Joe Beef

J’ai adoré tout de cet endroit!
La nourriture le service et l’ambiance nous étions tout prêt du poêle a bois nice!

Joe Beef is well known in Montreal and abroad, for good reason. The food is delicious and unpretentious, and the service is top-notch. Had a great meal and would happily go back

The best restaurant in Canada? Maybe the world? Can’t say enough good things about this place. Service, vibe and food were all top notch. Everything I want in a meal. If they have the bone marrow and oysters get them.

Love your "Joe Beef piquant apple maple" BUT unfortunately none is being sent this year to the Vancouver BC area!

A calm yet lively atmosphere with excellent food and service. Portions were very generous. They are great at explaining the menu and how much to order to satisfy a group.

OMG! Hubby was so excited about getting reservations here and the experience didn't disappoint!
Great food and great service.
Had the staples: escargot, beef marrow, lobster spaghetti and steak.
$300 dinner but totally worth it!

We came here for my birthday. The meal was phenomenal! One of if not the best dinner we have ever had!

A premier dining experience when visiting Montreal. You have to make the time to come here.

Food was outstanding (Lobster Spaghetti is so good), staff are excellent, the patio is beautiful when the weather is good. There is a reason why this place is well known, so get a reservation!

Very disappointing and overrated.
I went to try an amazing stake to honor the name of the restaurant, but I got a bubble gum stake. How is possible I bite and bite and the stake never brakes? I can find better quality meat at Costco. The only good thing was the salad (and is a place for stake brilliant)
This was a very bad experience for the price ($300 for 2 people) and for the poor meat quality.

Lived up to the hype. Top notch service. Reservations were hard to get. Book early and you will not be disappointed. Some of our favorite bites during our Montréal visit came from here.

On a fait une réservation pour 2. On s'est assis sur le bar. On a ete servi par deux personnes le Bartender et une personne qui faisait la cuisine en même temps. Les deux sont agréables. J'ai trouvé que la personne qui faisait la cuisine en même temps était particulièrement beaucoup plus professionnelle et son service était plus qu'impècable. On a demandé s'il y avait un menu dégustation et il y en avait pas en tant que tel mais qu'on pouvais nous accomoder par rapport à notre budget (150$ par personne). On a eu 6 plats! On a commencé avec des huîtres, ensuite le saumon avec les 2 croquettes d'aiguilles frites avec du caviar. On enchaine avec le tartare de filet américain mélangé avec des cornichons, onions et crabes (celui la a dépassé mes attentes). Ona eu une entrée chaude de veau avec fromage champignons et un sauce brune. Et enfin, ona fini avec les spaghetti aux homards. Le serveur était assez gentil pour nous demander au début du service si un plat nous intéresse en particulier. On travaille moi et ma collègue dans un restaurant de fini cuisine (top 10 à Montréal) et je dois dire que ce restaurant est un incontournable. Merci pour la belle expérience!

I never thought I would be writing a mediocre review for Joe Beef, especially since this place is so renowned, but I was slightly disappointed with my experience yesterday. The restaurant is cute and the service was great.but the food was a bit of a let down. We were four and all four of us agreed, so this is not just my opinion I am sharing. We ordered 2 entrees, 3 mains and 3 bottles of wine (only between 50-70$ each) and the total came up to about 650$. The eel entree was pretty good (nothing special), but the beef entree was merely two small pieces of bread with two tiny slices of beef and two anchovies-very ordinary and 42$. For the main courses we all shared the horse, beef stew, lobster pasta and two sides dishes (Brussel sprouts and fries). The horse and Brussel sprouts were delicious, but the beef stew literally had no flavour. The lobster pasta was good, but 115$ seems slightly overpriced for a pasta dish.
Overall I enjoyed my experience, but considering the price and hype around this restaurant, I expected much, much more. I don't mind spending the money, but all four of us left there feeling it definitely was not worth what we had spent.

This place live up to the hype. The wait staff was very knowledgeable and patient.not a place to go if you are on a diet.you will leave here full.can't wait to go back

Magical, the food of legend. Dishes are big & robust, a foodie paradise. Cheval filet, perfectly cooked. 'fried rice', truly epic (foie gras, duck hearts, lardon, mushrooms, fried egg, and a luxurious sauce). Beef coccette, perfect. Smoked eel fritters were awesome. Highly recommend leaving room for the Marjolaine.

