Wilensky

Ruda

5.0

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.

Danny

5.0

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.

Ray

5.0

Stopped by here as part of a food tour. We each got a sandwich as part of the tour with either Swiss or cheddar cheese. The sandwiches were phenomenal, from the bread to the meat. Must stop for a quick bite to eat.

Maddie

5.0

One of the oldest Polish lunch counters in the Mile End neighborhood. Featured on Parts Unknown by Anthony Bourdain, this no frills lunch spot serves only a handful of items, all under $5. The famous Wilensky special is a sliced salami, bologna, choice of cheddar/swiss cheese & mustard, served hot on a grilled roll that's reminiscent of an English muffin. It's warm, salty, flat, & easily manageable with two hands. It took less than 5 seconds for my takeout sandwich to be slung over in a brown sac, & even fewer to know this meal was a diamond in the rough.

Maddy

5.0

Visited on the basis of a Reddit community recommendation & I'm so glad we did. Totally authentic, the owners were so friendly & welcoming. We tried the Wilensky special, & we tried one of each cheese, both were great. Also the chocolate milk was delicious! Thanks! Something to note as a tourist, you will need cash!

Kes

5.0

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.

P.A.

5.0

This the most'Montreal' sandwich you can get. Treat yourself & go out of your way for this absolute classic! You must get the Special Wilensky! It's good with cheddar, but the classic way of eating it, is with the swiss cheese.

Navin

5.0

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.

Noël

5.0

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!

Taylor

5.0

best sandwich I've ever had. when I'm missing Montreal, I dream of a wedged pickle on parchment with ham & cheese & lots of mustard. this is the standard