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.
Les poutines étaient délicieuses, mais je n'ai pas apprécié le comportement de la serveuse, une femme un peu âgée avec une frange, qui a été passive-agressive avec mon amie parce qu'elle ne savait pas qu'il fallait laisser un pourboire (elle vient de Belgique). Je pense qu'elle ne se serait pas permis de s'adresser de cette façon à une cliente plus âgée ou à une cliente blanche. L'interaction était longue, nous étions abasourdies & selon la serveuse, notre comportement était "nul"
Nov 19, 2024
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Omg, this is truely a GEM in Montreal, we were so glad we went here for the poutine- La Reggie Veggie 🥗 🍟 & our experience - UNFORGETTABLE & FINGERLICIOUS ♥️ Its a must whenever you are in Montreal!!!!!
You know that a place is great if tourists & local make line to get in , it was the best poutine that I ever had , please give yourself a favor & eat at this place.
Some of the best poutine in Montreal. Plates are heavy & the toppings are PILED on! We tried to wait in line on a Friday night but it was too long so we came again on Sunday around 9:30pm & there was no line thankfully. Between 9pm-6am you do have to pre pay. Our server was also very friendly & very patient as we could not choose which one to get! Soo many options! Our second time here, first time dining in & we cannot wait to come back!
La Banquise c'est toujours excellent à chaque fois, une bonne ambiance, des plats copieux, de bonnes bières, si vous ne connaissez pas & que vous venez à Montréal, c'est LA BASE !!!! La poutine Sud Ouest est malade !!!!! Comme tout resto à succès & malgré qu'il soit ouvert 24/7 , vous pouvez avoir de l'attente à l'arrivée mais elle vaut le coup !!
Invitée par ma fille à découvrir une bonne poutine, je fus vraiment déçue par la serveuse (la plus petite des services) désagréable envers plusieurs clients, cumulant les erreurs de commandes, débarrassant les tables & apportant les additions avec irrespect, & aussi pour avoir attendu 3/4h nos plats arrivés froids !!! Mauvaise expérience !!!
I have visited multiple times La Banquise, always a great place to eat the traditional Poutine, I recommend Shoot-Out, amazing taste, highly recommended
La meilleure poutine de Montréal !! Vraiment c'est excellent, les frites sont faites maison, la sauce n'est pas écoeurante & le fromage est parfaitement fondu. Le restaurant est victime de son succès & il y a toujours sun peu d'attente, mais cela en vaut vriament la peine ! Les serveurs sont super sympa, l'acceuil est chaleureux
Great atmosphere for authentic montreal poutine. This place is famous. Be prepared to wait for 30min-50min if its busy. It gets really crowded. Food is bit salty but enjoyed & a lot of menu options there for poutine. Service is not the best you can sympathize how busy this place gets.
Meilleure poutine on s'est régalé EXCELLENTE !! Par contre après ça on mange pas pendant plusieurs jours après 😂 !! Une petite c'est LARGEMENT suffisant !!
Woh woh woh, this is a great place. I live in Toronto & I visited Montreal for a couple of days & one of my friends suggested me to eat here & wow that place was so good I couldn't get it out of my head the taste the atmosphere. I started checking poutine places in Toronto, but I couldn't find any. It's really something else, A must visit if you are a fooddie of any kind in Montréal visit. Thank you for hosting us.......
The very best place to try the local poutine! You know the place is good when the place is crowded, the atmosphere was welcoming. The menu is big & vegan friendly. The poutine was delicious.
Very pleasant place to eat a great poutine my boyfriend ordered a t-rex poutine & i ordered the scooby poutine best poutine ive ever had if you like deep fried pickles i highly recommend will be coming back. Very friendly staff & very clean environment. We drove from Gatineau to try it
