There are a wide variety of independent restaurants in Kitchener/Waterloo that offer great poutine. Expectations for the “best” poutine can greatly differ as people have different preferences for value, authenticity, creativity, and taste.
Out of the 15 restaurants included, some use fresh hand-cut fries, some use “real” cheese curds and some are more true to the traditional origins of poutine. Needless to say, all 15 will sufficiently satisfy a poutine craving. If you’re interested in a business, click on the heading or image.
Graffiti Market is an upscale restaurant next to the Iron Horse Trail near Glasgow and Belmont. Their Buffalo Mashup is one of KW’s more extravagant poutines, featuring an interesting combination of flavours and textures that results in a top 15 worthy poutine. The Mashup features local cheese curds, fresh cut fries, fried chicken, crispy chicken skins and scallions, topped off with ranch and buffalo sauce.
A couple doors down from Victoria and Lancaster, in behind the gas station and train tracks, you can find David’s Fresh Cut Fries, a Newfoundland inspired chip truck. David’s fries are always home made and fresh, with the option for Newfoundland style poutine (dressing, fried onions, peas & gravy) or Canadian poutine. With picnic tables outside and cheap prices, David’s is a great place to bring the whole family.
Founded in 2011 and formerly known as Sam’s Sub & Fryer, Sam’s Grill is a family-run business offering homemade food in a family environment that now has locations in Guelph, KW and Brantford. Sam’s Grill has been a local go-to for poutine for the past decade, largely due to their top notch quality (with some claiming it is on par with the poutine in Montreal), and aided by their timely service.
Opened by two young guys from Conestoga, Crazy Canuck is a local favorite for both pizza and poutine. They are known for offering hefty, satisfying meals with unique twists on fast-food classics. All the potatoes they use are grown 5km up the road from the Crazy Canuck in St. Jacobs. As they’re known for their Montreal Smoked Meat, a great choice amongst their 14 options is the Montreal Smoked Meat Poutine.
Johnny Fresco is known for using almost entirely fresh, or “from scratch” ingredients. Their lamb burgers are particularly beloved, though they have a wide array of options for burgers, wraps, poutine and more. Their Poutine Ultimate showcases some of their fresh ingredients; featuring chicken, bacon, mushrooms and tomatoes.
Manitou Takeout is a chip wagon boasting the best fresh cut fries around town, year round, for over a decade now. Offering, Newfoundland fries (dressing, fried onions, peas & gravy), standard (“Canadian”) poutine, and a specialized poutine with meat sauce, Manitou presents three solid choices for poutine – all with respectful scaling options.
Double Taste Shawarma offers one of KW’s best shawarma poutines. They use real cheese curds, as do many of the places on this list. Double Taste’s shawarma poutine features a consistently perfect combination of garlic sauce, gravy and fries. With crispy fries and delicious meat, the resulting flavour is plain delicious and makes for a must-try experience.
Molly Blooms is an Irish style pub with locations in Waterloo, Stratford and Ayr. Although not exclusively local, Molly Blooms’ Bombay Poutine (not pictured), featuring a large portion of hand cut chips with Montreal cheese curds covered in medium spiced curry sauce, is a creative take on poutine, with a surprisingly good taste.
Having received readers’ choice awards for best fish and chips, The Fish Hut has gained recognition in KW for the quality of their signature dish. However, you may be surprised that the quality of their poutine is consistent with their fish and chips. A standard Canadian style poutine featuring handmade ingredients, The Fish Hut’s poutine features rich tasting gravy, cheese curds and crispy fries for $5.53.
Big Fat Pita is one of downtown Kitchener’s best spots for great value, top notch quality food. With many popular options revolving around Mediterranean Shawarma and Gyro, Big Fat Pita’s Large Chicken Shawarma Poutine earns them a spot on this list. Shawarma Poutine has become immensely popular in recent years due to its surprising taste. The phenomenon reflects a fast food fusion that allows for downtown businesses such as Ace Shawarma and Big Fat Pita to appeal to a wide customer base.
Beertown, located in the uptown Waterloo square, has a great Brisket Poutine. This interesting version of the Canadian classic features rich, flavorful gravy, and not as many cheese curds as your average poutine. Coming in a massive portion, the delicious meal is one of KW’s top poutine options.
Southern Ontario Smoked BBQ is a family owned pit barbecue restaurant located on Highland that has its beginnings as a traveling trailer with 2 smokers attached. SOS BBQ’s poutines come with your choice of pulled brisket, pork, chicken, rib, or peameal bacon. Additionally they have a “Monster” option that features all of their meats. However, the restaurant’s best known poutine is likely their Pulled Pork Poutine. The Pulled Pork Poutine showcases the tender, smokey meat that the restaurant is well known for.
Breakfast Blues & BBQs is known in KW as being a local restaurant, food truck, and caterer. You can follow them on social media to see where the food truck is each day. They offer a great range of creative options for poutine, including ones based around goats cheese, pulled pork, and chorizo. Additionally, their normal poutine (with Montreal cheese curds, gravy and scallions) is always a safe bet for a quick poutine fix.
iShawarma has two locations in KW. Both locations slow cook their meat for hours, before shaving it and serving it with their wood oven bread, pita, fresh vegetables or fries. iShawarma is notable for their shawarma poutine, being one of the first restaurants in the area to offer it. Their quality of ingredients, and focus on well balanced flavors apparent in their shawarma, comes through in their modified poutine.
Schmuck Truck is a gourmet food truck serving the KW area. Their dishes are locally sourced and feature comfort food flavours with a street food twist. Schmuck Truck does daily menu and location updates on their social media pages. Although offering triple cheese, and pulled pork poutines, the food truck’s signature poutine is a must-try. The Schmuck Truck Original Poutine features locally grown potatoes, in gravy, Montreal style cheese curds and fresh mozzarella. Notably, the dish is vegetarian.
But who wins?! +1 for Big Fat Pita. also +1 for J’Fresco’s Poutine Fantastique.
You need to include North Shawarma in the Courtland Plaza at Shelley Drive. Not only one of the best shawarma places, but their shawarma poutine is so flavourful you will definitely become a returning customer.