Hands down the absolute worst-run McDonald's in the entire Ottawa area. I live nearby, but I am completely done giving this Merivale location chances. The core operational failures here start entirely at the top with the general manager, Toby.
If you visit during the heavy afternoon shift or the dinner rush transition, you will consistently see her running back and forth between sections, totally overwhelmed and melting down. Instead of helping her team clear the massive backlog of orders, she can be heard openly screaming at and berating her line staff in full view of the lobby and drive-thru windows.
Her toxic, chaotic leadership directly tanks the entire store's metrics. Because she creates a miserable, high-stress environment, the crew completely panics. This results in the longest drive-thru wait times in the city, routinely incorrect orders, and cold food. The staff here look defeated, and it is entirely because of how Toby treats them. Franchise ownership needs to step in immediately and replace her; this store is a complete embarrassment to the brand.
AG
Akshaysinh Gohil
Aug 22, 2026
Such rude behaviour by the staff
Scenario happened that i ordered mc spicy veggie burger and she gave me order and bun was too hard and burnt when i go there for tell them the burger bun is burnt at a time other employee told her and said her to make a new that time she is like thats not burnt and she come to use and in very Rude behaviour she said it will take 4 minutes.
Very very rude behaviour by Nabeela
CC
Chindigenous
Aug 14, 2026
Disclaimer: In general, I think McDonald's is absolutely disgusting & eating their food is playing Russian roulette with your health.
That being said, I do, once in a blue moon, enjoy a Skor McFlurry. Today, I ordered a regular one through the drive thru. I receive it and begin to leave only to find that it is only about a third full. I turn back into the drive thru and am told they'll replace it. I get to the window and the person there is clueless. They have to get the supervisor who looks SUPER sour faced. It appears she asks for my McFlurry back so he takes it from me and hands it to her. She looks at it and actually shrugs. Then she takes it away fr the window and, I swear, only seconds later reappears with it. I look inside and sure enough, it's my same McFlurry with extra ice cream and Skor bits on top. So I received a bunch of melted ice cream underneath fresh ice cream. It was so disgusting and it melted even faster than normal. I was pissed to say the least. Reason # 1125 of why I hate McDonald's. The service and employees are crap. If you hate your job that much, find a different one... smh
GC
Gordon Casey
Aug 6, 2026
I worked on colonnade Road for over 20 years. I used to go to this restaurant at least once a week after looking at some of the recent reviews I can understand why the numbers have gone down. I parked across the street went in use the washroom, came out ordered an ice cream cone, And waited and waited and waited. The people that got there five minutes after me got served all the cars that were too lazy to get other vehicles and come in and get their own food, Got their food. I know that this is just a very small thing and maybe I am being petty as it is 30 something degrees outside and I really wanted An ice cream. Big things you can fix, little things are just like 1000 little cuts and they push people away.
Sorry for venting, but I am in customer service and have been for a very long time.
AND NO, I WASN’T LOVING IT!!!!!!!!
I think this is one of the best McDonald’s locations in Ottawa.
What impressed me the most was an employee named James. For the first time, I saw a McDonald’s employee doing much more than simply wiping down tables. James carefully disinfected the window ledges beside every table, paid attention to every detail, and even cleaned up all the garbage underneath the tables. I have never seen someone take such pride in keeping a restaurant spotless. He truly deserves a 5-star recognition for his outstanding work.
Beyond the excellent staff, this McDonald’s has a comfortable dining area, a welcoming atmosphere, and an incredible amount of parking. I absolutely love coming here for a cup of coffee or breakfast and simply enjoying a relaxing, happy start to my day.
Thank you, James, for your dedication and for setting such a high standard!