Wilensky's Light Lunch is a street-food stop in Mile End, Montreal.
Wilensky's has griddled its fried bologna-and-salami Special at a nine-stool Mile End counter since 1932, an unchanging Montreal snack served with mustard.
Editorially verified July 1, 2026 by Lewis Vaughan, TableJourney editor. Source.
Tip: It comes with mustard and never cut; do not ask them to change it, that is the whole ritual.
Address: 34 Avenue Fairmount Ouest, Montreal, QC H2T 2M1
St-Viateur turns out Montreal's honey-boiled, wood-fired bagels around the clock in Mile End, sold hot by the dozen from a flour-dusted Saint-Viateur counter.
Try: Wood-fired bagel
Tip: Eat a sesame bagel while it is still warm; day-old ones are for freezing and toasting later.
Fairmount Bagel has wood-fired Montreal's oldest bagels since 1919, a 24-hour Mile End window turning out sesame and poppy rings a block from its rival.
Try: Wood-fired bagel
Tip: Buy a hot dozen and settle the Fairmount-versus-St-Viateur argument for yourself on the walk home.
Tacos Frida carves al pastor off the trompo in Saint-Henri, Montreal, onto small house-made corn tortillas for some of the city's most authentic street tacos.
Try: Al pastor tacos
Tip: Order three tacos and hit the salsa bar; the al pastor and pineapple pairing is the standout.
Schwartz's carves hand-sliced smoked meat to order on Saint-Laurent in Montreal, the counter-and-queue benchmark for the city's defining sandwich since 1928.
Try: Smoked meat sandwich
Tip: Order it medium-fat off the takeout counter and eat it standing; the deli caraway rye is not optional.
St-Viateur turns out Montreal's honey-boiled, wood-fired bagels around the clock in Mile End, sold hot by the dozen from a flour-dusted Saint-Viateur counter.
Try: Wood-fired bagel
Tip: Eat a sesame bagel while it is still warm; day-old ones are for freezing and toasting later.
Fairmount Bagel has wood-fired Montreal's oldest bagels since 1919, a 24-hour Mile End window turning out sesame and poppy rings a block from its rival.
Try: Wood-fired bagel
Tip: Buy a hot dozen and settle the Fairmount-versus-St-Viateur argument for yourself on the walk home.
La Banquise is Montreal's 24-hour poutine temple on Rue Rachel, ladling gravy and squeaky curds over fries in more than thirty over-the-top combinations.
Try: Poutine
Tip: The classic proves the kitchen; add smoked meat or guacamole once you have tried it straight first.
Ma Poule Mouillee grills charcoal Portuguese chicken to order on Rue Rachel in Montreal, its piri-piri birds and chicken poutine drawing a permanent line.
Try: Portuguese charcoal chicken
Tip: Get a half chicken with hot piri-piri to go; the tiny room has almost nowhere to sit.
