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| - I'm was a Montrealer for 40 years, and I'm now an American. I hadn't had smoked meat in about 10 years. I was visiting Montreal for work, and on consecutive days I ate at Lester's (first) and at Schwartz's the very next day. I'm sorry to say I have to "profane the sacred name": Schwartz's sucks.
Lester's meat was moist, correctly and adequately spiced and smoke flavor was low, but it was there. Schwartz's meat was of lower quality, inadequately spiced to the point of blandness, and even though I ordered a medium, was very fat. I tasted no smoke flavor at all. It was really second rate smoked meat.
Schwartz's sour pickle was very good though, I must say. (I didn't have a pickle at Lester's.)
Lester's was not at all crowded and service was very good. Schwartz's service was also very good, but it was crowded and as usual I had to share the table I was at. I didn't mind sharing, because I like talking to people. (But I talked to people in Lester's too, without being crowded.)
Schwartz's looks like it caters to tourists and ex-Montrealers and anyone that doesn't know better. Schwartz's has history, but not quality. I'll be visiting Montreal again in a month and I'll go to Lester's, but not Schwartz's.
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