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.
Schwartz's Deli is described as a Montreal icon with a legendary smoked meat sandwich that is tender, generously stacked on rye and often paired with pickles and a cherry soda. The atmosphere is old school, bustling, and communal, with long lines that move quickly and shared tables that add to the nostalgic vibe. The sandwich is repeatedly praised as top tier or the best many have tasted, with meat that is flavorful and juicy and options to choose lean, medium, or fatty cuts, though a few reviews note occasional dryness or uneven fat distribution. Poutine and fries are common accompaniments, sometimes great but occasionally criticized for being soggy or underseasoned; service is described as fast and friendly or brisk and crowded, depending on peak times. The experience is widely called a must visit for meat lovers and a defining Montreal experience, with many commendations of the history and atmosphere that make lines feel worth it. Some comments surface about price and crowding, but the overall sentiment remains strongly positive, framing Schwartz's Deli as a legendary staple that delivers a memorable smoked meat experience worth waiting for.
The sandwiches are really great! It's a pretty small store, but the counter was open for us & we were able to dine in. The #4 meat sandwich & #2 poutine were recommended to us - the sandwich was a simple sandwich with a LOT of meat & mustard. Very yummy, the meat was super soft too, but I wish there was a vegetable
Mar 24, 2026
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When we went to Montreal, my dining companion insisted we come here for the smoked meat sandwich, & we were not disappointed!
The food was delicious & the service was fast, the restaurant has a real family feel.
This place is always packed & has long family-style tables, so you will likely be sitting with strangers. & people will DEFINITELY touch you as they walk by, due to the crowded nature of the place.
I would definitely recommend this place for their food & their efficient (bilingual) service, but if you have sensory issues/hate crowds it might not be the place for you.
Visiting Schwartz's Deli in Montreal was an incredible culinary experience that lived up to all the hype! The world-famous smoked meat sandwich is an absolute masterpiece-tender, perfectly spiced, & piled impressively high on fresh rye bread. I highly recommend ordering it'medium' for the perfect balance of flavour & juiciness, & don't forget to pair it with a classic black cherry soda & a large pickle. Despite the nearly constant queue out the door, the service is remarkably fast & the old-school atmosphere adds so much character to the meal. It is a legendary landmark for a reason, & easily some of the best comfort food I have ever tasted!
The poutine & smoked meat sandwich were delicious, the price was pretty good for what we got, & the service was quick; only a few minutes to get everything to us, despite it being relatively busy.
The space is a bit cramped, but that's actually part of the character of this place, & I think it would've felt strange if it weren't like that.
The history about it was pretty interesting, too. It was one of the points of interest on our tour & was really neat to hear about how long they've been open, as well as the celebrity connection that kept it open during hard times.
Yummy, but nothing too crazy, would recommend going to the take out line, cuts crazy amount of time comparing to dine in. Prices are touristy as expected, once in a lifetime kinda thing.
The bread is very soft, & the layers of beef are well seasoned, tender, & rich with a nice fatty aroma. Personally, I think it tastes even better with a bit more yellow mustard.
The fat distribution could be more even - some parts were a little dry & firm, while others were quite fatty.
Highly recommend having it with pickles, which really balance the richness of the beef.
Jan 26, 2026
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Very busy place. Long line- I felt that the service was lacking though, no smiles from whoever served us. Very cold. No refill of water, or even checking up on us. (Which was surprising as we were sat on the bar)
The food was good but from the service & also how they were aggressive with tips, I do not recommend unfortunately. (We also saw the lady kept asking others for more & more tips… so unpleasant)
The food is good, pretty decent. However, staff were really rude especially to my mom. When we walked in the place we kept on being pushed off the door (where we were told to stand) rudely by the manager.
When we sat at the counter, we were practically neglected for the first 10 minutes, the staff (dude, asian as well) explained the menu in detail to the other customers at the counter but not us. We had to get his attention multiple times just to order.
