Real Sports Bar & Grill

I came to the Real Sports bar in Ottawa to have a good lunch while watching the football game and soccer. The service was adequate at best, the $ 27 «full rack of ribs» came with 6 ribs that were cooled beyond eating without a mouthful of liquid to get the dry meat substance down. The lackluster plain salad had little to no dressing and when I returned the food with only a couple of bite taken and after I told the server the food was horrible, nothing. Worst sports bar I have ever been to, and I’ve been to many around the world.
Update, the manager came over and apologized for the ribs and took them off the order and gave a premium bourbon (my drink of choice today) on the house. Upgrade from 1 to 3 stars. Customer service always trumps everything and every place can give out a bad meal every now and then.

A good solid 3 for a classic sports bar. No shortage of TVs and a good selection of sports being shown.
The selection of beers is excellent and the advice for the bar tender is spot on.
We just had finger food. The sweet potato fries, while a good sized portion, lacked seasoning. The chicken tenders had potential. The chicken itself was nice and tender but the sauce was just too ‘goopey’. They didn’t give you any napkins when in fact you needed a towel. Sauce was good but waaaay too much. I would have gladly swapped some of my sauce for another piece of chicken!

Great atmosphere with amazing presentation via many, MANY, TV’s and a huge screen for all to see. Food was very good! Just a little bit pricey however.

I somehow found my way back here last night and I’m honestly glad I did.
The hostess that greeted us was so nice and helpful. She gave us a great booth. A complete change from the service we received that last time we were in.
Also, our server Erica was insanely fantastic. She was quick, had great recommendations and was so friendly! She’s the ultimate example of who you’d want to serve you at a sports bar.
I had a Sleemans Cream Ale and a couple of whiskey sours. Delicious! What a great way to end a slightly stressful Friday night :)
All in all, I may have been slightly hasty with my last review but that hostess was just so rude it was shocking.

The reviews on this were fairly accurate. Plenty of beers on tape, tv’s are everywhere & giant screen is always on most desired game, wait staff is well trained and nicely dressed (not as hot as some reviews posted) but the food was really good! Chicken nachos were tasty, burger was solid but the winner was the flank steak fajitas. OMG, excellent. And the best thing was my team won the hockey game.

A great spot for the Leaf’s fans visiting Ottawa. Probably keeps them out of our bars. Other than that, a place to avoid. The prices are stupid steep.

Amazing atmosphere and possibly the coolest place in Ottawa to watch a game… BUT, the service is pretty terrible and slow, they «auto-​grat» their bills… meaning they automatically add a 15% tip to the bills, and our waitress didn’t even tell us so was tipped way too much for her terrible service. The food was ok, nothing you couldn’t get at your local pub, and very overpriced. The only selling point was $ 5 martinis. Definitely don’t recommend unless they really step up their game.

As a big sports fan, I was thoroughly disappointed with Real Sports bar. This past weekend, a large group of 20 of us reserved a couple of booths on the second floor as we were celebrating one of our friends birthday. Our waiter was always coming to check up on us and friendly (good service), the Burger I ate was really good but pretty expensive, and the drinks were relatively expensive compared to other bars in the market. What really disappointed all of us was that the bar made our group pay 10 $ per person because of the UFC fight that was on, even though we were only there to celebrate our friends birthday and already consumed a lot. Overall it was an average experience.

So this is really not my kind of place. I’m a little to hick town to think that I would be comfortable in this kind of place.
This is a sports bar with huge televisions all over the place. You really can’t look in any direction without seeing a tv.
The waitresses are all dressed nice and are way out of my league. (Or so my wife tells me).
So why a four star review?
Because the food is damn good! That’s why.
This place makes one of the best burgers I’ve had. I’ve had one on two different occasions and the burger was good both times.
I’ve also tried the calamari which was good.
The prices might seem a bit high, bit it is the market and they have to pay for the electricity. I wasn’t drinking so I can’t comment on drink prices.
The staff has been excellent on both occasions that I was there.
All in all I think that this would be a great place to watch a game or to start a night out in the market.

