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.
⭐?⭐?⭐?⭐?⭐? An Unforgettable Evening Worth Every Bite
We visited this gem of a restaurant to celebrate my husband's birthday, & from the moment we walked in, it felt like we had stepped into a perfectly orchestrated dream. The ambiance struck that rare balance between elegant & inviting - softly lit, warm, & full of quiet, happy energy.
Now, let's talk about the service - hands down, the best I've ever experienced. Every single member of the team seemed to move in perfect harmony, as if they shared one mind with the goal of making our night flawless. Whether it was someone gracefully refilling our water as they passed, or another gently clearing plates with a smile & a kind word, the teamwork was seamless & a joy to watch.
Our main server, Alex, was an absolute star. He took all the pressure off our decision-making & curated a stunning four-course meal that flowed beautifully from one dish to the next - cohesive, balanced, & beyond delicious. The other Alex (yes, two Alexes!) was equally wonderful - attentive, charming, & meticulous, ensuring our table was pristine between courses & our glasses of water never empty.
& the food… oh, the food! Every plate felt like a small celebration in itself. The croquettes were crisp & creamy perfection, the tuna tartare delicate & full of bright flavor, & the lobster spaghetti? A masterpiece - rich, tender, & the kind of dish that makes you close your eyes after the first bite. Every cocktail - including my mocktail - was crafted with care & creativity, each one divine in its own right.
It was the kind of dinner you don't just eat, but feel - wrapped in kindness, thoughtfulness, & genuine hospitality.
Highly, highly recommend this place. Five shining stars & a standing ovation to the entire team. We can't wait to go back & relive the magic.
As soon as I knew I would be visiting Montreal, i grabbed a spot on the wait list in case a reservation opened up. I was so happy when the day before our trip, a spot opened up. We really enjoyed the tuna appetizer. We also had the Escargot which were good, but not as good as some I have had. For entrees we tried the Lobster Spaghetti which is a dish they are known for, & the Hanger steak. The Hanger Steak was cooked perfectly, tender & the sauce was excellent. I am from a Seafood town & felt the lobster was only okay & the Spaghetti itself very basic, not our favorite dish. All in all it is definitley worth a try.
Oct 4, 2025
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Look, if there were a sixth star to give, I would definitely give it to Joe's Beef. I had the tuna steak & the pork belly, & both were absolutely amazing. The flavor was incredible. Service was great & very helpful.
Do yourself a favor & go eat some delicious food here, you won't regret it.
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!!
Firstly, the ambience is cozy, intimate & beautiful. The highlight of our night was the tuna appetizer with the harissa sauce, one of the best bites of food I have ever had. For the main course we had the hanger steak & the duck- they were both good. Some of the duck was difficult to chew but the grape sauce was great. The hanger steak, it came as one skewer, was good but I wouldn't say anything special. It seems that the fish there is very fresh so next time I would come, I'd definitely focus on the fish. Overall, the service was phenomenal & a great experience.
This spot truly lived up to its expectations! We mostly ordered items from their newer offerings, & each dish impressed us in its own way. The standout for me was the tuna plate-fresh, flavorful, & beautifully presented. It was hands-down my favorite of the evening. Another highlight was the asparagus with foie gras. I wasn't sure what to expect from that combination, but it worked really well. The textures & flavors balanced nicely, making it a memorable bite.
The Dessert was another level. I'm still thinking about the chocolate mousse-it was unbelievably smooth, rich without being too heavy, & absolutely delicious. Definitely one of the best I've had in a while.
Beyond the food, what really made the experience great was the service. Everyone we interacted with was genuinely kind, warm, & attentive. It didn't feel forced or overly formal-just friendly & welcoming in a way that instantly puts you at ease. Honestly, that kind of service makes all the difference.
Overall, it was a fantastic dining experience from start to finish. Great food, lovely staff, & a cozy vibe that makes you want to return. Can't wait to go back & try even more from the menu!
