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-Western omelet was liquid
-potatoes were cold and undercooked
-Cottage cheese warm and liquid probably cause it sat under a heat lamp for sometime..
-Service was awkward and slow

-- GreenEggs

Will
Visit
Again

Contribution Status:

Anyone who thinks that the food in this place is served fresh, and tastes good either can't cook, has a spouse that can't cook, or grew up with a mother that can't cook.
This is my experience after giving Cora's 4 chances to get it right :

1. The fruit is not fresh. Not even close. I think they must store all the fruit together as well because is basically all tastes the same - bland.
2. The crepes are horrible. Full stop. They are mushy and sloppy and chewy and they provide you with Aunt Jemimah's syrop. Just plain gross.
3. The servers are very mechanical.
Strangely, there is a huge line up to get into the place so it would appear the servers aren't that bothered to give great service, or be that friendly.
4. Last but not least, the price.
It's beyond atrocious what they are charging for crap bacon and eggs in this place.

People - it's bacon, eggs, sausage, fruit and bread.
It's hard to imagine how they get it so wrong, so consistently.

I'll not be giving them another chance.
Nor should you!

-- davidinottawa

Won't
Visit
Again

Contribution Status:

I've been to Cora's on many occasions and have never been disappointed with the food. Whether it's bacon & eggs or healthy fruit, I've always found the quality to be outstanding - a definite cut above Denny's. You must know the old saying: you get what you pay for!
So, for all those out there who are whining about the price, why don't you skip off through the McDrive and pick yourself up an egg Mcmuffin!

-- allibezuin

Recommended

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My wife, her sister and family went out for breakfast. It was quite good, food was fresh and not greasy. Prices were a bit high, but I would be back on occasion

-- Busydiner

Will
Visit
Again

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Put fruit on everything and charge $10 for breakfast. Ok, ok a good dining experience. My wallet always says ouch. Could be more kid friendly, cups with lids, etc.

-- Picky American

Will
Visit
Again

Contribution Status:

Too slow, too much, not going back. Will take Eggspectations any day.

-- Mook

Won't
Visit
Again

Contribution Status:

I cannot figure out why people line up for this. Make some eggs at home, put a strawberry garnish on the plate and....VOILA ! You just saved yourself a half hour wait in line and 10 bucks.

-- wolverine

Won't
Visit
Again

Contribution Status:

Have been to this Cora about half a dozen times. Sometimes by ourselves and sometimes with visitors from out of town. We find it too pricey. You can get the same food (perhaps with less presentation) for less at Denny's or if you go across the river to Quebec, for almost half the price (coffee included, e.g Toscano's). Have had two bad experiences with their staff. Over heard one staff member say (within hearing range) thank God you have no kids with you. We had our little girl with us at the time. Another one of the staff was just down right rude. As if we were putting them out for eating there. Tables are empty but they make you wait in line. Go figure. The potatoes are always burned, the fruit is under ripe and the crepes are chewy. Definitely not work the money and we're definitely not going back. With just a little bit of effort, I could come up with breakfast that is way better at home.

-- Bang4Bucks

Won't
Visit
Again

Contribution Status:

I live near this location and have yet to try their breakfasts. Sometime in May, I will give their restaurant a try. I just feel that a place like Cora's, which opens at 6 A.M., seems more suited to visit in the late Spring and Summer, when dawn has arrived, than the winter, when it is still dark. I'm sure it is better than Denny's and this Merivale location seems to have line-ups every freaking day. There must be something about the food that has the customers coming back, similar to the auras that the Lone Star Cafe and The Works Burger Bistro have here.

-- Brighat

No Rating

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I've been to many Cora's restaurants around Ottawa and they've all been really great. The breakfast is fabulous if you like fruit and inventive cuisine. For something more traditional you should go elsewhere. If you want eggs, bacon and homefries you can probably get it cheaper and better somewhere else.
The staff are always great: friendly and helpful with suggestions if you're stuck on what to order. They are usually good with coffee refills even when it's busy.
The decor and atmosphere are strange. As you've probably heard there are plastic chickens on the walls and the images are Cora's own hand-drawn creations. Some find it cute and personable, I find it a little too campy to say that I like it, but it's not horrible.
I go to Cora's when I want a treat because it's very good but it costs alot. It's expensive for a reason, but still I'm not made of money.

