Clocktower Brew Pub - Glebe

Clocktower Brew Pub - GlebeClocktower Brew Pub - Glebe
Clocktower Brew Pub - GlebeClocktower Brew Pub - Glebe
Brewery, Bar, Eatery, Beer-to-go

575 Bank St
Ottawa, Ontario, K1S 5L7
Canada

(613) 233-7849 | map
clocktower.ca
BEER STATS
Average:
3.16
Beers:
21
Ratings:
149
PLACE STATS
Average:
3.26
Reviews:
22
Ratings:
27
pDev:
14.42%
View: Beers | Place Reviews
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Ratings by boszormeny:
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Rated by boszormeny from Canada (ON)

3.5/5  rDev +7.4%

Dec 30, 2013
More User Ratings:
Photo of Conrad
Reviewed by Conrad from Canada (ON)

4.25/5  rDev +30.4%
vibe: 3.25 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4 | food: 4.5
I love this place, the first great brewpub in town. The tap selection has their standard repertoire along with visiting pours from so-called competitors. This is where I had my first Beau's, the day it was introduced into Ottawa. The Clocktower supports local causes, with special labels for such things as the fight against breast cancer, or celebration of a the history of a local military unit. In the fall, they have the best pumpkin beer in town. And the wings are great. The only thing I don't like is the patio, which is right on Bank St, with all of its accompanying bus and car traffic. Noisy and smelly. Stay inside.
Oct 24, 2017
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Rated by eberesford from Canada (ON)

3.29/5  rDev +0.9%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 3 | service: 3.5 | selection: 3.25 | food: 3.5
Bustling - decent food - friendly service. The beers ate okay.
Sep 01, 2017
 
Rated: 3.06 by LanceH from Canada (ON)

Jun 18, 2016
 
Rated: 3.25 by Jotora from Canada (ON)

Dec 13, 2014
 
Rated: 3.25 by bylerteck from Canada (ON)

Jan 22, 2014
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Reviewed by Ivanhoes_Backpack from Canada (NB)

2.84/5  rDev -12.9%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 2.75 | service: 3 | selection: 2.5
Alright brewpub. The beers weren't spectacular, and they only have 5 different ones, nothing exciting. Didn't try the food as we had just came over from The Works across the street, which I can only assume has better food. There is a pool table hidden downstairs by the bathrooms. Not sure what the deal is with that, never did see anyone down there.
Feb 16, 2013
Photo of jneiswender
Reviewed by jneiswender from Massachusetts

3.28/5  rDev +0.6%
vibe: 2 | quality: 3.5 | service: 3.5 | selection: 3 | food: 4
Okay fairly run of the mill brews with a decent selection of beers from Canadian domestics to standard imports . Although I don't know why a brewpub sells the beer of others at their place.

Really good food and great variety at that I had Kung foo noodle and pea soup. The range on the menu is really impressive. Certainly not just run of the mill pub fare.

Parking available nearby.

nice staff, knowledgable about menu

competitive prices for both the beer and the food

Place can get packed though after work hours. Go early.
Jul 20, 2011
Photo of kjyost
Reviewed by kjyost from Canada (MB)

3.4/5  rDev +4.3%
vibe: 4 | quality: 3 | service: 4 | selection: 3
Visited with my brother a while back in order to chat and catch up...

It had a good North American 'pub' atmosphere where we could chat and have a good time, without any obtrusive music and idiots screaming about how good the local sports team was doing on a TV. The beers were decent, though nothing to write home about, and with about six on tap (and one on cask) the selection was okay. There weren't any really edgey styles on tap either (adjunct lager, blonde ale, brown, stout, no IPA...). Service was decently prompt and polite considering how full the place was.
Sep 25, 2010
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Reviewed by spinrsx from Canada (ON)

