I love Lesters smoke meat . I grew up with Lesters . But please Stay away from the one at the airport . It was a disgusting mess of mustard with meat . I've never seen anything like it in my life . I gave it back . The merchant kept yelling at me that's how a smoke-meat is served. I paid 18$ for this special and left it at their counter. Don't waste you money !!! read more

Even though most of these reviews on Yelp are from folks not from Montreal (including myself), this place hasn't lost a bit of it's soul or history. Great food, in a great neighborhood. read more

Had a smoked meat sandwich and smoked meat poutine. Very quick and friendly service. We got to sit outside and got our food in under 10 minutes. One of the most delicious sandwiches I've ever had, highly recommend! read more

Lester's Deli - Smoked meat sandwich, smoked meat poutine and pickles - Delis Near Me - Outremont, Quebec

This is a cozy local deli, but their products are distributed widely. Went with friends as part of a smoked-meat-restaurant comparison expedition. The consensus was the meat was good, but I personally tried the veggie burger. Not what you would expect have at a meat place, or even a standard deli. Well, it was amazingly good. Like many veggie burgers the precise ingredients were hard to identify, but it had fried onions, great spices and a fanatic taste and freshness. The service was also superb and the ambiance excellent. read more

This is the best place for visitors to try Montreal smoked meat sandwiches and other, deli favorites that are unique to Montreal- pickles, mustard, and karnatzel. They sell vacuum packed smoked meat for travel back to the US. Lester's has that unique Montreal Jewish deli atmosphere, complete with very friendly service. (Thank-you, Sybil.) It is a bit tough to find but that is part of the charm. It is in a neighborhood that is about 2 miles from Centre Ville. This makes it genuine, and not touristy. read more

Old school deli in beautiful Montreal. The food was fantastic. I am not that into the whole meat scene but I wolfed down that corned beef sandwich!! Friendly staff and reasonable prices. Truthfully the sandwich was so big I could have shared it but ended up eating it all by myself! read more

Nothing special , we did not like it at all, we ordered club sandwich it came cold , about smoked meat ? We knew the smoked meat can't be as good as Schwartz but we did not know it was disgusting it has no spices it was like a boiled meat no taste and it was like rubber, rye bread has no taste , hot dog was good ( after all it's just a hot dog ) potato salad was disgusting no taste, waitresses ? Omg they are nervous they don't smile they are not polite at all . Its a kind of place i would not go back unless everywhere is closed and i am starving then I would just get a hot dog and leave. read more

Great, fast service at this comforting Jewish deli. We were seated right away. My boyfriend and I shared the super deluxe smoked meat sandwich. It is a very tender meat and is special to Montreal. read more

This place was amazing i orders the Salami and it was delicious with a lot of meat. I ate half of it and the owner grilled the other half for me. Both were incredibly Delicious. read more

Lester's Deli - Delis Near Me - Outremont, Quebec

We rolled right up at lunch and they accommodated a table of 7!!! We live in a place where people win awards for BBQ but this smoked meat was my favorite ever. The service was fast and they were so kind to our little guy, which we didn't find was super common in Montreal. I would eat here weekly and get the smoked sandwich special or the smoked meat poutine. Woah. read more

We are from California and came with a large group of high schoolers. Lester and the rest of the staff made us feel at home and went out of their way to cater to us. food and atmosphere was outstanding and would love to come back next time we catch a change to visit montreal. read more

Lester's Deli - Delis Near Me - Outremont, Quebec

Whoa I haven't reviewed Lester's? What have I been doing with my life! If you're in the Outremont area why don't you tuck into big back booths or plunk yourself on the chairs on the wide sidewalk. The service here I like honestly, though I can see from the reviews it's not for everyone, this is a place with history and humour and straight talk. And nice smoked meat sandwiches and burgers and delicious delicious perfect fries. You can also get amazing pickles and cheesecake, and the counter has vacuum sealed packs of house deli meat to take home. read more

Smoked meat and brisket sandwiches we ordered melted in our mouth. This place is fantastic

The food is amazing. The traditional smoked meat is so flavorful and juicy, I dare say it's tastier than Schwartz. The downside is, the service is just as bad as the food is good. At least 3 people of the staff were really unpleasent. Without even asking, you receive your bill while you're still eating. The restaurant was not crowded, and both times I went we received the bill without asking for it or being offered something else. I find that really unkind. That's why I never got to try any of the desserts :p read more

