La Banquise, originally a small ice-cream shop, first opened its doors in May 1968. In fall of the same year, its founder, local fireman Pierre Barsalou, decided to transform the enterprise into a 24-hour snack bar. At the time it specialized in exceptionally good hot-dogs and great fries. Poutine first appeared on the menu at the start of the 80s and originally just two varieties were offered, classic and Italian. However, in response to repeated requests from very satisfied customers, the restaurant’s poutine varieties quickly multiplied. Today we offer no less than 25 different types of poutine. Today, La Banquise remains a family business. Mr. Barsalou’s youngest daughter Annie took over in the 1990s along with her partner Marc Latendresse. Together, they maintain both the tradition of quality and the excellent reputation of the La Banquise Restaurant. In summer 2006, La Banquise underwent major renovations and a much larger dining area was made available. 40 years on, La Banquise is now much more than a simple snack bar or poutine joint. Today it is also a warm, friendly venue where customers can enjoy micro-brewery beers, a complete menu du jour and excellent breakfasts. So here’s to you, our loyal customers, the night owls, the groups of friends, the workers, students, families and more, because all of you have contributed to shaping and enriching the success story that is La Banquise today. Many, many thanks.
La Banquise is a legendary Montreal poutine spot known for enormous bowls piled high with crispy fries, squeaky cheese curds, and rich gravy, with a wide variety of toppings from classic to bold. The atmosphere is lively and friendly, service is fast, and staff work hard to accommodate guests even when the place is busy, with vegetarian, vegan, and meat options widely praised. Although crowds and noise are common and the space can feel tight, the generous portions and flavorful poutines make the wait worthwhile, and takeout or enjoying a meal in the park add to the appeal, solidifying La Banquise as a go to for poutine lovers.
What a fun restaurant with friendly service & fantastic poutine! It was hard to choose which one I wanted, but I settled on La Matty which had bacon, mushrooms, & onions. I ordered the regular size & am glad I did. The large is a double order of the regular & there's no way I would've finished that.!
Sep 13, 2025
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When I used to visit Montreal pre pandemic, there was no huge line like it is now. We came to grab a takeout at 930pm on a Sunday night. It was about 20-30 wait. Good for local business being so popular! We ordered poutine with smoked meat, bacon, spicy sausages, & pepperoni on it. You can't go wrong with any of their poutine. My wife & I devoured the entire grande serving box!
La Banquise has been serving up poutine magic since 1968, & with 35 different poutines on the menu, it's hard not to find something you'll love.
As part of a collab for my summer picnic series, I stopped by to pick up takeout with my friend Hady. I went for the Royale (pulled pork, bacon, & apples), & she chose the Reggae (ground beef, guacamole, tomatoes, hot peppers, & Swiss). Both were generous, loaded, & full of flavor. Sweet & smoky vs. spicy & bold … we had the best of both worlds.
The pickup process was smooth, the staff was super sweet, & the fun, retro-style decor added to the charm. We grabbed two cold drinks (a lemonade & a lemoncocco) & walked across the street to Parc Lafontaine to eat, chat, & people-watch in the sun.
Open 24/7, La Banquise is the kind of spot that works whether you're craving a midnight snack or planning a sunny park lunch. It's a Plateau institution for a reason.
Foxy Tip: Pick your poutine, grab a drink, & head to the park across the street. It's the perfect setup for an easy picnic date or chill afternoon with a friend.
Video coming soon. ✨ I spotlight my favorite local gems on TikTok @foxy.appetite & IG @foxyappetite - come hang out!
This meal was comped as part of a collaboration - sharing my honest thoughts above.
Second Review: 18 May, 2025. I ordered the Scooby Poutine. & it's a go out & try.
The Scooby poutine was really good. It was perfect & not that salty or greasy for my liking. I end up finishing the whole plate.
The service was okay & the ladies were really nice & kind. We had mix servers so be aware of who you are tipping. Also remember the Gov. takes a lot of tips through tax so please be aware.
Love this restaurant & even though there is a line to get in on busy days the wait is worth it.
God Bless the Owners & past & present employees of this restaurant. We will be coming back.
God Bless you & thank you.
Philippians 4:13
Original Review: Please don't send any negativity or hate towards the staff & anyone else involved. This review is my attempt to report on others & my opinion.
Here is my full opinion on La Banquise. We were 2 people dining. At around 1:00PM. On 08 Dec.
Pros:
A) The food is alright.
B) It has a nice atmosphere.
C) Prices are fairly reasonable.
D) Not a far walk from the Metro & they have some services you can use.
Cons:
A) Service was not the best as the waitress was like pass me your plates. You are suppose to pick them up yourself. Anais is who speaks three languages English French & Spanish was a little rude to us. We feel like she did not want to serve us nor help us after we were done eating.
B) The toilet was flushing by itself. Plumbing problems will be bad later on.
C) T-Rex poutine includes bacon but we did not find it on our plate.
D) The place is too small & if you are a person that needs extra space you will be crammed in there.
E) The employees should be more happy & persistent.
F) Parking may be a challenge to find.
Conclusion:
All in all. It's not my favourite place anymore.
I will only dine in if we have guests or visitors or a group but for me personally.
I will be avoiding this place for dine in & maybe just doing takeout if Alone.
The bacon poutine was amazing & so much food for the regular portion. I also tried the chicken club sandwich. Servers were friendly & service was great. Highly recommend.
Excellent poutine! They have a variety of toppings. I was expecting more fries than toppings, but it was the opposite! I had the pulled pork with bacon & apples. It was loaded with gravy & curds throughout the dish. Absolutely delicious!
