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.
The line you see outside this place is for dine-in. Order takeout for a shorter wait. There are nearby picnic tables outside, or you can eat in the park. Dozens of poutine options. We ordered the one with mac & cheese bites on top.
Es macht Sinn sich vorher die Stoßzeiten anzuschauen, das haben wir nicht gemacht und es war so voll! Wir haben uns deshalb für Take away entschieden. Service war super! Und die veggie und veganen Poutine waren richtig lecker! Klare Empfehlung
Aug 20, 2024
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This was the second time we were here. The customer service was bad this time, we tried to customize the poutines. However, the lady who took our order seems very annoyed & rude. Poutines are 5/5 but service is 1/5 this time.
La poutine est bonne apart les frites qui sonts bourré d'huile, belle ambiance mais l'espace est trop serré les tables sonts trop proche l'une de l'autre y a même les serveurs qui te frotte le bras à chaque aller-retour à cause du manque d'espace !
Aug 11, 2024
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35 sortes de poutines & en plus même la plus classique est délicieuse. Quantité xxl alors commencez par une regular & si vous êtes avec des enfants une pour deux c'est bien ,sinon possibilité de boîte pour la rapporter a la maison ! Expérience à faire pour la poutine & l'ambiance de ce resto🤘😎🇨🇦
I heard this place has a reputation for poutines & people all over come for their food. For once, I decided to come. Meh ! That's it... It's , ok -ish... The potatoes were not good, the toppings where (cheese & gravy was excellent) but most of the food is the potatoes. It tastes like burned oil. I personally wasn't impressed but if you have NOTHING else to eat & you are in the area, why not. The waitresses were the nicest part, they were very sweet, but they came twice, once for the food & the other to collect. So not a huge fuss there either. Maybe it was a one off, MAYBE? But I wouldn't go back to try & find parking in that mess of an area (with all the closed streets & construction) & pay 3 times the price of a poutine just to "TRY".
2024: same comment really. Recommend the Caillou 2018: Great selection, but there are tons of other places with shorter lineups you can grab an elaborate poutine at.
Une première poutine à Montréal Arrivé avant l'heure de point, accueilli avec le sourire & gentillesse On a été servi par Alex qui nous a super conseillé sur les poutines à découvrir & sur les bières! Merci à lui ! Excellent !
Very good poutine! I recommend going there after a night out drinking as long as you have Super-Mario's power legs so to jump over the puke puddles around the area
Jul 28, 2024
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La Banquise has the most delicious poutine we've ever tried! It's great that the place is open 24 hours, but it's almost always busy, so we arrived early in the morning for breakfast. The environment was nicely decorated, with a huge window for natural sunlight. The portions were so big we couldn't believe our eyes. The servers were really friendly & welcoming. It gets a bit noisy as more guests start to come in, which was expected. We'll definitely be back if we have a chance to visit Montreal again :)
Première dégustation de Poutine au Canada pour notre part, pas déçu en venant à ce lieu. Portions extrêmement généreuses & divers choix variés pour combler tous les goûts ! Bon rapport qualité/prix !
