Main Deli Steak House

Main Deli Steak House, also known as Main Deli or The Main, was a family-run delicatessen and steakhouse on Saint Laurent Boulevard in Montreal, Quebec. Established in 1974 by Peter Varvaro Sr., the restaurant became part of the competitive and highly visible smoked-meat culture of Montreal’s Main, operating directly across the street from Schwartz’s Montreal Hebrew Delicatessen. Its identity was built around Montreal-style smoked meat prepared from whole beef briskets. The briskets were cured in brine with a house spice mixture that included black pepper, garlic, coriander, mustard seed and other seasonings associated with Montreal steak preparation. They were then smoked and steamed before being sliced and served. Peter Varvaro Sr. emphasized that the restaurant’s character depended not only on the seasoning but also on the smoking and cooking process, which shaped the meat’s texture and flavor. The restaurant’s menu extended beyond its signature smoked-meat sandwiches. It was also associated with smoked-meat poutine, a smoked-meat burger and coleslaw, with Peter Varvaro Sr. reportedly preparing many elements by hand. Main Deli developed a loyal local following and was frequently compared with Schwartz’s. Although Schwartz’s attracted larger tourist crowds and became a globally recognized Montreal food destination, some Montreal customers considered Main Deli more traditional and less tourist-oriented. The restaurant’s regular clientele included public figures such as Stanley Lewis, Leonard Cohen and Céline Dion, according to accounts summarized in the restaurant’s reference material. Main Deli remained connected to the Varvaro family after its founding. Two of Peter Varvaro Sr.’s children later operated independent deli restaurants in Montreal’s suburbs using their father’s smoked-meat recipe: Philip Varvaro operated Delibee’s, while Peter Varvaro Jr. operated Smoke Meat Pete. Smoke Meat Pete received the Montreal Gazette’s annual Best Montreal Sandwich Award in 2001, an accolade that Main Deli itself did not receive despite maintaining a strong reputation among Montreal diners. Following Peter Varvaro Sr.’s death, the Varvaro family sold the restaurant in 2013. Under the subsequent ownership, reported changes included no longer smoking the meat in-house, removing coleslaw from the menu and raising prices. These changes were associated with a perceived decline in food quality and a weakening of the restaurant’s original proposition. Main Deli ultimately closed in May 2023. Accounts of its closure identified several overlapping pressures: the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on Montreal restaurants, prolonged construction on Saint Laurent Boulevard and rising operating costs linked to food inflation. The closure ended the operation of a long-standing Montreal smoked-meat establishment, although the Varvaro family’s broader deli legacy continued through related family businesses.

Main Deli Steak House was established in Montreal in 1974 by Peter Varvaro Sr. The restaurant operated on Saint Laurent Boulevard, a street strongly associated with Montreal’s food, immigrant and entertainment cultures. From its early years, Main Deli developed a specialized identity around Montreal-style smoked meat and combined the functions of a delicatessen and steakhouse. The restaurant’s smoked meat was prepared from whole beef briskets. The briskets were cured in brine and seasoned with a proprietary mixture based on ingredients such as black pepper, garlic, coriander and mustard seed. They were smoked in the restaurant and then steamed until ready to serve. According to descriptions attributed to Peter Varvaro Sr., the technique used to smoke and cook the meat was at least as important as the seasoning formula in producing the finished flavor and texture. This preparation helped distinguish Main Deli from an ordinary sandwich shop and made smoked meat the center of its culinary reputation. Main Deli was located directly across Saint Laurent Boulevard from Schwartz’s Montreal Hebrew Delicatessen. The proximity of the two restaurants encouraged constant comparison. Both were recognized for Montreal smoked meat, but they occupied somewhat different positions in the public imagination. Schwartz’s drew substantial tourist traffic and became an internationally known Montreal attraction, while Main Deli was often described as having a more local and traditional atmosphere. Some Montreal patrons preferred Main Deli’s food and regarded it as less affected by tourism, even though Schwartz’s generally received greater visitor attention and more formal acclaim. The restaurant’s menu included smoked-meat sandwiches as well as smoked-meat poutine, a smoked-meat burger and coleslaw. The family’s approach emphasized manual preparation, with Peter Varvaro Sr. reportedly making many components himself. The restaurant also acquired a notable clientele. Accounts identify Stanley Lewis, Leonard Cohen and Céline Dion among its regular or prominent customers. Main Deli’s history was part of a wider Varvaro family deli tradition. After learning the family business, two of Peter Varvaro Sr.’s children opened their own establishments in Montreal’s suburbs. Philip Varvaro operated Delibee’s, and Peter Varvaro Jr. operated Smoke Meat Pete. The latter restaurant won the Montreal Gazette’s Best Montreal Sandwich Award in 2001. Main Deli itself never won that recurring award, which was commonly associated with Schwartz’s, but it remained a recognized participant in Montreal’s smoked-meat rivalry. Peter Varvaro Sr. died before the family sold Main Deli in 2013. The restaurant continued under new ownership, but accounts described a deterioration in the qualities associated with its earlier period. The meat was reportedly no longer smoked in-house, coleslaw was removed from the menu and prices increased. These changes were interpreted by some observers as evidence that the business had moved away from its original preparation methods and value proposition. Main Deli closed in May 2023. The closure was attributed to several pressures rather than to a single event. Montreal’s restaurant sector was affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, while ongoing construction on Saint Laurent Boulevard disrupted access and the surrounding commercial environment. Rising food and operating costs further challenged the restaurant. Its closure marked the end of a nearly five-decade operation and removed one of the long-standing establishments from the city’s famous smoked-meat corridor.

