Viana Grillades Portugaises — Restaurant in Montreal

I've passed by this place a few times but then I decided to check it out. Hidden inside a strip mall away from the main commercial arteries, it's easy to miss.

Named after the owner Fabio's hometown of Viana, picturesque photos of which add to the lively decor, it has an impressive menu of authentic Portuguese-style food served by friendly staff.

I opted for a large format Portuguese poutine, non-spicy. Let me tell you, it was a big heaping big bowl filled with crispy fries (a little on the salty side), cheese curds, tender grilled chicken and pork, gravy and their signature spicy sauce topped with a sprinkling of dry parsley.

It was tasty and quite filling.

The other menu items I've tried are the Portuguese fried whole chicken ($15.00 if ordered from their carry out only menu, but no fries and no eating it on the premises) and the half chicken from their sit down menu, with fries and salad.

They've also recently issued a loyalty card.

Definitely worth the visit.

That was six years ago, now I'm not so sure. Two years ago I was shocked to find out that the owner had committed suicide and frankly it just isn't the same without him.

I visited again recently and the new owners have kept Fabio's photograph (the other family heirlooms are gone) and have added a donation jar to Suicide Action Montreal which I found to be a nice touch.

What I did not find nice was them cancelling the loyalty card. Discontinuing the program is one thing, but refusing to honor the loyalty cards of loyal customers whose patronage made the business what it is I find to be insulting.

On top of that, on my last visit I decided to attend a special tasting to support local businesses and ordered their six tiny tacos which came to $48.00 each, plus tax of course. This was a bit over budget and when I didn't leave a tip, the new owner called me on it said that we tip our employees.

He basically called me a thief. At least his tone of voice implied as much.

News flash: tipping is a courtesy and NOT an obligation, and with so many cancellations of the special event you should be grateful that I decided to attend. If no tipping bothers you so much, I'll go somewhere else.

Well, you may have saved yourself the cost of a chorizo sandwich but you've now...

I had some friends raving about this restaurant so I had to try it for myself. I went there around 7:30 the other night and was welcomed with open arms by the friendly staff. The decor was nice and very welcoming as well as the comfortable seating. I ended up meeting the owner Andy from my friend and I gotta say what a nice and overall genuine guy from the second you interact with him. Soon after the food started to come out and OMG, first plater and every single one afterwards was out of this world delicious! See for yourself in the pictures how the food comes to life and presentation was beautiful! Everything was served fresh, tasty and the meat was so unbelievably juicy that I had to refrain myself from licking my fingers at the table lol. We had some special items for that night but it was truly an unforgettable dining experience. The meat was cooked to perfection! The lamb and steak blew my mind and made me go back for seconds and a third serving too! The rice and salad mix was equally good and gobbled up in an instant. Spices were balanced just right and not overpowering. Staff was helpful and super nice and did not ignore you like most of the other restaurants, which in this case, made my first experience here even better!

I can go on and on about how great it was but you will need to go see for yourself, you will not be disappointed. I highly recommend this place. I'll definitely keep going and already planning my next visit for next week to indulge in another mouth watering feast. Authentic Portuguese food at its finest and I rate it a 10 on 10. You need to try it for yourself 😃

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Sooo i was really excited to try this restaurant..I can smell the food from the street when im walking by. I gave it 3 cause I found the ppl nice..not rude like some of the reviews I've seen.. but man I was disappointed by the amount of food i got for the price i paid.. Maybe my expectations were too high and maybe dine in would be better I see pictures and there seems to be a lot more food. its probably the most money ive spent on a takeout and we were all still kinda hungry. The food we got was good I guess..for me lacking flavor.. added salt and dumped the hot sauce on everything...I got all sauces to try..mild=flavorless..medium= barely mild..hot=mild. The portugese poutine was good worth the price but not spicy at all. We all took a bite of their cake thing which was very good. So I guess all this to say from the other reviews I've read and my own experience ..dine in..go for the hottest sauce..open ur wallet..be nice to the staff theyll be nice to u. I may perhaps order again something different to try but only as a single meal for myself not to...