3.18/5  rDev -2.5%
vibe: 3 | quality: 3 | service: 3 | selection: 3.5 | food: 3.5
One of my go to places for wings on Tuesday nights. They also have specials on pints of Keiths and Steamwhistle beer on Tuesdays only. Four dollars each I believe. Monday through Thursday they also have half price appetizers from 4-8pm. The food is better at the bank street location. I personally really enjoy the nachos. Also a good selection of beers including some of their own home made stuff. The prices arent the best for what you get, but if you happen to go on one of the nights that they have a deal, it's not too bad.
Aug 05, 2010
Photo of youbrewidrink
Reviewed by youbrewidrink from Vermont

2.89/5  rDev -11.3%
vibe: 3 | quality: 3.5 | service: 2 | selection: 3
I spent last weekend in Ottawa for Winterlude.

Being of the beer mind, we headed to Byward to seek out Ottawa's only brewpub "the Clock Tower". Upon arrival we found the tables full of patrons and an empty bar, so we cozied up to the bar and waited for our server, and waited, and waited.

Eventually the hostess came over and got us a couple of house beers(that were average at best).There was no bartender to be found.

We hung out watching the Olympics for a bit. The place was clean, the service poor and the beer was not really worth it.

Ottawa needs to catch up to the rest of North America with beer.
Feb 16, 2010
Photo of mrmanning
Reviewed by mrmanning from Canada (ON)

3.3/5  rDev +1.2%
vibe: 3 | quality: 3 | service: 3.5 | selection: 3.5 | food: 3.5
A low lit typical neighbourhood pub with an English style ambiance and interesting menu and a bunch of their own beers. Other offerings were Ontario Micros, with a few BMCs. I had all of their beers that were available, which ranged from fairly average, to pretty good. Food was quick to arrive, tasty, and well put together. Service was tatoo girl, but friendly and attentive.
I got there around 5 pm, and it wasn't that busy at all, but by the time I left, the place was packed and there were only 2 servers. I guess I got there at a good time, cause I suspect that service was basically at a standstill by that time.
Aug 01, 2009
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Reviewed by allergictomacros from Canada (ON)

3.25/5  rDev -0.3%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 3.5 | service: 3 | selection: 3 | food: 3.5
Visited the Bank St. location early afternoon on a Saturday. Wasn't overly crowded, but the parking lot was full. A long walk down Bank St. gets you to the parliament, and then a few blocks east to Byward Market. Reverse and you're sober enough to drive home. Makes me consider the logistics of parking at brewpubs... but I digress...

Atmosphere is par for the course I think: trendy-pubby, with standard fare and 5 beers on tap, including one on cask. Sadly, the cask was broken or somesuch, and the beers were really only OK. Waitress seemed a bit surly as well. Of the 5 beers, I liked the ESB the best. The food was tasty, but not exceptional in any way. I would go back, but I won't rave about this place.
Jun 01, 2009
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Reviewed by IBUnit63 from Massachusetts

3.5/5  rDev +7.4%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 3.5 | service: 3.5 | selection: 3.5
Well, after a quick entry and exit to/from Vineyards (they must've had an off night or someone dropped a deuce in the bartender's Cheerios) we gave this place a shot. Typical brewpub atmosphere - lots of new wood - nice and shiny and polished with a slight corporate feel. A little loud too, but whaddya expect around 6 on a Sattidy?Bartender was very congenial/friendly and helpful. Beers we had were pretty much run-of-the-mill solid brewpub quality - not offensive, but nothing spectacular. Prices weren't bad either. In the Market district so easy to stop in for a pint.
May 08, 2009
Photo of bobsy
Reviewed by bobsy from Canada (ON)

3.4/5  rDev +4.3%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 3 | selection: 3 | food: 3
Ottawa brewpub with two locations in the city. I'd previously been to the one on Bank Street, but for one reason or another they were out of every single one of their brews, which wasn't exactly ideal. The food was decent and the environment so-so. I wouldn't really go back.

