The Brig Pub

My former professor and I were walking around ByWard Market the day before I left Ottawa. He noticed the Brig and we talked about how intriguing the name was to him.
It was nice seeing him again after four years. We parted ways a couple of hours later.
I shopped around some more. I worked up an appetite and decided to visit the Brig for a late lunch on a rainy Friday afternoon.
I sat down and looked at the menu. It is a British pub with a twist.
One of the specials that day was a scotch egg with spätzle mac and cheese. It was all served in a cute black skillet.
The meal was off-​the-​chain delicious! I thought that I had died and gone to food heaven! Who knew that spätzle would work so well as mac and cheese?!
I wish that I had room in my stomach for the bread pudding. I didn’t and absolutely love that dessert. Next time when I’m back in the city, I will have some.
I loved the pub atmosphere in there. It’s not all bad when you get to hear decent 80’s music there, including Depeche Mode’s «Enjoy the Silence.» I was definitely enjoying my meal and experience that day.
I wish that the Brig was in the GTA. I’d be one happy girl. At least I know that it’s waiting for me in Ottawa. I’ll be back!

Good food. Thrifty with their sauces! Don’t charge $.50 for mayo. Come on. But good chicken sandwich.

A market favourite, The Brig menu changes often and is continually delicious. Edemame and Crispy Sausage Won Tons have vanished and remaining selections are equally tasty. Service is prompt and attentive. Beautiful inner terrace. Bathrooms are downstairs with a step up before the entrance.

Was in town visiting and this place was highly recommended. Was kind of disappointing. We went on Saturday night between 10pm and 11pm. Wasn’t very busy, had no issues getting a table for 8 people. We went because we were told there was dancing, but that didn’t start until 11:30pm. I wish we had stayed to see what that was like but our group wanted to love on. Didn’t have any food, just drinks. Average price. Waitress wasn’t overly friendly but wasn’t rude either.

We chose the Brig because they had outdoor seating available, while a lot of the nearby restaurants were packed. The inner courtyard is a beautiful place to sit, and the bar was also playing the baseball game, which was convenient. My burger had a big, meaty patty, and I added Brie and bacon to it, which were delicious. The others in my party got the lobster mac&cheese (very good, but comes with no sides or anything to provide variety) and the Waldorf salad, which had a heaping pile of pulled chicken on it. The food was good all around, the atmosphere was very nice in the courtyard, the prices were reasonable and the server was very attentive. The steak daily special also smelled incredible (someone at the neighbouring table got it). Seems like a great place for a date or casual dinner with friends.

I had ribs, a bottle of wine and some shots when I ate here with friends last Friday.
Cute spot, decent food, but what I loved most was the live DJ. My friends and I had an amazing time dancing to the music and even made some new pals as we danced the night away while other people watched in envy of our natural rhythm :)
Great time, I’ll be back another Friday.
Advice: Play more cultural music, since only people from «other» cultures are lively enough to dance anyway! I loved when the DJ played Sean Paul, P. Squared, Gyptian, etc.!!

Of the countless patios and pubs downtown, The Brig is certainly one of the best. Echoing Spike’s review, this place never seems to be too busy when I visit, but I’m not sure why. The location is fantastic, it’s a very intimate and lovely spot, and they have a great patio that looks onto York Street. All that, plus a great lunch menu and tasty drinks make this a great place.
I wasn’t too sure what their lunch would be like, since I’d only ever had drinks and apps here, but it was absolutely delicious. I ordered the chicken avocado sandwich was pulled bbq chicken, avocado, brie, and this tasty maple aioli. I got their fries, since I was told they were worth ordering, and they totally were. Our server was very sweet and efficient, and the price was right, especially for the market.
They’ve got a great cocktail list here as well, and often have drink specials depending on the night. A fantastic date spot, particularly on a summer night on the patio. They also have a lounge upstairs (Armada Lounge) that they rent out for private functions.

We didn’t try much food as it was really a stop for a pitcher of beer and an appetizer of edamame and it all worked out. The server was very friendly and efficient and the patio setting was pleasant.
We would go back to try more on the menu, but, regrettably we are heading out of town. Next time…

Great food, good beer, fantastic service and an amazing patio. (Both street side and in back) It’s the perfect atmosphere to decompress…

My friends and I were supposed to hit up Heart & Crown but the line was out the door so we came here after standing inside a crowded Moscow Tea Room for far too long. The bouncers and bartenders here are super friendly and nice, good music (90’s hip hop) and drinks are reasonably priced. Good for groups– I would come back.

