Review Milestones - Ottawa

Had a wonderful Canada Day lunch at Milestones on their patio! I called ahead to ask if they were taking walk-ins and they were. We had the Buffalo Cauliflower bites and Coconut Calamari for starters. Their take on buffalo cauliflower is different compared to other places. Both tasted good though. The drinks were amazing too! For mains we had the Surfside salad which was huge with generous portions of salmon and shrimp. The Tacos were good too. Sweet chilli chicken rice and the Thai Basil Noodles were amazing! All in all a good meal to mark the day :)

The food is is very delicious! If you are planning to eat try the shrimp wham bam (forgot the name) in their appetizers. Is so good! Lots of selections of dish and drink! I love the Miami ice so much! Well done milestone!

Our second visit here and this was a beautiful one. The waitress was wonderful. She was friendly and suggestive. It was a beautiful evening and she just made our day even better. The portion of the calamari has been reduced I think since 2019 our last visit. There were barely any. We ordered two kinds of noodles/pasta dish and asked for extra spicy and both were mind blowing. Mine was a mix seafood and hubby's was shrimp noodles. Loved every bite of it. Quantity and quality was perfect!!

Save your calories and get the steak and seafood dish (lobster meat and shrimps) with a lobster based cream sauce. Heavenly mashed potatoes, good portion of veg, just the perfect portion for hungry diner at lunch. Excellent service.

Very nice restaurant close to the Rideau canal, Parliament, major hotels, the Rideau shopping center and the Byward market. We were a group of 7, plenty of room and great atmosphere. The food was really good and the service was great.

It was a good expérience in general, but the meat was a bit too cooked. Salmon was too dry (classic of restaurant not specialized in fish), and ribs were a bit burnt on the outside. Both of these could be to the taste of some, but not ours. Service, ambiance, etc was very good.

I had the surf side salad and it was so good and filling and the fish and shrimp were cooked perfectly. I had the French 75 cocktail and it was delicious. For dessert I had an espresso martini and a white chocolate cheesecake and both were perfectly paired and great. The service was fast and friendly. Would definitely go back.

I enjoyed my time in the loundge section, the service was great and dinner was excellent. Menu is offering GF option! Tasty and Delicious!

The food is generally good, not amazing but okay. The service is okay but can be slow when the place is packed. Love their cocktails. Very popular and packed more often than not. If you don't like huge and very busy restaurants, don't go there.

Find this place last night on Yelp. After walking in the rain for a bit we finally found it, it's says it's on Sussex Drive but the real entrance is on Mackenzie. <br/><br/>The food was awesome, got the Asian chicken bites for a app and has the Krispy chicken sandwich with some fries and it was so good, I would definitely come back and try them for their brunch too :)

Location and ambiance is nice.  Service was slow and staff looked sleepy and more interested in talking with each other than providing service, however they were polite enough when talking with them.  Food unfortunately was very poor, prime rib came out cold and bland.  For $30+ you'd expect a nice meal.  Disappointed.

Awesome place for a girls night with their bellini cocktails! The food is also great, the staff very attentive and the vibe just great overall for grabbing food and drinks with your girls!

Love miles stones! The foods good and so are the drinks! Beliinis are 4.50 on Tuesday's and they're sooo good!! Only thing is if you want a good table, you should make a reservation, because they are always busy.

Thee most horrible service I have ever experienced. This happened the last time I was there in the summer and did not have a choice but to go the second time and received the exact same experience. Horrible slow service and the food is bad from the apps to the mains, doesn't even compare to the one on baxter rd. My pasta was a cold clump of oil. My friend's steak and mashed was overdone, tendony, cold and sent back. There were four of us and it took 15 minutes to get our drinks . I watched three staff members talking amongst eachother for five mins before starting our drinks and then the drinks sat there for another four mins waiting to be served, I was starting to get out of my chair to get them myself until she finally came. The two at the bar were standing there doing nothing and were were literally sitting right beside them...they couldn't serve them to us? Everything about the experience was horrendous. I will never ever return even if it was for free. The point was for four co-workers to relax after working long hours and it didn't happen.

Upon arrival you will be greeted by a friendly hostess who will lead you into a well decorated art deco type restaurant. I chose to sit on the patio as the weather permitted and the view is enjoyable. The waiter was a friendly young gentleman named Steve who was on top of his game. I ordered their speciality, a grilled chicken and Portobello mushroom with creamy sauce on a bed of mash with grilled veg. Now considering that Milestones has the gaul to breach the $20/entrée barrier, you'd think that this meal would be expertly prepared by expertly trained chefs. Instead I received overcooked chicken (as in some-bits-were-crunchy overcooked) and veg that was drowning in oil. All in all, the service and atmosphere are exceptional, but the sub par food coupled with high end prices make this a place an overall loser.

