Les avis présentent Wilensky comme une véritable institution montréalaise : un endroit simple et chargé d’histoire où l’on vient pour un sandwich emblématique et des sodas faits maison, dans une ambiance rétro et conviviale. Le Wilensky Special, composé de salami et de Bologna avec fromage et moutarde sur un petit pain à la semoule, est régulièrement salué pour sa saveur et sa simplicité, tout comme les variantes avec Swiss ou cheddar. Les accompagnements tels que les cornichons à l'aigre et les sodas artisanaux, notamment le cherry cola préparé sous les yeux, font partie intégrante de l’expérience. Le cadre est minimaliste et partage un esprit de quartier, avec un service rapide et chaleureux malgré un espace limité et une décoration qui rappelle les années passées. Plusieurs commentaires soulignent les prix raisonnables et la constance du goût au fil des années, tout en évoquant le caractère unique et nostalgique du lieu, parfois décrit comme un musée vivant et comme un lieu de rencontre communautaire qui résiste à la gentrification et au piège à touristes.
Simplicity pulled off with precision & excellence is how places become institutions. Wilensky's is absolutely an institution & you are doing yourself a disservice if you don't go for lunch when you visit the city.
If you live here & you haven't been yet, what are you doing??
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.
Muy Rico 🤤
25 déc. 2025
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I go here every day for lunch when I'm visiting Montreal. The building is a nostalgic step back in time. The food is a simple menu of delicious comfort food with homemade sodas at their soda fountain. The people who own this & work here all such wonderful people. Wish I could get here more often.
Nestled in the mile-end on the corner of rue Clark & Fairmount West, Wilensky's Light Lunch has been serving grilled sandwiches since it opened in 1932.
As I walked in, I could tell from the friendly banter between the staff & the regulars sitting at the bar that Wilensky's is all about fostering community through food.
I ordered the Wilensky's special, a grilled salami & bologna sandwich with mustard & your choice of cheese (i opted for swiss) served on a kaiser roll. Accompanied by a small bag of house pickles, this really does make for the perfect light lunch.
Such a great lunch! Very limited menu but don't let that put you off! We had a special with Swiss, half sour pickle's & two egg cream sodas - one vanilla the second chocolate (both good but preferred the vanilla)
Super friendly folks at a family run historic cafe
Lovely historic deli! I visited Wilensky's as part of a food tour, & it was a very fun peek into Montreal's culinary history. It makes a very cheap, quick lunch if you're in the area, & I appreciate that the deli still feels like a 1920s movie set. The staff is super friendly & feels extremely passionately about their mustard -- so don't try to ask for a sandwich without it -- & it feels like a lovely neighborhood joint. They specialize in the Wilensky special, which includes grilled bologna, salami, cheese, & mustard on a Kaiser roll, which my fellow food tour guests seemed to really enjoy. Their vegetarian alternative had egg salad & mustard on a Kaiser roll, which was tasty, but honestly not my favorite part of the tour; the bread was a little bit too dry, & it felt rather one-note with just the egg salad. Even so, it was a really fun visit, & I'm sure it's better for folks who eat meat.
3 juil. 2025
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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.
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 not
First timing eating at Wilensky's in many years & the food hasn't changed. Would highly recommend the special with swiss, pickles are very good too. Seating is limid & can get very busy at lunch & bit cramped & hectic, but I guess that's part of the charm.
We had attempted to get here during our last trip to Montreal, & just wow, it was so worth the wait. What an amazing institution in Montreal. The family working there are just incredibly friendly & accommodating & welcoming. We had no clue what we were doing, & they simply usher you through the process like you are a member of their family. Although we were originally not going to be able to sit a the counter, they encouraged us to use one of the stands or even the chest freezer if necessary (fortunately the stool bar opened up). We each had a classic & the Chocolate Egg Cream to drink...& simply could not have had a better lunch. The price is just stupidly inexpensive, but apparently where they think it should be because it is a constant stream of regulars & newbies like us. So happy we were able to get there this time...loved every bit of the experience; this will definitely be a regular place to visit when coming to Montreal. Incredible - & if you haven't been...you simply must go!
One of the classic Mile End institutions- a real gem on Fairmount street. The service is always friendly & accommodating, the restaurant is adorable- a total throwback in time. "Light lunch" is definetely the key words here though- classic cold cut sandwich- no substitutions!! But do expect to be hungry within an hour especially if you are touring this gorgeous neighborhood. Will always come back for a quick bite, thank you guys!
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 $5. The famous Wilensky special is a sliced salami, bologna, choice of cheddar/swiss cheese & mustard, served hot on a grilled roll that's reminiscent of an English muffin. It's warm, salty, flat, & easily manageable with two hands. It took less than 5 seconds for my takeout sandwich to be slung over in a brown sac, & even fewer to know this meal was a diamond in the rough.
Amazing food! Fast friendly service. There's a reason they have been open almost 100 years. They just know what they are going with a simple menu, no need to change what clearly works. Get the wilensky special with cheddar chesses with extra mustard & the sour pickles. Top that off with any flavor of soda & your set up for an unforgettable lunch.
Definitely a historic place to experience in the heart of Mile End. Make sure to get the special & try one of their home made sodas, you won't regret it. Prices are low (5$), but the lunch is also light as they define it. Might need two sandwiches each.
