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.
At La Banquise, poutine lovers will find a legendary range of toppings, from classic to inventive, piled high on crispy fries with squeaky cheese curds and savory gravy. Generous portions and a lively, welcoming atmosphere make it a go to spot for sharing or a hearty solo bite, with options from traditional to bold specialty poutines and even late night hours. The line often moves quickly and the staff are friendly and efficient, keeping the energy high and the experience memorable in Montreal. A true Montreal staple, it delivers comforting, craveable food that hits the spot after a day of exploring.
Charming place & very busy! For how busy it was we were surprised by how quickly the food came from the kitchen. 100% a must visit place in Montreal. Greatly accommodating to gf & df diets
La Banquise absolutely lived up to the hype. It was recommended to us by multiple friends as the #1 place to get poutine in Montreal, & it certainly did not disappoint. We waited about 10 minutes for a seat, but it was obvious right away that this place is incredibly popular. There was a steady stream of people coming & going the entire time - long lines before we arrived & long lines after we left. You could really tell people come here for one thing: great poutine.
The food itself was delicious, the portions were huge, & the prices were very reasonable for what you get. The atmosphere was lively & fun, & despite how busy it was, the staff were very friendly & welcoming. The waitresses were especially kind to our little one, which we really appreciated. Since we are visiting Montreal, we have had a number of different'kids menu' meals & our little one never ate any of them
as well, as he ate that cheese toast from here.
Overall, it was a great experience with good food, great energy, & excellent value. Definitely worth checking out if you're in Montreal.
May 6, 2026
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Delicious food. Very busy popular spot, but the waiters ran it very well for its size. Great atmosphere, decent sized seating but takeout option cuts down on wait times well. Very busy, wait times were a little too long but food was incredible. Best poutine I've had in Montreal!
La Banquise is a must-visit spot if you're in Montreal & want to try authentic & delicious poutine. The variety on the menu is impressive, with so many creative toppings & combinations that there's something for everyone.
The food is rich, flavorful, & very satisfying-perfect comfort food, especially after exploring the city. The portions are generous, & the experience feels very classic Montreal.
The food is affordable & definitely worth the price. It's not expensive at all considering the portion sizes & quality you get. You really feel like you're getting good value for your money.
What really stood out was the staff & overall vibe-everyone was friendly, energetic, & clearly enjoying the atmosphere. Even though the place is often busy, the staff keep things moving smoothly & still manage to stay welcoming & upbeat, which adds a lot to the experience.
Overall, La Banquise is a fun, iconic, & delicious stop in Montreal with great food & an amazing vibe. Definitely worth visiting at least once when you're in the city.
Visited Mar 6'26 after our lunch at Schwartz's deli!!! Ordered La T-Rex. Although ordered the regular portion ordered, it was massive & loaded with meat when it came. Ordered the onion ring (rondelles) as well. It was so so.
Place was quite busy as it was lunch hour. Service was quick. Not suitable for long chit chat though.
Seating was tight, very near to other customers, perhaps due to small area of the restaurant.
While La Banquise is a Montreal'classic', I don't think it's the best poutine in the city or anything. It's worth it if you want to eat an outrageous poutine with pretty amazing meat combinations but the fries & gravy themselves are pretty average.
Basically, I would recommend going there for the novelty but if you are just looking for good poutine, it's widely available across the city. Plus, the place tends to be very busy & is cramped so it's hard to sit down & just enjoy yourself.
I ordered the same meal at both locations. The primary one on Rachel & the ghost kitchen one on Saint-Denis & the difference is that if you go & order in person at the location on Rachel (the famous one) it's less expensive but you get less, if you order via app for take-out it's more expensive but you get slightly more, the differences are in the photo. I ordered the Fred Caillou & came to $21 at restaurant tax-incl & around $25 at ghost kitchen (only pickup). The ghost kitchen is almost invisible if you're driving but it's a small entryway that snakes down into a kitchen but it's there. When I went I thought it was a mistake & another drive also thought same so we both drove to Rachel & told the guy but turns out it's there just very hard to find since signs are barely visible if you're driving. Both taste the same, but guess they don't want too many people waiting around so they setup a ghost kitchen to deter people from going to Rachel. Too busy is a good problem! Great food the quality of the meat, cheese & sauce is great much better than average even at late night which is rare. Bon appetite! (ps the staff working the graveyard shift was very cool, perfectly bilingual & patiently heard our issue with ghost kitchen. all good).