Yes, it is part of a national chain of casual dining restaurants featuring a modern menu and decor. However, this location situated in the heart of downtown Ottawa makes for a perfect night out if you are looking for all of your Canadian inspired favorite meals. Salmon, chicken and pastas are always a popular choice. The service is always friendly and accommodating.

Love it. It's a gem of a brand in oTown. Service is perfect and food is perfect! Ask for Shea- very attentive and strives to please Will return if we can request Her! <br/>I

AWESOME!!. Went again today to Milestones on Sussex in Ottawa for a friends birthday and was thrilled once again with excellent food and with our server whose name is Colin - he did an upstanding job of hosting our table as he's very personable and has a way with people that makes you want to go back just to see him :). <br/><br/>The food is always delicious and I have never been disappointed.<br/><br/><br/>-----09 Mar, 2015-----<br/><br/>AWESOME!!. Went again today to Milestones on Sussex in Ottawa for a friends birthday and was thrilled once again with excellent food and with our server whose name is Colin - he did an upstanding job of hosting our table as he's very personable and has a way with people that makes you want to go back just to see him :). <br/><br/>The food is always delicious and I have never been disappointed. <br/><br/>If Jason Rosso is reading this - I'm Dina's Aunt :)

I usually love this place but I went today on a Saturday and the service was terrible as was our appetizer. The sweet potato fries were flavour less and the supposed chipotle aioli tasted like ketchup. We sat on the patio at first and were ignored immediately. We tried toughing it out but had to move ourselves inside. I never got asked for a refill on my drink. We saw our waitress once to order our food and never saw her again until 40 mins later when our food finally came. The food was great I had steak with buttermilk mashed potatoes and seasonal vegetables. I NEVER got a refill on my drink the whole time I was there. Also, there were no straws given with the water. There was a chip on one of the glasses and I cut my lip. Very unimpressed and I won't be coming back here. Maybe another location would be better but this one was terrible.

Disappointed. Upon calling Milestones for a reservation for 10 I was informed that they do not take large reservations on the weekend. They will take a reservation for six and one for four but would not promise to put us beside each other. I was told that there are stand alone tables but they will no longer put them together and their kitchen is not adequate to accommodate large parties between approximately 5pm and 8pm.<br/>I stated that it must be nice that business is so great that they can turn down potentially $700 - $1,000.<br/>I also stated that I would not recommend this restaurant to anybody due to lack of flexibility....very disappointed.<br/>I am sure there is someplace in the Market that would gladly take our money.

Consistently good. Went for dinner before a performance at the NAC. We were seated quickly in the lounge, as requested, and equally "checked - out" quickly when we had to departed. The service was excellent and attentive. The first item, the sirloin steak, seasoned well and cooked to a perfect medium rare. The second item, the lamb shank, was slightly over cooked and bland (would not order it again).<br/><br/>Notwithstanding, an excellent meal and definitely would return again.

The food is fine but the best is the service. You are always well served at this restaurant. Only once the service was slow and they apologized for it and even gave us free entree. The staffer are very kind.

Amazing brunch. This is a great place although a bit pricey...it is well decorated, the staff is really friendly and nice and the menu is amazing. I went a few times and I am impressed because the menu changes all the time. They have really original drinks on the menu although I recommend the Bellini, a milestone classic. I was particularly pleased when I went there for brunch, the prices were reasonable and I ate the BEST eggs benedict I've ever had in my life, no exaggeration. It was heaven in my mouth and I could have it everyday. I definitely recommend this place.

School Secretary. 18 of us from St. Michael- Fitzroy had a beautiful lunch on Fri. Nov. 8th and I want to thank you for such an enjoyable time. The large table at the window was wonderful and everyone of us thought the food was fabulous. Our servers were a lot of fun.<br/>I am sure a lot of us will get the chance to visit soon, but we will absolutely be booking you restaurant next year, same time.

Best deserts ever!. The cookie ice cream is amazing especially when you crush u extra of their homemade double chocolate cookies into it. The steak with shrimp was a good portion and the service was very good.

