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| - Over the past few years, I had heard many things about L'Gros Luxe, the originally plateau-only restaurant known for solid cocktails and cheap but enjoyable food. However, like for many restaurants in our fair city, time and circumstances were such that I hadn't tried them yet even as they expanded to Mile End and Longueuil. A few months ago though, L'Gros Luxe came to me as they opened up a Sud Ouest location on Notre-Dame right beside Corona Theater and more importantly, only a 10 minute walk away from my apartment. With a spot that close, I really had no excuses anymore!
Over the past month, I went twice with a couple different groups. First thing which is a little unique is the fact that L'Gros Luxe does not do reservations. However, thankfully for those of us who don't want to wait outside in the cold, they have created an app with which you can add yourself onto a waitlist to get a table. First time around, we didn't think about it so we ended up waiting about 35 minutes so we grabbed a beer next door (thanks Burgundy Lion!). The second time around, I used the app but ended up not needing to as the restaurant was strangely empty that Thursday night.
I really like the look of the restaurant - a mixture of vintage Victorian style with some more modern touches. The room feels very inviting and warm - a solid place to enjoy a happy hour. When it was very busy though, I felt the noise level to be too high which is a common complaint nowadays in many restaurants but one that still bugs me when it affects my ability to actually understand what my friend sitting next to me is saying. The second time was much more enjoyable.
Drinks options are plenty at L'Gros Luxe. Bourbon lemonade by the pitcher is available and while the price point is cheaper than many others restaurants around, personally I found it to be a little light on the bourbon and more of the sweet side of things. The ladies with me enjoyed it that way... me not as much. I did however enjoy their Sud Ouest Lemonade - a mixture of Ungava gin, white beer, simple syrup and lemon juice. This was a better balance of sweet and strong.
The other staple of l'Gros Luxe drink wise is their Caesars. I hate caesars so it's not my thing but each one is quite large and also topped with a variety of food items. When your caesar comes with onion rings and a fried pickle on top, I can imagine it being worthwhile.
Foodwise, L'Gros Luxe is an odd mixture of items that I guess you would characterize as bar food but frankly it runs the gamut from tacos, salads, burgers, poutines, etc. I was able to try a variety of items over my two visits. The appetizers I had were up and down. First was the nachos - topped with black beans, cheese, green onions, marinated jalapeño slaw, corn and coriander. The size of the plate was nice but the cheese was weirdly only on the under layer and underside of the nachos so most chips had no melted cheese on top of them. When one buys nachos, there is an expectation of cheese on most of the chips. Frankly, that's a pretty easy thing to ensure when you make them. That was not done here which was strange.
The other appetizer was the grilled feta - served with olives, cherry tomatoes, basil, olive oil, balsamic vinegar and bread. Pretty self-explanatory and a solid dish overall. The feta was grilled just enough to make it less salty and a touch softer than normal. We had enough bread to make proper croutons for the entirety of the portion we got.
The poutine is one of their big dishes and very enjoyable. Their classic is made with tater tots! I don't think I'd had tater tots for at least 10 years. Topped with green onions as well as the usual cheese curds and gravy, there are a multitude of extras you can add - be it pulled pork, grounded beef,etc... The pulled pork I added to mine was nice and tender. My friend's version is ground beef and regular fries was solid as well.
One of my friend's tried out their beef burger - served on a shallot bun with siracha mayo and the usual condiments. Good sized burger, cooked nicely through. The bun was light and fluffy but didn't fall apart as it eaten. A solid burger overall.
Finally, I got to try a dessert - deep fried cookie dough served with ice cream, whipped cream and caramel/chocolate sauce. Or at least it was supposed to be served with ice cream. On receiving the dish, we quickly realized that no ice cream was actually present. The problem got solved once we mentioned it to our waitress but still a weird issue. Overall the dessert was good but too much whipped cream compared to the other elements.
L'Gros Luxe was a up-and-down food experience. The items are good - not great - so while the price is reasonable, I still wanted better. Same thing for the drinks. I left after my second visit thinking that L'Gros Luxe's best fit is as a great happy hour or drink spot. Not sure a full dinner is truly worth it.
Cheers!
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