I love the Real Sports Bar and Grill. Its a great place to go and watch the World Cup or any other sports. They have a huge theater like screen. They can be a little pricey but its a great atmosphere– unlike many other ottawa bars, this sports bar is clean and modern looking. The waiters/​waitresses are nice and attentive. It gets very busy so make sure to arrive a little early in order to get seats at a booth. In addition, The Real Sports Bar and Grill has a second level. The main television gives the illusion that you’re in the actual games you’re watching– just like a theater. I cant wait to watch the finals for World Cup. Go Brazil Go !!!

Pros: great TV’s, the service is fairly good and they treat their customers well if you have trouble, location is amazing, and great ambiance.
Cons: drinks are watered down, food isn’t all that good, and their is often a cover charge for watching PPV events (which I find more acceptable at a bar you may spend time in after the fight)
I’m mainly giving it a 3 based on the food and drinks though, but it’s still one of the better atmospheres to watch sports in the city.

Nice, upscale-​feeling bar without the upscale prices. Happy hour deals are great and the waitresses are very friendly and professional. Would go here a lot more often if I lived close to the market.

Though I am taking a much needed break from my Thursday night Real Sports outings and actually the bar scene in general, I want to post a review from the perspective of a weekly regular.
The first common misconception is that this bar is only for sports fans.
None of the friends I go here with are sports fanatics. Yes, there are tv screens everywhere, however the atmosphere is that of a lounge with individual booths that allow you to sit, talk, drink, eat and watch the screens if you really want to.
The staff is solid and well trained, from the hostesses greeting you at the door to the «big bouncers in suits» — a lot of people don’t understand that what they have created here in Ottawa is a smaller version of the establishment in Toronto. People get rowdy when alcohol is mixed with sports and I for one feel that having one bouncer keeping an eye on things isn’t that crazy. Also they are there to take over from the DJ at closing time by playing dreadful music and in doing so subtly clearing out the remaining lingering drunks…
The bar staff is quick, friendly and patient. I recommend sitting at the bar if you are just going with one other friend. Full food menu is still available and the service is really quick.
Depending on the waitress it can take a while to get your drinks when seated at a table, but if you really don’t want to wait a trick is to order two as soon as you arrive and then one every time you spot the waitress. There are a select few waitresses who are real gems and I will ask to be seated in their section when possible.
The drinks are very well priced, as is the food. I have seen multiple people complaining about the price of both, I wonder what they are ordering.
They have drink promotions on specific nights, or between certain times. Even on a regular day, 6.50 for a cold can of Somersby is not bad, and don’t even get me started on their massive beer glasses a.k.a. «schooners» starting at 10 dollars if I remember correctly.
The food is excellent, I have yet to be disappointed in something I order. The only menu items I find to be pricey are the sliders, but the name is enough to know it’s not going to be a mountain of food. One drawback for some is that at 11 pm they switch to their late-​night menu which is limited to small appetizers and an assortment of sliders, though it still has a fair choice of things to nibble on. Sweet potato fries are my go to — ask for extra dip.
The atmosphere is unique, I can’t think of anywhere else in Ottawa like this. It’s clean, organized, stylish and spacious. The shape of the booths allow you to really enjoy the company of everyone at your table, while having a good view of the screen wherever you are sitting. The rooftop terrace is a wonderful option in the summertime, and though small, it has never been a problem getting seating up there.
The music is great when there is a DJ. They play anything from old-​school hip hop to alternative rock to more popular current music; my favourite nights are definitely the ones on which music is played that makes me feel nostalgic.
For UFC pay-​per-​view events a cover fee is charged, but to me watching the fights on that big screen is worth the 5 or 10 dollars. If you are there earlier they are able to charge the cover to your tab, so that you don’t have to worry about paying in cash at the door.
Make reservations if you are going on a game night, as it gets really busy really quickly. It’s not possible to reserve a specific spot/​table in advance, but worth a mention. 9 times out of 10 when I’ve asked for a booth when booking I’ve been seated in a booth.
It’s definitely worth checking out if you haven’t already been, and even for those who didn’t love it the first time I recommend giving it a second chance. Enjoy!

