The Best Poutine in Montreal
Photographs Dominique Lafond
Where’s the absolute best hot dog in Chicago? The most delicious burrito in San Francisco? The best poutine in Montreal? Welcome to Taste of the Town, where we call on a local expert to share the absolute best versions of their city’s most iconic food.
The “true” origin story of poutine—perhaps Montreal’s most iconic dish—is a topic of heated debate. A cautiously accepted version traces its humble roots back to a restaurant in the Quebec dairy town of Warwick in 1957 when one customer ingeniously requested a mixed bag of cheese curds and fries. The owner obliged, but not without quipping it would be “une maudite poutine” (a damn mess). Seven years later, the restaurant Le Roy Jucep in Drummondville added gravy to the melange, thus completing the trifecta.
The combination rapidly gained momentum at Quebec diners and snack shacks known as casse-croûtes—particularly in areas close to dairy farms, where curds were fresh and in ample supply—until eventually making its way to countless restaurants in La Belle Province’s largest city. Today poutine offerings reflect an ever-evolving cultural identity. Traditional renditions abound, but so do interpretations contributed by Portuguese, Lebanese, Indian, Haitian, and other immigrant communities, each one undeniably “Montreal.”
Whether you’re planning a trip around events like the Montreal International Jazz Festival or Formula 1 Grand Prix, carving out a stop for this hot, unwieldy, delicious concoction is a necessary experience. These are the top spots for a curd-squeaking, gravy-drenched Quebecois specialty—pronounced “poo-tsin,” please.
Chez Claudette
Often cited as the pinnacle of poutine in the city, this four-decade-old bright yellow beacon near Laurier Park certainly stands out as one of Montreal’s most adventurous purveyors. With over 40 alternatives to the typical ingredient trio, the poutine menu includes select gravies and meats (merguez sausage, tandoori-spiced chicken, beef bourguignon, or pulled pork) alongside veggies, sunny-side up eggs, and beans for good measure. Once a 24-hour haunt and popular post-drinking stop, it now closes at 11 p.m. daily—but it hasn’t lost its laid-back, come-as-you-are attitude.
Chez Ma Tante
Marguerite Strunga, the “aunt” of Montreal’s premier hot dog shop, began serving her famous steam-cooked franks out of a horse-drawn carriage 95 years ago. In the 1950s she graduated to a building on the island’s northern reaches, where its neon signage glows today. The poutine (flavorful brown gravy, thick-cut fries, and a heap of larger-than-average curds) came later, but it attracts a loyal local fan base. This is arguably the closest you’ll get to a Quebec roadside cantine within city limits. Order two steamies “all-dressed” with mustard, relish, onions, and cabbage, and a poutine. Or try the “Italian-style” version smothered with a Bolognese-like meat sauce.
The Best Poutine in Montreal
Mange Dans Mon Hood (MDMH)
This garage pop-up blossomed into a buzzy basement brick-and-mortar in the spring of 2023 and has quickly garnered a cult following. Owners and lifelong pals Michel Nguyen and chef Michel Lim fondly recall dining at casse-croûtes as kids. They’ve channeled that energy here in an eclectic space with wall-to-wall pop culture collages accompanied by a hip-hop and funk soundtrack. The menu is also a mash-up of influences, featuring smash burgers inspired by West Coast chain In-N-Out and poutine made with beef-tallow-fried potatoes. Head to their sister restaurant, La Belle Tonki, for more creative iterations like kimchi poutine with popcorn chicken and cheesy ramen gravy.
The Best Poutine in Montreal
The Best Poutine in Montreal
Piklìz
It’s easy to see why the Acacia brothers—co-owners and sons of Haitian immigrants—have won over the Saint-Henri community since opening in 2019. Those in the know swear by the griot poutine, featuring Creole-spiced gravy and tender pieces of pork that have been marinated, slow-cooked, and fried. Crowning it with a scoop of their signature hot pink pikliz (a tangy mix of cabbage, carrot, and habanero pepper) adds a rare and welcome dose of freshness to the dish. Add mango juice, a Haitian beef patty, and some crispy plantains with guacamole to round out the meal, and enjoy it all in the charming space, decked out with family photos and lively tropical decor.
The Best Poutine in Montreal
Chez Tousignant
In 2015 chef Yann Turcotte fulfilled a lifelong dream of opening a snack bar reminiscent of the ones he frequented on childhood trips to his family cottage. With support from chef-partners Michele Forgione and Stefano Faita, a duo known for their Italian dining spots, the restaurant was born as a modern but cozy reimagining of an archetypal casse-croûte, bearing the name of Turcotte’s mother, Huguette Tousignant. Get the classic poutine, made with double-fried red-skinned spuds, curds sourced daily from a small dairy farm just outside of Montreal, and chicken gravy, finished with a dusting of Chez Tousignant’s signature 15-spice blend.
The Best Poutine in Montreal
The Best Poutine in Montreal
Ma Poule Mouillée
This bustling counter-service spot situated in the Plateau neighborhood draws in regulars, tourists, students, and the city’s sizable Portuguese community—some 60,000 people in the greater Montreal area. Charcoal-grilled chicken, coated in fiery piri-piri sauce, first rose to popularity here in the 1970s thanks to the influx of Portuguese immigrants. Chef Tony Alves’s spin on poutine is embellished with smoky chicken, plus chouriço rounds, São Jorge cheese, a generous dousing of gravy, and their top-secret house sauce. Be sure to grab a pastel de nata for the road.
Paul Patates
Founded by André Roy in 1958 and now overseen by his son, Dany, this Pointe-Saint-Charles mainstay oozes old-school character with checkered blue-and-yellow tiles, steel counters, and tabletop jukeboxes. Their tried-and-true poutine with thick-cut patates hits all the marks. Pair that with a couple steamies all-dressed and the legendary house-made spruce beer, brewed in the diner’s back room and based on a recipe that has remained largely untouched over the past century.
The Best Poutine in Montreal
Au Pied De Cochon
Established in 2001, Au Pied de Cochon has played a pivotal role in shaping the trajectory of Montreal’s dining scene and celebrating Quebec foodways. Inside, the atmosphere is rowdy with chatter, mostly from tourists who have come to indulge in the Plateau restaurant’s distinctive brand of culinary excess. Chef Martin Picard’s luxe poutine stands out; the fries are cooked in duck fat, then topped with curds, seared foie gras, and a velvety foie gras sauce. Seats can be hard to come by, so snag a reservation in advance.
The Best Poutine in Montreal
Gibeau Orange Julep
Gibeau Orange Julep is a true Montreal oddity. The restaurant is housed in what is surely one of the world’s largest roadside orbs, resembling a much-larger-than-life orange. Apart from its destination-worthy location, the Julep is also known for its no-nonsense poutine. The fries are crisp, the cheese abundant, and the gravy dark and deep. The poutine pairs very well with its namesake drink: a sweet, frothy concoction resembling an orange shake, which invariably prompts love-it-or-hate-it reactions. Built in 1964, the 60-foot sphere also serves as a popular meet-up for car and motorcycle enthusiasts eager to flaunt their wheels in the diner’s sprawling parking lot overlooking the Décarie Expressway. No indoor seating means guests find their spot at green picnic tables that hug the perimeter of what is likely the city's zaniest landmark.
Originally Appeared on Bon Appétit
