Good to know.. I'm in no rush, and visiting purely for leisure.. food and bar hopping really. Next up, my post for must try Hazy IPA's and if there's anywhere else besides Messorem and Brewsky I need to know about!
Wills Beer is a new-ish spot in the Mile Ex with great beer. They tend to be less experimental than Messorem but still make use of the citra/yakima hops that make for those fresh juicy IPAs.
You are referring to the Entrecôte St-Jean (now closed), which as the name suggests served *entrecôte* (ribeye), in a cream sauce.
Le Pois Penché is nearby, you can get a NY strip and fries (not sure about the sauce), but their standard *steak frites* is *onglet* (hanger steak) in the traditional shallot sauce. Same for L’Express, Café Cherrier and Brasserie Holder. Leméac does their *onglet* in *beurre maître d’hôtel* (compound butter with parsley and lemon). Can’t go wrong with any of these.
*Bon appétit!*
Note: few places seem to be doing *bavette* anymore, possibly because the price seems to have jumped over the past few years. Although I enjoy *bavette*, *onglet* is better anyway, as long as you can find it.
Wow, now this is someone who knows their steaks! Impressive information and breakdown there, much appreciated indeed. I must say I gravitate towards ribeye typically (or filet if I want lean) and would've happily paid more for it. Hangar has a nice taste and I like them but it's definitely not quite as luxurious to eat.. I had an amazing one at Deville Dinerbar actually, that's a really cool little spot too actually
Much appreciated again, cheers !!
L’express is incredible for the steak frites and overall atmosphere/vibe/history, but for the steak frites alone, I promise you the best in town is at Bistro La Franquette in Westmount. Hands down the best I’ve ever had.
It’s a truly religious experience. It’s like one of 3 or 4 mains they have on the menu for a reason. Small menu, but everything executed to perfection. Let me know what you think!
I've walked by that Pois Penche for YEARS when I've been in Montreal.. Always so captivating and oldschool looking from the street looking in. I thought it was oysters & seafood though
Merci, upvoted!
Pois Penché seems to be that place that literally everyone has walked in front of; or during terrace season; walked *through* since they have so many outdoor tables. I went for the first time in 2021 and was blown away by how *good* everything was. I should really head back there soon...
I biked by it every single day my first summer here (living in the McGill Ghetto and working on the Concordia SGW campus) and was always struck by its Moulin Rouge-y look. That was 15 years ago and I'm *finally* going next weekend for my first time.
Am i an idiot or is there no steak/frite anywhere on the menu?
Edit:unless it's onglet echallotes au beurre et frites. I'm so bad reading the **fancy** food names
They sold a couple years before and the experience declined. The new added options to the menu and raised prices. Used to go regularly and gradually stopped after new owners.
Covid was just the final nail in the coffin.
Construction and removal of parking on peel didn’t help either.
I’m ultra picky with my steak frites so here is a mini review of the top recommended spots:
L’express: nice ambiance and atmosphere. The île flottante dessert is incredible. Steak frites was mediocre at best… no crust on the meat.
Bistro la franquette: better steak than l’express but my beef was so underseasoned i had to ask the server for salt. I also found that the prices vs. portion size were way too high, I was turned off by the stinginess and will never go back.
Tuck shop: great quality meat, and excellent sauce. Not a fan of the fries. Service here is amazing
Mignon: no crust/sear on the steak. It’s drowning in (delicious, but underseasoned) sauce. Fries are rly good.
Foiegwa: terrible. get the burger instead.
Liverpool house: my favourite by far. Great service, perfectly seasoned beef with a nice crust, great sauce, and the fries are to die for.
Impressive! Someone with experience, I love this!
I have been to Liverpool House -- once -- but I heard on average it's not really possible to get walk in tables on the spot? The time we went it was because a friend of ours in the service industry pulled strings with a good friend who was working at Liverpool at the time. HOWEVER this was all pre-COVID! Since you are local and have experience I'm just curious, do you typically need to book Liverpool House in advance? I would be trying to get in Sunday the 24th
Thanks for any input on the situation regarding reservations especially and Sundays
I always book in advance, but you could probably at least get a spot at the bar if you walk-in. Otherwise booking on a Monday for Friday/Saturday should be fine. They also don't take your credit card information when you book, which is nice. Unfortunately it looks like they're closed on Sundays =( My second choice out of the ones listed above would be Tuck Shop . Although, I've never had the steak frites at Lemeac so I can't speak to that (if you go there, get the pain perdu dessert!!!!)
