Joe Beef and Maison Publique Owners Debut Dinner Service at New Sud-Ouest Bistro

The new project from the owners of Joe Beef and Maison Publique is now offering dinner service on Thursdays and Fridays, starting January 31.

The McKiernan Luncheonette team will be serving up an a la carte menu from 5 p.m. onward on a walk-in basis only, they announced in an Instagram post Tuesday.

The change comes just months after the canteen — which occupies a vast loft in an office building alongside the Lachine Canal — opened in Côte-St-Paul. Since their September, 2018 debut as a multi-purpose day spot (serving up coffee and dessert snacks alongside all-day breakfast and a full lunch menu), McKiernan has been received well by the public, giving it a strong foundation upon which to expand service to select evenings.

McKiernan is the owned by a powerhouse team including Joe Beef’s Frédéric Morin, David McMillan, Allison Cunningham, and Maison Publique’s Derek Dammann. Chris Morgan and James Simpkins (formerly Liverpool House) oversee operations, and Joe Beef’s chef Derek Reinhardt is in the kitchen.

With humble cafeteria-style seating, it’s a casual restaurant — a large portion of their day service is for employees in their building on St-Patrick street — and their dinner service is likely to be just as low-key. On the menu are bistro favourites like duck leg, rotisserie porchetta, lamb tartare, and a steak large enough to feed the table. They’re also serving up a variety of seafood, from “Chinatown” squid to clam soup and bitter salad with anchovy.

For appetizers, patrons can indulge in french fries with mushroom ketchup and fougasse bread, and for dessert, an apple tart with smoked cheddar and a chocolate mousse. And, as is the case with their lunch service, they’ve got an array of beer, cider, and fresh natural wines (from a wine list curated by Simpkins).

And despite not taking reservations for dinner, the restaurant has 7,000 square feet that seats around 200 people, according to food blog Tastet, so there’s a strong likelihood of getting a table.

STATUS: McKiernan Luncheonette is open at 5524 St-Patrick (suite 200) from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday, and from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Thursday and Friday evenings.

• McKiernan Luncheonette [Official]
• Joe Beef and Maison Publique Owners Throw Open Doors on Lunchy New Project [EMTL]
• Maison Publique and Joe Beef to Team up for New Sud-Ouest Luncheonette [EMTL]
• McKiernan Luncheonette: New Hot Spot in the South West [Tastet]
• Ex-Joe Beef Employee Details Inappropriate Touching in the Kitchen [EMTL]