-- Karen (KarenF)

Will
Visit
Again

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Have been here several times. Always had good service and good portions.

-- EnjoysGoodFood

Will
Visit
Again

Contribution Status:

Been here many times for brekkie.

I have had to wait up to ten minutes or so for a table, but that's all.
The service is as should be expected in a busy place like this - brusque with no chit-chat.

The menu is deceiving: it looks really fun and colourful, until you actually try to read it! It's a bit hard on the eyes. But you manage.
The food has always been great, from the heart-attack on a plate type-thing, to the healthier choices.

One thing: I also agree that real maple syrup should not even be an option. A restaurant should not even have the "fake" stuff. At the very least, it should not have an extra charge.

-- num-nums

Will
Visit
Again

Contribution Status:

A good healthy alternative. Fruit instead of hash browns, lots of omlettes to choose from and interesting waffles.

What's with the last poster. It cannot be that bad.

-- marla

Contribution Status:

On Sunday I brought friends and family to Cora's (9 people, 10 including me) for brunch. 4 of these people were possible new customers as it was their first visit.

I ordered the Waffle with Strawberries, Kiwi, Banana with the Strawberry Coulis. I asked for no whip cream and no icing sugar as I try to go healthy. When I received my waffle there was literally a dab of strawberry coulis on it. You had to search to see some. My waffle was dry because of this and unenjoyable. I asked the waitress to add some more and she said there would be a cost. I was baffled as the 100 other times I ordered this waffle it had plenty. I was not asking for something crazy here, just some. I felt upset and told her that was OK, forget it. I tried to continue to eat my waffle, but I was so upset and it was not tasting close to the standard I was use to. I then proceeded to ask the Manager and he looked at me (the customer) and said, that is the way it is now. At what point in any business is the customer wrong?? His 10 cents he saved has cost him a customer and more. I was being reasonable and he said that they are strict on how much they put on because they can not show up other Cora's. WOW! Meanwhile this was the absolute worst Cora's I was ever at. 3 months ago we had to wait 1 hour and 15 minutes for our food as I had to ask for a waitress 3 times before we even got a coffee. I have had bad experiences at this Cora's before, but I am not one to complain, usually. I did not eat my waffle as it was not edible and I had to pay a lot of money for it.

-- ginaahrens

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Don't buy into the hype that is Cora's. This one in particular is terrible. It's crowded and has too many tables. The food is okay at best but not worth the crazy prices they charge. It's really sad when they try and upsell you on "genuine" maple syrup at $.50. Really only fools would line up for this dump. The one on Alta Vista is a better building but the same service and food. I hope Cora goes bankrupt.

-- pappy

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We go there every Saturday - yes, there's a wait, but we are usually seated within 10-15 minutes. Tons of selection, with everything from healthy to artery-clogging, depending on your mood...Staff is friendly, and not shy with the coffee refills. Once you're seated, the service is fast.

-- restogal

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Cora's is ok... if you don't mind paying crazy high prices for breakfasts that are just ok.

-- cbreeze

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I agree with the last poster, in the land of maple trees and maple syrup Aunt Jamima reigns supreme. Cracker Barrels along the US interstates serve real maple syrup at no surcharge.

at My previous posting of two years ago follows:
We waited 15 minutes or so on a busy Saturday morning/Easter week-end. We both had the Rosemarie's? crepes. My wife switched the crepes for pancakes. The plate was accompanied by bacon, eggs and toast. The blueberry crepes were not crepes as I know them, but rather a thin pancake. My memory of crepes are the true Montreal style ones from Crepe Breton. The pancakes were also inferior, I cannot understand why Canadians have a problem with this simple dish. Canadian pancakes taste like glue they are doughy and heavy. A trip to any Cracker Barrel Restaurant along the interstates in the USA would teach them a lesson. Decent coffee and refills without asking are a plus. One large OJ. The check with tip was $30, that's fair considering the amount of food.