Lovely atmosphere, food was delicious with large portions.
Would've been 5 stars but waitress was somewhat offputting.

I’m sure I’m one of thousands of 5-star reviews, but I’ll add my voice to the mix! Joe Beef is the best meal I’ve ever had, and I’ll be dreaming about it until I can eat there again. Service was exceptional as well, and the attention to detail really made the evening even better. You HAVE to eat here!

Finally got to experience Joe Beef and it was worth the wait! The ribeye, Brussels and mushrooms were delicious and the desserts were exquisite. Can’t wait for my return already!

Where to begin…

Friendly service, outstanding menu.

Joe beef is the kind of place to go crazy and try exotic things.

To be honest it was my first time having brain and peeing beside a buffalo (there is one in the bathroom!). The brain was delicious and cooked to perfection; highly recommend.

Beef tartar was fresh and yummy.

The desserts are not to be missed! Concords are my favorite chocolate cakes, if you are a chocolate lover this will be your dessert.

The famous cake is a must if you enjoy almonds!

Bon appetite

We were seated outside to enjoy the sun. Each dish that came was a top shelf display of talent - beautiful colors and textures - and so, so much butter. We racked up a considerable bill, simply because we wanted to try so many things and drink until we could barely walk. What an experience. Book a table, and book it early.

Upsides:
Unique food
Excellent service
Knowledgeable staff
Prices are fair for the meals

Downsides:
Ambience
Temperature

Our server was excellent, she did a great job of explaining the options to us and made suggestions.

We enjoyed the food, though it was super rich and difficult to finish. I regret getting the pineapple based cocktail to start. Having that, an appetizer and a main was a lot.

The table next to us was 6, super loud and we could barely hear one another. I was surprised no one asked them to quiet down, it really sucked the joy out for us.

We sat in the second room / add on type of part. I believe it's unheated as it was super cool for our stay. They may need to consider handing out a lap blanket or something. I run warm and I was frozen.

Overall- Pretty well what we expected for the meal. Unique and well prepared items, albeit very rich!

Our total was $240 before tax. Not sure I would do it twice, but when in Montreal!

Don’t get the horse.no matter how “tender” they claim it to be…it’s super chewy Overall nothing to rave about we were pretty let down (probably shouldn’t have chosen what we did but we trusted our waitress.) Desserts were good. We won’t be recommending this spot to friends.the opposite of what we thought going into our reso.

You can see why it’s in the top three restaurants of Canada. Quite amazing. Never had a streak so good

Excellent food! One of the best places to eat in Montreal. The food is exceptionally good and the service matches it. I had the opportunity to try several dishes at this awesome restaurant. Very well recommended.

The service from start to finish was terrible and uncomfortable. Ruined appetite. The food was just ok.

Not sure how this is #3 on Canada’s Top 100 restaurants. The food was decent but other than the beef tartar (which we ate before I took a picture of it!) I wasn’t blown away. Even the steak which is what they are known for was good but I have had better at other restaurants. Not sure I would go back. And to top it off our server recommended way too much food. We had 4 appetizers and three main dishes for four adults and two young kids. And then she recommended side fries for the kids but neglected to tell us that one of the mains came with fries! We even asked if that was too much food and she reassured us it was fine. We wasted almost half the food as we were in a hotel and couldn’t take it out with us.

Unpopular opinion: don't get the lobster spaghetti. It was delicious, the lobster was super fresh and came in huge chunks which was fantastic, but the majority of it was just spaghetti. If you are visiting Montreal as tourists, I'm sure there are other better dishes. Our waiter said that everything on the menu came recommended so he didn't single out any specific dishes. Maybe he didn't want to taint our opinion? It wasn't until after we ordered that he told another table to NOT get the lobster spaghetti.

Anyway! Everything was still tasty, but in hindsight I would have ordered different dishes. Except the croquettes, those were amazing and I wish we ordered more. The escargot was fine, but I don't think I am an escargot person. And the garlic fries, while very tasty, again I should have chosen something a little bit more adventurous.

Their 21-layer (or 22?) hazelnut cake was amazing! Wish we could have had it with a tall glass of milk. Their cocktails were also great and refreshing.

