Can we say 'Yum?' at YOW? At the Ottawa International Airport, the food has improved

If you’re hungry and stuck at the Ottawa International Airport

Published Mar 08, 2024 • Last updated 2 hours ago • 5 minute read

OTTAWA: A Panini from the Canal Market Hall at the Ottawa Macdonald–Cartier International Airport on Monday, Feb. 26, 2024. Photo by Spencer Colby /Postmedia

Where can you eat at the Ottawa International Airport?

Post-security restaurants and food establishments:

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Big Rig Kitchen & Brewery: Classic pub food and beer. Located post-security Canada/International, next to the Canal Market Hall food court: Open 5 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Booster Juice: Chain smoothie restaurant. Small sandwiches. Gate 18. Open 5 a.m. to 7 p.m.Bridgehead Coffee: Ottawa coffeeshop brand, in the Canal Market Hall food court. Open 4:30 a.m. to 8 p.m.Café & Vin: Fresh sandwiches, fruit, packaged salads and more. Gate 15. Open 4 a.m. to 9 p.m.Canal Market Hall: Food court located between post-security Canada/International, includes Bento Sushi, La Bottega Nicastro, which sells paninis and other items, Grill, a burger and sandwich concession and Pizza Vino, which makes freshly baked pizzas. Open noon to 8 p.m.Cork and Well: Lighter fare including tacos, sandwiches and salads. Level 2, near gates for U.S. flights. Open 4:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.Darcy McGee’s: Pub fare and beer. Gate 23. Open 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.Starbucks: Gate 24. Open 5 a.m. to 7 p.m.Vino Volo: Wines, cocktails and small plates. Gate 16. Open 6 a.m. to 9 p.m.

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Pre-security restaurants and food establishments:

Subway: Pre-security, Level 3. Open 5:30 a.m. to 8 p.m.Tim Hortons: Three locations: Pre-security, Level 3, plus post-security – U.S. and post-security – Canada/International, Gate 20. Open 3:30 a.m. to 7 p.m.

See the up-to-date list: yow.ca/en/services/restaurant

A passenger walks past Big Rig Kitchen & Brewery at the Ottawa Macdonald–Cartier International Airport on Monday, Feb. 26, 2024. Photo by Spencer Colby /Postmedia

Generally speaking, airport food is, well, airport food — pricier than we would like and limited to short-order items. But after sampling some of the new wares at the Ottawa airport, I can say that the quality and range of options have improved from the scant offerings that were previously there.

Peter Hum’s picks

Perhaps the most pleasant surprise that I had at the airport recently was the house-made potato chips that accompanied orders from the Grill. They were always crisp, salted and scarcely oily. If I were idle at the airport and peckish, I might have to order any kind of Grill sandwich simply for the good, crunchy company of those chips.

OTTAWA: A Panini with potato chips from the Canal Market Hall at the Ottawa Macdonald–Cartier International Airport on Monday, Feb. 26, 2024. Photo by Spencer Colby /Postmedia

A runner-up is the French onion soup, a staple on the Big Rig Kitchen & Brewery menu that’s also featured now and then as a soup of the day in the adjacent Canal Market Hall food court. I liked that the soup had a broth with some beefy heft to it, croutons galore swimming in the broth, some reasonably good, cooked-down onions and a massive layer of melt-y cheese crowning everything else.

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I’ve had better onion soup elsewhere, most notably at Gitanes on Elgin Street, and I’ve made better, with Gruyère cheese rather than the more bland, cheaper alternative that topped this bowl.

OTTAWA: French Onion soup from Canal Market Hall at the Ottawa Macdonald–Cartier International Airport Canada in Ottawa, on Monday, Feb. 26, 2024. Photo by Spencer Colby /Postmedia

What’s new?

In the summer of 2023, as part of a larger makeover, the airport upgraded its culinary offerings, making pre-boarding doldrums and layovers that much more palatable.

Several Ottawa local brands are now newly represented at the airport, including Big Rig Kitchen & Brewery, La Bottega Nicastro, and Bridgehead Coffee, despite its recent sale to Toronto’s Pilot Roasters, which saw three Ottawa Bridgehead locations close.

I say represented because technically the food court options are run by SSP Canada, the concessionaire that operates in eight other Canadian airports.

OTTAWA: A person walks past the Canal Market Hall at the Ottawa Macdonald–Cartier International Airport in Ottawa, on Monday, Feb. 26, 2024. Photo by Spencer Colby /Postmedia

Most of the new additions are part of a shiny new food court called Canal Market Hall (a nod to the iconic Rideau Canal?) that offers new spaces to sit and stare at your phone while waiting for your flight to board.

I can see why, as Krista Kealey, the airport vice-president of communications and public affairs told me, that the new food court is exceeding expectations and receiving positive feedback from its many guests.

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Can you get a beavertail at the Ottawa International airport?

Short answer. I wish.

Where are the Beavertails? Where is the shawarma? Where is the pho? While SSP, in a press release earlier this year, touted the “iconic brands” it is showcasing at the Ottawa airport, I wish there was more diversity of offerings at the food court.

That said, I do applaud the decision to show off more local brands at the airport. I’m reminded that I spent a layover at the Philadelphia International Airport enjoying a Philly cheesesteak sandwich, as well as another layover at the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport downing some Cincinnati chili. Those versions of local fast-food specialties weren’t amazing, but at least I crossed them off my bucket list.

Best bets for sandwiches or burgers

Because maybe all an air traveller really needs is a decent sandwich or hamburger, in February, I tried two burgers, one by Big Rig and the other by the Grill. I’d give the edge to the Big Rig bacon cheeseburger over the Grill’s smoked meat burger.

While I prefer a good smash burger to larger hamburgers, both of the airport burgers had nice, hard sears. But on its burger, the smoked meat wasn’t the best version of that Montreal delicacy and it didn’t present itself in the best light.

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Meanwhile, the Grill’s fried chicken sandwich was genuinely moist and juicy. For that reason alone, I’d take it over Big Rig’s club sandwich, in which the slabs of chicken breast were just so-so. The fried chicken sandwich, however, could have used more seasoning, and the hot honey condiment that was promised scarcely registered.

From La Bottega, I ordered its pre-made Tuscan panini, but I was unpleasantly surprised that it did not come with a hard, hot press from the panini grill. I must not have made my wishes sufficiently clear.

OTTAWA: A burger from the Canal Market Hall at the Ottawa Macdonald–Cartier International Airport in Ottawa, on Monday, Feb. 26, 2024. Photo by Spencer Colby /Postmedia Hot-honey fried chicken sandwich from Grill at the Ottawa International Airport Photo by Peter Hum /Postmedia Onion rings and a half of a hamburger from Big Rig Kitchen & Brewery at the Ottawa International Airport Photo by Peter Hum /Postmedia

Staff shout-out

I received above-average service from SSP food service associate Peter Smith, who helped me navigate the ins-and-outs of the various food court stations and their ordering touchscreens.

Classic standbys

In addition to the local brands, SSP sells Bento Sushi-branded sushi at the food court, along with burgers and thin-crust pizzas baked to order at its Grill and Pizza Vino stations respectively.

A Darcy McGee’s pub was already at the airport, along with Subway, Tim Hortons, Booster Juice and Vino Volo locations.