"Jasper in January" Festival - Poutine Showdown

Every January, the town of Jasper leans all the way into winter. The festival, Jasper in January, fills the streets with live music, sleigh rides, stargazing, and one event we could not resist: the Poutine Showdown. Local restaurants each build their most creative, comforting, or over the top take on the Canadian classic, and the whole town votes for a champion.

We decided to take the voting a little more seriously than most. Over six days we tracked down as many entries as we could and scored every one on three things: Presentation, Uniqueness, and Flavour. Nineteen poutines later, our arteries were clogged and we had a very clear picture of who deserved the crown.

Here is every poutine we tried, ranked from the ones we regret to the one we would drive back for.

The Leaderboard

Rank	Poutine	Where	Overall
1	Seafood Poutine	Fiddle River	9.2
2	Alberta Braised Rib Poutine	Stanley's Kitchen & Bar	9.0
3	Movie Screen Poutine	The Maligne Range	8.8
4	Whole Elota Love	Whistle Stop	8.5
5	Beef Poutine in Coconut Sauce	Mad Grizzly	8.3
6	Evil Dave's Poutine	Evil Dave's Grill	8.2
7	Maple Bacon Cheeseburger Poutine	Caribou Cafe	8.0
8	Braised Beef Shank Poutine	The Whiskey Jack Grill	8.0
9	Brunch Short Rib Poutine	Harvest Food and Drink	7.7
10	Braised Beef Poutine	Raven	7.3
11	Beef & Chilli Poutine	Su Casa	7.3
12	Peppercorn Steak Poutine	Jasper Brewing Co.	7.2
13	Poutine Steak Au Poivre	O'Sheas (Athabasca)	6.5
14	Terra Poutine	Terra	6.5
15	Duck & Brie Poutine	Olive	6.3
16	Braised Beef Poutine	De'd Dog Bar & Grill	5.7
17	JPP Tourtière Poutine	Jasper Pizza Place	5.5
18	Pork Belly Poutine	Harvest Food and Drink	4.5
19	Ode to Karouzo's Potato Poutine	North Face Pizza	1.3

The Countdown

19. Ode to Karouzo's Potato Poutine — 1.3

North Face Pizza Presentation 1.5 · Uniqueness 1.0 · Flavour 1.5

Was quite disappointing from top to bottom. The gravy tasted powdered and the potatoes had none of the crispness you want, closer to boiled lemon potatoes than fries. The cheese chunks were good but nothing special or outstanding. A little green onion might have added some flavour or life to the plate, but this one just never came together.

18. Pork Belly Poutine — 4.5

Harvest Food and Drink Presentation 3.5 · Uniqueness 5.0 · Flavour 5.0

The greasiest poutine of the whole trip. The fries were decent but a bit soggy, and the pork belly chunks were well seasoned. However, we wished they had been laid on top as slices rather than scattered through the sauce as nibs. If they were going for an Asian style pork belly, it was cooked well, but the menu billed it as chicharrón. We were expecting a crispier pork with a real crunch. The pico de gallo added freshness, but there was barely any of it, and the squeeze of lime struggled to cut through an already oily bowl. The gravy was savoury but carried a grit that made the texture hard to enjoy.

17. JPP Tourtière Poutine — 5.5

Jasper Pizza Place Presentation 9.0 · Uniqueness 4.0 · Flavour 3.5

The pastry crust on top was a genuinely cool idea and tasty too, but it was the only special thing here. The fries tasted like frozen grocery store fries, the gravy was so simple it bordered on powdered instant. The minced ground beef that was supposed to round out the Torte was lacking uniqueness. Great to look at but not much underneath.

16. Braised Beef Poutine — 5.7

De'd Dog Bar & Grill Presentation 4.0 · Uniqueness 6.0 · Flavour 7.0

The braised beef was soft and melted in your mouth, though it needed more spice. Standard fries were plain with no skin. The real highlight was the mushrooms that were cooked/seasoned perfectly and soaked up the gravy for burst of flavour. The gravy itself was thin but complex, with a sweetness from the wine and a savoury layer from a shallot jam. A lot of great flavour held back by a poor presentation.