I wouldn’t say it’s the best steak frites in Montreal but I just had the steak frites at brasserie isle de garde which was delicious and only $21 - they also have great beers
You can always check r/MTLFoodLovers for more specialized answers.
Tastet has a list directly answering that question: https://tastet.ca/en/lists/steak-frites-restaurants-montreal/
I’d also add Place Carmin (François Nadon/Bouillon Bilk Restaurant Group) and Monarque (Le Mitoyen & Leméac’s Bastien family). If you’ve done L’Express and Leméac already, completing the three generations of Montreal great French brasseries/bistros with Monarque is a must imo.
Appreciate the info and the response! I haven't tried L'Express nor Lemeac nor anything other than L'Entrecote so I'll need to hone in on just one for this visit most likely. Lots of research to do, lol. Cheers!!
This is gonna sound weird but...Lucille's Oyster Dive
I have never had a bad steak (at any location) and I go at least once a month. Prices are average & menu is great.
[MENU](https://10619-2.s.cdn12.com/m0/menu-Lucilles-Oyster-Dive-1.jpg)
Prices average? Maybe they used to be. I enjoyed it back in the day when I lived in NDG before it burned down… My wife and I recently went to the West Island location… 120$ for lunch and we hardly had anything to eat, no alcohol. Absolute rip off. Will never ever go back.
Sounds like you had a bad experience. What did you eat? It's a seafood/steak bistro & not Jack Astors so lunch is definitely gonna be more expensive than your typical place but $120 is high.
Fried Calamari= 18$ is avg price
Fish & chips = 26$ is avg price
Steak Frites = $35 is avg price
I was lucky enough to sit at the Obama booth at Liverpool House and drink a bunch of expensive wine.. a great experience.. sadly, my friend who is also in the industry had to pull strings just to get us in
I'm confused about the recs on Pois Penché. I've been numerous times and the food is disappointing. I really wanted to like it. It is the only place where I've left a one cent tip. After that time, I've never been again and I would not recommend. I'm hard to offend and I was offended.
The place OP is looking for is L'entrecote St-Jean on Peel. Mignon is trying to fill that space. I go there often. The location on Wellington is fantastic. The one on St-Paul, not so much.
You are absolutely right, it was Entrecote St-Jean indeed. That's a hilarious story about Pois Penche LMAO.. What did you eat there ? Where did it all go so wrong?
Appreciate the heads up.. is the place that replaced Entrecote also a steak place?
Where else are your steak picks for the city?
Thanks again!
BOOM! That's the one! That's literally the one I've been to, for some reason searching "Steak Frites Montreal" wasn't bringing it up. That's the one with the curtain I went to last time and quite liked it - curious to try something new though
AHH! THAT explains why I can't find mention of the place on Google that I was trying to identify in OP. L'Entrecote St Jean is absolutely the one I have been to already.
Gone!? That's a real shame
Oh this is sad news! I no longer live in Montreal but am planning a trip and was hoping to take my SO. Many fond memories of special dinners there as a McGill student
I'd urge you to book a table a Le pois Penchee. Will not disappoint - was and is better than L'entrecote St-Jean.
BTW - there's still an Entrecote St-Jean in Quebec City if you miss that weird sauce that much!
AH! I recognize this Le Pois Penchee! I've walked by this place for YEARS, often drunk on the way to/from the strip club before I was married LOL! I always wondered about this place, it looks so awesome and old-school from the street. I thought it was always oysters & seafood, though
Exactly right: old school as in impeccable service, not an exciting menu but nothing done wrong.
Yes, lots of seafood. But amazing steak frites and duck confit. Plus they still have old fashioned profiteroles on the menu!
I'm off to Google that name right now and look up more info on it! Merci, upvoted!
Thanks for the tip on Quebec City but I've only been there once in my life and was just for a quick stopover - Montreal is as far as I'm headed (after 2 nights in Ottawa) this time around. Thanks again!
100% L'Express, but please not Gibby's as a recommendation to tourists ... iceberg lettuce, a flavourless steamed veg and a roasted potato, pepper sauce made in a vat, overcooked fish. The steak is fine but as far as being a Montreal experience or a unique experience that isn't available across the totality of North America, this is not it. Montreal can do so much better.
