Wilensky
Sandwich ShopTop Pick
Wilensky
Opens Today at 10 am
| Monday | Closed |
| Tuesday | 10 am - 4 pm |
| Wednesday | 10 am - 4 pm |
| Thursday | 10 am - 4 pm |
| Friday | 10 am - 4 pm |
| Saturday | 10 am - 4 pm |
| Sunday | Closed |
SuggestionsView All
Info & Location
Restaurant Wilensky's has been a Montréal tradition since 1932, known for its grilled-meat sandwiches. The food selections are limited to a few sandwiches at very low price: Salami sandwiches, hot-dog sandwiches... This place serves drinks typical of the old-time soda fountain. Talk about tradition
Restaurants NearbyView All
Suggested Articles
on Google
Best Le Plateau-Mont-Royal Restaurants
Events Nearby
POP Montreal International Music Festival 2025
Sep 24, 2025 to Sep 28, 2025
Reviews often mention
Display Allsandwich(78) soda(34) sandwiches(23) lunch(23) pickle(22) hot dog(20) mustard(17) cherry(17) cheese(16)Page 1 of 1 - 30 Reviews
Miguel
Good sandwiches!! & perfect traditional sodas !! Perfect experience to get in MontrealView more
Scott
Great service & delicious food at a great price! Had the special. Soda made to order right in front of you old school style!View more
Ruda
SIMPLE & DELICIOUS! 😋
The place is run by amazing teamwork between the staff. A person bakes the bread, a person who manages & assembles the sandwich, a cashier, & a waitress. You can see all this while you are sitting at the bar table! The food came out in a FEW SECONDS after we ordered. We got the Wilensky special(we chose Swiss cheese) & soda. The sandwich seems small but it's very delightful & fulfilling.
The place tells a story of all the history (since 1932) that the store went through. It feels nostalgic even when you haven't been here before. I've never seen a soda fountain & it was really cool to see how they make drinks with it!
If you want a cozy, nostalgic, delicious & simple lunch, this place is for you!
The only thing for the place is that it's not accessible for people with wheelchairs. Just fyi.View more
Jenny
This place is a Montréal institution!! Stopped in for a quick bite to eat. The place was full at 3:00pm & was greeted promptly by the friendly staff. Ordered an old-fashioned Cherry Cola & the Wilensky Special. The soda was delicious & the sandwich (so simple, yet perfect) was amazing! Perfect ratio of mustard to bread to salami & baloney. Who knew this little grilled sandwich could be so good!View more
Stu
So good, so simple, so fast.
If you are looking for a delicious, cheap, quick lunch, go here. They make fried bologna sandwiches that are ready in about 30 seconds. They also make their own milkshakes & sodas which are all great. The owners are lovely & make you feel very welcomed. It's an old shop with almost 100 years of history & is obviously feeling a bit tired but I love that aspect of it, although I recognize that others may notView more
Elan
Absolutely worth going. It's a bit like a living museum in there, but I Had to go. My father took me there since I was three years old. It looks exactly the same, except no one is smoking a cigarette in your face. Had the basic sandwich & the cherry cola. Sandwich was good. Soda was outstanding.View more
Kevin
Saw a tiktok about this place & thought it would be a nice place to try. For the price you are getting an amazing sandwich, if you go get at least 2 to start. Old time sodas that are well worth the price, get an egg cream or a cherry coke & you will be very happy.View more
Anthéa
Wilensky est un petit resto super sympa, mignon & bien dans ce jus avec des produits à prix raisonnables. Les sodas sont faits à l'ancienne ; c'est extra !View more
Linda
C'est simple mais efficace, leurs sandwichs ne sont pas très gros mais ils sont très bons & finalement c'est suffisant avec un soda maison, c'est parfait pour un en-cas le midi & du coup le prix est raisonnable !La boutique a du charme & l'accueil est sympathique !View more
Ana
Nice comfort food. Would not recommend the vanilla egg cream soda though. The sour pickles were really also good!View more
Luc
While I appreciate the historical significance behind this eatery & their variety of sodas & even to a certain extent their sandwiches, I felt unwelcome as a new customer the two times I went. This restaurant caters well mostly for regulars, who know exactly what they want to order, but visitors like us need a moment to understand the choices & I feel like I didn't get that chance.View more
Mitch
You can't walk past this place twice without stopping in for a soda & then let the nice people behind the counter convince you that you need to order a sandwich & a pickle. Very simple place with stools & standing room. Super friendly staff. Delicious sandwich & very tasty beverages.View more
Teresa
