Eating Edmonton: Smoke’s Poutinerie

Smoke’s Poutinerie is an enduring Canadian restaurant chain that specializes in the making, serving, and eating of all things poutine. Founded in 2008 in Toronto, the cheesy eatery has been reaching its way westward for the past decade. Recently, they opened a brand new location in Edmonton, just off of Whyte Avenue on 104 Street.

Bursting with life, eating at Smoke’s is not your average fast food experience. The second you enter the establishment, you’re met with a dazzling spectacle of red and black plaid, rock videos, and giant, tantalizing pictures of poutine. The staff are extremely enthusiastic, happy to offer you a sample of anything before you order. The menu can be a little overwhelming. There is a wide array of poutines to choose from, not to mention their vast variety of sides (not that you need anything after a massive poutine). The staff were glad to answer any menu-related questions we had, and provided guidance in the sometimes startling selection.

I opted to order the Avalanche, a poutine topped with grilled chicken, pulled pork, bacon, and ranch dressing. As a self-proclaimed poutine connoisseur, I was quite impressed. One of the biggest downfalls of most poutines is their inability to spread the toppings evenly throughout the entire dish, and Smoke’s pulled through. The fries were cut with cheese and assorted meats all the way through. I was able to enjoy my experience instead of being left with a pile of soggy fries.

Not only were the toppings well-distributed, they were also of the finest quality. Both the chicken and pulled pork were delicious, and the cheese curds were the perfect amount of squeakiness. Unfortunately, the top-notch toppings couldn’t quite cover the regrettable texture of the fries. While far from the worst fries I’ve ever had, they just didn’t have enough crispiness. Had the fries been a little more fried, the poutine would have been perfect.

The atmosphere of Smoke’s is very curated. It’s intentionally chaotic. Rock music blasts from the speakers as you walk by the giant murals of superheroes sporting Smoke’s mascot masks. Their icon, the image of a retro-looking, bespectacled man, is everywhere. His image combined with the aggressive plaid makes for an extremely recognizable logo. Smoke’s knows what its brand is, and they aren’t afraid to advertise it.

While the over-the-top vibe can be a bit much, it adds to the overall experience. You wouldn’t mistake Smoke’s for any other poutine restaurant. Besides, who wants to eat poutine in a boring white room when you can rock out surrounded by pop culture icons?

If you’re looking for some killer poutine, deep friend anything, or just a general good time, head over to Smoke’s Poutinerie!