Urban Crave

Matt

5.0

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!

Adriano

1.0

TERRIBLE food & service. French fries seemed old & were extremely greasy. The waitress was rude all along the way & basically forced us to pay extra tips (18%). As a newcomer in Canada, at the time I didn't know they were not mandatory. Even though I tried to refuse to pay the tip, she kept saying that I had to. Also, soft drinks prices are not included in the menu. DON'T GO THERE!

Hui

1.0

Wow food was really slow & really bad. Burger was dry, fries were bland, & beer was bad too cuz they were out of Budweiser. I was asked to pick a seat & I had to remind the waitress to bring me the beer after waiting for a long time. So everything bad. Worst airport food & dining experience. Also super expensive! This restaurant serves food worse than McDonald's at high end restaurant prices. I usually don't give bad reviews but the rushed & slightly rude attitude of the waitress in addition just made me want to give one star.

Jam

4.0

My little boy was craving for chicken nuggets & fries
We stopped & asked a nice lady we ended ordering chicken strips fries apple fries & a drink
With an 18% tip the bill was around 38 or so food is great
The only reason I am writing this review is that I am hoping for a manager or an owner to contact me so I can try to fix some service & manners issues in this place.

Adam

5.0

Great spot for a quick bite! The food was really good & quickly served. The staff super friendly & hospitable. The drink that was recommended was amazing! Don't hesitate to stop in when traveling.

Lynda

4.0

My daughter & I stopped by here for lunch before our flight. Seating was fast. The waitress was very friendly & professional. Was happy to bring me hot water so I was able to make my own herbal tea. I had the REINA WRAP which was very good actually, although I wish I had remembered to ask them to hold the jalapeno, but that was on me. My daughter had the HOT OFF THE PRESS PANINI with a side of onion rings. She said it was also very good. It was very busy & the waitress was run off her feet, but continued to smile!

Joanna

5.0

Very kind & friendly service! The lady & gentleman working were both awesome.

Minji

5.0

Ate poutine here on a layover. Our server was delightful & so easygoing. She was prompt in serving water, taking our order & bringing the food out.

The fries looks hand cut & not the frozen kind. Gravy was tasty & the cheese was generous.

Highly recommend for your next poutine fix!

Artyom

1.0

If you want to eat very expensive, absolutely disgraceful food, even by airport standards, this is the place to go. It is so bad I cannot even describe it.

How can you completely overcook the patty in the burger & at the same time serve undercooked fries? Whatever they have as chicken wings on the menu are actually chicken nuggets, & the cost of everything is so prohibitive. 8 super-small, half-inch chicken nuggets are somehow $26.

Again, even by airport standards, it's bad. You're better off with Haribo gummies from the kiosk instead of this food.

Sofia

5.0

I had a great experience, but you know… it's an airport, you take your chances. Staff is very friendly.