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!

Michael

1.0

I had the poke bowl. I wish I didn't. The rice wasn't cooked through fully so I almost broke a tooth on the first bite. Sent it back & got a chicken sandwich instead. Sandwich was alright. They gave me a $3 discount for my trouble, but I don't think that will cover the dentist. Would not recommend

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.

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!

Simon

1.0

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.

Sarah

5.0

Was travelling home by myself without my fiancée, while very early in my pregnancy. Decided to get something to eat while I waited for my flight. Patricia came over & I told her what I'd like to order & she recommended something similar but a better deal. Was feeling very lonely, exhausted from my travels & she picked up on that very quickly. She came over a number of times to check on me & ensure I was okay & that I was enjoying my meal. As well as to ask if I needed anything. Her kindness & compassion made me feel so much better. & I was so grateful to see a friendly face. I've tried to call the restaurant a number of times to speak to a manager to express how wonderful she truly was. & how grateful I was to have had her as my server. I hope this message finds her. Thank you again from the bottom of my heart.

James

4.0

I ordered a simple bacon cheese burger & it did not disappoint. The meal was great. I was waiting for a flight & wanted a burger. It was cooked quickly & was very tasty. The servers had their hand full so it made the service a little slow but when waiting for flights it wasn't too bad. I definitely recommend this place if you were in the area & are looking for a bite to eat.