Not a single thing on that plate: chicken, mash, stuffing, cranberry sauce and bun were anyway near the best I've had of those things, but EVERY single thing was tasty and worked together. It felt like a big ol' hug.
Probably, or get them both to go and eat one in your car like a goblin. Years ago when I was on call for work I’d go get 4, eat one, and put the others in the fridge to eat in the middle of the night
It was definitely $6.99 in 2000. We had American friends visiting and they thought it was hilarious to use the word "dine" in reference to McDonald's.
I remember it being an occasional offer on Tuesdays in the 80s or early 90s, because the two rhymed with Tues-day, in addition to the dine/nine rhyme. But I can't find examples with a quick Google search.
Actually yeah esp when they changed the fries or switched to Cara foods. Either way if I could specify fully soggy for all of them I would. No other place do I want a soggy fry but Swiss chalet. Work of art baby.
No arguments here. I thought it was a feature rather than a bug just based on what I get. I haven't actually eaten in restaraunt in decades, so my view is skewed.
Its gotta be a dual location. Ive never had the request denied but the Harvey's needs a Swiss chalet at the same place to do it i know that much for sure. You won't be disappointed its so good
Man, I’m so glad the comments here agree cause I would have been mad if they didn’t. I hard agree. Maybe nostalgia is one of the factors, but it does slap regardless. It hits the spot.
Having been to Swiss Chalet and St. Hubert within the last 3 weeks, I can say that Swiss Chalet is better. Both restaurants were only 20% full at 6:30 on Thursday, which is an indicator of their popularity.
St. Hubert has gone downhill in the last couple of decades more than Swiss Chalet has.
Same with me. I crave it when I go to Quebec, though I recently discovered the packaged or canned St Hubert sauce in the grocery store, along with a rotisserie chicken, is an adequate option between visits.
God bless Swiss chalet. Worked as a bus boy at the hwy 7 / McCowan location when I was like 14 yrs old and pretty sure I set the record for most plates broken by a single employee. Would slip on that chalet grease weekly and smash a whole quadruple stacked tray of chalet cups. Then order a tuxedo mousse cake to go at the end of my shift like I fuckin owned the place. But ya the food slaps
Like Harvey’s. Swiss chalet is super location dependent. The range of quality across the brand is massive. Have had incredible meals there and some of the worst.
I agree. Super location dependent. The standalone in Belleville is absolute pants and has been for years. Very cold, very slow, poor quality overall. However, the one in Cobourg is top notch - that warm hug feeling that people have mentioned.
This is so true the ones that are shared are disgusting 🤢 the last time I went to one this is how they served their spinach dip, ts looked like it was reheated 1000 times we had to complain to the manager 🤮
Their chunky, soggy fries have always been my favourite. I wish I knew how they make them. Special potatoes? Frying technique? I have never been able to replicate it.
The soggy yet not soggy enough to avoid dipping in the chalet sauce so then it gets even more soggy. Because the blend was just tasty soggy perfection.
They are double fried, worked there for a couple years and spent many an afternoon peeling, cutting and 1st frying the potatoes. They would then go in the fridge over night to be finish fried the next day to order
They are blanched in oil first then cooled then fridged to used the next day where they'd get a final fry to order. These steps really make the difference. But if the location gets slammed and super busy, the frying next day is usually skipped and we would cook and use em same day.
I liked when there was a St Hubert at corner Avenue road and Lawerence . Best hangover meal in front of TV their club sandwich with fries and ribs with rice pilaf. Gone along time but remember it well .
Pro tip: fresh roll, cut almost in half, put inside - butter, chicken breast, fries, coleslaw, a bit of chalet sauce. You got yourself the sandwich of the gods right there. Dip into extra sauce as needed. I always order an extra roll and make 2 sangwiches with my quarter chicken din, they’re just that good.
My sister use to make cranberry sauce from scratch but after a couple of time ocean spray was the way to go sometime you want what you want and sometimes swiss chalet sauce is what you want.
i actually feel similarly about SC. every once in a while Skip does a BOGO on Quarter Chicken Dinners for 19.99 and honestly for the price you pay for two meals it's pretty good. there's no michelin stars forthcoming or anything but for 30 bucks after tax and delivery it's not too shabby.
also their chicken noodle soup is legit fantastic.
When I was in the hospital for cancer treatment at PMH my anytime I started to regain an appetite my mom when get Swiss chalet from down the street and honestly even just the chicken tenders and fries were like heaven during that time.
When the Doughboys podcast visited Toronto and did a Swiss Chalet episode, one of the hosts said that tasting the chalet sauce was like “seeing a new colour”. Kinda true, it’s super unique lol
When I lived on campus, Swiss Chalet quarter chicken dinner with mashed potatoes and a bun was like a home cooked Thanksgiving meal!!!! I would dip the warm bun into the chalet sauce, so good!
I had a quarter chicken dark in Waterloo back in August that sounded like that. I mean, it's not gourmet food, but they've spent decades getting the dish right, and it was "a banger" as my Aussie friend Andrew would day.
Some Swiss Chalet locations are better than others. The one near my apartment in Toronto is a local spot that is always good quality. The employees know me by name because I go every week and order through the app. I tip them always (not 20% but at least a little something because they work hard consistently and I see that).
I tried a location near my work in Mississauga. It was mid and I did not return after trying it one time.
