How might one describe the sentiment of this review?
Okay, its been awhile since I wrote a review but there are some places that you can just never forget. There are places so memorable that they are forever etched in your mind. La Grande Terrasse is one such place. And its so memorable why ? Because it truly sets the bar for bad service....and the food is not much better. Let me start by saying I love Canada, I practically hum the Canadian National Anthem in my sleep. When I visit Canada I am always a bit unsure of just where to eat because of the whole language barrier thing and some times I take chances. They usually work out, but not this one. The restaurant is in a great location right in Jacques Cartier Square in the heart of Old Montreal. I went with my wife and a couple friends but unfortunately when we were seated it was also in a location directly in the 90 degree sun. So when the waiter finally graced us with his presence (after ignoring us for about 15 minutes) I quickly ordered an overpriced Bud Light Lime. After another fifteen minutes of involuntary tanning my beer arrived as well as some water for the rest of the table. The waiter then left again so we could have some (more) time to read the menu and continue browning. By the time our waiter made it back to the table the other tables around us had all been served meals. One of the meals had apparently been so good that the guests demanded thier money back and they wanted to immediately see a manager. Good luck with that, I was still waiting for a sighting of my waiter. While we waited we had plenty of time to watch the sparrows dive in from above and eat the scraps from the patio floor. Another nice touch was the wasps flying around everyone's head. There is nothing like some biting stinging insects to really add some ambiance to the experience. So after sitting for about 40 minutes we finally got to order some food. The menu was rather uninspiring but we were all so hungry that at that point we didn't even care. Our friends ordered Poutine with Vegetables, and A Sunshine Salad (somewhat appropriate considering where we were sitting).My wife also ordered Poutine, and I ordered the Steak Steak French Bread Sandwich with a side of Poutine. About another twenty minutes and all the food arrived. My side of Poutine was almost the same size as the entree portions at the rest of the table. Not only were the portions small but the Poutine was also not that good. The fries were frozen and that always just kind of depresses me. Mine was also not very hot, and the gravy was forgettable. The Steak Steak sandwich was mostly vegetables and tasted like roasted red peppers and half cooked onion more then anything else. Perhaps it should have been called a Veggie Veggie sandwich instead. What I did taste of steak tasted somewhat old and frost bitten. On the bright side, the French bread was actually pretty good. I didn't dare ask my friend about how her salad was...but it looked like a salad, and was probably more of a meal then the entree portions of Poutine that the others had. Of course the waiter took his time getting the check to us, and when he did the bill was not split correctly amongst us. At that point none of us cared so we quickly paid and hit the road, running, as fast as we could never to return.
negative