During the lovely, carefree days of spring break, MJ and I again got together to bring you this review of the Big Cheese Poutinerie.
Location
This cute store is located a short, two minute walk westwards down 17th avenue from Western Canada High School. Really close to school (almost directly across from Starbucks), and really easy to find. Just look for a sign with big yellow letters.
Atmosphere and service: 9/10Â
The only possible word that I can use to describe the interior of the restaurant is “quaint.” Old-fashioned decor, with dark wooden tables, clean, cream-coloured walls and simply framed black-and-white pictures, the poutinerie almost feels like a traditional burger joint minus the burgers and milkshakes.
The lady who served us was extremely friendly and professional, greeting us with an enthusiastic, “how are you?” that is rarely heard in fast food joints nowadays. As we were there around the noon-time rush, we had to wait a little while for our order, but with only one visible cook working in the kitchen, the wait time was quite short – it is a fast food restaurant, after all.
Food: 6/10
The first bite of my Loaded Veggie (sauteed mushrooms, caramelized onions, roasted peppers and baby peas) with sweet potato fries was delicious. The fries were crisp but not overly greasy, and the vegetables tasted fresh and flavourful.
As for MJ, she ordered the Notorious P.I.G., Â a delectable combination of pulled pork, smoked bacon and Italian sausage.
In all honesty, the first few bites were really, really good. Both MJ and I agreed that the flavours were distinct yet melded perfectly together. Even if my cheese curds were massive and had issues melting. It was later on into our meal that things started going awry. For me, my fries got really (and I mean really)Â mushy. They’re texture became less crispy-fry and took on one more similar to soggy bread. Not particularly pleasant. As for MJ, halfway through her box of poutine I asked her what it tasted like. She told me that it tasted like lumps of salted potato mush – the flavours of the meat had all congealed together into one indistinguishable blob.
So all in all, the poutine was very yummy for the first couple of bites, but taste went downhill from there. We suspect that the sogginess may have been due to the excess gravy, but causes are still yet to be determined. However, still definitely not worth the $7 and $8 that MJ and I paid for our meals. Even though the portions were large (MJ could barely move afterwards), we would have been much better off spending it at Crepes & Cravings.
Overall rating: 7/10
While the Big Cheese Poutinerie was definitely not lacking in cute decor and friendly service, the food left quite a bit to be desired. Perhaps a go-to place if you’re craving just normal potato or sweet potato fries (I would be wary of the gravy), but in both MJ and mine’s books, the Big Cheese Poutinerie is not a place we will be coming back to anytime soon.