Average Dinner. I have been to Milestones many times over the years and I pretty much leave every time thinking the same thing, nothing overly special about it. Don't get me wrong, it is by no means bad, just not amazing, average dinner out, the price isn't worth the mediocre quality. I will add however that I went on their Date Night Special where 2 can dine for $50, and that is totally worth it. The spinach and artichoke dip is awesome, I had the Angus steak with garlic mash and vegetables.The steak was really good, however the mash potatoes were lumpy and the carrots were hard. Overall, I would suggest Milestones for their appetizer/drink and date night specials, but I am not sure how often I would go otherwise.

I liked it. It was pricey but the food was pretty tasty. I really liked their atmosphere.

Average food. I've been going to Milestones for years. We usually have some appetizers with drinks. Those were good to very good depending on what we had.... a few days ago, we went again and i had the fried Calamari, and i have to admit that was a disappointment. Very bland and almost tasteless. Service was alright but we had better. It could be on the overpriced side given the location. A good place for drinks i would say, but probably wouldn't go for a full dinner

Hello we are waiting. We were on vacation and needed to eat so we stopped in here. They sat us very fast. Then we had to wait for the server well she was so rude. We told her we were in a bit of a hurry. She said she could have our meal out within 15 minutes. Well 45 minutes later we were still for our food. We told her we had to get going she then got the food and brought one plate out at a time. Then we got the bill and it was crazy overpriced for what we got. If in Ottawa again I won't get the family to eat there. Big disappointment. We were in Aug, 2013

Pricey, but worth it. We stopped by for a late supper and had a great meal, though unsurprisingly (given the location) it wasn't cheap. The cocktails were excellent, and we had probably the best service of our Ottawa trip so far.

Been many a time. Milestones is convenient, especially if you are planning on a visit to the NAC. Le Cafe can be filled, generally rather pricey, and unless you like pub food, there really isn't much closer to the NAC. The food however varies in quality. Some visits the food has been excellent. Other times, like last night, the Mediterranean chicken was loaded with salt to an extent that the goat cheese, and other ingredients were over powered. While pointing this out to the waiter does get the usual "I talked with the chef and with the manager", what can they really do? Reservations are timed with a show, and starting anew is going to make for some finely cut scheduling. So, essentially suck it up, they won't do anything else. This was sad as my wife has raved about this dish in the past. I, on the other hand, have a love for prime rib. Another dish which can be excellent upon occasion, or not. The excellent were truly well done, value for money experiences. Those not were loaded with fat, which chopping out once left about half of the piece. Last night, salt seemed to be a theme there too. The potatoes that come with it, don't worry, the Asian Chicken Bites are always excellent, and having that as an appetiser won't fill you as you won't be having the mashed potatoes (now with the fancy stringy fried onion on top to try and lend it some respectability). It is unfortunate that the inconsistency in the flavour varies so much. Another example. Baby bok choy. One time nicely steamed whole, another limp, almost floating in grease and chopped (and not forgetting the excessive salt). Why? Salt is not a substitute for flavour or a challenged chef on a particular night. We will return, and probably update this entry.

Great spot. Great location and super atmosphere. Start in the bar - good selection of drinks and the bartenders are excellent if you want something else. The dinner menu is varied enough for everyone and the food is pretty good, with a nice little surprise for birthday diners. Service was very good and the servers seem to help each other out quite a bit. Enjoyable evening. We'll go back.

I am in LOVE with the gluten-free burger....the only downside is that none of their appetizers are g-free (unless you want salad)...service is mediocre, Last visit we waited 20 minutes before a server even acknowledged that we were there...definitely needs some improvement, but won't stop me from returning.

Date Night.. The wait time was to be 150 mins. We waited. I never wait. 90 mins later, we were up. There server appetizers and sample drinks while you waited. Buy one, get the other of equal value free. Can not go wrong. But they Did. Well done steak came half done and half rare. A huge hump in the middle. The manager gave a lame excuse but did not hesitate to pick up the bill. I would recommend this place.

Great atmosphere. We had a fantastic server (Shea) who was friendly and informative. Had the portobello mushroom chicken dish which was very tasty. Great job keep it up, I will be back!

