Classiques de restaurants du Vieux-Montréal au coeur de la Petite Bourgogne. Un hommage à Charles "Joe-Beef" McKiernan, héros de la classe ouvrière du 19ième siècle. A deux pas mi-ivres du célèbre Marché Atwater. Steaks et fruits de mer.
Les avis convergent sur une expérience culinaire riche et généreuse, typique d'une institution montréalaise où l'ambition est au rendez-vous et l'ambiance est dense et chaleureuse. Des plats phares comme le foie gras double down, les spaghettis au homard, le canard et le bœuf dans différentes cuissons reviennent souvent, accompagnés de desserts tels que la marjolaine et la mousse au chocolat qui marquent les esprits. Le service est fréquemment salué pour son attention, sa connaissance du menu et sa convivialité, même lors des soirs chargés, mais certains estiment que le prix est élevé et que les portions peuvent sembler justes pour le coût. Des détails récurrents évoquent une cuisine audacieuse et festive, où les saveurs s'affirment avec intensité et une certaine opulence, tout en restant accessible par l'ambiance et l'accueil. Des critiques notent aussi que la constance peut varier selon les plats et les jours, mais l'expérience globale est décrite comme mémorable et digne d'un retour, particulièrement pour les amateurs de fruits de mer, de viande généreuse et de desserts généreux. Globalement Joe Beef demeure un repère du paysage culinaire montréalais, synonyme de plaisir gourmand, d'énergie conviviale et d'un goût pour le raffinement sans prétention, même si le rapport prix-qualité peut prêter à débat.
I was really looking forward to this one but was a disappointment.
Spent over 500$ for me & my wife but what a let down. We shared the rib plate & asked for medium but came in rare. We returned the plate , only to come back 5 minutes later still very rare. At this point we ate a bit of it & left. The piece of meat was drenched with two different sauces which completely altered the taste of the meat. Thanks for ruining our 10 year wedding anniversary .
One the best restaurant experience of my life, everything was perfect. Joe beef is a must! The oysters were excellent & the scallop was delicious. The lobster pasta was amazing & the sauce was perfect like a rich bisque sauce very creamy. Cod cheeks were also great & very flavourful. The dessert was an incredible end to the meal the Marjolaine was outstanding & the pistachio eclair was one the best desserts I have ever had if you love pistachio it's gonna blow your mind. Our waiter was very nice, very professional & knowledgeable. The restaurant is very homely & warm, beautiful decor very kitsch. I would recommend Joe beef to anyone who wants to experience dining at its finest & also they have amazing seafood options, don't let the name fool you
15 mars 2026
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One of the best meals & experiences I've ever had.
First the food - We had the raw scallop, escargot, lettuces, rabbit, lobster spaghetti & the Marjolaine for dessert. Flavors were complex yet clear, rich & dense without being overly heavy, beautifully crafted, cooked perfectly. We hesitated to order the lobster spaghetti wondering if it was just online hype but we were not disappointed in the slightest - perfect al dente cook on the pasta with a beautifully creamy & rich bisque-like sauce. The rabbit was so bold, rich & complex it was truly one of the most unique dishes I've ever had. But the raw scallop to start honestly stole the show. So fresh & vibrant - excellent way to start the meal. Don't sleep on the lettuce either it was a great refreshing compliment to a rich meal. You also just have to face palm yourself in amusement when you have such an incredible, unique & special dinner then make it to dessert & casually order the signature cake with a cappuccino & think'wait is THIS the best thing??'
The atmosphere - everything feels so intentional & meticulously chosen/placed yet completely unpretentious. The lighting is excellent & comfortable. Each room with slightly different character. The antiques, art, lamps, wall papers, etc. communicate the neighborhood's rich history as a former antique/furniture area.
The service - we sat at the bar & at first said that we wish we could have scored a table & now I never want to sit anywhere else. The entire bar team was absolutely excellent. Our server - Edouard I believe was is name - was absolutely fantastic guide through the menu & took our experience to the next level. Made suggestions, helped us pair drinks, coursed the meals out at a perfect pace, chatted with us & had us laughing & truly just took our entire experience to the next level. Ordering here is NOT easy, I wish I could have had everything & I always suffer from order envy - but Edouard helped us craft a perfectly balanced & complete meal. He also shared with us the history of the neighborhood &'Joe Beef' himself which was fascinating & special. The other server behind the bar - JJ - was equally kind & charismatic & after we told them we were celebrating our anniversary & what we enjoyed doing the entire bar team seamed to come together to write us a list of recommended bars, restaurants & places to see music.