Mar 26, 2026
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Highly recommend the Elvis which comes with a generous portion of meat.
On a slightly negative note, my girlfriend got the classic poutine which was mostly just fries. For some reason there was only a small amount of gravy & cheese curds in the very middle.
Place was very busy so I'm going to assume this was simply a rare mistake.
Still enjoyed the food, it's a classic poutine spot, but it's by no means the best you can find.
One of the best, best, best poutines I've ever had! We ordered the Hot Dog & Chicken poutines. Both were amazing & incredibly delicious. The chicken poutine had a unique & special flavor that really stood out. The staff were very polite when they noticed we weren't satisfied with where we were sitting, they immediately offered us the first available table. Even with the crowd & the busy atmosphere, this attention to customers is truly impressive. Service was fast & efficient despite how busy they were.
It's a staple for a reason… highly recommend the Montreal smoked meat with mushrooms & sour cream poutine!! Fries were a bit cold at my last visit which was a bit disappointing given it wasn't very busy on a winter evening
Feb 8, 2026
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I don't know why this place is so good, but it is! We decided to go on a whim, & ended up waiting outside in -12 degrees for an hour & I don't regret a minute.
I generally don't enjoy poutine. I don't hate it, but it can be a bit soggy & gross. Their poutine made me a believer! The staff was friendly (& it was busy) & the food was just simply delicious.
For the record, they are taking credit card - so we didn't have to pay with debit or get cash out of an ATM. Although we were prepared to pay with debit.
Must go place. Amazing service..lovely vibe.. delicious food.
We ordered a meat poutine. It was next level yum... We could barely find the fries. Full-on meat. (5/5)
Maple cake (4/5) must try.
They are so kind. I overheard them guiding a guest how to use the parking metre in the street even in that busy time.
Good food but it is very busy & very cramped. You will have to squeeze between tables to get through & unfortunately some people don't care to realize that it's not that hard to move your chair a bit so others can get by. The washrooms are a disgusting mess & should be cleaned more often, you will lose your appetite if you go in one of them. Other than that, the place is ok for a quick, tasty poutine.
Dec 24, 2025
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Poutine. You either love it or you don't .
Regardless, you should have one at La Banquise. The best poutine I ate in Montreal. There are about 30 different combinations. Each has thoughtfully selected ingredients that blend in a gourmand way. The French fries are delicious, good size & well prepared. Extra ingredients & different sauces allow you to personalize the chosen poutine to your full satisfaction. Feel free to take inspiration from the main menu. The sizes, small & large, are very generous. Large poutine might be a challenge to finish. So if you are not sure take two small instead. You will enjoy it even more. The place is not too big but warm & cozy. Uniquely decorated, it gives you an impression of being outside in a nice sunny backyard under a tree around a beautiful table. It can get pretty busy in there but it's definitely worth the wait.
I have been here many times. This time I felt indiffrent. The T-Rex poutine was not my thing. It was salty for me. I also did not like sitting outside in the patio. Other than that I love coming here & hopefully I will try a poutine that I like. This time service was not that good it was alright because it was busy especially during the busy lunch & dinner.
Still I like Banquise & I hope they improve & fix what needs to be done.
God bless La Banquise & the employees & local customers.
Tried La Banquise last night & it definitely lived up to the hype! The poutine was unlike any we've had before-rich, flavorful, & absolutely delicious. It's a busy spot with a lineup, but the staff are super friendly & efficient. A must-visit for poutine lovers in Montreal!
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.
Very very busy place. Went there around 2:30 pm. Have to wait at least 30 minutes to be seated, but it was ok. Food was good but difficult to go in between your table due to not enough space.
