Hy’s Steakhouse

I ate lunch with my wife here in January. It was one of a handful of times we went together to this place. We had a birthday celebration, a graduation celebration and a rehearsal dinner together in Hy’s and will miss it a lot.
The décor was outdated and the employees still gave the best customer service in town even though the restaurant is closing.
The medium-​cooked New York strip loin steak was just as heavenly as the last times. The thin fries were still great too.
Man! It’s a shame it won’t be around for the next generation to enjoy.

Don’t waste your money, I know they’re closing soon, but the staff have already mentally checked out.
Service: meh, while we look/​are young (ish), we knew we were in a high end place (why else would we turn up?), our server felt it necessary to repeat several times that various menu items were «very expensive «. This annoyed me and detracted from any sort of «five star» experience I could have had (we are both well travelled and established foodies who are no stranger to the white jacket service). Our «garlic toast» basket arrived with two slices of Texas toast (you know the dempsters grocery store type) and a light taste of garlic… never once did our server notice it was empty or refill it. As for the quality check… by the time our server bothered to ask how our meal was, it was half over.
Food: I Ordered steak Neptune 51 $ I requested the filet mignon… I certainly wasn’t given the prime centre cut, when I was clearly unimpressed and questioning our server, he shrugged it off and explained this was the tip of the filet… bland, lifeless, lets just say I’ve consumed better tasting steak from Costco.
Why 2 stars? The 11 $ mac and cheese… it was pretty good… I gave them a star for that.
In a nutshell: service poor, steak also poor.
Save your money and go to red lobster /​the keg/​the grocery store… wherever … I’m sorry Hy’s but I won’t be sad to see you go. Too bad you’ll be leaving a bad taste in my mouth.

Hy’s definitely gives off an old school, classy steakhouse vibe and it was a good experience with regards to that. The service was also quite good, save for the few times our server seemed a bit frazzled, but understandably so. Would I return? Probably not as the food wasn’t spectacular, which was kind of disappointing considering the price and my expectations.
Both my partner’s and my steaks were over cooked, but the meat was good so it wasn’t that much of a problem. I ordered the Caesar salad which was supposed to be made table side, but for some reason it wasn’t for us even though we saw that or server did so for other tables.
Our entrees were cooked early and were served before we were even halfway done our appetizers. Our server thought we’d prefer to have them served early over them going cold on the kitchen counter, which I do agree with, but the timing could be improved for sure.

Had dinner here with a few buddies on a guys’ trip to Ottawa. We were in the mood for a good, old-​school no b-​s steakhouse offering generous portions of really good steak and potatos, and Hy’s did not disappoint.
We started with caesar salad, made fresh at our table. Just the right amount of garlic gave it a kick and a really nice taste. We also had cheese bread, which was very good but not really worth the price ($ 8).
A number of us had the 16-​oz rib steak, others had the filet mignon, all enjoyed their steak. The mashed potatos were also very tasty and had just the right texture.
Service was attentive and friendly.

Hy’s is our favourite steakhouse in Ottawa, and we are very sorry to hear that it’s closing. It was a great place to celebrate our special occasions with a satisfying meal in a warm, inviting atmosphere. We will miss the amazing food and impeccable service we always received at every meal. Our favourite dishes include the tableside Caesar, Filet Mignon, Beef Wellington and crème brûlée for dessert. Looking forward to visiting the Toronto location and hope it keeps the Hy’s tradition going!

I’ve heard that this steakhouse is closing. I hate to say it, but it is probably time.
The last time I ate hear the food seemed uninspired, the steak was only of «keg» quality.
The service was particularly slow, our table of four was shoved in with a large 20+ birthday party, and our server was more interested in keeping them happy instead of looking after us.
The food was only average for a $ 300 meal for two.
I have not found good steak in Ottawa yet.

