Grinder

Very nice décor, very trendy layout. Great atmosphere. What I didn’t like was out seating area, it was too close to the bar way to much traffic for my liking.
Anyway let’s get to the food. We started with the salmon tartar… Best tar tar I have ever tried. Nice balance between the fresh salmon, coriander, citrus and green onion it was fantastic!
I had the Burger and potatoes aligot, and my gf had the New York strip and the potatoes aligot. Let me just say the potatoes were incredible… The right balance of cream, cheddar, chive… Amazing. My hamburger was also very good. The meat was cooked nicely and the condiments on the burger were slightly elevated… Honestly for a burger it was great!
My gf raved about her steak. She said it was better then a Moishes steak. It was tender and well seasoned accompanied by a ratatouille, pepper sauce au jus and bone marrow.
All in all it was a pleasant experience. Would definitely come back!

The tuna tataki wasn’t great but it may be because I’m measuring it by Vancouver’s standard. The waitress was cordial and offered to take back the tuna for another dish. Got the duck tataki which was measurably better tasting which reinforced the advise I received several times in Montréal; skip the seafood and go for the livestock.

Ambiance is very hip and projects a mature resto/​lounge vibe. I’m sure this place is even better in the summer when the windows are open on the terrase side. Waitress was nice and quite helpful when it came to ordering.
We ordered the rib steak (medium rare) with two sides — mashed potatoes and mushrooms.
No complaints with the meat. It was more on the rare side but I couldn’t care less because I love it rare. Just make sure to order it medium if you want it medium rare because it was very VERY pink Inside ordering it medium rare.
The mashed potatoes were good and served very hot. Mushrooms were nothing special. Portions are very small and I found it overall pricey.
I guess you can say your paying for the location and environment.
The food overall… Not WOW, but acceptable.
Loved the atmosphere, I’d come back solely for drinks and appetizers with my friends.

Beautiful. Delicious. Efficient.
On Friday we were a group of 20 that were accommodated like royalty. I had their tuna tartare as a main with a side of fries and their delicious mayo/​horseradish on the side. As a desert I had their pouding chaumeur to die for. It is rare a restaurant is able to handle a large group so well. The food was hot, came out in a timely manner, staff was nice and everyone had an amazing time. Highly recommended place for all types of events: dinner, business, date, group etc.
Thank you again to the amazing staff

Service was adequate. Shrimp appetizer was amazing. Bread was awful, just like something they pulled from the bag. Halibut was soggy, avoid. Atmosphere was amazing. I may give it another try for the burgers but overall a mediocre experience.

I’m quite surprised Grinder only has 3 stars.
Sure, the restaurant is a mix of hipster and business-​casual, it’s located in the hottest new area of Montréal, and the prices are a little higher than they should be. That’s been the gossip about this restaurant for as long as it’s been around, which is why I had never actively chosen to go there. Well, last week, a buddy of mine was in town and wanted to go to Grinder with a bunch of friends to catch up. It wouldn’t have been my first choice, but figured I’d take the opportunity to see what all the fuss was about.
At the table, people ordered burgers, lamb chops, salads, and a bunch of stuff from the raw bar. There were no negative comments from anyone. The burgers were thick and juicy, the fries were crispy and salted just right, the lamb chops were cooked to a perfect medium rare, the salads were fresh, and the drinks paired nicely.
The kicker… the raw bar! My fiancée and I decided to go for an all raw dinner. We started with the beef tartare and shared the salmon and tuna tartares as the mains. Aside from being platted beautifully and being absolutely delicious, the three tartares had completely different flavors. It was really nice to see that some great creativity had gone into the prep. The portions were nice, making the entire meal a worthwhile expense.
Our buddy broke some news that he received a promotion, so we arranged for the waiter to bring him a dessert. Not only did he bring a delicious pouding chomeur, but he also brought a round of hot shots for the 12 of us at the table… all on the house. To top it off, although I was full, the brownie on the dessert menu was calling my name. Unfortunately, it was bone dry and terribly disappointing. The waiter noticed we hadn’t eaten it and, without hesitation, offered another dessert saying we wouldn’t be charged for either. The service had been great all night, but these were small gestures that went a long way.
(The brownie was replaced with a carrot cake that was delectable… definitely go for that one!)
All in all, I’m really happy my buddy suggested we go there. I’ll be back and I recommend you go too!

