Testimonials
Imperio Grill: Excellent Portuguese grilled meats in Villeray
Imperio Grill is a restaurant located on Jarry Street East that offers some of the best Portuguese cuisine in Montreal!
Open for almost 10 years now, Imperio Grill belongs to the Araujo family. Carla is now the owner, her father Serafin is the chef in the kitchen, while her husband Bachir Razzouk manages the room and the staff. The family feel of the restaurant is evident when you enter Imperio Grill; the atmosphere is warm and relaxed.
“Imperio is a Portuguese word that means “empire”. Emperor Afonso Henriques, the father of the Portuguese, is the one who led Portugal to its independence in 1143. Our restaurant industry is named in his honour” says Bachir.
Where to roost: Lesley Chesterman on some of Montreal's best chicken
In Montreal, chicken lovers are well served, though the options are definitely on the casual side — chicken rarely makes an appearance on our upscale menus. Blame guinea hen for that: this “volaille” is not only more velvety in texture, it’s also one of Quebec’s star ingredients.
Imperio (1292 Jarry St. E.; imperiogrill.com): The perfect grilled Portuguese chicken experience is to be had at this fine restaurant, where you can eat in or take out. The chicken offers the ideal combination of moistness, spice and smoky grilled flavour. Add a side of great fries and fresh salad, let them meld together on the plate, and you can see why Portuguese chicken restaurants score with so many Montrealers. Simple, yet utterly satisfying.
Imperio Grill, Montreal
Recently, I was tempted to revive an old post (from 2011) about Grilled Portuguese Chicken in Montreal (this post). I was like…should I go back to those same places, right now, and see how they fare? Or should I move on with places that I still haven’t tried. Well, my final decision was to try places I haven’t tried yet: Imperio Grill is a place that I have never tried before. I heard great things about Imperio Grill, from seasoned Portuguese local food experts, but I never tried Imperio Grill before. So yeah, here comes my review of a recent meal at Imperio Grill, Montreal.
Imperio Grill has been open for many years. They are known for their charcoal grilled marinated chicken, but virtually all their other dishes are also popular, according to those in the know, as well as online reviews / datas. And I learned from those in the know that it is a kitchen brigade that does not seem to have any weakness (meaning, whatever you see on their menu, they seem to do it well). I went to find out.