The delicious poutine worth a quick trip off-island from Montreal

Montreal is synonymous with plenty of tempting food: smoked meat, bagels, steamé hot dogs, and of course, the poutine.

And no offence to the other local staples, poutine just hits differently.

It’s good for lunch, as a snack, a hangover remedy, split with friends, out of a football helmet, and heck, even for breakfast (no judgment here).

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As a Quebecer, you pretty much have the fundamental need to find the best poutine.

Luckily, there’s one that you have to try that’s less than 30 kilometres off-island. And you know what? It’s so good, it’ll become part of your typical must-have poutine journey.

Located at 975 Boulevard Saint-Jean-Baptiste in Mercier — an easy 30-minute drive from Montreal — is Restaurant Chez Grégoire, whose poutine is unparalleled. “Grégoire’s” as it’s affectionately known, will give you an excuse to want to travel off-island more often.

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Grégoire’s french fries alone are drool-worthy.

The fries are made from red potatoes which are double-blanched, making them moist and unbelievably tasty. Then they’re tossed in a homestyle barbeque sauce-gravy and a mountain of sliced cheese curds. Your mind will be blown.

Cheese curds are traditionally rounded on a Québec poutine but Grégoire’s makes a slight adjustment; it slices the cheese curds and then drenches the plate in gravy.

SLICED CHEESE CURDS.

Grégoire’s take on the sliced cheese curds makes for every forkful of poutine to have the perfect balance of cheese, fries, and gravy.

It’s heaven in a plastic bowl.

Aristide Grégoire opened the casse-croûte in 1945 with his wife, Lucienna, and the recipe has stayed the same since. The menu is inexpensive and equally extensive. There are burgers, hot dogs, pogos, Michigans, and breakfast but that poutine is the undeniable go-to.

The restaurant has undergone impressive upgrades throughout the years and can now fit over 200 hungry patrons.

Necessary, considering the restaurant is open daily from 8 am to 11 pm and it’s always busy.

Worth every minute in line and every kilometre driven — it’s an absolute must-add to your evergrowing repertoire of poutines worth scarfing across Quebec.