I'm still hopeful that someone in this big city will get Poutine right. Sadly, Poutini's fails the test.
I do believe a better name for this place would be 'Alternatini's', because the vibe here is all alternative. I'm feeling like I'm back in the 80's complete with black walls, pounding retro alternative beats, and cash only. The theme carries over onto the menu with vegan options alongside traditional fare in biodegradable bagasse serving containers.
It's dead on the afternoon we drop in, and we have the pleasure of watching our hostess with the mostess prepare our eats. She's a multi-tasker, and while she's frying up the 'hand-cut' fries, she's portioning the cheese curds in tiny plastic cups. For a moment, I'm excited at the thought of someone actually layering the fries with the curds and gravy but the opposite happens. The fries are tossed in seasoning, packed in their bagasse containers and the cheese curds are turned upside down over the fries and crammed into the container. The gravy is ladled on last. No time for finesse here.
The taste? Well, let's just say it's a good thing I was starving.