We got the steak and lobster spaghetti.

Conclusion? Don't get the lobster spaghetti. It's not worth the $90 price tag.

Underwhelming food experience with sauces that seemed store bought. We had over 9 dishes and not one stood out. Flavours were boring.
Would not recommend even at half the price. Overhyped unfortunately and after discussing with a number of Montreal friends, it seems to be a common consensus.
Wine and service was fantastic.

Amazing service, our waiter helped us pick an amazing lineup of dishes and drinks. Truly an enjoyable eating experience. Bonus points for the Buffalo in the bathroom.

It would be hard to say anything but amazing things about Joe Beef but the standout from our dinner was the service. The service was so warm and friendly, while being helpful and tossing in some humour. Truthfully, they could have served us cold, day old fat food and we would have still been delighted.

The staff were super friendly and super helpful when suggesting dishes. Burrata was by far my favorite appetizer dish. The foie gras was a bit much for two people, so I would reccomend sharing it with 3-4 people. Esgargot was tasty but had a hint of fennel or licorice I wasn't too fond of. Lastly the lobster spaghetti was delicious. Super rich sauce but the pasta and lobster was cooked well and you get SO MUCH lobster. Worth it for sure!

Great food experience, staff is very professional and the food is amazing to say the least. Truly lives up to its name. Definitely a good choice, every time.

I had an amazing Saturday evening at this local jewel called Joe Beef in Little Burgundy. The staff were very professional and fast-paced, the atmosphere was out of a movie almost & the food, well.above and beyond, no words to describe their creative dishes:)
If you do reserve, make sure it's one month in advance & also, try out their signature main courses (i.e. Lobster Spaghetti, Double-Down Foie Gras, Horse Fillet, etc). Ultimately, it's an explosion of flavor and utter joy in your mouth!

Beaucoup trop cher pour ce que c'est. Ne pas se fier aux photos des menus, les prix ont facilement triplé. Une entrée, un plat 100 dollars.

Very rich flavors and you can taste all the fresh ingredients. If you have a chance to go, do it. Taste as many things as you can.

My wife and I finally had the opportunity to dine at Joe Beef and we were very happy with the food and service. Because my eyes are always bigger than my stomach, we ordered 3 starters, 2 entrées, and shared a dessert.

The tomato salad was tasty, the beef tartare was classic, and the pâté tantin was a gut-busting extravaganza of goodness. I could have tapped out at that point, but since we also ordered the lobster spaghetti and duck breast we had to push on. The lobster was perfectly cooked and the sauce for the pasta was amazing! The duck was tender and the sauce was rich and decadent. We finished by sharing a slice of the delicious Marjolaine Classique for dessert.

The service was friendly and I found the timing of the courses to be quite good. The only downer of the evening, and this was no fault of the restaurant or staff, was that it was extremely hot and humid in the outside seating are because Montréal was going through a record-breaking heatwave! But overall it was still a great experience!

Their reputation precedes them. Often though, places coast on their reputation. Not here. The food, atmosphere, and service were exceptional.

The lobster pasta was delicious! It was a bit pricy, especially seeing it was half the price last year. The food is quality and they are one of the top rated restaurants in Canada so they can charge what they want. Service was top notch, very attentive. The frites were so good, make sure to add those as a side. Overall a wonderful experience, even after spending $170 on one pasta entree, fries, a Cesar, a beer, and tip. I would still go back.

Soirée mémorable! Bravo à l’équipe tout pour que le client se sente VIP. Des sauces incomparables. Je vous souhaite une visite même si la patience est indispensable pour obtenir une réservation

Joe Beef is well worth the hype. Our server, Simon, was totally amazing. He explained every item on the menu and the special menu, gave us recommendations, and took great care of us while we had our dinner. We drank the Joe Beef "Apocalypse" beer (super refreshing). We ate the oysters, quail with mussels, foie gras terrine, duck magret, smoked pork shoulder, and the sweet corn au gratin. Everything was smashingly good. We were in awe of how tasty everything was and ready to burst by the time we left. We had to take the rest to go, so come prepared for large portions. Do not miss this place. If you're lucky enough to get Simon as your waiter, he will guarantee you have the best meal for you, all while making your experience fun and memorable!

