The Best Casse-Croûtes in Québec: Our Favourites
For Québec’s Fête nationale, we put together a list with the flavours of home: the best casse-croûtes in the province. The festivities around June 24 celebrate the depth of Québec history and culture — and no honest definition of the national table would be complete without the words poutine, smoked meat, and steamed hot dogs.
Foodie or not, everyone loves a good Québec casse-croûte (the roadside snack bar) every now and then. Eaten in the dining room or on the side of the highway, these simple — but seriously good — meals are shorthand for summer holidays, family time, comfort, and plain gourmand pleasure. You’ll find addresses here for any poutine or hot dog craving, whether you’re after a spot close to home or a stop on your next road trip. From Pont-Rouge to Gatineau, and from Trois-Pistoles to Gaspé, these casse-croûtes are spread right across the province — a good excuse to explore its corners, and its best cheese curds.
This list is in no way exhaustive — there are far too many great casse-croûtes in Québec to name them all — so don’t hesitate to send us your own favourites. Happy Saint-Jean-Baptiste, and happy hunting.
Notre liste des meilleurs casse-croûtes du Québec
Outaouais
Pataterie Hulloise — Hull — A genuine potato shack and one of the busiest canteens in Hull. In a lively, colourful room, it has made its name on generous, well-made poutines, whether classic or loaded with the toppings of your choice.
Abitibi-Témiscamingue
Chez Morasse — Rouyn-Noranda — Open since 1969, Chez Morasse claims to serve the best poutine in the world. You’ll find several riffs on the house specialty, including one with pogos (corn dogs) and one topped with pâté chinois (Québec shepherd’s pie). It’s also a late-night lifesaver, open until 3 a.m.
Lanaudière
Casseau du Quai — St-Sulpice — With a wide-open view over the St. Lawrence, Casseau du Quai turns out one of the best poutines in the area. Owners Annie and Mike always keep the welcome warm.
Montréal
Chez Tousignant — Petite Italie — Quickly established as a Montréal casse-croûte landmark, Chez Tousignant serves one of the best burgers in town alongside a run of reworked snack-bar classics. It’s one of our favourite addresses in the city.
Paulo et Suzanne — Cartierville — Open for more than 30 years, Paulo et Suzanne is a good Québec canteen of the kind we love: as warm as they come, with some of the best fries and burgers in town.
Paul Patates — Pointe-Saint-Charles — Open since 1958, Paul Patates is an institution in Pointe-Saint-Charles. Freshness and quality are the watchwords here, and among all its solid snack-bar plates, you come mainly for the steamés (steamed hot dogs), the fries, and the poutine.
Patati Patata — Plateau — Patati Patata is a charming self-styled “Friterie de Luxe” that has been going since 1996. Don’t let the tiny room fool you — this legendary address serves one of the best poutines in the city.
Gibeau Orange Julep — NDG — Open since 1930, the Orange Julep is a Montréal landmark. Stop in for its famous orange drink, a Michigan hot dog, a burger, a poutine, or a breakfast plate.
Montréal Pool Room — Quartier des spectacles — A legendary spot that feels like it has always been here (since 1912). A casse-croûte frozen in time, exactly as we like them. You don’t come for the decor but for a moutarde-choux (a mustard-and-cabbage steamie) and a poutine, devoured standing at the counter — ideally as the bars empty out in the small hours, since it’s open until 4 a.m.
Greenspot — Saint-Henri — A classic among classics and a Saint-Henri institution. Often imitated but never matched (remember the Green Stop that once set up shop right across the street?), it remains one of our favourite places in Montréal for a good hot dog, a smoked meat, or a hearty breakfast plate.
Chez Ma Tante — Montréal-Nord — Chez Ma Tante is a historic Montréal monument, and the legacy it began in 1929 lives on. “Ma Tante” — Auntie — is real: her name is Marguerite, and she’s your Auntie too. Order a hot dog and it arrives just the way Marguerite served it: steamed, and with a warm smile.
Montérégie
Restaurant Grégoire — Ville Mercier — Open since 1945, Restaurant Grégoire et fils is a landmark in Mercier. People come for an excellent poutine (their specialty) and a first-rate smoked meat.
Cantine La Fringale — McMasterville — Every summer, Cantine La Fringale draws its share of well-known Québec faces. Its reputation is long since made, and the burger is the reason.
Chez Dave et Dan — Saint-Liboire — A seasonal canteen the people of Saint-Liboire flock to. Everything here is generous and gleefully over-the-top — a well-known address worth the detour for the classics of the Québec table.
