, and egg whites.

Absinthe

Absinthe is a contemporary restaurant with a constantly changing menu of seasonal and gourmet European dishes. The café is inspired by 19th-century Parisian cafés and features black leather booths, low lighting, and dark hardwood tables. Combine this unique atmosphere with contemporary cuisine for the perfect dining experience.

The menu offers an extensive list of wines and cocktails and a prix-fixe menu. You can feast on dishes such as their well-known steak frites with marinated and grilled AAA steak, green beans, and wonderful horseradish aioli.

Make sure to save room for dessert. The Crème Brulée is a must.

La Bottega Nicastro

La Bottega Nicastro is a casual spot in Ottawa with fantastic food. The counter-service and specialty food establishment has a premium espresso bar with homemade lunch items, along with wine, Italian beer, and deli sandwiches to go.

This is the perfect spot for a casual lunch in Ottawa and a great place to go when you need something quick. You'll find it in the ByWard Market, and you can choose from many options to build your ideal sandwich. Start with your favorite meat and cheese, and then choose a bread and add the spicy eggplant for one of your toppings. You won't be disappointed.

The staff at Jim Tubman Chevrolet hope this list of restaurants in Ottawa gives you some ideas for the next time you want to take someone special out for a meal. If you know of other restaurants we missed, make sure to give us a call or stop by the dealership to tell us about them.

Fine Dining by LeonardKong is licensed with CC BY 2.0