Schwartz's, also known as the Schwartz's Deli and the Montreal Hebrew Delicatessen, is a Jewish delicatessen restaurant and take-out, located on Saint-Laurent Boulevard in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It was established in 1928, by Reuben Schwartz, a Jewish immigrant from Romania. Its long popularity and reputation has led to it being considered a cultural institution and landmark in Montreal.
Offerings
thumb|Schwartz's smoked meat
Schwartz's signature dish is a smoked meat sandwich served on rye bread with yellow mustard. The meat is served by the fat content: lean, medium, medium-fat or fat. Medium and medium-fat are the most popular. Montreal writer Mordecai Richler, in his novel Barney's Version, sardonically described the spices used in the smoked meat at Schwartz's deli as a "maddening aphrodisiac" to be bottled and copyrighted as "Nectar of Judea".
Schwartz's is also credited with creating Montreal steak seasoning or Montreal steak spice when Morris "The Shadow" Sherman, a broilerman working at Schwartz's in the 1940s and '50s, began adding the deli-smoked meat pickling spices to his own rib and liver steaks. It was so popular that it was copied by other Montreal delis and steakhouses.
History
thumb|upright|People lined up out the door
Schwartz's is one of the few original delicatessen restaurants in Montreal still remaining, the others being Lester's Deli, Dunn's Famous Deli and Snowdon Deli. Other notable long-time Montreal smoked meat delicatessens, which competed with Schwartz's but have since closed include Bens De Luxe Delicatessen & Restaurant (1908–2006), The Brown Derby (1955–2000), Main Deli Steak House (1974–2023) and Quebec Smoked Meat (1950–2023). Schwartz's still prepares its smoked meat and other offerings mostly in-house, while Bens and Main Deli abandoned that in favor of ordering pre-cooked smoked meat from another company, in 1992 and 2013, respectively, a cost-saving measure that led to the decline of their food quality and likely resulted in their eventual closures.
Smoked meat fans debated whether Schwartz's or Bens had the best smoked meat sandwich. Bens thin sliced meat was piled high between rye bread, while Schwartz's offers plates of thickly cut smoked meat.
The famed Main Deli Steak House opened right across the street in 1974 and operated until 2023, becoming Schwartz's main business rival. The two restaurants were often compared against each other in their patronage and the flavours of their Montreal-style smoked meat. Perhaps because of this, a frequent customer of Main Deli said "From what I heard, many Montrealers preferred it to Schwartz's. It felt like it had more of the real traditional feel, while Schwartz's can feel kind of touristy."
When the controversial Charter of the French Language (Bill 101) became law in 1977, Schwartz's sign outside was forcibly changed from "Hebrew delicatessen" to "Charcuterie Hébraïque de Montréal". The Office québécois de la langue française (OQLF) took action against Schwartz's and other stores retailing imported kosher goods that did not meet its labelling requirements, an action perceived in the Jewish community as an unfair targeting and antisemitism. This coincided with a high-profile case brought by the OQLF against Schwartz's due to the apostrophe in the establishment's sign, which remains. Schwartz's, along with other well-known delicatessen establishments, also fought a ruling to change the name of "Smoked Meat" to "Boeuf Mariné" in order to conform to Quebec Language Law. They won the ruling by appeal by proving that if they didn't advertise "Smoked Meat" they would confuse and anger customers. A good example of this was Parti Québécois MNA Gérald Godin who himself ordered the sandwich by its English name. Under the new ruling, enacted in 1987, Smoked meat became a word in both Official languages of Canada.
Ownership
The deli has passed through several owners since its foundation:
- Reuben Schwartz (1928–1971): Founded the "Montreal Hebrew Delicatessen" in 1928. Reuben Schwartz was described by many as a bad businessman and a supposedly nasty character (boozer, gambler, womanizer) whose family could not stand him.
- Maurice Zbriger (1971–1981): A violinist and composer, Zbriger was eventually made a partner, and eventually, sole owner of Schwartz's, until his death in 1981. He took Reuben Schwartz into his home and created him 'manager for life.'
- Armande Toupin Chartrand (1981–1999): She began as a professional organizer and caretaker to Maurice Zbriger and through her service to him she was willed the delicatessen. Prior to the purchase, Dion and Angélil used to favor the Main Deli Steak House over Schwartz's.
Potential expansion
thumb|right|upright|Interior view
While the small size of Schwartz's restaurant has led to long lineups, the owners have preferred to remain since their historic establishment has proved an attraction to longtime customers and tourists, similar to Bens and Main who also refused to move, while Dunn's relocation proved controversial among its customer base since the new restaurant lacked the nostalgia of the original spot despite being larger. In the fall of 2008, Schwartz's opened a take-out location next door.
Several restaurateurs have offered to build Schwartz's as franchise operations in cities across North America, to which the owners have always refused. One of its rivals, Dunn's, had expanded via franchising with mixed success as detractors felt that this diluted the latter's once-storied brand, since smoked meat was shipped frozen from Montreal to these franchises rather than being prepared in-house. This mass-produced (factory made) smoked meat product has since become available in other supermarkets across Canada.
Recognition
In 2025, the business received a 'Recommended' designation in Quebec's inaugural Michelin Guide. Per the guide, a 'Recommended' selection "is the sign of a chef using quality ingredients that are well cooked; simply a good meal" and that the anonymous inspectors had found "the food to be above average, but not quite at [Michelin star] level."
In media
In 2006, Montreal Gazette columnist Bill Brownstein wrote the book Schwartz's Hebrew Delicatessen: The Story, published by Véhicule Press. Schwartz's has also been the subject of numerous articles in Canadian and international publications. It has also been the inspiration for a theatre production about the deli: Schwartz's: The Musical. The restaurant has been the subject of two documentary films: The Concert Man by Tony Ianzelo and Chez Schwartz by Garry Beitel.
In 2020, Schwartz's is featured in an episode of the Netflix show Somebody Feed Phil.
See also
- Bens De Luxe Delicatessen & Restaurant
- Fairmount Bagel
- Historic Jewish Quarter, Montreal
- List of Ashkenazi Jewish restaurants
- List of delicatessens
- Main Deli Steak House
- SumiLicious Smoked Meat & Deli