La Belle Patate

West End, Vancouver · Fast Food · $

Poutine is Canada's most contested dish - sacred to Québécois, remixed by everyone else - and La Belle Patate is where Vancouver takes the argument seriously. The name means "beautiful potato" in Québécois slang, and the fries justify it: thick-cut, twice-fried, buried under squeaky fresh curds and proper gravy. It's become a West End institution for exactly the reason all great late-night spots do - it's exactly what you want at 2am.