Isabelle was so kind to our family after I had issues with the reservation system. What a pleasant and helpful person. A great representative of the establishment.

What a disappointment. I really don't get why everyone raves about this restaurant. I rarely write bad reviews but I was compelled to this time because I feel like I've been bamboozled. The food tasted very, very average. The croquettes were luke warm in the middle and somehow they gave us 2 orders for 2 ppl when we only asked for 1 order. So $36 for 4 lukewarm croquettes. The sauce for the lobster spaghetti tasted slightly bitter, there was nothing special about lobster or the noodles. The fries were flavourful but not fried long enough so they weren't even crispy, just limp. Don't know how you can screw something up as simple as fries. The service was wonderful but I ain't here for that, I'm here for good food. This meal made me sad, I expected so much more.

Once again, another amazing meal and overall experience here. We sat at our favourite spot, the bar! Julian was AMAZING and we look forward to visiting him again soon.

Une adresse incontournable: excellente exécution en cuisine, un service impeccable et chaleureux dans une ambiance décontractée. Joe Beef mérite vraiment sa place dans le top 10 des meilleurs restaurants au Canada. Les portions sont généreuses et chaque association est étudiée avec soin.

Nourriture: *****
Ambiance: *****
Service: *****
Prix: ****

Coup de cœur/incontournables: la côte de bœuf (incroyable) et les spaghettis au homard!

Suggestions:
- en tête à tête ou en petit groupe (4 à 6)
- réservation obligatoire
- partager plusieurs plats et entrées pour essayer de goûter un maximum d’options
- pour une occasion
- à deux au bar pour une expérience unique

Fantastic service, the escargot were swimming in garlic butter and parsley, there was enough bread with it, but two more slices would have been better! Lobster pasta was very tasty, cheval tenderloin was huge and well cooked at rare, I personally found the sauce a bit salty. Wine recommended by the glass was spot on. Glad to have visited.

Henry made the meal that much better. Koodos to the chef and it was phenomenal, but the all the service staff are superstars. Highly recommend and will be back!

Une expérience où vos papilles ne pourront pas tout comprendre à la 1ère bouchée tellement chacune d'elles seront une aventure vous menant vers l'infini au fur et à mesure que vous découvrirez le fond de chacun de vos plats. Le spaghetti si parfaitement aldente au homard est une oeuvre d'art gustative de haut niveau. Toutes nos entrées (les chouquettes d'anguilles fumées, la buratta fraîche accompagnée de ses bâtonnets feuilletés twistés au fromage ainsi que la terrine de foie gras et son pain brioché légèrement grillé tout droit venu du paradis qui vous tirera peut-être une petite larme de plaisir ultime), étaient follement délectables! Un luxe tout en chaleur et d'une fraîcheur absolue. Merci d'avoir arrêté le temps, l'instant d'une soirée qui restera un voyage gourmand en soi.

They brought our friend an under done steak. Then argued with her when she asked for it to be cooked for longer. High prices. Bad service for our experience. Edited for spelling.

Quel restaurant incroyable! Service, cocktail, vin et bouffe on point, on a laissé le staff nous prendre en charge et tout était excellent.
Un restaurant à retourner!

Probably the worst meal I had during my 4 day stay in Montreal. I had such high expectations of this place because of the reviews.

The service was awful. Our server took forever to come by to take our order. She didn’t let us know her name, but she was a tall brunette.

We ordered 3 dishes.

1) Croquettes ($3.50 each) - it was so hard and dry. I only took a tiny bite to taste it. We couldn’t even express our dissatisfaction with it as the server never checked on us. The bus boy came by and asked if we were done, and we said yes when he took the croquettes away.

2) Escargot ($30) - it wasn’t bad, but it was great either. I’ve had better escargot at the Keg. I don’t have a whole ton of experience with it, but the actual escargot was bland tasting. The bread that came with it was delicious though.

3) Lobster Spaghetti ($90) - this was a 7/10 for me. The lobster tasted pretty fresh, but you only get 1/2 a lobster. The spaghetti was cooked nicely. The sauce was above average. Overall, it was quite disappointing for a $90 dish. At most, it should only be $50.

