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.
I so wanted to give 5 star to this restaurant but decided to give 4. The reason being Desserts. Everything that we ordered was so delicious except the dessert that upset me a little bit. As after having such amazing Appetizers & Mains your expectations with desserts are way too high as it's the last course that you'll be experiencing at the restaurant. We ordered Fois Gras, Halibut & Steak & everything so just amazing. Layered cake - Marjolaine was also 10/10 but the Raspberry Tart was disappointing. Apart from the food, Gabriel was outstanding & showcased top notch hospitality.
There's a reason this restaurant has remained one of Montreal's finest over the years. The food is exceptional, the staff is warm & passionate, & the atmosphere makes it the perfect choice for a special evening. The steak & duck are absolutely divine, & to top it all off, the chocolate tart is the perfect way to end the night. Truly a must-visit for anyone in town!
Service was excellent 👌 Place is rustic style, however music was way too loud. Overall, It was fun enough but it was not that fun fun. It was kind of mix ambience that I'm not so sure how to describe. Food Maindish : - Filet Mignon was 95$ my boyfriend said he had better & less pricey than that. I found it was very moist & good. - Tuna steak was 70$ it was interesting, the pepper sauce was a bit killing the taste of tuna. It was good but not great. Entrée : - Pétoncle I.D.M was 17$ it was interesting to try .. it was intense taste. - Jambon blanc cuit au foin was really really good 21$. I highly recommend to try the entree ones My boyfriend had a glass of red wine which was very good with the steak. Well ! At least we try.
Service: 10/10. Everyone in the restaurant was friendly & outgoing. Our server was fantastic, with an amazing knowledge of the menu & the wine list. The "bar back" aka the woman assisting all of the servers was an absolute delight. Food: the seafood was so fresh & perfectly seasoned/accompanied. The beef tartare was classic & done to perfection. The steak special was unique & delicious. The lobster spaghetti needs to remain on the menu forever. The dessert was dense but light & oh so flavorful. Not too sweet. Almond flour based with layers of jam. Pro tip from one of the bartenders - spread the Chantilly cream on the cake like a frosting. Cocktails: the "John Bill" & ode to the late seafood master was a rum based cocktail. Crushable & delicious. The dirty martini named "Perfect Martini" was exactly that. With olives frozen in vermouth. Mock tail for the pregnant wife was a spin on the cosmopolitan. Delicious & balanced.
Wow I can see why everyone raves about this place! It's a beautiful restaurant with both indoor & outdoor seating. Definitely make a reso ahead of time! We were sat in the outdoor back section & it was very romantic & cute, with patio lights hanging above our heads. The service here was impeccable & we felt very well taken care of. Our server regularly checked on us & gave us helpful suggestions. The bone marrow custard was soooooo good. So good that I wish I didn't have to share it with my mom & cousin. It was my first time eating escargot. I wasn't a big fan of the dish here because it tasted a little bland to me. It did come with two very big pieces of bread though, & the presentation was very cool. The beef tartare tasted fresh & comes with both crackers & lettuce. You can eat it as is or they can add Tabasco spice. The hanger steak was tender & juicy. I loved the sauce that it came with & I recommend ordering a side of fries to have with it. The fries here were really good! Overall this place has great food, service, & atmosphere. It's no surprise it is always talked about & a must try when visiting Montreal!
Had the beef steak & bone marrow dish. Not impressed by the quality of meat (especially for it being on the pricey side). It does not taste beefy & was bit salty. It's very loud inside & difficult to talk over the noise & music. Servers r friendly. Service was good.
Sep 12, 2024
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Solid 2 stars. Had the Canadian prime strip steak with bone marrow & the halibut dish. Cant say it's great. The steak was too salty, lacking beef flavour. Texture like a confit which is nice but lacking flavour. Bone marrow was big & filling but also lacking flavour. The halibut was a good size but also lacking flavour. Place is overhyped & very loud. It's busy & the music was blasting. Very lively but not a place to have conversations with friends. $80-90 per person on food. Cant say it's worth it. Definitely NOT worth the wait. We made reservations so that didn't bother us.
Food was great. Ham & hanger steak fantastic. The raw tuna app was very disappointing. Montreal staple, & they had one ply toilette paper in the bathroom, unacceptable
This was the best dinner I have had in Montreal. The atmosphere was great & the staff was knowledge & attentive. We started the delicious evening with a glass of champagne & fresh oysters, the steak was cooked to perfection & flavorful, even the sides were super fresh! It was truly an unforgettable experience!
What a fantastic experience! This was recommended to me by a friend of mine & it did not disappoint! Mind you, it is a little expensive, however, it is definitely worth it. I had to make a reservation three weeks before I went to Montreal because I know this restaurant gets booked up pretty quickly. So my advice is to make a reservation as soon as you can, if you are planning a trip to Montreal. The food was exquisite & very delicious. The steak was cooked to perfection as well as the baby potatoes. The ambience was great & the service was even better! This is definitely worth a stop & I highly recommend coming here.
Aug 28, 2024
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Went for dinner last night & had the best ever table outside in back & beautiful weather. Our server was so attentive & fun! He was so knowledgeable in everything we asked as well as gave us some seriously amazing suggestions! He was a pleasure to be around :) We had the prime steak which was for 3 of us. It was unreal & perfectly cooked. We were super happy with the portion size & definitely were not left hungry. The 2 sauces that accompanied the steak were so savory & went perfectly with the meat. We also had the lamb which was so tender & flavorful & would highly recommend. As for the wine. Worth every penny. Our server made some suggestions which were spot on. He suggested a wine in between our courses so as not to waste the decadent red that we would have with our mains & it was perfect. Oh & if they have the savory éclair for an appetizer...do it! As well as the ham & cheese starter !! The beef tartare is prepared at the table & hands down best I've had & I have had many! There was a slight hiccup in our wine service for the mains, which did not bother us at all, as we are patient people & they gave us the most delicious assortment of desserts to make up for it which was so kind. I've heard people comment on the price of a dinner here but I can guarantee you that if you want high quality food cooked to perfection with the most flavorful combinations then you won't regret it. You pay for what you receive & that is superior service, unbeatable food quality taste & wine.
10 out of 10. Everything was delicious! I went with a couple foodie friends & both agreed it was the best meal they've had in a long while. Everything was done to perfection & our waiter was fantastic! Cornish Hen was the best ever & the Canadian Steak couldn't have been better!
Aug 9, 2024
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All around an excellent experience. The mains & desserts are incredible especially the lobster bisque spaghetti & steak, but some of the appetizers could be better. Specifically the raw tuna tarte was a little underwhelming, the french omelette with lobster was incredible!
Best dinner in all of Montreal!!!! The service & server were amazing & then there was the food! Highly recommend coming here! We ordered the Foie Gras, Hanger Steak, & Lobster Spaghetti. Such a great experience!!!
We came here really wanting to love this place. The service & vibe were great, but we were disappointed with some of the food. Some great dishes, some unforgivable. & I just can't justify the price for what we got, especially compared to some other restaurants that execute cooking flawlessly. Starters: Steak tartare- wonderful. Best dish of our night Artichoke special- let down. A bit like under pickled antipasto, that could have come out of a jar. Mains: Sweetbread- delicious dish with a great sauce. Not enough sweetbread Suckling pork confit- pork not confited right. Pork rind was inedible (sticky & chewy, rather than crispy). For the prices of these dishes, every component of the dish should be well executed. Good flavours around the dish, but the cookery was disappointing. Dessert: Chantilly cream with strawberries- strawberries are in season, making this dessert very sweet & fresh. It was nice.
