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.
Great place. Seems like nothing has changed in there since the 50s. Their sandwich is pretty great for how simple it is. Their sodas are pretty great, too. They also sell t-shirts.
One of the most unusual diners you will ever visit anywhere in the world. A 1930's semi-rundown decor with a spacious interior yet only 8 or so seating spaces, serving simple, standardized bologne sandwiches, yet it has somehow become Montreal's (a city seen by many as a top foodie destination in North America) must-visit spot with a constant flow of visitors - both locals & people from all over the world. A complete'glitch in the Matrix' of the modern cutthroat restaurant business environment - a place that really shouldn't exist anymore, yet somehow does, & even flourishes.
This was the second time I came here & I was trying to sense the heart of this place to understand its mystery & it dawned on me that this place's survival strategy was to become, for the time being, what almost feels like a victim of it's own success - let me explain.
From staff consisting of tight-knit family member crew who seem almost defensive & unwelcoming as you walk in, but who actually open up quickly & become quite warm, personable & friendly once you sit down & make smalltalk with them. To warnings on walls in large font about not daring to ask for a sandwich without mustard or to have your sandwich cut for you for no other reason other than that it's been like that since 1932, yet having a huge selection of great tasting sodas. On top of that, a strict no tipping policy (all tips donated to charity if you do tip - no exceptions big or small). Clearly, something very interesting & unusual is going on here - the mystery deepens.
This is what I understood - this diner longs to be once again the local neighbourhood deli it once was, with regulars knowing each other & the family who owns the diner by name & personally, & coming back for decades & generations. This also explains the lack of seating yet a very spacious interior - the interior was designed to be full of people talking to each other while eating standing up, then coming back to the bar for another sandwich or soda, then going back to talking to someone else while eating/drinking soda. Looking at the old photos on the walls it seemed to me that this is exactly what this place was a long time ago - not just a deli but a central community hub. You didn't come here just for the sandwich but to see familiar faces & make new neighbourhood acquaintances.
Times changed though - the area became gentrified, communities moved on or got dispersed, lots more food places popped up everywhere, social media became the new gathering hub. One-time, one-off visitors (both tourists & Montrealers who want to visit this iconic place once in a while) seem now to be the biggest client base & the ones keeping it afloat financially. &, despite all pressures, this deli serves their new clientele fair & square, keeping up with the honesty, family dignity & tradition of budget friendly prices (& not selling out & turning itself into a tourist trap like other places have done) - but you sense the deep underlying longing in the atmospheric fabric of the diner for the re-emergence of the days gone by (not in the sense of just being stuck in the nostalgia for the past, but in a genuine hope & yearning to be able to serve the community as it once did - the true reason this diner was founded by Moe in the first place in 1932), when the real product of this place was not sandwiches & soda, but community connection & togetherness in getting through tough times.
History never repeats itself, but it rhymes - who knows, maybe in our modern reality of ever increasing prices & disillusionment with social media, superficial social interactions & deep isolation of lone wolf mentality, this place will again shine bright one day as an authentic, tangible social hub of genuine human to human connection.
Come with an open mind & discover this total business paradox for yourself (with enough curiosity we can all learn a thing or two from this place), & have a budget-friendly, good tasting meal while at it, that has been enjoyed for almost 100 years.
2 janv. 2026
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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.
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.
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
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.
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!
3 avr. 2025
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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
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.
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.
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 !
27 sept. 2024
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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 !
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.
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.
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.