I ordered the meat medium which means it's sliced from the middle section of the brisket where you get the perfect slices of beef that are both lean and fat. The meat is moist and the fat is not intrusive. We have it programmed in our heads to stay from fat like... it was fat or something. But in this case you need it; the fat stays soft and doesn't eat like hardened gelatinous snot. But even if it was, it'd be the most delicious kind. The fat is where the flavour is and that is where it's at. read more

Pricey for smoke meat place at 20$ for sandwich coke fries and pickle... Smoked meat has no taste . Go to Schwartz wait in line u will love your smoked meat much more there... read more

The smoked meat here is excellent and moist. It almost tastes like it's been cooked sous-vide (which obviously it hasn't, but it has that texture.) The vinegary cole slaw is excellent. The service is good. My only warning is the primary flavoring for the meat here is clove: much more clove-y than its competitors. If you do not like clove, this is not the place for you. If you do, it's one of the top options in the city. read more

Lester's is a decent alternative to the other place if you can't be bothered with the long wait. The smoked meat is above average. Also ordered the smoked salmon and poutine. Smoked salmon was really good. Came here with my family. They gave my kids toys to keep them entertained and happy. They even hung out with is giving us the fake mustard treatment. Overall very friendly place. Easy to communicate (English) and good alternative for smoked meat if you can't wait for the other place. Oh the decor and plethora of old things on the wall was cool read more

I thought it was all great until I got to the cash register. $19 for a smoked meat sandwich, a very small order of fries, a pickle cut into four pieces and a mediocre coffee? SERIOUSLY? read more

When it comes to Montreal smoked meat, Schwartz's seems to get the most publicity. Lester's is far better in my opinion and is a much friendlier experience. It's a family business that treats their customer's like family. The smoked meat, brisket sandwich, club sandwich and all the sides are second to none. Next time you want smoked meat, you should definitely give Lester's a try. read more

Before I start let me say I am a Montreal Jewish Deli aficionado, having eaten at every single one in the city. And out of the "big three", Schwartz's, The Main and Lesters; Lesters comes in third place out of maybe 10 deli's I consider good (with Chennoys in the West Island being the WORST). That is not to say it is bad, the meat is quite good. Service is all right too, the counter girl is charming, friendly and made amusing jokes. that made my day. UPDATE 2016: I came back and was content with my meal the 4th time around. And, the Charming counter girl filled up my water bottle "on the house" on a 90 degree summer day. It was very nice of her! Lester's is aight. read more

I was hoping for more. It wasn't bad by any stretch... Just not what I was hoping for. Probably won't bother going back with so many other options in the area. read more

Yo, the smoked meat, fries, and pickle is like, pretty damn good! Put some vinegar on those fries. Lovely area.

Great find for a cheap, quick but authentic deli lunch. I had smoked turkey and Poutine. Yum!!

Although this great deli is a hike from the Outremont metro station, it was a delightful walk through a nice neighborhood. And what a delicious treat awaited us when we finally arrived! Don't let the lack of ambiance scare you away; this is a small Jewish deli that has been in the same family for 62 years. Not large, but cozy. The smoked meat on rye is what this is all about! Add plenty of delicious pickles, perfectly cooked fries, and a cold beer and you are in heaven! Took the 80 bus to the metro and got back to our downtown hotel in no time. Well worth the trip! read more

It's fun to go to a deli once in a while..Lester's has that great diner feeling and the service is quick and efficient! The food is good and is what it is expected to be..However, unfortunately, it is WAY overpriced!! Great cherry cokes too:) read more

My first Montreal smoked meat sandwich experience was at Schwartz's and honestly, I don't think anything will and could ever top that. I woke up hungover and craving smoked meat this morning and live in Mile End (on Avenue du Parc) so didn't feel like trekking over to Schwartz's. After doing some quick searching, I read about Lester's. You can't really compare the two in my opinion. The ambience and even the main sandwich itself are both so different from each other at either location. What I can say is that the man who served me (I was the only customer there at 8:30 in the morning; I assume he was the owner but forgot to ask, was too focused on getting my food!) was extremely friendly and willing to cater to my every need. I liked the sandwich and personally the bread here was softer and warmer than at Schwartz's if I MUST make any comparison at all. The man was so nice that I decided to give them more of my business and ordered some meat to go--extra fatty--which tastes amazing heated up at home! He gave me very specific instructions to BATHE the meat in hot water, NOT boil it! I will be back. Can't be eating smoked meat every day but I will definitely swing by again the next time I need a fix. read more

