My earliest memories of Murray’s are intertwined with the Lucerne Shopping Centre location in the Town of Mount Royal—a city within the city of Montreal, built around the promise of a commuter railway. It was a strip mall right beside the Metropolitan expressway—nothing comforting about it—but pushing through that heavy revolving door into Murray’s was a different story.
As soon as you walked in, you were at the cashier’s counter. The shelves were loaded with sweets you couldn’t find elsewhere—mostly of British origin—at least not in my neighborhood. For a five-year-old, thus began a love affair with a great place to eat.
After those chilly mornings of picking up my sister from her Rob Roy ski lessons in the sixties, Murray’s was our haven. It wasn’t just a restaurant; it was a ritual. The family-style setting felt like a cozy extension of our own home, offering the perfect respite with its heartwarming dishes. Whether it was a Sunday family lunch or a quick bite after a day of shopping, every trip to Murray’s was a story—sometimes about the people who joined you, and often about the people who served you.
But as much as this page is about my memories, it is built to honor yours.
The Legend of the “Blue M”
From the bustling corridors of Windsor Station and the downtown energy of Ste. Catherine Street, to the familiar outposts in Toronto, Ottawa, and Sudbury, Murray’s was a true institution. For decades, it bridged the gap between a high-end dining room and a neighborhood diner.
When the last location closed—a moment captured with heavy hearts by Global News—it felt like the end of an era. But at The Lunch Pro, we believe the best way to preserve history is to taste it.
This series serves as the definitive archive for Murray’s Restaurants. We are moving beyond simple nostalgia to create a documented history, grounded in:
- My actual 1950s original menu.
- The Treasury of Canadian Cooking.
- A growing archive of recreated recipes.
The Murray’s Heritage Series: Research, Recreate, Modernize
If you like to cook, you’re in luck. I’ve gathered some of Murray’s most beloved dishes for you. I am currently working my way through an actual menu that I own from the 1950s, dish by dish. My process isn’t just about scanning old recipes; it is about bringing them back to life in a modern kitchen. I will also be reintroducing some of the items I grew up with, such as their delicious Orangeade, the Hamburger Royale, and Chicken in the Basket.
“Rolls or Muffins?”
If you ordered what they called their “Complete Meals,” you would get your choice of soup (often vegetable or the soup of the day), coffee or tea, and one of their desserts. But first came the question from the waitress: “ROLLS or MUFFINS?”
It took me a few years to understand the rhythm, but I grew to love hearing that question barked at me. In this series, you’ll hear—in a much friendlier way—what this food was all about.
On each table, there were two plastic holders containing the dessert menu. One had the daily desserts —such as the cake of the day and the pie of the day —but always Jello topped with whipped cream, Baked Rice Custard Pudding—my friend Stephen’s and my signature order on our downtown movie adventures—or Crème de Merthe or Rum Parfait. The other carried their seasonal desserts on one side: Steamed Fruit Pudding in the colder months from Thanksgiving until Spring, then Strawberry Shortcake, followed by Peach Melba Ice Cream Cake in the Summer.
But you don’t have to wait, I already have the actual creamy Rice Custard Pudding, Signature Bran Muffins, or their iconic Steamed Fruit Pudding recipes for you.
For every recipe you find linked here, I go through a specific journey:
- Research: I hunt down the primary sources and original methods.
- Test: I cook and iterate (no one-off attempts here!).
- Modernize: I adapt the recipes for today’s ingredients and health standards. For those who like modern twists, we’ve added vegetarian options—such as a suet substitute for the Steamed Fruit Pudding—without sacrificing the flavor’s essence.
The Memory Wall: What Was Your Order?
This isn’t just a place for me to tell you what I remember—it’s a journal for us to write together.
I would like to hear your story about Murray’s Restaurant.
- Did you always order the same thing, or did you explore the menu?
- Which location was “yours”?
- If you could have one more plate of anything from the Murray’s kitchen right now, what would it be?
Leave a comment below to add your brick to our Memory Wall. Let’s keep the spirit of the Blue M alive, one story at a time.