15. Duck & Brie Poutine — 6.3

Olive Presentation 7.0 · Uniqueness 8.0 · Flavour 4.0

The gravy had a pleasant sweet aftertaste, and the duck was well cooked and soft with a slightly gamey finish. The problem was the fat. The bacon left a greasy aftertaste that fought the gravy, and the whipped brie piled on more gamey, oily notes. An ambitious build that ended up heavier than it needed to be.

14. Terra Poutine — 6.5

Terra Presentation 6.5 · Uniqueness 4.5 · Flavour 8.5

A rich, deep gravy with savoury mushroom and herb notes. We missed the bacon element, though it may have been melted into the gravy for the depth of flavour without the grease. Good skin on potatoes with a nice crunch rather than soggy. The steak bites were seasoned perfectly but cooked well done when we would have preferred medium rare. For presentation, we would have liked to see them laid across the top rather than tucked in.

13. Poutine Steak Au Poivre — 6.5

O'Sheas (Athabasca) Presentation 7.5 · Uniqueness 5.0 · Flavour 7.0

Real skin on fries with a perfectly cooked steak. Can't say much though when you play it safe, a poutine with a steak on top and not much of a twist. The hints of peppercorn was a really nice touch but quite faint which made it easy to miss. Would have loved to see the peppercorn infused into the gravy. The caramelized onions were sweet and well caramelized but overcooked to mushiness.

12. Peppercorn Steak Poutine — 7.2

Jasper Brewing Co. Presentation 8.5 · Uniqueness 5.0 · Flavour 8.0

This one got the peppercorn right. It was prominent and added a real backbone to the gravy, along with scallions that brought a little kick on top. The steak was cooked perfectly though slightly bigger cuts would have been ideal. The fries were standard but the presentation stood out. A nice base of fries topped with steak layered on one side and scallions on the other.

11. Beef & Chilli Poutine — 7.3

Su Casa Presentation 9.0 · Uniqueness 6.5 · Flavour 6.5

Not really a gravy at all, more of a tomato chilli sauce, which made it stand apart. The beef was perfectly cooked and seasoned. This made for a fantastic presentation on the plate. The flavour was unique but missing something, maybe a spice or a hit of acidity to tie it all together.

10. Braised Beef Poutine — 7.3

Raven Presentation 6.5 · Uniqueness 7.0 · Flavour 8.5

Simple done well. The beef was cooked nicely, the simple gravy was thick and creamy, and the caramelized onions added a welcome sweetness. The fries were plain with no skin. Not flashy, but it delivered where it counted.

9. Brunch Short Rib Poutine — 7.7

Harvest Food and Drink Presentation 9.0 · Uniqueness 8.0 · Flavour 6.0

Without the hollandaise, this was genuinely great. The short rib was well cooked and crisped for a nice pan fried edge. The red peppers were charred perfectly for a bit of aroma and sweetness. With the hollandaise, it fell apart. The sauce was too buttery and piled oil onto an already oily dish. The lemon was too sharp and the eggs came out overcooked Beautiful to look at, but without the hollandaise the concept stops being a poutine and becomes a breakfast bowl.

A note from the other side of the table: Paul is wrong. His assessment is skewed by a cold and a total lack of taste. This was the best one and it is a 9 across the board (ordered without the hollandaise, obviously).

8. Braised Beef Shank Poutine — 8.0

The Whiskey Jack Grill Presentation 8.5 · Uniqueness 6.5 · Flavour 9.0

The braised beef shank was delicious and cooked beautifully. The touch of molasses gave the whole thing a lovely sweetness which brought the dish together. It was missing the smoke it promised, since we could not really taste the smoked paprika. They used standard skinless fries but the flavour carried it.