The food at Joe Beef was awesome especially the desserts :)
The Tuna Carpaccio was good. The presentation looked odd with the tuna on top & assortment of oranges & spices underneath. Overall, it had a good balance of saltiness & sweetness. The orange pieces in this dish were really sweet & delicious.
The Croquette was good. It was crispy on the outside & filled with meaty savouriness on the inside. The sliced pickle was good too.
The Spaghetti Homard-Lobster was good. The spaghetti was cooked perfectly al dente. The lobster was tender & sweet. Wish there was more of the lobster. The bacon bits were delicious. The sauce was unique. It was a rich, creamy brandy cream sauce. It was a flavour that grows with you the more you eat it.
The Filet Mignon & Veal tongue was good. The 30-day dry aged Filet Mignon was perfectly cooked medium rare. It was a tender, juicy & savoury Filet Mignon. Would definitely recommend the Filet Mignon. The Veal tongue was okay. Texture wise it was more rubbery in the front & middle area. The base of the tongue was more tender & soft. The sauce in this dish was okay.
The Marjolaine which is their 24 layer cake was awesome. Would definitely recommend if you craving a good multi-layered chocolate, hazelnut, vanilla & caramel cake :)
The Paris-Brest à l'érable which is their Choux pastry with Maple Cream was awesome. The Choux pastry was light & fluffy. The Maple Cream was heavenly with an amazing maple syrup flavour that was not too sweet.
The Vanilla Ice Cream was awesome. It went well the 24 layer cake.
Apr 4, 2025
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I've been wanting to go to Joe Beef for 15+ years, since I first saw it on the travel channel or food network. That's the only reason I've given it a 4/5... because it couldn't possibly live up to the anticipation.
But it was great, & I definitely recommend checking it out. It's a true Montreal legend. The atmosphere & staff were superb. The food was good. Not the out of this world extravaganza I was expecting but absolutely delicious. We had the tuna tartare & the strip with potatoes & bone marrow. At $130 for the steak alone... it's a pricey meal. & worth it. The wine was excellent & the service was fantastic.
It was my first dining experience at Jue Beef in Montreal, & I couldn't have asked for a better introduction. The moment I walked in, I was struck by the vibrant atmosphere & the welcoming vibe of the place. I decided to sit at the bar, which turned out to be a fantastic choice.
started off with the tuna tartare, which was nothing short of exquisite. The freshness of the tuna combined with the delicate seasoning made each bite a delight. It was beautifully presented, & I couldn't help but admire the artistry of the dish.
For my drink, I ordered a cocktail that perfectly complemented my meal. It was refreshing & balanced, making it a great pairing with the flavors of the tuna.
Then came the pièce de résistance: the lobster spaghetti. Wow! The pasta was cooked to perfection, & the generous chunks of lobster added a luxurious touch. The sauce was rich & flavorful, enveloping each strand of spaghetti in a way that made it hard to resist.
I felt incredibly lucky to snag a seat at the bar since I hadn't made a reservation. Usually, you need to book ahead to get a table, but I guess fortune was on my side that day. The service was impeccable; the staff was attentive & friendly, always ready with recommendations & ensuring my experience was top-notch.
Overall, my first meal at Jue Beef was amazing. I left with a full belly & a big smile, already planning my next visit!
