L'incontournable Schwartz vous sert la meilleure viande fumée depuis 1928, sa recette est originale et ses épices uniques. Imaginez, vous passez la porte et vous vous retrouvez 75 ans en arrière sur l'historique --Main-- de Montréal. Un vrai monument à Montréal qui a reçu des célébritiés et des visiteurs de tous les coins de la planète.
Schwartz's est une institution montréalaise où le sandwich à la viande fumée est au cœur de l'expérience : viande tendre et généreuse, pain de seigle et cornichons à partager, souvent accompagné d'une poutine ou d'un soda cerise. L'endroit est constamment animé et les files peuvent être longues, mais le service reste rapide et l'ambiance old school rend la visite unique et conviviale. Certains trouvent le prix élevé ou la poutine décevante, mais l'envergure historique et la constance des saveurs font de Schwartz's un incontournable du patrimoine culinaire montréalais et une halte qui vaut le détour pour les amateurs de viande fumée.
It was OK - not sure if it was worth the visit though...
Honest opinion, I don't find the smoked meat in here worth the money. It's overpriced for the portion & the taste. Frankly I didn't find anything so special about it... & the sandwich is hard to eat. Meat is way to big compared to the bread, inevitable to eat with a mess.
I came to satisfy my curiosity, but probably won't visit again...
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!
25 févr. 2026
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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.
Beyond the fame & tradition, I have to say this was the most disappointing sandwich I've ever had. Maybe it's great if you're comparing it to McDonald's but realistically there is nothing notable about a hunk of meat thrown between two half slices of extremely mediocre bread. I don't get what's all the rage.
I really wanted to try the smoked meat sandwich here so that is what I have ordered. The bread was soft but thin & to be honest the smoke meat was not so tasteful that I need to add ketchup to enhance the taste but meat was really very juicy & generous portion. Sandwich size is just enough for one person. However, I was expecting to taste a special & unique flavor of the meat but again good thing it's really juicy & almost melts in your mouth. The fries has crispy burnt taste. The price is like around 30$ per person if you will have fries & a drink with it. The ambiance is like 80's or 90's era & I like it.
The staffs are pleasant & they serve fast. Overall, good to try for tourist as it has its history.
Ordered on doordash, we considered going in person but after reading all of these reviews about disrespectful, condecending, & demanding service I am truly glad that we stayed in.
The Sandwich à la viande fumèe was small but delicious, I haven't had pastrami in a long time as I usually follow a pescatarian diet but it was so worth it!
A perfect ratio of fat to meat, genuinely could not have been better except to perhaps have wider slices of bread to not need to stack the meat so high on small slices (makes it difficult to take a bite).
However, the poutine is the first terrible poutine I've ever had in Montreal, the fries were soggy which is to be expected & is understandable when ordering fries for delivery & the cheese curds were pretty decent, but the issue was that they were incredibly burnt & just tasted like char or straight liquid smoke. Don't get me wrong, I love a smokey flavor, I charcoal grill nearly every chance I get in all seasons rain or shine, but these were not just smokey fries they were actually burnt to the point that we just picked out the cheese curds & couldn't stomach the fries at all..
My suggestion is order from a food delivery app like doordash, ABSOLUTELY get the smoked meat sandwich, & avoid the poutine at all costs.
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.
26 déc. 2025
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Authentic taste of Montreal smoke meat. Take out is right next door. Place is always busy, but luckily it is on a street with lots of other options. Combo comes with coleslaw & fries plus a stack of bread, eat with the classic smoke meat or take home. Poutine is lovely with good amount of meat portion. Classic smoke meat sandwich a must try.
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.👍👏👏👏
Quality of the smoked meat sandwich has certainly fallen from what I remember. They only seems to give the lean & dry pieces for the sandwich. It's not juicy at all but chewy & lacks flavor. The bread is also very basic. Yes its still an iconic place but don't get the sandwich...the plates are better because you can choose to get juicier better quality pieces.
Life-Changing Sandwich - A Reason to Return to Montreal!
Wow, just WOW. I still can't believe how incredible a huge hunk of meat between simple bread could taste. Seriously, this sandwich has given me a legitimate reason to come back to Montreal.
Despite the long lines, the service was incredibly quick & efficient. This place is all about no-nonsense, high-quality food, & they absolutely nail it. Don't change a thing - you clearly know exactly what you're doing!
28 mai 2025
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I recently ordered the famous smoked meat sandwich from Schwartz's Deli through UberEats, & I can now understand why there's always a massive line in front of their store! As new residents of the neighborhood, we've passed by countless times & were always curious, but after finally trying it, I can say it was absolutely worth the wait! The smoked meat was tender, flavorful, & perfectly seasoned, with just the right amount of spice. The bread was fresh & held everything together beautifully. Every bite was a delicious experience. It's definitely become a new favorite, & I'll be ordering again soon! Highly recommend it to anyone nearby or visiting. You won't be disappointed!
