Why Montreal convenience stores are basically the best in the world
If you're seeing deps everywhere, you're either Tim Burton, of you're a resident of Montreal. Pretty much unique to the province, dépanneurs (or deps as the anglo-folks call ‘em) are basically like the greatest convenience stores ever, upscaling themselves in a variety of unique ways, such as adding sushi bars, sandwich shops, craft beer rooms, and more. Here are the five best in the city:
1) Dépanneur Le Pick Up7032 Rue Waverly
This off-the-map hipster dep not only holds bragging-rights over having the best pulled-pork and best veggie pulled-pork sandwich (they use jackfruit as a delicious faux pork substitute) in the city, but they also have tropical sunset wallpaper, a retro diner bar, a zine rack, a giant pink comb hanging over produce racks & beer fridges, and a "secret" garden space out back. And toothpaste.
2) Sushi Dépanneur 1475 avenue Mont-Royal est
Do you like sushi? Do you also happen to need gum and stuff? Well then this one’s a no-brainer. Sushi Depanneur provides you with your basic corner-store needs and one of the best goddamn sushi dinners in town, serving everything from your standard rolls (yellowtail, salmon, etc.), to more advanced rainbow and phoenix rolls made with caviar.
3) Dépanneur A.S.5191 Boul Saint-Laurent
Not only do they stock one of the finest selections of local and imported micro-brewed beers in Montreal, but they are also pretty much single-handedly keeping the video rental dream alive with a pretty decent video selection too. Not DVD. Video.
4) L’Express St. Zotique555 St. Zotique
Perhaps you don’t feel you’re at your best whilst picking up toilet paper and other self-effacing but necessary toiletry needs, but Montrealers have turned it into an occasion to dine on gourmet sandwiches at L’Express St. Zotique -- you'll find everything from confit duck, to BBQ pork, to roast beef curry.
5) BONI SOIR850 rue Rachel Est
Apparently a bastardization of "good night" in French, the name's pretty bang-on, considering this dep has its own specialist beer room bigger than most Montreal apartments, filled with one of the biggest collections in the city/province. It even includes a brand of golden ale brewed by hardcore separatists named Schoune L'Indépendante which will soon emancipate you from reason and rationality, too.