Fast forward a couple of years, and by shere coincidence I'm attending a wedding down the street from their other location on MacKay. We pop in to kill some time between the ceremony and reception, and I like this spot a fair bit more than Bank Street. The pub has that weathered wood luck that seems to have been adopted for every fake Irish bar in the country. This place aint Irish though, but it pulls off a certain homeliness. Service was good, if a tad slow, but nothing to complain about. They actually had four of their five beers available, which was a pleasant suprise. On the whole they range from very nice (kolsch) to poor (raspberry wheat). The rest of the tap selection has nothing of interest to a refined drinker. Beer seemed in good shape.
Aug 18, 2008
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Reviewed by timmlimestone from Wisconsin

3/5  rDev -8%
vibe: 3 | quality: 3 | service: 3 | selection: 3
I got to Ottawa with my wife for a convention. We were staying downtown, so I had to walk around 45 minutes to get to the Clocktower. Walked into a very preppy establishment, but there is nothing wrong with that. Maybe would have left the backpack behind. Noticed the posted sign offering $3.25 per pint of beers sunday through thursday. So I got myself a house red. Decent enough. And Big. Then I followed up with a Steam Whistle. When I asked for the Bill I was promptly told that it would be $13.50. I guess I read the sign wrong. Good enough. 40 oz of canadian barley pop had my head swimming. I got on my way.

Out of the way from city centre. Seemed like a nice area otherwise. A Little sketchy maybe at night. It was a good drink and a good sit on a wednesday afternoon. Better than hanging at the hotel.
Apr 11, 2008
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Reviewed by CanuckRover from Canada (ON)

3.13/5  rDev -4%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 2 | selection: 2.5 | food: 4
Ottawa's only brewpub in Ottawa (there's one out in Navan, but these two locations are the only city brewpubs). Took a dang long time for someone to actually notice we were there and when they did we got the stink-eye and a "sit where you want". Sorry sweetheart, didn't realize I was in Europe.

Took another long while before we got our menus and yet another good wait before we were asked what we wanted to drink. 4 of their beers on (red, brown, bitter - or ESB? - raspberry wheat) plus another of their 4, I guess, special brews (cask bitter and brown and a raspberry maple wheat). A cask bitter for me and a raspberry maple (at my prodding) for the lady-friend. Both very good, cask bitter is a winner. No other craft brews to speak of, the most exciting thing on tap was Hoegaarden, then it was the usual suspects.

Large menu of British favourites (pub food and asian themed things like curry and pad thai). Had the fish and chips, very good. Girlfriend ordered the pad thai, got the curry and waited another 10 minutes before she got her right food. I ate my dish in the mean time. No comp offered, no tip given. Waitress was pleasant enough though.

This place is in the Glebe, Ottawa's fashionable district so there are alot of yuppies. Oddly I think we were the only ones who were drinking their beer. The only other table with beer, one guy had a Stella, the other guy asked for a leffe, and when they didn't have it he asked for water. WTF?

I'll be back for their fantastic cask ales and their food is quite good. Service is hit and miss I guess.
Mar 31, 2008
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Reviewed by Sammy from Canada (ON)

3.38/5  rDev +3.7%
vibe: 4 | quality: 2.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 3
Laid-back Ottawa crowd of techies, civel servants, relaxed attractives, just off the main downtown area in a so-so area. At night you should drive here. The staff is trained and well-meaning and flexible. A nice deck though on a street just before a main thoroughfare. EIght were on tap today in the end of summer, with the eight guest taps almost entirely the usual macro suspects. Moderately spacious inside. The beer is passable, with the two casks the real treat, the cask bitter the clear winner. I think there are two clock towers, with their casks on and without.
Aug 21, 2007
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Reviewed by Wintermute from Canada (ON)

