The Bottom Line
Deli Schwartz's is still one of the best places in Canada to get a smoked meat sandwich.
- Overall rating: 10/10
- Ambiance: average
- Food Quality: excellent
- Value: excellent
- Time to spend: budget 1 hour, plus wait time
Recommended Dishes
- There is only one thing you should order - a smoked meat sandwich with a side of pickles and cherry coke. :)
- After you're done your meal, ask for a pound of smoked meat to go so you can enjoy this again at home!
The Restaurant
It was a very cold January afternoon, and after wandering around town in the freezing cold for 45 minutes, we ended up at Schwartz's, ready for a warm delightful smoked meat sandwich. You would expect the place to be empty, given that it was between lunch and dinner time and the bitter cold encourages lazing around at home by the fireplace. That was not true as to my dismay, there was a line-up outside the deli. After shuffling for another 20 minutes trying to keep my extremities from getting frostbitten, the door welcomingly opened and we were allowed inside a packed deli.
I gathered this old styled Jewish deli hasn't changed much through the years. It's still one of my favourite places to eat in Montreal, and I don't expect that to change in the near future either! Schwartz's is a deli, so don't expect fancy tablecloths, or even that you will get your own table. Chances are, unless you're a group of 6, you will have to share your table with other diners. But this just adds on to the coziness of the deli and the sighs of satisfaction of your neighbouring diners are contagious.
Once comfortably seated, I was greeted by a very friendly server. The table behind us was in town to watch the World Junior Hockey Championship, and they were all wearing team Canada jerseys and excited about the game that coming evening. Their unconfined excitement was surely contagious, and we contemplated buying the tickets to the game, until we realized that it was $200 Cdn a ticket, and we would be wiser to spend that money on good food.
I gathered this old styled Jewish deli hasn't changed much through the years. It's still one of my favourite places to eat in Montreal, and I don't expect that to change in the near future either! Schwartz's is a deli, so don't expect fancy tablecloths, or even that you will get your own table. Chances are, unless you're a group of 6, you will have to share your table with other diners. But this just adds on to the coziness of the deli and the sighs of satisfaction of your neighbouring diners are contagious.
Once comfortably seated, I was greeted by a very friendly server. The table behind us was in town to watch the World Junior Hockey Championship, and they were all wearing team Canada jerseys and excited about the game that coming evening. Their unconfined excitement was surely contagious, and we contemplated buying the tickets to the game, until we realized that it was $200 Cdn a ticket, and we would be wiser to spend that money on good food.
The Food
In a nutshell - mouth-watering excellent! The smoked meat sandwich is one of the juiciest and delicious cuts of meat I've tasted. I'm normally not much of a sandwich fan, I don't like bread, and I've found most sandwiches to be dry. Not at Schwartz's. For the meat, you have the option of lean, half fat, or fatty meat. Make sure you add in a side of pickles, and complete your satisfying meal with a cherry soda.
After a satisfying meal, I left the restaurant a very happy customer indeed.