For a long time I wanted to eat here, but as its very pricey, I finally went on my 50^th birthday. So expectations were very high for our group.
Nice looking place. Chairs a bit to low for eating even though I am tall.
Best waiter we have ever had, Zack. Attentive but not that fake friendly attitude. The other staff clearing and helping Zack were less than impressive though unfailingly polite.
In
life I have never had a server reach directly across my face so many times. Service is correctly performed over the diner’s shoulder. No grappling across the full width of the table!!! There was plenty of room to go behind our chairs as they should have done.
Constant interruptions for service became annoying.
Food:
One vegetarian dish. Rice flour dosas. Bland dry, grey and red mush. That’s one unhappy customer. Period!
Giant prawn cocktail. Overcooked tough prawns. Four of them for 18 $. The sauce was what you buy in jars at Loblaws. No iceberg lettuce. Worst version ever.
French onion soup. Average. Presentation messy, slopped onto plate.
Neptune steak: asked for filet mignon. Got NY tiniest strip.ever. asked for medium rare cook. Got medium well. Not tested long enough, so blood pooling. Steak was dry and underseasoned. Hollandaise sauce, bland and all I got in my plate was a tablespoon. Crab in top, three one inch pieces… Under seasoned. Asparagus and green beans seasoned well, best part of whole meal. Mash was average, but creamy.
8oz filet mignon with fries: asked for medium rare, got medium well done. Dry and under seasoned. Bearnaise sauce okay.
Crème brulé good, cheese board stingy, but okay.
Bottle of unremarkable red wine.
Servings stingy and uninspired.
Well over 300 $ before tips.
Ruined my birthday treat. Won’t recommend or come back.
Spouse used to bring all clients here for meals… from now in, based on this experience, they will be wined and dined elsewhere.
Honestly, we grill steaks better at home! I bet you do too!!!

Came here for late night drinks with a friend. I like the atmosphere and bartenders, ours was really nice and attentive. I would came back just for drinks and to hang out/​catch up for a few hours.

Enjoy paying too much for a mediocre steak, while dining under the ambiance of an energy saving floodlight? Look no further than Hy’s Steakhouse!

I’ve been here many times and I’m less impressed with each visit. I went as part of a large group. Most said their food was good, one or two were less impressed. I was totally disappointed. I had french onion soup — it was just as you’d expect, good. Then I had prime rib. It had to have been cooked the night before. I ordered medium rare — it was the right color but had no juices and was quite tough. Just as you’d expect from reheated meat. The yorkshire pudding was inedible; I had one bite of a disfigured pudding specimen as it had a terrible, chemically taste, and was very chewy, just as they are when they are microwaved. So I think the meat and the yorkshires were cooked the day before. I think the horseradish too was previously prepared as it had no pungency and had that stale yellowish color it gets with sitting. I will not be back unless under protest.

One of my favorite hangouts for wine as you see from my above noted comments. However, wanting to impress some girlfriends from work I arranged for us to stop by for a Wednesday noon Birthday lunch. Busy as Hy’s can be at noon in the downtown core our server was swamped, but efficient. She was even kind enough to take a break and snap a picture for us!
Wine list great. Food, not so great. Coming into a place like this you have high expectations, but this was less than mediocre.
Two friends ordered the cheese on toast, and that’s what it was. Basically store bought greasy cheddar cheese melted over slices of regular french bread. Where are the herbs? Where’s the pizzazz?! Where’s the originality?! The Onion soup was nothing special. My girlfriend had the steak taco’s and they were the biggest hit.
My new consensus. The lounge needs some much better «high-​end» appetizers as part of the lunch menu, maybe with *cough *cough, flavor? So disappointing.

I have been coming here for years and decided to propose to my wife at this fantastic restaurant.
It was an amazing night and the staff went way beyond in helping with my surprise. I brought in rose petals ahead of the night and look at how the staff arranged them (attached picture)
The manager even threw in a bottle of champagne which topped an amazing night!
Highly recommend any steak, the spinach salad is one of the best things you will ever put in your mouth (dressing is made at your table) and their bananas foster (also flambéd table side) is to die for.
Easily he best steakhouse on either side of the river.

