While country music is not huge in Ottawa, there are still some bars out there for country music fans to visit and enjoy country music. Here are some of the places that might be worth checking out if you are into the country lifestyle.
Nash Boîte Country
Address: 325 Bd Gréber, Gatineau, QC J8T 8J3
Business website: https://www.nashvillequebec.com/
Nash Boîte Country (also called Nash Bar Gatineau) is a new country bar that has opened up in Gatineau. Previously this place used to be called as X Lounge. This bar has a large dance floor than the other bars however it can still get quite packed with people during weekdays. If you are looking for line dancing then this would be the place to go.
- Best Country and Western Bar
- Best days to go: Friday and Saturday
- Line Dancing Lessons on Wednesday
- Large dance floor (relative to other bars)
- Plays mostly country music
- Live Musical performances
- Only bar for proper line dancing in Ottawa
- Lots of slot machines
- Attracts relatively older demographic
My personal favorite western themed bar in Ottawa has been Nash Boite Country. The reason being almost always they have country music playing at the venue. This is the only bar in Ottawa where you will find people doing line dancing to country music almost everyday!
Crazy Horse Saloon
Address: 115 Roland Michener Dr, Kanata, ON K2T 1G7
Business website: https://www.thecrazyhorse.ca/
If you are really into country music and dancing then Crazy Horse Saloon would be your best bet! Out of all the places I have gone to so far, Crazy Horse Saloon offers the best experience in the city for country music folks. The place regularly has live music events and it can get quite busy so if you want to get a table, make sure that you arrive early! They also have a mechanical bull on certain days.
- Best days to go: Wednesday, Friday and Sunday
- Western themed Bar and Restaurant
- Regular live music performances
- Plays country music and hip hop.
- Attracts a younger demographic
- Free to enter but cover might apply on busy days
- Can get very busy
- Relatively small dance floor
- Offers food and drinks
- Bit of a drive from Ottawa downtown
Heart and Crown – Byward Market
Address: 67 Clarence St., Ottawa, ON K1N 5P5
Business website: https://heartandcrown.pub/location/byward/
If you are living in downtown Ottawa, then Heart and Crown is going to be the most convenient spot for enjoying country music. They have live band playing the top country music and you will see people dancing as well. I must say that the dance floor is a bit small but you can make it work.
- Best days to go: Thursday
- Live country music
- Small dance floor
- Attracts mixed demographics
- Free to enter
- Offers food and drinks
- Conveniently located in Byward Market
Lowertown Brewery
Address: 73 York St, Ottawa, ON K1N 5T2
Business website: https://www.lowertownbrewery.ca/
The Lowertown Brewery in the Byward Market is another spot in the downtown area that features occasional country music. They also have country nights with mechanical bull on the last Saturday of each month. Even though the bar is massive, they have a bit of limited dance floor unless there are hosting special events.
- Best days to go: Saturday
- Limited dance space
- Live country music
- Attracts mixed demographics
- Free to enter
- Offers food and drinks
- Located in Byward market
Pop-O-Bar
Address: 75 Bd Gréber, Gatineau, QC J8T 3P9
Business website: https://restaurantpopobar.com/
Based out in Gatineau, Pop-O-Bar is a popular bar among locals for live music. Just make sure to check their schedule as sometimes they have other things like Karaoke going as well!
- Best days to go: Friday and Saturday
- Nice atmosphere
- Live country music in both English and French!
- Attracts a slightly older demographic
- Lots of slot machines
- Small dance floor
- Small cover charge on weekends
- Free coat check
Pop O Bar has a variety of events going throughout the year so make sure to check what event is going on as they are not always country. Regardless, if you are living in the Gatineau region, it is a bar that is worth checking out on the weekends.
Lunergans Pub and Eatery
Address: 1661 Montréal Rd, Gloucester, ON K1J 9B7
Lunergans Pub and Eatery has local country music nights every then and now! If there is a band performing then there wouldn’t be much of a dance floor at this place. I would recommend this place if you want to have chicken wings and beer while listening to country music.
- Best days to go: Wednesday
- Dive bar feel
- Attracts older demographic
- No dance floor
La P’tite Grenouille Gatineau
Address: 9 Rue Aubry, Gatineau, QC J8X 2H1
Business website: https://laptitegrenouille.ca/
I haven’t tried their food yet but this place gets packed on Weekends! La P’tite Grenouille usually has live music early in the night and then this place converts into a dance bar late into the night. The place tends to attract younger crowd on the weekends. Live music is usually country however once this place is a dance club then the place has a variety of hip hop, or dance music.
- Best days to go: Friday and Saturday night
- Bilingual live country music (French and English)
- Drinks are cheaper (compared to bars in Ottawa)
- There might be an entry fee over the weekend if you arrive late
- Large dance floor on the second floor
Chateau Lafayette
Address: 42 York St, Ottawa, ON K1N 5S6
Business website: https://www.thelaff.ca/
The Chateau Lafayette is the most convenient spot to go to if you are in the Ottawa Downtown area. Located in the Byward Market, the venue has live country music every weekend! The Laff is quite well known for the its local performers who have been performing at the location for more than a decade now and previously the place has been visited by many popular celebrities including Justin Bieber!
- Best days to go: Friday and Saturday
- Dive Bar
- Jukebox machine to play whatever music you want
- Seating capacity for large group
- Small dance floor
If you are looking for other options for country music in Ottawa, your best bet would be when the weather is warmer, as there are internationally known country music artists performing at different festivals in the city.
Feel free to share your experience if you have been to these places or know any other bar in the region.
Tom Mehra, an Ottawa-based Software Engineer with a Masters in Information Systems from the University of Texas at Dallas, shares insights on local food spots and top attractions in Canada and the US. He’s also a former resident of the US, UK, and India, and in 2023, his blog was nominated for an Ottawa Award by Faces Magazine. He is also a cat sitter.
