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.
Joe Beef is described as a Montreal institution with a bold, indulgent kitchen and a warm, unpretentious vibe that draws crowds and keeps the energy lively. The service is repeatedly praised as attentive, knowledgeable and friendly, with many noting it as a standout part of the experience, though a few visits mention occasional slow pacing or inconsistency during busy nights. The menu is celebrated for rich, butter-forward dishes and crowd-pleasers like foie gras double down, lobster spaghetti, hanger steak, duck and croquettes, with sides and oysters earning praise as well; desserts such as marjolaine and chocolate mousse often shine, while some fish and seafood dishes are described as either extraordinary or a touch salty or under seasoned. The lobster pasta remains a lightning rod for opinion, highly regarded by many but not universally, and price levels are noted as steep, prompting critiques of value on some visits. Overall, it’s viewed as a memorable, sometimes polarizing but quintessential Montreal dining experience, best enjoyed with appetite, an open mind, and a willingness to embrace the theatre and hospitality that define the place.
Service is top notch at this place. All the staff greeted us & also said goodbye. Out plates were constantly switched & our cups filled with water . The food was very good. We ordered the duck for two, ribeye for two, spaghetti with lobster,shrimp cocktail & escargot. It's an experience. The restaurant was full on a heavy rainy day.
Delicious experience last night at JB's. The early evening rez seating at the bar was perfect to take in the vibe...starting with our very sociable, knowledgeable bartender Thalia, who provided insight into the menu options. We started w the escargot & the artichoke salad special...followed by the JB signature spaghetti lobster & filet special...all superbly done & paired perfectly w a Monterey coast pinot noit...ending w the lemon sorbet.. magnifique! We will definetely return & request same seating arrangement to catchup w our fave Montreal bartender= Thalia!
We dined here yesterday after having reserved a few weeks to a month in advance &... wow. The hype is real. The tuna tartare was a nice fresh start. We then transitioned into the lamb shoulder & lobster spaghetti which we shared. The lamb was cooked to perfection. The sauce & elements on the plate all blended in so well together. It had a faint but pleasant horseradish / dijon taste to it which was very nice & the lobster spaghetti was creamy & delicious. Lobster often gets lost / overpowered in pasta dishes with ingredients like tomatoes but this was not the case here. The lobster was the star of the dish on a bed of creamy spaghetti that included pancetta & chives. It was simply exquisite. Kudos to the kitchen & staff as they didn't miss a pulse all night. It was a great & memorable meal. I would highly recommend.
Excellent dining experience. From flawless service to great execution on seemingly simple dishes, everything was high quality. Steak tartare was prepared at the table & was one of the best I have ever had. Lobster spaghetti is also highly recommended. Mussels & oysters were the highlight of the small cold platter.
Wow! We've been dreaming of eating at Joe Beef since watching an old episode of Anthony Bourdain. The staff was very careful with our friend's food allergy & advised what each menus item consisted of & asked the kitchen to be mindful during preparation. We shared the large seafood platter, beef tartare plus a round of cocktails. Then for the mains the 4 of us shared the Lobster Spaghetti & Suckling Pig. I love a restaurant that knows their food is for sharing!! Exceptional guidance by our server, he suggested so many great options. We also loved how attentive the entire staff was with refilling water glasses & bringing out extra dishes for shells or whatnot. Oh the desserts were wonderful! We all loved the lemon sorbet & 24 Layer Cake. Divine!
Excellent food. Got the hanger steak, lobster spaghetti, oysters & some other things. All worth it. For the quality, not very expensive, would definitely recommend. The restaurant can be a tad crowded & you're just a smidge too close to neighbors, but it is what it is! For the food, it's worth it. Ps: ask for the bacon on the side or no bacon in lobster sphaghetti, salty enough as is & best to have it added on to your own liking.
May 29, 2024
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A real gem. Food was amazing. Service was outstanding. Vibe was immaculate. Portions are really generous so I advise you to order slowly in order to really enjoy all the dishes. We took the Beef Tartare, Tuna Entree & the Lobster Spaghetti. I'll definitely come back for those!
The name of the place sounds like a steak house but it's definitely not. The food was okay. The much reviewed lobster spaghetti was overwhelmingly salty. When the staff came around to ask if things were ok, we gave the feedback. We didn't expect anything since we already ate a portion of the dish. But the staff took charge, took the plate, & returned with a new one, this time with bacon bits separated which made the dish more edible. Impressive service!