I came for a UFC fight, a replay of a card that occurred earlier in the day. There was a baseball game on, and the staff had difficulty finding a television to show UFC on. Eventually, me and my mates got a table, and they put UFC on the televisions adjacent to us.
We ordered sliders as an appetizer, then wings, and burgers. The food was typical mass produced pub food. The service was really bad, we only got at eat an hour after arriving, and we had trouble getting drink refills. The restaurant wasn’t busy, but it was extremely noisy. The server walked by our trouble countless times and never asked if we wanted to order or needed drink refills. It was terrible.
At one point, the staff asked if we could switch off the UFC fight because there was a family with young children beside us. We said no, and they left it on.
Altogether the bill came to $ 100+ for 3 people, and it wasnt worth it.

I was surprised that Real Sports, with its major sports fan draw because of the huge TVs, actually has yummy food! The wings, the lettuce wraps, even the mac and cheese were all delicious! My husband and a few of our friends got burgers of all kinds, and they loved them too.
As I said, the place is chock full of TVs, including a massive, two-​story projection screen — which is the only TV that plays sound. I’d advise to DEFINITELY call ahead to see what’s playing on the main screen (or put in your vote if they don’t know yet), and make a reservation. Even if it’s just two of you, definitely make a reservation. One more time: Make a reservation! You can always cancel it but this place gets mobbed way before the games even start, so don’t press your luck. You might have to wait in line to get in, but if you called ahead, you’ll get a spot. Just arrive on time. Plus, if they know what game you want to watch, they’ll place you with good seats to see the big screen — there are plenty of seats that face smaller screens, which you don’t want if you’re really invested in the game.
TVs are everywhere, but the one in the women’s restroom has been broken the last several times I went there, so that’s pretty annoying.
However, watching football games on the big screen is quite an experience!
The beers can be kind of expensive, but likely worth it for the experience. Just chock it up to cover charge. I can’t imagine going here if you’re not interested in a game, though. Also, some of the drinks aren’t too tasty, so I wouldn’t likely stray from the basics.
The staff is essentially all beautiful women waiters and tough-​guy looking security/​bouncers, but the waitresses are really nice! They are clearly every busy during game time, but they don’t make you feel rushed. Seating is only reserved for one of the games though, unless you specifiy, on football sundays. So I repeat for the fourth time: Call ahead, make reservations.

I am always a bit skeptical of places that are large and have diverse menus as they often end up being a bit overwhelmed and not particularly good at anything, and although I was excited to watch the game on a big screen I was a bit apprehensive about whether or not the food would be any good, fortunately Real Sports seems to have figured it out.
The whole production of Real Sports is slick, from the large screen, to the viewing locations, to the plethora of smaller screens showing different games (they also have TV’s in the washrooms) this place is a true sports fans utopia. One nice touch is that during the game they had the commentary on while the play was happening but switched to music during the commercial breaks, which is a nice touch. I was sitting on the upstairs balcony overlooking the mega screen and had perfect views of that screen as well as being able to lean back and watch a smaller screen with a different game on during the commercial breaks or look slightly to the right to see a third game if both of those are in commercial break or intermission.
I was also impressed by the beer selection too. 24 beers on draught including a few local microbrews as well as a huge selection in bottles that had even more local stuff too. For those who are not beer drinkers they have a solid selection of liquors and wines as well as a full page of fancy cocktails for those who feel that a mai tai is the best drink to have while watching hockey! For food I had a beef brisket sandwich which was pretty damn tasty, certainly better than I was expecting while my friends who had other things (one had a pulled pork sandwich and the other a burger) were suitably impressed. My only concern is that the prices for food are quite steep, it was still very good but my sandwich and fries was more of a $ 12 value as opposed to $ 15. The service was also very good, although the female member of our group noted that the waitress was friendlier to the men than the woman, which probably shouldn’t happen.
Overall this is a tip top place to watch a sporting event. I would definitely return for a really big game (I was watching a mid week regular season game) and the atmosphere was a bit subdued. It is also pricier than other places (with smaller TV screens) so I don’t think I could justify making this a regular haunt, but it still is a great experience.

My first visit there was short and sweet, but I know this is a sports bar I could definitely spend some more time in!
The screen is beyond massive, the beer taps are o’ plenty, and the place has a look/​style that makes you feel like a VIP.
I intend to sample more of the food, the poutine hot dog wasn’t quite what I was expecting (though I didn’t really know what to expect).
I hear the place fills up pretty fast for game and UFC nights, so careful planning is a must if you’re hoping to sit in one of the comfy booths.
Till next time!