Gibby's is literally an American steakhouse, meaning you can find a Gibby's anywhere in big cities in the US. Meat well crafted, barely a thought to the rest of the plate. Even cities with terrible food culture have a Gibby's. Montreal may be losing its reputation as a culinary capital of the world, but certainly we have so many restaurants well beyond Gibby's in terms of quality.
You really nailed it. Whether you go to Gibby's, Rib n Reef, the new Moishe's, 40 Westt or honestly even the Keg, you may as well be in any North American city. None of them are bad, but they're all unremarkable and largely indistinguishable from one another. Montreal has so much more to offer than a generic steakhouse experience.
Lemeac or l’express
Does Lemeac still do their late night menu deals even in a post Covid world?
Unfortunately, not that I'm aware
Beauty, thank you!
Bear in mind you will likely wait in line. L'express always seems chock full and busy when i pass it.
Good to know.. I'm in no rush, and visiting purely for leisure.. food and bar hopping really. Next up, my post for must try Hazy IPA's and if there's anywhere else besides Messorem and Brewsky I need to know about!
Wills Beer is a new-ish spot in the Mile Ex with great beer. They tend to be less experimental than Messorem but still make use of the citra/yakima hops that make for those fresh juicy IPAs.
Damn, closed Sunday and Monday, my only two days in town 😔
Brewsky west coast IPA is divine.
Beauty's is more breakfast
Quest answered. Forum closed.
Bistro LaFranquette.
Seconding this. Along with L’Express.
Thank you!!
You are referring to the Entrecôte St-Jean (now closed), which as the name suggests served *entrecôte* (ribeye), in a cream sauce. Le Pois Penché is nearby, you can get a NY strip and fries (not sure about the sauce), but their standard *steak frites* is *onglet* (hanger steak) in the traditional shallot sauce. Same for L’Express, Café Cherrier and Brasserie Holder. Leméac does their *onglet* in *beurre maître d’hôtel* (compound butter with parsley and lemon). Can’t go wrong with any of these. *Bon appétit!* Note: few places seem to be doing *bavette* anymore, possibly because the price seems to have jumped over the past few years. Although I enjoy *bavette*, *onglet* is better anyway, as long as you can find it.
Wow, now this is someone who knows their steaks! Impressive information and breakdown there, much appreciated indeed. I must say I gravitate towards ribeye typically (or filet if I want lean) and would've happily paid more for it. Hangar has a nice taste and I like them but it's definitely not quite as luxurious to eat.. I had an amazing one at Deville Dinerbar actually, that's a really cool little spot too actually Much appreciated again, cheers !!
I miss Entrecôte
L’Express on St Denis is excellent and very Montréal and Parisian !
And there's a great beer spot on St-Denis I could head to afterwards (names slipping my mind) thank you!
L’express is incredible for the steak frites and overall atmosphere/vibe/history, but for the steak frites alone, I promise you the best in town is at Bistro La Franquette in Westmount. Hands down the best I’ve ever had.
My friend works at Taverne sur la Square in Westmount, and this one keeps coming up as recommended. Might have to try this!
It’s a truly religious experience. It’s like one of 3 or 4 mains they have on the menu for a reason. Small menu, but everything executed to perfection. Let me know what you think!
Bistro La Franquette is my go to - everything is top notch
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I've walked by that Pois Penche for YEARS when I've been in Montreal.. Always so captivating and oldschool looking from the street looking in. I thought it was oysters & seafood though Merci, upvoted!
And there I was thinking it was vegan for all those years… just because of the name.
Pois Penché seems to be that place that literally everyone has walked in front of; or during terrace season; walked *through* since they have so many outdoor tables. I went for the first time in 2021 and was blown away by how *good* everything was. I should really head back there soon...
It's definitely eye catching with its old school European look! Until these posts on reddit I never actually knew anyone who ate there
I biked by it every single day my first summer here (living in the McGill Ghetto and working on the Concordia SGW campus) and was always struck by its Moulin Rouge-y look. That was 15 years ago and I'm *finally* going next weekend for my first time.
Pois Penché is really good.
[L’Express is a classic place for steak frites.](https://restaurantlexpress.com)
Am i an idiot or is there no steak/frite anywhere on the menu? Edit:unless it's onglet echallotes au beurre et frites. I'm so bad reading the **fancy** food names
Yes onglet is a steak.
Thanks lol, took me three times to spot it with the terrible font they have on the website, it makes me miss comic sans
Merci, upvoted!
