Trip de bouffe — Restaurant in Montreal

It was a rainy October afternoon when I decided to stop by Trip de Bouffe to grab a quick lunch. Usually when I walk by, the place has a lineup to the door, but likely due to the weather - and my late lunch - the restaurant had a calm energy I’ve rarely seen there.

Inside, there’s a small seating area by the window flanked by walls covered with art and local event fliers. Towards the counter are shelves stacked with Lebanese snacks and desserts along with fridges filled with ready to eat meals and Lebanese cheeses.

I scanned the extensive menu and ordered a Poulet Regulier: marinated chicken with cheese rolled into a soft pita with pickled turnip, tomato, onion, olive, labneh and mint.

I only realized afterwards that adding all these toppings is an extra $2.50 (+$1 for the labneh) - which turned my $9 pita into $14. A fair price but more than I planned to spend on lunch.

The pita was delicious and the addition of the mint was a clever way to add sweetness while the Labneh (soft cheese) added creaminess to the mix. I do wish there was a bit more chicken but as a whole it was quite substantial.

The atmosphere here really shines in the summer, when avenue mont-royal is pedestrian and you can enjoy your meal on their outdoor set up of...

Have eaten, their food about 20 times over the last one year. The staff is the best thing at this place, they are welcoming smile, patient listening to the different combo replacements substitutes that I asked for, and always willing to add the extra sauce to my rice. The decor is homey, a few retro, vintage, knickknacks from around the world, just like my place. The food, hmm. The choices are plenty, the takeout prepared food ready to go home and eat is better than the fresh ,. Why so a Mediterranean cuisine is healthy because of its freshness and quality ingredients, freshness is a hit or miss in the prepared (plats chauds) food section. the goods: Mujadara ( lentil +rice ) is a winner, sn the chick pea stew, also the bassa fillet, with mild spices. My gripe: tabouli salad, doesn't have fresh parsley- definately ot made everyday/day of today: how is that possible 8 out of 10 times this is my experience. Summer sexy salad =cucumbers - at least a day old with fresh tomatoes - phew. Holy moly guacamole- avocado was fresh- the rest was recycled. the food is visually appealing, the choices are plenty, the decor/endroit is clean+pleasant, the staff is gracious and friendly, prices are avg plateau, ($$) the food............room for...

Be careful with their takeaway containers that they fill at the counter from the premade hot section. I paid $8 for a small thing of beef yogurt kofta from this section. There were literally three small meatballs in it. Unfortunately they don't tell you that they load the bottom of the container with mostly rice as they're filling the container from behind the counter where you can't see them, so by the time I got home all the yogurt sauce was absorbed into the rice and I massively overpaid for a lot of cheap, parboiled rice that was now soggy. Additionally, while the food isn't overall bad quality here, I always find it relatively flavorless. There are much better options for Levantine food in Montreal. I've been going off and on for years, but the rice switcheroo means I won't return, because I can tolerate mediocre homemade style food, but I don't like being shortchanged for a very...