Rotisserie St-Hubert (Montreal, Canada)

Chemin de la Côte-Des-Neiges, Montreal, QC H3T 1Y1, Canada T: 514-385-5555

 

Rotisserie St-Hubert is a chain of chicken restaurants that has 117 locations in Canada, most notably in Quebec. It looks in everything like a chain, including the pictures of the food in the menus. Its specialty is rotisserie chicken, but they also serve ribs, pulled pork, salads.

 

I am not a big fan of chicken with bones, so in the end I made an odd choice: a pulled pork sandwich, which comes with fries and coleslaw (C$11.50), and a soda (C$3.00). The pulled pork sandwich was actually quite decent, particularly for outside of the Deep South, and the vinegar-based coleslaw wasn’t bad either, but the fries were completely tasteless.

VERDICT: 75/100

Perhaps the chicken is really good, but do stay away from the fries.

Kabab (Montreal, Canada)

5171 Chemin de la Côte-Des-Neiges, Montreal, QC, Canada, T: 514-739-1717

Kabab is a fairly big Middle Eastern restaurant close to the University of Montréal. It has a buffet style counter as well as (three) meat skewers and a grill. It serves Middle Eastern staples like shawarma, falafel, humus, etc.

I get a Sandwich Merguez (CDN$ 4.99) and a side of French Fries (CDN$2.29). The merguez sausage is a huge disappointment – where they are supposed to be very tasteful and spicy, here they were virtually tasteless. The fries were like thicker Burger King fries, i.e. airy, coated, and not very tasty.

VERDICT: 50/100

One of the worst shawarma places I ate at.

Le Gourmet Burger (Montreal, Canada)

1433 Rue Bishop, Montréal, QC H3G 2E4, Canada

(for some reason I cannot find my pictures)

Le Gourmet Burger is a very small burger place in downtown, only few seats inside. It is a do it yourself gourmet burger place. You choose your protein (options include bison and veggie), your toppings, your sauce, etcetera. They have both regular fries and sweet potato fries as well as a mix of the two. As you pay by item (mostly $1 or $2), it starts to add up quickly.

I get a beef burger with bacon, jalapeño, tomato, lettuce, caramelized onions, and chipotle mayo ($11). It is fresh and comes on a big bun. Overall an excellent burger! The fries are thin and solid potato, but too soggy.

VERDICT: 89/100

Excellent if expensive burgers, but fries leave a bit too be desired.

Goed Eten (Toronto, ON)

188 Ossington Ave, Toronto, ON M6J 2Z7. T: 416-533-3213

When I heard there was a Belgian restaurant in Toronto, which had authentic Belgian fries and mayo (!), I had to eat there. The little restaurant is situated in Little Portugal (I know) and has fairly tight hours. Goed Eten (Good Eating, in Dutch) has a limited menu built around fries, tostis (croque monsieur), waffles, and all-day breakfast. While some reviews complained about the service, that day there was a nice and attentive waitress.

I get the 8oz Beef Burger with Curry Sauce ($9): the thick bun overpowers the meat, which has a strange sweet taste, lettuce, apple string (?), and odd sauce (not curry). Not that tasty.  The Belgian Fries ($6) taste a bit sweet, are more fried than deep fried, not very crispy; ok. The mayo is weak, but has a hint of authenticity. M. has the Poutine Fries, Cheese Croquettes & Curds with Guinness Beef Stew ($9): the cheese croquettes are ok, but the stew is really tender and tasty. 

VERDICT: 77/100

Goed eten is pretty pricey for average quality (particularly in Toronto). Definitely NOT authentic Belgian food!

Murphy's Ice Cream Parlour (Mississauga, ON)

9 Main Street, Mississauga, ON L5M, Canada, T: 905-826-8755

Small ice cream parlor in the heart of Mississauga, which is very popular among the local youth. They have a wide range of different flavors of ice cream, gelato, and frozen yoghurt. You can’t sit inside, only at some benches outside.

