5 Beloved Canadian Fast Food Chains You Can't Find In The States

When it comes to quintessential foods in the Great White North, a few predominant staples come to mind. Poutine is widely regarded as a late-night delicacy in Lumberjack Country, for instance. Meanwhile, being that one Canadian province produces most of the world's maple syrup supply, the sweet flapjack topping is hailed as possibly the country's most iconic edible. Many fast food restaurants up north feature these Canadian treats, but most Americans wouldn't know it because those establishments simply don't cater to the U.S. market.

Besides the few people living in countries where McDonald's is essentially banned, anyone can some McNuggets from the Golden Arches and call it a day. Yet, some fast food haunts exclusive to Canada are true gems that rival their American counterparts in terms of flavorful fare and quality ingredients. Folks living under the banner of Old Glory can only hope that one day these businesses expand their chains southbound, but until that day comes, most of us here in the States will have to travel north to visit some of these heralded Canadian eateries and experience their cuisine.

Canadians and Americans alike can order a freshly cooked burger from McDonald's, but folks in the States are missing out on a longtime staple north of the border called Harvey's. The fast food restaurant started its journey to become a beloved burger haunt in 1959, and ever since, it has remained committed to sourcing its flame-grilled beef patties from local Canadian producers. It also sources dairy from Canadian farms for its hand-spun milkshakes, which feature seven sweet flavors.

Harvey's is unique among burger chains in that it encourages customers to choose their own burger toppings from a garnish counter. All your favorite toppings are set out to dress your burger just how you see fit, from fresh tomato slices to Harvey's famous pickles and even a few out-of-the-ordinary ingredients like Ghost Pepper sauce. It may not strictly be the hottest pepper in the world, but it will certainly spice up a burger in a hurry.

With a name like Pizza Pizza, it is pretty easy to guess what this iconic Canadian fast food establishment specializes in. The first location opened in 1967 and has since blossomed into a chain of over 750 restaurants across the Great White North. Like Harvey's, Pizza Pizza is committed to supporting Canadian dairy producers, with all of its mozzarella able to trace itself back to local milk farms. The chain also utilizes Canadian wheat in its handmade pizza dough, which fans say boasts the perfect mix of chewy and crispy.

One thing that sets Pizza Pizza apart from many seemingly similar American pizza chains is that it offers customers plant-based meat options as toppings. From plant-based pepperoni provided by Yves Veggie Cuisine to a faux chorizo crumble from Field Roast Grain Meat Company, the beloved Canadian pizza haunt makes quite an effort to cater to all consumers' dietary desires. As for carnivores, the real meat it uses comes from vetted suppliers committed to humane animal treatment and has stated its intent to only use cage-free eggs in all of its menu items.

Some lucky folks in Asia can get their hands on a Triple O's burger, but Americans will have to settle for something a little closer to home. The fast food burger chain opened its first location in 1928 in Vancouver, but back then, it was known as White Spot. In 1997, White Spot opened a new restaurant named after its secret sauce, "Triple O." It now hassome 70 fast food establishments in the Canadian provinces of Alberta, British Columbia, and Ontario, as well as a handful of locations overseas.

Although the restaurant serves breakfast items, chicken sandwiches, and plant-based protein options, the name of the game at Triple O's is burgers, fries, and milkshakes. Like Wendy's here in the States, the fast food chain never uses frozen beef for any of its burgers topped with aged Canadian cheddar cheese. The hand-scooped ice cream used to make its iconic milkshakes is also 100% Canadian. Still, it is the namesake Triple O sauce that customers just can't get enough of. Folks trying to recreate it at home are in for a tough time as it has remained a closely guarded secret ever since Triple O's was White Spot.

Mr. Sub is a Canadian gem that serves up footlong submarine sandwiches to folks with an appetite north of the border. Founded in 1968 in Toronto, the sandwich shop mimics Subway in that customers can order sandwiches tailor-made just for them. Once called Mr. Submarine, the company shortened its name in 1990 and now hosts over 250 locations across Canada (with a few more in India and the Middle East for good measure).

The fast food sub shop is dedicated to giving patrons plenty of choices for how their sandwich is built, with dozens of toppings and sauce options at their disposal. Yet, Mr. Sub isn't only concerned with how things taste. Because the establishment wanted to eliminate consumer concerns over antibiotics in meat, in 2018, it began using turkey, salami, and ham that was raised without antibiotics.

It has competition, however. Subway has a significant presence in Canada as one of the biggest fast food chains in the world, but some folks who have tried subs from each company say the difference in taste is significantly better at Mr. Sub. Sandwiches cost a little more at the Canadian-born fast-food joint and with Subway having more locations overall it might be more convenient for some to grab a five-dollar footlong (or however much it costs now) on a quick lunch break. Yet those who have tasted both may happily opt to go Canadian whenever they have the chance.

Okay, technically, a few folks in the U.S. have access to this one, but with possibly the most Canadian name ever for a fast food joint — BeaverTails — it simply has to be on the list. Until 2015, the restaurant was exclusive to Canada, but it has since expanded into U.S. locations t Lagoon Amusement Park in Farmington, Utah and a mobile operation in Fayetteville, Arkansas. It isn't so Canadian that it actually serves beaver, but it does offer patrons some of the best artisanal pastries money can buy, according to customers.

The restaurant hand-stretches light, crispy pastry dough into an oblong oval shape similar to the shape of a beaver's tail, then loads it with sweet toppings. The Bananarama, topped with a chocolate hazelnut spread and slices of banana, is a fan favorite. Some folks prefer flavors that ring a little more Canadian and order the Mehple with a maple syrup spread. It even does a version of an American staple with a kind of deconstructed apple pie pastry.

The fast food chain doesn't just sell pastries either. Customers can get ice cream on hot summer days and smoothies, lemonades, and hot chocolate to wash down their treats. Folks looking for something a bit more on the savory side can order poutine, and those who can't make up their mind between savory and sweet can have both with a Poutail, which features poutine on top of one of the BeaverTails iconic pastries.