St-Henri Finally Gets Its Uniburger — And Other Expansions to Note

There seems to be an ongoing parade of establishments adding second (or third, or fourth) locations around Montreal these days. Here are some to note.

ST-HENRI — Uniburger now numbers three locations in the city, as its much-anticipated Notre-Dame West location opened Sunday in the space that housed Tacos Frida before it moved in 2016. The mini-chain, which is approximately “Montreal’s In-N-Out-Burger” (it is, in fact, inspired by the California chain) took of La Paryse in the Latin Quarter back in 2013. Owner Younes Bengeloune’s straightforward snack-bar style burgers on potato buns proved popular enough to allow for a second location in Côte-des-Neiges in 2015. Now with three corners of the city covered, it seems fair to deem them a local success story. Hours are 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday to Saturday.

PLACE-DES-ARTS — Also beefing up its operations (but decidedly beef-free) is vegetarian bistro Lola Rosa, courting both the downtown and festival crowds with a Quartier-des-Spectacles restaurant. It’ll be at 276 Sainte-Catherine West (in the former Galaxie Bleue shoe store), right near the corner of Jeanne-Mance and seriously close to the hubs for Just For Laughs, the Jazz Festival and more. The self-declared “favourite vegetarian restaurant for non-vegetarians” with comforting food like lasagne, nachos, and burgers, Lola Rosa started as a wee Milton Street spot catering predominantly to McGill students, before adding a much larger Mile End hub, followed by a William Street location last winter. There’s no timeline for the newest addition to open yet.

MILE END — Some St-Henri-ites swear by Tacos Victor, some by Tacos Frida (others complain that taco stores are causing gentrification), but Victor is the victor here in terms of conquering Montreal. As noted by Le Journal de Montréal second location is coming to Laurier, a couple of years after Victor first opened on Notre-Dame. It’s at 114 Laurier West, in former Peruvian restaurant Callao. The area is far less saturated on the taco front: Tachido and Mezcal are the only really casual spots (although there’s Maïs on the more formal end), so it could be a welcome addition.

VILLE-ST-LAURENT — Perhaps the biggest expanders of late has been Korean restaurant Mon Ami, specialists in Korean fried chicken (although they have a barbecue set-up at one Somerled location, too). The latest from them is now open on Decarie in Ville-St-Laurent. The chain has doubled in size in the last year and a half, adding two NDG locations, a Côte-des-Neiges one, and a Brossard one, on top of the original Somerled HQ.

VILLERAY — In case you missed it, Café-St-Henri is opening a new roastery-café in VIlleray, and it’ll be far bigger than anything the café has done before. Details over here.

• All Expansions news [EMTL]
• Montreal Rejoices as a Second Uniburger Opens Today [EMTL]
• Uniburger, Friday Afternoon at 1:00 p.m. [EMTL]
• Two New Restaurants Compete For Taco Supremacy in Saint-Henri [EMTL]
• Un resto de tacos adoré des Montréalais ouvre une deuxième succursale dans le Mile End [Le Journal de Montréal]
• Café St-Henri Plots a Grand New Roastery and Café in Villeray [EMTL]