A class at UQAM brought me to Montreal for three weeks, so I visited Van Houtte many times. Nothing I had there was amazing, and overall I found the prices high for the quality offered. A small raspberry iced tea (mostly ice) was nearly $4, as was an ordinary latte. One day I ordered a chicken wrap and they gave me a chicken sandwich instead. By the time I realized it I didn't want to make a fuss, as the line was long, but the sandwich really wasn't very good -- a tiny amount of meat and hardly any vegetables on a huge roll. I couldn't finish it even though it, too, was expensive.
Service varied wildly from day to day -- there was a darker-skinned girl who was really courteous and helpful, and a lighter-skinned girl who didn't seem to know anything about the menu.
The only thing that saved this review from one-star infamy is the cafe frappe I tried on the last day I was there. It was cold and creamy, reasonably priced (under $3) and just sweet enough. If I had to do it all over again, I'd stick to that drink, sit at the window and enjoy the free wifi all morning!