Peel Pub Montreal Reopens and Revives Student Memories

When I was in college and university in Montreal, Fridays were sacred. Classes ended, but nobody rushed home. My friends and I stayed downtown, drifting through the streets that seemed built specifically for students from McGill University and Concordia University. Downtown Montreal in those days had a pulse that picked up every Friday afternoon. Sports fans poured into the area before games, students filled the sidewalks, and the whole neighborhood felt packed to the hilt.

We were not in any hurry. The real plan did not begin until the sun started going down. That was our cue to wander toward our unofficial headquarters, Peel Pub.

Peel Pub was what you might call a volume pub. It was loud, crowded, and full of life. Students packed the place shoulder to shoulder, pitchers landed on tables faster than you could finish them, and somehow there was always room for one more friend to squeeze in. The pub became legendary for one simple reason. The prices were so low they almost felt like a prank.

The deals were the stuff of student folklore.

• 99-cent spaghetti specials
• 9-cent chicken wings
• Cheap beer everywhere you looked, including 60-ounce pitchers and 25-cent draft beers, a price that dated all the way back to the mid 1970s

For students living on tight budgets, this place felt like a miracle. You could eat, drink, laugh with friends, and still have bus fare left in your pocket.

And honestly, the food was surprisingly good. I was always there for the burgers and fries, which hit the spot after a long week of lectures, exams, and pretending to understand economics. These were not fancy, Instagram-ready gourmet burgers stacked a mile high. They were honest, no-nonsense pub burgers that knew exactly what they were doing. The buns always had that just-toasted magic, slightly crispy with a bit of char that gave every bite a little crunch before you even reached the juicy middle. It was the kind of burger that made you pause mid-conversation and say, “Now that’s a good burger.” The fries came piled high, perfect for sharing, though I rarely did.

And while the cheap pitchers of beer kept flowing, bowls of pretzels seemed to magically appear and reappear on the table like some kind of carb-fueled pub illusion. Between the burgers, the salty snacks, and the bargain beer, the whole experience was the perfect recipe for a student night out.

The place was always packed, and the brand started to grow. At one point, there were multiple Peel Pub locations around Montreal, including another on De Maisonneuve and one out in the East End. There was even a short-lived expansion into Toronto. The philosophy seemed simple. Go big or go home.

Unfortunately, as often happens in business, the bigger they grow, the harder they can fall. Over time, things changed. Downtown construction dragged on for years, streets were closed, and foot traffic slowed. The neighborhood that once felt electric began to look tired and a little rundown.

After more than sixty years in business, the original Peel Street location closed suddenly in June 2025 after declaring bankruptcy. For many of us who spent our youth there, it felt like the end of an era.

Then something unexpected happened. According to the Montreal Gazette, the pub found new life. The bar is now co-owned by Tony Fewkes, Paul Quinn, and Francesco Fanelli, with plans to reopen around St. Patrick’s Day. The revived pub will feature a refreshed menu with burgers, pizza, house-made sausages, and eventually even a classic British ploughman’s lunch, along with plenty of draft beer.

While it looked like the taps had run dry for good, two of the city’s most seasoned publicans decided the luck of the Irish was not about to run out on one of Montreal’s most beloved watering holes. Tony Fewkes and Paul Quinn stepped in like a pair of barroom leprechauns guarding the city’s pub-culture pot of gold, determined to save what they call a “true Montreal institution.” Fewkes knows the neighborhood well, having previously owned McLean’s Pub, located just a short stumble up the street from Peel Pub, the kind of stumble that usually happens after a couple of well-poured pints.

Quinn brings his own Irish pub pedigree, as the former owner of Irish Embassy Pub & Grill, a Bishop Street hotspot where locals, expats, and even real Irish diplomats would gather to raise a glass before a devastating fire gutted the resto-pub eight years ago. So when Peel Pub needed a little St. Paddy’s Day magic and a rescue worthy of a pub legend, these two stepped in, proving that in Montreal, some traditions are simply too shamrockin’ good to fade away.

Needless to say, I will be making a return visit to my old stomping grounds. This time, I will not be going with a gang of noisy university friends. I will be bringing my daughter, who is finishing her final year of university.

Life has a funny way of looping back on itself.

The truth is, Peel Pub was also the place where I had my very first date with the woman who would later become my wife. So walking back through those doors again will feel a little like stepping into a time machine.

I think that calls for a beer. Maybe even a pitcher.