Bagel St-Lo Verdun — Restaurant in Montreal

🥯 Update: November 2024

I've been coming to bagel St-Lo almost as long as it's been open, so I've seen it evolve over the years.

In the beginning, it was a cozy, popular local bagel spot where you could expect to see the owner herself every day. It became so successful that they expanded into the space nextdoor. Even through a global pandemic, the community stepped up to keep their favourite bagel joint afloat.

Today, St-Lo is a bustling brunch and breakfast restaurant and permanent fixture in Verdun that practically runs itself.

Here's the thing: over the years, I've evolved too. In the beginning, I tried tons of things on the menu. Then I became vegetarian, but I still had several options. Eventually, I became vegan, and suddenly I could have only one dish on the menu.

What disappoints me is that in all this time, the menu has hardly changed. Sure, they redesigned the look and feel of it, and maybe changed a few details here and there, but I guess they figure why change something that works.

Today, as I sat in front of my plate, looking at the SAME flat gluten-free vegan bagel they've had for years, stuffed with the SAME arugula, hummus and Alfalfa sprouts, with a side of the SAME (but almost imperceptibly smaller) plain bell-pepper-and-lettuce salad, topped with the SAME dressing (which now makes me think of that "Svbway sandwich smell"), garnished with ONE kalamata olive and ONE cherry tomato, as usual, I started to wonder if this might be the last time I ate here for awhile.

I still love St-Lo, but there's only so many times you can have the same dish without getting fed up of it. I wish they'd switch up a few menu items made with local, seasonal ingredients, like they do with their seasonal soup. Un 2e choix végane serait bien apprécié en tout cas. 🙏🏻

🗓 Original review (2020)

I love Bagel St-Lo. It's one of Verdun's hidden gems.

Bagel St-Lo makes the sweetest, freshest, most delicious bagels in Montreal. In my opinion, they're even better than hot St-Viateur and Fairmount bagels. I buy half a dozen St-Lo bagels almost every week; I can reheat them in the oven a week later after having kept them only in the fridge, and they taste just as fresh, which I can't say for any other bagel I've tried, fresh or day-old.

Bagel St-Lo provides compostable takeout containers, paper straws and spaghetti sticks to stir your coffee. They have two self-serve coffee stations with mismatched mugs. Their black coffee is great, and I love their almond milk lattes.

Bagels are incorporated into just about every dish on the breakfast, brunch and lunch menu. The restaurant has great vegetarian options and some vegan and gluten-free options. I've tried and enjoyed meals on the spot and to go, and they never disappoint. They're usually just enough for me, but someone who likes a copious breakfast might not be entirely full.

The restaurant decor is eclectic and fun to look at, and the owners regularly display local artists' work. The place is really cozy and has outdoor seating in the summer. Bagel St-Lo is so popular that they acquired the space next door and expanded their restaurant, so seating has doubled. It's a big win for local diners! The new counter space is trendy but fits in well with the casual, colourful space.

I love eating out on the terrasse in the summer.

The wait is rarely more than 5 to 10 minutes, the table service is fast, and the staff is always very friendly.

It's no wonder the place is...

Came here for an early brunch. They are a trendy spot but not overly pretentious and the affordable prices reflect that. We ordered the pulled pork sandwich and forestiere benedict. The soup was carrot masala and was very delicious! The salad dressing was light,not much flavor on it's own but left the freshness of the salad to shine more. The croutons, however, were quite dense and hard to chew. Their bagels were quite delicious. The pulled pork was what you would expect, pork and bbq sauce. It was good. The benedict was delicious, a lot of mushrooms :) Only comment would be the hollandaise was splitting but taste was good nonetheless. I was happy with the side of fruits, a good portion and NO grapefruit :) The beans were a tiny portion and flavorless. And there were no potatoes??? I thought I ordered some, for $1.50...and I got 1 McCain hashbrown! That seemed really odd. The bus boy was REALLY sweet!! Reason for only 3 stars is that there are many breakfast places and I prefer keeping it simple than lacking on some of the essentials (ie. Beans and potatoes) but otherwise, keep...

I love this spot! I bring all my friends and loved ones here for brunch.

Their business model is great! You order and pay, then you are served at your table within like 5-10 minutes (very impressive). The self serve coffee means you can help yourself whenever you want and you get to choose a cute mug from their wide selection. They also offer many dairy alternatives (you just have to ask for it at the counter).

Their daily soup is always vegan and never fails to delight. They have gluten free bagels available. Their hollandaise sauce is to die for! Their fruits that come with the breakfast plates are always perfectly ripe!

No server rushes you to leave or makes you feel pressured in any way. I've been able to sit here for quite some time just chatting away with loved ones. The decor is great, their music is varied, and the staff are super friendly 😊

They're always busy, but I've never had to wait longer than 30 minutes to be seated even with a large group, and they let you enjoy coffee while you wait.

I recommend this spot to anyone who loves bagels and is a fan of...