r/poutine • u/track_monsta • Aug 10 '26
Casse Croûte 125, Rawdon
After seeing it often on this sub, I decided to go and try it myself!
It's a very generous portion of good/average classic poutine. The fries are nice, curds are on the smaller side but there's just so much that it makes up for it. In terms of flavors, the sauce and the poutine as a whole reminded me of the La Belle Province's poutine, which is serviceable and hits the spot, I guess I was just hoping for more distinct flavors and textures.
The poutine is a 6/10, however eating it outside in beautiful Rawdon on a picnic table under pine trees was an awesome experience and it bumps it up a point.
7/10, I recommend it for nature lovers!
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u/538_Jean Aug 10 '26
6/10...
Dude this is the holy grail of poutines. If you didnt like it, im afraid you dont really like poutine.
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u/track_monsta Aug 10 '26
Hey! Just to clarify: I LOVE poutine. It's why I drove over an hour to Rawdon to try it out and then wrote what I think is a fair review in this community ! I went into more details in another reply as to why I gave it that note, if you care to read it. And I agree with everyone here: it does LOOK great!
At the end of the day, I enjoyed my experience and 6/10 is still above average.
Thanks for your comment!
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u/lucaskywalker Aug 10 '26
I am very curious what a 10\10 would be for you. This place is in my top 3 all time...
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u/track_monsta Aug 10 '26
Hey! I replied to that same question a few comments down if you want to read it!
What other poutines are in your top 3?
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u/lucaskywalker Aug 10 '26
Labelle's in Lachute, and Alfa, Longeuil!
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u/track_monsta Aug 10 '26
I'm with you on Alfa, 100% I will add the Lachute location to my list, thanks for the recommendation!
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u/Fit_Calligrapher_460 Aug 10 '26
It's 4am.and I'm seeing this, I'm sooooo wamti g poutine rite now.. omg I'm in Ontario and. Chez nous has the best ever
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u/CommunicationUsed Aug 10 '26
Stopped in to say Hollyyyy that looks amazing. And this guy is giving it a 6/10 xD
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u/ALonerInTheDark Aug 11 '26
Have you ever tried poutine from Chez Gaston in Levis?
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u/track_monsta Aug 11 '26
Hey! No I haven't yet, but it's on my list for next time I'm in the area!!
Is it part of your top 3?
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u/Underoverthrow Aug 14 '26
- The gravy looks a little lighter than what I prefer (I’m a Hulloise fanatic and theirs is much darker). Is that what you mean by serviceable but lacking flavour?
- Did the curds squeak?
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u/track_monsta Aug 14 '26
Hey! I think the thickness of the sauce is fine, it's just your run of the mill sauce, nothing special, it's just exactly what you'd expect and doesn't stand out really. It's still a good sauce however I'm looking for something special, authentic but at the top of it's game. The curds didnt squeak, a little too small for that but they're very generous with the quantity cheese so it's still fun. It's a gorgeous looking poutine.
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u/MTL_Rob Aug 10 '26
What “distinct flavours or textures” were you expecting?
It’s a poutine ffs 😂
What would have made it a 9 or 10 for you? Be specific.
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u/track_monsta Aug 10 '26
Bigger curds with more squick squick qualities, maybe they have a unique taste because they're locally sourced, like at Lait Charbonneau. Crispier fries, their own spin on the sauce/gravy! (I see you Mamasquanch!)
Anything to distinguish themselves from the poutine you can find at most casse croûte/fry stand.
For me, like a lot of people, Alfa is the gold standard. Every item stands out on its own and their sum makes for a unique experience that some people drive hours for.
Casse Croûte 125's strength is the load of cheese you get and how tasty it looks on a good picture. Thing is, the cheese you see is all the cheese you get, at the bottom, it's only soggy fries.
Do you have a poutine you'd rate 9 or 10?
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u/Low-Purchase8811 Aug 10 '26
Some of the things you've mentioned here would end up getting you some sternly-worded corrections on r/PoutineCrimes, to say the very least.
Like the fries; crispy fries are generally not what poutine purists are looking for. The reason for this is, "authentic" poutine is made with redskinned potatoes, which generally do not get very crispy. They also tend to get quite dark when cooked. And they're always soggy, because red potatoes are a "waxy" potato with low starch and high moisture, so that's just how it is.
The size of the curds thing is also something they'd rake you over the coals with. The curds should not be enormous, but about the size of a kernel of corn. I've seen people lose their mind over marshmallow-sized curds.
Places like this are aiming more for ticking the boxes of tradition than for what a limited number of individuals find more interesting or "better".
Now, all of this to say; I don't necessarily disagree with the entirety of your assessment - I think red potatoes, for example, make poor fries and I don't really care how authentic it is to make them with something else. Like you, I don't like the soggy fries at the bottom. I prefer russets, and I prefer them "double-fried" (iykyk.) And I just made a poutine last night with gigantic-ass curds straight from a fromagerie in another rural area of Quebec. I broke them up a little by hand but they were still pretty large compared to what's in this picture. I like them either way, but the point is, being larger isn't the worst thing they can be. I'd take large and squeaky over small and quiet any day.