Average food for above average $. A family birthday brought us to this chain restaurant for dinner. Service was good our server friendly but not overbearing. I had a few questions about the menu items. I asked if the burgers were fresh and was told they were frozen so I passed. $17 one would expect fresh ground. I then asked about the Kobe style meatloaf and was told that it was made in house so I opted for that. I was a bit underwhelmed by this dish. It consisted of a premade cylindrical chunk of strangely seasoned meatloaf that had been previously frozen topped with fried onion strings on top of some galic bland potatoes smotherd in a slaty au jus Shiitake mushroom creation.The presentation was great but it did need the jus because the supposibly Kobe beef was on the dry side. The high point of my meal were the veggies and the onion strings. No local micro brews on tap so it had to be washed down with water. Make note of the word style before Kobe before ordering! We passed on dessert since again nothing made in house.

Solid. Very attentive and knowledgable staff. Seafood pasta and sliders were very good. Slider buns very fresh. Our whole party (work dinner) enjoyed the evening and would return.

Always a good choice. This place has never disappointed me. The food is great and the ambiance in the bar area is unmatched. You get that mix between modern/chic and there's no classier way to watch a Sens game.

Good for a nice meal downtown. I go to this location all the time. Most of the time the servers are very friendly and accommodating but sometimes large parties will make reservations and they'll be pressed to get you out of there sooner. On the bright side you can always count on fairly speedy service. Their Grilled Penne Asiago is my favourite and the Portebello mushroom chicken is a close second. Their pesto fettuccini also isn't bad and they're bocconcini garlic bread is okay except the olive tapenade on top is far too strong. Off the dessert menu their White chocolate cheesecake is to die for! The only thing I didn't enjoy during one visit was the virgin strawberry daiquiri I requested. It was so bitter that I had to put several packets of sugar in it and even after that it wasn't that good. All in all it's still a good location and I'll definitely be back.

Had a girls night on Saturday, our waiter was awesome! we had the spinach dip app, so good! then tried the chicken spinach penne, it was so good! definately a good atmosphere, good prices and awesome food and staff! oh and they make delicious bellinis!! :)

Love it. I love this place. Excellent food. Tastes like home made meals. GOOD!<br/>Great variety of wines and drinks. <br/>I love the appys. Love it all.. good service and decent price.<br/>will return no doubt.<br/>I even went for my birthday and they had a birthday card prepared and all!

Epic service. Been here twice both times different servers both times epic service. They go beyond what they are expect to do and explain how to order wines ( about the first time I order wine at a restaurant ) very good food. Not to expensive expect to pay 100$ for two people with 3 course meal and some wine. Great food not big sizes and not too small sizes.

Out date night with my wife. Food was great and the service was just as great. Our server was very atentive and the atmosphere was nice

I've been here at least five times and only once did I get good service. The staff is inattentive, the drinks are watered down, they lack any special aspect and new drinks are not adequately tested. We got coupons because the drinks were so bad. Burgers are fine, but the rest of the menu is not worth the price tag. They hand out coupons frequently to bring you back instead of treating you the way you should be treated

Outstanding Service. We attended Milestones with a group of 12 adults and one child and a baby. They were very accomodating for our large group at short notice (reservation made that afternoon). The drinks and meals were all served in a timely fashion. Everything was hot and delicious. The waitress and managers were helpful, friendly and professional. All of us will return in the future.

Good experience. Went to Byward Market Milestones for coworker's birthday; everything was great, from friendly, attentive and smiling service, to great cocktails and tasty food. The birthday girl got a little surprise cake. The price was right, overall - a nice experience, would definitely go back.

Seriously, the sliders made my stomach so happy, it gave my large intestine a bj. Despite the visual, this remains a positive review.

Top Chef Canada "Frites"?. I went to Milestones last night for dinner with work colleges. Everything was great. Everyone enjoyed dinner, service, wine selection, dessert and coffee. All except I was diappointed by "Top Chef Canada Steak and Frites". I love steak and was intrigued by the reduction topping. The steak was prepared perfectly and the reduction was flavourful and a delight. The disappointment was the "frites". I was expecting something inventive from a Top Chef. But I got a super-sized order of French fries! Didn't even look like they were fresh cut - more like something from a fast-food francise. Truly disappointing. Hard to complain when they serve you what you ordered. Nonetheless, I would return but stick to the traditional menu. No more Top Chef surprizes for me.

Need more experienced cook. The menu has potential. very nice, elegant dishes, however to pull this off, a professional cook is required. their cook just isnt cutting it. he can go back to mcdonalds.<br/><br/>TWICE I saw the waitresses bend over and expose their thongs. not something i need to see while eating. if the skirts are going to be that short, try some booty shorts to prevent exposure.

