Five Poutines to Try in Montreal, Canada

Anyone who knows me knows that French fries are in the running for my favorite food of all time–truly, my dad used to say that I was going to turn into a French fry because I ate them so much (and still do). So naturally, one of the deciding factors in choosing to spend a month in Montreal was that I would have pretty much unlimited access to one of the best dishes known to man: poutine.

If you’re unfamiliar, poutine (properly pronounced “poo-tin”) is a dish consisting of French fries smothered in cheese curds and gravy. So, basically it’s heaven on a plate. Poutine is the national dish of Canada, and for good reason: it’s absolutely delicious, and it represents Canadian culture well. Poutine originated in Quebec in the 1950s, and its name is a sort of Québécois slang that means “mess.” It’s a big symbol of working-class food culture, being a dish that was often served in tiny diners, food stands, and “greasy spoon” establishments, and has since evolved to being served in unique, elevated forms just as much as the classic style we all know and love.

Montreal is filled with countless versions of poutine to choose from, and I’ll definitely be needing another visit so I can add to this list. However, since I only had a month to scour the city for gravy-covered fries, this is my current list (in no particular order) of five delicious poutines you should try in Montreal!

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1. Schwartz’s Deli

If I had to choose a winner, this would probably be it. Schwartz’s is an iconic deli in Montreal known for their world famous smoked meat, so naturally they’ve created the best combination I might have ever had: smoked meat on poutine. Thick pieces of shaven smoked meat sit on top of thick and crispy fries, with squeaky cheese curds nestled in between and hot brown gravy poured all over top. It was mind-blowingly good, especially after a long walk through the city. When I crave poutine, it’s this one, always.

What to Order:

“Poutine a la Schwartz’s” (smoked meat poutine)

2. Jardin Nelson

When I say poutine has become elevated, this type of dish is what I mean. You have your classic poutine, which is phenomenal as-is, but when you add pulled duck confit? It’s just insanity. Jardin Nelson knocked it out of the park with this one, guys. Aside from the duck, the cheese curds really stole the show in this particular dish–they were huge, if you can’t tell from the picture, and they had such great flavor! I truly did not want to stop eating this.

What to Order:

Poutine with pulled duck confit

3. Poutineville

This is another insane example of an “elevated” poutine. Don’t get me wrong, any type of poutine is gonna be good enough for me to eat, but when I saw “red wine braised beef” on the menu at Poutineville, I nearly lost my mind. And yes, it was as good as it sounds. It held up through delivery really well, too, which gets big points. It was almost like a pulled pork Mac and cheese, but so much better because, well, it’s French fries and gravy.

What to Order:

Poutineville Régulière / Regular Poutineville (red wine braised beef poutine)

4. Joyo Burger

I think I should just go back to Montreal and see how many different types of poutine I can possibly try… there’s truly an endless amount of flavor and ingredient combinations to choose from, and I want them all! I’m a sucker for any sort of meat added onto a cheesy, carby dish, so when I saw the customize option on Joyo Burger’s menu, I knew I was adding some fried chicken. It did not disappoint! Kind of reminded me of a better KFC. The chicken was really flavorful and added a little bit of heartiness that this classic poutine definitely benefited from.

What to Order:

Classic poutine (add fried chicken breast)

5. Poutine Bros

I still can’t even believe I was able to order butter chicken poutine at all. It’s a thing, guys, and it’s delicious. I was trying to decide between ordering poutine or Indian food one night, and it truly was like my prayers were answered when this beauty popped up on DoorDash. It could have used more curry (I like my poutine really smothered in gravy), but the flavors were incredible! Props to Montreal for having the actual dinner of my dreams able to be delivered right to my doorstep.

What to Order:

Butter chicken poutine

Honorary Mention: Breakfast Poutines

As a savory breakfast girly, breakfast poutine has become a true love of mine, so both of these dishes were home runs for me. Home fries covered in cheese curds, gravy, onions, eggs… there’s literally no way you can go wrong. It’s a hearty breakfast with tons of flavor that tastes even better than it looks. Plus you don’t feel sick from too much sugar! Sweet breakfast can kiss my ass.