Been there twice so far. Both for work type functions, the 1^st was a Friday.
It was around 6ish and we were about 10.
(Note: for 14 + you will need a reservation)
We were greeted by a very friendly hostess, and it only took them a few minutes to stick some tables together on the 2^nd floor for us. Even though, the place was pretty full and the Sen’s weren’t playing.
As others have mentioned there is kind of a clubby atmosphere, but no dress code.
There are over 30+ beer’s on tap, from domestic to imports, no one will go thirsty! They also have a decent wine list.
We ordered nacho’s and wings. The nacho’s were good, just enough toppings and quite tasty. The wings, they were tasty and HUGE! These are not your normal sized wings, so 2 lbs somewhere else is only 1 there.
Of the 2 lbs we ordered, the bacon maple mustard was the best! Honey garlic was ok, more honey than garlic though.
The 2^nd time were were about 21.
We figured as we were so many and the Sens were playing the Leafs it would be best to make reservations 24 hrs in advance. We were right… the place was packed!
More than half the people in there were wearing team jerseys, so don’t worry about wearing your colours.
I had the Honey garlic glazed salmon and garden salad as a side which was really tasty. The salmon was cooked just right, the green’s were covered in just the right amount of sauce.
My co-​workers ordered various things on the menu and from what I could hear/​tell. Everyone was pretty much happy with what they ordered.
All in all everything was very good. From the drinks, servce, food

So I went to this place in December with my boyfriend to watch a repeat of the world juniors Canada vs Russia game.
As we walk in we’re greeted by a big huge bouncer in a suit. I was in jeans and a jacket so I felt taken back a little, wondering if I was in the right place. Sure enough I was.
We were brought upstairs to be seated at a quaint table with barstool type chairs that can be adjusted to your height. (although half the chairs seem to already be broken)… Hm. The atmosphere to me, was a little strange. It felt like a mix between a club/​lounge and a sport bar. I found it to be too clubby for my liking. They even had a DJ playing on a Sunday afternoon. Weird.
They have a decent selection of beer. Which mind you is fairly overpriced… And the menu– well, lets just say we split on fries because the prices were not worth it for pub food… Yeah sure, it had fancy side dishes and original recipes, but I’d rather be at a pub with a cheaper beer watching the game.
Overall, the place wasn’t to my liking, but I can see how some people may enjoy it. It would be great for sports teams who want to unwind together, or for the corporate government workers to go for lunch. I’m neither of those, and will be watching my NHL games elsewhere!
**One thing that impressed me was that there were a couple booths with beer taps at the tables! Neat!

What happens when you take Local Heroes, chic it up, upgrade the menu, cross in Moxie’s, add bouncers, fill the place with TVs and add the largest TV Ottawa has seen?
You get a pretty solid sports bar!
I’ll start for the Torontonians that might want to come here. The place is much smaller than the one in Toronto. I’d estimate it’s about ¹⁄₃ the size. The TV is also quite a bit smaller but it’s still a pretty fun atmosphere.
I was hesitant to show due to some recent opening day/​week jitters way to often in Ottawa but Real Sports felt like it’s been open here forever. It was exceptionally run. The bouncers were friendly; the hostesses were friendly and helped you immediately without making you stand around for a few minutes. The servers and waitresses were very good in not forgetting orders and always checking up with their tables. If your order was running long they would come check on you and let you know… the place was PACKED!
The food is better than a lot of sports bars in town and much better than most pubs with the exception of a handful. There is a markup on the menu compared to other sport bars and grills but the portions are pretty damn large.
There are TVs everywhere for you to watch multiple sporting events at once. The only downside is the large TV and the other TVs are out of sync so depending what you’re watching you may hear cheering or booing that doesn’t make sense… just quite yet. The sound system seems to be closer to the large TV and bar. They might not have had it setup yet but it would be much better if they did! They did a good job of fading to music when commercials were on and turning the audio of the games back on when the time was right.
I’d give this place a solid 3.5 stars but with the service I’m rounding up!