Joe Beef

Bob

5.0

Phenomenal. Highly recommend.

Ruqayya

2.0

To be quite honest, this was a restaurant I have been looking forward to trying since I came to Montreal. Reservations are incredibly difficult to get, you have to plan weeks & weeks ahead… so when we finally went we were so disappointed with our experience.

The food is very mediocre, we ordered the coquettes, specials (savory eclair, & some eggs Benedict with crab?), lobster pasta, fries & hanger steak.

The lobster is as if you took a frozen lobster, boiled it, then served it on a plate. The pasta sauce was curdled & had no flavour. Fries were stale tasting. Eclair was good, croquettes needed a kick like lemon or salt or some flavour (they were shrimp), & the snow crabs eggs Benedict was good but also had minimal flavour.

For a restaurant of this alleged calibre, you would expect so much more. I would've said maybe it was a bad day for them, but 4/6 dishes being mediocre? I don't think so.

Service was good but shame that the food was not. Don't think I'll be coming back.

Ahmad

5.0

Hats off the team at Joe Beef, been meaning to come here for the longest time & I'm glad I finally did!

Food was spectacular, best Coq au Vin I've ever had!

Faiyaz

5.0

Been here twice. The escargot never disappoints.

Lucas

3.0

Disappointed at Joe Beef - Expected Greatness, Got Mediocrity

We recently dined at Joe Beef with high expectations & an appetite to match. Our meal included several appetizers - Boston scallops (served raw), a dozen oysters, escargots, & croquettes - followed by mains of lobster pasta, guinea hen, a 26 oz ribeye steak, & two orders of fries. We shared a bottle of German Riesling & skipped dessert. The total bill came to just over $700 CAD, including an 18% tip.

Unfortunately, the experience didn't live up to the restaurant's reputation.

Appetizers:
The scallops were delicate & fresh - easily the highlight of the evening. However, the oysters were surprisingly dry & underwhelming. The snails were enjoyable but nothing memorable, & the croquettes, while decent, felt like an afterthought on the plate.

Mains:
The ribeye was generously sized but excessively fatty, which diminished the enjoyment. Both sauces - a red wine reduction & a peppercorn - were well-executed & helped elevate the dish slightly. The guinea hen was overly rich & lacked balance, leaving a heavy impression rather than a satisfying one.

As for the much-anticipated lobster pasta, it was, at best, average. For $71, we expected something outstanding - especially from a restaurant of this calibre. Instead, it was comparable to a dish from a far more casual eatery. The lobster itself was small & likely frozen, which detracted from both the texture & the flavour.

Service & Wine:
Service was professional & kind & the Riesling paired well with the seafood, but even great service couldn't compensate for the overall mediocrity of the food.

In the end, Joe Beef simply didn't deliver the calibre of cuisine or experience its price point & reputation suggest. While not a terrible meal, it was an unmemorable one - & certainly not worth the cost. I wish we took more photos, attached are what we have.

Perhaps an off night, maybe we ordered the wrong dishes, but this was our experience.

Hal

5.0

A great Montreal experience. Really enjoyed everything here.

Ikram

4.0

J'ai dîné dans ce restaurant hier lors d'un rendez-vous. Globalement, l'expérience a été mitigée. La nourriture était décevante : les pâtes au homard & le tartare de thon manquaient cruellement de goût, fades!!! De plus, le pain & le beurre n'ont pas été servis automatiquement avant les plats, ce qui est pourtant habituel dans des restaurants comme ça. Nous avons dû les demander, & ils ont été facturés en supplément, ce qui est assez regrettable & surprenant vu les prix pratiqués.

Heureusement, le service était irréprochable : les serveurs étaient très professionnels & attentionnés. Le dessert, quant à lui, était correct sans être exceptionnel.

En revanche, l'ambiance laissait à désirer : la musique était beaucoup trop forte, ce qui rendait la conversation difficile. Au final, l'addition était bien trop salée pour la qualité des plats proposés. Je ne pense pas y retourner.

Tom

5.0

Wow, just wow. An amazing meal.

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.

Izzat

4.0

Steak was a bit dry but those fries are unholy. Best fries you'll have in Montreal hands down. (Though they contain alcohol)
Interesting decor in the washroom too haha. Amazing spot.

Jack

5.0

Insanely wonderful.