Wilensky's Light Lunch Inc

Since 1932, this little snack bar in the Mile End neighborhood has been serving the same simple sandwiches that have become a local staple and must-try for any visitor. Sure, you can order a couple of hot dogs with a milkshake or sides of sour pickles and karnatzel dried beef, but what’s been drawing crowds here for decades is the Special: an all-beef grilled salami and bologna sandwich on a roll with mustard, and the option of adding cheese. Family-run Wilensky’s has some hard rules written on the wall: when ordering the Special, they won’t cut it in half, and the roll always comes with mustard, so don’t bother asking them to change their classic ways.

Family-owned since its opening in 1932, the place is famous for its extremely cheap snacks, no-nonsense approach, and retro decor. Pressed tin ceiling, Kik Cola clock, ring-up cash register, old-fashioned soda fountain—this place sometimes feels like a time warp or, at the very least, a museum. Perhaps what makes Wilensky’s so special is, incidentally, the Special ($3.90): “All-beef salami with all-beef baloney grilled to mouth-watering perfection on a tasty roll with a hint of mustard.” But don’t try to change anything in it—the owner, Ruth, will not have it.

This Mile End casse-croûte, immortalized by Mordecai Richler in The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz, is as old school as they come. Sidle up to the legendary lunch counter where rolls are pressed on 70-some-year-old grills, drinks are mixed with a vintage soda fountain, and bills are settled on a ring-up register. Noshes include hot dogs and beef karnatzels, but the real draw is the Wilensky Special—a flat bologna and salami sandwich served with a set of rules: Patrons can add swiss or Kraft cheese, but may be levied a fee for going mustard-free.

Richler's career-making novel, The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz, was made into a movie that was partly shot at Wilensky's Light Lunch. Sharon Wilensky, whose father, Moe, was the restaurant's founder, told me he appeared in the film as "Sid," the assistant to the actor playing his fictionalized self.

Hardly anything has changed since they opened back in 1932 and in this case, that’s a damn good thing. There’s no sense in ordering anything here but the Wilensky special; a fried bologna sandwich so good it has its own Wikipedia entry.

And sometimes breakfast is lunch when you’ve eaten at Joe Beef the night before—which is when you go to Wilensky’s Light Lunch for a Wilensky Special. The special is bologna and salami on a cornmeal roll with mustard, and it has remained unchanged since 1932. I sat at the counter and washed it down with some grape soda while chatting with Sharon Wilensky, daughter of the founding patriarch, who was not the strict arbiter of the Law of Wilensky I had heard about (thou shalt not ask for a sandwich without mustard) but was in fact delightful and suggested some wintry things to do in Montreal, like zip-lining and a big dance party down by the docks—which, for a person who hates being cold and suffers from social anxiety, sounded terrifying.

Why You Need To Go: Named one of the world's best sandwiches by Travel and Leisure magazine, the Wilensky Special proves that best does not always equal most expensive. Created by the restaurant's founder, Moe Wilensky, in 1932, the sandwich is a simple yet perfectly satisfying combination of grilled salami, bologna and mustard served on a roll. While this sandwich is a priceless Montreal icon — having been featured in everything from The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz to Anthony Bourdain's Parts Unknown — it'll cost you under $5 to try ($5.01 if you add cheese).

When ordering a Special,you should know a thing or two.It is always served with mustard;it is never cut in two.Don’t ask us why; just understandthat this is nothing new.This is the way that it’s been donesince 1932. Wilensky’s is sort of an institution in the Mile-End. Family-owned since the opening in 1932, the place is famous for its cheap snacks, yes, but also for the Wilensky’s Special ($3.90): “all-beef salami with all-beef baloney grilled to mouth-watering perfection on a tasty roll with a hint of mustard”.

Between the soda fountain, retro green paint and no-tipping policy, eating at Wilensky’s is like stepping back in time. Even the signature sandwich—grilled beef salami, beef bologna and a generous schmear of mustard on a cornmeal-covered kaiser bun—has remained the same since the luncheonette first opened in 1932. Addictive flavours aside, it’s that adherence to tradition that makes this iconic Montreal restaurant an essential attraction for foodies from around the world.