Upscale breakfasts and brunches. Fresh fruit rather than hash browns, crepes rather than pancakes. Montreal bagels rather than Toronto ones. The antithesis to Denny's and not much more expensive. Comfort food for the new milenium. Since new ownership took over vastly improved. Worth the wait in line on Sunday's.

-- norman

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We finally made it in the restaurant, usually they are lined up out the door, so we wouldn't wait. I'm glad, as it wasn't worth it.

Ok, fruit that came with our meals was fresh,but the crepes were soggy , to much custard on the fruit waffle, and combined with the high price, it fails. Watch out if you want maple syrup they charge extra for little packets. I figure if they are charging $30.00 for breakfast for 2 they could at least let you have real syrup.

I wasn't overly impressed with the service...you only got 1/2 cup of coffee at a time, and it was hard to get to start with....then trying to find your waiter if you wanted anything...good luck.

Over all, it was a first, but definately last time we'll be there.

-- hctroubles

Contribution Status:

Re. "oh, the wait" -- ? A bit after 8am-ish on a Monday, we were seated the second we came in. It didn't get busy while we were there, so I take it things have quieted down?

Re. "oh, the price" -- hmm. Okay, $3.75 for not-that-large glasses of not-that-impressive grapefruit juice is bad. But if anybody wants to fill me in on who's got eggs benedict with mushrooms, Swiss and asparagus, with potatoes and a fresh fruit salad that includes pineapple, for under $11...uh, anyway. Not that bad; just be careful with what you order. I could understand the complaints if dishes were padded out with supermarket bread dumped in a toaster with margarine rather than a fruit salad that might easily go for $6+, but.

Verdict on the "eggs Ben et Dictine": excellent. Eggs poached just right. Fruit a dizzyingly good touch. That and the unstingy veg made for a pretty healthy breakfast; ditto the relatively ungreasy potatoes. And _that_ was a great deal for $11.

Passed along verdict on the pancakes, bacon and sausage that was ordered: great bacon, pretty good pancakes and sausage, but not exceptional.

The fresh fruit, cottage cheese, and poached egg plate actually started looking tempting; that's usually a disappointment in other places, a dull pile of sliced apple & tinned pineapple for the odd dieter, but they obviously do a nice job of 'healthy' here. Perhaps a better job than they do with standard greasy breakfasts, which -- well, I can't complain. It obviously isn't a 2 eggs/meat/potatoes/toast @ a discount sort of place, which is something of a relief given how many places rely on that.

I've been in fancier-looking restaurants with similar prices, but it was clean, not too loud, and comfortable.

Service was unobtrusively professional; we weren't hovered over and weren't left waiting for a thing.

-- kmennie

Contribution Status:

overpriced bad service greasy food not recommended I'm sure the one in Montreal is alot better.

-- jacquie

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I just went here for the first time and i was very surprised. yes theres a line, but only because everyone wanted to get in. it must be doing pretty good if theres a line everyday. and for all the people complaining that this place wasnt up to there standards, move on its just breakfast. people clearly like it. I thought the staff did a good job, running around like that for hours must be hard.. so give them credit. i liked it, you cant get that anywhere else. :)

-- tims

Contribution Status:

Always a line up, usually moves quickly but don't go on a rainy day as you could end up waiting outside.

That said we have waited outside a couple of times! Food is always good,service sometimes rushed but it's a fast paced environment. Don't go here for a long casual morning breakfast, it's busy!Love the fresh fruit and smoothies. Good service sizes.

-- Pamela71

Contribution Status:

Wife and I had breakfast here 2006-07-21. Been regulars for the last couple of years. Decent food, usually fresh. Service this time was spotty - getting coffee refills, and the final bill - took longer than it should.

Used to be "the place" for breakfast. That may still be accurate, but there are other places that are catching up.

-- CasinoMing

Contribution Status:

I am glad we have such a healthy restaurant like Cora's in ontario.Very healthy,clean and organized.
10/10 always.cheers

-- babygirl99

Contribution Status:

The line-up is always way to long!! Who's going to wait 20 mins for Bacon and Eggs???

