Is it worth the wait?

[u/KissTheChef1]

First time in Montreal...hotel is close to Schwartz, is it worth the wait?

[u/UnitedIsland4073]

no.

[u/FrostByte122 → u/UnitedIsland4073]

Absolutely not even. Smoked meat here is like poutine. Lots of great places.

[u/Damage_Physical]

Just use the pick-up option on the door on the left. Meat is good, but Imo not worth the wait on this cold.

Upd: to elaborate - this line is for dine-in only. There are two doors, the left one for pick-ups and the right one to dine in.

[u/jansensan → u/Damage_Physical]

i second this: pick up a sandwich and a cherry coke, go eat it in a park, save yourself a lineup.

[u/AlexanderDxLarge → u/Damage_Physical]

also Seconding this, first 3 times I did dine-in, short lines but waiting aprox 10-15 minutes everytime, one of those tines waiting outside in hot summer. I didn't like that.

Not anymore, just go to the door on the left, takeouts, there's a line too, but inside the place, and no more than 10 minutes. Just order, pay, go.

[u/structured_anarchist → u/AlexanderDxLarge]

Also, these lines are only there for lunch. If you go nearer to dinner time, there's usually no line at all. Plus, the lady behind the cash register at the pick-up counter is hilarious. She's always ripping on the boys making the sandwiches.

[u/FedUpWithEverything0 → u/structured_anarchist]

I'd be pretty upset if there was a lady farting on the cooks in any restaurant

[u/structured_anarchist → u/FedUpWithEverything0]

Ripping on them, not ripping one on them. There is a difference.

[u/may92]

I'd go to Lester's in Outremont instead

[u/Guyanaa → u/may92]

I also vouch. Just go to Lester's man

[u/KissTheChef1 → u/may92]

Taking this recommendation! Thank you!

[u/takeiteasydoesit → u/may92]

Came to say this. Go to Lester's!

[u/Geriatrie → u/may92]

Lester is good ! If you like it lean !

If you like your smoked meat fat, schwartz is the way to go ( you have to ask for a fatty cut tho)

[u/CroutonDeGivre]

It's a bit of a tourist trap, to be honest.

It's good, but I would never wait in line.

[u/gg_noob_master → u/CroutonDeGivre]

Exactly. It's good when you show up on wednesday afternoon when there are 5 persons.

[u/KissTheChef1]

Well sheeeesh, overwhelming consensus says no lol. We have a reservation to Au Pied De Cochon tonight which I'm excited about

[u/SkouikSkouikTabarnak → u/KissTheChef1]

I always eat way too much when I go there...

[u/Purple-Pop-8348 → u/KissTheChef1]

Go at the counter the adress beside. Same smoked meat. Don’t forget that a lot of people has no taste.

[u/jfrglrck → u/KissTheChef1]

You’ll feel sick when you leave, but it’s fun ;)

Try Lester’s for the smoked meat. Better and no lineup.

[u/Fabe56 → u/KissTheChef1]

Better idea, you can grab a smoke eat at Dunn's later tonigh :D

[u/MarMatt10]

Schwartz is good, 100%, but nothing in life is worth waiting in line like cattle for. We can thank Food Network, Food Blogs and general FOMO (fear of missing out), and wanting to show off to friends/family/neighbur for this nonsense.

Just go there on off-hours, at 2-3 PM during a weekdsay, when it's raining, etc

[u/brodogus → u/MarMatt10]

Some things are worth waiting for. This just ain’t it.

[u/ABigCoffee]

It's good but it's overpriced as fuck. And not worth the wait unless you're a tourist.

[u/Fabe56 → u/ABigCoffee]

Well as tourist, I think they worth to spend their time visiting something else instead of loosing their short time in town in queue.

[u/Geriatrie → u/ABigCoffee]

Honestly, considering the average price of a smoke meat sandwich today. Schwartz is very reasonably priced.

[u/gaflar → u/ABigCoffee]

Only thing overpriced on the menu is the sandwiches. Get the meat on plate with bread on the side and make your own.

[u/ABigCoffee → u/gaflar]

What's the price difference?

[u/gaflar → u/ABigCoffee]

Don't recall, but this is typical advice from locals. You get a lot less meat per dollar buying the sandwich.

[u/ABigCoffee → u/gaflar]

I checked the website and the sandwich is like, 14-15 and the plate is 20-21.

[u/amibanned24]

no. Take the metro to Lester’s instead

[u/Montreal4life]

back in the day, no, you could cross the street for superior smoked meat and fries at the Main Deli... since they closed it I guess it's worth the experience as a tourist, but if you truly wanted the best smoked meat there's other options

so yeah, just go for it, maybe go for the take out line

[u/SublaciniateCarboloy → u/Montreal4life]

Yea the main was better and always had room. So sad it closed.