The server at the end finally asked how everything was, at which point, we told her how the croquettes were terrible. She asked us to explain further. We stated that it was dry and hard, and that I don’t like mustard. Mustard makes me gag and the menu didn’t state it included mustard. She just rolled her eyes.

If the service was top notch, I would probably rate this place 3/5. But because of our server’s attitude, it ruined our experience.

Fantastic service from the reservation process to the table, beautiful terrasse, fantastic food. One of those special places where the experience lives up to the expectation and the food is worth every penny spent. Amazing experience!

Easter menu: . It was good but that's it, nothing exceptional and especially not worth what they charged for two people. I expected so much more than what we received.

I imagine the restaurant would be better but that was a big big disappointment

If you come to Montreal, you need to make this one of your stops. The food is fantastic. It's one of the best restaurants the city has to offer.

Over-hyped. We made a reservation 3 months prior and we were so excited. Once we got there, we waited another 45 minutes to be seated. Then we decided to try a bit of each course since we waited 3 months to be here. The food was forgettable. The flavors were very underwhelming and nothing special. I cook better than that at home. I bet I could challenge the chef on their steak dish. The steak was not well seasoned, the cut was not that tender, and the side dish was salty. The pork itself was cooked properly, but the florescent orange sauce it was in was salty and gross. This place feels like food for smokers or people who lost their taste buds. A truly forgettable experience and would never recommend this place for the price nor wait time. In Montreal we are fortunate to have lots of great food options; this one isn't one of them.

Excellent restaurant with local ingredients and a different menu weekly. Have been twice in the last 2 months. Servers are amazing. Dishes vary widely but I haven’t had anything bad there. They have their own been brands that are quite tasty. Cool atmosphere to take friends or clients 1 on 1. Don’t get the lobster pasta, it’s overrated. Also don’t sit around the hallway that connects the two rooms because the restaurant space is tight and the servers will constantly be bumping your chair. Trying to get a reservation online is impossible. Call them and they will find a way to squeeze you in. If you call the same day make sure you call right when they open the line. If hey don’t answer hang up and keep calling back.

If I could give it more stars I would! Planned a one day trip from Toronto around our reservation at Joe Beef and it was well worth the drive.
We travel quite a bit and we make sure our meals are an integral part of our memories. After our dinner at Joe Beef, we're both looked at each other and almost in unison said out loud "this is one of the best meals we've ever had"
From the quality of the ingredients and off the charts chef, to the friendly, knowledgeable and professional staff, Joe Beef is a perfectly calibrated machine that will undoubtedly exceed your expectations. Cannot recommend it enough!

Over-hyped. Portions were very small and food was just okay. Not worth the price even in the slightest. Also got a slight bout of upset stomach (had oysters, lobster spagetti and Scallops, not sure which one was the culprit.) There is no menu handed out, but a bunch of tiny scribbes on a black board which are impossible to read in a dark room. So you land up getting whatever the waiters suggest. Was told lobster spagetti was too big for one person and should get one to share with a bunch of appetizers. Still left hungry. Food was best described as.just okay. Not worth the 3 month reservation and exhorbant cost. Left feeling like I was sold a giant lie.

My husband and I opted for a semi-casual tasting menu based on the available options, and our server created a beautiful and memorable selection along with wine pairings that was absolutely fabulous, and dare I say a great value! We were expecting to pay way more but it was totally reasonable for the amazing food, portion size, and service. The seafood was delectable, and we had a number of unforgettable dishes from veal tartare to lamb ragout. The wine was always a perfect and cohesive pairing. Seriously - leave it to the very capable hands of the staff, and you won’t be disappointed! 5 stars for sure.

What a wonderful experience. It all started with the staff. Our waitress was absolutely amazing. Super friendly and really gave us a detailed overview of the menu. Here wi e and food suggestions were spot on! Started off with smoked meat croquettes that were so tasty, so went for a second round. Then had a pasta dish with mushrooms that was equally as good. The main was the highlight. The lamb was absolutely the best I have ever had. Perfectly cooked and with a gravy so good I could have drank it. I still saved room for dessert and that did not disappoint. All in all one of the best meals ever.

