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
Wilensky's is widely described as a Montreal institution where simple comfort food and a retro soda fountain create a timeless neighborhood vibe; the star is the Wilensky special, a grilled bologna and salami sandwich with mustard and cheese on a Kaiser roll, often paired with house cherry cola and pickles, all offered at affordable prices with fast, friendly service; reviewers emphasize the place's history, the wall of old photos, and the sense of community that makes it feel like a small town deli in the heart of the city, drawing both locals and visitors who return for the experience as much as the food.
The sandwiches are delicious, but the customer service is top-tier. Everyone in there is super personable & asking questions! I would definitely recommend this spot! We got the Wilensky special & the old fashioned cherry cola, it was so good!
This sandwich shop has been here since 1932, truly an iconic Montreal food spot. I got the Wilensky Special which is an all-beef salami & bologna sandwich with Swiss cheese. It was simple & delicious. I love how they still do the coco cola from scratch which is a craft that's hardly seen anymore except in old diners.
J ai commencer a aller chez wilensky en 1963 a ce moment la le spécial ne coutais 0.35 ou 0.40 cents .chaque fois que je passe a montr.al je me rend chez wilensky prendre 2 spécial & un cherry cola un délice . merci a toute la famille wilensky. je suit rendu a 82 ans & je ne peux plus sortir comme je voudrais MERCI..
The best breakfast sandwich ever in Montreal' the special with Swiss or Cheddar cheese' with a sour pickle & the homemade cherry cola. An experience like nothing else ✨?.
This place has a special kind of magic. Often, well-known or iconic spots can feel rushed or unfriendly, but that wasn't the case here at all. Sharon was incredibly kind & welcoming-happy to chat, answer questions, & genuinely interact with guests.
The special sandwich is delicious in its simplicity, letting the flavours speak for themselves, & the cherry cola is a perfect match. If I return to Montreal, I'll definitely come back. This is truly a must-visit in the city.
Was the special sandwich the best thing I ever ate, or a'if you don't stop here you didn't do Montreal justice', no. It's not that. But it's just downright simple & delicious & unique. Where else do you get something like this? Give it a go & you won't regret trying it. What I'd really love to come back again for are the handmade sodas! I usually hate cherry anything but my wife wanted to try the cherry cola & it was fantastic. I wish all pop was like that.
Oct 25, 2025
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Their special sandwich is addictive ! The Cola is sooo good without being too sweet. The whole place feels like it stuck in time 20 years ago, in a good sense
Wilensky's is an absolute gem of a joint. Timeless, simple, delicious.
Had the Wilensky Special with pickles & a cherry cola, who knew a bologna sandwich could be so good!
Very cool experience with the special sandwich with cheddar, cherry cola, & the pickles. I should have had two sandwiches but was trying to pace myself that day.
May 23, 2025
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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!
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.
Amazing, simply amazing. Went for the first time today, chose the Wilensky special with Swiss cheese, an old fashion cherry cola (& an egg salad sandwich to go).
Excellent service, friendly & very quick. I definitely recommend it.
Petit resto rétro des années 30 ou on peut manger leurs fameux spécial wilensky ballonné pains kaisert fromage suisse moutarde & aussi hot dog saucisses pur boeuf pain a l'oignon fromage moutarde & des cola a l'ancienne service courtois & rapide une dizaine de places a l'intérieur je recommande il faut l'essayer au moins une fois
I learned about this place after watching No Reservations. Great sandwich. Very cool to see them make cola the old fashioned way. It's a quick 10 minute stop.
Feeling the city' culture , tasting the history, discovering Montreal old times & meal in my plan, a kind of nostalgia. The store is not open for convenience that the clerk told me, that's why we returned to it open. Cherry flavour cola was my first time drinking, sat down to eat at the counter, you can eat everything you order, then you pay for all your eating.
Visiting from Melbourne, Australia (on a very cold, snowy March day) - Wilensky's was a must visit destination in Montreal with a timeless experience that you just don't get back home. It's a simple concept - pop yourself onto a counter seat, get lost in time & let the super friendly (& in close proximity, this is a great thing!) staff know what you feel like eating out of their hot or cold sandwiches, or a hot dog if that's your craving, & what you would like to wash it down with & it will be in front of you before you know it. For me, I went with the Wilensky Special, an all-beef & all-bologna hot sandwich with mustard & swiss cheese. I meant to say, I had two because I had to quickly re-live the first experience immediately & crunched on a sour pickle to tickle the palette on the side. The sandwich hit the spot as a tasty pre-lunch filler & was matched by the tastiest cherry cola that is made in-house that i've ever had in my life. As I pulled out my wallet, I was shocked to learn how little I was to actually spend on all of that tastiness - the lovely server even helped me understand how to make sense of the toonies, loonies & other coins that I had put onto the counter. Of all of the fond memories that I went on to make in Quebec, making the trek out to a beloved institute that my culinary & cultural heroes were once in & getting to experience the same sensation of time travel is one that I will cherish forever.
