Where is the best smoked meat in Montréal?

Schwartz's (3895 boulevard Saint-Laurent) is the most famous and is genuinely excellent — the long queue is real but manageable before noon or after 9 PM. Lester's (1057 avenue Bernard, Outremont) is where many longtime Montréalers go for the same quality without the tourism circus. Both are worth visiting; neither will disappoint.

How should I order smoked meat at Schwartz's?

Order medium or medium-fat — the fat is where the flavour lives, and lean is a mistake first-timers make. It comes on rye bread with yellow mustard. Add a half sour pickle (ask for a 'half sour') and a side of fries. That is the canonical order. A Coke or a cherry Coke is the traditional drink. The sandwich itself costs 12–16 CAD. Do not add mayonnaise, lettuce, or any other condiment — the staff will judge you, rightly.

What is the difference between Schwartz's and Lester's?

Schwartz's (est. 1928, boulevard Saint-Laurent) is the tourist-famous option in a narrow deli with communal seating and a perpetual queue. The meat is excellent. Lester's (est. 1951, avenue Bernard in Outremont) is where the local Jewish community and longtime Montréalers go — same quality of smoked brisket, quieter atmosphere, slightly less intense queue, and what many consider a more generous portion. Schwartz's is an experience; Lester's is a meal.

What is the difference between smoked meat and pastrami?

Both are brine-cured, spice-rubbed briskets, but Montréal smoked meat is seasoned differently — more black pepper and coriander, less garlic than New York pastrami — and is typically smoked for a longer period. The fat content is also different: Montréal smoked meat comes in lean, medium, and fat grades, and the fat version has a marbling that is more pronounced than most pastrami. The brisket cut and curing process are similar; the spice profile and tradition are distinct.

What tourist smoked meat should I avoid?

Avoid any smoked meat marketed as 'gourmet' or served in a trendy setting on rue Sainte-Catherine or rue Saint-Denis in Quartier Latin. These use deli meat from a distributor rather than house-smoked brisket and charge 20–25 CAD for an inferior product. The Mile End Deli name (various locations) is not connected to Schwartz's despite the similar branding. Stick to the established institutions.

Is smoked meat available outside Montréal?

Chez Ashton (a Québec City chain) is known for poutine but also serves decent smoked meat. For genuine house-smoked Montréal-style brisket, Montréal is the right place — the tradition exists almost exclusively here. Attempts to export it tend to suffer from the logistics of the curing and smoking process.

Montréal smoked meat guide: Schwartz's vs Lester's and where else to go

What Montréal smoked meat actually is

Montréal smoked meat is a cured and smoked beef brisket with a spice crust — a product of the Eastern European Jewish immigrant community that settled in Montréal in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. It is not pastrami, though the two are cousins. It is not corned beef, though they share the curing tradition. It is specifically Montréalais, and eating it in the city where it was perfected is a qualitatively different experience from any imitation.

The process: a whole brisket is rubbed with a spice blend (coriander, black pepper, garlic, sugar — each deli guards its exact recipe) and cured in brine for up to ten days. It is then smoked over hardwood for several more hours and finally steamed before service to keep it moist and tender. The result, when done correctly, is a deeply flavoured, peppery, yielding meat with an unctuous quality in the fat grades that is impossible to achieve without the full curing and smoking time.

Schwartz’s: the institution (est. 1928)

Schwartz’s Hebrew Delicatessen at 3895 boulevard Saint-Laurent is where any conversation about Montréal smoked meat begins. Reuben Schwartz opened it in 1928 on The Main (the old anglophone name for boulevard Saint-Laurent, the traditional dividing line between English and French Montréal). It has operated essentially unchanged since.

The experience: Schwartz’s is a narrow room with plain tables, a counter, and a perpetual line on the sidewalk. It seats perhaps 50 people and is communal — you will share your table with strangers, which is entirely normal and part of the experience. The decor is minimal to the point of austerity: laminate, a few framed photos, a lit menu board. No-frills is an understatement.

The meat: Schwartz’s smokes its briskets in-house, and the smoked meat is excellent — deeply flavoured, properly peppery, yielding without falling apart. The fat grades are meaningful: lean is dry, medium is correct, medium-fat has the best flavour balance, full-fat is for purists only.

How to order: Say “medium” or “medium-fat” with mustard on rye. Request a “half sour” pickle (the other option is a full sour, which is more sharply pickled). Add fries. The sandwich runs 12–16 CAD. Cash or card accepted.

The queue: Schwartz’s queue is real and famous. It moves faster than it looks — the deli turns tables quickly. Go before noon on weekdays to walk in without waiting more than 10–15 minutes. After 9 PM is another gap. Saturday lunch is the longest wait (30–45 minutes is common).

Note on the tourist experience: Schwartz’s is undeniably touristy — it is one of the most-visited food spots in the country. This does not make the smoked meat worse. The quality is consistent and the experience is authentic regardless of who is standing next to you in the queue. The locals who sniff at Schwartz’s tourist reputation tend to eat there anyway when they are in the neighbourhood.