Lester's Deli - Offered me the paper (in English, as he could tell immediately that it was my native tongue haha) the second I walked through the door. - Delis Near Me - Outremont, Quebec

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As they say, "do as the Romans do", well you want to eat good smoke meat, "do as the Jewish do". Located in Montreal's Jewish neighbourhood, Lester's is Montreal's finest when it comes to smoke meat. read more

get the pastrami or reuben! soooo good....I go every time I'm in MTL. read more

Review for airport location. Super nice employees but nothing was available except for 2 items and neither was good.

The roast beef/brisket poutine is the best poutine and best smoked meat in Montreal! Love this place. AND you don't have to stand in line for a half hour! The owner is really friendly too; he gave my 4 year old a toy each time we came. read more

This is a quaint little deli which serves fantastic smoked meat sandwiches!! I enjoyed the old school interiors of the place and had a fun time looking over the extensive collection of novelty tin boxes they have. The old school theme is carried rt till the end when the bill arrives - an actual handwritten receipt! We ordered the smoked meat sandwich with beer. The sandwich is really almost 3 inches of meat bookended by bread slices. The bread is nothing special, but the meat is delicious. They had a special on beer, sort of happy hours so that was a bonus. Overall, worth the trek to an area out of the tourist zone. Walk around the neighborhood too if you get the chance. Peaceful and pretty. read more

We fell in love with this establishment immediately. The decor was unpretentious, a real place that has managed to stay authentic over the decades. Oh, and the food. Absolutely delicious brisket sandwich. I can't decide whether my wife's brisket was better than my corned beef, but suffice to say, we loved both. read more

Lester's been a Montreal institution for a long time and it the lesser known of Montreal's 2 smoked-meat institutions (along with Schwartz). You can have the "special medium-lean" which consists of a Smoked meat sandwich on rye bread, french fries, a Pickle and a drink or any of the items on its big menu posted on the wall. The staff is friendly and will make sure you're always a happy customer. You can never go wrong with Lester's! read more

It had been nearly 40 years since my last visit to Montreal. With a clear recollection of the fuss made over smoked meat, I needed to check it out. So a Google search of best smoked meat got me to Lesters for lunch. Sat outside and ordered smoked meat sandwich. Wife had a bagel/smoked salmon sandwich. The smoked meat sandwich was amazing. This is not just a variation on corned beef or pastrami. The flavoring, tenderness and overall scrumptious sandwich was unique. My wife got quickly tired of my kvelling over how good this was. Sadly she wants to try many other Montreal food choices. I would be happy just to go to Lesters. read more

First of all, I'm a native Montrealer who lived for years on the plateau and Outremont which by default makes me an expert when it comes to smoked meat. Whenever the craving hits, I head for Lester's and have been doing so for over 40 years. By far, this is the best smoked meat (and fries) in Montreal, period. Billy along with his family and crew are gracious and friendly hosts and it's always delightful to see them. If a late night snack is what you want, the second best is the Main Steakhouse on Saint Laurent and Schwartz's is way, way down on the list. read more

The smoked meat sandwich had good flavor. Unfortunately it's about the size of my fist, soggy and very very very overpriced. The service wasn't spectacular. I only had time for one deli during my trip, I'm sorry I chose this one. read more

Went to Schwarz yesterday....Lesters today So no real comparison.... Meat at Lesters much more tender..bread better. I wish I could eat this once a week Cole slaw....fabulous Oh. No waiting Go to Lesters...enough said. read more

Must try this place, I went twice in one day. The owner took ordered for us, and suggested what we should eat as first timers. The neighborhood nice very quiet and safe, it is in a residential area, very easy to find parking. We ate, putting fries, a hot dog and the smoke meat sandwich. Just to die for. Love it!! read more

This is one of THE BEST local diners I've ever visited! It's a family-owned place with a legacy in Montreal -- and that's clear from the moment you step in. Artifacts and fun, kitschy things all over the walls. Kind, friendly, patient servers & an owner that will have you laughing the whole time! Now..... the smoked meat.... was AMAZING! There are no words! This is a MUST for anyone visiting Montreal... or living there... or nearby... or hours away... just GO! It's THAT good!!! read more