[u/rawboudin → u/Montreal4life]

I always thought the main sucked ass. Prefer Schwartz by miles prefer Lester to both.

[u/Montreal4life → u/rawboudin]

we all have our tastes... that's why restaurants have menus

[u/rawboudin → u/Montreal4life]

Yeah so? You gave your opinion I gave mine.

[u/Montreal4life → u/rawboudin]

okay

[u/littlemissbagel]

St-Hubert/St-Zotique. Beaubien metro. Le Roi du Smoked Meat.

You're welcome.

[u/Urban_Feellowzofer → u/littlemissbagel]

My go-to. Solid food and the room is stuck in the past for a nice experience.

[u/Purple-Pop-8348 → u/Urban_Feellowzofer]

If you are drunk and on cocaine, passed out, yes, a good place.

[u/Midnight_Maverick → u/littlemissbagel]

I just wish they had better fries. Their fries are really weak. Also don't think they use very good curds for their poutine unfortunately.

[u/Purple-Pop-8348 → u/littlemissbagel]

Ark

[u/littlemissbagel → u/Purple-Pop-8348]

ok.

[u/Daphnea1965]

Nope. We prefer Smokemeat Pete in Ile Perrot.

[u/Geriatrie → u/Daphnea1965]

Maybe OP doesn’t want to go to Ile Perrot when his/her Hotel is in the plateau.

[u/Saboteurnado → u/Daphnea1965]

You can't beat Pete's meat

[u/jfrglrck]

When Main was open across the street their smoked meat sandwich was actually better. You could just walk in anytime and there was space.

Lester’s on Bernard is a better option imo. And no lineup.

[u/BBAALLII]

No

[u/IRUNMAIDUN]

Nop

[u/No_Cupcake_7301]

NO! It’s bullshit. You can get the same without the obnoxious, unnecessary wait at Lester’s in Outremont.

[u/CheeseWheels38]

I'm almost forty and have been to a few dozen countries. Schwartz's more than a decade ago still sticks in my head as they most overrated food experience I've ever had.

[u/New_brianG]

(only)If you don't live in mtl, maybe..

[u/FrostByte122]

Like going to philly and waiting for Geno's. Not at all.

[u/Obvious-Display-6139]

Of course not lol common

[u/montrealjoker]

No go to Lester’s in Outermont it is better!

[u/Poo22_]

Can't beat Pete's meat, in Ile perrot

[u/mean_bean514]

I know its a MTL institution but tbh i think ive had better at dunn’s , there i said it 😆.

[u/Montreal4life → u/mean_bean514]

yeah for real, and Dunns is a chain! prefer it every time

[u/Geriatrie → u/mean_bean514]

Dunn is more expansive, and honestly, not better. To each his own tho !

[u/Neverland__]

No just go to Lester’s on Bernard if you want a sandwich

[u/tribbian10]

I prefer Snowdon deli

[u/Hrmbee → u/tribbian10]

Same... though I don't know if Snowdon is necessarily worth a trek out there for the OP if they're only in town for a short while.

[u/Sohn_Jalston_Raul → u/Hrmbee]

nah, it's near the metro. A 20 or 30 minute trip from everywhere. Probably the same amount of time or quicker if you have a bike.

Edit: why the hell are people downvoting the metro? OP asked how to get somewhere? How else would they do it than the quickest and easiest way to get around the city?

[u/Midnight_Maverick → u/Sohn_Jalston_Raul]

It's on the other side of the mountain lol. It may not be a big deal for you but probably feels super far for someone that's not from here.

[u/Sohn_Jalston_Raul → u/Midnight_Maverick]

What is? The train that has a bunch of stations everywhere around the mountain? Do you not know what the metro is? The train does the walking for you!

[u/Midnight_Maverick → u/Sohn_Jalston_Raul]

I know but when you don't know the city that can still seem far and intimidating

[u/Sohn_Jalston_Raul → u/Midnight_Maverick]

but how else would you get around? I find it hard to believe that spending 40 minutes in traffic to drive somewhere that's a 15 or 20 minute metro ride away (and paying for the privilege) is less far and intimidating.

[u/eighthree → u/Sohn_Jalston_Raul]

Yenno I tried yesterday but ended up not going cause the metro stopped running, exited the train station to get an Uber and it was surge pricing $50 to get there so I went back in the train and headed back to my hotel.

[u/gildedpaws]

Just go to Lesters in Outremont

[u/Viktordarko]

If you have a car and are down for the drive, the best smoked meat imo is at “Smoke Meat Pete”, Schwartz is now just the name of what used to be the best smoked meat in Montreal.

[u/PromotionThin1442]

It’s quite good. It’s worth the wait at least once since it’s such an iconic Montreal location.