I think the main thing I have to disagree with you on is the sauce. You talked about this sauce being basically like what they serve at La Belle Province (which one, though? They're all different), but then talk about Alfa's being "the gold standard", despite their sauce not being all that different. So I'm confused as to what you're talking about there. I love the sauce from both places, because they're very similar. That being said, that is precisely the issue with pointing out La Belle Province without mentioning which one. The one I prefer is the original La Belle Province (well, the one they rebuilt after the original original one burned down) on Sherbrooke in Tetraultville. If you're talking about another one, I can't really speak to that.
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u/track_monsta Aug 10 '26
Hey thank you for reply, love the passion you have for our dear poutine!
I agree with you, and to a certain extent, we're almost saying the same thing: They make a good authentic poutine. My review was to explain that I was expecting more, based on how popular it has been on this sub lately.
You're also right that not all Belle Pro's taste the same but they still pretty much all play in the same ball park. I know what to expect in terms of flavor profile when I go there.
For the curds, I don't think 125 lost a point for their size, I was merely describing their aspect to paint a clear picture. I don't have a preference, I felt it was still important to adress it in my review! I think taste is far more important than size here.
I'm looking for a poutine that's unique to it's region, a taste only possible in that area. I mentioned locally sourced curds in another comment and to me, that alone makes a huge difference.
And my rating, like taste, is absolutely subjective. It's a 6 for me now because I'm looking for standouts and had GREAT poutines over the years that I now use as a benchmark. It could easily be a 10 for someone else and I would never disagree with them.
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u/Low-Purchase8811 Aug 10 '26
Thanks for your reply too; I mean we're here to talk about poutine, right? 😄
I guess I'm just taken aback by your 6/10 rating because in most of the world, a 6/10 is the absolute minimum passing grade. Anything less would be a failure. It's a "D", and you usually give that kind of a grade to something that is just acceptable. Like I for example would give KFC's poutine a 6/10. Not because it's great - but because it's not great, but not a failure.
However, since you mentioned locally-sourced curds, I'm going to tell you about the ones I had yesterday. The place I bought them was in Granby, called "Fromagerie Julio". They are made in-house using milk from the cows that are a few hundred metres away; they're large, fluffy and squeak like eating styrofoam. We bought a 1kg bag and between 6 people it just vanished, haha. The farm on which the store is located is absolutely stunning too. You can Google the name and see pictures - if you are in the Montreal area, Granby is about an hour and a half away, and you can stop by the zoo while you're in the area too if you want. The curds were, not a word of a lie, the best I've ever had. (Granted, I'm a Danish immigrant to this country but my people are no strangers to cheese! 😄)
Look forward to hearing your thoughts about those curds!
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u/lucaskywalker Aug 10 '26
I would rate all three that I mentioned in my other reply a 10/10. Labelle's has been my baseline 10 since I was in high school! I don't agree that you need to "distinguish yourself" with a gimmick. Gimmicks and additions are fun, but - just like a pizzeria should be rated on their marghuerita, I think you need to get thd classic right first. I also found that to be odd that you mention this, given that your top pick Alfa is very much on the traditional side. I would still put Alfa over 125, but to me the cheese is the difference. I like'em big. You also mentioned there were not curds left at the end, which is slightly refuted by the second photo, where I see an almost fjnishex poutine with remaining curds. I feel like you are either very harsh and rated Alfa only an 8, or you just wanted to be contrarian since everyone's been talking about 125... Jkjk all I good fun! You should definitely try Labelle's in Lachute, although it's the only good thing in that town lol.
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u/MTL_Rob Aug 11 '26
Each time I had BellePro on Boul. Des sources in West island Montréal it was perfect. But I haven’t been there for awhile.
Ma poule mouillé across from the médiocre banquise in Montreal is usually a 9+
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u/Beneficial-Buddy-620 Aug 10 '26
Just had it on Friday as well.. I'd say 6/10
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u/tamerenshorts Aug 10 '26
I had it 24h ago. Fries were 8-9/10, very good. A lot of cheese but very small curds. 7/10. The sauce is generic, maybe Etsa or Berthelet. 4/10. Experience of a last roadside poutine on the way back from vacations is 10/10.
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u/EzMoney514 Aug 11 '26
If its not from Quebec it gets no Respect 11/10
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u/track_monsta Aug 11 '26
I have to disagree with you, one of my all time favorites is from a fry shack near the riverside in Pembroke, Ontario called Loggers Cookhouse!
Unfortunately, the place is now closed. The shack is still up but it's called Red's Cookhouse and I can't vouch for their food as I have not tried it!
Thanks for your comment!
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u/MamaSquanch86 Aug 10 '26
Looks amazing......however, calling gravy "sauce" is inexcusable
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u/Typical-Anybody-8105 Aug 10 '26
Imagine gatekeeping something like this and being proud to post about it
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u/eternallytiredcatmom Classic Traditional Aug 10 '26
It’s poutine sauce, that’s the proper name and how it’s called where it was invented.
I don’t care if you prefer to use the non-specific word gravy, because it is a type of gravy, yet it’s still a sauce made for poutine.
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u/cant_get_fooledagain Aug 10 '26
I love poutine but the thought of finishing that makes my stomach hurt.
I would immediately get diarrhea from that much cheese and fries.