Not only will be we back… this place has me wanting to move to Montreal.
it's almost a you like it or you dislike it kind of place. theres no in between. & in montreal, when you are spoilt for choices, the in betweens fall behind.
joe beef on the other hand, was absolutely spectacular. having eaten at the so called top spots around the city, nothing is as good as joe beef (as of now).
the oysters were specifically chosen, 3 different types to be exact, from places like merasheen bay, cheebooktook & fiona's fury (from PEI). where each oyster takes up to 4-5 years to get to that size.
their version of the double down was phenomenally decadent & sinful. two slabs of fried foie gras splashed with maple syrup. if au pied di cochon was foie gras heaven, this must be the stairs leading up to that.
their iconic lobster pasta, incredible. one of the best lobster pasta ive had. even across italy, this stands out to me. the meat was cooked perfectly, the sauce on the pasta was rich yet not overpowering. & the bacon gave it a bite that did not take too much away from the seafood.
to end it off, i had this pistachio eclair. it was crunchy & had right amount of sweetness.
the cocktails was good too & not too pricey (anything
We had an absolutely phenomenal experience tonight. Service, food & ambiance were all terrific. We had oysters & the zesty Italian beef tartare to start, & shared the lobster pasta & filet mignon in red wine sauce for mains. Had the ice cream for dessert. Everything we ate was impeccable, & the staff were all super friendly, attentive but still pleasantly casual & knowledgeable. Cocktails were maybe the weaker point, not bad at all but not exactly inspired either.
Had been looking forward to this reservation for weeks & it absolutely exceeded our expectations. A must for any foodie visiting Montreal!
Joe Beef, c'est plus qu'un restaurant : c'est une déclaration d'amour à la gourmandise sans compromis. Dès qu'on franchit la porte, on entre dans un univers où l'excès est assumé, le beurre est roi & chaque assiette raconte une histoire.
La cuisine est opulente, précise & profondément réconfortante. Les plats jouent avec les classiques français & nord-américains, mais toujours avec une touche irrévérencieuse : des cuissons impeccables, des sauces riches & audacieuses, des produits traités avec un respect quasi obsessionnel. Ici, on ne mange pas « léger », on mange juste.
Le service est à l'image de la maison : décontracté, compétent & humain. On sent une vraie passion, une fierté tranquille de faire partie de quelque chose d'unique. Les recommandations sont sincères, les accords mets-vins pointus sans jamais être prétentieux.
L'ambiance est dense, vivante, presque théâtrale. Tables serrées, conversations qui se croisent, énergie brute : Joe Beef vit pleinement, & on en fait partie le temps d'un repas.
Joe Beef n'essaie pas de plaire à tout le monde. & c'est précisément pour ça qu'il est exceptionnel. Une expérience gastronomique intense, généreuse & mémorable - un pilier de Montréal qui continue de mériter sa réputation, assiette après assiette.
Had a great experience with Joe B. Zero complaints. A++
1) The entire waitstaff were all lovely. Service was great! I sat at the oyster bar in a'newer' side of the establishment. Kind of felt like I was in a historical bar with a bunch of old seaside decor. Had to bust out the readers as it's a dark/intimate setting. Homey feel for sure.
2) Each time a course was dropped off, the server explained what they were dropping off in detail. It was a breath of fresh air to have that explanation even though you knew what you ordered. I loved that part!!
Started with the special of the night which was oyster casino . Nice touch - cooked & presented well. Next was the foie gras double. So rich but well worth it. Just don't order any other appetizer, or you'll ruin your main course!
Filet had great flavor with its funghi reduction. I prob would have enjoyed it more had I not stuffed my face. **plated on warm plate to keep the nice mushroom crème sauce to stay nice, warm & silky smooth.
3) The guys behind the oyster bar went out of their way to show me how to open & prepare an oyster! (I ordered 100 oystered to be delivered & said I was trying taking notes)
19 nov. 2025
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Third time at Joe Beef over the last few years. Surprisingly the quality has dropped significantly. For a premium price, the food is mostly bland. When the food arrived, the server joked how the fries are the best part & she was right! We ordered the croquettes, scallop, halibut, salad & creme caramels. The croquettes could have used some lemon & a sauce. The halibut was over cooked & under seasoned. The shortbread with the creme caramel was excelled but the actual dessert lacked the creaminess of a creme caramel.
My first time here & it was a marvellous experience.
The restaurant is very cozy, we were lucky to be seated across the fireplace. Lights are dim & the ambiance is great.
We ordered the tartare for starter with bread & butter. I really liked how cute the butter was in their tiny packs. Bread was fresh & tartare was just amazing.
For mains we got Steak & Duck Breast. Steak comes with gem potatoes, temperature was perfect & the steak was tender. But my favourite was the duck breast. It comes with foie gras & it was just a spreadable perfection. Duck breast was blessed with red wine jus.
& last but not least we got the chocolate mousse, it was 10/10! I loved the sauce on the side of the dessert so much I wanted to clean the plate with a piece bread.
Overall one of the best meals I've ever had in Canada.
We were 2 midweek for an early dinner. Reservations still recommended. Trio of oysters starter were good but PEI Oysters were larger & tastier. My main was hanger steak. A little chewy but wonderful flavour & red wine reduction sauce. Other main was filet mignon - very tender with umami-infused sauce. Excellent. Mushroom side dish a great addition. Main server was friendly & knowledgeable-'sous' servers all attentive too. Wine order was a little slow coming but good choices. Cheese course with whole walnuts in the shell was an amusing DIY finale. Highly recommended.