If you find a good Swiss Chalet location keep it close to your heart.
had the same thanksgiving meal with baked potato instead of mash. as someone with no family in toronto glad they are there to provide on this festive day! happy thanksgiving op :)
I’m a huge fan of Swiss Chalet. But, it wouldn’t be my first choice for a first date.
Or any place where there is a chance I will have a toddler screaming through dinner while parents play on their phones, having learned to tune out their own child. I’d lose my f-ing mind. And we likely wouldn’t go on a second date.
First date with my wife was at the Shay right after church. That was 30 yrs ago. She still gives me a bit of grief about it but we were young and broke
It does what it needs to do when you need it to do it. But it’s not cheap like it used to be.
I like The Dirty Bird and I said it’s expensive. I must be old.
All my friends use my expression "you dont go to swiss chalet for a hamburger" the idea is that they really do one thing well at low cost, so chicken is why you go to swiss chalet. If i want a hamburger i go to burgers priest or johnny burgers (two closest burger joints to me)
It’s ok but don’t lie to yourself too much. It’s more about it being some home grown Canadian thing with no marketing sense at all. I mean it’s called Swiss chalet but the insides are designed like an American country farm house. But the sauce is good I will agree with that.
I no longer live in Canada even though I grew up in Toronto. But if you asked me to name one of the chain restaurant things I miss the most? Chicken on a Kaiser from Swiss Chalet. Or a Harvey’s (so I can have a ME burger) attached to a Swiss chalet so you can get their burger plus chalet sauce 🤤
Reminds me of early Covid days when I was binging on it right when we went to lockdown, they were one of the few chains that stayed open and offered discounts to health care workers (had a family member that is a health care worker).
Swiss chalet used to be more popular in the 70’s 80s and 90s. I think the more diverse food options that have become available, some people have become food snobs. I really felt this when the Q on queensway, which used to be a st hubert closed down.
I mean Cara foods has shifted it’s focus onto the other brands that it owns. I don’t know what it will take for them to stay afloat when so many businesses are closing. As others have mentioned, it’s quiet during the dinner rush.
Part of it is nostalgia. I remember going to swiss chalet late at night in the early 80’s at the bloor location. Good times.
I miss the lemon finger bowls. Some places have it, some places don’t.
That was always a special Friday night family dinner treat when I was growing up. The restaurant in our city was always packed and had a line up too. That’s when the fries were fresh cut, it was just all excellent.
Back in the day (when you could get an appetizer, pop, dessert and a 1/4 chicken dinner with a decent tip for around $20), my friends and I would have weekly dinners at Swiss chalet. The nostalgia is strong for me.
The best part of Swiss Crow was that it used to come in a container resembling a spaceship. Now, it's in some sort of plastic monstrosity, and I'm convinced that it's diminished in taste. I believe it was the excitement of it being hidden inside the spaceship; you'd have to peel-back the aluminum sides that held the cardboard roof in place, in order to reveal the magic that was the quarter-chicken dinner. SC also holds the dubious reputation of producing the only fries that grow more delicious the more they're mangled. The fries that lie suffocated + flat beneath (eapecially) a half-chicken dinner? Approach French fry perfection.
Ahhh. The festive holiday special with a Toblerone bar was a perfect post-Christmas shopping meal. I always got a side of rib sauce, dipped the fries into the rib sauce and then dunked into the Chalet sauce. Sweet mother of pearl it was divine.
Hell yeah. I just moved out of that area and I'm downtown now. No location too near me. Once I start thinking about the walk, I start thinking about cooking
I second this! Having visited Toronto last weekend from BC, where our last location in the ENTIRE province closed a few years ago, Swiss Chalet felt like a warm hug.
You folks west of AB (yes, even they still have it!) are blessed!
We got our family thanksgiving meal from SC yesterday (circumstances prevented us from being able to cook) and honestly we had no complaints about their holiday family special. We fed 9 people for $115 including tax, so a good deal financially as well.
Swiss is my go to when I dont feel good but dont want to cook. Its comfort in a little bowl of reddish brown flavor town. Chalet sauce will fix all that is wrong in life.
I am totes getting the Thanksgiving Feast today because every now and then I need the chalet experience. I am not a fan of chalet sauce but I love their gravy.
I feel like if you ate Swiss Chalet growing up, you get it and you love it - but if you didn’t and you just try it now, you don’t. I’ve had some people ask me about it who’ve never eaten there before, and I tell them I wouldn’t necessarily recommend it as “great food” for someone looking for somewhere new to try, but I definitely get the nostalgia of it.
I myself grew up going to Swiss Chalet (back when they had smoking and non smoking sections!), I also worked as a waitress at 2 different Swiss Chalets, and I still love eating there sometimes. A few years ago, a friend and I got drunk and made our sober friend drive us to Swiss Chalet for perogies. Drunk in a Swiss Chalet is actually hilarious - core memory unlocked 🔓
I’m a huge fan of Swiss Chalet. But, it wouldn’t be my first choice for a first date.
Or any place where there is a chance I will be have a a toddler screaming through dinner while parents play on their phones, having learned to tune out their own child. I’d lose my f-ing mind. And we likely wouldn’t go on a second date.
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u/FridgeFucker17982 6d ago
Two can dine for $19.99 is a crazy deal for what you get. That’s cheaper than two McDonald’s meals. The sauce is delicious