Poutine is Quebec's beloved plate of fries topped with fresh cheese curds and hot brown gravy, the curds warmed just enough to squeak while the gravy binds.
Poutine emerged in rural Quebec in the late 1950s, with several Centre-du-Quebec towns claiming its invention. It spread to Montreal's late-night diners and by the 2000s had become a national symbol. La Banquise on Rue Rachel turned it into an art form with dozens of loaded versions, though purists still argue for the classic three-ingredient plate.
3 editor picks for Poutine in Montreal, ranked by editorial score. All Montreal signature dishes · Poutine across every city.
La Banquise ★ 4.5
plateau · 994 Rue Rachel Est, Montreal, QC H2J 2J5
La Banquise is Montreal's round-the-clock poutine institution on Rue Rachel, slinging more than thirty gravy-soaked variations to a 24-hour crowd.
Au Pied de Cochon ★ 4.5
plateau · 536 Avenue Duluth Est, Montreal, QC H2L 1A9
Au Pied de Cochon is Martin Picard's temple of Quebecois excess on Avenue Duluth in Montreal, home of foie gras poutine and the theatrical duck in a can.
Chalet BBQ ★ 4.3
ndg · 5456 Rue Sherbrooke Ouest, Montreal, QC H4A 1V9
Chalet BBQ has roasted hardwood-charcoal chicken in NDG since 1944, an unchanged Montreal rotisserie whose quarter-chicken and gravy fries define the genre.