Sucrerie de la Montagne
After those long winter months, that joyous occasion has finally arrived: an outing to the sugar shack! The maple syrup is flowing like a river and the time has come to indulge your sweet tooth!
300 St Georges Rd
Rigaud, QC J0P 1P0
Phone: (450) 451-5204
Restaurant Review
After those long winter months, that joyous occasion has finally arrived: an outing to the sugar shack! The maple syrup is flowing like a river and the time has come to indulge your sweet tooth! There are countless friendly, family-run maple bushes, but many are small and only open in peak season, and the best ones are usually well-kept secrets. Given the popularity of this attraction, however, some cabanas have expanded in order to exploit their buckets year-round.
Located in the Monteregie area on the hills of Rigaud, an integral part of Quebec's heritage, maple syrup fans will find the picturesque Sucrerie de la Montagne, an authentic sugar bush that expanded its operations in order to meet the tourist demand, yet hasn't lost its charm.
Your adventure will begin on a horse-drawn sleigh ride to the cabana, where friendliness reigns in an old-fashioned decor. As the fireplace roars, delicious aromas will whet your appetite. The menu features a traditional maple season fiesta: "montagnard" pea soup, crusty bread, maple-smoked bacon, country sausages, "tourtiere de la Beauceronne" (meat pie), "ragout de boulettes" (beef stew), baked beans, crisp fried pork salt, sugar pie, etc.
From the stage, musicians play folklore tunes and invite guests to line-dance or do a little jig amid a festive atmosphere. You may notice that meals are cooked in the traditional fashion, on wood stoves, a fact which the owner, Pierre Faucher, will happily confirm. With his long beard, buckled belt and checked shirt, this colourful character could have been lifted from a story book. He can tell you anything and everything about maple syrup. It's been his life since he was a child.
Having eaten, sung and danced, you will no doubt want to take a guided tour of the maple bush. Its log cabin and cobblestone bakery will teach you a lot about colonial life. But most of all, don't forget to sample the sap: sticky and sweet, a child's delight! Although your day may cost you a few dollars more than you would spend in other sugar shacks, it's worth the visit, especially when all the others have closed or out-of-town friends come to visit in the Summer.