Been here several times both for food and just for drinks. They have some good drink specials during happy hour which are worth checking out and the food is actually above-​average by Ottawa pub standards. Nice enough to take a date to but won’t cost you an arm and a leg.

Stopped in with a friend on a rainy saturday aiming to have a burger and fries. Burger is great, sweet potato fries are nice, but arrived at the table slightly cool, and service could be better overall. (There were very few patrons in the pub at the time we entered, but still had a considerable wait for our orders). Based on what I read on Unilocal before coming in this seems consistent with others, and as long as you aren’t in a rush, it’s a nice place to sit and chat over a pint.

Great bar with a good selection of drinks, friendly staff, and an exceptional courtyard.

Went there a few times for lunch and received great service and very good food. They have great salads which are hard to come by in pubs. Would highly recommend this place.

The Brig seems to be one of the least cool places in the market on a weeknight evening. More better for me because it was not crowded and not noisy on a recent Wednesday. Nice fireplace on a cold night. Decent burger and sweet potato fries. Very pleasant service. Also, recently went to a holiday party in their upstairs function room. Nice open area with its own bar. Organizers told me that Brig management didn’t require much $ commitment to open up the room.

When we’re in the Byward Market «The Brig» is our go-​to pub. Great atmosphere and good food (not just your «typical» pub fare). Their Mac and Blue Cheese and their sandwiches are great! I also love the fact that they have Ottawa’s microbrew «Beyond The Pale Rye Guy IPA» beer on tap!
The staff are efficient and friendly. I love The Brig!

I hit this place up twice in only a matter of days. Once for a work after party and another transitioning from dinner out o dancing.
The first night we were there it was packed, we filled the place and then some. It was really hard to actually get to the counter to order, but when we did the caesars we ordered were amazing. Really good for a random pub.
When we went there a few nights later it was far from packed. Maybe 5 tables had people at them and yet our service was awful.
Our server was not present at all. It took my friends going up and waiting for her to serve us (they couldn’t at the bar as we already had a tab with our server). It took her another chunk of time to get our bills and then I had to chase her down to get my change.
The drinks aren’t bad. They don’t have a great beer list but their caesars are pretty tasty.

I used to frequent this fine establishment back in my university days. I always remember it as being dark, with cheap beer and good music. I happened to find myself back in Ottawa last weekend and ended up here for mostly nostalgic purposes. This place is way classier than it used to be, which I’m not sure if that’s a good thing or not? Either way, the food was tasty and the beer was reasonable. The service? Pretty meh in my opinion.
As nice as the classy make-​over is, I kind of miss the old Brig that was a little dingy, a little divey and a little more fun.

The Brig is one of the 2 default pubs in my neighbourhood for when I want a quick drink on a patio. The other is usually The Clocktower Pub when I want drinks and a quick snack.
The Brig is alright, beer is not extremely expensive and it’s in a great location with a patio overlooking York St. The Brig is a decent sized pub with a patio in front and one at the side. I prefer sitting at the front patio.
The Brig doesn’t have the largest menu for food but it’s ok with average prices. The food isn’t as good as The Manx pub and the beer menu is not as extensive as Pub Italia but it’s just a run of the mill British pub. If the weather is nice you should definitely drop by and have a beer on the patio and people watch!

There’s the mediocre yet overpriced food but there’s also the awesome back patio covered by vines with funky music.
I wish I could fill this really well done bar with food from some of the other great places in the Market.
I paid more than $ 13 for their caesar salad which was — meh. I don’t mind paying extra for a common menu option so long as the item is a little bit different.
Their burger is good and actually will set you back less than the salad (go figure) and as I mentioned off the top — this place has a nice vibe to it.
The patio is heated and although it doesn’t have a view it has a lot of character with the vine cover.
There’s a roaring fireplace inside next to the bar and if you stick around well into the evening you’ll see this place transform from a quiet pub into a club with great beats and shoulder to shoulder crowds.
It’s worth checking out either after or pre-​dinner.