-- REB

No Rating

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Well where to start about how HORRIBLE my visit here was!! My boyfriend and i thoguht we'd give this place a try for teh first time, and it will be our LAST! To start it all off our seating was terrible! right by the enterance! people would walk into us WHILE we were eating!! Then we found a dead bug in our sugar, and the waiter only replaced the sugar, not the coffee or even try and compensate for it! our food took 45 minutes to get to us! and it wasn't even cooked the way we ordered it! the waiter was too busy talking to his friends and took 20 minutes to bring us our bill, after asking for it 3 times! my plate was taked away before i was even finished eating! The food was WAY overpriced for the quality and quantity!! to sum it all up THIS PLACE SUCKS!! i suggest Rockin Johny's for a GOOD WELL PRICED breakfast!!

-- princess6669

Contribution Status:

I love Montreal bagels, I love the variety on the menu, I love that they can handle almost any craving I might be having. My only complaint is their complete lack of flexibility. Were they to simply allow small changes to my order (I have allergies!), I would be there more often. But alas, the Soup N@z! seems to be lurking behind the counter there...NO CHANGES FOR YOU!

-- batman

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After reading all the reviews, i must agree with the fact that this is not a place to come for your regular breakfast special of bacon and eggs. Quite frankly, the regular breakfasts consisting of this is not that great and it is overpriced. However, the crepes and waffles are amazing!! I had the fruit filled crepes with custard, maple sirop and chocolate hazelnut sauce. I was so impressed (and stuffed)! It is an extremelly busy place. You will wait that's for sure. Don't expect to have excellent service. Just go for the crepes, be patient and simply enjoy your food! Eat, pay the bill, leave, and come back again when you need your fix for sweets for breakfast.

-- passion4food

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If you want good old bacon and eggs, DON'T COME HERE. There are many, many other places that would better fit the bill. This place is for snazzy stuff like fresh fruit, crepes, waffles, etc.

Having said that, I love Cora's. This is the best of the locations in Ottawa (service and quality-wise) as well since it run by a very anal-retentive owner. (The service at Rideau Street is truly bad if you get one of the regular servers. They keep trying to push the brown toast on me whenever I order white. The white toast is much better -- nice and thick.)

I used to come here for the strawberry-kiwi-banana waffles until they changed it to a huge soft-waffle instead of a smaller, crispier one: the new king acts like a big sponge. Now, I come exclusively for their 10-on-10 Egg in a Skillet. [drool]

If you go on weekends, you MUST get there before 9:00am (try 8:00am) or you will stand in line ... otherwise, get there after 11am as it starts to quiet down again.

-- ticketyboo

Contribution Status:

Average

When I first moved to Ottawa, I heard quite a lot of talk about Cora's. I finally went last month, and it was far from special. Definitely not the blace to go for your average B&E breakfast.

-- fmanning

Contribution Status:

Overpriced very average food. Service is awful. I have no idea why anyone would line up for this place.

-- muffinmaker

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For all those people expecting eggs and bacon, it's not their specialty. But for all those people that want something different, it is sooooooo good. I've been to the location on Merivale many times and have never had bad service or food. As for the wait, if you're waiting 20 minutes in a line, then obviously they must be doing something right. I manage another restaurant and am able to recognize a job well done. Warning, the price is more expensive than your average breakfast but that much fruit doesn't come cheap.

-- Nan

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If you want cottage cheese and fruit go ahead. If you eggs go some where else! A place that specializes in breakfast should be able to do a hell of a lot better than this. The service was awful and the kitchen is really slow. I ordered steak and eggs and what I got was a joke. The steak was literally about an ounce and a half.

-- (Andrew)

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Finally tried breakfast there. Long wait to get in, then we were seated in a part that seems like an add-on. The noise level of patrons was so loud that my husband and I could not hear each other speak. We were told by the waitress that it was due to the bad accoustic ceiling. Our bacon, eggs, home fries finally came and it was actually floating in grease. Yuk! Never, never, never again.

-- diane23

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ALL I WANTED WERE SOME HASHBROWNS OR AT LEAST HOMEFRIES! WERE THOSE EVEN REAL POTATOES?

-- MP

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I think Cora's is great if you're going for the crepes and the fruits. But I would never go there for a regular bacon and eggs breakfast because frankly, it's too overpriced and I find the atmosphere way too hectic. But on days when I'm craving a lot of fruit and whip cream - that's definitely the place to be.

