When All Else Fails

The Pitch

Today my wife and I found ourselves wandering the streets of Saint-Henri in search of a brunch spot.  The hunt would prove challenging; all the hotspots from Arthurs and Eva to L'Avenue and Foiegwa had one-hour-plus waits on this fine Sunday morning.

Not one for waiting in line, let alone in the cold while nursing a hangover, we headed for Greenspot.  The area's casse-croûte par excellence still made us wait a bit for a table, but I will take a few minutes indoors over an eternity outside any day.

tagged:  BRUNCH HANGOVER CURE WAIT IN LINE

The Mood

My previous review here being the first time I visit Greenspot while sober, today would ironically be the flipside of the coin.  After all, what better than a no-frills diner the morning after a heavy night of drinking?  The bustling room was packed with a bummy crowd of all ages – I guess the cool kids are at the trendy places which turned us away.

The Food

I was pleased to know that Greenspot's full menu was available as early as 10:45AM; but I felt that would be too evil at this time, so opted for their breakfast fare.  All the usual suspects make an appearance from egg-toast-potato combos to pancakes, French toast, waffles, omelettes and eggs benedict.

It's all standard grade on paper and on the plate, and I was not expecting otherwise.  My smoked meat omelette loaded into a sub was a tad dry and dull – although still fun to scarf down in my state – while the fruits to the side were shamefully sapless.  Given the caliber of the locale, this is what one comes for and it certainly hit the spot.

Breakfast

Breakfast

$9.25

$9.25

Sunny-Side-Up Egg & Sausages

"served hash brown potatoes, toast, fèves au lard, fruit & coffee"

Breakfast

Breakfast

$16.65

$16.65

TOM Omelette Sub

"smoked meat & swiss cheese omelette in submarine bread"

The Service

The busy dining room's hustle and bustle was a confluence of patrons waiting for a table at the entrance, others queued to pay at the cash register, staff running all over the place and cooks at work behind the counter.  Orders were taken promptly, dishes arrived soon after and coffee mugs were refilled when asked.  No complaint there.

However, we had two separate waitresses: one grumpy, the other jovial.  Then you have a manager-looking type repeatedly hovering around tables who are done eating in a thinly-veiled attempt to get them to make way for the next party.  Let's just agree that service can be rough around the edges here.

tagged:  TABLE-TURNER

The Verdict

As a (wannabe) food critic, I may sound a harsh and overly-scathing of the food and service in today's review.  In the end, every restaurant should be reviewed against what it's trying to be and what else there is in the city along the same lines.  Not every restaurant needs to innovate, follow trends or go against the grain.

In this regard, Greenspot may be seen as a garden-variety casse-croûte not unlike the hundreds on offer in Montreal.  But it really is more than that.  Open since 1947, its emblematic corner locale and large, retro dining room combined with its classic-but-famous hot dogs and 27 varieties of poutine make it a local favourite of Le Sud-Ouest.

I will always gladly come here for daytime or nighttime grub.  As for breakfast, I can think of better places nearby, assuming they have space!

tagged:  PLAN B.

Price per person:  $17.70