The staff bitterly & in a low voice asked our order & if we want lean, medium, or medium fat meat. My mom is not fluent in English, so she misheard it as the meal sizing (small, medium, large). He intentionally exhaled loudly at us & just repeated it rudely without explaining (which is his job).
I ordered a cherry soda & the staff placed it in front of my mom. She held the can attempting to move it to me, but the staff immediately snatched it out of her hand for no reason. He placed it in front of my brother & when he was about to pass the can to me, the staff did the same thing.
We were utterly disappointed & offended with the service treatment so we decided to not tip. The cashier forcefully shoved the tipping jar towards my mom, & she had to flee from being harassed.
All in all, the food is not THAT good to get mistreated. Definitely NOT tourist & foreigner friendly, will not recommend to my friends & anyone who's visiting Montreal.
The food was extremely bland. The best way to describe it would be boiled meat served with mustard & bread nothing memorable or special. The fries used for the poutine were burnt, which further affected the overall quality. Combined with the long wait, the experience was disappointing. Overall, the wait is not worth it, & I would not recommend this place.
Our experience here was so great. Immediately helped to a seat & had drink orders & water right away. They are so busy so expect that it will be packed. Everything was very streamlined & we had a delicious meal. Our waiter even asked if I wanted our picture taken & took the best picture, without even being asked. He was not bothered, I am guessing he has taken lots of pictures 😂 definitely recommend stopping in if you have the opportunity.
Nov 20, 2025
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This place came highly recommended & it did not disappoint. A very old-school deli/diner style. I ordered the smoked meat sandwich, the pickle & a cherry cola. This food was well priced & tasty 😋🤤. Love classic style joints like Schwartzes & would recommend.
Une véritable légende à Montréal ! Schwartz's Deli est un arrêt obligatoire. Le smoked meat est d'une tendreté & d'un goût inégalables.
?Petit conseil d'initié : plutôt que le sandwich, je vous recommande vivement l'assiette de smoked meat pour vraiment savourer la générosité & la qualité de la viande sans être limité par le pain.
?Un must absolu si vous visitez la ville ! 😋👍👏👏👏
A true legend in Montreal! Schwartz's Deli is a mandatory stop. Smoked meat is of unrivalled tenderness & taste.
Insider tip: Instead of sandwiching, I highly recommend smoked meat platter to really savor the bounty & quality of the meat without being limited by the bread.👍👏👏👏
Food was fine, just average beef taste. However, I don't recommend to eat in dining, because some of waiters were bit rude attitude especially the old guy who was wearing white shirt looks like manager. He didn't order mine for a while even I was seating down, some Indian guy who was nice chef got my order hh
Even though, your history is great for a long time, your histories of services to customers was terrible. I didn't want to pay for tips of service, but I payed for that. Never come again 👋
This place is a must go if Montreal
I don't think I had a place more recommended to me on any of my trips I ever been on & it's for good reason.
We got the smoked meat sandwich & a poutine the sandwich was an easily the best one I ever had & the poutine was up there as well.
Despite the lineup being very long for the takeout they are moving different in that kitchen & actually make the food so fast & efficient it's not bad at all & worth the wait.
Oh my gosh! It was a great experience! Like a travel to the old days
Highly recommend! It worth the time spending in the line, don't forget to get the pickles 🥒😜
BEST SANDWICHES!!!!! These guys have one of the best smoked meat sandwiches I've ever had, definitely worth the trip to go down to Montréal. This place is a deli, & is decorated as such, the tables & seating make the experience very intimate with other people. The sandwiches are worth the money that you spend on it, you get a thick sandwich that's heated up & fills you up.
The server who took my order did speak both English & French, which is great if you speak either language & want to travel here. I did take an Uber to this location, I can't guarantee what the parking situation is like in this area.
This deli also has a separate room that has their products on display that you can purchase to bring home with you! I did end up purchasing a slab of their smoked beef, there are instructions on the package that I can heat up later.
If you're ever in the Montreal area, this needs to be on your bucket list of places to go & eat at! Worth your time to come & check out. Worth your money, too. Highly recommend!
