La Poutinerie is EPCOT’s newest World Showcase dining location, making the Canadian classic, poutine, a permanent staple. La Poutinerie replaced the Refreshment Port which also sold poutine but was not part of the Canada pavilion and offered little theming with a mixed-variety menu. The new food booth is sponsored by Air Canada with beautiful details and Canadian ambassador Cast Members, adding to the authentic feel.
The menu features two different types of poutine, alcoholic beverages, and a spiced apple slush. La Poutinerie is a walk-up counter only so you’ll need to find a nearby bench to enjoy your poutine.
The best Air Canada detail is the vintage-style arrivals board that doubles as fun Canadian trivia questions.
Montréal: Viande Fumée – French fries, cheese curds, smoked meat, pickles, and mustard gravy – $12.49
The first noticeable difference between the new and old EPCOT poutine is the fries – they’re no longer the standard Disney Quick Service fries. The hand-cut, fresh French fries are so tasty and go a long way to elevate this dish and make it unique to World Showcase. The Montreal poutine offers an interesting combination of flavors. The smoked meat is brisket and more similar to corned beef in flavor. The mustard in the gravy isn’t overpowering and compliments the beef well. However, the combination of it with the acidity from the chopped baby gherkins and squeaky cheese curds was a little confusing. Still good and very filling but I would opt for the more basic, Québec version next time.
Spiced Apple Mule – frozen ginger beer blended with lively lime and cozy spiced apple flavors with Iceberg Canadian Vodka – $14.50
The former Refreshment Port was a go-to spot of mine for interesting mule-style cocktails that were a decent value at Disney. Needless to say, I was very glad to see the Spice Apple Mule on the La Poutinerie menu. The spices in the mule definitely give holiday vibes and bring out the taste of vodka. The ginger beer flavor is very strong and there’s even a piece of ginger candy in the cocktail. Because the ginger beer is so overpowering, the Spiced Apple Mule isn’t a home run for me.
Overall, La Poutinerie is a great addition to EPCOT! Since the two items I tried weren’t total winners, I do hope the menu evolves for different festivals like the upcoming International Food & Wine Festival. The theming and addition to the Canada pavilion is a thoughtful way to bring in new life at World Showcase.