I’ve been excited to come here for years and finally had the chance. Unfortunately both the food and service were underwhelming. Flavours were alright, but nothing special. Service and menu was ok at first, but plates weren’t described at all and service was nowhere to be seen. Topped off by a 45 min wait for the bill, your money and palate are much better off at Garde Manger or Tuck Shop. Both are within the same price range and both the plates and staff are much better equipped for the experience.

First time going to a restaurant where they don’t give you a physical menu. However, the servers are great at explaining to you what is actually available. Food was served very quickly after ordering it. We let our server pick 3 appetizers for us. The choices were great. We shared the lobster pasta as a main. Very rich and flavourful. It would be a lot for one person to eat alone.

Pricey but worth it. We were seated in the back by the garden, where I believe they grow some of their own produce and herbs. I came with a party of 3 and we destroyed 3 apps, steak, sausage, and fries. The steak was the most amazing thing I've had in a long time. Tender, juicy, and perfectly seasoned without feeling bloated and sick after eating so much of it.

Great atmosphere, I'm sure most would love. I was just a little disappointed with my steak. Maybe it was too hyped up for me and my expectations were too high. Love the Joe beef seasoning at home tho:)

The most underwhelming dinner of my life. I've eaten in Michelin type places everywhere. The food is reasonably good whilst utterly unsophisticated. The decor is like my college dorm room. The whole thing is Hipster Twee that is embarrassing like a Brooklyn Craft Beard. Fail. This whole style is a failure. Please stop.

Food was average but way too salty! I took the cod and it was ok not wow. My husband took the duck, it was good but way too salty for me. The menu is on the wall which I have a hard time reading from far. But the waitress was nice and explain to us each dishes. I recommend to try at least once if you’re not on a budget. My bill came up to 150 with a drink for both. I will not go back, there is so many more restos in Mtl!

The husband and I were lucky enough to get a reservation to Joe Beef for our wedding anniversary, and we definitely shared a memorable experience. The dining experience is very high-end, but the servers are dressed casually and are very relaxed and friendly. There is a fun tasting aspect to the menu and items are ordered a la carte; appetizers, entrees, sides, and dessert are all ordered separately, which is good if you want to mix and match with your companion. We had oysters, quail, steak, duck, chocolate tart, and peach sherbet. All was top notch and I can't wait to go back. Highly recommended for a special occasion or just an excuse to eat amazing food.

Best dining experience in my life.truly a study in hospitality, amazing staff, food and experience! Every staff memeber had the same passion about the craft! Will be back for sure!

Tried to book a reservation online but they were booked out for a month. Decided to just show up since we were walking by and they had cancelations for the next day! So if you can't get a reservation, never hurts to just show up. We got the soft shell crab appetizer, duck with foie gras cream, and lobster pasta. The soft shell crab was amazing, it was fried and had a relish/vinaigrette type sauce on it. Lobster pasta was similarly amazing, though I would've preferred if it had a bit more lobster flavor (the pasta sauce). The duck was a bit too lean for both my and my fiancée's liking. It was also cooked rare which I'd never had before, so that was interesting. The fois gras sauce was delicious with the crispy skin. We finished it off with a cake and pear pudding for dessert. The pear pudding was very sweet but good nonetheless. If you prefer a less sweet dessert, I'd go with the cake.

Arrived on time for an 8: 45pm reservation only to wait 45 minutes for our table. Server was apologetic but failed to notice our drinks were empty half way through the meal - too busy having to sit and explain the menu to every other table. So we skipped dessert and more drinks which did save us about $60, the highlight of the evening. Sad, because we were really looking forward to finally eating there.

Very good food.
At first we thought it was a bit too expensive, but seriously guys, the portions were more than enough for 2 people! We were happy that the critics we heard were to our expectations! Its not a everyday meal, but would love to eat there once in a while.if only the reservations arent too long.can be fully book 2 months in a row.so if you visit Montreal and want to try this place, i suggest you to book it very very early!

Everything you heard, and expected, and more. Every morsel delighted the taste buds. Remarkably generous servings. Nothing skimpy about any of the courses. The waiters are personable and take their time, delighting in informing their customers in what is in store. None of the ingredients are gratuitous. Each one is complementary and completely in tune with the other ingredients, complex, but not overdone. Artfully presented and each dish, unique and to die for.
If I had to search for a negative, it was that it was particularly noisy in our section. The waitress had to yell to be heard. But we cannot wait to go back.