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A Montreal smoked meat deli with Texan inspirations

At Aylwin Deli, Montreal’s most sacred sandwich gets a smoky twist as brisket traditions meet barbecue technique.

J.P. Karwacki

J.P. Karwacki

August 18, 2025- Read time: 5 min
A Montreal smoked meat deli with Texan inspirationsAylwin Deli is applying its barbecue know-how to the briskets that make up Montreal’s most sacred sandwich. | Photography by Philip Tabah / @phlop

It's a rich smell: Deep, peppery bark of properly smoked brisket cutting through the usual Atwater Market mix of fresh produce and weekend crowds.

Follow it past the cheese vendors and flower stalls, all the way to the far end where you'll find Antoine Bériault doing something that should probably be impossible: making Montreal smoked meat that offers its own retooling of the places a city native's grandfather swore by.

Aylwin Deli opened three weeks ago in what used to be a chocolate shop, and while Bériault is still figuring out the rhythm, the product is winning over hearts and minds.

All efficiency and honest materials, with 18 seats inside and 20 more on the terrasse next year.
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