I have a chocolate-peanut cone with pistachio-almond and moose paw (I think it was called), M. a similar cone with double chocolate brownie.  All flavors are very creamy but not overly sweet, thus keeping the real tastes. The pistachio-almond is a great combination, the moose paw is an original blend of vanilla, raspberry syrup and chocolate pieces, while the double chocolate brownie had a thick and creamy chocolate flavor and was simply “decadent” (according to M).

VERDICT: 87/100

This is a great ice cream parlor with original combination and good creamy but nor overly sweet ice cream.

Dunn's Famous (Ottawa, ON)

220 Elgin Street, Ottawa, ON K2P 1L7, T: 613-230-6444

Dunn's Famous is a chain of smoked meats restaurants that originated in Montreal and currently has five restaurants in that city, two in Ottawa, and one in Vancouver. It has a very extensive menu: burgers, hot dogs, sandwiches, soups, salads, etc. The restaurant in the heart of Ottawa is open 24 hours and advertizes its breakfasts.

I ordered the Devine Breakfast ($12.99): three eggs, mixed grill, pancake or French toast, home fries, bagel or toast. The breakfast is HUGE! Massive amounts of decent home fries, three strips of tasty bacon, two nice links, one piece of Canadian bacon, three medium over eggs, one piece of not too sweet French toast, and four slices of wheat toast. A breakfast of champions (or truckers)!

VERDICT: 82/100
This is a huge breakfast, good quality, but also quite pricey.

Shawarma King (Ottawa, ON)

395 Bank Street, Ottawa, ON K2P 1Y3, T: 613-233-2226

It is almost impossible to get good shoarma/shawarma in the US, let alone in the Midwest, so I am always happy when I go to a Canadian city, which seems to have more options (and of higher quality). Shawarma King has been voted Ottawa's Best Lebanese Fast Food eleven years running (1997-2008), so I had high expectations. Even the ghetto exterior, and interior, couldn't deter me; in fact, I took them as proof of authenticity.

I ordered a Small Shawarma Sandwich (CDN$4.99): Lebanese bread, beef strips (from big skewer), different beets, lettuce, onion, garlic spread, all pressed like a panini. Although this is not my favorite way of preparing shoarma, it is fairly authentic, and so was the taste. Unfortunately, the meat was of very poor quality and very dry. To be honest, I didn't eat more than one third of the sandwich.

VERDICT: 56/100
While the pace looks and smells authentic, and the shawarma is prepared in a fairly authentic manner, the poor quality of the meat made it a big disappointment.

T D Chips (Ottawa, ON)

372 Lisgar St. (Bank St.), Ottawa, ON K2P 1Z9, Canada

Ontario seems to be the place for food carts. While Ottawa does not have so many food carts as Toronto (it is also a much smaller city), I came across several of them. This is the one I tried, in part because of the fact that I saw several people eating or waiting around it.

T D Chips sells... well... chips, or fries as non-Brits call them. While it also has a couple of other snacks (e.g. hamburgers and hot dogs), it is known for fries and poutine. I ordered a small portion of fries (CDN$ 3). Unfortunately, they only had ketchup, mustard, and vinegar... not mayonnaise. Sill, the fries were thick, crunchy and fresh! They had a good taste, even though they tasted a bit dry without sauce.

VERDICT: 89/100
This is a great chips truck, particularly if you eat them with ketchup or vinegar.

Shawarma King (Brantford, ON)

210 King George Rd, Brantford, ON N3R 5L4, Canada, T: 519-512-0065

Shawarma King is a tiny shop in a small strip mall outside of Brantford, some 110 km (70 miles) southwest of Toronto. It is run by a very nice guy from Lebanon. It might look crappy from both the inside and outside, but don't be fooled. This is the real thing!

I order a Fattoush Salad ($5.99) and a Beef Shawarma Wrap ($5.99). Neither dish is made the traditional way, but both are delicious. The shawarma warp is full of tender, spiced meat, cured veggies, and garlic sauce. The fattoush is absolutely amazing!


VERDICT: 95/100

This is a hidden gem! If you are anywhere around Brantford, and this includes Toronto (!), go there and have at the very least the fattoush. I wish my town had a place like this!

