The Bogey Bar: A Breakfast without Par in Orleans

It is not quite the New Year yet but I already know that one of my resolutions will be to be more timely with my posts, so I am getting a head start. Since we just ate breakfast at the Bogey Bar in Orleans about an hour ago, I don’t think that I will ever get more timely than this 😉

Where we went: Recently, I was asked about where there was a good place to eat breakfast in the East End of Ottawa. I thought hard for a couple of minutes and came up empty. A years ago, I could have recommended Nickels in the Gloucester Center until their prices went up and they subsequently closed. Of course, there are the usual fast food suspects, but since I could not come up with anything concrete, I decided to do some on-line checking. Since we live near Montreal Road and highway 174, I checked out Orleans on Urbanspoon and Google. The highest rated establishment turned out to be one that I didn’t even know existed: The Bogey Bar & Grill, located on Youville Drive in amongst all the car dealerships. We were feeling adventurous, so we decided to take a chance on it.

Although decidedly unpretentious and somewhat hinky from the outside, as we passed through the entrance, what greeted us was a cross between a pub, sport’s bar and trucker’s cafe. We really had no idea what to expect! However, within seconds of seating ourselves, the solitary waitress was wending her way towards us with two steaming cups of coffee. Things were definitely off to a good start.

What we ordered: The menus that we were handed looked as if they had been around the block a few times but the selection was more than sufficient and the prices seemed as if they belonged in the 90s. I chose the pancakes with sausage and my friend Mike, visiting from Florida, ordered Eggs Benedict.

What we got: Since it was obvious that we were not at the Chateau Laurier and weren’t paying their prices either, our expectations were somewhat modest. With this in mind, what we got was way beyond what we had expected. I have to say that my pancakes were a little overcooked but they were considerably better than I have been served in much more upscale establishments. Mike appeared to find his Eggs Benedict to be completely to his liking and declared the eggs to be cooked to perfection. Although there was but a single waitress, with the exception of being a little slow to bring us the bill, she was very prompt and attentive.

Worthy of note: The Bogey Bar is a little hard to find, tucked away in a small strip mall opposite Jim Keay Ford on Youville Drive. Prices for a full breakfast including tea or coffee are in the $4- $6 range. Our total bill including tip was $15. 🙂

Summary

• Positives: Great prices, good food, good service
• Negatives: Tough to find
• Recommendation: We’ll be going again soon!