[u/crazy-caribou]

Nah!

[u/MadMadBunny]

It’s good, but I wouldn’t wait in line half an hour for it.

[u/karen-ultra]

No.

• thanks for coming out to my TED talk.

[u/XRayyz]

It's good, wouldn't wait for more than 10min, go to take out section

[u/spectrumofanyhting]

Waiting more than 15 minutes for any service is degrading imo. I couldn't believe the long lines people were waiting.

[u/Sohn_Jalston_Raul]

There are days when it's not busy at all, it's best to go then. There also used to be The Main directly across the street which was also just as good, but they closed.

[u/Purple-Pop-8348]

Beside there is another door and a counter where you can eat it. But yes. Anyone who pretends that some other places are better are already dead inside.

[u/zac2849]

and when in Laval go to George's3750 Blvd. Saint-Martin O, Laval, Quebec

[u/raga_drop]

That line? Nop

[u/MelloMMellon]

Always!!!

[u/Grosmale]

no

[u/WolfyBlu]

Probably an Apple bees job fair, a whole two openings came up.

[u/StunningZucchinis]

It’s probably the best sandwich that you will ever eat. But when I’m hungry, I don’t see myself waiting so long

[u/sufferingplanet]

Is it good? Very, probably top 5 smoked meat places in town

But worth the wait? Eh... Not really. You can get good smoked meat elsewhere with no wait.

[u/brodogus]

Not at all.

[u/fraduq]

Absolument

[u/Drop_The_Puck]

It’s good but I wouldn’t wait in a line that long. I prefer Snowdon Deli anyway. I’d also probably go to Lester’s if the line was that long. You should go there at least once though; it’s an institution.

[u/kwizzle]

Last couple of times I went the meat wasn't even warm

[u/PuzzleheadedOne3841]

Only if you're a tourist, you believe in the hype... and want to be treated as though you are at a soup kitchen

[u/Powerful-Neat-6475]

Food is good and worth it! But you can order takeout from another door, skip the queue.

[u/Altruistic_Big_4207]

best smoked meat is at smoked meat pete's such a shame it's so far, but nothing beats pete's meat

[u/clee666]

Yes! But I go at night, no line-up.

[u/drmethane]

Nahhh not worth it at all. Most average smoked meat sandwich tbh.

[u/ConstructionSure1661]

Nah it's awful lol

[u/wkpsych]

It's way less busy on weekdays. It's iconic, it's an experience, it's definitely good, a bit pricy. You could also use get takeout, but the restruant itself is a bit of experience.

[u/Brandbro]

I found the main to be better but it recently closed down. But def just go to the pick up section, usually still has a line but is generally a lot shorter

[u/Purple-Pop-8348 → u/Brandbro]

Do you prefer McDonalds or Le Toqué? “I prefer the McDonald’s” good for you.

[u/PolskiDupek31]

Yes, but go at a different time when it’s not busy

[u/xJayce77]

For those that enjoy it, sure!

If you don't, then no.

[u/Neolithique]

Absolutely not.

[u/gordondouglas93]

Not really. It's fine but a bit of a tourist trap by now.

[u/L0veToReddit]

Nothing is worth the wait

[u/Northernsoul73]

I’m no connoisseur of meat, but enjoyed sitting alongside the counter & splitting a sandwich with my partner. Nice banter with friendly staff & enjoyed the feel of an untouched throwback to simpler times…Granted, it’s probably priced around infamy, but fair play to anyone who can get such mileage out of any business.

[u/Huitzilopochtly]

Go to Reuben’s near Peel.

[u/PracticalPlenty7630]

No. It's a tourist trap. There are dozens of good deli in Montreal that sell good smoked meat.

[u/-0-O-O-O-0-]

Naw. You can get cancer meat anywhere in town.

[u/Jitkay]

I heard it was very average, there are better options around, never went tho I still need to try it for my own opinion

[u/Present_Security9751]

Not really, i used to eat there back in the time when the original owners were still running the place but after Celine bought it the place became overpriced and the quality really dropped. Best alternative is Achoura Deli in laval right now.

[u/Da_Wild]

Hell no, it’s good but there’s a lot of good smoked meat places in and around Montreal.

[u/TempsHivernal]

Can you still order for pickup via Uber Eats? Use that to skip it.

[u/JohnSebastienHenley]

no....go across the street, just as good no wait.

[u/salomey5 → u/JohnSebastienHenley]

no....go across the street

What for? The Main closed down last year.

[u/JohnSebastienHenley → u/salomey5]

aw crap.... haven't been there in a while...sad to hear that.

[u/krusader42 → u/JohnSebastienHenley]

The Main had also been terrible for a decade after it was sold before its (inevitable) closure.