GRAB n' EAT by H&B - Ottawa ON

This is a #2020catchup & #tbt post!

It was last October, and at work I have 30 minutes for lunch. I usually bring a lunch, but on this day I was going to try and support a local joint during the pandemic. I had recently seen a new place pop up in a spot I've seen a dozen restaurant/pizza places in before, and when I checked the menu, they had wings! Grab 'n Eat it was going to be.

I tried to order online but it didn't seem to work, so I gave a call before my lunch break was on. The dude on the phone was super friendly and answered all my questions about wings, and the fries I also got. The place is like not even 5 minutes a drive, so I was there in no time.

Grab n' Eat is in a building that has a Middle Eastern grocery store, another South Asian/Middle Eastern grocery store, and some apartments over top. It sits on top of a hill on Carling ave and is not easy to get to if you are coming west bound. The parking is limited, but I was able to get a spot and waited a few minutes due to social distancing.

I went in and the second thing I noticed was the place (like most right now) was all cleared of seating and social distancing measures were in full place. Staff wore masks, people were respectful. It was good. The first thing I noticed was that this wasn't the burger/wing/pizza place I thought it was; it was also a little Filipino food oasis.

I didn't know it was Filipino at first (I don't know Filipino cuisine at all), but I did see a hot buffet full of fresh made food. Meats, veggies, pastries, desserts, it all smelled so good! Everyone that came in were ordering from the tray where an "Lola" grandmother was dishing up. When the dude from the phone was processing my pick-up order, I asked what the food was and he told me. There was nothing on their menu about this food!*

*note - their website now reflects this, but it didn't back in October 

The dude from the phone was super friendly and I could see him and others working hard and rushing around to fill orders. My total wait time from my call to picking it up was about 15 minutes. My food was bagged up and off to my car I went to eat.

I pulled out a bunch of good quality napkins, then the next thing was the Flavoured Fries I ordered. I was impressed because they punched holes in the top to let steam escape and stop the fries from getting soggy.

Here was my lunch in all it's glory. Buffalo wings and Flavoured Fries. 

What are flavoured fries? Well they take french fries and toss them in different seasonings. They have Cheese, BBQ, Sweet Corn and Sour Cream and Onion. When on the phone, I had asked the Grab n' Eat dude what he recommended. He said they were all good, but for my first time try the Sour Cream and Onion.

I got the Medium ($5) but there is no small, but this was more than enough for one person. It was a ton of fries. They were crispy but a bit soft, and while they were probably from frozen, were cooked nicely. They were super coated in the Sour Cream and Onion seasoning. I could smell them in the bag well before I opened my whole order. The seasoning was just like chip or popcorn seasoning - creamy, slightly oniony. They were really good! That boded well for the wings.

The wings come in numbered bunches: 6, 12, 24, or 48. The wings don't come with any sides or dips, but the sauce came on the side. I went with 10 wings and I got 10 wings. 

The wings hovered between a medium and a large. They weren't long, but the apex of the wing was quite tall. The wings were fairly meaty for their size. They were deep fried and were super crispy. That perfect level of frying when the skin is brittle and cracks when you bite into it. Awesome. 

The chicken was tender enough and pulled apart without struggle. The wings were most likely from frozen but it didn't taste that way.

They have two sauces at Grab n' Eat, BBQ and Buffalo. I went with Buffalo, and when I ordered it on the phone, the dude asked if I wanted it sauced and baked in the oven, or just naked, but he recommended sauce on the side to preserve the crispiness of the wings; that's someone who cares about their wings! When I picked up the wings, he told me he gave me a second sauce in case one wasn't enough! 

The two sauces tasted slightly differently, despite being the same I'm sure. One tasted like classic cayenne hot sauce like Frank's, but the other one was slightly sweet. It wasn't Buffalo sauce though, just hot sauce, but it was good. I'm curious what the BBQ is like.

FINAL SCORE:

I really like Grab 'n Eat. The staff were all friendly and it's clear they care about their food and their business. The Sour Cream & Onion Flavoured Fries were crispy, fully flavoured, and plentiful. The wings were a good size and were super crispy. Also, I don't know anything about Filipino food, but theirs looks and smells good. Check them out!  9/14

Grab n' Eat by H&B

2916 Carling Ave, Ottawa ON

grabneatbyhb.ca