Hy’s is a typical Ottawa political hangout. It is the venue of choice for Members of Parliament, Senators, staffers and lobbyists who often gather there on week nights after work for drinks at the bar. Hy’s is also easily one of the best steakhouses in Ottawa and is worth going to for a nice dinner.
In general the food is quite good however it is pricey. The service aims for excellence but often falls below the mark. I have unfortunately had more than one instance of subpar service there and when you are paying that much, you are right to expect perfection.
It is important to ensure you are not seated near the grill as it is uncomfortably hot in its vicinity. Other than that the ambience is nice and the décor is lovely.
Noteworthy dishes include the Escargot, the French Onion Soup, and the Gorgonzola Filet Mingnon. The sautéed mushroom and the sautéed onions are must have side with any steak and if you are looking for starch look no further than the stuffed potatoe.
As for dessert the Bourbon Chocolate Cake is to die for!

I was invited there for a business meal.
The first impression was immediately that it was a nice place. as you arrive, they take you coat.
then you are guided to you table.
the meal was great, a fantastic selection of wines, really tasty steaks (as this place is mainly a steakhouse)
The service also was very nice, and we then experienced a very nice dinner. Will go there again, by my own, for sure!

One of the better establishments in Ottawa in terms of service and quality of food.
When you walk in they offer to take your coat, which you can decline.
The interior is decorated in a very classy manner, they also have a glass enclosure of where they prepare the steak.
For the salad, the waiter will prepare the dressing in front of you which is neat.
For starters we had the escargot and ahi tuna.
— the tuna was seasoned with what I believe to be Montréal steak seasoning. In my opinion it was too over-​seasoned as the seasoning overpowered the flavour of the tuna
— the escargot was in your typical butter garlic sauce and was delicous
For the main we had the cajun steak and the hy’s filet mignon
— both steaks were cooked perfectly and was the most tender steak i’ve ever had
— as a side we had the double baked potato, loaded, and was fantastic as well
For dessert we had the crème brûlée which was very nice
Unfortunately they did mix up the order of our colleagues. They ordered the same steak however one ordered it well done and the other medium rare.
For some reason they didn’t complain about it and ate ¾ of it. They were complaining about it to each other quietly and the waiter over heard. Immediately he came over to apologize and offered a new steak. As they had eaten ¾ of it already they were full and declined, so the waiter offered to comp the two meals and give them any thing they want on the house. I have never seen this in Ottawa before and thought it was extremely nice.
In the end, they each ordered dessert which was on the house along with their free meal.
I highly recommend this place. 5 stars !

When I went to Hy’s I had the full experience – drinks, apps, steak, dessert– and it was a delight for my mouth.
We started with the cheese toast, which had some great flavour. I had a salad with the house dressing. For me, a good starter salad has flavourful lettuce, doesn’t skimp on the other veggies, and isn’t drowned in dressing and Hy’s performed very well.
The main was delicious: steak and twice baked potato. All I can say is yum!
Crème brûlée for dessert, which was a nice way to end the evening. Came with a mini biscotti, which I thought was a nice touch.
The cool thing about Hy’s is the ambiance. It has a decadent feel to it with a more masculine décor, but in an intimidating sort of way because the staff are very welcoming. We could see into the kitchen from our table as well as the huge grill used to cook the steaks.
The service at Hy’s is impeccable. Our water glasses were never empty and the pacing of the meal was excellent. Our server was friendly and didn’t hover – we felt like the most important guests.

We went here for a company dinner last year in one of their reserved rooms. The place is very nice, the service was friendly and I had some positive banter with the staff while I was there (always a good sign, in my opinion).
Their steaks are excellent. They have fresh horseradish to serve with them. Do I really need to say more? Ok, then… they also have insanely good french fries.

Hy’s bar used to be the place to go to schmooze over lunch. (Especially if somebody else was paying.) Alas, a serious management miscalculation resulted in Kim the bartender becoming surplus to requirements.
Kim was the buddy, the confidante, and the fairy godmother of that place and she epitomized great service. Her loyal followers have moved on to find her in her new digs at Darcy McGees. Others of the ‘regulars’ are getting fitted out for new lunchtime bar stools. The Sheraton bar seems to be the leading contender to benefit from the Hy’s blunder. (Milos and Heather run a great show there — food is surprisingly good and service is excellent.)
The ‘dark side’ of Hy’s is still busy over lunch but Kim’s domain at the bar is now a ghost-​town. Shame on you, Hy’s, for showing such lack of support for your staff. Ottawa is small town. You ought to know better.

