Old Montreal restaurant classics in the heart of Little Burgundy. An homage to Charles "Joe-Beef" McKiernan, 19th century innkeeper and Montreal working class hero. A drunken crawl away from the Historic Atwater market. Steaks and seafood.
Across reviews, Joe Beef stands out for rich, decadent cooking and generous portions, with lobster spaghetti, hanger steak, beef tenderloin, and a strong seafood presence earning frequent praise. The service is consistently described as attentive, knowledgeable, and friendly, helping to elevate a lively, unpretentious atmosphere that many visitors call a Montreal institution. The lobster spaghetti and other iconic dishes are often highlighted, though some guests find the price high and a few dishes over or under seasoned, leaving mixed impressions about value. Reservations are tough to secure and the restaurant can be busy and loud, but the overall experience is celebrated as memorable and worth a special night out, with desserts like marjolaine cake and pistachio éclair drawing particular attention. In short, Joe Beef delivers bold flavors and theatre that many diners adore, while a few reviews wish for more consistency and better value.
Amazing service - we made a mistake when making our reservation & placed a reservation for the wrong day, totally our fault however they still managed to squeeze us in at the bar.
The service was exceptional, very friendly & attentive. Excellent work translating lions mane mushrooms from french as well, very impressive. We had the hanger steak for 2 which was delicious.
I would highly recommend this restaurant if you're in Montreal.
WOW I loved Joe Beef so much we had an amazing experience with our server Alex who was so knowledgeable about everything & SO kind to us as we were celebrating our anniversary.
The hanger steak for two was literally the perfect amount of food, the sauces accompanying the meat were to die for, mashed potatoes perfect, I really enjoyed the creamed spinach as well.
The chocolate mousse was to die for, it was a slightly firm mousse dome with I think a chocolate ganache drizzle on top & they served it with this delicious reduction that was garnished with a tiny bit of olive oil & wow - just amazing.
Highly recommend!
Oct 10, 2025
on Google
🍽️
Know where to eat in Montreal before everyone else.
Get the first look at the hottest openings, secret menus, and RestoMontreal.ca's weekly top picks. Join 50,000+ foodies.
Je ne me souviens pas la dernière fois que j'ai eu un service aussi chaleureux &
personnalisé au resto. Alors merci pour cette premiere experience ! En plus que la nourriture est excellente :) Je recommande fortement
Perhaps the best meal I have ever had. Our server Julian was excellent, extremely friendly & outgoing, a shining example of excellent customer service. Highly, highly recommend going here if you're in Montreal & looking for a great meal.
On Friday August 29 my wife & I had a 7:00pm reservation at Joe Beef for a late celebration of our wedding anniversary. I had long heard about how great Joe Beef is & finally had the chance to dine there.
We were greeted by the Maître d'hotel Isabelle Savard with a complimentary glass each of delicious bubbly wine & taken to a cozy little table for two next to a front window. Laura was our waitress & her service & treatment was second to none. She assisted us with a selection of delicious appetizers & a wine selection for our tastes. Every single person that attended to our needs were kind & most attentive. We felt spoiled!!
We choose two different tuna entrees that just melted in your mouth. A flavour explosion with a delicious crunch & freshness. Another appetizer we had, something I would not have typically ordered (beef tendons - yes you read this correctly) was surprisingly delicious in the manner it was served. We ordered some bread which had a nice chewy crust & soft flavourful middle. Smothered in butter it was evilly delicious.
Laura had recommended a hanger steak, however I had my heart set on a rib steak & ordered that (it was a large steak intended for two persons). We asked for it to be cooked medium rare & it arrived perfectly cooked. We had some rich sauces with the steak, but the steak just in its own juices was phenomenal. We couldn't even finish it as it was very large along with the appetizers we had. The steak was tender & juicy from end to end!!
Regretfully, we had no space left for dessert - which I am sure would have been equally amazing. Finally, we had a complementary shot & left the restaurant full & grateful to the efforts & treatment by Isabelle Savard & her great team & Laura, our waitress. We look forward to going back & trying that hanger steak one day.
I give the food, ambiance & wait staff 5 stars for providing such a wonderful experience!!
From Ontario. We dine a lot at High end & Not your average restaurants. We also work at a high end steakhouse where we live
Came here based on recommendation. Don't know why it was so highly recommended. Place was clean & packed. Just confused as to why.
First. Hostess was sweet. So thank you for that.
Menu was alright.. was looking forward to the rib eye. Honestly. That was basic. Don't know if there's salt or seasoning anywhere in that building.
The crab feature... not good.
Bone marrow, boring.
