clock menu more-arrow no yes mobile

19 Montreal Hot Spots for Rotisserie (or Grilled) Chicken

The bird is the word

View as Map

When it comes to the must-eat food of Montreal, roasted chicken is perhaps the forgotten middle sibling. Poutine and bagels hog the attention, but rotisserie is just as much a culinary cornerstone, ranging from family operations that have been in business for decades to sprawling chains found in every corner of La Belle Province.

Here are some of the best birds found in the city. It’s not all about Québécois and Portuguese options either, as there are equally delicious Congolese, Peruvian, and Caribbean varieties, to name a few. The cooking styles may vary slightly here — some are roasted, some are rotisserie, a couple are grilled, but all are juicy and cooked with fire.

Read More
Eater maps are curated by editors and aim to reflect a diversity of neighborhoods, cuisines, and prices. Learn more about our editorial process. If you buy something or book a reservation from an Eater link, Vox Media may earn a commission. See our ethics policy.

Le Coq de L'Est 2015

Copy Link

This East End restaurant — in a past life, a restaurant known for ‘serveuses sexy’ — from Vanessa Beeching and Omar Zabuair delivers roasted chicken with a Québecois look and feel, but flips the script ever-so-slightly with delicious Pakistani tandoori flavours.

Poulet Mankal

Copy Link

When looking for a solid option for chicken in Montreal’s north end, look to Poulet Mankal. The Lebanese charcoal-fired techniques employed here have made it a reliable standby since 1993.

Ma Poule Mouillée

Copy Link

Grilling up anywhere between 600 to 1,000 chickens daily, Ma Poule Mouillée is one of the most popular spots in the Plateau for grilled Portuguese chicken. The bird isn’t the only drawcard here, but really, it’s a sin to visit and not order a quarter bird with fries.

Serrano Bar-B-Q

Copy Link

Little Portugal may be a few blocks south of Mile End, but it’s not the only source for choice roasted chicken. The rotisserie at the Peruvian restaurant Serrano is commonly looked to for cheap chopped chicken sandwiches, but is just as viable an option for a poulet entier for $13.

Paradis BBQ

Copy Link

This Plateau upstart didn’t take long to establish itself as a crowning achievement in chicken by critics. Chef Jonathan Fournier’s menu serves chicken in dozens of ways, but it’s hard to argue with its classic roasted option. The restaurant has fried options, too.

DJ Poulet

Copy Link

The Ivory Coast and Congo aren’t terribly well-represented in Montreal’s restaurant scene, and particularly in the rotisserie world. Enter DJ Poulet: While it’s still securing its foothold in Outremont, rest assured, its cheap and succulent cuts of chicken hot off the grill are worth it.

Chez Doval

Copy Link

Open since 1974, Doval’s a Montreal institution and a Portuguese classic has a menu that’s beloved by many. Among those choices is a chargrilled chicken that’s a major favourite.

Agrikol

Copy Link

Chef Paul Harry Toussaint’s work at this colourful and popular Caribbean restaurant features a savoury grilled Haitian variety of bird, best enjoyed with a rum-based cocktail.

Romados

Copy Link

Ask a Montrealer who belongs in the pantheon of Portuguese chicken in their city, and Romados will undoubtedly be one of the first mentioned. Their chicken, chargrilled and heavily brushed with piri piri sauce, is a beloved Plateau institution.

Buvette Chez Simone

Copy Link

Simone Chevalot’s eponymous restaurant may be often sought out for its wine lists, but the roasted chicken is one of the necessary dishes to try here, having survived months upon months of flipped menus.

Moishes

Copy Link

Commonly looked to as an essential steakhouse in Montreal, Moishes also makes a mean “special” chicken. Based on a family recipe, they’re so proud of it that it’s joined the the restaurant’s roster of retail products.

There are a lot of older, storied Portuguese institutions that are neighbourhood favourites, but a younger gun like Campo from the Ferreira Group has quickly gained traction and favour with its streamlined service that doesn’t skimp on quality.

Rôtisserie St-Hubert (multiple locations)

Copy Link

If there’s one chain that’s testament to the popularity of rotisserie chicken in the entire province of Quebec, it’s St-Hubert. What started with one small Montreal location in 1951 has since become the 16th largest chain in the country and a formative dining experience for many Quebecers.

New System Bar-B-Q

Copy Link

You may have seen one this restaurant’s fleet of orange delivery cars zipping around Montreal’s streets. Sure, the pizza and poutine are worth ordering up, but the breast and thighs are the real go-to here. Whether ordering out or eating in, ask for extra packets of honey for dipping.

Côte St Luc BBQ (multiple locations)

Copy Link

For anyone looking for a choice spot to eat in NDG, Côte St Luc is not only among the essential options, but it’s chicken is worthy of laudation when considering options across the city as a whole. There’s another out in Dollard, too.

Chalet Bar-B-Q

Copy Link

A classic NDG restaurant, Chalet Bar-B-Q serves an endearing Quebecois-style rotisserie at amazingly cheap prices. Whether it’s hot chicken or a breast/thigh combo you’re after, this is an essential spot for chicken. Look for its colourful signage, brightly lit up since 1944.

