Bistro La Traite
498 Boulevard d'Youville
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Amenities, services & more
Reviews for Resto MQC-Melody
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Display Allkid(9) caribbean(6) alice(5) spicy(4) family(4) student(4) she's(3) chateauguay(3) ist(3) doest(3) thas(3) school(3)
This place deserves to be talked about properly & this review is LONG overdue.
A couple of months ago, my wife, my daughter & I went to MQC & met Sister Alice. Let me just say that she's amazing & what they've been doing there for years is real community work, not theory. The kind you don't see on social media, because she's too busy actually serving people.
I've driven past that building on that road in Châteauguay more times than I can count & never realized what was going on inside. That was a miss. MQC isn't just'a spot to eat.' It's an actual community hub hiding in plain sight.
The food is Caribbean & it's excellent. Think Jamaican & Trinidadian influences, cooked like someone actually cares about the person who's going to eat it. It's warm, seasoned properly (spicy = spicy, just like we love it!), portions make sense, & you can tell it's made for people, not for Instagram. My family loves this type of food & I have to say, it's the best that I have ever had.
According to Sister Alice, lunchtime is when MQC shows what it really is. Kids from different situations come through, sit together, & treat the place with respect. They help each other, they don't trash the space, & they understand that this is somewhere built for them. That kind of behavior doesn't happen if the adults in the room aren't setting a clear tone.
She's the one creating that structure. Her approach is simple: everyone who walks in should feel like they have a place at the table. She learns their names, checks in, & makes sure nobody leaves hungry. It's care, but it's also discipline. That's why the kids respond to it.
Sister Alice explained MQC's concept while we waited & how it allowed so many kids to get a great meal. What stood out in her stories is that these aren't'problem kids.' They're normal kids from Châteauguay who just need somewhere safe & affordable to eat, close to school & close to home. MQC gives them that. It's right by the police station, not far from Billings, so it's accessible. For some of them, this is the place that tells them they matter.
That's why the meal structure matters. One full-price meal helps subsidize a meal for a student at $0.25. For the paying family, it's negligible. For the student, it's food security & dignity. It turns a small purchase into direct impact.
So the point isn't just that MQC serves good Caribbean food. It's that it anchors a piece of the community. It turns a restaurant into a support system. & that only works if people keep showing up.
We plan on doing this regularly because not only does it help our community but the food here is really phenomenal. We bought a bunch of things to try as many items as we could & the whole family was amazed at how good it was. I can't wait to try the oxtail & goat!!!
Thanks Sister Alice for everything you do & see you soon!
Have you ever walked into a place & instantly felt at home, not because of who you are, where you come from, or what you look like, but simply because of the kindness & energy that surrounds you? That's the feeling I get every time I step into Melody Québec Canada (MQC).
I've driven up & down that road countless times, never realizing the gem hidden behind those doors. It wasn't until recently that I stepped inside & discovered this underrated treasure of our community filled with heart & authenticity. Yes, the food is Caribbean-& honestly, who doesn't love Caribbean food? Miss Aliss brings together the bold flavors of Jamaican & Trinidadian cuisine.
But MQC is more than a restaurant. It's a gathering place. At peak lunch hour, when the kids stream in, you see the magic unfold. Kids of all ages, from all walks of life-different schools, backgrounds, & experiences-laughing together, helping each other, sharing tables, & even tidying up before they leave, without being told. It's a living picture of what community can be when kindness leads the way.
Yes, the food is incredible-comforting, homemade, & full of love. But what makes MQC truly special is the sense of belonging it offers. The woman who runs it pours kindness into every plate & every interaction. She makes sure everyone-kids & adults alike-feels seen, valued, & cared for.
That doesn't happen without effort. It takes volunteers, sometimes just an extra pair of hands for an hour or two at lunch, to keep things running smoothly. & every helping hand is received with gratitude.
What moved me most were the kids themselves. Respectful, joyful, looking out for one another. They are not the'lost generation' some people talk about. These are kids who walk the same streets we drive down on our way to the office, to teach & to serve in this community. Just steps from the Châteauguay police station & within walking distance of Billings high school, they find a place that welcomes them, feeds them, & reminds them they matter.
Supporting MQC for our family means committing to 1 meal a week. & here's the beauty: for every full-price meal, a child gets to eat for just $0.25. To us, it's barely a cost... To them, it's dignity, pride, & for some, the comfort of knowing that they are guaranteed at least one meal a day.
So no, this isn't a restaurant review. It's a call to community. A reminder that places like MQC only exist if we nurture them-because they nurture us right back. The food is amazing, yes. But the real gift is what MQC serves daily: a table where every child, from every walk of life, finds belonging.