This place is just plain fun! Great atmosphere, good vibes! Noisy, packed, delicious food, excellent mixed drinks… Go and enjoy!

Since I’m from New York, I was told by my girlfriends brother that Unilocal in Montréal is not accurate or representative having not really caught on yet as it has in New York — which I can confirm, because there’s no way this place can possibly be 3 stars.
Popped in here after perusing their butcher shop that’s located just a block away and decided we needed to try something. Had the burger and couple glasses of wine… it was one of the best burgers I’ve ever had in my life: Canada AA rated American beef, cooked to perfection with amazing texture and construction. Staff very friendly and hospitable (minus the host, he was actually quite rude when we walked in at 5:30…the place was empty but he considered not seating us due to the incoming evening reservations — eventually he let us sit at the bar but said, «you need to be gone by 7:30»). Very cool space as well.
Highly recommend this place for locals and anyone passing through.

If you like meat, this place is for you. Ate here with a large group. Ordered a few platters for sharing. The meat was cooked to perfection. They had a variety of sauces for dipping as well — green coloured sauce (not sure what it is) is fantastic. The place was packed for a weeknight, very loud with many patrons. Service was good. Frequent wine and water top-​ups.
Décor is nice, with vintage chairs and airy space. Would return for sure.

The food here was great, and the location is awesome, but sometimes when you start off on the wrong foot it’s tough to give a great overall rating.
I was in meetings separately from my team that afternoon and asked that the team pick a place and make the reservations. So they did. I was first to arrive and said I was there for a reservation under the two names that could have made the reservation. The fact that I mentioned 2 names got me an eye roll from the bearded guy at the door (who at a minimum I would guess is a Manager /​GM). I attempted to clarify by stating the time… blank look… until I was asked «for how many?» I said «4 or 5» as I was not sure what the final numbers were because I was not with my team when they made the reservation. The response back was…“Well how am I supposed to know which reservation is yours?
Anyways — I got seated. From then on the rest of the evening was great. Our waiter was very pleasant and helpful, the cocktails were reasonable (I am a bit of a snob on that area), the wine list was very good and the steaks, tartares, and carpaccios were excellent.
As the evening went on, the music started to get a little louder and more people were around the bar, so it had a great fun atmosphere, very lively. Next time I will come a bit later and grab a spot with friends at the bar and I’m sure the rating will improve.

I had a great time here– came here on a Friday night at around 9PM and it was completely packed. My friend and I shared a dozen oysters and the porterhouse for two with mashed potatoes and veggies on the side. The porterhouse was melt-​in-​your mouth amazing. For dessert we had the pouding chômeur, which was also really good. I regret making this my first stop in Montréal because every restaurant I ate at the rest of the weekend did not compare to Grinder.

I went here with a friend a couple of weeks back and overall nothing spectacular.
Good: the atmosphere was pleasant, being that the place was filled with young professionals that were well dressed, the place was properly designed, the staff had great energy, etc. The drinks were well mixed but a little expensive. Due to the upbeat energy, I would pay a premium on the drinks. Great place for a 5 à 7. However:
Bad. The overpriced food was far from the greatest. I had calamari and the sauce was, without exaggerating, ketchup. The well portion tartar was flavourful however the side I salad was very basic and boring. The salad was prepared as if the cook was in a rush and was late for work.
Conclusion: The place would be better if it was just a bar that served food but their liquor permit would restrict them to do so. I would only go back if I was dragged there for a birthday/​office/​other party. Would not go back on my own free will. If this was a purely a bar, I would absolutely go back to enjoy its great energy.

Atmosphere, food, everything all amazing.
I was with a group and we ordered both the t bone and Chateaubriand but both were mouth watering.
The mashed potatoes were served in a cast iron pan and we’re the best mashed potatoes I’ve ever had. My God. Wow. This is a great place and I can’t wait to go back.

My new Montréal favorite. We shared the Château Briand and it was fantastic. The mushrooms were… no words. Just perfect. Can’t wait to go back. Service was great

I love this beautiful place! Food are awesome, very friendly services. This place is very good for girl’s night.

