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man holding two hot dogs, one topped with slaw, the other with cheese and pickles.
A hot dog from Chez Tousignant.
Stephania Saridakis

15 Essential Montreal Hot Dogs

Featuring classic spots for an all-dressed steamé (or toasté) and newer players with inventive spins

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A hot dog from Chez Tousignant.
| Stephania Saridakis

When it comes to Montreal's pantheon of specialties, bagels, poutine, and smoked meat sandwiches tend to get all the attention, but hot dogs deserve a spot in that top tier. Served either steamed (known as a “steamé” or “steamie”) or toasted (“toasté” or “toastie”) with mustard, chopped onion, relish and coleslaw, it’s a staple found on the menu of nearly every casse-croûte (Québécois diner) par excellence. Better yet, new players on the scene are taking hot dogs in delicious new directions. Here are the best of the best.

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Decarie Hot Dog

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A classic hot dog spot since 1969, this casse-croûte has remained relatively unchanged over the years. Located in Ville Saint-Laurent, it’s often said to have the best Montreal-style hot dogs in the city, thanks to the continued devotion of its original owners, the Vriniotis family.

Gibeau Orange Julep

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The poutine and hot dogs reign supreme at this Montreal landmark built by Hermas Gibeau in the 1930s to serve his trademark orange drink. Whether eaten the traditional way or Michigan-style with meat sauce on top, it’s a solid, if not essential, choice.

Chez Ma Tante

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This Ahuntsic casse-croûte’s been in the business of selling steamés for so long that their business dates back to a time when they operated a horse-drawn carriage. Ask most locals, and they’ll tell you that these dogs are well worth the trip to the north side of town.

Taverne Atlantic

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This chic Mile-Ex spot isn’t all about the drinks, thanks to an in-house casse-croûte that ups the ante on diner classics like hot dogs. Theirs is a house kielbasa topped with an apple-horseradish mustard, bacon sauerkraut, chopped fennel, pickles, and pickled mustard seeds. Bonus for vegetarians: Their carrot dogs also do the trick.

Chez Tousignant

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At this new-wave casse-croûte, chef Yann Turcotte makes the kind of hot dogs he loved as a child. As a result, Chez Tousignant has been receiving praise since opening its doors in 2015. Its top dog comes with bacon, a special sauce, melted American cheese, and three delicately placed pickle slices.

Lester's

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Make no mistake, Lester’s is a fixture for smoked meat in this city. But its hot dogs are a menu mainstay for a good reason: A toasted kosher all-beef frank cooked off on the grill and served with ballpark mustard, it’s excellent.

Chez Claudette

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A chart-topper when it comes to poutine, this old-school Plateau diner does hot dogs justice, too. Be it a steamie or a toastie, get it all-dressed: with mustard, relish, cabbage, and onions.

Restaurant A.A.

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André Annoussos serves his hot dogs as steamés by day and toastés by night — no exceptions. His popular St-Henri greasy spoon has been a reliable source of traditional casse-croûte dishes since 1962.

Majestique

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This restaurant and bar’s upscale take on the hot dog has been on the menu since it first opened in 2014. Made to be shared, it’s a Gaspor pork sausage served in a Hof Kelsten bun with a red cabbage, apple, and fried leek slaw, and dressed in mayo and mustard.

Greenspot

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Since 1947, this staple St-Henri diner has made a name for many of its dishes, the least of which is its Montreal-style hot dogs. They’ll cook them up as steamies or toasties, and they also serve Nathan’s all-beef dogs with fried onions.

Dirty Dogs (multiple locations)

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As its name implies, this local franchise with two locations has a menu devoted to the hot dog, but it’s not your average option. It takes an everything-but-the-kitchen-sink approach with toppings that go from Dr. Pepper chili or mac and cheese to smoked meat and fried eggs.

Chien-Chaud Victoire

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Located in a downtown tower’s food court on Boulevard Robert-Bourassa, this casse-croûte counter serves its poutine and Montreal hot dogs according to the adage of doing few things but doing them well. Many locals consider this a must for any self-respecting hot dog fan.

Paul Patates

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This Pointe-St-Charles casse-croûte icon maintains its local legend status thanks to its bière d’épinette (spruce beer) made from a recipe dating back to 1898, poutine, and, of course, classic steamies.

Montreal Pool Room

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You won’t find any pool to play at this grab-and-go spot in Montreal’s former red light district, but you will find classic Montreal hot dogs. Initially opened in 1912 (but relocated across the street in 2010), this restaurant remains a reliable haunt for many during boozy nights out.

