Le Boucan : Southern swagger on the grill

 
Sitting on the terrace at Le Boucan, you may feel you’re in a neighbour’s backyard, barbecuing in a nameless North American suburb. And to be quite honest, that’s exactly what you ought to be feeling. A relatively new addition to the crowd of restaurants that line Notre-Dame west of Peel, Le Boucan is a Southern style barbecue joint replete with the pulled pork, ribs and burgers that implies.

The interior has a rockabilly diner feel – red vinyl booths and white brick walls – but the menu is all business. Barbeque is about getting your hands dirty, and the people at Le Boucan know that, because each table is graced with a little bowl of wet napkins for all your messy pulled pork needs. I know I was glad not to miss out on a single bite of tangy, deliciously spiced pork shoulder.

Watch out though, because the portions are American-sized– if you want to try the bacon brownie(!) or pie in a glass, you’ll have to budget some stomach room. All mains come with two side dishes, and after the pulled pork and a refreshing, if simple green salad, I barely had any space left to steal my companion’s cajun fries (sweet and spicy – some of the best fries I’ve had in recent times), let alone tend to my own potato salad. Nonetheless, this should be a must-try for the carnivore in your life.
 

Le Boucan
1886, Notre-Dame W. | leboucan.com