Joe Beef

Joe Beef is a stunning French restaurant in the heart of Montreal. We had a reservation for two and were seated at the bar, which was the perfect view to watch the employees shuck fresh oysters. This restaurant is super busy, with every table packed. I felt like there was barely any space to walk through at times. However, it's busy for a good reason!

We ordered the Truffle Fries and Escargot to start. The truffle fries were delicious, although they are less crispy and more on the limp side (which I prefer actually). The escargot was also delicious and comes with a nice crusty, buttered bread. For the entrees, we ordered the Lobster Pasta and Sweetbreads dish. The Lobster Pasta was probably the best pasta dish that has ever graced my lips. Super rich and creamy, with the lobster flavour definitely highlighted. This was my first time having Sweetbread, and I'm definitely a fan. It's super soft and fatty, and tastes super rich and succulent. If you are an adventurous eater, definitely try this dish!

For dessert, we had the Layered Hazelnut Cake. I'm not much of a chocolate fan, or a cake fan, but this is the best cake I've ever had. I would come back just for the cake alone. It's perfectly nutty and sweet. If you like a denser cake like I do, you'll definitely enjoy this one.

Joe Beef was an exceptional experience for my short visit in Montreal. My only suggestion is to sell the full cake so I can bring it back home to eat whole!

Let me start off by saying that Joe Beef is the best restaurant I've ever been to, including places like Le Bernadin and Le Cirque. It is the perfect mixture. On one hand it is unpretentious, like a good neighborhood spot. But when it comes to technique, they are second to none. We come to Montreal every year, sometimes twice, and always dine at Joe Beef. Skipping the menu, we opt for the Joe Beef Experience. This has resulted in the best meals of our lives.
This time, April 2, 2024, was no exception. Laura, once again, proved herself a genius by constructing a flawless series of courses for us each paired beautifully with an appropriate wine. She, and Kalina who stopped by to raise a glass with us, always make us feel like friends, not just clients.
Years ago I had a recurring dream of the perfect restaurant. Never did I think I'd find it, but we did.

DELICIOUS! Great food, drinks, and service. We visited here on a family trip to Montreal and I'm glad we managed to snag a reservation.

The vibe is fantastic- very quaint location. This is an excellent restaurant for a date night or nice dinner out with family/friends.

We had the lobster pasta (must-have), sliced steak, and the tuna appetizer. All three dishes were incredible. Highly recommend!

So lucky to have been to Joe beef. We now have a condo in Montreal! So lucky and Joe beef is only about 2 miles from home. We had the opportunity to score a reservation and dine. Wowowww I loveeeee the vibe and food. The steak and lob pastaaaa. So so so good. I can't wait to bring all my fam and friends. Going to create many many more memories here.

If Anthony Bourdain raved about it and reviews consistently say "one of the best in Montreal and maybe Canada"... We booked about a month out.

Small and noisy space. Very efficient service (they are flipping tables many times per night but not appearing to rush you).

Cocktails. Oyster selection was superb. Three glasses of wine (by the glass) during the meal.

The beef tartare was one of the best we had and huge - definitely enough for 2 to share as an appetizer. The spaghetti with lobster was swell (but at $54 USD) and the "porc veilli" was also a winner.

Our waiter raved about their specialty dessert...

A memorable evening but now we have done Joe Beef"...

Food 5/5
Service 5/5
Value 3/5
Cleanliness 5/5
Noise 2/5 (very close tables and happy and talkative diners)
Decor 3/5 (unless you are into funky and you would rate it higher)

Damages with tip was $285 USD.

I hate to be "that guy" but I was unimpressed by Joe Beef. The service was great, really friendly and welcoming. We arrived a half-hour early (due to the efficiency of Montreal's metro) but it wasn't a problem in getting our table early. We had cocktails (which were great), several oysters (incredibly fresh), bitter greens salad and beef tartare which was mixed table-side- perfect, right? It was! We split the New York steak for two with bone marrow and potatoes. The steak had a lot of flavor but was full of gristle and had a ton of exterior fat that I feel should have been trimmed prior to being delivered to the table. The steak was tough. The bone marrow which accompanied had almost no marrow inside which was disappointing. Dessert was a non traditional Crepe Suzette which was fine, not great.
Also to note, this restaurant is loud. I mean REALLY loud to the point that conversation across a table is nearly impossible. There were three large tables that grew louder as the evening progressed. The restaurant needs to try to mitigate the sound with baffles? I don't know... if we were to return, which would be doubtful, I would request a table in the alternate dining rooms for sanity's sake. We experienced some outstanding restaurants in Montreal; unfortunately this is not one of them.

Fantastic service. Staff here is absolutely phenomenal. It is on the loud side so it's hard to hear the other person and the tables are a bit close together since the place is small. The food speaks for itself.

Very interesting experience dining at Joe Beef! I would recommend this place in a heartbeat for their diverse menu!

Ever had horse tartare? Joe Beef's got it! They also have duck, steak AND fish on their menu. This is a one stop shop to blow your (tastebud's) mind.

The service was suuuper friendly and the ambiance was electric. Don't forget to say hi to your furry friend when you visit the restroom!

Went here because it was the #1 restaurant everyone said we had to try. Honestly it wasn't bad but it didn't blow me away. One thing that did blow me away was how bad the service really was.



Deuzaine d'ascorgois ($47) ~ the escargots were delicious and well seasoned, it was yummy especially with the pain ($8), and demi pain ($5). They were juicy and nice, and not to mention it was well cooked. 7/10.



Foie Gras ($32) ~ interesting, looked like cake but the layers of flavor really masked the foie gras taste, and it really took away from the richness and taste profile of the foie gras. 4/10.



Spaghetti Howard ($75) ~ this was the lobster spaghetti it was delicious. The pasta was well cooked and tasty and the richness of the lobster cream sauce was so good. The lobster was juicy and sweet and not to mention super delicious. I really enjoyed this. 9/10.



We also got Pieure en bouillaboisse ($34), Griget D'Apeau ($50), Filet Rutatouille ($39), magnet de conard ($48), 2x onglet de boeuf ($50), 2 frites ($22), extra epoisse ($20), side de zucchini bagna ca ($15).



Drinks we got: perfect martini ($18), 2x diablo ($32), 2 virgin spritz ($20).



Overall the lobster spaghetti was delicious but everything else was just ok, and not worth it. Our bill came to $669.15 before tax and honestly it wasn't as good of a meal as everyone said it would be. It's a place id come to once and never again.

We really really wanted to LOVE this place but it was good. I will commend the the top notch service and the very cozy and romantic ambiance.

We came here based on several recommendations and the fame surrounding it.

We absolutely loved the tuna with the citrus dill dip along with the thin potato crisps. This was truly a party for the taste buds. Crunchy, salty, sweet with a hint of earthiness. Devine.

We also enjoyed the bone marrow custard with tomato soup with homemade croutons. We've never had a dish like this so it was a very unique that we really indulged into.

We were the most excited for the highly recommended steak and this sadly fell very flat. The steak was over cooked, room temperature at best and very dry. We would be willing to go again when the menu changes.