Fast Food Poutine

Fast Food joints typically get a bad rap when it comes to their ability to do the poutine justice. This is likely justified, but I have heard about some shining examples.

Ed’s Sub apparently makes a kick-a** poutine. I’ve been told the same of Dixie Lee and KFC, but I find the KFC endorsement to be … ummm … unlikely.

Wendy’s however, has not been so highly praised. Indeed, a colleague of mine (and unrepentant health preacher) partook of a Wendy’s poutine after reading my blasphemy (to her) praising poutines in general. Why she chose Wendy’s remains a mystery, and I was not surprised to hear her say she was not impressed.

Mind you, she did express that it may have had more to do with the idea that she was ingesting a poutine than where she was eating it from. As I said earlier, she’s a health nut. I mean that in the nicest way. :o)

So, I took it upon myself to see what was up with Wendy’s. Was it simply a case of Where’s the Curds? or just bad fries or poor gravy (sauce) or some combination of these variables?

First of all, I have to give the American fast food chain’s Canadian arm a huge thumbs-up for their Facebook campaign to have the poutine recognized as a national dish in Canada. However, as some commentators have pointed out, it already is a national dish for some people.

But, let’s not get political with the poutine. I believe Wendy’s just wants to share this dish with all Canadians – much the same reasoning for why I am writing this Blog to begin with.

A significant part of this Facebook campaign is Wendy’s Poutition. Just as you likely have, I’ve recently seen commercials on television advertising it. Signing the petition will allow you to print off a coupon that provides a discount on the poutine when you order a combo meal. I did so.

Secondly, I don’t know if it was the low expectations due to it being a fast food joint and the recent remarks of my colleague, but the Wendy’s poutine wasn’t half bad. I actually enjoyed it. It even looked good – not as good as the commercials, but that can be said of all fast food.

Perhaps my only major complaint was the portion size, but given that I used the coupon, value-for-money was certainly achieved.

After all the calculations are made, Wendy’s gets a 0.74/1 score. Not bad. That being said, it scored highest on value because of the coupon.

Without the coupon, the Wendy’s poutine would have only scored 0.66.

So, all in all, if you want poutine now and you want it close by – as Dave made sure every Fast Food Avenue has a Wendy’s – then it is certainly a suitable joint to get your quick fix. This is especially true if you have a Poutition coupon in your back pocket!

May your curds stay squeaky.