Lesters Deli

Ellmanrs1

5.0

One of the top five great classic Delis in Montreal serving Smoked Meat sandwiches, Poutine, etc...Amazing lunch in a wonderful neighborhood.

Penny

4.0

We decided we needed to try a smoked meat sandwich during our visit to Montreal in mid-May 2026 & wound up visiting Lester's Deli in the Outremont area. As a side note, if you're trying to get here & are looking at street numbers on Bernard Ave, the numbers skip from 300s to 1000s due to the old numbering system they used (we thought we were 7 blocks away but then saw the signs for Lester's & were confused).

We ordered the Smoked Meat Sandwich ($16), All Dressed Hot Dog ($4.5), Regular Poutine ($10.5) & added a dill pickle for good measure.

The shop wasn't very busy at the time, which is a definite plus... didn't want to wait in a huge line like some other places.

The sandwich itself was pretty good. It was piled high with meat & the meat was tender & not dry. The hot dog was better than expected too with a thin bun, mustard, sweet relish, & crisp onions. The poutine had lots of gravy & cheese & was well balanced. We wound up taking some of the smoked meat from our sandwich & mixing it with the poutine & that kicked it up a notch. If we weren't already so full, we would have eaten more.

Mark

5.0

As a child growing up in Montreal in the fifties & sixties I would go to Lester's with my family as my grandparents lived around the corner on Querbes. I left Montreal after university .
Fast forward 50 years to today.
My wife & I are currently in Montreal visiting family & as I craved smoked meat, we decided for nostalgic reasons to go to Lester's for take out. Great decision.
We were greeted by the Alaina who is an absolute delight! So friendly & helpful. It was truly a pleasure telling her our story & listening to hers.
The story just keeps getting better, The giant smoked meat may have been the best I've ever had; certainly the biggest. The meat was perfect.
The karnatzel & the poutine were also as good as it gets.
We are going to buy a whole vacuum sealed brisket before leaving Montreal take it with us to Ontario.
Thank you Alaina! You are terrific!

Cayden

3.0

Been here three times now the poutine was pretty bad burnt tasting & rubbery cheese but the hot dogs are great & smoked meat was comparable to Schwartz not my favourite either way

Vincent

5.0

The smoked meat & poutine were top notch. The pickles were pickly. Service was very fast. We were in & out in 30.

Kyle

4.0

Lester's is a Montreal classic & I recommend anyone to go. The friendliness, humour, & relaxed enthusiasm was a great start to our trip. I loved how they guided us through ordering & their interactions with us. This coupled with the vintage interior is an experience on its own. Amazing customer experience. Ask about their house mustard!

The unfortunate part of Lester's was the smoked meat sandwich, in comparison to Schwartz's it's bland, the bread is bland, & the meat lacks punch & bite. The poutine was quite good so it brings the overall a bit higher
2.3/5

??

5.0

First of all, this restaurant is very friendly, I visited alone.
The man who served me & the woman who brought me the menu were both very friendly, & it was probably the most pleasant meal I've had in Montreal!!
It was a simple meal but I was impressed with their service.
& when I talked to my friend who I met some time later, he said this place is the best. I will try the poutine next time I visit!

Thank you very much for your friendly service

Christopher

5.0

Best poutine in Montreal

Tom

5.0

Excellent smoked meat sandwich & poutine. Warm service, the waitress gave us some good tips on bars to go to.

Frederick

5.0

Great smoke meat place, the service was just awesome.
We had the normal & the large smoke meat & a smoke meat poutine & loved it.
Also a lot friendlier to kids then other places.