Schwartz's Deli — Restaurant in Montreal

Two sandwiches were delicious—large portions, perfectly cooked, and the place was lively and full of energy.

However, a few small things were enough to reveal the real attitude and so-called “humor” of the staff—arrogant, condescending, and painfully unfunny. I couldn’t help but ask the bald waiter serving the tables by the door: “Is this your first day as a waiter? Or your first day ever having a job—at your age?”

If anyone finds my question harsh or personal, then you’ll understand exactly how I felt during my visit.

When we sat down, everything started to feel strange. Since it was our first time there, we tried to ask where to order and where to pay. He came over and asked, “Is this your first time dining in a restaurant?”—as if we had never eaten out before. Then he added, “All orders and questions should go through me.” It sounded like we were clueless tourists trying to figure out basic dining rules.

He then misheard our order. We asked for two sandwiches and one side dish, and he asked, “So you’ll share everything together?” Excuse me? If you have hearing problems, I suggest seeing a doctor. After all, if this restaurant is good enough for Céline Dion, surely they can afford health insurance for their employees.

What followed was fifteen minutes of complete neglect. No water. No one checking in. The only time he returned was to move my plate—without asking—just to make space for new customers.

When we went to pay, he didn’t give us a receipt, and we realized too late that he only takes orders—he doesn’t handle billing or receipts. We waited again in a long line while he and his colleagues enjoyed their cheerful chat.

Finally, he asked if everything was fine. I politely said, “The food was really good.” He smirked and replied, “So the service is not good, right?”—then threw the receipt at me and walked away.

At that moment, I had my answer: clearly, this wasn’t his first day. No one could possibly learn this level of arrogance and ridiculous attitude in just one day.

Our bill was $45. I left a $2 tip, which the cashier questioned twice to make sure I was certain. I was.

This is Montreal. This is the restaurant. Come for the food, stay for the discomfort—like the flies hovering over the...

This 90+ year old establishment in Montreal is known to be a must-visit place for their famous smoked meat sandwich, but don't be fooled - you'll just leave the restaurant with a much lighter wallet, wasted time and plenty of resentment for the overrated tourism scene in Montreal.

To avoid the crowd, we went there pretty late on Saturday - around 10 PM. The lineup was fairly short, so we waited around 15 minutes. There were two separate lines for people wanting takeout vs. dining in, but it was very poorly enforced - I saw at least three people skipping the line and the restaurant workers providing service to them without asking them to stand in line. If you are going to go there during busy times, don't expect anyone from the restaurant to honor your wait time and prevent people from cheating.

We ordered fries and smoked meat sandwich to go, and ate at home (this was a good decision because the restaurant is rather crowded and chaotic). I was quite surprised by the poor quality of the smoked meat - it had good flavour, but it was very dry, with some parts being quite tough to chew. Chewing some parts of the sandwich felt like chewing through paper. I liked the peppercorn in the smoked meat, and there were a few tender parts, but, for the most part, it was unpleasant to eat. The fries served on the side were cold, soggy, and completely bland - why bother serving something that you are not going to season properly?

Probably the worst part of all this was, for a rather small sandwich and a handful of fries, we were charged $25 per person. It's slightly cheaper than Reuben's Deli, but the latter's serving size and the quality of the food make it worth paying for. Schwartz's is a bit out of the way from the core part of downtown Montreal and it's very cramped inside - I'm not really sure what makes this place worth all the effort and inconvenience to give it a try. Everyone has their own opinion, but I would personally avoid this place and go to Reuben's Deli instead for the smoked...

Was talking about going back there for a while now and finally went back today. This place hasn't changed, if anything it just keeps getting better. It's always been soo good. Still the best smoke meat in Montréal after all these years. We got there and as usual there was a lineup at the door but by the time we crossed the street everyone was in, so we got in right away as well. You never wait long if at all, there's such a huge turnover. We sat at the cozy counter and we were greeted by Ronnie who was just finishing his extended shift. He was super friendly and had us served almost as soon as we finished ordering. Super fast !!!! Amazing service is important wherever you go. He was very professional and made us feel welcome and comfortable. Schwartz is lucky to have Ronnie. Being from the west island, going to eat at Schwartz smoke meat is little out of the way but most definitely worth the trip. If you've never been there or haven't been there in a while GO EAT THERE NOW!!!! The atmosphere is awesome just like it was many years ago when I first started going. A real authentic smoked meat spot. Definitely the best smoked meat in Montréal, by far ! The portion was HUGE(see pics) and deeeeeeeeelicious ! You can say what you want about other smoked meat places but with the service like Ronnie gave, the flavour of the food and the portions they served, this is THE PLACE TO GO. Schwartz smoke meat is the best, so stop hesitating and go now because if you don't you won't stop thinking about it anyways cause you know it's that good or at least you heard about it being that good, admit it! Here is the address for your Google map to help you get there. DON'T SAY LATER, GO NOW, YOU'LL BE GLAD YOU DID JUST LIKE ME. LIFE IS SHORT, GO ENJOY THE GOOD THINGS !!!! Say hello to Ronnie if he's there and tip him accordingly once you witness the impeccable friendly service he provides.

GO EAT SCHWARTZ SMOKE MEAT NOW!!!!

3895 Boul. Saint-Laurent,...