Poutine lovers unite
It’s just after 11 a.m. at Diabo’s restaurant, and the rush has already begun.
The chip stand on Route 207 just off Highway 30 has never struggled to attract clients, especially non-locals, but it’s been exceptionally hectic as of late. That is ever since Diabo’s started going viral on “Les VRAIs amis de la poutine,” a Facebook group that brings together only the realest of poutine lovers.
“It’s like a bomb went off, and we can’t really contain it,” said Kiersten Lafleur-Diabo, who co-owns the restaurant and convenience store next door with her husband Jay Diabo. “They want to try what they see on Facebook.”
Step inside Diabo’s - or Chez Diabo’s, as the francophones affectionately call it - and the first thing you’ll likely hear is a “bonjour-hi.” Quebecers make up the majority of clientele there, Lafleur-Diabo said, a lot of them truckers and construction workers.
Others come from far and wide for the poutine. One woman who posted about her experience dining there drove three-and-a-half hours from Montmagny, east of Quebec City, just to try it. It was, according to her, delicious.
“French fries, hot dogs, francophones, they can eat it every day, all day long,” said Lafleur-Diabo, who opened Diabo’s back in 2019. “That’s something we had to get in on.”
A small poutine will cost you about $13, but two can easily dine on that. Diabo’s is generous, especially on the cheese curds, which are shredded.
Ali Jamaleddin has been eating there for years now, and is, at least in part, to thank for its popularity today. The self-declared “gars des casse croûtes,” known for his TikTok page @alisurlaroute, stopped there in 2022 to review the poutine, giving it a 9.1/10 rating.
The quality of the Lafleur fries and barbecue style sauce, and above all, the gigantic serving size, was what made it stand out from the rest.
Asked if he’d still rate it the same today, Jamaleddin said yes. The last time he ate there? That was two weeks ago.
“The only thing that’s changed is that now they put more cheese,” he told The Eastern Door.
When it comes to constructing the “perfect poutine,” the oil used to fry the potatoes, the type selected (preferably red ones), and the freshness of the cheese curds all need to be top of mind, Jamaleddin said.
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As for whether Diabo’s poutine is in fact a 9.1/10, you’ll simply have to visit to find out yourself.
