La Banquise, a small dairy bar in its early days, came to life in May 1968. Its founder, Pierre Barsalou, a neighborhood firefighter, transformed it into a 24-hour snack bar in the fall of 1968. One could then enjoy excellent hot dogs and delicious fries.
Poutine made its appearance in the early 80s, with the classic and Italian poutines. Faced with popular success and repeated requests from many customers, the choices of poutines multiplied. There are now no less than 35 different poutines.
M. Barsalou's youngest daughter, Annie, took over in the 90s, along with her partner Marc Latendresse. Together, they continued to perpetuate the tradition of quality and the reputation of Restaurant La Banquise.
In the summer of 2006, La Banquise underwent significant renovations, considerably expanding its kitchen and dining room. A few years later, it completely redesigned its graphic identity and image to better reflect its culture and unique status in Montreal.
50 years later, La Banquise has become an institution, a flagship of Montreal recognized worldwide. It is a must-stop for tourists visiting Montreal, an integral part of the Montreal and Quebec experience.
On November 14, 2023, a major headline hit popular publications: La Banquise passes the torch to young entrepreneurs, Émily Adam and Jean-Christophe Lirette, who are also poutine enthusiasts. They acquired the famous Ashton poutine restaurants in 2022.
Despite this new energy, La Banquise will continue to be operated independently by the current management team, which remains in place. The restaurant will continue to be a true poutine laboratory and constantly develop new original dishes.
On behalf of Annie and Marc, as well as Émily and Jean-Christophe, thank you very much to our loyal clientele, night owls, groups of friends, workers, students, small families, etc., for shaping the history of La Banquise in your image and making it the current success.
Émily, Jean-Christophe, Annie & Marc, magicians of poutine!
At La Banquise, we also have microbrewery beers, a beautiful terrace, and tasty breakfasts. Come taste the difference day or night, we are open 24/7 !
FAQs
Another hotspot authentic to Montreal is La Banquise (994 Rachel Est). Open 24 hours, this restaurant has won awards for having the best poutine in Montreal and carries 28 varieties. It's a great place to get late-night grub. Unfortunately, a small poutine has over 700 calories and is nearly 50 per cent fat.
What is La Banquise known for? ›
Its founder, Pierre Barsalou, a neighborhood firefighter, transformed it into a 24-hour snack bar in the fall of 1968. One could then enjoy excellent hot dogs and delicious fries. Poutine made its appearance in the early 80s, with the classic and Italian poutines.
What is poutine called in America? ›
History of Poutine
The dish started becoming popular in the U.S. during the late 1970s, although it was called "disco fries" in America. The dish was popular in New Jersey and New York, and it was usually consumed after a long night of partying and dancing, hence the "disco" in the name.
Can you get poutine in America? ›
Poutine is found in the northern border regions of the United States, including New England and the larger Northeast, the Pacific Northwest, and the Upper Midwest. These regions offer further variations of the basic dish, usually by utilizing cheeses other than fresh curds, which are not widely available in the US.
How unhealthy is a poutine? ›
A large poutine, incredibly high in total fat, saturated fat, cholesterol, and refined carbs, can raise the triglyceride levels in your blood for 6-12 hours after consumption. Triglyceride levels will rise even higher if you have alcohol in your system, which most people eating a late-night poutine probably do.
What is La poutine made of? ›
Poutine is a Québécois dish made of fresh-cut french fries topped with cheese curds and gravy. It first appeared in 1950s rural Quebec snack bars. It was widely popularized across Canada and beyond in the 1990s.
Is poutine just a Canadian thing? ›
Poutine is a Canadian dish that originated in the province of Québec. It is made using French fries, cheese curds, and brown gravy. Some consider poutine Canada's national dish. Even McDonald's and Burger King sell it in parts of Canada as a side dish.
Does la banquise serve alcohol? ›
Enjoy a wide selection of comfort food including burgers, poutine and breakfast plus a selection of locally brewed beer.
Who is the owner of La Banquise? ›
From 1994 to 2023 the restaurant was owned by Barsalou's daughter Annie and her husband Marc Latendresse. As of November, 2023 the current owners of the restaurant are Jean-Christophe Lirette and Émily Adam of the Restaurant Chain Ashton.
Why do Canadians eat poutine? ›
Some Canadians express ambivalence toward the dish and its connotations. It has been suggested that poutine's humble beginnings in rural snack bars, truck stops, and food trucks, and its use of cheese curds—which are often considered a typically small-town indulgence—make it indicative of working-class culture.
Though not technically Canada's official food, poutine—which consists of french fries topped with cheese curds and gravy—is arguably one of the Great White North's most distinctive contrivances. There's even a holiday for it: International Poutine Day is celebrated on April 11th each year.
What do you eat poutine with? ›
Poutine is usually enjoyed as a main or as a side dish. Eat it with some roasted veggies, a side salad, or some freshly baked dinner rolls.
Does US Costco sell poutine? ›
The Canadian Costco food court also apparently offers poutine, the popular Quebec entree of french fries covered in cheese curds and gravy. The American Costco food court doesn't offer fries at all, which came as a surprise to several Canadian Redditors.
Are cheese curds legal in the US? ›
At this point, the milk is legally pasteurized. (Raw or unpasteurized milk is banned in the United States, but luckily, cheese curds are 100 percent legal!)
What does poutine mean in French? ›
“Poutine” is not a metropolitan French word . In Quebec, “poutine” is a dish made of French fries and grated cheese. The word comes from the English “pudding” or “ put in” according to different sources. As a proper noun , it's the French spelling of the English written form of “Putin”, the Russian president.