The legendary Wilensky’s has been open since 1932 in the heart of Mile End. The Jewish deli has the signature sandwich, the Wilensky Special, which is an egg bread with all-beef salami with all-beef baloney grilled with a hint of mustard. This great taste comes with some rules, the first is that cannot ask for the sandwich without yellow mustard and you cannot ask it to be sliced in half.

The Wilensky Special is undoubtedly one of Montreal’s most iconic dishes. Since it opened in 1932, Wilensky’s has been adamant about the way it’s served and eaten; in fact, it’s written in big letters on the wall behind the counter: “There’s something you should know before you order: the Special is never without mustard, is never cut. Don’t ask any questions, it’s all for the best.

Walk by Wilensky's around lunch time any day of the week and you will see the place packed with people chowing down on fried salami and bologna sandwiches at the counter. You can add either Swiss or cheddar cheese to yours if you like, but know that it is only served with mustard otherwise, and it is never cut in two. That’s just the way it is done, and has been since 1932.

Wilensky’s, formerly Wilensky’s Light Lunch Inc., is a well-known family-run Jewish deli that has been doing things the old-fashioned way since 1932. They are perhaps most famous for their grilled beef salami and bologna sandwich with mustard on a kaiser roll and pressed flat on the grill. The mustard is compulsory, as a sign in the historic deli announces.

Set inside a quaint corner store, Wilensky's can be easy to miss.This Montr—al favorite has been serving sandwiches to hungry diners since 1932. The classic sandwich is simple but oh-so-tasty: slices of bologna and salami on a hard-to- categorize bun, with mustard. You can get cheese on that, but otherwise your options are pretty limited.

This lunch counter is better known as just “Wilensky’s” and is located in the Mile End neighbourhood. It is famous for its “Wilensky’s Special”, a pressed sandwich of grilled beef salami and beef bologna in a Kaiser roll with mustard. Don’t ask for substitutions: they’ve been serving it the same way for over 80 years without compromise.

For no nonsense cheap snacks in Montreal, head over to Wilensky’s. This family-owned diner opened in 1932 and is kind of an institution in Montreal. If you do find yourself in the Mile End area, we highly recommend the Wilensky Special: a sandwich made with all-beef salami and all-beef bologna with mustard, grilled on a roll ($4.09).

Located just down the street from Parc Lahaie, Wilensky’s is somewhat of an institution in Montreal. This classic, family-operated soda fountain & Jewish deli has been whipping up grilled sandwiches since 1932!. Snap a few pictures outside the iconic exterior before heading inside to grab lunch to go!

Wilensky’s Light Lunch, known better as Wilensky’s, is a kosher-style lunch counter in Montreal. Since 1932, Wilensky’s has been serving its famous special: an all-beef salami and all beef-bologna sandwich topped with mustard. With no modifications of the special allowed, the service is quick.

The thought that comes to mind when you step through the doors here is “time travel.” Every year that Wilensky’s adds to its history, the more devoted people become to it’s remaining exactly as-is. The interior is spare and so, well, 1952. That’s when it moved to this locale, though…

But make sure to pull up a stool at Wilensky’s, a hole in the wall hangout since 1932. Rumour has it that Anthony Bourdain loves this joint, and a must try is their “Wilensky Special” — a grilled beef salami and beef bologna sandwich with “compulsory” mustard.

A humble establishment, Wilensky’s Light Lunch is a historical spot with a no frills menu, counter seating, and no plates. Oh, I forgot about the rules: No tipping and pay when served. I came for the Wilensky Special because that’s what you get.

If you’re looking for a light lunch in Montreal, there’s no better place than Wilensky’s. This long-running and historic Montreal luncheonette is a family run business which has been serving diners since 1932.

Wilensky’s was started in 1932 by Moe Wilensky, who just wanted a place where people could grab good, simple food without any fuss.