Dec 18, 2024
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I like my poutine. Had to add extra bacon & mushrooms to make it what I wanted. They delivered for sure. Blonde beer is the closest one to lager they had. Good in house option. Salad was interesting. According to my companion it was unusual combination of sour vegetables & sweet apples. She didn't like it though ♂️ Edit: so, I talked to my companion & she pointed out a few flaws at this place. Firstly, it's packed right. Very little space to move around tables. Secondly, plates, menus, tables & tableware are super old, scratched beyond belief & overused. This place does not respect you like a client. Thirdly, serving size is huge & overflows. The food is literally falling off your plate. It's like they refuse to update their tapestry. Lastly, who the hell serves beer in a plastic cup? Bruh.
Étant de passage à Montréal, en vacances, il était obligé de goûter, la mythique poutine ! On nous a conseillé la Banquise. En arrivant, serveurs très souriants, agréables. Au niveau de la déco, très vintage, un peu décalé mais qui rend le lieu assez chaleureux. Au niveau de la cuisine, quantité très généreuse (nous avons pris une reguliere : une bacon pour mon copain & la Rachel pour moi). Je recommande ce petit restaurant !
So good! Must try while in Montreal if you like poutine. Lots of variety to pick from. This one had pogos, bacon, & onions on it. To die for. Portions are big as well. Update: get the scooby'! BEST THING IVE EVER HAD! 🤤
The large (grand) size was way too big. I got 3 meals out of it. However, a great place to get a high value for your money. Very friendly atmosphere. Photographed: The Elvis & Bacon Poutine
May 3, 2024
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Meilleure place à poutine à Montréal! Savoureux, bon service, ambiance agréable, terrasse l'été un peu serré tant elle est populaire. Possible de faire un trio burger poutine & boisson. La poutine Royale est excellente avec du porc effiloché, bacon & pommes. La poutine Savoyarde est tout aussi délicieuse. Le burger banquise est un classique assuré. Le burger Montréal a une très bonne viande fumée & cornichon. Vous ne pouvez pas être déçu! Mise à jour, j'ai constaté plus de possibilités pour les végans & sans lactose. Par contre, la propreté & surtout l'odeur des toilettes laissait à désirer....
Been there for lunch on a holiday & there is a long line for dine in. We took food to go, 3 different varieties of poutine with bacon, chicken & veggies. I was excited for the Poutine & the hype, but it was ok, didn't feel anything extraordinary. May be dine in might change my opinion.
Service excellent & chaleureux, poutines monstrueusement bonnes! Ici la cabane à sucre (bacon, jambon, sirop d'érable, fromage suisses + ingrédients classiques de la poutine) & la bacon (bacon + ingrédients classiques). Les deux sont grand format.
The best Poutine ever!!! There is no doubt that La Banquise provides the best Poutine I have had. Before I came to Canada, I haven't thought I would love wet French fries. To me, fries must be crispy or it will be a disaster. So it was a culture shock when I knew Canada has wet fries ,that is Poutine. Actually, it is French fries & cheese curds topping with brown gravy. It was not bad but I still prefer dry one. But I had different thought after trying the one from La Banquise. It was amazing. That day I ordered La Royale flavor(apple, bacon, & pulled pork). I had never thought poutines can be cooked like this. The pulled pork made the poutine not too boring-chewy, & it was delicious & without boar taint. Apple played a refreshing role. Really love this combination. Just a reminder for ordering: the serving is a lot. The photo is already Regular size! By the way, before having La Banquise's, Costco had the best poutine to me🤣
Jan 21, 2024
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You know what? It's good, it's really good. This is the number one place everybody keeps telling me to for pouting. "The number 1 poutine in Canada!" They said. I agree, you can't find this in Toronto. It just tastes different. The quality of the curds & the gravy is outstanding. It's a place open 24 hours a day & has a line 24 hours a day. We waited for quite a long while, I'm not too sure if the line was worth it though. I think it's definitely worth it if I were to get it to go or if the line was a bit shorter. But the outstanding poutine doesn't translate to the line for me. Don't get me wrong, I love poutine, but not this much. I definitely recommend here to all my friends to try out poutine in Quebec, but it's not so I'd wait in line for again. You get a really large menu, like you get a lot of things on your poutine. Mine personally came with bacon & mushrooms & sour cream & I think it's the best one to be honest. It was called La Panoramix. My friend said topping to fries proportion was off (too little fries) & I agree for hers. I think the only reason I'm giving it a four star is for personal note. It's too hyped up, even though everything is amazing. I'll definitely come here again, but for takeout or something. Thank you for having me! :)
At first I thought the portion looked really small. Not at all. I wasn't even able to finish the small plate. Actually it made me sick. I could not eat anything the day after I just felt like throwing up. The poutine was really good though but it didn't sit right in my stomach. I got the matti which has mushrooms, onion, bacon & peppers. I find it pretty expensive for the portion size. I think it's more one of those famous places you just have to go to once in your life.
I always love going to La Banquise for their huge choice of poutines, lunch, dinner or after a night out.... lol
I have tried the many of the different poutines & my favorite have to to be the Taquise, (guacamole, sour cream adn tomatoes) if I need some meat I get the L'Abrevoir (sliced pogos :)) or the Mart (Hot dogs, bacon & mushrrom)
Service is very good this being that it's a constant rush sometimes.
If you are going there between 3-4 am be ready to wait, it looks like the outside of a Club with a line up & bouncers.... You also see your regulars walk in :( .... just like some clubs LOL
