Montreal City Weblog

Kate 09:44 on 2024-05-05 Permalink Reply  

• Ian 12:41 on 2024-05-05 Permalink

  In better days:

  https://www.google.com/maps/@45.4615899,-73.6574864,3a,34.5y,50.39h,96.24t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1s2arQ1dHCXRr_GjdFMP4PAw!2e0!6shttps:%2F%2Fstreetviewpixels-pa.googleapis.com%2Fv1%2Fthumbnail%3Fpanoid%3D2arQ1dHCXRr_GjdFMP4PAw%26cb_client%3Dmaps_sv.tactile.gps%26w%3D203%26h%3D100%26yaw%3D45.76448%26pitch%3D0%26thumbfov%3D100!7i16384!8i8192?entry=ttu

• Kate 13:02 on 2024-05-05 Permalink

  Yes. I had to look up Rue Robert Burns too because it’s so obscure.

  I was interested by the single-storey building next door, which has a sign saying PUB and nothing else, because it put me in mind of the gurdwara on St‑Roch in Park Ex.

• Ian 15:36 on 2024-05-05 Permalink

  If you look around the back alley of that same building there is another sign that just says BAR. Oddly according to Google Maps it’s a caterer, though.

• Kate 19:37 on 2024-05-05 Permalink

  I wonder whether it was ever a low-budget movie set.

• Dan 08:58 on 2024-05-06 Permalink

  So, answering about the weird signage as a local. That complex is old. it usta be a major shopping complex with the building behind being a large bar called robert burns pub, food (ive heard that their liver and onions was great) BUT that was a long time ago, Back in the 70’s or 80’s (never got conformation on which, stories would vary) it was converted from the full building large staff to a small bar, room for about 50 seated or 100 standing, and all the extra space, no food, just one bartender pulling pitchers for locals to get drunk on. Nothing special but the ONLY place in the hood to go get a beer within walking home distance for a very long time. The rest of the space, and a huge portion of the first floor and basement of the other building was rented by a large production kosher catering/wholesale place.

  The “Bar” sign in the space basement space between the building is the best part. So back in the long long ago when it was a full building bar that door was the entrance to the “Server Sexy” part of the bar, where the waitress were topless.

  I’m almost in my 50’s now, but in my 20s/30s I heard a tone of stories about the old place from the oldies who were there, lots contradictory, plenty of the same story with shockingly different details.

  It’s a shame we never had a final night there. Covid hit about a few months before the last night party, and that was that.

• Kate 10:08 on 2024-05-06 Permalink

  Thank you, Dan. Great bit of local history.

• Ian 14:25 on 2024-05-06 Permalink

  Sounds like a classic, RIP.