Food Review: Le Gros Jambon Diner

Nestled inside the streets of Old Montreal on rue Notre-Dame, this quaint diner called Le Gros Jambon was our perfect oasis after trekking all over town to find the 'right' place for lunch.

It was close to 2:30pm, when we arrived, so the place was empty.

Although the seats were empty, the staff was another thing. The manager named Shawn greeted us with a bright smile and told us to sit anywhere. Once we glossed through the very unique decorum, we were told that under the table each bar stool had it's own hook. What an interesting idea! With my handbag and shopping bags in hand, I hooked them there and freed my hands with relief. Not only did we feel much at home (letting down our bags) but they also had a coat rack in the back by the washrooms. So far, my impression of this place was good.

My friend and I were beyond starving and everything looked good. They had everything from sandwiches and burgers to Mac n Cheese, Hot Dogs and Grilled Cheese. Before we could make a decision, Shawn came over to have a little chat with us. He was very pleasant and let us in on the food and the origin of the place. The top 2 must-eats were their Captain Crunch Monte Cristo Sandwich and the Coca Cola Burger. He told us with much passion of its exquisite homemade ingredients will fit our tastebuds.

The burger was sensational. Wow! Double Wow! Triple Wow!  My first bite in most burgers are usually great (cause I love burgers), however every bite dented into this coca cola burger was absolutely divine. This was the first time I ever had a burger that had a butter-like cream sauce for taste with just hint of sweetness that came from the coca cola. The secret was their homemade mayo. There was also an element of crunch that came from their thinly slice and deep-fried pickles. The bun was light and not too dense and homemade.  I think I fell in love! This is my kind of burger.

The second must-have item is the Captain Crunch Monte Cristo sandwich. It's called Captain Crunch because they use it to batter and deep fry their homemade bread.  Between the bread were slices of cured lamb ham. The meat was very tender. To top it off, they had sweet tasting beans. In one bite, you need to to put everything in your mouth to really get the full experience of the sandwich. In all honesty, I didn't think it would be that good, but once it hit my tongue and down my throat, my taste buds were jumping up and down with excitement. That was one good sandwich. My only pet peeve was it's size. Being wandering-ly hungry, the Monte Cristo made have only filled half our stomachs. But the taste definitely made up for it.

But this was not the end of our experience at Le Gros Jambon. Oh no! Shawn enticed us with one of their homemade white chocolate chip cookies from their desserts' table in the front of the store.

The cookie was big and big! I wouldn't say that it was the best I ever had, but it tasted good. 

We got to chat a little more with the restaurant manager and he seemed like a really fun guy and boss. Their service was good and some more. I thoroughly enjoyed the way he showed his love and dedication to his work. 

The unexpected and much appreciated trip to Le Gros Jambon was just as much delight to our trip to Montreal and for our stomachs. 

Rating it 5/5