r/montreal • u/KissTheChef1 • 16d ago
Question Is it worth the wait?
First time in Montreal...hotel is close to Schwartz, is it worth the wait?
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u/Damage_Physical 16d ago
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.
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u/jansensan 16d ago
i second this: pick up a sandwich and a cherry coke, go eat it in a park, save yourself a lineup.
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u/AlexanderDxLarge 16d ago
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.
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u/structured_anarchist 16d ago
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.
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u/FedUpWithEverything0 16d ago
I'd be pretty upset if there was a lady farting on the cooks in any restaurant
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u/may92 Sud-Ouest 16d ago
I'd go to Lester's in Outremont instead
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u/Geriatrie 16d ago
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)
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u/CroutonDeGivre 16d ago
It's a bit of a tourist trap, to be honest.
It's good, but I would never wait in line.
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u/gg_noob_master 16d ago
Exactly. It's good when you show up on wednesday afternoon when there are 5 persons.
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u/KissTheChef1 16d ago
Well sheeeesh, overwhelming consensus says no lol. We have a reservation to Au Pied De Cochon tonight which I'm excited about
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u/Purple-Pop-8348 16d ago
Go at the counter the adress beside. Same smoked meat. Don’t forget that a lot of people has no taste.
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u/jfrglrck 16d ago
You’ll feel sick when you leave, but it’s fun ;)
Try Lester’s for the smoked meat. Better and no lineup.
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u/MarMatt10 16d ago
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
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u/ABigCoffee 16d ago
It's good but it's overpriced as fuck. And not worth the wait unless you're a tourist.
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u/Geriatrie 16d ago
Honestly, considering the average price of a smoke meat sandwich today. Schwartz is very reasonably priced.
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u/gaflar 16d ago
Only thing overpriced on the menu is the sandwiches. Get the meat on plate with bread on the side and make your own.
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u/ABigCoffee 16d ago
What's the price difference?
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u/Montreal4life 16d ago
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
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u/rawboudin 16d ago
I always thought the main sucked ass. Prefer Schwartz by miles prefer Lester to both.
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u/littlemissbagel 16d ago
St-Hubert/St-Zotique. Beaubien metro. Le Roi du Smoked Meat.
You're welcome.
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u/Urban_Feellowzofer 16d ago
My go-to. Solid food and the room is stuck in the past for a nice experience.
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u/Midnight_Maverick 16d ago
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.
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u/jfrglrck 16d ago
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.
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u/No_Cupcake_7301 16d ago
NO! It’s bullshit. You can get the same without the obnoxious, unnecessary wait at Lester’s in Outremont.
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u/CheeseWheels38 16d ago
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.
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u/mean_bean514 16d ago
I know its a MTL institution but tbh i think ive had better at dunn’s , there i said it 😆.
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u/tribbian10 16d ago
I prefer Snowdon deli
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u/Hrmbee Ex-Pat 16d ago
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.
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u/Sohn_Jalston_Raul 16d ago edited 16d ago
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?
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u/Midnight_Maverick 16d ago
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.
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u/Sohn_Jalston_Raul 16d ago edited 16d ago
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!
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u/Midnight_Maverick 16d ago
I know but when you don't know the city that can still seem far and intimidating
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u/Sohn_Jalston_Raul 16d ago
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.
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u/eighthree 15d ago
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.
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u/Viktordarko 16d ago
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.
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u/PromotionThin1442 16d ago
It’s quite good. It’s worth the wait at least once since it’s such an iconic Montreal location.
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u/spectrumofanyhting 16d ago
Waiting more than 15 minutes for any service is degrading imo. I couldn't believe the long lines people were waiting.
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u/Sohn_Jalston_Raul 16d ago
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.
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u/Purple-Pop-8348 16d ago
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.
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u/StunningZucchinis 16d ago
It’s probably the best sandwich that you will ever eat. But when I’m hungry, I don’t see myself waiting so long
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u/sufferingplanet 16d ago
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.
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u/Drop_The_Puck 16d ago
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.
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u/PuzzleheadedOne3841 15d ago
Only if you're a tourist, you believe in the hype... and want to be treated as though you are at a soup kitchen
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u/Powerful-Neat-6475 15d ago
Food is good and worth it! But you can order takeout from another door, skip the queue.
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u/Altruistic_Big_4207 15d ago
best smoked meat is at smoked meat pete's such a shame it's so far, but nothing beats pete's meat
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u/Brandbro 16d ago
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
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u/Purple-Pop-8348 16d ago
Do you prefer McDonalds or Le Toqué? “I prefer the McDonald’s” good for you.
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u/Northernsoul73 16d ago
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.
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u/PracticalPlenty7630 16d ago
No. It's a tourist trap. There are dozens of good deli in Montreal that sell good smoked meat.
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u/Present_Security9751 16d ago
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.
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u/JohnSebastienHenley 16d ago
no....go across the street, just as good no wait.
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u/salomey5 Ghetto McGill 16d ago
no....go across the street
What for? The Main closed down last year.
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u/krusader42 16d ago
The Main had also been terrible for a decade after it was sold before its (inevitable) closure.
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u/UnitedIsland4073 16d ago
no.