Patate Mallette — Beauharnois — This quintessentially Québécois casse-croûte has been at it for more than 66 years, and the hamburgers are very good.
Cantine Hurteau — Sorel-Tracy — Cantine Hurteau is a local fixture in Sorel-Tracy. This small spot puts out well-executed snack-bar classics, and like so many addresses on this list, the poutine is what its regulars love.
La Frite à Brigitte — Vaudreuil-Dorion — This place radiates authenticity and a real love of the fry. Behind it is Brigitte Leblanc, who brings more than 40 years in the business.
Restaurant Votre Maison — Longueuil — Votre Maison leans on homemade casse-croûte classics, but also on Greek dishes like spit-roasted gyros. It has built a solid reputation on the South Shore, carried by a generous poutine with plenty of sauce and cheese, just the way we like it.
Estrie
La Cantine — Ascot Corner — The menu is vast and genuinely impressive — you’ll have a hard time choosing. On the board: several signature poutines, mac and cheese, pizzas, hamburgers, fried pickles, and plenty more.
Chez Ben on s’bourre la bédaine — Granby — It all started in 1950, when Bernard “Ben” Dubé was cooking canteen fare out of his own trailer. Chez Ben caught on fast and became a Granby icon. Come for fresh, tasty snack-bar plates and a good soft-serve ice cream.
Chez Louis — Sherbrooke — It began with a mobile canteen in the 1940s, then a first restaurant at the foot of the Aylmer bridge in 1949, since demolished. Louis Luncheonette now has three addresses: on King Ouest, downtown, and on King Est. Le Gros Louis is a house classic, as is the poutine — and the greasy-spoon breakfasts are well worth it too.
La Friterie — Sherbrooke — A gloriously retro room, an excellent poutine, and great milkshakes: it’s hard not to fall for La Friterie, on rue Bourque in Deauville for more than 40 years. A mandatory stop if you roll into Sherbrooke on Autoroute 10. (To find it on Google Maps, search “Friterie 1995.”)
Centre-du-Québec
Le Roy Jucep — Drummondville — Open since 1964, Le Roy Jucep bills itself as “the inventor of poutine.” A true Drummondville institution, you come for the retro atmosphere and to taste that famous homegrown specialty.
Fromagerie Lemaire — Saint-Cyrille-de-Wendover et Saint-Germain-de-Grantham — What could be better than eating one of Québec’s best poutines while the staff make the cheese curds right in front of you? That’s exactly the experience at Fromagerie Lemaire’s two locations, whose dining rooms have big windows looking onto the cheese-making floor. Naturally, you leave with a fat bag of curds for the road.
Chaudières-Appalaches
Cantine Bolduc — Sainte-Marie — Open only in summer, Cantine Bolduc is a rolling canteen serving up succulent Québec classics. It’s known above all for its excellent fries and its good steamed hot dogs.
Québec
Casse-Croûte Chez Gaston — Saint-Roch — A few steps from L’ANTI Bar & Spectacles and open into the small hours on weekends, this is the spot you make for after a boozy night, to soak it up with the poutine Gaston (ground beef, bacon, and fried onions) or the “Incroyable” hot dog (bacon, yellow cheese, ketchup, and mayo).
Diner Saint-Sauveur — Saint-Sauveur — An excellent vintage-look diner with a deluxe snack-bar menu. You’ll want to try everything, starting with the Diner Burger (fried onions and bacon) and the decadent mac ‘n’ cheese with fried Brussels sprouts, torch-flambéed at the table. Two blocks over, the Supérette du Diner stocks local beers, ciders, and wines.
La Baraque À Frites — Saint-Sauveur — Originally set up in the window of Les Salles Gosses in Saint-Roch, La Baraque à Frites now stands on its own in a former Saint-Sauveur canteen. The fried chicken is the obvious draw, but the poutines and burgers are worth the trip too.
Restaurant Hector — Québec — Since 1952, “Gros Hector” has prided itself on fast food made with quality ingredients. The house specialty is the pain à la viande, a hot dog topped with seasoned ground meat from a recipe jealously guarded from one generation to the next.
Ashton — L’Ancienne-Lorette — You can’t talk about the best casse-croûtes in Québec without a nod to the famous Ashton. This one — already part of history — is the very first restaurant in the chain, opened in 1976 by Ashton Leblond, right across from the potato trailer that first made his name.
Chez Mag, La Fine Cantine — Île d’Orléans — The reputation of Chez Mag’s lobster roll (guédille au homard) reaches well beyond the region. Or maybe you’ll give in to the equally decadent lobster poutine, or a gourmet burger? Either way, you won’t leave disappointed.
