Elysse P.
Yelp
I've eaten at La Boulette semi-regularly for a couple of years now. Their location by Cinéma Beaubien makes it an easy choice if you want something to eat before watching your film.
The first thing that stands out about La Boulette is how bad the service can be on busy nights. Because the restaurant takes no reservations, you're almost certainly in for a wait on a Friday or Saturday evening. And the wait isn't all. If you're planning on taking your time with a beer and a burger then you can count on rushed service and then being rushed right out the door. This has happened to me several times and to a couple of friends as well (one of whom said the servers' attitudes rivaled only those of their Parisian counterparts). This can be particularly stressful when you consider the proximity of their tables to one another - La Boulette has got to be one of the most "intimate" burger joints on the map. On a quiet night, you can count on the service being acceptable, nothing more, and
In terms of what you're eating, I will say that the quality of their burger patty is usually pretty reliable. The meat is always well-done, and the buns are nice and fresh. However, I've had a bacon cheeseburger with completely burnt bacon, and a blue cheese burger that was more blue cheese than burger. Lack of ketchup, or even an offer of, is also a downer. Yes, I went there - burgers are American, not French, and thus require a bit more attention to condiments than a dollop of mayonnaise, no? Their fries, however, have every right to be as French as they are, but on more than one occasion they've been sadly over-salted and I couldn't gobble them with the gusto they deserve. House salad is pretty standard: spring greens with a lackluster balsamic house vinaigrette. Can't see the extra 3 dollars for having half salad, half fries. It's just not worth it. Poutine, very good if you like a lot of sauce. If not, you might want to ask them to slack.
At this point, you might as why I keep going back. Well, as I said above, it's close to the theatre. But with the prices being what they are - 17 dollars for a simple burger platter - I think we're paying more for the fact that we're eating at La Boulette than we are for what's on our plates.