Bellwood Bar & Grill (Toronto, ON)

756 Queen St W, Toronto, ON M6J, Canada, T: 416-504-8855

Bellwood Bar & Grill is an old-school, almost British, greasy eatery situated in the hip Arts & Fashion district of Toronto. It is run by a East or South European couple and seem to cater primarily to the few old inhabitants of the area.

As the Bellwood is the "Home of the 16oz Hamburger", which it serves for just $6.95 and comes with fries. The thick pattie is grilled on the plate and served with pickles, onion, and tomato on a nice bun. The burger tastes good, but not special, while the fries are generic and too soft.

VERDICT: 77/100

Not the best burger ever, but if you wanna experience an old-school greasy eatery in a hipster area, the Bellwood is your thing.

London Ice Cream Co. (London, ON)

43 Base Line Rd W, London, ON N6J 1V5, T: 519-645-6045

London Ice Cream Company is a small store selling homemade ice cream in London, Ontario. They have some 15 different flavors, including various very original ones.On this hot summer day most people enjoy their ice cream at the benches in front of the tiny store.

I get a small cone with two scoops: rainbow sherbert and butterscotch ripple (ca. $3.50). The sherbert is odd but fruity, while the butterscotch is tasty and not too sweet. The cone is fresh.

VERDICT: 85/100
London Ice Cream Co. serves nice, but not very special ice cream.

Shawarma House (London, ON)

1281 Commissioners Rd W, London, ON N6K, Canada, T: 519-471-0060

Shawarma House is a small Lebanese place in London, Ontario, which seems to mainly serve take-away food. They have shawarma (shoarma), falafel, kebabs, and salads.

I get a beef shawarma ($4.00): marinated beef, tomato, lettuce, onions, sour pickle and beet, hot and garlic sauce (normally they use humus and tahini) on Lebanes bread, which is pressed like a panini. It's a bit dry, but very tasty. I also have a Fattoush Salad ($4.75), which is nice and fresh with radish and excellent pita chips.

VERDICT: 87/100
Good shoarma and fattoosh for what is essentially a snack bar.

Dangerous Dan's Diner (Toronto, ON, Canada)

714 Queen Street East, Toronto, ON M4M 1H2, Canada, T: +1 416-463-7310

Dangerous Dan's Diner is a pig out institution in Toronto, Ontario. It is one of the weirdest and dirtiest places I ever ate. It's motto is: "The burgers are bigger at the Double D", and they truly are. As it was early in the afternoon, and I had a late breakfast, I ordered just the "Plain Burger", which I had with lettuce, tomato, onions, hot peppers, ketchup and mayo ($5.40 Canadian). The patty was thick and well grilled, tasty, while the bun was a bit too thick and tasteless (very English). The whole tasted good though and the peppers gave it a nice kick.

VERDICT: 87/100

Dangerous Dan's is the type of pig out spot where you won't get your girlfriend into. Dirty, messy, with big, greasy, tasty burgers.

Cuisine Express (London, ON)

Cuisine Express, corner of Exeter Rd & Meg Dr, London, Ontario, Canada

On my way to Toronto I got off the highway in London, Ontario, to have a snack, saw this cart from the road and simply had to stop. It is the closest thing to a Belgian frituur I ever saw in North America. It is run by a nice guy in his (late) 50s, I think originally from Eastern European. Although it is freezing, I am not the only person today. Both before and after me someone stops by. Seems like the Cuisine Express is a local staple.

I order a Hamburger Combo for $9 Canadian (roughly $9 American). It comes with a soda and a huge portion of really crispy fries with some special herbs and his special sauce (part mayo, part bbq), in a paper box. The burger is a thick and well grilled patty of meat (not 100% beef, I think), which comes with lettuce, a (freshly cut) slice of tomato, and special sauce on an odd, thin multigrain bun. It tastes good; in fact, when I add some more special sauce, it tastes very good.

VERDICT: 87/100

Cuisine Express is a Belgian-style snack cart, run by a nice guy, who offers great snacks at acceptable prices. Do try the special sauce!

