5 Best Fast Food Restaurants in Winnipeg
Whether it’s for a quick lunch break or a midnight snack, you can never go wrong with a juicy burger and some crispy fries. They just scream comfort, especially when you pair them with a creamy milkshake or ice cream.
So, if you want to experience the convenient yet satiating dishes in the area, you’re in luck for we just listed the best fast food restaurants in Winnipeg that you can visit!
How much does fast food cost in Winnipeg?
The convenience of choosing fast food is not something new to most of us, but we have got to admit that it’s a bit more costly than prepping up meals at home.
Nonetheless, we still deserve to satiate those greasy cravings every now and then, especially on days when we want to rest and just munch on a really good burger.
So, before diving into the restaurants, here is a list of the range of costs of some of the items that are most commonly found on fast food menus.
Best Fast Food Restaurants in Winnipeg
To make sure that you won’t waste a trip, we screened through the best fast food restaurants using the following criteria:
1. Smoke’s Poutinerie
| Criteria | Ratings |
| Customer service | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
| Affordability | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
| Quality and variety of food | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| Availability and accessibility | ★★★☆☆ (3/5) |
Are you a fan of Canada’s infamous poutine? If you are, then this fast food is surely perfect for your taste buds!
Poutine is a popular Canadian dish that primarily consists of French fries, cheese curds, and topped with brown gravy. Originally, it started in the region of Centre-du-Québec during the late 1950s.
This historically ingrained food is definitely a must-try around Winnipeg.
Although it might be difficult to look for given that the place is not entirely massive, the food quality is certainly worth your time.
Smoke’s Poutinerie had been in the fast-food industry for more than a decade since its establishment in 2009. It offers a wide variation for poutine with over 30 options to choose from.
However, we only suggest this store if you’re not keen on looking for a wide selection of other products, like burgers and hotdogs, since it’s more focused on poutine dishes.
Nonetheless, the poutine choices that you could have in this store include tasty vegetarian options that are also efficient in balancing your palate.
If you’re one who is highly concerned with the nutritional value of the food you consume, it’s a good thing that the staff is pretty much well-informative in sharing the ingredients of their products. They let you assess your order based on your dietary restrictions.
Just take note that its prices are slightly expensive, so make sure to check your budget first before heading out there.
But we observed that despite the hike in rates, the food serving is large enough to be shared, so you can feel free to split it with a friend or go solo.
Just something that we think this place can improve on is its frequent taking of incorrect orders, especially for take-home products.
So, we highly suggest that you check your orders first before leaving to make sure that your craving is well satisfied.
We also wish that it isn’t closed on Sundays, however, its opening hours are fairly long — enough to serve you even during the midnight.
Pros
- Long-standing in the fast-food industry
- Offers wide variation for poutine
- Reasonable waiting time
- Large food servings
- Informative staff
- Good food quality
- Offers vegetarian dishes
- Long opening hours
Cons
- A bit hard to find
- Slightly pricey
- Frequent incorrect take-home orders
- Closed on Sundays
Customer Reviews
Fantastic service
“Wow! 5 Stars AMAZING service! I am gluten free and the employee, Chizzy Chira and owner, Chima Chira personally showed me the ingredients. INCREDIBLE SERVICE! So, respecting and kind. I would recommend everyone to head over to taste their delicious food. Their thoughtful kind service will have me sharing with everyone I know. Keep up your fantastic service.” — Linda Szyszkowski
So delicious
“Came in ordered our food for takeout waited about 5 or 10 minutes this was our first time eating here we ordered chicken bacon ranch poutine double pork poutine and butter chicken poutine and they all tasted so delicious” — Jasmine IA
2. The White Top
| Criteria | Ratings |
| Customer service | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| Affordability | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| Quality and variety of food | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
| Availability and accessibility | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
Known as the old school in serving homemade burgers, hotdogs, and French fries since 1972, we give you The White Top.
This store still prepares its dishes the old-fashioned way. Its servings are made to order to ensure the highest quality and freshness, so pre-packaged or microwavable food packs are not welcomed here.
The White Top is a family business that serves more than thousands of customers around Winnipeg.
The store’s location is fairly accessible if you’re in the north as it can be easily located along 409 Manitoba Avenue. You can choose to go by bike, take a bus, walk, or dine in your car.
The prices are also reasonable considering the large portion of servings you receive.
