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.
Met some very high expectations. The mutton chop was even better than the hanger steak. Best hunk of meat in ages. Both demi glace sauces were amazing but the sage in the mutton sauce was just wow. Server made great wine suggestions. Great experience.
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.
Jun 15, 2024
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The entire staff at Joe beef clearly love to work there & with each other. This comes out in the food & service. It reminds me of a Danny Meyer restaurant. Their food was exceptional & our server made excellent wine recommendations. We had the beef tartare prepared table side with endives & crostini. The meal could have ended there I would've been happy but we followed it up with a gem salad, the duck meal to share & fries. Not your traditional steak house meal given the other options but would have that meal on repeat. we finished it with a chocolate meringue dessert that our server previously called the "kids dessert" she was not wrong. 10/10 would recommend
Can't overstate how good this was. The food was outstanding & the service was perfect. Our server was also a sommelier & added so much to the experience through perfect pairings & suggestions. We had the flank steak & the mutton. Both to die for.
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.
Julien was an awesome guide to everything Joe Beef! I don't eat meat (yes yes, wrong restaurant) but I went for the company & experiece. He recommended a mushroom steak frites that isn't on the menu, & that did not disappoint! Also the Boston salad.... damn, what an amazing salad!
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!
May 17, 2024
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Intimate yet lively spot for an incredible meal. The perfect place to get a little dressed up, enjoy a few drinks, & splurge on some very high quality dishes. Hangar steak was tender, juicy, & flavorful all on its own. A true beef: what other beefs aspire to taste like. The optional mushroom sauce added a complex flavor profile, but I felt the steak could certainly stand on its own too. Veggie platter was large, filling, & tasted fresh off the farm. Not the mention, the generous helping of shrimp, fish, & cuttlefish. The raw tuna was aesthetically unorthodox, but paired with the tomato & caper sauce, was bright, tart, & surprising. I definitely recommend Joe Beef for a special dinner in a darling neighborhood!
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
First time but definitely not the last. Split a strip steak with bone marrow, salad & tiny potatoes. A beer each & dessert. At $250 for 2 people the price was great for the quality of the food. Our service was beyond impeccable. Thanks to the staff for a wonderful dining experience.
Amazing experience all in all, food absolutely perfect & service excellent. We shared a strip steak with potatoes & marrow (the biggest piece of marrow I've ever been served!), cooked perfectly. Even the beer was perfect. I tried the babeigne au rhum for dessert. Will definitely go back to try what our table neighbors had, lobster spaghetti, which was a whole lobster on pasta! We spent 250$ for a shared meal with no appetizers, so expect to spend a little. Worth every penny!
May 3, 2024
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Everything about this place was amazing. The ambience is sooo cute & cozy. One of the best services we had, & the food. Gosh the food was incredible from the beef tartare, steak, & cake. Coming back here asap!!
Une belle adresse. Un maison de passionnés, sans chichis efficace. Une cuisine traditionnelle mais avec le soupçon de fantaisie qu'on adore! Les steaks de porc maturés... Quel délicieuse surprise. Merci
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.
Mar 20, 2024
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We ordered beef tartare to start & the shareable steak as our main. The red wine sauce was excellent & really elevated the dish. The sides of marrow bone & bitter greens complimented the steak well. Be prepared to wait up to an hour before food arrives during busy dinner times.
All-In experience of a super enhanced Diner experience. The W wine list is vast, the staff has been guiding us through it in full confidence. All Shared - smoked salmon on a pumped bagel & cream cheese, Beef tartare then Steak & Chicken breast. All of this finishing on a massive crêpe wrapping a brick of delicious vanilla ice cream. SQDC Suggestion: Tangerine Dream - perfect friend & munchies activator for the experience.
Great good. We had the steak, oysters, clams, lobster spaghetti & the bloody ceasars....all items were top notch. The staff was great & friendly while service was fast. Prices are a bit on the higher side but well worth it & reasonable. Definitely would recommend. 10/10.
Didn't really find the steak outstanding, no one really checked in on me either until the end. As much as I wanted to love it, I can't say I did. I asked beside me to see if it was just me who found the service lacking, but they agreed with me as well. Fries were phenomenal though.
