I walked into Snowdon Deli on a slow Wednesday afternoon — all the better for me, since there’s often a line for a table. Standing at the counter, I placed my order: a bagel with lox and knishes. Then, I found a seat at a classic diner booth, choosing the booth hidden in the corner. Soon enough, Hart Fishman comes around with my food. He’s one of the co-owners and grandson of Phil Morantz, who founded the restaurant in 1946 with his brothers Joe and Abe.
Snowdon Deli has occupied the same space on 5265 Décarie Boulevard since its opening, Hart tells me. The clientele is usually a mix of older regulars who have been frequenting the restaurant for decades and know the owners by name and tourists to Montreal who want an authentic Jewish deli experience. The decor is reminiscent of a typical mid-century diner, with paper placemats and condiment bottles on every table. It isn’t a kosher establishment, but the menu features classic shtetl Jewish dishes like chopped liver, karnatzel, and gefilte fish, as well as local specialties like poutine and smoked meat sandwiches.
I’ve been to Snowdon nearly a dozen times since moving to Montreal in 2024. I order something new every time, and I’m still nowhere near having tried it all; their menu is huge! For all of you craving some deli fare, I’ve compiled a list of my personal favourites (in no particular order):
Smoked meat
I first came across Snowdon during a smoked meat crawl across the city, and since then, it has become my go-to for this Montreal staple. I find their product very consistent, with the right amount of juiciness and flavour. Old-fashioned style is the way to go – a thicker slice with more fat. I know people swear by other famous restaurants, but when I bring out-of-towners for their first-ever taste of smoked meat, Snowdon is always where I go.
Brisket platter
Sure, the hot brisket sandwich is good, but if you’re hungry, I’d definitely recommend ordering their brisket platter, which comes on a huge plate, smothered in rich and slightly tangy gravy, along with bread and your choice of side (I got the home fries). The meat is tender, well marinated, and just oh-so-good.
Chicken soup with kreplach
It was honestly a toss-up between matzo ball soup and this one, but I had to give the edge to kreplach since they just aren’t as common. I have no idea what they put in these dumplings, but biting into one of them unleashes the flavour of home cooked sweet and savoury spices. Combine that with the salty broth, and you hit perfection.
Smoked salmon benny
A combination of two classic dishes, this is an eggs benedict with a generous helping of lox and a bagel substituted for the traditional English muffin. The rich, velvety Hollandaise blankets the lox, warming it up and blending its flavours with the sauce, making for a perfect pairing. The bagel, sourced from R.E.A.L Bagel, is filling but not stodgy, anchoring the entire dish. Order it before 3:00 pm, because even though the restaurant is technically open until 6:00 by way of the deli counter, breakfast items stop being served once table service ends.
Meatballs
Not your typical deli fare, but Snowdon’s Sweetish™ meatballs are based on a family recipe and a guilty pleasure of mine. The meatballs rest in a sugary, tomato-based sauce and are complemented perfectly by kasha and bowties.
So, there you have it – my non-exhaustive list of suggestions. But no matter what you order, you can’t go wrong with Snowdon Deli. The staff are friendly, the atmosphere is inviting, and you feel like you’re experiencing a part of Montreal’s history. In a sense, its history is contemporaneous with the evolution of Montreal and its Jews. When the restaurant first opened, the area was on the outskirts of town (Côte Saint-Luc was farmland back then) — but as the city grew with the postwar boom and more Jews moved into the area from the Plateau and Mile End, so did Snowdon Deli. It’s thanks to these early patrons and their children, who gave the deli a loyal fanbase, that Snowdown Deli will celebrate its 80th anniversary this year.
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