What we love the most about this place is its highly-efficient customer service. The only thing that makes excellent food even better is the excellent staff that establishes a good relationship with their customers.
As we screened The White Top for its suitability in this list of the best fast food restaurants in Winnipeg, we noticed its high responsiveness rate, especially when it comes to resolving customer complaints.
It is not a foreign concept that there are instances where orders are taken incorrectly. But most of the time, restaurant staff would let it be and not offer any solution afterward.
But this store does not just leave its customer disappointed!
In fact, the owners directly communicate with the customers by offering an order replacement or even a reimbursement to tend to their dissatisfaction. It is a great thing to know that they deeply care for their patrons.
Just a thing to note should you visit this restaurant: make sure you have a backup plan for dining options because there is no access to the store’s interior.
All orders are taken via the drive-thru window on the east side of the building or the walk-up window on the opposite side.
Although there is a picnic table available for dine-in customers, it tends to be unavailable often, depending on the crowd and the weather. If you’re only looking for a quick bite, it should be no worries though.
But also keep in mind that the menu doesn’t include meal packages, which can be a double-edged sword.
For one, you can’t save some money through the usual combo meals. But for two, you can feel free to just choose whatever food combination you’d like to have for yourself.
Pros
- Half a century in the industry
- Freshly served food
- Accessible location
- Reasonable price
- Large portions
- Perfect for a quick bite
- Good responsiveness rate
- Well-maintained area
- Excellent food quality
- Open daily
Cons
- No meal packages
- No access inside the store
Customer Reviews
Portions are large
“Really good food the burger was amazing! Portions are large and at a reasonable price. When I come back to Winnipeg this will be one of my stops.” — Jay Robinson
Food and prices are just amazing
“I go here every week once or twice and it’s just incredible. The food and prices are just amazing I recommend to everyone.” — Steven Hobson
3. Five Guys
| Criteria | Ratings |
| Customer service | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
| Affordability | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| Quality and variety of food | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
| Availability and accessibility | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
If you’re looking for a store that offers customize-it-your-own options, Five Guys is a great pick for you!
Typically, orders can be made with few modifications according to your preference. You may choose to add or omit toppings as you please.
But what’s so different about this restaurant is that not only are you given a chance to indicate your preferences, but also the ability to dress your burger however you want with unlimited toppings.
If you’re not so sure about what to choose for your custom order, there is an available ingredient and allergen guide available on its site so you can check its suitability for you.
If you’re still unsure about what to eat, you can simply ask the staff for more knowledgeable input since they are noticeably well-versed with their food options.
It’s always a plus that they are also extremely friendly and helpful!
This restaurant can easily be visited since it has about three different locations around Winnipeg that are essential for your convenience.
You can access it through Regent Avenue, Pembina Highway, and Portage Avenue.
The price might be a bit high on the scale, so make sure you check out its menu before going to the store.
However, once you’ve seen its food first-hand, it becomes easily understandable considering the taste and serving size.
As much as the Five Guys are great in maintaining its excellent food quality, what we didn’t like about the store is its often-unmaintained indoor space.
There is some rubbish on uncleaned tables, chairs are sometimes disorganized and scattered across the area, and the floor is quite sticky.
However, the management promised to attend more to this issue and work on maintaining cleanliness and organization in the store more attentively.
Pros
- Provides a comprehensive ingredients and allergen guide
- Convenient locations
- Foods are made with fresh ingredients
- Fast service
- Amazing food quality
- Customizable topping options
Cons
- Occasionally unmaintained area
- A bit pricey
Customer Reviews
Vegetables were all very fresh
“Awesome. Got a double bacon cheeseburger, with everything on it. The vegetables were all very fresh. It was nice to see the three guys working having some casual conversation, while still getting food out quickly. You can tell they care about their jobs.” — Ethan McDonald
Friendly and cheerful
“Delicious food as always. 5 Guys is our favourite fast food restaurant. The fellow who took our order was so friendly and cheerful that he our made our day.” — Al McLeod
4. Dairi-Wip Drive-In
| Criteria | Ratings |
| Customer service | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| Affordability | ★★★☆☆ (3/5) |
| Quality and variety of food | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
| Availability and accessibility | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
Interested in having your fast food cravings through a drive-in with picnic tables to achieve a more nostalgic vibe? Look no further!
Dairi-Wip Drive-In is your locally recommended fast food restaurant in Winnipeg that has tons of regular customers across different generations.