Resto du Sud — Île d’Orléans — A classic casse-croûte in a picturesque red-roofed cabin perched on a hill above the river. We recommend the poutine Filles de l’île, with cheddar from the Île d’Orléans cheesemaker and a peppery sauce.
Le Shack à Patates — Saint-Ferréol-les-Neiges — A tasty regional casse-croûte with a gourmet streak and a nice selection of microbrews. Beyond the usual classics, the young, energetic team runs richer daily specials — oyster-mushroom, mozzarella and tomato pizza, ramen, and the like. A fine place to refuel after a day of skiing at Mont-Sainte-Anne.
Casse-croûte chez Micheline — Saint-Augustin-de-Desmaures — You can eat at every one of the province’s grandest restaurants and still keep a soft spot for the roadside canteen. On the edge of Route 138, in Saint-Augustin-de-Desmaures, Chez Micheline is a textbook example of the pataterie we love. Go for the Interburger — a cheeseburger with onion rings and cheese curds — and the poutine, of course.
Casse-croûte du Vieux Moulin — Pont-Rouge — This seasonal spot is a Pont-Rouge institution. Hugely popular with its regulars, its excellent poutine (loaded with cheese curds) has won over a devoted crowd of locals and passers-through alike.
Casse-croûte Ti-Oui — Saint-Raymond — Casse-croûte Ti-Oui in Saint-Raymond is known for its excellent poutine and its very good chicken. The warm little spot also runs a dairy bar in summer.
Charlevoix
Casse-Croûte aux 4 vents — Baie-Saint-Paul — Open for close to 50 years, this casse-croûte is one of a kind. Tucked into a mini trailer at a gas station, it’s one of the most popular in the region. Fiery cheeseburger, a good poutine, pogos, hot dogs, and more — all best enjoyed right there in the trailer, for the full experience.
Chez Chantal — La Malbaie — This is a legendary Québec casse-croûte. Set along the river, it serves ice cream, hot dogs, club sandwiches, and much more, with a breathtaking view. Seafood lovers, take note: the lobster roll and the lobster poutine are the ones to beat.
Casse-Croûte Chez Ginette — Saint-Irénée — With its cheerfully colourful storefront and a lifeguard statue keeping watch over swimmers from her perch, it’s hard to drive past — which would be a shame, because Chez Ginette has everything to please snack-bar fans, plus excellent lobster and northern-shrimp rolls. What more could you ask for?
Mauricie
Casse-Croute La Florida — Batiscan — Sitting between Montréal and Québec City, this casse-croûte is a required stop if you’re on Route 138. It’s well worth pulling over for a decadent, American-leaning menu: sloppy joe, New York-style hot dog, burger, poutine — there’s something for everyone. Then satisfy your sweet tooth with the generous desserts: sundae, milkshake, ice cream sandwich, banana split, and more.
Côte-Nord
Cantine Armande — Chute-aux-Outardes — In Chute-aux-Outardes, Cantine Armande has earned a faithful following for its burgers and homemade poutines. Simple and classic, it’s loved for its easygoing atmosphere and the sheer generosity of the plates.
Bas-Saint-Laurent
Cantine d’Amours — Trois-Pistoles — In Trois-Pistoles, Cantine d’Amours is known for its excellent cheeseburgers and its very good poutine. One to try if you’re passing through.
Grand’Ourse — Kamouraska — Formerly Pataterie Mamie, this one-of-a-kind pataterie has plenty of charm. The friendly owners serve reworked canteen dishes with a gourmet touch, showcasing the excellence of local products — lobster, bison, regional cheeses. A superb address to discover.
Cantine de la Gare — Rimouski — This Rimouski address serves very good snack-bar plates in a simple, convivial space. Its poutines, available in a whole range of flavours, are what built its name.
Cantine Ste-Flavie — Sainte-Flavie — At the gateway to the Gaspé, Cantine Sainte-Flavie is a riverside stop for a good roadside bite. You pull over for the view, the warm welcome, and above all the famous northern-shrimp poutine, a house classic.
Gaspésie
Chez Cathy — Rivière-au-Renard — Chez Cathy keeps alive a tradition that has become rare in Québec: carhop service (yes, really). Locals prize it for a succulent poutine that stands out for the quality and freshness of its ingredients. A classic to discover in the Gaspé.
Mazmelle Maria — Maria — This casse-croûte in the small municipality of Maria is a perfect place to fill up on excellent Québec classics. Beyond its good fries, poutines, and burgers, it also offers regional specialties like lobster roll, fish soup, and lobster club.
