JOEY Rideau

nnWhat an amazing experience from start to finish! The staff was incredibly friendly, welcoming, and professional. Every single thing we ordered was outstanding—from the cocktails to the appetizers, the main courses, the desserts, and even the coffee. Everything was delicious, and honestly, it’s rare to leave a restaurant without a single complaint, but this was one of those exceptional experiences.nnA special thank you to our server, Annabelle, who was attentive, kind, and made our evening even more enjoyable with her excellent service.nnHighly recommended—we’ll definitely be back!

Our entire experience from start to finish was incredible. We were greeted immediately with a delicious drink and seated in a beautiful section. Our waitress, Sofia, was attentive, knowledgeable and real. She was the perfect balance of attentive and respectful- understanding the ebbs of conversation and when we required service - she was clearly raised right. Incredible. Our food was not only beautifully plated but the taste matched the aesthetic. Karissa, also checked in on our experience to make sure we had a great evening. Could not love this place or the staff more.

So good food, we have enjoyed it a lot, it’s been the best meal of our trip in Canada.nThe place is really nice, we had a perfect service with Aaron and the food was amazing. From the cauliflower to the fish tacos and the beef quesadilla, we will not forget it.nAll the dishes in other tables were looking super tasty as well.nWe have seen that they have more restaurants along Canada and USA, good to know.

Veronica at JOEY really made the experience stand out. From the moment we were seated, she was welcoming, attentive, and genuinely friendly without ever feeling overbearing. She had great timing with checking in on us, made helpful recommendations from the menu, and made sure everything came out exactly as we ordered.nnWhat stood out most was how effortless she made the whole dining experience feel. Even during a busy service, she stayed calm, professional, and warm. It’s the kind of service that makes you want to come back not just for the food, but for the overall experience.nnWe really appreciated her attention to detail and positive attitude throughout the meal.

I first noticed Joey Rideau while walking back from Parliament. The location caught my attention, but I hesitated to go in because of a previous disappointing experience with Joeys in Toronto. Today, I decided to give this location a chance — and I’m glad I did.nUnfortunately, the experience did not start very well. There was no one at the front, so I proceeded to the bar and sat down. For several minutes, no one acknowledged me or asked if I needed anything. There were two staff members nearby one musclier guy wearing white, and while waiting, I even noticed a few flies around the bar area, which made me decide to move to another seat. I sat there for a few more minutes and still wasn’t approached.nThen Ella came over and completely changed the experience.nShe politely asked whether I had been served and whether someone had helped me. When I told her no, she immediately offered me a menu and asked what I would like to drink. She was friendly, attentive, professional and genuinely welcoming.nI asked her about the happy-hour menu and was considering a couple of options. Based on her recommendation, I ended up ordering the burger and a glass of wine, and what a great recommendation it was.nWhen the burger arrived, I honestly wasn’t sure what to expect. But after the first bite, I was pleasantly surprised. It was warm, flavourful and delicious. The ingredients worked really well together, and the wine paired beautifully with the burger.nI also have to give special credit to Ella for her bartending. I had previously been disappointed with Beefeater gin at another place in Ottawa, but I decided to give it another try and asked Ella to make me a double. She absolutely nailed it. The balance of gin, ice and soda was just right, and it was made exactly the way I wanted. I enjoyed it enough to order another one — even though I had started with my favourite, Tanqueray.nMore importantly, after speaking with Ella, I felt comfortable and welcomed. She gave me the impression that she genuinely cared about doing her job well and making sure customers were treated professionally and with respect. She didn’t just serve me; she actually helped turn what was becoming a disappointing visit into a very enjoyable one.nSo, a sincere compliment to Ella for her excellent customer service, professionalism, friendliness and bartending skills. She deserves recognition for the way she handled everything and for making me feel welcome.nAlso, compliments to the chef as that burger was excellent!nI initially came in expecting this might be another disappointing Joeys experience, and honestly, I could have easily rated it a 3 based on the beginning. But Ella changed that completely.nThat’s why Joeys Rideau is getting 5 stars from me, Ella earned those extra two stars. nThank you, Ella, for turning my visit around and giving me a reason to come back.