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Restaurant Top Pick

Schwartz's Deli

Le Plateau-Mont-Royal
4.5$
OPEN10 am - 11 pm
Monday
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Schwartz's Deli Montreal Restaurant: Menu, Reviews & Reserve (2026)
DeliSandwichesSmoked Meat
World famous Schwartz's, serving the best smoked meat from the original recipe of spices since 1928. Imagine walking through the door and taking a step back 75 years into "Main Street" history in Montreal. A "true" Montreal landmark that has welcomed celebrities and visitors from all over the world.

Amenities, services & more

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4★
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2★
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Schwartz's Deli was featured in the article(s) below.

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Reviews for Schwartz's Deli

Food
Service
on Google4.4 (25200+)
*as of 2026-04-15
5★
70%
4★
15%
3★
6%
2★
7%
1★
1%

Review Summary

Schwartz's Deli is widely celebrated as a Montreal institution, famous for its world famous smoked meat, a bustling old school deli atmosphere, and generous sandwiches that many say melt in the mouth; despite long lines, service is generally fast and efficient and the line often moves quickly, with takeout next door for those pressed for time. Reviewers praise the tenderness and bold seasoning of the meat, the classic rye bread, and the accompanying pickles, fries, and poutine, while some note variability in meat greasiness or portions and occasionally uneven service; overall, it remains a must visit for meat lovers and a memorable slice of Montreal history, though a few say the price and crowds can be a drawback.
Page 4 of 4 - 68 Reviews

Don't let the line outside stop you. It moved quick, as was the service once inside. The food was incredible, starting with the famous smoked meat sandwich. The poutine is a worthy side dish, too.

Apr 21, 2024
on Google

Visited Montreal & friend insisted we go to Schwartz, so we did. We got an order of smoked meat Schwatz poutine & the full plate with rye bread to make your own. Both were amazing!!! The smoked meat is done to perfection 👌🏻 staff is friendly & helpful!!

Apr 11, 2024
on Google

A gem! We opted to share the large platter (~$24) & it came with the bread shown, we could assemble our own sandwiches & apply as much mustard as our heart desired. $2.50 per pickle & I recommend slicing it up for your sandwiches. Yum! We ordered medium cut (not too fatty) The style of dining is communal, there are 6 person tables that they seat mixed groups (in our case, 3 pairs of strangers) they are full at all times & do this to run efficiently, if you come in solo I noticed you were sent to the high top to sit without much wait in the queue. Notice the plate of fries in the top right corner of the photo? That was our table mates food, so it's cozy & tight, not a place to be able to privately chat, but more so a place to strike up a simple conversation with fellow hungry table mates. One of them told us about the Cotts black cherry pop as a must try, & it was very sweet but did cut the fat of the meat. Poutine fried done just right. Would return & recommend. They have a take out storefront next door also.

Mar 21, 2024
on Google

We call it pastrami in NYC but apart from the different name the smoke meats at Schwartz's is amazing. & you can get it with poutine! Schwartz's always has a line but it moves fast & is worth the wait. Love the classic diner atmosphere & no frills service. Enjoy sitting with strangers who share the common interest of delicious cured meats. Along with the smoked meats get half sour pickles, cole slaw & poutine. Must visit in Montreal.

Feb 26, 2024
on Google
5.0

Our hostess/ waitress was helpful & friendly as she hustled during this busy lunch hour. Poutine was great & the first bites of the smoked meat sandwich were amazing. Our party of four made conversation with a pair of brothers seated at our table & made for fun experience for all.

Feb 24, 2024
on Google

Best poutine

Feb 20, 2024
on Google

A local favorite & delicious smoked meat options. A must try if you're visiting Montreal. Getting a seat is almost winning a lottery. But takeout orders are served quickly. It's better to takeout & eat outside. I tried a smoked meat sandwich & Schwartz poutine. Both were delicious & recommended.

Feb 13, 2024
on Google
YummyYumYum
2 Reviews
1.0

This restaurant does two things right, sort of! One: Great marketing for a really lousy, nasty restaurant. Two: Speedy service but that's because the restaurant is treated like a production line.

We arrived at 11:40 in the morning & there was no line up. Upon entering we immediately noticed that it was dirty & cramped. In fact, so cramped we were seated with strangers & required to share condiments. This is the norm & not exceptional.

The waiter who informed us there were no combos, although they are clearly on the menu, was rushed, inattentive, unhelpful & definitely lacking charm. Our order was taken almost immediately. My fries & my husband's poutine came first. About five minutes later came our smoked meat sandwiches by which time our fries were cold. The fries & poutine were both lacking seasoning. The gravy on the poutine was thick, cold & bland. The smoked meat sandwiches were incredibly dry on stale bread & very little mustard. The meat fell apart not because it was tender but because it was brittle. The best thing we had were the soft drinks & that's probably because they came in a can otherwise fountain soft drinks would probably have been a disaster as well. They were also very necessary in order to wash those dry sandwiches down our throats.

Our bill was handed to us while we were still mid-meal. We paid our $50.00 & were out by 12:00 (20 minutes total) by which point there was a line up outside.

This restaurant is severely overrated. It is not only the worst smoked meat I've ever eaten, it is the worst restaurant at which I've ever eaten period. What kind of icon & institution is that? You can literally get better smoked meat anywhere, perhaps even in a dumpster. Go anywhere else!

Oct 12, 2019