3.6/5  rDev +10.4%
vibe: 4 | quality: 3.5 | service: 4 | selection: 3 | food: 4
Second time I've been to the Bank St. brew pub. This time I came just before noon and had brunch. The menu is fairly standard pub stuff, but with a few surprises; like pho. I had eggs benedict and it was very good.
The building is newer looking on a corner and has a small parking lot. Its just a one-storey brown building but there is a small clock tower, which I assume gives the place its name. The main doors, under the clock, open in diagonally from the corner making the room feel less boxy. The decor is mostly cherry-wood with 2 large booths in the middle of the room with various tables and benches along the outside. There are 3 TVs in the place for various sports viewing. The wall facing Bank St. is mostly windows and looks out onto a summer patio. The small brewery set up is separated from the main room but you can look into it through a window. The bathrooms are downstairs, where there is also a small rec room with pool tables and its own small bar.
As far as beer, this time they only had two of their products on tap; Kolsch and Cask Bitter. This lack of pub brew seems to be a recurring problem. However, they had plenty of other taps and a good selection of liquor and wine.
Staff was cheerful, friendly and helpful. But as I said, I was in at noon, who can say what its like on a busy night.

When I was there I found out that they had opened another location at 422 MacKay. Went there the next day for brunch. Its in a strip of businesses with patio out front. There is no parking lot, but we managed to find street parking. This place feels more like a restaurant. Its much larger with black wood decor and a somewhat more worn look than the Bank St. location. Various tables spread around the place. There is a fireplace with some large cushioned chairs to sit in by the fire. There was lots of advertising around the place indicating that they have live music some nights. The brewery area can not be seen so they try to compensate for this by placing bags of grain on the floor all over the place and have artistically done photographs of the brewery area on the walls.
Only one product on tap here, the Bytown Brown. Again, lack of pub brew seems to be a recurring problem, but they had plenty of other taps and a good selection of liquor and wine.
The menu here was the same as at the Bank St. location. Service was fine. Overall I think that both the food and the service was better at the Bank St. location.
Jun 21, 2007
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Reviewed by Bestuurder from Canada (ON)

4.15/5  rDev +27.3%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 4 | food: 4
I was one of the lucky few that when you come to have some food and a pint, all five homestyle brews are available. A couple of times I have come to this establishment, and only one or maybe two are available. I had a delicious plate of haddock and fries, fish n' chips. Always a good call here, excellent. Done in their own Bytowne Brown beer batter recipe. Quite tasty, but I would not recommend it with the Bytowne Brown, rather I tried it with the Raspberry Wheat and it complimented the tartness of the tartar suce and lemon on the haddock very nicely.

For a pitcher, 60 fl. oz., here in Ottawa will run you between $14-17 for a decent beer before taxes, but the homebrews are much better priced at approximately $12 prior to taxes. Which makes me return time and time again.

The service was excellent, continously checking to see if we had enough drink, and how the food was. Their nachos are a bit over priced, and lack imagination, which are the exact words that we described to me by a friend after she had finished.

I also had the pleasure of trying the Cream. Excellent brew, very well balanced, not overpowering at all, like a lot of other cream ales.

All-in-all, very happy, will be visiting again. Be sure to check out the games room in the basement if its open.
Jun 15, 2007
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Reviewed by MTNboy from Germany

4.28/5  rDev +31.3%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 5 | selection: 4
This place was easy to find the service was exceptional. The bartender was friendly and informative. He was also a fellow beer glass collector. They seemed to have a steady crowd but the servers were all still friendly and made a little time to talk. I wish I would have had more time to hang out there. It did have a chain resteraunt feel to it though I mean that was not too bad. I just wish it would have had more of a bar feel. The only thing that was very disapointing was that they did not brew their own beer. They did have good selection of beer though.
Dec 28, 2006
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Reviewed by woodychandler from Pennsylvania

1.99/5  rDev -39%
vibe: 3 | quality: 2 | service: 2.5 | selection: 1
Well, right off of the bat, I had a problem when, with thirteen (13) taps and two (2) handpumps, only one (1) house-brewed beer was available. Sheewhack!