7. Maple Bacon Cheeseburger Poutine — 8.0

Caribou Cafe Presentation 8.0 · Uniqueness 8.5 · Flavour 7.5

Well seasoned and a lot of fun. The beef carried a barbecue sauce flavour and chopped pickles cut through it with a nice acidic balance. Regular cheese curds didn't add anything unique but stood its ground. Tasty if unremarkable gravy. The arugula and onions on top made for a good looking plate. It was very oily and reminded us a little of a Sloppy Joe, in the best way.

6. Evil Dave's Poutine — 8.2

Evil Dave's Grill Presentation 8.5 · Uniqueness 8.5 · Flavour 7.5

The gravy was a touch too simple and not especially rich but a creamy aioli added a nice layer over top. The boar bacon was well seasoned but a little chewy and the chicken was perfectly seasoned but ran a little dry. The old cheddar brought a distinctive flavour, though we did miss the classic stringy curds. The fries were Costco style, thicker but dependable and cooked to a nice crsip. The mushrooms were a little plain but cooked well, and could have used cracked pepper or a caramelize.

5. Beef Poutine in Coconut Sauce — 8.3

Mad Grizzly Presentation 7.0 · Uniqueness 9.0 · Flavour 9.0

The coconut sauce was the star, a surprising and welcome twist on the classic gravy, with a smooth richness that deepened the whole bowl. The fries were nothing special but tasty.The onions were cooked perfectly, keeping their crunch while losing any pungent flavour. Everything in the plate served a purpose and complemented really well. Presentation was the weak point, more a blob of beef dropped on top than a layered plate.

4. Whole Elota Love — 8.5

Whistle Stop Presentation 8.0 · Uniqueness 9.0 · Flavour 8.5

A great looking plate: a base of fries, generous chunks of cheese, layered steak, and green and red onions on top. The sauce was creamy and savoury without being too salty, with a good bit of spice. The cheese curds were the best of the trip, easily the squeakiest we had. The steak bites were a little tough but well seasoned, and the whole dish worked together impressively well.

3. Movie Screen Poutine — 8.8

The Maligne Range Presentation 7.5 · Uniqueness 9.5 · Flavour 9.5

The wild card of the whole Showdown, and it earned its spot. This was a dessert poutine, and it pulled it off. The cheesecake curds were cold, fluffy, and perfectly sweet. The churro fries were crisp with a nice crunchy layer and not too sugary. Paired with the chocolate and salted caramel for that ideal sweet and salty swing. Completely different from everything else we tried and delicious.

2. Alberta Braised Rib Poutine — 9.0

Stanley's Kitchen & Bar Presentation 9.5 · Uniqueness 9.0 · Flavour 8.5

We were starving walking in, which never hurts, but this earned the score on its own. It rethought the poutine from the ground up. Imagine this swap tater tots for fries, a hollandaise style sauce for the gravy, and a perfectly poached egg. The sauce was savoury and rich with a mayo/egg yolk base giving it an umami flavour. Smooth and perfectly seasoned with red peppers lending a subtle sweetness. Our one gripe was the tots, which were baked rather than fried and missed that even golden crunch. So tasty as a dish, but so far from tradition that we struggled to call it a poutine.

1. Seafood Poutine — 9.2 🏆

Fiddle River Presentation 9.0 · Uniqueness 9.0 · Flavour 9.5

Our champion. A deliciously creamy sauce over crab and lobster that were cooked perfectly and never once turned fishy. A generous pile of cheese curds and despite standard fries they were prefectly crunchy. Unique, indulgent, and the one plate from the whole trip we would happily order again tomorrow.

Final thoughts

Six days, nineteen poutines, and the need to never see a poutine again. The Showdown had everything, from a dessert poutine to a seafood bowl worth the crown. If you find yourself in the Rockies next January, do yourself a favour and eat your way through this festival. Just maybe pace yourself better than we did.

Champion: Fiddle River.
Robbed, allegedly: The Harvest Brunch Short Rib.

The debate continues.