Urban Crave delivers a bold approach to international comfort food by prioritizing high-quality ingredients and inventive flavor combinations. The menu centers on artisanal burgers featuring premium meat patties, toasted brioche buns, and house-made toppings that challenge standard culinary conventions. Beyond traditional grilling, the kitchen explores diverse global influences through a rotating selection of creative plates and globally inspired side dishes. The physical environment emphasizes a modern industrial aesthetic with clean lines and functional seating arrangements designed for efficient service. Every dish reflects a dedication to precision and culinary craftsmanship that elevates familiar favorites into more complex expressions of taste. This establishment operates with a singular focus on consistent execution and the continuous development of flavor-forward recipes for discerning patrons seeking a contemporary and reliable culinary destination.
Urban Crave offers a welcoming atmosphere for travelers, consistently serving a variety of delicious menu items such as poutine, poke bowls, and breakfast plates. Many guests appreciate the quick and efficient service that fits well within tight airport schedules, noting that the staff is often friendly, professional, and genuinely compassionate toward those in need of comfort during their journey. While pricing reflects standard airport expectations, the quality of the food and the hospitality provided create a positive experience for many visitors who frequently return to enjoy a satisfying meal before their flights.
Well, it's been 20 years since I've been in the Montreal airport with time to eat, & this time I landed with a plan to get some proper Montreal food….
I just happened to walk past Urban Crave - & the signs brought me in (instead of having me leave the airport)
PROPER poutine, PROPER Montreal smoked meat - how could I go wrong?
(Spoiler alert - everything was AMAZING - so - skip this review & go there if you are in YUL & just want INCREDIBLE, authentic Montreal poutine & Montreal smoked meat!!)
Having grown up an hour away from Montreal, some of my best childhood memories are eating some of my favourite foods that would be considered Montreal specialties, & having been far away so long - it was SO GOOD to have my one shot at a proper feed be so spot on.
So - the smoked meat sandwich…..
I have to say, when it arrived, I was a little skeptical - it wasn't the ridiculous piled to the sky smoked meat I was expecting….. & lightly toasted rye bread? Come on right?
Well, first off - they absolutely NAILED IT. I definitely underestimated the amount of flavour that would be packed in this sandwich.
Just the right balance of bread & meat, & bits of the smoked meat were slapped on the grill, the edges were just crispy, really bringing out the flavour & the lightly toasted rye bread absolutely elevated the whole thing.
Really did not expect this to be as good as it was when it landed in front of me…..
The poutine - sultry, glossy gravy drizzled over pillowy local cheese curds that are nestled in with crispy artisanal fries - oh man.
With three main ingredients, it's the subtle things that make a poutine great!
The curds & fries were the perfect texture, with the right elements coming through (a little flavour from the crispy ends of the fries, a little hint of black pepper, the smoothness of the flavour of the curds offsetting the saltiness & richness of the gravy….)
It was so good, I ordered a second one (seriously!)
Everything was just the right temperature too - the poutine was piping hot - but not too hot that I couldn't dig into it right away or the curds got all soggy right away, perfect temp! & the sandwich was hot inside, but retained the crispness & chewiness in the rye - again, perfect.
& the service! The service was simply fantastic!
Chantal was a machine - despite being busy that day, she took such good care of me - making sure I got my food right away, making recommendations when I asked - & even chatting with me a little bit in between - it was absolutely awesome service (thanks Chantal!!)
All in all, a truly great experience here at Urban Crave, & I strongly recommend it (I'm sure the rest of the menu is good too…..I'll just never know, because if I find my way back here, it will be just poutines & smoked meat for me!
Poutine was delicious. Great portion size. The server took a little long to get to our table but we got our food fast. If you have 45 minutes to an hour, you can definitely done here with time to spare.
I ordered a smoked meat sandwich to go. The waitress asked if I wanted to switch my side from chips to something else, so I upgraded to poutine. The sandwich itself was about $24.
When my order came out, it was served as dine-in instead of takeout, so they had to redo it. The final bill ended up being close to $40.
Unfortunately, the sandwich was very small & the portion size overall was disappointing for the price. The smoked meat also tasted like the kind of pre-packaged product you'd get frozen from a place like Costco rather than freshly prepared deli meat.
Overall, it felt extremely overpriced for what you get, with small portions & low food quality. I do not recommend this restaurant. Unfortunately, most likely if you're reading my review, you already went through security. They over charge because they know your options are very limited. If you can wait to get on your flight, the food on Air Canada flights is better & cheaper than here.
Nous y avons été avec mon conjoint ce 28 Juillet en aprés midi. La poutine que j'avais prise était excellente, le plat de mon conjoint, quoi que la portion était petite, c'était quand même bon. La seule note négative que j'ajouterai concerne le service. Au moment de payer, en ajoutant le pourboire à la machine, la serveuse mentionne (avec un ton plaintif & dur) que'le service n'est pas inclus dans la facture, ce n'est pas comme aux Etats-Unis'. Oui Mme j'en suis consciente, c'est pour celà que je rajoute un 5$ de plus à la facture de 50 que je trouve par ailleurs chère. Qu'est ce qui vous dit que j'ai + que ça dans mon compte? Est-ce mentionné quelque part que le pourboire était OBLIGATOIRE ? Oui je comprends parfaitement ce n'est pas évident, ils le méritent amplement ces montants, mais il ya la manière.. ça devient pitoyable & agaçant comment vous'exigez' indirectement ces tips. & pour couronner le tout, pas de merci ni de bonne journée puisque Mme semblait fâchée. Très dommage.
Being in Montreal it's just right to find a restaurant that sells Montreal Smoked Sandwiches. We order one along with poutine. Food was out fast & the Montreal Smoked Meat was tasty. Little tough. Expensive for what u get. Not very thick. $25:00 for the sandwich. Extra for poutine. Next time hopefully we can stop into a real Montreal Smoked beef sandwich restaurant.I know they are thicker with meat.
Not sure why so many low reviews. I stopped here while waiting for my flight near gate 6 domestic & sat at the bar. The waitress was very friendly, I never felt rushed & she topped off my water very promptly. After taking my order we were both surprised at how fast the poutine was ready. We both audibly wow'd haha. Probably like 3 minutes & I was eating. It wasn't cold & tasted fine. I mean sure, the portion was fairly small, expensive & the quality was just okay. But for an airport poutine it was pretty decent! $15 for a Stella Artois & $12 for a labatte bleue is robbery though, & the wooden chairs are not very comfortable. Hence the 4 star. Service was excellent though, thank you Chantal.