-- POTN

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GET REAL! AND STOP BURNING THE POTATOES! AND IF YOU CHARGE >3 BUCKS FOR A "LARGE" O.J., MAKE IT REALLY LARGE!

-- CAPNCRUNCH

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Food good. Service great, had a toddler who was a bit of a handful and the server was great, she even brought extra bananas for him.

-- lucky13

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I ate there on a weekday morning, and the service was alright which was to be expected. It is overpriced, but the crepes with chocolate and fruit are soooo yummy. However my friends who got stuff that wasn't crepes (sausages, french toast, bacon, etc.) said it wasn't that great. I'd suggest just going for crepes when you're in the mood for one.

-- Katherine

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I was really quite surprised at all the comments made about this restaurant. I find the food great, and always fresh!! The service is on the average side, when it comes to restaurants in Ottawa. The price range is not bad either. What is great about this particular restaurant is that it doesn't have a deep fryer! It is considerable healthy, compared to breakfast at denny's!

-- _tasha_

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What can I say--
WAY TOO EXPENSIVE and below average food...

$30+ for breakfast for TWO??

Get over yourself!

-- Cosmo

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This place has huge lineups to get in, so it must be good, right? Nope. After waiting forever for a table, my wife and I ordered French toast and apple crepes.

This place is from Quebec, right, so you'd think they would know how to make French toast. Nope. The bread had no batter on it and looked like they popped it in the toaster. They put lots of nice, fresh fruit on it, but I didn't order fresh fruit, I ordered French toast. And my wife's apple crepe was bland and tasteless. The manager was nice and gave us a free meal after complaining. But why bother? After that experience and other reviews, I'd never waste another morning there again.

-- grnich

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Surprisingly with the previous comments, I liked this place. You have to admit the wait depends on how busy it is. This is a breakfast place that makes everything from fresh, so it takes longer. I wasn't satisfied with my food and the manager saw it and changed it with no problems. I complained and they gave me what I wanted. The price is relatively high but it's fresh, it's worth it, since it's so hard to find that these days!

-- van

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The food here is pretty good, but servers seem to give you a hard time if you ask for a slight change in something on the menu.
It's also a little bit pricy for breakfast.

-- thedrew

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Alta Vista location - waited in line for half hour (usual) then an hour to get our food, which arrived stone cold. Manager was nice and gave us a new breakfast for free. It showed up in 5 min, so why didn't the first one take that long? Great food, not sure it's worth that sort of a wait.

-- Doug FM

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great food, none existant service, never ever any refills on coffe. service drags down an otherwise fantastic place to eat

-- babyback

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This is a great place if you know what you're in for. Don't expect a quick breakfast but the food is always very fresh (there's lots of dishes with lots of fruit) and the presentation is great.

-- stevex

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waited 75 minutes to be served - tables next to us were served twice - no apology - no explanation - when we complained the staff told us they were busy, tired, and we weren't being nice customers! food was mediocre and expensive - shall never go back

-- Resto Critic

Orleans location. Very disorganized. Poor service. Although you get a table pretty quick, you wait a LONG time for service. Forget about coffee refills. Yikes.

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It's a really nice change to have somewhere in ottawa where you can go for fresh friut in the morning. The atmosphere might be a little weired but the pay off is the really solid food.

-- canadianfem

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What do people see in this place? Why wait an hour for breakfast and then pay approx. $10 to boot. The only good thing is the fresh fruit.

-- fradawz

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This is my favorite breakfast place. The service depends on how busy it is and who is working. I had lunch there once and it was great. Their soup is fabulous.

-- kiki

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Disappointed on my 4th visit to Alta Vista location. Welcome good but cold food and wasn't asked about a coffee refill until was ready to leave. Ketchup brought in a very small container. Given a 20% discount on bill - overall not happy.

-- todd3

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Went for lunch when restaurant first opened - excellent Next time we waited for 3/4 hour and still wern't served - we left This morning waited for 25 minutes for breakfast. Man across from us waited 10 minutes for coffee - he left without coffee or breakfast. Poor supervision and organization.

-- MandM

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