BOBBY MCGEE 🤠

Old Montreal has welcomed a new soundtrack to the streets of Place d’Armes. Bobby McGee, a country resto-bar now in soft opening ahead of its official September 16 debut, has taken over 52 Saint-Jacques, the address previously occupied by Joverse and, more recently, Sauvage. The transformation trades nightclub polish for a warm American roadhouse vocabulary built around country music, barbecue, beer and conviviality.

The concept arrives as the country music festival LASSO ran its successful 5th edition, on August 15 and 16, drawing over 43,000 fans to Parc Jean-Drapeau. At Bobby McGee, the country music genre provides the organizing principle for an evening that can move easily from dinner to drinks, live music, sports and a late round of billiards.

A Roadhouse in Old Montreal

Bobby McGee draws from the social energy of Southern roadhouses while keeping its identity rooted in Montreal. Country shares the playlist with rock and blues, live bands are part of the programming, and major hockey and football games will play across large screens.

Downstairs, a billiards room with its own bar creates a second atmosphere within the venue. The more intimate setting is designed for groups, celebrations and friends who want to linger after dinner. Together, the two levels give Bobby McGee the flexibility of a restaurant, music bar and casual nightlife destination under one roof.

For diners, that breadth matters. Guests can arrive for brisket and cocktails, stay for a band, then head downstairs for billiards, allowing evening to unfold without changing addresses or leaving the neighborhood.

The visual identity comes from co-owner Brahms Yaiche, a familiar name in Montreal hospitality whose past projects include Yubari and Dînette Marcela. Bobby McGee realizes a concept he had long envisioned around the music he loves most: country, rock and blues.

Smokehouse Cooking Takes the Lead

The kitchen gives the theme substance. Chef Martin Samson, whose 12 years of experience include time at Four Seasons and Taverne 1909, has developed a menu inspired by Texas and Southern smokehouses. Brisket, ribs and pulled pork anchor the offering, served generously on aluminum trays that reference the practical presentation associated with American barbecue counters.

This is food conceived for a lively room: smoky meats, substantial portions and familiar preparations suited to sharing over drinks. The approach places Bobby McGee firmly in resto-bar territory while giving food a central role in the experience.

Behind the bar, mixologist Kévin Llamas extends the playful Western language into a signature cocktail list. Names such as Daisy Duke Spritz, Pop Corn Outlaw and Spicy Cowgirl turn the drinks menu into another expression of the concept, alongside the cold beer expected from a proper roadhouse.

Three Partners Behind Bobby McGee

Yaiche is joined by Sabrina Firetto and Stéphanie Girard. Firetto, who owns an aesthetics salon in Old Montreal, began her professional life in restaurants 15 years ago at this very address. Her return gives the project an unusually personal connection to the building.

Girard brings experience from the construction sector, where she leads businesses including Groupe BRASS Entrepreneur Général and BRASS Mécanique du Bâtiment. The three partners combine hospitality, entrepreneurship, design and operational experience around a clearly defined idea.

At 52 Saint-Jacques, Bobby McGee adds a distinctly Western chapter to a location already familiar to Montreal nightlife. Its formula is straightforward: smoked meat on the table, cocktails at the bar, guitars onstage and billiards downstairs. In the stone-lined streets of Old Montreal, the new arrival gives country fans a downtown gathering place with boots firmly planted in the city.