Le Boucan - A Review

We headed to Montreal's Griffintown for BBQ at Le Boucan on Friday night, all 11 of us including one vegetarian. Most of us arrived 15 minutes early for our 8pm reservations, but we had to wait 25 minutes for our table because the establishment only sits, at most, 35 people now that their terrace is closed. All 11 of us waited outside, patiently, mingling with each other while our tables got set up. The temperature that night was a stiff reminder of the cold wintry days to come. BRrrr!

At exactly 8.10pm we headed in and were seated with extremely loud music playing in the background. It was quite annoying but the hint of smokiness wafting in the air reaffirms that this was not a dive bar but a smokehouse. Loud music aside, Le Boucan's decor was nice and casual, it's feels like a place you want to chill and have a good mug of beer while enjoying some nicely smoked ribs. So, what's my verdict on the food? Let's just say that I didn't exactly go into Le Boucan and expect gourmet style meals but I did expect to have properly seasoned food at the very least.




I decided to go with their 'Pit Boss' platter to share with a friend. The 'Pit Boss' comes with half a bbq chicken, pulled pork, and 1/2 smoked ribs and all the sides; coleslaw, potato salad and fries. This is The platter at Le Boucan because it comprises everything that a smokehouse would stand for. The best part of this platter was actually the pulled pork, it was tender and tasty and I would go back for more if I was in the neighborhood. However, I was not impressed with their 'famous smoked ribs' or their bbq chicken because they were a little overcooked, aka dry. It wasn't horrible but I can make ribs like that at home and better tasting bbq chicken. The chicken was under seasoned, which is my biggest, biggest peeve. If it wasn't for the bbq sauce slathered all over the exterior of the poultry, it would have no taste. When food is not seasoned properly, no amount of sauce can mask that fact, and that is quite a shame. On the bright side, there are the side dishes. I really liked their coleslaw and potato salad. Both had a really nice zing that cuts into the heaviness of the meal. I really wished my friend and I had better tasting fries. Ours came in the shape of an old-style cone that propped up vertically on a stand, it was cute, but fries tastes like it had been left on the counter for hours - they were wrinkly and flaccid and tepid. Oddly enough, our other friends who ordered ribs with a side of salad and fries were pretty happy with their taters. Maybe it was just our fries, which begs the question "Why?".



Here's the quirkiest thing: The vegetarian, none other than my beloved P, absolutely LOVED his poutine. He declared that it was the best poutine he has ever tasted that is vegetarian, if it was truly 100% vegetarian. He lamented that the mac & cheese had potential but was under seasoned. Call me a snob if you want but I think being served under seasoned food falls under the worse-food-crime-category for any restaurant - how can you not season your food well and still open a restaurant?

Overall, I thought the BBQ at Le Boucan was mediocre and my dinner was saved by the pulled pork and their side dishes. The cause for concerns brought up by Chef Adjey when they were showcased in his show, The Opener, are still there, unfortunately. It is a possibility that they haven't completely mastered their smoker's temperature or ease into the right rhythm yet. But under seasoning their food is really unacceptable by my books - if I wanted to eat under seasoned food, I would much rather cook at home and my food is rarely under seasoned unless it is intentional. Service at the restaurant was acceptable, our glasses were always filled and the wait staff was tentative enough.



I honestly think Le Boucan deserves a second chance but I am not sure when that second chance will materialize after this meal. I am still interested in their 5-napkin burger, however, but maybe I'll ask one of my dining guests about it instead.