Potato Bar Scarborough is Toronto's newest spot for loaded tater tots, gourmet poutine and other spud-based snacks.

Founded in 2020, the franchise's roots can be traced back to an innocuous conversation between brothers Musa and Bilal Vikal. While trying to come up with a food that everyone loved, Bilal reportedly blurted out (rather correctly), "potatoes!"

The brothers then began discussing all of the different meals you can make from potatoes before launching into a round of nonsensical, potato-themed jokes. Musa even recalls Bilal declaring that he "wished [he] was a potato".

It was then that the brothers came up with an idea: what if they started a restaurant whose menu consisted entirely of potato products?

Though the concept seemed a little out there, Bilal and Musa decided to give it a try. They opened their first restaurant in Mississauga before expanding into Hamilton and, now, Toronto.Potato Bar's Scarborough location opened this spring, marking the franchise's third location, as well as the only permanent storefront in the GTA.

Prior to the grand opening, the only way to get Potato Bar's products in the city was by visiting their food truck, which did not have a fixed location.

The restaurant's most notable physical features are a long counter, which stretches from one end of the dining room to the other, and a large collection of potato-themed knicknacks and collectables.

My favourite detailis the golden potato statue sitting on the counter, though the mural of anthropomorphic spuds choosing their "major" is a close second.Potato Bar's menu consists mainly of fried foods, almost all of which are made from potatoes. French fries and tater tots loaded with various toppings are some of the most popular, but poutine and baked potatoes are also available.

The restaurant also serves a few other dishes, such as chicken wings and corn on the cob. All of these items are halal and contain no pork.

The Fries Nachooo ($11.30) is a Mexican-inspired dish, made with minced beef, melted cheese and sliced jalapenos. The final touches are a sprinkling of green onions and a squirt of Potato Bar's signature sauce.
The Tater Poutine ($11) is a simple yet effective variation on a Canadian classic. This dish contains all the elements of a classic poutine — squeaky cheese curds, fresh green onions and thick brown gravy — but swaps the fries out for a pile of crispy tater tots.

Consequently, the dish has a slightly different texture: firm and crunchy instead of soft and floppy. The taste, however, is almost identical.Wings and Fries ($15.99/1 lb.) is a combo that comes with crispy chicken wings, fresh cut fries and a side of your choice. Possible options include coleslaw, pickles, salsa and shredded carrots.

You can also dunk your chicken wings into one of four different sauces. We went with the Texas Barbecue sauce, but Honey Garlic, Potato Bar and spicy Suicide sauces are also available.The Potato Dog ($13.70/snack-sized, $16.70/regular) is a colourful dish that combines elements of a classic baked potato with a Coney Island hot dog.

Curried sausage, diced beets and green peas are piled on top of a fluffy baked potato, along with shredded carrots, mixed herbs, honey mustard and house Potato Bar sauce.The Corny Cob ($5) is one of the only dishes on the menu that doesn't make use of potatoes in any form — instead, an ear of corn is used as a canvas for lemon and cream dressing, parmesan cheese, garlic aioli and balsamic vinaigrette.

The combination of flavours, as well as the stick the dish is served on, reminded me a lot of Mexican street corn, which is often served with a selection of similar condiments and sauces. As a result, it was one of my favourite items on the menu.

Potato Bar Scarborough is located at 2068 Lawrence Avenue East.