Blackstrap BBQ

Copy Link

Racks of ribs and deep fried mac and cheese come highly recommended at Dylan Kier’s Verdun restaurant, but this pitmaster’s smoked chicken is an equally delicious feature of its menu. Open since 2012 and still going strong.

Galinha

Copy Link

Not all great chicken in Montreal will be found on-island. Galinha’s wood-fired Portuguese birds, brushed with piri piri both sweet and spicy are a favourite on the other side of the river.

Le Coq de L'Est 2015

This East End restaurant — in a past life, a restaurant known for ‘serveuses sexy’ — from Vanessa Beeching and Omar Zabuair delivers roasted chicken with a Québecois look and feel, but flips the script ever-so-slightly with delicious Pakistani tandoori flavours.

Poulet Mankal

When looking for a solid option for chicken in Montreal’s north end, look to Poulet Mankal. The Lebanese charcoal-fired techniques employed here have made it a reliable standby since 1993.

Ma Poule Mouillée

Grilling up anywhere between 600 to 1,000 chickens daily, Ma Poule Mouillée is one of the most popular spots in the Plateau for grilled Portuguese chicken. The bird isn’t the only drawcard here, but really, it’s a sin to visit and not order a quarter bird with fries.

Serrano Bar-B-Q

Little Portugal may be a few blocks south of Mile End, but it’s not the only source for choice roasted chicken. The rotisserie at the Peruvian restaurant Serrano is commonly looked to for cheap chopped chicken sandwiches, but is just as viable an option for a poulet entier for $13.

Paradis BBQ

This Plateau upstart didn’t take long to establish itself as a crowning achievement in chicken by critics. Chef Jonathan Fournier’s menu serves chicken in dozens of ways, but it’s hard to argue with its classic roasted option. The restaurant has fried options, too.

DJ Poulet

The Ivory Coast and Congo aren’t terribly well-represented in Montreal’s restaurant scene, and particularly in the rotisserie world. Enter DJ Poulet: While it’s still securing its foothold in Outremont, rest assured, its cheap and succulent cuts of chicken hot off the grill are worth it.

Chez Doval

Open since 1974, Doval’s a Montreal institution and a Portuguese classic has a menu that’s beloved by many. Among those choices is a chargrilled chicken that’s a major favourite.

Agrikol

Chef Paul Harry Toussaint’s work at this colourful and popular Caribbean restaurant features a savoury grilled Haitian variety of bird, best enjoyed with a rum-based cocktail.

Romados

Ask a Montrealer who belongs in the pantheon of Portuguese chicken in their city, and Romados will undoubtedly be one of the first mentioned. Their chicken, chargrilled and heavily brushed with piri piri sauce, is a beloved Plateau institution.

Buvette Chez Simone

Simone Chevalot’s eponymous restaurant may be often sought out for its wine lists, but the roasted chicken is one of the necessary dishes to try here, having survived months upon months of flipped menus.

Moishes

Commonly looked to as an essential steakhouse in Montreal, Moishes also makes a mean “special” chicken. Based on a family recipe, they’re so proud of it that it’s joined the the restaurant’s roster of retail products.

Campo

There are a lot of older, storied Portuguese institutions that are neighbourhood favourites, but a younger gun like Campo from the Ferreira Group has quickly gained traction and favour with its streamlined service that doesn’t skimp on quality.

Rôtisserie St-Hubert (multiple locations)

If there’s one chain that’s testament to the popularity of rotisserie chicken in the entire province of Quebec, it’s St-Hubert. What started with one small Montreal location in 1951 has since become the 16th largest chain in the country and a formative dining experience for many Quebecers.

New System Bar-B-Q

You may have seen one this restaurant’s fleet of orange delivery cars zipping around Montreal’s streets. Sure, the pizza and poutine are worth ordering up, but the breast and thighs are the real go-to here. Whether ordering out or eating in, ask for extra packets of honey for dipping.

Côte St Luc BBQ (multiple locations)

For anyone looking for a choice spot to eat in NDG, Côte St Luc is not only among the essential options, but it’s chicken is worthy of laudation when considering options across the city as a whole. There’s another out in Dollard, too.

Chalet Bar-B-Q

A classic NDG restaurant, Chalet Bar-B-Q serves an endearing Quebecois-style rotisserie at amazingly cheap prices. Whether it’s hot chicken or a breast/thigh combo you’re after, this is an essential spot for chicken. Look for its colourful signage, brightly lit up since 1944.

Blackstrap BBQ

Racks of ribs and deep fried mac and cheese come highly recommended at Dylan Kier’s Verdun restaurant, but this pitmaster’s smoked chicken is an equally delicious feature of its menu. Open since 2012 and still going strong.

Galinha

Not all great chicken in Montreal will be found on-island. Galinha’s wood-fired Portuguese birds, brushed with piri piri both sweet and spicy are a favourite on the other side of the river.