Le Grand PoutineFest serves up a feast of flavours at Montreal’s Old Port
Posted July 31, 2026 8:50 pm.
Last Updated July 31, 2026 10:08 pm.
When life calls for a little comfort, there’s one dish that always delivers: poutine.
That Quebec classic is taking centre stage at Le Grand PoutineFest, which has transformed Montreal’s Old Port into a celebration of fries, cheese curds and gravy until Aug. 2.
The festival brings together food, music and family activities, offering visitors a chance to experience poutine in more ways than the traditional version.
More than 15 gourmet creations are on the menu this year, including smoked meat, pulled pork, General Tao, lobster, mac and cheese, and a new triple-pickle poutine.
“We’re kind of celebrating Poutine in every format and every taste,” said Myriam Tardif, marketing director for Le Grand PoutineFest. “That’s what we do, but we’re also just a festival that I’d like to bring people together, whether it be for food, drinks, or for children to play together.”
More than just a meal
The Old Port stop is part of Le Grand PoutineFest’s biggest tour yet, with 21 stops planned across Quebec. After Montreal, the festival will continue to cities including Gatineau, Quebec City and Victoriaville, with new stops added this year.
Tardif said the Montreal location has been a special stop because of the mix of locals and tourists discovering poutine for the first time.
“I think in Old Montreal it’s really a fun and nice way for people coming from out of town, especially during the vacation right now,” she said. “People are discovering Poutine. We have a lot of people coming from out of the country visiting and kind of tasting their first Poutine.”
The festival experience goes beyond food, with live performances, DJs, line dancing, family programming and tasting nights. Sunday’s family day includes a free kids’ poutine with the purchase of an adult poutine.
From classic favourites to bold flavours
For visitors looking for a traditional taste, some of the most popular choices remain the meat-based poutines.
“It would be either the ribs or the pulled pork. It’s a classic. It’s really good,” said Charlotte Hubert, food truck manager at Le Grand PoutineFest.
Hubert said the flavour comes from the preparation behind the dish.
“It has a very deep flavor in terms of the smokiness because we roast the pigs or the piece of meat for long hours in the smoker and they’re really really good,” she said. “We do take pride in our smokiness in the meat section.”
But the festival menu continues to evolve based on what customers want.
“We have different cultural Poutines, so we have the General Tao that’s more Asian. We have a Mexican Poutine, we have a mac and cheese Poutine that’s super American,” Tardif said. “We kind of try to adjust the menu every year based on what people are asking.”
Visitors come hungry from near and far
For many festivalgoers, the appeal is trying something new while enjoying the atmosphere of the Old Port.
“We love poutine. We like the gravy sauce, the cheese, and I think Quebec makes the best poutine in the world,” said one visitor.
Another first-time attendee said they had heard about the event before making the trip.
“This is actually the first time we come here but we’ve heard so much about this event so we thought to come out for the first time and we’re probably gonna get the smoke meat poutine and we’re trying to find out of all the poutines and hopefully it’s gonna be amazing,” he said.
Others said the setting is just as much a draw as the food.
“It looks like it’s a beautiful evening so looking forward to enjoying the city, the Old Port is beautiful and I can’t wait to eat my poutine,” one woman expressed.
Some travelled from outside Quebec to experience the festival.
“This is actually our first time in Montreal we’re from Edmonton and we came here for the poutine fest and for the music festival and everything and just took a look at everything it looks amazing now we just have to decide,” one man said.
“I think what one is just like the atmosphere walking around. There’s just so many people, it’s just such a good vibe, like warm weather and just delicious food everywhere, so it’s a great spot,” he added.
For others, it’s the chance to sample different takes on Quebec’s signature dish.
“I like to try different sorts of poutine like different flavors I like that a lot,” said another festivalgoer.
A celebration of Quebec’s signature dish
After more than a decade of serving up creative takes on poutine, Le Grand PoutineFest continues to grow by listening to its audience and bringing communities together.
With its final days in Montreal’s Old Port approaching, organizers are inviting visitors to enjoy one last helping of Quebec’s iconic comfort food before the festival moves on to its next stop.