The place was angular, situated on a corner, with a bank of windows overlooking Bank Street, as well as having a wooden deck/patio that fronted the street. As I entered through a short vestibule, there was a pair of doors with stained-glass panels, followed by a wood and glass panel bearing the name of the establishment just inside of the doorway. The space is divided in half, with the left side dominated by restaurant tables and chairs, as well as two (2) booths. The extreme right side was the semi-circular bar, with more restaurant tables and chairs surrounding it. The back of the space had a line of upholstered booths in front of two (2) windows that overlooked the brewhouse with its brick-jacketed kettle and a bank of Fermentation Vessels. The washrooms were down a flight of steps behind a door to the left of the brewhouse.
Aug 23, 2006
Photo of TheJudge
Reviewed by TheJudge from New York

2.4/5  rDev -26.4%
vibe: 3 | quality: 2 | service: 3 | selection: 2
Came to this place with an open mind, and was still disappointed. A nice looking place, it is right on a major street, and within spitting distance of highway 417. Pleasant enough inside, nice bar stools, but nothing special. A small windowed room off to the side held the brewing equipment, none of which appeared to be actually brewing anything. This was something of a surprise, because while the menu listed 5 beers of theirs (and 3 or 4 macro "guest taps"), they had only 3 running. And two of those three were not impressive. The raspberry wheat was bland and flat, the brown was bland and flat (do I sense a theme?) Only the bitter was of any quality at all. At $5 a pint or so, the price was right, but really, I see little reason to return to this establishment.
Jul 27, 2005
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Reviewed by Rastacouere from Canada (QC)

3.23/5  rDev -0.9%
vibe: 4 | quality: 3.5 | service: 3.5 | selection: 2 | food: 4
Rather sociable feel, clean wooden display, nice mellow lighting, good looking modern building. Disappointing selection range with only 3 of their beers available at any given time + a handful of crappy lagers. I thought the beers to be a bit better than the ratings indicate, expect your average 3.0 beers more often than not I assume. It makes for a nice place to dinner since the food was very good and not too expensive. Note that it is smoke free and that the building is pretty big, the basement being a big pool table zone.
Nov 09, 2004
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Reviewed by Phyl21ca from Canada (QC)

2.98/5  rDev -8.6%
vibe: 3 | quality: 3 | service: 3 | selection: 2.5 | food: 4
I hadn’t been here for at least 4 years because my first visit didn’t impress me enough to bother coming back. The décor is nice but the place seems to lack ambiance (the patio is located just beside the highway which makes it a bit noisy). Service is fine but waitress has limited beer knowledge but at least knew how to poured a pint. Selection of beer brew on site was a bit disappointing (only a brown ale and a bitter) and the rest consisted of macros. What most surprised me though was the food quality and prices were very reasonable. I had great pork chops and roasted potatoes with fresh veggies and I could tell everything was fresh.
Sep 03, 2004
Photo of saskguy
Reviewed by saskguy from Canada (SK)

3.15/5  rDev -3.4%
vibe: 4 | quality: 3 | service: 3.5 | selection: 2.5 | food: 3.5
I also have found the beer to be bland at this brew pub and they only have three on tap. They seem to be afraid of adding flavour...

The staff do not seem to know much about their beers.

The place is pleasant looking, but not worth going out of your way.
Nov 11, 2003
Photo of the42ndtourist
Reviewed by the42ndtourist from Canada (ON)

3.19/5  rDev -2.1%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 3 | service: 3.5 | selection: 2.5
This is a really nice place, the atmosphere is clean and relatively sophisticated. The pool room downstairs is well looked after, there is adequate light upstairs.

Unfortunately the beer isn't all that special. The price is good, at $5 a pint for their brews (less than imports). They had only three of their own on tap when I was there: a bitter, a raspberry wheat, and a brown ale. I found the bitter smooth, pleasantly bitter, and easy to drink. It just wasn't anything great. The raspberry was altogether too weak in the fruit department.

So a good place to drink, but their own selection lets them down.
Oct 02, 2002
Clocktower Brew Pub - Glebe in Ottawa, ON, Canada
Brewery rating: 3.16 out of 5 with 149 ratings