Birthday was never recognized even though it was mentioned in the reservation.
Now, the waiter... julien, I hope you tip out your food runners & bussers considerably because they deserve it more than you. You were arrogant & need a lesson on being a server. Your shirt was just as lame as your attitude.
Wow wow wow, une belle expérience chez Joe Beef. Une equipe attentionnée, un service impeccable. Les plats etaient hors pair & je comprends maintenant le « hype ». Je recommande a 100% & retournerais pour une occasion spéciale.
Let's get straight to the point: the famous lobster spaghetti here is above average & definitely not worth the wait. At an eye-watering price tag of $71++, it's asking to be judged against the best pastas in the world & that's what I'm judging it by.
First, you only get half a lobster. That's not a lot meat but they do somewhat make it up with the generous amount of spaghetti. The noodles themselves are good, but they are let down by the sauce, which is too salty. The lobster is supposed to be the star of the show but you don't taste any of it in the sauce. Half a lobster is also not proportionate to the amount of spaghetti so it doesn't feel like a satisfying meal.
Drinks here are good creative though, so I would recommend them. I got a peach mock tail & it's rare to find mocktails that have more complexity than juice.
This is a Montreal institution & it's worth going just to check out the place, but manage your expectations if you get the lobster spaghetti.
Had an absolutely delicious meal at Joe Beef! The duck was incredible - so flavorful & tender. I'm already looking forward to coming back for another piece. Highly recommend! 🦆🍷
We came to the Canadian Grand Prix & was recommended Joe Beef for dinner & it did not disappoint. We had to reserve about a month in advance for a party of two but it lived up to the hype. The food was incredible, service was top notch & we had a great time. Pictured is the lobster spaghetti which was 100% worth the price, glazed carrots, & filet mignon. I forget the name of the dessert but it was delicious. Will definitely come again!
Great food overall, but I think it has lost some of its greatness. I recall how difficult it was to get a reservation here 10 years ago. Yes, it is still tough to get the prime reservation time. We were able to snag last-minute reservations for 9:30 p.m.
The restaurant was packed! Clearly, it continues to be a popular spot. Our server was friendly, consistent with everyone's observation that outstanding service is its key strength!
The dishes that we had were all decent, but nothing out of this world. The bone marrow had an interesting spin, but the chawanmushi (Japanese steamed egg) became the main ingredient for the dish, rather than tasting much of the bone marrow & uni.
The server recommended the duck, which happens to be our pick as well. But the meat wasn't as tender as I'd like. The side dish- carrots, turned out to be my favorite dish for the night.
Jul 2, 2025
on Google
🍽️
Know where to eat in Montreal before everyone else.
Get the first look at the hottest openings, secret menus, and RestoMontreal.ca's weekly top picks. Join 50,000+ foodies.
J'ai mangé au Joe Beef hier soir avec des amis. Nous nous sommes laissés porter & impressionner par notre serveur qui a choisi les plats pour nous à notre demande.
Le flétan dans un beurre blanc IS TO DIE FOR. La cuisson était impeccable (croustillant sur le dessus.. tendre & moelleux à l'intérieur. )
Le filet de boeuf & la sauce, servi avez des asperges du Québec .. une merveille. Je recommande chaleureusement.
Nourriture, service & ambiance 5 étoiles!
Merci à toute l'équipe.
We celebrated my husband's birthday here & had an amazing experience.
The service was outstanding - our waiter was incredibly attentive, explaining the menu & daily specials in detail, & helping us choose the perfect wine.
We started with the croquettes, then had the rib eye with carrots as our main dish - everything was delicious. We found it funny that, for my husband's birthday, they placed a candle on a potato instead of a dessert 🤭 - such a quirky & memorable touch!
For dessert, we ordereded - apparently their house specialty. It was worth it.
Total including tip & 4 glass of wine was close to $400.
All in all, one of the best dinners we've ever had in Montreal. Highly recommended!
Started with PEI oysters & crab legs. Delicious. Then had an appetizer which was an'eclair' stuffed with anchovies, olives, & carmelized onions. Awesome.
We had gin martinis with the appetizers, perfect.
For main course I had a beef tenderloin with mushrooms & gravy. Cooked to perfection. My wife had halibut. She thought the sauce was a bit overpowering but still enjoyed it.
The waiter recommended two wonderful wines, a white with the fish & a red with the beef. We enjoyed both.
We had desserts: a layer cake & a'bagel' with yummy filling. Marvelous. We topped them off with cordials.
Overall a wonderful experience. Quite expensive but not more than we expected & definitely worth it.
