La Binerie Mont-Royal: it smells of history and tradition
No establishment, of any kind, can last 85 years without letting its customers catch the scent of its history and tradition. 
Especially when your name is La Binerie Mont-Royal.
This essential and symbolic place for traditional Québécois cuisine moved in 2019 to larger premises just a few steps from the original location, better able to welcome its ever-growing clientele. Even so, you can feel how much its owners since 2005, Jocelyne Gingras and Philippe Brunet, value this aspect of their legendary establishment.
What's more, when they took over, they were both nearing what is usually taken to be retirement age. Now, retirement is far from their thoughts, even though they've long since passed that age. "We just kept going," jokes Jocelyne, who worked much of her life as an accountant, her first profession. She worked in hospitality and restaurants for a while, both here and elsewhere.
That's because Philippe, for his part, has restaurants and hospitality in his blood. He spent years in senior roles in the restaurant and hotel industry, with the Hilton chain (including the one in Québec), then at Disney in Orlanda, Florida, before returning to Québec and taking on the acquisition of La Binerie.
Founded in 1938 by Léonide Lussier and located on the famous avenue of the same name for 81 years, La Binerie Mont-Royal serves traditional Québécois cuisine in its purest form. Roast pork, stew, bacon, cretons, poutine, pâté chinois... and no less than 32 tonnes of fèves au lard are prepared here each year.
What’s changed since the move? Apart from the decor, though a good deal of it was salvaged, they can now serve 95 people at a time instead of the 23 before. As for the menu, items had already been added over the years since 2005. The winning recipe behind the place’s success was kept, however. "Most of our customers followed us, and the fèves au lard are definitely still the star," says Jocelyne, who still spends many hours at the stove preparing meals and at her pastry oven making her meat pies and other treats you can buy to go.
Notably, there’s no deep-frying in the kitchens. Everything is oven-baked. In the basement, they’ve even rebuilt the legendary fèves au lard oven from rue Mont-Royal. Philippe prepares the recipe and bakes them every day.
Ask them which part of the year is busiest and the answer is surprising: December, in the lead-up to Christmas. Their traditional Québec Réveillon dishes have become increasingly popular: soupe aux pois, ragoût de boulettes, tourtière, mashed potatoes, seasonal vegetables, fèves au lard, and more. All are prepared in individual portions and can be ordered in whatever quantity you need. Other offerings include pâté chinois, meatloaf, ragoût de pattes et boulettes, roast pork, maple ham, beef with vegetables, and more. Several varieties of pies (apple, raisin, sugar) and meat pies (salmon, chicken, meat, tourtière) are also available to round out these meals.
To move with the times, they’ve added four poutine varieties to the menu, all with oven-baked fries.
Finally, don't look for the huge vertical sign that once adorned the rue Mont-Royal facade in front of the building. It couldn't be installed on rue Saint-Denis, so they hung it in the stairwell to the mezzanine, where it's a hit. Like everything else, for that matter. The counters with banquette seating, dotted with small Tiffany-style lamps, are charming and encourage conversation, which has always mattered to Jocelyne and Philippe.
It's a safe bet people will still be talking about it in 80 years.
The kitchen closes at 2pm early in the week, but stays open until 9pm on weekends.
La Binerie Mont-Royal
labineriemontroyal.com/
4167, rue Saint-Denis,
Montréal, Québec H2W 2M7
(514) 285-9078