A must try. Old school vibe with great service & great food. Got the special with cheddar, pickles, & pineapple soda - each was just perfect. Planning to come back.View more
Stéphane
Je n'avais jamais visité cette institution montréalaise & c'est hier que j'ai fait le saut. Partie de la Rive-Sud pour me rendre à cette endroit. J'ai pris une chance car nous connaissons tous le bordel qu'est la ville pour les automobilistes. Première impression en entrant, c'est que tu retournes dans le temps. Quelques places assises seulement. La personne qui a pris ma commande était super gentille. J'ai pris un spécial avec fromage suisse & un crème soda. 7$. Probablement la seule place de nos jours avec un prix raisonnable. Le sandwich était vraiment bon. Si je restait dans ce quartier, je serais client régulier.View more
G
it's been 7 years I go there once or twice a month & noticed never left a comment, it is a classic, it is good, it is genuine, every bite is a comforting hmmmmmm in itself, every scent feels like home, every voice you here in that restaurant is reminiscing of the simpler time. I personally take 2 specials + pickles + cherry soda & take 30 minutes to enjoy every bit of it. taking time to take time is very important.View more
Jarred
I'll always stop by if in the area. Been sitting in the same seat, eating the same sandwich, drinking the same soda for almost 40 years. It's always the same.View more
Bronwyn
Amazing food! Fast friendly service. There's a reason they have been open almost 100 years. They just know what they are going with a simple menu, no need to change what clearly works. Get the wilensky special with cheddar chesses with extra mustard & the sour pickles. Top that off with any flavor of soda & your set up for an unforgettable lunch.View more
Debbie
What can you say about a place that's been in business since 1932? They are obviously doing it right. Great sandwiches & the soda fountain drinks are made to order! Staff are great!View more
Fernando
Definitely a historic place to experience in the heart of Mile End. Make sure to get the special & try one of their home made sodas, you won't regret it. Prices are low (5$), but the lunch is also light as they define it. Might need two sandwiches each.View more
Fd
Un cadre & une ambiance hors du temps & des standards moderne. Des sodas fait à l'ancienne (une première pour moi, jamais vu cela avant) Un sandwich qui n'a pas changé depuis 1932 & qui ne doit surtout pas changé. L'art du rétroView more
Navin
Ooooook. So. This is nuts. Wilensky's hits different as the kids like to say. You step into a place that really hasn't changed in forever. You confidently sit down at a stool & order a special. If you're me, you rock up with an order of 2. After all, we're not here to play games. You think you did it right but then they hit you with "with cheese?", ruh roh, uhhhh, yes please! "What kind? Swiss or Cheddar?", RUH ROH! One of each I say confidently! You look around for a few seconds & your first special lands in front of you. I'VE NEVER BEEN SERVED THAT FAST. It's like, better than Amazon. You say you want a thing, & then it appears, instantly, in front of you. Hot, melty, tasty, mess of a frickin' sandwich. The Swiss is good but hooooly is the frickin' cheddar way better. Like waaaaaay better. & the Swiss is already way better than other stuff. I had a side of pickles, which are the Moishes kind (salt & vinegar, not garlicky). & a CREAM SODA. A cream soda that took me back to when I would roll up to the Perrette's with my buddy. I finished all that, & ordered a THIRD special. I want a fourth, but I shouldn't, but I want it. Everything was so so good. Everyone was so so friendly & attentive. I'm going to be here all the time. I'm embarrassed it took me so long.View more
R
Absolutely amazing!! We saw videos on YouTube & put this on our list of places to go. Definitely didn't disappoint & was worth the 45 minute walk to get there. I got 2 of the originals with cheddar, my wife had one. Delicious!!! I don't know what it is about the pickles but, they were the best one ever had. My wife isn't a fan of pop but she loved the homemade soda. Will definitely be back on our next trip to Montréal.View more
Rovik
I love the feeling of being in an old school diner - you just pull up a stool to the bar counter, tell the friendly staff what you'd like & you get it within 5 minutes. Don't miss out on the handmade sodas as well! Prices are shockingly low & they don't accept tips which is unique for today's economy.View more
Aston
Great old school diner feel. Friendly staff. Lady at the bar gave me a key ring since my Air bnb was falling apart ha! Great food! Pickles, chocolate soda & the special.View more
Avy-Loren