This place is awesome for the following reasons:
1) Upon walking in, the staff is very friendly, and greet you with warm smiles. I honestly believe that as soon as a customer walks into the door, first impressions are already made even before ingesting any food. I love coming into a non-​judgemental environment when I’m dining. There was absolutely no fakeness with the staff (as I have noticed in fancier restaurants). They will ask to take your coat, before entering the main dining area.
2) Interior design gives off a feeling of warmth and coziness– a dark red color palette with a mix of gold and grand paintings hanging across the wall. The dining area is fairly large, with high rise ceilings. Definitely could see this place being used for business meetings since each table is secluded from the other ones, meaning tons of space and tons of privacy. Also towards the back of the restaurant, there is a clear glass where you can see your steak cooking. Nice, right?
3) The food was spectacular! For starters, they give you buttered bread cut into triangles in a bread basket, which I thought tasted pretty good.
I came here for my dad’s birthday a few days ago and we ordered:
Gorgonzola Filet Mignon– This is a great choice! It was cooked perfectly, and it came with a baked potato. One of the servers came up to us individually with a tray of toppings for the baked potato such as sour cream, butter, bacon, etc. He individually loaded our potatoes, which I thought was pretty good service.
Peppercorn New York Steak– WOW. The house sauce is sooo delicious! The 10z is plently and filled me up well, when served with the potato.
Beef and Prawn Brochettes– Everything that was served to us had the best sauces! Again, a winner! Also, this was really beautifully plated. The prawns weren’t overly buttered, and the beef reminded me of barbeque off the grill. The vegetables on the skewers were also cooked to perfection, the outside was a very slightly burnt and toasty while the inside was soft and flavorful!
Blackened Ahi Tuna– Was not a huge fan of this dish, although it was still cooked well. Tasted pretty much raw all the way through, and the sauce seemed really plain (soy sauce).
Bourbon Chocolate Cake– This was GOOD! Very moist on the inside, great dessert to end dinner.
I was also recommended one of the wines (upon my request) by my server, that he helped pair with my dish (I got the Peppercorn Steak).
He also offered to take pictures for my family since it was my dad’s birthday. He gave us dessert on the house and offered to buy my dad a drink. AMAZING, AMAZING, service.
The servers are upbeat and extremely polite, not to mention helpful, especially if you have any questions about the food or wine. They will not make you feel ridiculous for asking questions (SCORE!)
The $ 250 spent was well worth it. It is more on the pricey side, but you are definitely getting what you paid for. Trust me.
Ps– Grab a handful of mints on your way out. It’s what I did. Mint chocolate… so good!

A friend and I had a $ 50 voucher for Hy’s Steakhouse and it just happened to be around my birthday, so we decided to go for a celebratory dinner.
It was our first time at Hy’s, and we walked in, not knowing what to expect. It was incredibly formal, with classic, rich, and dark décor, and dim lighting. The restaurant is very high-​class, for fine-​dining. It caters mostly to business people and political officials, some of whom we saw seated in a different area. As soon as we walked in, they took our coats, seated us, gave us menus, and poured us water.
We ordered the escargots to start, and I had the 12oz. Gorgonzola Filet Mignon with sauteed mushrooms for my entrée. The escargots were very garlicky and buttery, and not rubbery. The filet mignon seemed small in size but it was a good weight and it was cooked medium rare, just like I had asked. The gorgonzola cream sauce was very rich and potent. We decided on crème brûlée for dessert, the top of which was scorched right at the table by one of the kitchen staff. With our bill, we received little gold-​colored wrappers with mint balls, which had a surprising chocolate centre. They were actually really good and they had a huge bowl of them at the door, so we couldn’t resist grabbing a few more. Altogether, the meal was fairly filling and was such a treat for us, though incredibly overpriced for the size of the meal.