When it comes to eating out in Montreal, a familiar name on the building often feels like a guarantee — a sign you can trust what’s being served. But even well-known restaurant chains can land in hot water for food safety.
The Ministère de l’Agriculture, des Pêcheries et de l’Alimentation du Québec (MAPAQ), which oversees food safety in the province, recently issued fines to three popular restaurant chains. The penalties resulted from inspections revealing contamination issues involving pollutants, pests or their droppings. The convictions were handed down at Montreal municipal court in July, and each resulted in a $1,500 fine.
Here’s what was flagged:
Les Enfants Terribles Brasserie
This upscale Québécois brasserie has multiple locations across Quebec, including Laval, Outremont, and inside Place Ville Marie. The infraction was tied to its Île-des-Soeurs location.
- Address: 209 rue de la Rotonde, Montreal, QC H3B 0B8
- Infraction date: November 1, 2024
- Judgment date: July 21, 2025
- Fine: $1,500
- Violation: The location or vehicle was not free of insects, rodents, or their excrement.
Resto Bar Nickels
Nickels is a long-running Quebec diner chain co-founded by Céline Dion in the 1990s. There are currently about a dozen locations in the province. This particular fine was linked to its Saint-Laurent location.
- Address: 1991 boulevard Marcel-Laurin, Montreal, QC H4R 1K4
- Infraction date: November 26, 2024
- Judgment date: July 21, 2025
- Fine: $1,500
- Violation: The location or vehicle was not free of insects, rodents, or their excrement.
Les Rôtisseries St-Hubert BBQ
St-Hubert is a household name in Quebec with over 100 locations across the province. This fine was issued to the Sainte-Catherine Est location near the Village.
- Address: 1019 rue Sainte-Catherine Est, Montreal, QC H2L 2G4
- Infraction date: October 25, 2024
- Judgment date: July 9, 2025
- Fine: $1,500
- Violation: The location or vehicle was not free of insects, rodents, or their excrement.
MAPAQ fines are based on inspections that find serious violations of provincial food safety standards. While these charges don’t always mean a restaurant is currently unsafe, they do reflect past conditions that failed to meet legal requirements.
You can check the full list of convictions and inspection reports at mapaq.gouv.qc.ca.
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