I honestly don't know where to start with this one. I suppose I'll start at the bottom, and explain the "Canadian with a craving" that is my suitemate Chloe. Chloe the Canadian was craving some Canadian food: poutine. Luckily, there is a "Poutinerie" in Berkeley: Smoke's Poutinerie. So we went. And bought poutine. Lots of it.
It was my first time trying poutine, so I honestly don't know what I was expecting. I had heard many good things about it from various people, and since the dish is basically potato fries topped with cheese curds and gravy, it couldn't possibly taste bad. I was considering trying the original poutine, but decided that would be too boring, so I went with Chicken Bacon Ranch. I wanted a snack size, but that topping wasn't available for that size, so I went with a meal size.
If "Bacon Ranch" didn't warn me already, the message on the wall saying, "Clogging arteries since 2008!" should have, but for some reason I was not expecting it to be so loaded with fat. For most people this shouldn't be a problem, but it is for me, because eating excessive amounts of fat will give me a headache that renders me incapable of functioning. I suppose it's my body's natural way of preventing me from gaining too much weight, and for that I am thankful, otherwise I would be much larger than I currently am, but it also prevents me from eating a lot of delicious food.
»Portions: [5/5] A "meal size" box is definitely sufficient for the average person. There is also a smaller "snack size" and a larger "wow size." If you eat in, the toppings often pile higher than the box, so there is no lack of food at all.
»Price: [4/5] This order was just shy of $10, so while it is affordable, it's not somewhere a broke college student would eat at frequently. However, I did order a special topping and medium box, so a plain smaller size would definitely be more budget friendly.
»Value: [4.5/5] The poutine was definitely quality, so I'd say that the $10 was worth it.
»Cleanliness: [5/5] I definitely did not notice any crumbs on the counters and the tables, or even the ground, which was quite pleasant. Napkins were also easily accessible everywhere.
»Atmosphere: [3.5/5] I blame the heat in the poutinerie partly on the weather, which reached over 90˚F today. Other than that, the staff made it a very friendly environment to eat in.
»Service: [4/5] The staff was very helpful in explaining how the sizing and toppings worked. The order didn't take too long to be ready, and as we were getting ready to leave, the staff noticed Chloe struggling with the box, and offered her a paper bag to hold everything in.
»Overall: [4/5] The poutine was good, I can't deny that, but there was simply so much of it. I only was able to eat about half the box (I saved the rest in the fridge and my other roommates finished it off). Maybe next time I'll order something with fewer toppings and see if that is more manageable. I like the restaurant and I like the food, but personally I don't think I would visit frequently simply because I can't handle the fat. Still, I would recommend if you try it if you are in Berkeley and want something Canadian and filling to eat. ◊
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