Wowwwww joe beef did not disappoint. Heard great things before arriving into town. We were able to secure a same day reservation & arrived hungry. We shared the bread (which was insanely good, so good we ordered 3 orders for 5 people, & ate it all, & then talked about it on the walk home) Steak for two, was wonderfully prepared. The lobster spaghetti, also incredible. Oysters & veggie platter. Everything was amazing. I will return next trip to Montreal. Honorable mention, great NA beer for me & they had frozen olives in the martinis for my drinking friends. Highly recommend joe beef
Amazing experience all in all, food absolutely perfect & service excellent. We shared a strip steak with potatoes & marrow (the biggest piece of marrow I've ever been served!), cooked perfectly. Even the beer was perfect. I tried the babeigne au rhum for dessert. Will definitely go back to try what our table neighbors had, lobster spaghetti, which was a whole lobster on pasta! We spent 250$ for a shared meal with no appetizers, so expect to spend a little. Worth every penny!
May 3, 2024
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Wow. We read about how Good this was, but now we've experienced it for ourselves. This is a must for a luxurious meal in Montreal. Lobster spaghetti was to die for, & it was the best oysters I've ever had.
We had such a good experience here. Server was great. Drinks were creative. Food was top notch & fresh. Crab, tuna, lobster spaghetti, scallop "sausage". Wow. Dessert also out of this world.
I brought my fiancé here for his birthday as we've been wanting to try Joe Beef for a very long time. It did not disappoint. Hands down one of the best meals we've ever had. The lobster spaghetti was the highlight of the night for us. We're excited to give Liverpool House a try the next time we're in town :)
Mar 24, 2024
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First visit on 2024, Spaghetti still good as usual, but the steak not well served, cant describe le texture. & first time i notice that serveurs smell every oyster when they preparing😂
Lets get the obvious fact out of the way, this place IS expensive. If you aren't prepared to part with $100+/person, you're just going to be nervous about the bill the whole time. Still worth it! tldr; execution from the staff was spot on & the food was amazing! This place has a calm, organized & posh feel to it. Wife & I visited this place for an early dinner as a last minute whim to dine there. We ordered the Lobster spaghetti & Hanger steak with blood pudding, with oysters & both their Lager & IPA to wash it all down. The Lobster Spaghetti is their most ordered dish, & I'm not surprised why, absolutely delicious. Hanger steak was cooked to perfection & it was my first time having blood pudding & that delicious as well. The fresh oysters were also great, pleasant experience. The beers were alright, both of the lager & IPA tasted identical, fruity & hoppy, the lager just had a stronger carbonation. Overall, we went with safe orders as it was our first time visiting. Next time, if budget allows, we'll definitely venture for more of their'exotic' offerings & try to get a more suitably dinner reservation. I don't believe this place is the best bang for your buck, but i do believe that I'd be comfortable ordering dishes from Joe Beef that I wouldn't normally consider like Horse Tenderloin.
The service is excellent & the staff is really friendly. The appetizers (shrimp cocktail & raw scallops) were decent, but underwhelming. The mains were generous in portion (lobster spaghetti & the whole cornish hen), but they were very salty (I like salt, so it wasn't a problem for me, but my date went through about 5 cups of water during the mains). The peas & morels were so sparce in the dish that I wouldn't really include them in the description on the menu. There weren't many choices for side vegetables either (I think carrots was the only option). The star of the show was the bread rolls with salt & butter. My 250$ bill was worth it for the bread! The restaurant is good, really good, so I'm not trying to say it wasn't. It just didn't meet my expectations for what has become a staple of the Montreal culinary scene.
We had a lovely experience at Joe Beef for a party of 4. We were recommended to order 4 appetizers, 4 mains & 1-2 side dishes, which might have been a bit overkill, but we enjoyed every bit. One less main would have been the perfect amount. We had the snails, paté en croute, Époisses tart & the daily special (their twist on ham & cheese sandwich). The snails & paté en croute were delicious. The daily special was on the smaller side & the cheese overpowered most of the dish. For mains, we had the daily fish, which was good but not at the same level as other dishes. The chicken, sweetbreads & lobster pasta were all amazing - I understand why the lobster spaghetti has been on their menu for the past 19 years! The wine was great too!