A standard choice for Girl's Night Out and celebrating birthdays - we went tonight for cheap Bellinis and apps. Great service makes this location stand out as the menu is the same no matter where you go.

Good tasty food. Consistent whether in Ottawa or Toronto. Benelli's a favorite staple drink. Unfortunately service was slow even with the light crowd. Pasta was very good. Will definitely come back.

Death by peppercorn. I have had two seafood dishes that were laden with pepper. I was unable to taste anything else. This is unfortunate, and I also have to wonder what the chef was trying to hide.

Very nice atmosphere - we were there Sunday afternoon, having met up with family from out of town. Service was excellent, kudos to the server who made sure all allergies were taken into consideration, and made sure everything was right. Good food, good wine, and a good time was had by all.

If you like water, you'll love the drinks! Chicks are hot if you drink enough

Bad, bad, bad. Eaten at Milestones chain before. Arrived late in Ottawa. Looking for a late dinner. Slow service. Warm beer. Microwave frozen food.

Standard fare, drinks decent. Pretty average - an inoffensive uncomplicated place for non-adventurous diners. A lively afterwork crowd on Thurs and Fri. great location and patio.

Nothing special on the menu but it has a good atmosphere

Perfect Drinks. Went there for a drink... and had to get a second and a third. Nice people and cool place to hang out with friends at night. Might try the food next time.

We went to Milestones in Ottawa's ByWard Market.  It was in a wonderful location, next to the Chateau Laurier in Ottawa Ontario.  It was filled with families that had just finished skating on the Rideau Canal and had to literally undress all their winter attire to get ready to eat in this restaurant. The hostesses were very patient with the families. It was a very welcoming environment on a cold Sunday evening during Winterlude. It is located in the heart of Ottawa in the shadow of the Chateau Laurier Hotel and has some nice architectural features.  It has a nice outdoor patio in the summer. My son Mark and I decided to begin with appetizers.  He had the mushroom soup which was outstanding and generous. We shared two portions of phyllo shrimp - we always choose these when we are in any Milestones.  They are mouth watering and served with Thai chili sauce for dipping.

Saturday for Lunch, with a gift card melting my pocket begging to be used and my wife and I in downtown Ottawa, we visited Milestones ( 700 Sussex Drive, Ottawa ).   Milestones is owned and franchised by the Cara group of companies who also own and franchise: Harvey's , Swiss Chalet , Kelsey's and Montana's . Each banner name (i.e. restaurant name) has a different flavour for the dining pleasure.  Harvey's is the traditional burger place that competes with McDonald's , Burger King and others.  Swiss Chalet is the family rotisserie chicken place competing in the Quebec and Ottawa area with Scores . Kelsey's bills itself as "Your Neighbourhood Bar & Grill" which also typically has more family friendly pricing in a place that pretends to be a bar/pub but really isn't.  Montana's is supposedly a cookhouse that specializes in serving up grilled meats of whatever flavour you wish.  Milestones' dim lighting for the evening with supposedly higher end culinary chef inspired food attempt to make

New lunch options are the Spicy Thai Basil Noodles and the Stacked Burger. I ignored those and was looking at the Chopped Salad as a possible option, another one being the Fire-Grilled Salmon, served with a Pineapple and Pepper Salsa and Quinoa Pilaf.

Milestones new corporate chef, Jason Rosso, of Restaurant Makeover fame, created a bunch of new dishes for the chain. The new menu was launched a month ago. Amongst the new Rosso creation, you can find the Newcastle Cheddar and Garlic Mussels, the Sicilian Mussels, the Chopped Salad (grilled chicken, avocado, chick peas, feta cheese in a medley of chopped vegetables), the Montreal Stack (smoked meat, aged cheddar, caramelized onions, tomatoes and blackberry ketchup), the Canadian Brie and Pesto Flatbread, the Chicken Noodle & Shiitake Bowl.

I went there for lunch with a bunch of colleagues between two meetings, and hesitated for some time as I studied the menu. Despite the “a little of everything for everyone” approach, I was really undecided. Salads, Sandwiches, Burgers and Wraps, Pasta, Asian-style, Steaks, Chicken and Seafood. They even have a Gluten-Free selection, which I assume is appreciated by those on a Gluten-Free diet. The food is generally good, if overpriced. Which perhaps leads to the aforementioned hesitation. After a few minutes, I settled on Milestone’s version of comfort food, from their menu’s urban classics section: The Kobe Style Classic Meatloaf. Apparently, meatloaf were once very popular with the urban scene.