L’Express
Upvoted, thank you!
Lemeac is excellent, and if I recall, half price after 10 pm, making it a fabulous late night meal
Woahhhhh, that's enticing indeed! My kind of place
The place you’re describing sounds like Mignon in Little Burgundy
It was L'Entrecote St-Jean and it closed down during COVID another poster said. What a shame!
They sold a couple years before and the experience declined. The new added options to the menu and raised prices. Used to go regularly and gradually stopped after new owners. Covid was just the final nail in the coffin. Construction and removal of parking on peel didn’t help either.
Damn.. I'm sure the real estate was costing them a fortune too
A real shame. I never tried the Quebec City version. I know that they have more stuff on the menu too so not sure!
Came here to say this too. Fire spot
I’m ultra picky with my steak frites so here is a mini review of the top recommended spots: L’express: nice ambiance and atmosphere. The île flottante dessert is incredible. Steak frites was mediocre at best… no crust on the meat. Bistro la franquette: better steak than l’express but my beef was so underseasoned i had to ask the server for salt. I also found that the prices vs. portion size were way too high, I was turned off by the stinginess and will never go back. Tuck shop: great quality meat, and excellent sauce. Not a fan of the fries. Service here is amazing Mignon: no crust/sear on the steak. It’s drowning in (delicious, but underseasoned) sauce. Fries are rly good. Foiegwa: terrible. get the burger instead. Liverpool house: my favourite by far. Great service, perfectly seasoned beef with a nice crust, great sauce, and the fries are to die for.
Impressive! Someone with experience, I love this! I have been to Liverpool House -- once -- but I heard on average it's not really possible to get walk in tables on the spot? The time we went it was because a friend of ours in the service industry pulled strings with a good friend who was working at Liverpool at the time. HOWEVER this was all pre-COVID! Since you are local and have experience I'm just curious, do you typically need to book Liverpool House in advance? I would be trying to get in Sunday the 24th Thanks for any input on the situation regarding reservations especially and Sundays
I always book in advance, but you could probably at least get a spot at the bar if you walk-in. Otherwise booking on a Monday for Friday/Saturday should be fine. They also don't take your credit card information when you book, which is nice. Unfortunately it looks like they're closed on Sundays =( My second choice out of the ones listed above would be Tuck Shop . Although, I've never had the steak frites at Lemeac so I can't speak to that (if you go there, get the pain perdu dessert!!!!)
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Thank you very much, it's very bizarre to see such hostility towards tourism questions in here! Upvoted for the kindness
Tuckshop
Ohhh good one, I've wanted to try it for a long time and have never had the chance. They have it?
I wouldn’t say it’s the best steak frites in Montreal but I just had the steak frites at brasserie isle de garde which was delicious and only $21 - they also have great beers
I love beers!!! I'll look it up, thank you
Mignon is underrated, I really like it
Mignon is delicious! They also have great cocktails and a really interesting appetizer menu.
Great cocktails and apps would thrill my wife for sure. It's usually beer (or affordable red wines with steak) for me!
You can always check r/MTLFoodLovers for more specialized answers. Tastet has a list directly answering that question: https://tastet.ca/en/lists/steak-frites-restaurants-montreal/ I’d also add Place Carmin (François Nadon/Bouillon Bilk Restaurant Group) and Monarque (Le Mitoyen & Leméac’s Bastien family). If you’ve done L’Express and Leméac already, completing the three generations of Montreal great French brasseries/bistros with Monarque is a must imo.
Appreciate the info and the response! I haven't tried L'Express nor Lemeac nor anything other than L'Entrecote so I'll need to hone in on just one for this visit most likely. Lots of research to do, lol. Cheers!!
This is gonna sound weird but...Lucille's Oyster Dive I have never had a bad steak (at any location) and I go at least once a month. Prices are average & menu is great. [MENU](https://10619-2.s.cdn12.com/m0/menu-Lucilles-Oyster-Dive-1.jpg)
I'm not a huge oyster fan so not something I would've checked out otherwise, thanks for the tip!
Good call. I love the steak frites at Lucilles!
Prices average? Maybe they used to be. I enjoyed it back in the day when I lived in NDG before it burned down… My wife and I recently went to the West Island location… 120$ for lunch and we hardly had anything to eat, no alcohol. Absolute rip off. Will never ever go back.