Chez Simon Cantine Urbaine

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Standing tall among the breed of new restaurant owners inspired by diner classics, this spot from Simon Jodoin-Bouchard and Alexandre Clément mainly focuses on burgers. Still, they have one hot dog up their sleeve: The Hot God, a house jalapeño-cheddar sausage served with fried onions, more jalapeños, queso, and a signature cayenne sauce.

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Decarie Hot Dog

A classic hot dog spot since 1969, this casse-croûte has remained relatively unchanged over the years. Located in Ville Saint-Laurent, it’s often said to have the best Montreal-style hot dogs in the city, thanks to the continued devotion of its original owners, the Vriniotis family.

Gibeau Orange Julep

The poutine and hot dogs reign supreme at this Montreal landmark built by Hermas Gibeau in the 1930s to serve his trademark orange drink. Whether eaten the traditional way or Michigan-style with meat sauce on top, it’s a solid, if not essential, choice.

Chez Ma Tante

This Ahuntsic casse-croûte’s been in the business of selling steamés for so long that their business dates back to a time when they operated a horse-drawn carriage. Ask most locals, and they’ll tell you that these dogs are well worth the trip to the north side of town.

Taverne Atlantic

This chic Mile-Ex spot isn’t all about the drinks, thanks to an in-house casse-croûte that ups the ante on diner classics like hot dogs. Theirs is a house kielbasa topped with an apple-horseradish mustard, bacon sauerkraut, chopped fennel, pickles, and pickled mustard seeds. Bonus for vegetarians: Their carrot dogs also do the trick.

Chez Tousignant

At this new-wave casse-croûte, chef Yann Turcotte makes the kind of hot dogs he loved as a child. As a result, Chez Tousignant has been receiving praise since opening its doors in 2015. Its top dog comes with bacon, a special sauce, melted American cheese, and three delicately placed pickle slices.

Lester's

Make no mistake, Lester’s is a fixture for smoked meat in this city. But its hot dogs are a menu mainstay for a good reason: A toasted kosher all-beef frank cooked off on the grill and served with ballpark mustard, it’s excellent.

Chez Claudette

A chart-topper when it comes to poutine, this old-school Plateau diner does hot dogs justice, too. Be it a steamie or a toastie, get it all-dressed: with mustard, relish, cabbage, and onions.

Restaurant A.A.

André Annoussos serves his hot dogs as steamés by day and toastés by night — no exceptions. His popular St-Henri greasy spoon has been a reliable source of traditional casse-croûte dishes since 1962.

Majestique

This restaurant and bar’s upscale take on the hot dog has been on the menu since it first opened in 2014. Made to be shared, it’s a Gaspor pork sausage served in a Hof Kelsten bun with a red cabbage, apple, and fried leek slaw, and dressed in mayo and mustard.

Greenspot

Since 1947, this staple St-Henri diner has made a name for many of its dishes, the least of which is its Montreal-style hot dogs. They’ll cook them up as steamies or toasties, and they also serve Nathan’s all-beef dogs with fried onions.

Dirty Dogs (multiple locations)

As its name implies, this local franchise with two locations has a menu devoted to the hot dog, but it’s not your average option. It takes an everything-but-the-kitchen-sink approach with toppings that go from Dr. Pepper chili or mac and cheese to smoked meat and fried eggs.

Chien-Chaud Victoire

Located in a downtown tower’s food court on Boulevard Robert-Bourassa, this casse-croûte counter serves its poutine and Montreal hot dogs according to the adage of doing few things but doing them well. Many locals consider this a must for any self-respecting hot dog fan.

Paul Patates

This Pointe-St-Charles casse-croûte icon maintains its local legend status thanks to its bière d’épinette (spruce beer) made from a recipe dating back to 1898, poutine, and, of course, classic steamies.

Montreal Pool Room

You won’t find any pool to play at this grab-and-go spot in Montreal’s former red light district, but you will find classic Montreal hot dogs. Initially opened in 1912 (but relocated across the street in 2010), this restaurant remains a reliable haunt for many during boozy nights out.

Chez Simon Cantine Urbaine

Standing tall among the breed of new restaurant owners inspired by diner classics, this spot from Simon Jodoin-Bouchard and Alexandre Clément mainly focuses on burgers. Still, they have one hot dog up their sleeve: The Hot God, a house jalapeño-cheddar sausage served with fried onions, more jalapeños, queso, and a signature cayenne sauce.