Messini Authentic Gyros (Toronto, ON)

445 Danforth Avenue, Toronto, ON M4K 1P2, Canada, T: 1-416-778-4861

Toronto, Ontario, is one of the most multicultural cities in the world (49% of the population is born outside of Canada!). Consequently, good ethnic food of whatever kind can be found. Allegedly, the best gyros can be found at Messini Authentic Gyros in Little Greece. I got a pita gyros (pork), which truly was authentic. No strips of greasy, ground meat, but chunks of spiced meat, fresh from the skewer, onion, tomato, tatziki and... fries! A very tasty combination, even if the tatziki was a bit flavorless.

VERDICT: 94/100

This is the second best pita gyros I ever ate; after the one at De Griek in Leiden, the Netherlands. The only thing that is off, is the tatziki, which could have more flavor.

That said, Messini is not just a gyros joint, it is a real Greek restaurant. A couple days later I went back with my wife, and we had a mixed grill with great gyros, juicy chicken souvlaki, tasty pork kabob, and ok Greek sausage on a bed of 'Greek fries' (potato slices). It came with a fresh salad, pita, and a delicious kalamati tapenade. Delicious and authentic!

New York Fries (Canada)

Somewhere along highway 401 in Canada.

New York Fries is not in New York; hell, it is not even an American outlet. It is a Canadian chain with, at this time, 201 locations all over Canada as well as in the United Arab Emirates, South Korea, and Hong Kong. It serves fries, poutine, and hot dogs.

I got a medium portion of "classic fries", which according to the website are: "Hand Cut. Skins On. Cooked to order in Trans fat free, non-hydrogenated Sunflower Oil. Served hot and crisp. Perfect fries every time." While "perfect" is a bit over the top, they were definitely among the best I have had in North America!

VERDICT: 93/100

If you are looking for some very tasty french fries in a fast food setting, and you are in Canada, New York Fries is the place to be. Next time I will also try the hot dogs as I have the feeling they might be well above average too.

Harvey's (Windsor, Canada)

3095 Dougall Ave, Windsor, ON N9E 1S3, T: 519-972-4862

Harvey's is the prime Canadian-owned burger chain with 286 locations in Canada (which makes it only the fourth biggest burger chain in Canada). I had actually had my first Harvey's experience in Prague, Czech Republic, somewhere in the mid-1990s (they closed it not much later). Harvey's is known for its fresh-grilled burgers and for the fact that it let's you choose which condiments you want on them.

I went for the Double Original Hamburger (added bacon), "frings" (a combo of fries and onion rings), and a soda for a toal of $ 8.78 (Canadian). The burger was thick and juicy, but missed that extra taste. The fries and onion rings were ok, nothing more, nothing less.

VERDICT: 77/100

Harvey's is a very decent burger chain, somewhere in between the cheap (McDonalds and Burger King) and the expensive ones (Carl Jr.). Definitely worth a try when you are up in Canada.

Food Cart (Toronto, Canada)

Front St W, Toronto, Canada (in front of the Convention Centre)

Unfortunately, I have forgotten the name of this food cart, which is right next to the Dog 'n Roll. In fact, it is also owned by Hungarians, and carries the same menu and deals: burgers, sausages, and hot dogs, separate or as combos.

I (again) went for a burger combo at 5 bucks Canadian. Compared to the Dog 'n Roll, the fries were less tasty, but the burger was better. The condiments were roughly the same, though this cart had mayo.

VERDICT: 84/100

Another good foo cart, but without any truly amazing item. The fries were tasty, but not as tasty as Dog 'n Roll, whereas the burger was better, but not great.

Alexandros (Toronto, Canada)

5 Queens Quay West, Toronto, ON M5J 2H1, Canada‎, T: 416-367-0633‎
(there are 3 other location in downtown Toronto)

Getting back to my hotel around 1.30 AM, Alexandros was one of the places still open. It lis a small gyros joint that looks like a bunker.

I went for a pita gyros, which costs $6 (Canadian), not particularly cheap. The pita was nice and thick, covered with thick pieces of spiced meat, tomato, and tzatziki sauce. Although the meat was tasty, it was too dry and of inferior quality. Still, at least it was not the usual greasy tasteless gyros you get in most places in the US.


VERDICT: 68/100
Alexandros is a good place to get a heavy dose of grease when you are on a bender. If you are just after a tasty gyros, I would probably look further.