Ottawa Street Hamilton Restaurants: A Food Walk

Ottawa Street Hamilton restaurants line one long street in the east end, where Jamaican-Caribbean kitchens, a seafood market, burger counters, pizzerias and Italian bakeries sit within a few blocks of one another. Walk it from the south end with an appetite and choose three stops rather than ten.

Ottawa Street North was a textile district first, and its food reputation is newer, built on small family-run rooms.

Which Ottawa Street Hamilton restaurants are worth a stop?

Think in kinds of place. The street has a Caribbean kitchen for jerk chicken and patties, a fish market with a kitchen attached, casual burger and pizza rooms, and Italian bakeries for bread and pastries. Small places change hours, menus and owners, so check each one before you go, and look at the door when you arrive. A street with this many small rooms is forgiving: if one kitchen is closed or full, the next is a short walk away.

Where do you find Hamilton Jamaican food on Ottawa Street?

At the neighbourhood Caribbean kitchens. The classics are beef patties, jerk chicken, oxtail, rice and peas and plantain, and a plate is usually generous. Hamilton Jamaican food is a good lunch for a group that wants to share, since patties and plates travel well. Ask which dishes are made fresh that day, how spicy they are, and whether the jerk is cooked on charcoal or in an oven, because the answer changes the flavour. Mild is a fair place to start if you are not sure.

Where is the best Hamilton fish and chips?

Best is a matter of taste, not a ranking, but a kitchen attached to a fish market is the best place to start. Hamilton fish and chips from a counter beside a fish case is a good test of freshness: the fish should be flaky and the coating crisp, never greasy. Some kitchens in the area advertise gluten-free batter. If you have celiac disease, ask about cross-contact, the fryer and the oil before you rely on a label, because a menu note is not a guarantee.

What else is on the street for burgers and pizza?

Casual rooms where a group can order different things. Build-your-own burgers and milkshakes suit children and teenagers, and a pizzeria with hand-made dough and bold toppings suits a table that cannot agree. If you are walking with children, these are easy wins. Check the current menu for allergens, since specials rotate, and ask staff about the dishes your group cannot eat before anyone sits down. Most owners are glad to explain what they do.

Is there a good Hamilton Italian bakery on Ottawa Street?

Yes. The east end has a long Italian community, and its bakeries sell bread, pastries, pizza by the slice and gelato, with custom cakes for birthdays. A Hamilton Italian bakery on a food walk is a good place to end, because you can carry a loaf or a box of pastries to the car. Go in the morning for the full counter, and ask what was baked today, because a bakery counter is at its best before lunch and bread is best eaten on the day it is baked.

What else is on Ottawa Street besides food?

Fabric shops, antique stores and home goods, a reminder of the street's textile past. On Saturdays in the warmer months a farmers market may run nearby, so check its page for the season before you plan around it. Browsing between meals slows the day down and gives you room for a second course, and the shop owners are often locals who can tell you which kitchen they would pick for lunch.

How do you plan an Ottawa Street food walk?

Park once and walk the street end to end. Start with a savoury stop, add a second for a snack and end with something sweet. Wear comfortable shoes, carry a bag and look at the shop windows. Go with a friend so you can share plates, and keep the first two stops small so you arrive at the third hungry. Weekday lunches are calmer, and Saturdays are busier but livelier. The Hamilton food guide covers the rest of the city.

How do you keep track of an Ottawa Street food walk?

Rate each stop by the dish. In the Mosey app only the place and stars are required, and you can rate each dish too, so the jerk chicken and the fish and chips each get their own notes. Add tags such as Gluten-Free, Quick Service or Group Dining if they fit, tag the friend you walked with, and save your stops to a list called Ottawa Street. The Friends' picks layer under Explore the map shows what people you follow have saved.

Where else should you eat in Hamilton?

The Locke Street guide covers the west side, the late-night food guide covers after dark and the Ontario guide to every town places Hamilton among the province's other food towns. More cities are in the Canadian food guides.

Before you head home from Ottawa Street, open the Mosey app, rate your favourite plate and start a list to share with a friend.