J’ai très souvent entendu parler du Grinder, j’avais donc beaucoup d’attente. J’ai prit le tataki de boeuf en entrée, qui était très bon, ainsi que le tartare de boeuf. J’ai aimé mon tartare, mais j’ai déjà manger un meilleure tartare ailleurs. Mon amie a prit celui au saumon. J’ai mieux aimer le tartare de saumon, question de goût.
J’ai beaucoup aimé l’ambiance et le décor, par contre, plutôt cher.
Bref j’ai apprécier ma soirée, moins ma facture!

Been to this resto a few times and always had their specialty: a nice chunk of meat (a.k.a steak). Always cooked to perfection. This last time, I wasn’t really in the mood for red meat so I tried their tuna tartare. It was ok, but didn’t hit the spot. Lesson of the day: stick to their specialty. That being said, the pouding chomeur was divine! When reserving, ask for a seat outside to enjoy what little we have of summer.

Grinder is really the type of restaurant that can divide a room – as illustrated by previous reviews, people seem to love it or hate it.
I personally love the hustle and bustle of Grinder; this place is ALWAYS happening and the crowd is always beautiful. The interior is beautiful – especially the living wall on the open air side of the restaurant. Poor service is a common complaint about Grinder but after two visits I don’t have anything particularly bad to say about the service – it was not exceptional but definitely satisfactory.
It is definitely possible to eat at Grinder and keep the bill fairly reasonable, but it is also very easy to let it get out of hand. On my first visit I had the appetizer duck tartar (quite big) with a side of mashed potatoes and a side of mushrooms; this was more than enough portion-​wise and I thoroughly enjoyed each dish. On my second visit I shared with a friend; we split the beef short rib and raw scallops. The scallop plate was so small I found it to be bad value for money, but the beef short rib was amazing – I would order it again in a heartbeat. We finished off the meal with the soft-​serve ice cream sundae – very good and very big (split if you can).

Not my favourite to say the least! I came here as part of a large group for a friends birthday, and a few members of the party were vegetarians, so they ordered salads and side salads. Due to alcohol permits (or lack thereof) the restaurant complained to our party that we did not order enough food.
Furthermore, those who did order the salads received romaine lettuce that was browning and not fresh at all.
The management was accommodating and replaced the brown salads with sautéed seasonal vegetables but frankly, this dish too was not very appetizing.
Lastly, and this is real the «nail» quite literally in the coffin, my friend who ordered a tartar as a main bit into a small little screw which she was then told was from the pepper mill.
In conclusion, I will not be going back there.

Une belle déception! Prix exorbitant par rapport à la qualité… Une ambiance pour personne de type superficielle! Un service déplorable de l’accueil a la facture. Je né recommande ce restaurant à personne sauf si vous avez de l’argent à gaspiller…

3 words: simply the best
Love the ambience, the food is simply amazing. Service is good. Love the cocktails there, they also have a really nice patio outside with heating lamps. This place is obviously my favorite place in montreal, no doubt about it.

Endroit super snob avec un très mauvais service. Le tartare de saumon était fade et même le Bloody Caesar était raté! Je n’y retournerai plus jamais.

Une des adresses à retenir si vous venez dans Griffintown pour boire et manger. C’est le petit frère du Hachoir sur St-​Denis. Super décor, bien aménagé, bouffe délicieuse, variétés sur le menu, vins/​bières, service ok. Ils ont aussi une petite terrasse sur Notre-​Dame, bien sympa pour un 5@7 réussi. *À savoir, vous devez commander à manger absolument car on né peut pas que commander à boire.* J’y suis allé un mardi en fin d’après-midi et ça commencé à être plein. Je vous conseille de réserver si vous venez en début de soirée, ça se remplit vite et l’endroit est connu dans le coin. Pour passer, une agréable soirée dans Griffintown, c’est la place.

Décor enivrant! Service personnalisée, sans compte l’expérience gastronomique exquise !

Bel endroit fréquenté par les pitounes à cash et les hommes mariés voulant contempler la vitrine. Nourriture loin d’être généreuse… Salade de betteraves et de chèvre où on avait emplie l’assiette de verdures pour faire du remplissage à rabais, mousse à la mangue qui a suscité le fou rire de toute la table tant c’était mal présenté (ça ressemblait à un cerveau)… Bref, plus qu’ordinaire.