Lester’s Deli: the local choice (est. 1951)

Lester’s Deli at 1057 avenue Bernard Ouest in Outremont opened in 1951 and is where the Jewish community of Outremont and the Plateau has gone for smoked meat ever since. It is less famous than Schwartz’s, which means shorter queues, a more relaxed atmosphere, and often a more generous portion.

The experience: Lester’s is a proper deli with booth seating, a takeout counter, and a more comfortable dining room than Schwartz’s. The vibe is neighbourhood restaurant rather than tourist landmark. The clientele on a Saturday is local families, older residents who have been coming for decades, and a smattering of food-savvy visitors who have done their research.

The meat: Lester’s smoked meat is widely regarded as equal to or better than Schwartz’s, depending on who you ask. The brisket is house-smoked, the spice profile is slightly different (some detect more garlic, less pepper), and the portions tend to be a bit more generous. Order medium or medium-fat here as well.

Price: Approximately 14–18 CAD for a sandwich with fries.

Getting there: Outremont is not in the tourist zone, which is part of why Lester’s has remained a local secret. Metro Outremont is the nearest station. A 15-minute walk from the northern Plateau.

The Main: Schwartz’s direct competition

The Main Deli Steak House (3864 boulevard Saint-Laurent) sits directly across the street from Schwartz’s and has operated since 1974. This is not a coincidence — it opened explicitly as a competitor to Schwartz’s, and the two have faced each other across The Main ever since.

The smoked meat at The Main is good — not as renowned as Schwartz’s but a solid alternative. The room is larger and you are less likely to wait, which makes it a practical option when the Schwartz’s queue is long. The menu is also broader (steak, ribs, complete dinners) if you want a fuller meal.

What to avoid: tourist smoked meat

Several things to be aware of:

Mile End Deli (various locations around the city) is not connected to Schwartz’s or to Mile End despite the branding. Quality varies but is generally below the standard of the dedicated institutions.

Smoked meat on rue Sainte-Catherine (particularly in the entertainment district and Quartier Latin) tends to use pre-packaged deli meat rather than house-smoked brisket. The price is often 20–25 CAD for a smaller sandwich of inferior quality.

“Gourmet” or “artisanal” smoked meat at trendy restaurants is rarely worth the premium — the tradition is deli, not fine dining.

Food tours with smoked meat

Mile End foodie tour (No Diet Club) covers the smoked meat tradition alongside bagels and other Mile End food culture — a good way to understand the context.

Best of Montréal food walking tour covers a broader range of the city’s iconic foods including smoked meat.

The smoked meat sandwich, constructed

For the record, the correct version:

Medium or medium-fat smoked meat, freshly sliced and steamed
Two slices of seeded rye bread
Yellow mustard (French’s, not Dijon)
One half sour pickle on the side
Fries (skin-on, well-salted)
A cherry Coke or a regular Coke

That is it. This is not a dish that benefits from improvisation.

Frequently asked questions about Montréal smoked meat: Schwartz's, Lester's and the rest

How should I order smoked meat at Schwartz's?
Order medium or medium-fat — the fat is where the flavour lives, and lean is a mistake first-timers make. It comes on rye bread with yellow mustard. Add a half sour pickle (ask for a 'half sour') and a side of fries. That is the canonical order. A Coke or a cherry Coke is the traditional drink. The sandwich itself costs 12–16 CAD. Do not add mayonnaise, lettuce, or any other condiment — the staff will judge you, rightly.
What is the difference between Schwartz's and Lester's?
Schwartz's (est. 1928, boulevard Saint-Laurent) is the tourist-famous option in a narrow deli with communal seating and a perpetual queue. The meat is excellent. Lester's (est. 1951, avenue Bernard in Outremont) is where the local Jewish community and longtime Montréalers go — same quality of smoked brisket, quieter atmosphere, slightly less intense queue, and what many consider a more generous portion. Schwartz's is an experience; Lester's is a meal.
What is the difference between smoked meat and pastrami?
Both are brine-cured, spice-rubbed briskets, but Montréal smoked meat is seasoned differently — more black pepper and coriander, less garlic than New York pastrami — and is typically smoked for a longer period. The fat content is also different: Montréal smoked meat comes in lean, medium, and fat grades, and the fat version has a marbling that is more pronounced than most pastrami. The brisket cut and curing process are similar; the spice profile and tradition are distinct.
What tourist smoked meat should I avoid?
Avoid any smoked meat marketed as 'gourmet' or served in a trendy setting on rue Sainte-Catherine or rue Saint-Denis in Quartier Latin. These use deli meat from a distributor rather than house-smoked brisket and charge 20–25 CAD for an inferior product. The Mile End Deli name (various locations) is not connected to Schwartz's despite the similar branding. Stick to the established institutions.
Is smoked meat available outside Montréal?
Chez Ashton (a Québec City chain) is known for poutine but also serves decent smoked meat. For genuine house-smoked Montréal-style brisket, Montréal is the right place — the tradition exists almost exclusively here. Attempts to export it tend to suffer from the logistics of the curing and smoking process.

Montréal smoked meat: Schwartz's, Lester's and the rest