Kids and adults both love this store for its tasty food options that are more than your average fast food serving.
What we like the most about this store is its prompt service.
If you’re not interested in going out of your car to get your orders punched, you can always choose to order directly through the website while waiting inside the comfort of your own vehicle!
The staff will have your food delivered to you within a few minutes and you can freely choose to stay or dine at the picnic tables.
There is a huge parking lot that can decently cater to even high customer traffic during busy days. The crew and the store owner are also very polite and friendly, which makes it easy to deal with them.
Just a few reminders before you visit this store, though.
First is that its transactions are strictly cash-only. So, if you’re planning to go with just your card, we suggest that you find a nearby ATM and withdraw some bills before proceeding to the restaurant.
Secondly, if you have medical conditions associated with gluten, this might not be the best option for you, since all its entrees are made with a gluten mix.
And lastly, the price is considered a bit steep compared to most fast-food restaurants, so be wary of that.
However, if you have some money to spare, a good ‘ol nostalgic drive-in restaurant for your burger and fries cravings is certainly sated with Dairi-Wip Drive-in.
Pros
- Tasty food options
- Polite and friendly crew
- Homemade products
- Prompt service
- Large parking area
- Highly recommended
- Reasonably accessible location
- Offers generous food portions
Cons
- No dining inside the establishment
- Cash-only policy
- Expensive food options
- Food options are not gluten-free
Customer Reviews
One of the best places to grab a burger in Canada
“This is hands down one of the best places to grab a burger in Canada. I have been from west coast to east coast and I would pick Dairi-Wip everytime” — Adam
Best place in the city
“Just tried there food for first time yesterday and these are honestly the best burgers I have ever eaten and the staff are absolutely solid best place in the city in my opinion for good old homestyle burgers, everyone should be eating here !!!!” — Simon Szklarski
5. George’s Burgers & Subs
| Criteria | Ratings |
| Customer service | ★★★☆☆ (3/5) |
| Affordability | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
| Quality and variety of food | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
| Availability and accessibility | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
Finding a good restaurant that is only located in one area could be a drag, considering that you’ll have to travel just to get your fast food needs satisfied.
Fortunately, we found a fast food restaurant in Winnipeg that has over three different store locations!
George’s Burgers & Subs can be found along St. Mary’s Road, Regent Avenue, McPhillips Street, and Ness Avenue.
This store has been massively commended by its repeat customers for providing superb food quality. Its best-sellers are burgers and fries, so you might want to add this to your list of favorite burger joints.
The price range is quite high at first glance but considering its taste and decent serving sizes, it is perfect for the burger and fries devourer. We can say that it would be definitely worth it.
There is quite a variety of food options that customers can choose from, including vegetarian-friendly dishes.
However, what irked us the most regarding this restaurant is the occasional bad customer service.
Although the attending staff is all attentive and considerate of the customers’ complaints, there are instances where requests are taken incorrectly, and some meats are mixed in with supposedly vegetarian dishes.
We observed that the staff usually offers order replacement should there be a problem with the order, but this is only good if you’re dining in.
So when buying food here to-go, we highly suggest that you check your orders before leaving the restaurant.
Pros
- Highly convenient store locations
- Decent serving portions
- Reasonable price
- Superb food quality
- Offers vegetarian options
- Attentive staff
- Short waiting period
Cons
- Instances of bad customer service
- Occasional incorrect input of requests for orders
Customer Reviews
Food quality is stellar
“Tried both the gyro and fries at George’s, and I do not believe you can get better bang for your buck in the whole city. Generous portions paired with reasonable prices is a home run! On top of that, the food quality is stellar. Very clear that the vegetables are all fresh and the fries are straight from the oil. Will definitely return if I find myself in the area looking for a solid meal. The price is just a bonus. Overall, George’s is highly recommended!” — Morgan Taverner
Nice spot overall
“I’ll admit I came in with having seen some poor reviews. My friend said forget that, I would love it, and we did! I tried the burger and sub and what portions, now we are talking! Wife had the greek salad, which was tasty but probably won’t keep to take home. Nice spot overall I will be back.” — Paul Guimond
FAQs about Fast Food Restaurants in Winnipeg
Now, you can definitely grab a bite from the best fast-food restaurants in Winnipeg! Just make sure to munch on those burgers and fries in moderation to keep your health in check.
Nonetheless, we hope you enjoy your trip down these places!