Review of 'Schwartz's Deli'
“Schwartz's” is a bit of an institution in Montreal and always to be seen with a line stretching along the sidewalk. Now celebrating 90 years and co-owned by the Canadian singer Celine Dion the Schwartz's serves up their iconic smoked meat sandwiches in a restaurant seemingly untouched by time.
The line when we visited on a Saturday at 1:00 pm was 45 minutes long but everyone was in good spirits. People from the deli would occasionally come out to point out that we could use the take out just next door if we wanted which had a far smaller line inside. We were there for the full experience. The staff were very polite and eventually making it to the door we were shown to a small table near the front of the restaurant beside the preparation area. The tables are tightly packed with a small bar-seating area on the right and the place has a real buzz to it with action happening all around – The shouting of orders and the somewhat muffled happy voices of diners as they enjoy their meal. The walls are covered with articles about the restaurant from various newspapers as well as testimonials giving the place an air of nostalgia and familiarity.
The menu is printed on the place-mats and shown on a board on the wall but is quite simple featuring basic deli fare: Meat sandwiches (smoked meat $10.45, turkey $8.25 and salami $8.25 - you want the smoked meat, trust me) with sides of pickles ($2.35), coleslaw ($3.40), fries ($3.55) and peppers ($2.65) but there are also ribs, chicken and liver options. For the two of us we were pointed to the “Large plate smoked meat” ($17.95) which came with a half loaf of rye bread and a large mound of the gorgeous sliced meat which meant you could have as little or as much as you wanted on your sandwich. This with a side order of coleslaw and chips was more than adequate for the two of us…we were not hungry for the rest of the day!
The meat is melt-in-your-mouth good with a very subtle, light flavor made tender by slow, gentle, cooking and a good lining of fat. On the rye bread with a bit of mustard it was amazing. The (vinegar) coleslaw was fresh and tasty and the fries were perfectly cooked and freshly made.
It was not a cheap meal but we thoroughly enjoyed it. The staff were helpful and nice to us, the place had a great buzz and, above all, the food was amazing. Will definitely be back next time I am in Montreal.
Rating: “I have absolutely no complaints”
Review Date: 2019-04-20
Cuisine: American/British
Address: 3895 St Laurent Blvd, Montreal, QC H2W 1×9, Canada
Location: Montreal (Canada) - Le Plateau-Mont-Royal
Map:
Show in Google Maps Get Directions
Telephone: +1 514-842-4813
URL: https://schwartzsdeli.com/