Wilensky's is a very special & dear establishment to the Montreal community. For generations Montrealers have parroted this very special restaurant as it has been a multigenerational eatery where my children go & my grandparents went as well. This is not a deli, this is not a fast food though it is superbly positioned as one due to their ability to serve rapidly, this is not a sandwich shop per se though they do sell a few cold sandwiches & of course their classic Wilensky's special sandwich & their superb Smokey thick juicy boiled then grilled hot dogs in a onion top or plain bottom bun. For those who have heard of the famous restaurant be it from numerous social media posts, multiple documentaries, famous movies (such as the Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz - fact, my uncle played the Grandfather to Duddy), word of mouth, TV shows, you tube stations & the list goes on - you need to manage expectations here. There are some people who come & will say "I don't get it, what is the big deal about this pace". & to these people I would respond by saying the big deal is not specific to the food or value per bite etc. If you have never heard about this place you should learn about its history & humble origins as they are quite interesting to say the least. To those who say the place is dated or outdated, again, learn about the history t'as there is a purpose to maintain its rich history as original as possible as its local & loyal clients prefer. Wilensky's is an institution more so than a restaurant. This is a place where locals go to almost connect to their past & to their families of past who patrons this place & introduced it to them or them parents etc. This is a place where people learn about a community & where everyone is welcome regardless of ideology - religion, politics, language, race, color, or sports teams. Everyone is treated with respect & everyone gets to experience the decades old tradition of eating a historic food that generations of past have eaten & enjoyed amongst friends & strangers hunched over the stool eating & drinking one of the few places in Canada that you can order a fresh homemade soda the way it was done way back in the soda fountain & syrup mixing days of past - cherry cola is the favourite of them all but others are amazing too such as cream-soda, pineapple, cherry, as well as other special drinks of past. When you come to eat then world renowned Wilensky's "special" sandwich comprised of a custom made bun with one side covered in crunchy corn meal & the other smooth like a bun, where the two types of deli are grilled between to perfection & always only served with mustard like a religion. I think the only way to receive ketchup is if you are a young child & don't know any better lol. This sandwich is not large nor is it packed with multiple ingredients. It's a simple "special" quick sandwich made by the wife of the original founder who was asked by her husband to make him something "special" & quick as he hadn't time to eat a full lunch during his work day. This same sandwich is made today & millions have been sold to hungry people from around the world. Even famous chef & TV chefs & personality such as Anthony Bourdaine came, saw, delighted, an appreciated the historic value this focused "nosherie" has in this city - not erroneously judging this place based on restaurant review points such as atmosphere, bathroom, service, presentation & so forth. This is not a chi chi fooderie. You cannot rate this place based on typical rating KPI's as it does not even work in this framework. You are not coming to Wilensky's for just the food, it's an experience that in order to for it to be of great meaning you owe it to yourself to to two things (time provided) before you go. 1- read up about the place. 2- learn about the history of this part of the city & its ethnic regional beginnings & ask questions to the servers. This place is awesome & do but a momento & post it to social media. Enjoy.View more
Shawn
this place is a gem. it's such a simple sandwich but you can tell it's been made with such care & authenticity. love that this family owned restaurant has been in existence for so long. also you must try the chocolate soda. they make it from scratch using syrup, milk, & carbonation. when you walk in you feel like you've been transported 60 years into the past with a warm fuzzy feeling on the inside. their prices are beyond reasonable tooView more
Francis
Fast service, great food. Homemade soda. Go try it !View more
Noël
Walk threw the door & walk into the 1930s a simply time, small menu easy to decide. Get the special with cheese & the home made soda Woawwww!View more
Shih
Good taste since 1932, the specialty sandwich with cheese come with soda, great!View more
Taylor
Simple & delicious! A must try when you are in Montreal! Also make sure to get a soda!!View more