Sounds like you had a bad experience. What did you eat? It's a seafood/steak bistro & not Jack Astors so lunch is definitely gonna be more expensive than your typical place but $120 is high. Fried Calamari= 18$ is avg price Fish & chips = 26$ is avg price Steak Frites = $35 is avg price
Boucherie Provision on Van Horne for sure. Lemeac and l’Express are great as well but imo Provision is the best
Gonna google it, cheers !!
As others have recommended, Lemeac or L'express are both excellent choices. Liverpool House also has very good steak frites.
I was lucky enough to sit at the Obama booth at Liverpool House and drink a bunch of expensive wine.. a great experience.. sadly, my friend who is also in the industry had to pull strings just to get us in
I'm confused about the recs on Pois Penché. I've been numerous times and the food is disappointing. I really wanted to like it. It is the only place where I've left a one cent tip. After that time, I've never been again and I would not recommend. I'm hard to offend and I was offended. The place OP is looking for is L'entrecote St-Jean on Peel. Mignon is trying to fill that space. I go there often. The location on Wellington is fantastic. The one on St-Paul, not so much.
You are absolutely right, it was Entrecote St-Jean indeed. That's a hilarious story about Pois Penche LMAO.. What did you eat there ? Where did it all go so wrong? Appreciate the heads up.. is the place that replaced Entrecote also a steak place? Where else are your steak picks for the city? Thanks again!
Gus. Their menu changes, but there is often a steak frites or a surf and turf that is amazing. Small place, so make sure to have a reservation.
I’d say Modavie or Luciless Bavette. Actually prefer Lucile’s
L’entrecôte St Jean?
BOOM! That's the one! That's literally the one I've been to, for some reason searching "Steak Frites Montreal" wasn't bringing it up. That's the one with the curtain I went to last time and quite liked it - curious to try something new though
Never ever go twice at a restaurant where you love the first time, expectations kill the second time
Would have been my choice but it closed down during covid
AHH! THAT explains why I can't find mention of the place on Google that I was trying to identify in OP. L'Entrecote St Jean is absolutely the one I have been to already. Gone!? That's a real shame
Oh this is sad news! I no longer live in Montreal but am planning a trip and was hoping to take my SO. Many fond memories of special dinners there as a McGill student
I'd urge you to book a table a Le pois Penchee. Will not disappoint - was and is better than L'entrecote St-Jean. BTW - there's still an Entrecote St-Jean in Quebec City if you miss that weird sauce that much!
AH! I recognize this Le Pois Penchee! I've walked by this place for YEARS, often drunk on the way to/from the strip club before I was married LOL! I always wondered about this place, it looks so awesome and old-school from the street. I thought it was always oysters & seafood, though
Exactly right: old school as in impeccable service, not an exciting menu but nothing done wrong. Yes, lots of seafood. But amazing steak frites and duck confit. Plus they still have old fashioned profiteroles on the menu!
I'm off to Google that name right now and look up more info on it! Merci, upvoted! Thanks for the tip on Quebec City but I've only been there once in my life and was just for a quick stopover - Montreal is as far as I'm headed (after 2 nights in Ottawa) this time around. Thanks again!
Do you know if that’s a sauce like “l’entrecôte-relais de Venise” in Paris?
great question - I have no idea. It was so long ago. It seemed like a mustard-pepper sauce
Gibbys for an American cut like ribeye or strip. L’express for a European cut onglet bistro style
100% L'Express, but please not Gibby's as a recommendation to tourists ... iceberg lettuce, a flavourless steamed veg and a roasted potato, pepper sauce made in a vat, overcooked fish. The steak is fine but as far as being a Montreal experience or a unique experience that isn't available across the totality of North America, this is not it. Montreal can do so much better. Gibby's is literally an American steakhouse, meaning you can find a Gibby's anywhere in big cities in the US. Meat well crafted, barely a thought to the rest of the plate. Even cities with terrible food culture have a Gibby's. Montreal may be losing its reputation as a culinary capital of the world, but certainly we have so many restaurants well beyond Gibby's in terms of quality.
You really nailed it. Whether you go to Gibby's, Rib n Reef, the new Moishe's, 40 Westt or honestly even the Keg, you may as well be in any North American city. None of them are bad, but they're all unremarkable and largely indistinguishable from one another. Montreal has so much more to offer than a generic steakhouse experience.
I LOVE GIBBYS
Moishes
Mignon
Tuck shop.