Ex-Habs player P.K. Subban loves this Montreal poutine and declared it the city's 'finest'

"CRAAAAAAAAAAAAZY POUTINE👀 best in 514!?"

P.K. Subban on the ice in his Montreal Canadiens uniform as he plays NHL hockey. Right: A plate of poutine from Montreal's Restaurant A.A.

Former Habs player P.K. Subban. RIght: Poutine.

Senior Writer

It's a debate for the ages: where can one find the best poutine in all of Montreal? Whether you value the squeakiest cheese or the richest gravy, no one can seem to agree and every Montrealer has an opinion. Apparently, that includes former Montrealers, too. Even if they happen to be celebrities.

Over the weekend, retired NHL player and current ESPN analyst P. K. Subban, who was on the Montreal Canadiens team from 2009 to 2016, posted a photo of himself at one of the city's poutineries, captioning it: "Montréal’s Finest [...] CRAAAAAAAAAAAAZY POUTINE👀 best in 514!?"

The comments section is filled with agreement, one person calling it "[The] best poutine in town no doubt" and another saying, "Only the real ones know" — which seems to be true when you consider that this restaurant was not ranked in the top 9 "most notorious" Montreal poutine spots, according to Google Data, when MTL Blog compiled our list in 2023.

For Subban, the answer to the 'great Montreal poutine debate' seems pretty clear. His pick for the top place to get this delectable Quebecois dish (or at least one of his top picks) is Restaurant A.A. in Saint-Henri.

The no-frills, greasy-spoon, casse-croûte-style institution — which stays open until 4 or 5 a.m. all week long — has been in business since 1962. In fact, Subban's post shows him arm-in-arm with the original owner, Andre Annoussos, who has been behind the fryer since he opened the joint 60-odd years ago, turning the restaurant and himself into local legends.

While not on our Google-ranked poutineries list, A.A. has been featured on countless "best of" lists, such as MTL Blog's list of The best Montreal restaurants for late-night food — and it has 4.5 stars on Google with 500+ reviews.

If you want to give it a shot (yes, that's a hockey pun), head on over to 3702, rue Notre-Dame O. any time after 4 p.m. (or stumble in before 4 a.m.).

Who knows? You might even wind up dining with a Habs player.

This article's cover image was used for illustrative purposes only.

  • Ilana Belfer
  • Editor

    Ilana Belfer (she/her) was an editor for MTL Blog. She's obsessed with great storytelling in all its forms having worked in print, radio, television, theatre, and digital media over the past decade. A graduate of Carleton University’s journalism program, her words have appeared in The Globe and Mail, the Toronto Star, The Kit, VICE, Salon, Foodism TO & more — covering everything from cam girls to COVID-19. Ilana can usually be found with her dog André, tracking down Montreal’s prettiest ruelles vertes and tastiest treats.

Quebec just launched a free tool that shows you where gas is cheapest near you

It pulls live gas prices from more than 2,500 service stations.

Canada Post is ending door-to-door mail delivery and here's what that means for Canadians

The days of getting your mail without leaving the house may be over.

Montreal recorded over 300 break-ins in March alone — Here's which areas are most affected

Montreal could finish the year with somewhere around 5,200 break-ins.

What's open and closed in Montreal this Easter long weekend

Don't do your shopping at the last minute.

Some Canadian parents are getting over $650 per child from the government this month

It's designed to help families cover everyday costs like groceries, daycare, and clothing.

Canada has a new $2 coin and it glows in the dark

It's only the second Canadian circulation coin to ever feature that technology.

5 passport mistakes Canadians make that could ruin your next trip

3% of Canadians have forgotten their passport on the way to the airport.