We arrived at this place seeing a long line up of people but don't fret! There's another side to this establishment that serves customers who only wish for food to go. This was incredibly convenient for us since we were just aiming for the sandwiches. The takout line moved like a conveyor belt thanks to the speed & accuracy of the cooks! They pile your sandwich with a ridiculous amount of meat (in terms of meat to bread ratio) so make sure you hold on to this vessel of juicy flavor. Meat that falls apart at the first bite & a nice mustard to cut into the richness. Would come back again to Montreal just for this place. Loved it!
I came here because a friend recommended Schwartz's Deli & their famous smoked meat sandwich. I was lucky to get a seat at the „bar" with a good view on the meat. The guy behind the counter was really friendly, taking the time to introduce all the options they have, & what the famous specialities are. I went for the smoked meat sandwich, with a portion of fries. My meal came really quickly, & I must say: it was sensational! The sandwich was so packed with meat, that it was impossible to eat it with my hands. I went for fork & knife. The delicious meat with mustard & some bread was the perfect combination. Not dry, not super moist, but exactly at the right point. The fries were crispy, & really the cherry on the top. I took a Canada Dry out of the glas bottle with it - perfect really. A glas-bottled Canada Dry. As simple as that. Prices are relatively high if you order all that, but it's worth every penny in my opinion. Outstanding experience, great vibe, sensational food!
Far be it from me to bad mouth an institution but here goes: I'm sorry to say it but the Smoked Meat sandwich is too dry. There is the lightest schmear of mustard on it, but the bread absorbs it entirely. The meat IS tender, credit where credit is due. It falls apart in your mouth but it is not what I would call juicy. But the sandwich was small but sufficient. Additionally, I personally, didn't particularly like the pickles, & found them rubbery. Also, the macaroni salad is the pretty standard fare from any deli anywhere (meaning, if you were expecting any novelty on that front, I'm sorry to be the one to break it to you, but prepare to be disappointed). Unfortunately, the overall the experience was lackluster. If there were fixins I could have added to the sandwich ameliorate the dryness, I was unaware. All that said, the service is good & the employees were pleasant. Oh yeah, & the cherry soda is really pretty good. The last thing I'll say (particularly for any New Yorkers reading): comparisons to a certain deli are overstated. Definitely enjoy (or not) this Montreal fixture on its own merits.
4 nov. 2024
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Go by flow....my relatives said this is the famous deli serving the best smoked meat sandwich in Montreal. Yes, it's looks famous after acknowledged by so many old newspapers & posters pasted on the walls. It has two shoplots; one for dine-in & another for takeout or quick-bite at the counter. After 11 am is impossible for us to get a table. An old shop condition, ambient isn't pleasant, very squeezy with crowded of people queuing. Washroom beside the counter is busy too. Omg! first-time to see so much smoked meats piling up with two thinly bread. Really need to praise for their freshie pinky smoked meat. But the price for this sandwich isn't cheap, so as everything here. Anyway, already tourist spot. We also ordered poutine.....it tastes so good & quite filling ( in my opinion, poutine better than smoked meat sandwich. Lots of smoked meat given too ).
For those confused about this place, I'll shed some light. First, why it's popular & second the quality of the food, & why people get these quite different things mixed up. Popularity: The smoked meat sandwich is a big deal because it's a LOT of meat, which makes the price of 14.50 + tax "good, not great" in my books. This, along with the long line (which can be bypassed for takeout) & "no frills" atmosphere make it different & fun. It's an institution, it's original, it has character, & the line of tourists (notably, not many locals) draw attention & adds to the hype. There is value in hype, I respect that. But.. The meat: Usually, when good meat is slow cooked, the connective tissue softens ending in a "melt in your mouth" effect. Schwartz is not that unfortunately. They are clearly aware, as they try to compensate for the dry texture by including a bit of extra fat. It gets about half way there. The sandwich: A good sandwich is about balance. The mustard has a decent sweet tang, & the bread (seemed slightly stale) offsets the tough meat somewhat. A pickle would go a really long way though, or any kind of acidity really. My stomach is struggling hours later due to the tough lean protein... be warned! Conclusion: If you want a lot of meat that looks cool & is an experience, do it. If you just want a good, tasty & balanced sandwich & aren't impressed by the hype & the vibe...eh. There's a place on Mt Royal that is far superior, cheaper & bakes their own sandwich rolls fresh. Forget the name, but it's on the Jeanne Mance side & that line is 100% about the food. Edit: It's called Kahwa Cafe & is rightfully rated better than Schwartz. Granted it's different, but I'd wage 9/10 people would be better off going there.
Roast beef sandwich is highly recommended! My American rueben lovers should try a version of reuben sandwich with white bread instead of rye without sourkraut & thousand islands but with mustard 😋 Fries could be better.
Service can be described using only one word. Amazing!! Our waiter was very, very kind & friendly. He tried to get to know us & even was okay being in a picture with us! Moving onto the food, our smoked meat sandwiches were a must have! The bread was very soft & fluffy, while the meat was not dry & perfectly cooked! The smoked meat poutine, as well was also phenomenal! It was above average poutine with Schwartz's above average meat! However, like all other restaurants, Schwartz has its downsides. Some of the forks & cups looked dirty & unwell washed & scrubbed. However, the dirty forks & cups do not, at all make a dent in my 5 star review for this restaurant.
