Chez Gaston is everything you’d expect from a poky no-frills hole-in-the-wall casse-croute: a few tables, a makeshift counter, a ratty open kitchen, and the inescapable smell of grease. Word on the streets of Quebec City is that it’s good, so I gave it a shot.
Fries: The fries are almost spot-on. They have an astounding crisp, a nice mushy interior, and a golden color. The oil is quite fresh but it tastes too neutral. Shaking a little salt or seasoning onto the fries before adding the other ingredients would help (or using a more flavorful cooking oil). 25/30
Gravy: The sauce ruins what would otherwise be a good poutine. It tastes like your average bland powdered hot chicken sauce – I don’t particularly like the artificial herby beefy undertones. It lacks a bit of oomph and richness. There’s also way too much of it – the ingredients are drowning in sauce. 22/50
Ewwwwwwww…
Cheese: They use La Chaudière SKOUIK! SKOUIK! cheese. Chunks could be bigger, but no complaints about the squeak. Quantities of cheese are also quite decent, and would taste much better with a good sauce. 18/20
TOTAL SCORE:
65/100
Verdict: The fries and cheese are perfect, but the sauce works against the whole dish.
Price: Steep. Even though it’s located on the ungentrified back streets of Saint Roch, prices are a bit steep. I ended paying over $10 for a tiny poutine and a tiny cheeseburger.
Location: 332 Rue Dorchester, Québec, QC G1K 2W5.