Went without expectations, left with a new favorite place in MTL. Starting with the ambiance, the place has this effortless coziness to it. We ordered the tuna tartare & baked ham entrance, both were delicious. For main we ordered rabbit a la royale & foie de veau, wow… texture, flavor, Temperature..just exquisite. Last but not least the cherry on top was the service, every single server was kind, specially Thalia at the bar, single handedly made one of our best night in the city. If you have a chance to visit the place don't miss it. & order the caramel pudding for dessert. :)
After seeing Joe Beef featured on one of our favorite shows, Parts Unknown, it became a bucket list restaurant for my husband & I. We were fortunate enough to get a reservation for our anniversary & we were so excited. We weren't sure how long it was going to take to Uber there from our Airbnb so we left plenty of time & arrived about 25 minutes early so the staff very kindly set up a couple of chairs & the heater in the little courtyard area outside while we enjoyed some champagne. When our table was ready (only about 5-10 minutes later), our server greeted us & gave an overview of the menu. We opted to pick two items from the menu ourselves, & ask our server to select to select two items she thought we should try. We selected the tuna tartare & the rabbit special they had that evening, which happened to be one of the dishes that Anthony Bourdain ate on the Parts Unknown episode we loved. Our server selected the pumpernickel smorgasbord & the halibut dish. The tuna tartare was prepared tableside & was absolutely delicious - the tuna was delicate & the egg yolk mixture they used to emulsify everything didn't overpower the tuna at all. The crostini & endive leaves it was served with were great, we thought the bitterness of the endive overpowered the tuna just a bit, but it was still delicious. The pumpernickel smorgasbord was truly that, there were so many varieties of delicious seafood on top of the bread. The rabbit was pulled & wrapped around truffles & foie gras. It had a wonderfully rich sauce & the creamiest mashed potatoes I've ever had. Overall, a fantastic dish. The halibut dish was a great contrast with the vegetal flavor of the cucumbers & the tanginess from the sauce. For dessert, we had the chocolate tart (which came with a side dessert of the most decadent chocolate mousse) & the layer cake, both were amazing. The service was attentive & friendly, I appreciated the humor they all had as well, it made for a really fun evening & the perfect way to celebrate our anniversary.
Oct 20, 2024
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Definitely lives up to the hype, but it is pricey. The style of food is sauce-heavy & very rich. Cocktails were great & our server was extremely friendly. We tried a tuna dish which was a little disappointing - maybe our fault for ordering fish at a place with "beef" in the name...
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$. I highly recommend to try the entree ones My boyfriend had a glass of red wine which was very good with the steak. Well ! At least we try.
Gabriel was an absolute joy as a server. As always the food here is amazing, with the raw seafood appetizer offering & lobster spaghetti as must orders. The Tuna Bagnat was boooomb!
Food was great. Ham & hanger steak fantastic. The raw tuna app was very disappointing. Montreal staple, & they had one ply toilette paper in the bathroom, unacceptable
Sep 11, 2024
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Did not live up to the hype. The food was a disappointment. This is the first time I've had a tuna app that I did not enjoy. The joe app was also a disappointment. The quality of the beef does not reflect the price point. Overall underwhelming..
All around an excellent experience. The mains & desserts are incredible especially the lobster bisque spaghetti & steak, but some of the appetizers could be better. Specifically the raw tuna tarte was a little underwhelming, the french omelette with lobster was incredible!
Lovely restaurant. As you walk in, you are immediately welcomed by the smiling staff. We were seated on the outdoor "terrasse". It was a bit windy but they turned on the heaters for us. The outdoor "terrasse" is really lovely. I tried the raw tuna & foie gras as appetizers. The raw tuna was just ok. The foie gras was really good with the raisin bread. My friend had the filet mignon which was the daily special. He asked for rare & got a medium rare. For 98$, I don't think this is acceptable. I had the Sweetbreads (Ris de veau). The sauce was so salty that I couldn't finish it. For dessert, we tried the marjolaine & the sorbet "sgroppino" which were excellent. The BaBeigne au Rhum was disappointing because the doughnut was just too dry.
When Antony Bourdain visited Montreal, Joe Beef was his favorite restaurant. But then again, Tony loved meat. We don't eat meat & poultry or lobster, & our dinner experience was good, but not great; I'm sure that the meat dishes here are great. We tried the oysters, 3 different kinds, they were very good (4/5). The Raw Tuna, Tomato Tart "Basquaise" was good (3/5), but too many flavors overpowered the taste of the tuna. The Egg in a Jar, Trout Roe, Celery & Dulse Butter Brioche was ok, but weird, & not too flavorful (2/5). The fries were good, but a bit bitter (3/5). The best dish was the Halibut, Colbert Vinaigrette, very well cooked & very flavorful (4/5). Finally, the Boston & Gems salad with Mimolette was good, the plating was not (3/5). Service was very good (4/5). Overall, 3/5.
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.
