A popular Old Montreal restaurant has racked up nearly $8k in MAPAQ fines this year

Quebec health inspectors have been busy this year, and one well-known Montreal restaurant has ended up on their list of offenders (more than once).

According to information published by the province's Ministère de l'Agriculture, des Pêcheries et de l'Alimentation du Québec (MAPAQ), which oversees food safety in Quebec, Escondite Vieux-Port has been hit with a handful of heavy fines this year.

The popular Mexican spot on Saint-Paul Street in the Old Port, was ordered to pay a total of $7,900 in fines after inspectors flagged several serious food safety issues.

What happened?

According to documents from the Montreal municipal court, the fines were tied to three separate violations that took place in 2024 but were judged in 2025.

• $3,000 fine: improper cold storage of perishable food, April 22, 2024 (judgment on April 25, 2025).
• $3,400 fine: the same violation repeated on November 13, 2024 (judgment on August 20, 2025).
• $1,500 fine: presence of possible contaminants such as insects or rodents, also noted on November 13, 2024 (judgment on August 20, 2025).

MAPAQ's summary of fines issued to the owners of EsconditeMAPAQ

Why it matters

Two of the infractions were tied to food being stored above the safe temperature of 4 °C, which MAPAQ says poses a direct risk to consumer health. The third related to contamination concerns, though inspectors didn't specify what exactly was found.

Is it still safe to eat there?

Despite the fines, diners don't need to worry about past visits. MAPAQ says that when a restaurant remains open, it means the issues have been corrected. Inspectors follow up to make sure proper standards are maintained, and temporary closures only happen when there's an immediate health risk.

Escondite is not the only chain to be hit with fines this summer. Back in July, the likes of Les Rôtisseries St-Hubert BBQ, Les Enfants Terribles, and Resto Bar Nickels were all handed similar MAPAQ violations.

In this case, Escondite corrected the problems and continues to operate under current food safety rules.

Since launching back in 2015, the Mexican restaurant chain has eight locations across the greater Montreal area, including:

• Downtwon (Union Street)
• Downtwon (Drummond Street)
• Verdun
• Old Montreal (St-Paul W.)
• Brossard
• Carrefour Laval
• West-Island
• Repentigny

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This story was inspired by the article "7,900 $ d'amendes du MAPAQ pour ce populaire resto mexicain du Vieux-Montréal en 2025" which was originally published on Narcity Quebec.