Zak’s Diner

If you’re looking for a solid gluten-free breakfast in Ottawa, Zak’s is a great find. I ended up eating here twice during the week, which is usually the best sign a place is doing something right.

The surprise highlight was the gluten-free toast—honestly some of the best I’ve had. Most GF bread feels like edible cardboard, but this was actually good. The breakfasts are classic diner style: big plates, lots of potatoes, eggs cooked properly, and sausages that mean business.

The diner itself has a fun retro vibe: booths, old-school lighting, and even a Mustang front-end turned into a counter. It feels like the kind of place where breakfast has been taken seriously for decades.

Staff were friendly and quick, portions were generous, and it’s right in the heart of ByWard Market. If you’re gluten-free and wondering where to get a proper breakfast in Ottawa, start here.

Foods always good here, recommend the milkshakes 100%! Our server Avery was great and helpful. The only down side was that it was a bit cold in the place and the door being held open for long times made the vibe a tad off. Overall great.

Not at all surprisingly, we had a great time at Zak’s Diner. The latte could keep me going for a week, and the three cheese omelette was pretty good. My boyfriend got the eggs Benedict and also enjoyed them. The obvious star of the show (besides the perfectly puffy tater tots) was the wonderful service from Brandi and great authentic diner vibe.

Place is ok, portion size is tiny for the price but I would go back for the milkshakes. That’s a $20 full size poutine just for reference. 3 star for the 5 star milkshake and the 1 star food. Fun atmosphere

Good so good we had to go twice! Great service and atmosphere.

Came to Zak’s for dinner while craving Montreal Smoked Meat Sandwiches, and we left very pleased!! The milkshakes (Mocha) were also out of this world.

We came back to try breakfast and again, no notes. Everything was absolutely on point. Great coffee. Perfect hashbrowns. Outstanding French toast. We will be back!

Stopped here for a late breakfast after a tour. It’s a large place with lots of seating and classic diner-style decor. Staff were welcoming and service was generally attentive.

We ordered the veg deluxe omelette, blueberry pancakes, and the Beyond Meat burger with a coffee. We later noticed on the menu that the coffee is bottomless, but the server did not check in during the meal or offer refills, which was a bit surprising compared to most breakfast spots where refills are frequent.

Food was about what you would expect from a diner. The omelette was slightly overcooked and dry, as were the tater tots. The Beyond Meat burger missed the mark and lacked flavor, and the fries ended up being the best part of that dish. The blueberry pancakes were the standout and probably the best item we ordered. We did not love the extra charge for real maple syrup instead of the complimentary table syrup, which we opted for anyway.

Stopped here for a late breakfast after a tour. It’s a large place with lots of seating and classic diner-style decor. Staff were welcoming and service was generally attentive.

We ordered the veg deluxe omelette, blueberry pancakes, and the Beyond Meat burger with a coffee. We later noticed on the menu that the coffee is bottomless, but the server did not check in during the meal or offer refills, which was a bit surprising compared to most breakfast spots where refills are frequent.

Food was about what you would expect from a diner. The omelette was slightly overcooked and dry, as were the tater tots. The Beyond Meat burger missed the mark and lacked flavor, and the fries ended up being the best part of that dish. The blueberry pancakes were the standout and probably the best item we ordered. We did not love the extra charge for real maple syrup instead of the complimentary table syrup, which we opted for anyway.