Ellison’s Bistro

Loved it! Blackened Catfish in the best of ‘Nawlins tradition. Grilled tiger shrimp in Habenero sauce, and real deal Roti. Wonderfully done, Elvis. You the man.

It is an excellent fine dining place with the Caribbean influence. The head-​chef is a very nice person and ensures that customers are happy with their food. The décor is interesting: they were going for a tropical island vibe presumably casual, but the tables were setup as if it is a super formal restaurant. The complementary bread was delicious. It was freshly baked and had thyme flavor. The Fritters (both Pumpkin and Caribbean Spinach) were mediocre as they were too doughy and had little traces of the main ingredient. However, the entrees were on point. We had Curry Goat Roti and Jerk Pork. Both were really tasty and the meat was tender. One of the draw back of the restaurant is that they don’t accept any method of payment other than cash. Make sure you carry enough cash before you go there. Overall it was a pleasant experience and I would definitely recommend to check it out.

Where do I start…
This place is an amazing restaurant. Service is always good and the food is always made to order. The décor is a little bit quirky but not distasteful.
Elvis, the chef and owner of the restaurant makes everything to order and he always comes out of the kitchen to check on his customers, no matter how busy the night is. I must admit that there is a little bit of a wait time, but hey, great food doesn’t magically appear! not even at mother’s house!
I ordered the goat roti once and wow was that spicy! The amazing part is, it’s not only the spiciness you taste, but there are a bajillion other spices in there too! Another one of my favourites is the curried goat. A MUST TRY!
Check this place out!
Parking is scarce so be warned.

Awesome Caribbean food, completely customisable to your tastes. The menu is just the starting point: Everything on it is tasty, but if you have a particular flavour craving or dietary need, Elvis (the chef) will gladly throw something original together to meet your fancy.
Service is slow, and the atmosphere is quiet, but the food is well worth it and Elvis will be sure to visit your table to make sure that you enjoy your meal. Couldn’t recommend it enough.

The best Caribbean food in KW. I’m a big fan of the vegetable roti, and the jerk chicken is fantastic. Ellison himself will often meet at you in his little bistro just opposite the transit terminal. It’s a wonderfully small, intimate place. I wouldn’t show up with a larger group, but it’s perfect for 1 – 4 people. Service is very polite, and at a reasonable speed, but don’t expect fast food. Last time I heard he was offering cooking classes, and even bottles of his jerk sauce, which is fantastic on the bbq — ask for it!

We visited Ellison’s for the first time and had an amazing meal with warm and very attentive service. The Chef loved talking about the food and Jamaica and was a gracious host. The jerk chicken was some of the best I have ever had and will be back for more. The food was fresh and flavourful and nicely presented and reasonably priced. $ 13 for a half jerk chicken, rice and veg. Desserts are made in house and very good with beautiful presentation. We even purchased some of the Chef’s jerk sauce which I will attempt at home. He did warn me to wear gloves and use sparingly. I recommend trying this restaurant, it might become one of my favourites.

Elvis is a really good cook!
Whether it is gourmet jerk chicken or a customized salad for Vegetarians (with avocado, mangoes, green /​red peppers); he knows how to throw down and make really healthy and delicious meal.
If you are looking for a healthy, fresh and delicious place to eat in Kitchener, then would I highly recommend this place :)

Was here for a closed dinner party. Fantastic food… loved the catfish, jerk chicken and curry goat.

Don’t go here if you’re in a rush because the wait is horrendous! It’s a two person team; wife is the waitress, husband is the cook. The sad part is that the food is not even worth the wait!
If you must, try the jerk chicken as that sounds like the most popular item people order around us. DO NOT order the veal! It was tough and blend!

this is still the best tasting jerk chicken I have had. The décor was weird, and service was weird, but it doesn’t matter, the jerk chicken was good.

The food is cooked to order. The service is glacially slow.
The cook came out to greet us and ensure everyone was happy with their food.
The waitress couldn’t be bothered to come back and fill up our drinks.
Price was ok, atmosphere wasn’t bad either. This area of Kitchener was a little sketchy, but not bad.

Ellison’s is fantastic. Don’t go there if you are in hurry as Elvis (Ellison) the chef is all by himself in the kitchen making everything from scratch. The best Roti in town and a neat little place for carribean of any sort.

Ellison Bistro was very unique. The food and music have a interesting Jamaican feel. The pumpkin/​butter nut squash soup I ordered was superb, but the main dish was disappointing. The service was also incredibly slow. I doubt I will visit here again.