Avec un chum pour le souper, un mardi soir.
Il y a des pour et des contre.
POUR: qualité des plats, liste de vins. Tout était bon, assez travaillé mais pas trop non plus.
CONTRE: Cher, pas très généreux, beaucoup trop de clinquant parmi la foule, bruyant (c’est un bar ou un resto? Pas clair).
Pas mal occupé pour un mardi soir, l’endroit plaît, manifestement. Pour ma part je préfère les endroits un peu moins ostentatoires, mais sur un compte de dépense garni, pourquoi pas?

So yes, as my companion and previous reviews suggested, the raw bar here did not disappoint. I remain confused about this place. Packed with reservations from 6 – 9 we had a meeting with a staff member so they fit us in and we got to watch the place fill up with business men and women with their day to evening outfits. Sexy crowd if you’re into that scene and the layout is well setup for the all important sight lines.
The gal at the bar was friendly, laid back and really professional (plus the patience of a saint when it came to helping out the solo guy next to me who wanted her thoughts on every wine on the list.) To be fair the list was extensive and had lots I’d like to try.
The oysters were perfectly prepared, and perfectly fresh. I could have eaten a second dozen all on my own, but propriety and the budget prevailed. This time.

Quelle déception!
Quand j’y suis allée, ça faisait un bon moment déjà que j’en entendais parlé et, étant une fan de tartares, j’avais la curiosité dans le tapis!
Quand je suis arrivée, c’était la folie, tout le monde courait partout et c’était super bruyant. Ça a pris (sans exagération) au moins 5 minutes avant que quelqu’un nous dise bonjour… avant de nous dire que quelqu’un d’autre allait venir s’occuper de nous. On patiente encore quelques minutes… Le «quelqu’un d’autre» arrive, nous demande le nom de la réservation et nous demande de patienter. Encore… Finalement, on a pris place au bar après plus de 15 minutes dans l’entrée. Ça commence mal.
Notre serveuse était la barmaid… qui était très occupée et bête comme ses pieds. On lui a posé quelques questions sur le menu et elle né nous a pas vraiment aidé. On a passé notre commande de nourriture et on lui a demandé un vin au verre qui irait bien avec nos plats. Elle est partie et est revenue avec deux verres, né nous a pas présenté la bouteille, né nous a pas dit ce qu’elle nous avait servi et né nous l’a pas fait goûté…
Heureusement, les plats étaient bons… Malheureusement, pas assez pour racheter tout le reste… Je n’y retournerais pas.

English follows
Expérience très décevante avec ce restaurant qui manqué sérieusement de professionnalisme. J’ai envoyé une demande de réservation par courriel à ce restaurant 3 semaines avant la date souhaitée. Une semaine plus tard, on me répond que l’heure souhaitée n’est pas disponible et on me propose alors 19h ou 21h. Étant consciente que mon groupe est important (22 personnes), j’acquiesce pour 21h dans l’heure suivant la réception du courriel. La réponse téléphonique, le lendemain seulement fut plus qu’inacceptable. On m’a informé que malheureusement ma réservation né pouvait tenir puisque dans la dite heure un autre groupe a téléphoné et réserver et que plutôt qu’attendre ma réponse qui je le souligne encore a été fournie dans l’heure de réception du courriel et que plus encore ma demande initiale datait d’une semaine à ce moment, ils ont donné la réservation à ce groupe plutôt qu’au mien. Je trouve inacceptable qu’un resto de quartier nouvellement arrivé fonctionne de cette façon et je vais vivement parler de cette expérience à mon entourage.
I made an online reservation for a group of 22 people 3 weeks prior to the date wanted. A week after the initial email I got a reply that the time wanted wasn’t available and two alternative options were given to me. I replied to the said email within the hour it was sent expressing my flexibility and accepting one of the two time slot offered. That was only to get a call the next day telling me that within that hour the space for my group was given to another group who had called in the meantime and confirmed one of the time offered to me. Remember, I had sent my initial request a week before those people called and I was bump straight away when others called to make reservations. This is inacceptable customer service and I would have understand if I had taken a day or two to reply. Considering I replied quickly and I was open straight away to flexibility, this more than disappointing.