Last summer I was driving through the town of Aylmer in the Gatineau region, just across the bridge from Ottawa, when I passed by a place called Dinty’s. Later I did some research on the place and it turned out to be something quite iconic. So, on my most recent visit, I dropped by and met Jim Sourges. He owns the place with his brothers Andre and Louis.
First established here in the 1930s, the spot was originally named after the Dinty Moore character in the then-popular “Bringing Up Father” comic strip. In 1962, Greek immigrant Peter Sourges purchased the place with his wife Afroditi, undertaking significant renovations by adding booths with mini jukeboxes, pizza to the menu and home delivery.
A fire destroyed the interior of the restaurant in 1976 and it was renovated again, this time with a bar and a dining room. The late 80s saw a return to Greek heritage with the introduction of souvlaki and gyros to the menu along with the famous homemade dressing. In 2000, Peter and his family made a bold move and built a new facility on the same land. The new “Dintys” opened in November 2000, seating 140 inside and 50 more on a seasonal patio. There is a very large parking lot.
More recently, the restaurant was given a complete facelift. They shut down for six weeks and brought in DSD Groupe Design of Montreal, owned by Dimtri Smolens and Terry Construction of Montreal to give the place a much brighter and upscale look, complete with new flooring, booths, lighting and décor. “We sold all of the old booths,” said Jim. “So somewhere in Kingston, there is a pizza place that has become somewhat of a replica of ours.”
Dad Peter passed away in 2017, but Mom is still going strong at age 87 and can be seen frequently at the restaurant. It is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. The majority of customers come from the Aylmer area, including local Member of Parliament, Speaker of the House and West Island Montreal native Greg Fergus. However, my place in Ottawa was an easy 15-minute drive, so it is well worth the visit if you are looking for a place with a large and diverse menu.
I joined Jim for breakfast, ordering the popular combo with a few extras: bacon with rye toast, eggs over easy, crispy cubed potatoes, French toast and a cup of tea. It all came quite quickly and hit the spot nicely. There are a variety of other egg dishes, including benedicts and omelettes, as well as wraps, crêpes, waffles, pancakes, kids’ meals and mimosas. The lunch and dinner menus feature Greek specialties such as souvlaki and pita options, fish, pasta, burgers, sandwiches, pizza, steak and poutine. The place is popular for groups and parties.
There is also a complete wine and cocktail selection.
The restaurant is handicapped accessible, with a ramp at the front, level seating, and plenty of space at all tables for wheelchairs. The washrooms have handicapped-accessible stalls.
Dinty’s is located at 620 Chemin d’Aylmer and is open seven days a week from 7 am to 9 pm. For more information call 819-684-1771, log on to www.dintys.com or e-mail contact@dintys.com