Snack bar at Mélo | Three tacos and a poutine

(Saint-Mathieu-du-Parc) In the heart of Saint-Mathieu-du-Paris, in Mauricie, the Snack Bar at Mélo is a real gathering place. People in the region and tourists stop at the colorful snack to taste its original menu where Poutines and Tacos rub shoulders, but also to enjoy the festive atmosphere.

“The Tuesdays, the weather is always good,” says a customer in front of the street kitchen truck from which emanates an enticing smell of frying. The sky may not be cleared every week, but during Tacos Tacos, the atmosphere at the Snack Bar at Mélo is inevitably sunny.

When Mélody Drapeau Jacob and his brother Tom opened the snack, five years ago, they had a fairly precise idea of ​​what they wanted to offer. “We wanted to be different. We wanted it to be quality food, but accessible. And that there is a Mexican twist, ”lists the co -owner, in an interview before the start of the fiesta weekly. These two large travelers had a crush on Mexico, where they return every winter.

Xparmi The multiple choices of the menu, we therefore find the essentials of Quebec snacks, such as Putin-available in different ways-hot dog or club sandwich, but also burritos and tacos.

The duo was inspired by the tradition of Taco Tuesday, which was born in the United States in the 1980s, then resumed in many countries, including Mexico and Canada.

At the Snack Bar at Mélo every Tuesday, from May to October, this Mexican dish is a pretext to come together and party at the sound of Latin music.

As she pronounces these words, a violent thunderstorm is raging. Despite the strength of the wind and rain, her brother and she is convinced that it will be an occupied evening.

And they are right. Shortly before 5 p.m., start of the festivities, the clouds dissipate and the sun shines. The team has just time to wipe the outdoor furniture and sweep the puddles – yes, yes! – Before the arrival of gourmets.

Between novelty and tradition

On this Tuesday in June, some are at their first visit to the snack bar at Mélo. Hugo St-Amant and his spouse Laurence Lemire went on Trois-Rivières to come and try the tacos and “get out of the routine”.

Also from Trois-Rivières, Colette Lebœuf, Johanne Tellier, Johanne Beaumier and Huguette Gervais stopped in the snack to celebrate the latter’s birthday. “We saw the announcement of the event on Facebook,” they explain in choir. Their verdict after trying the tacos? It’s good and affordable, one of them answers.

Appointed in the new “canteen” category at the Lauriers of Quebec gastronomy in 2025, the Snack Bar at Mélo attracts people of all ages.

In a corner, children have fun making bubbles, while in the queue, young twenty -year -olds readily accept the Mexican beer offered by a member of the team.

During the summer, there are people from the region, but also many Quebec and European tourists due to the proximity to the Mauricie National Park, said Mélody Drapeau Jacob.

There are many regular customers. Christian Tremblay returns week after week. Tonight, he is accompanied by his two daughters. What does Tacos Tacos love? “The atmosphere. What they were able to create in a small village. […] They brought life. They also chose a day when there were not really other activities elsewhere in the region. It’s fun, ”replies the man who lives in Shawinigan.

Tuesday is not the only day when the place is lively. On Monday, we play volleyball. Some Thursdays, the roller board is in the spotlight. The weekends, the warm team and customers also have their hearts at the party. “It’s seasonal, so we want summer to be alive, that energy is circulating, both for the inhabitants and for tourists,” sums up Mélody Drapeau Jacob.

More than a snack

To offer all these activities, the two co-owners have a large land on which there are, in addition to the snack, an inn, a pizzeria and a bistro coffee, where shows on Saturdays. “We are located in the heart of the village. We want to make it beautiful and we want it to be colorful, ”continues Mélody Drapeau Jacob, who grew up in Saint-Mathieu-du-Parc.

Young entrepreneurs aged 29 and 25 point out that the village is experiencing a revival, notably thanks to the local restaurateurs, including the Auberge Saint-Mathieu and its chief Samy Benabed, which accumulates the distinctions. According to them, the offer of the few restaurants in Saint-Mathieu-du-Parc is complementary and meets different needs.

Tandem projects are often born from customer needs. An example? Pizzeria, open for three years. “There was a lack in the area. We wanted good pizz. We thought we were going to do it, ”sums up Mélody Drapeau Jacob.

“We are waiting for a new oven that comes from Italy to make the best pizza,” added his brother, adding that they followed a training in this country last winter.

Between Quebec classics, Mexican and Italian dishes, the duo resolutely travels its customers.

1881, main path, Saint-Mathieu-du-Parc. Open daily from mid-May to mid-October, from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. (break from 2:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday to Thursday).