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Poutine is Canada’s most famous dish. In its most traditional form, hot French fries are topped with gravy and cheese curds. It’s not the healthiest dish, but it’s warming and delicious. But not only can the quality of poutine vary from place to place, but so can the ingredients.
When I visited Quebec City, I set out to diligently test as many poutine places as possible. Here are my favorite places for poutine in Quebec City, including traditional dishes and unique restaurants with creative options.
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The Best Poutine In Quebec City
Chez Gaston
Poutine is not a high-end dish (well, not usually), so many of the best places to get it are the sort of spots you’d stumble into late at night. That said, few poutine restaurants in Quebec City have late hours.
Casse-Croute Chez Gaston has you covered for those late-night cravings, at least on weekends. The no-frills snack bar in St. Roch is open until 4 am, so you can either end the night or start the day right.
Book your hotel in Quebec City now!The menu at Chez Gaston is limited to poutine, hot dogs, and burgers, but they do offer a few different variations of each. The poutines are also available in different sizes, so you can order based on your hunger level or share a larger one with friends.
I got the Gaston, which included hot dogs, burger meat, and onions.
My girlfriend got the Sylvie, which was similar, but swapped bacon for the sausages.
Both were awesome flavor combos with a good, bold gravy. The cheese curds were squeaky, and both poutines were packed with toppings. Sometimes, you get a poutine that’s heavy on the fries, but Chez Gaston’s was at least a perfect 50-50 ratio.
Some local folk rock music was playing on the stereo, making it the perfect Québécois experience.
Address: 332 Rue Dorchester, Québec, QC G1K 6A2, Canada (map) – St. Roch
Address: 640 Wilfrid-Hamel Blvd, Québec City, Quebec G1M 3P9, Canada (map) – Vanier
Website
Frite Alors!
Frite Alors! has a couple of locations in Quebec City. They also have poutine shops in Montreal.
The Crémazie O restaurant is a small but cool spot with some bar seats and a few tables.
They specialize in Belgian fries in general (along with sauces), but you can’t sell fries in Canada without also offering some poutine.
I was feeling hungry and ambitious, so I ordered La Skouik-Skouik, which has twice the cheese.
Not only did it have twice the cheese, but there was also tons of gravy. Between the two, it was intensely excellent. The freshly-made melty cheese curds and rich gravy were a great combination.
I also really enjoyed their fries. They were crispy, but also on the side of being fried a bit more than other places, which I think adds flavor compared to potentially being under-fried.
My girlfriend had the pulled pork poutine, which was also excellent.
Address: 122 Rue Crémazie O, Québec, QC G1R 1X5, Canada (map) – Crémazie O
Address: 1201 3e Ave, Québec City, Quebec G1L 2X8, Canada (map) – Limoilou
Website
Le Chic Shack
Le Chic Shack, located right across the plaza from the Fairmont Le Chateau Frontenac, is one of the most famous and loved poutine spots in Old Quebec.
The restaurant serves poutine, burgers, salads, and milkshakes, all made with local products. They even make their own sodas using real fruit puree.
I ordered the Sugar Shack poutine, which is inspired by the beloved maple-harvest establishments that dot Quebec.
It was served steaming hot with cheese curds that melt and stretch. The potatoes are unique in that they’re diced chunks, rather than the longer fries seen at other poutine places.
The poutine has tons of bacon, and the maple adds a touch of sweetness, but not too much to dominate the dish.
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Address: 15 Fort St, Québec City, Quebec G1R 3Z8, Canada (map)
Website
Chez Mag
Crowds line up daily at the seasonal snack bar Chez Mag on Ile d’Orleans near Quebec City. It’s an elevated “greasy spoon” that serves high-quality comfort dishes using local products.
They’re famous for two things in particular: their lobster rolls made with lobster from New Brunswick and their poutine, which has been rated as one of the best in the province.
But the most indulgent dish combines the two. The lobster poutine is not for purists, but with cheese, lobster bisque gravy, and lobster meat, who can complain?
While I didn’t get to try the lobster poutine, the traditional poutine was great. It had rich gravy and squeaky fresh curds. The potatoes are grown on the island.
If you love great food and drink, take a day trip to Ile d’Orleans and Chez Mag. You’ll be glad you did.
Address: 2460 Chem. Royal, Sainte-Famille, QC G0A 3P0, Canada (map)
Website
Poutineville
The Poutineville chain is a dependable place to get poutine (as one would hope with that name). I visited their Montreal location for poutine.
Where they really excel is in the breadth of their menu, which offers a wide variety of options (including vegetarian and vegan-friendly poutine), and even create-your-own poutine.
Their specialty is the Poutineville, which includes home fries covered with cheese curds, mozzarella, braised beef, and red wine sauce.
It’s both traditional and unique, thanks to the rich red wine gravy and the addition of a second cheese.
Address: 810 Boulevard Honoré-Mercier, Québec City, Quebec G1R 5N4, Canada (map) – Vieux Quebec
Address: 735 Rue Saint-Joseph E, Québec, QC G1K 3C6, Canada (map) – Saint-Roch
Website
In addition to the above poutine restaurants, you can find great poutine at many other places in Quebec City, some of which use unique toppings.
For example, La Korrigane Brasserie Artisanale has an interesting chimichurri poutine, while La Souche Microbrasserie’s poutine gravy is made with their signature Irish Red Ale.
Also, some of you might wonder why I haven’t included Chez Ashton on my list of the best Quebec City poutine. Every local I talked with said the place is overrated, and the low review scores agree. It may have once been at the forefront of the city’s poutine renaissance, but other places have since surpassed it in quality.
Once you’ve filled your stomach with poutine, head to one of the many great places to drink in Quebec City, including distilleries, cocktail bars, and breweries.
Here are some great Quebec City tours.