WOW I loved Joe Beef so much we had an amazing experience with our server Alex who was so knowledgeable about everything & SO kind to us as we were celebrating our anniversary.
The hanger steak for two was literally the perfect amount of food, the sauces accompanying the meat were to die for, mashed potatoes perfect, I really enjoyed the creamed spinach as well.
The chocolate mousse was to die for, it was a slightly firm mousse dome with I think a chocolate ganache drizzle on top & they served it with this delicious reduction that was garnished with a tiny bit of olive oil & wow - just amazing.
Highly recommend!
10 oct. 2025
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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.
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.
Let's get straight to the point: the famous lobster spaghetti here is above average & definitely not worth the wait. At an eye-watering price tag of $71++, it's asking to be judged against the best pastas in the world & that's what I'm judging it by.
First, you only get half a lobster. That's not a lot meat but they do somewhat make it up with the generous amount of spaghetti. The noodles themselves are good, but they are let down by the sauce, which is too salty. The lobster is supposed to be the star of the show but you don't taste any of it in the sauce. Half a lobster is also not proportionate to the amount of spaghetti so it doesn't feel like a satisfying meal.
Drinks here are good creative though, so I would recommend them. I got a peach mock tail & it's rare to find mocktails that have more complexity than juice.
This is a Montreal institution & it's worth going just to check out the place, but manage your expectations if you get the lobster spaghetti.
26 juil. 2025
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Mon avis: fortement apprécié par les touristes en tant qu'institution, moins par les locaux. (D'où les avis positif qui semblent exagérés)
Avis d'une locale: la quantité vs le prix est à revoir. Le bone in strip était excellent. Le service était exceptionnel. Digne d'une danse bien organisée malgré la lenteur pour sortir les plats.
Déception sur l'entrée de flan à la moelle ainsi que sur les pâtes au homard qui goûtaient principalement très salé. Je m'attendais à une sauce rosée avec un arrière goût de homard & d'agrume. Mais ça goûtait que le sel. Également en terme de portion, le prix est exagéré pour un demi homard sur des pâtes. Ce plat peut également se manger seul donc rien ne justifie 71$ pour ça. Idem pour les desserts, bon mais j'avais plus d'attente pour le prix. 300$ plus tard, nous sommes restés perplexes.
Si vous vivez à Montréal & que vous avez une envie de steak, foncez. Pour le reste, vous prendrez une chance.
Food definitely underdelivered. Was going to order more as I went but just gave up after a few misses in a row. Service was amazing & vibe was very chill. Just wish the food was seasoned well, cooked properly, & just idk better for what I am paying. Had the veal tongue & sweetbread entree with a tomato sauce that literally tasted & smelled exactly like a cold can of tomato soup had been poured on my plate. Totally gross.
It's 12/10. Fantastic all the way around. Sometimes these spots can be so overhyped it's hard to meet expectations yet they exceeded them. Vibey, great food & service.
All the staff was top notch from hostess who put us at the perfect for our baby & her stroller, to the busboy, & the waiter.
The duck was insanely delicious, could drink the sauce & the lobster spaghetti is a must. Feels like you can't go wrong with anything you're feeling.
Don't let the name fool you, it's known for their seafood even though it's named after Charles McKiernan'Joe Beef.'
We had the Andalouse sausage made with veal, fois gras & sweet bread as a starter. Was especially good. But it was two large sausages. It was very delicate & flavorful. We also had the bread & pickle. Was very tasty. The server suggested this.
Oh!
We also had the Roman gnocchi- which was polenta with Gruyère sauce- absolutely delish!
For the mains I had the lobster spaghetti. It was like a twist on Italian carbonara with lobster. I asked- the lobster is fresh!! 🦞( not frozen). This dish was very very tasty & large!
My husband had the Guinea Hen. It was fine. But not the best. He ate it, enjoyed it for what it was but wouldn't order it again. He didn't really know he's eating'guinea hen'- was more like regular poultry in sauce with vegetables.
We had a 5pm seating & what we didn't like is they kind of rushed you to order. ( in a polite way) but they made everyone order all their courses right away. They brought everything out pretty quickly, one right after the other. Was kind of strange. So you couldn't get a feel for sizes or what else you want after already eating an appetizer. It was all ordered from the top & then served.
The restaurant is super cute & nice. Very pretty atmosphere. Cozy yet elegant. Tastefully decorated.
J'ai mangé au Joe Beef hier soir avec des amis. Nous nous sommes laissés porter & impressionner par notre serveur qui a choisi les plats pour nous à notre demande.
Le flétan dans un beurre blanc IS TO DIE FOR. La cuisson était impeccable (croustillant sur le dessus.. tendre & moelleux à l'intérieur. )
Le filet de boeuf & la sauce, servi avez des asperges du Québec .. une merveille. Je recommande chaleureusement.
Nourriture, service & ambiance 5 étoiles!
Merci à toute l'équipe.
