Yan's Deli feels like an elevated yet comforting Montreal deli, blending classic pastrami and brisket with bold modern twists and a bright, playful space with custom Lego decor. The food earns praise for quality and generous portions, from perfectly brined pickles and house challah to deeply savory brisket, standout pastrami, latkes, and thick, rich milkshakes, with cocktails and celery soda adding a contemporary edge. Flavors come through as honest and well executed, and much of the menu is made in house, highlighting freshness and depth. Service is typically friendly and attentive, helping create a welcoming vibe, though a few visits note occasional hiccups or longer waits and some items can feel pricey for the portion and context. The concept blends comfort food with elevated technique, making brunch, lunch, and dinner viable options, and the overall impression is that Yan's Deli is a place with heart, personality, and staying power, likely to draw locals back despite cost considerations.
We felt very comfortable walking into the Deli & realizing that what we were smelling wasn't a marketing strategy. It's brisket. It's pastrami. It's onions softening on a flat top somewhere behind the counter. It's the honest, homey aroma of a deli that understands exactly what it is.
This isn't a place trying to manufacture nostalgia with Edison bulbs & ironic menu fonts. The nostalgia here is incidental. Accidental, even. It comes from real food made by real people, served without theatrics. All the good things a deli should have? They have them. Pastrami that respects your appetite. Beef bacon that doesn't apologize for itself. & the pickles. Perfectly brined, crunchy, & just sour enough to make you sit up straighter.
Behind the counter, the vibe isn't some corporate'brand story.' It's plastered across the walls in art, photos, random decorations, & a delightful custom Lego set of the building itself. We loved that detail! It tells you everything: they care, but they're also having fun.
About the food.
🥪 The tuna melt. Generous tuna salad, not gloopy, layered thick between golden, griddled bread that had that perfect crunch.
🍔 The onion brisket sandwich. Deeply savory, tender brisket piled high, carrying that slow-cooked richness. It was bold & hearty.
🥤& then, the milkshakes.'Powerful' feels like the right word. These are not polite, airy shakes. They are THICK. The Biscoff one was bliss in a cup. The baby Guinness frappé-absolutely delicious-balanced sweetness & depth.
The menu doesn't stop there. Brunch items? Check. Specials? Of course. Alcoholic drinks menu? Yes, because sometimes your pastrami wants a proper pairing. Snacks, things to go, comfort food staples-they have it all.
A deli that stretches into modern territory without losing its roots.
& here's the part where I speak plainly: I pay for my meals. No comps, no influencer hush money. Just me, my wallet, & my honest opinion. We absolutely loved everything we had here. Truly.
But.
My meal-tuna melt, one milkshake, & three cows in a blanket-came out to $40 plus tax & tip, totaling $53. That's not cheap. The food was very, very good. But there's a point where the price-to-quality ratio starts to wobble. At a certain number, it doesn't matter how delicious the brisket is or how perfectly the pickles snap. It just feels like a lot.
Would we go back? Yes.
Would we go back casually, on a whim, without checking our bank balance first? Maybe not.
This is a excellent place. It's heartfelt. It's delicious. It's doing a lot right. But like their milkshakes, it packs a financial punch. & sometimes, no matter how good the food is, the bill has the final word.
The food is really incredible!! I highly recommend the sandwiches. The latke was also insane! Everything was better than I expected. Though the steak was quite expensive for what it was. Nevertheless, I would definitely come back.
I went in with an open mind to try this'bougie' Deli (that juxtaposes Bubby's latkes & expensive Wagyu steak)
Service for 2 took almost 30 minutes, the side of'fruit' that I was supposed to receive was a single slice of melon, the coffee is literally made in a commercial Nespresso machine (with the pods) & tasted awful, & the latke is closer to a cake than the latkes we're used to. You may like it, but I didn't. & the coffee is a dealbreaker for me.
Definitely cashing in on nostalgia here, but I doubt we'll be seeing many old-timers coming in as this faux'deli' caters to the Instagram generation instead.
I was not expecting to fall in love with a Montreal deli today. I was eating delicious food before I even noticed the delightful Lego decorations. The Pastrami was one of the best i've ever eaten in this city, & that fish platter was easily one of the highlights of this resto visit.
I don't often go out, but this was well worth it. 10/10
Mar 1, 2026
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Everything about this place is excellent. The food is top notch with extremely high quality ingredients & flavour. Everything is made in house & you can truly taste the difference. The service is great, everyone is so nice. Will be back soon
Overall, a clear sense of poor hospitality. We had a reservation & arrived on time, yet no table was available & no apology was offered. We were flexible & accommodating, squeezing into a small table, but received no acknowledgment - no eye contact, no water. After waiting 20 minutes, we quietly left.
This place came highly recommended, which makes the experience even more disappointing, especially as it was meant to be a special family outing.
Great new place in the area with an excellent selection of meats that are charcoal grilled, which is something you don't find a lot in the city. Service was impeccable & extremely friendly. Highly recommend the place with or without kids. You'll find a little bit of everything for everyone here.
Dinner at Yan's Deli is comfort food done with precision & soul. Beautifully grilled meats, perfect sandwiches, & a sense that every detail actually matters. At the heart of it is Benji Greenberg, cooking with confidence, respect for the craft, & a genuine love for feeding & making people happy.
Highly recommend! Been to Yan's Deli for Brunch & the food, service & atmosphere were all excellent! Both my daughter & I had a great time - very family friendly!
We also ordered their superbowl package this year - everything was top notch & fairly priced! The package even came with a full set of clear & easy to follow instructions to properly reheat each item. Will definitely be a mainstay for our future superbowl parties!
Yans Deli is consistently excellent. Chef Benji, formerly head chef at Joe Beef, brings a creative but approachable menu that works just as well for brunch, lunch, or dinner. There's a good range of options across price points, & the space suits everything from family meals to business lunches or dates. Easily one of the better spots around.
Feb 11, 2026
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I think the word Deli fooled me. This is much much more. From soup to dessert every bite was an explosion of flavors. I need to go back again & probably again to make sure that I was right the first time & chose other things on the menu! Thank you for a wonderful experience!
My favourite Pastrami in town. I ordered takeout from here a few times before I checked out the menu online & decided that it would be a great place to sit at a table with a handful of friends. Family style or individual meals, the portions are generous & the flavours are phenomenal. Coffees, cocktails, & soft drinks also phenomenal. Open space with plenty of seating but busy enough to recommend reserving a table in advance. Kid & senior-friendly. Free parking on the street or in the lot over to the side.
I was there today & wanted to tell Yan myself, but he was busy with other patrons & it was close to closing time, so I'll share this here.
I've been here about half a dozen times, & beyond the food being excellent (I haven't tried everything yet, but the chicken soup is to die for, a true umami bomb, & the celeri soda… who knew?), the staff is absolutely stellar.
Every single visit, they've been efficient, engaged, & genuinely friendly with every table & customer I could observe, regardless of age, gender, or what was ordered. In any dining establishment, that level of consistency is pure gold.
I truly hope that in these difficult times for the food industry, Yan's vision results in success equal to the quality of the product being offered. This place deserves to be a mainstay on the Montreal culinary scene.
