It's no secret that Canadians love their poutine and, from coast to coast to coast, you'll find that they all have strong opinions on it.
So, to get a better idea of what the best poutine out there is, I tried the dish from a few of the biggest fast food chains in Canada.
For this ranking, I got regular poutine from McDonald's, A&W, and Harvey's to see which one makes Canada's national dish the best.
Unfortunately, due to my location, I was unable to try the poutine from chains like Smokes, Wendy's or Burger King, which also come highly rated, so the jury is still out on those places.
However, from the three I tried, there was one clear winner.
McDonald's
McDonald's poutine.
Score: $5.30
An abject failure.
This one had a lot of potential, given how great McDonald's fries are, but it really does go to show you that not all really great things work well together.
Case in point, here the fries instantly get soggy when the gravy gets involved and the gravy has a pretty funky, almost plastic-y taste to it. It just doesn't taste all that authentic to me.
However, the cheese curds were surprisingly good! I found that they stood up to the heat and were nice and squeaky. And it does get the benefit of being the cheapest dish I tried.
Score: 1/5
Harvey's
Harvey's poutine.
Price: $6.20
This is one that really surprised me with how good it was, given I've never really had lot of Harvey's.
The proportions were good and the fries were nice, thick and crispy.
However, what got to me was how salty it was.
While, of course, poutine is generally going to be salty, this one knocked me back when I took a bite. I even said as much out loud.
While the whole dish was really well executed, I just felt that the saltiness and the overall heaviness kept this one from taking the top spot.
Score: 4/5
A&W
A&W poutine.
Price: $7.00
Now, this is the one right here.
This poutine perfectly balanced everything and is probably one of the best you can regularly get outside of a real poutinerie in Quebec.
The fries stay crispy and get just soggy enough, the cheese curds keep their shape and this one probably had the best-tasting gravy of all the three I tried.
While it is the most expensive, I think the extra money is worth it for how much I enjoyed it.
A real, tasty Canadian poutine.
Score: 5/5
And this isn't the only fast food chain that Narcity has reviewed. I've also looked at what chain coffee tastes the best as well as how the fast food breakfast sandwich rank.
Happy eating!
Colourful President’s Choice Mixiany Cherry TomatoesCourtesy of President's Choice
Fresh strawberries picked straight from the vine.Courtesy of President's Choice
Fresh greenhouse grown lettuceCourtesy of President's Choice
Fresh, juicy tomatoes on the vine. Courtesy of President's Choice 
A young woman pays respects to the victims of a fire that killed four soldiers at CFB Wainwright, at the Memorial Clock Tower on Main Street, in Wainwright, Alta., on Monday, Oct. 19, 2026.
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Christopher Katsarov
Canada-U.S. Trade Minister Dominic LeBlanc and Minister of Transport Steven MacKinnon prepare to appear before the Legislative Committee on Bill C-39 in the Parliamentary Precinct in Ottawa, on Monday, Oct. 19, 2026.
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Justin Tang
People arrive for advance voting at Stelly's Secondary School in Saanichton, B.C., on Friday, Oct. 16, 2026.
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chad Hipolito
A car burns at Republique square during a protest against rising living costs, joining students' grievances, in Paris, Saturday, Oct. 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)