• 2023

  Main Deli closes

  [1]Main Deli Steak Houseen.wikipedia.org

  The restaurant closes in May after pressures associated with the pandemic, Saint Laurent Boulevard construction and increasing costs.

• 2013

  The Varvaro family sells the restaurant

  [1]Main Deli Steak Houseen.wikipedia.org

  Following Peter Varvaro Sr.’s death, the Varvaro family sells Main Deli to new ownership.

• 2001

  Smoke Meat Pete wins Best Montreal Sandwich Award

  [1]Main Deli Steak Houseen.wikipedia.org

  Peter Varvaro Jr.’s related restaurant, Smoke Meat Pete, receives the Montreal Gazette’s annual Best Montreal Sandwich Award, extending the Varvaro family’s presence in Montreal’s smoked-meat tradition.

• 1974

  Main Deli is established

  [1]Main Deli Steak Houseen.wikipedia.org

  Peter Varvaro Sr. establishes Main Deli Steak House on Saint Laurent Boulevard in Montreal.

A traditional, family-run Montreal delicatessen and steakhouse centered on house-prepared smoked meat and local Main Boulevard identity.

• Signature prepared meat · 1974

  Montreal-style smoked meat

  Main Deli’s defining product was Montreal-style smoked meat made from whole beef briskets. The meat was cured in brine, treated with a house spice mixture featuring ingredients such as black pepper, garlic, coriander and mustard seed, smoked and then steamed. The restaurant’s founder regarded the smoking and cooking process as central to the product’s flavor and texture.

• Deli sandwich · 1974

  Smoked-meat sandwich

  The smoked-meat sandwich was the restaurant’s principal customer-facing expression of its house preparation. Sliced Montreal-style smoked meat formed the core of the offering and connected Main Deli to the city’s well-known rivalry among smoked-meat institutions. The sandwich was served in a traditional delicatessen setting on Saint Laurent Boulevard.

• Poutine

  Smoked-meat poutine

  Main Deli was also known for a smoked-meat version of poutine. The dish combined the restaurant’s signature prepared meat with a distinctly Quebecois comfort-food format, broadening the menu beyond the classic deli sandwich while retaining smoked meat as its central ingredient.

• Burger

  Smoked-meat burger

  The smoked-meat burger was another menu item built around Main Deli’s core specialty. It adapted the restaurant’s smoked meat to a burger format and gave customers an alternative to the traditional sandwich without abandoning the flavor profile that defined the establishment.

• Side dish · 1974

  Coleslaw

  Coleslaw was associated with Main Deli’s earlier menu and was reportedly prepared by the founder along with other food items. It was later removed after the restaurant changed ownership, becoming one of the reported examples of the shift away from the original menu.

• 2023

  Closure of the Saint Laurent Boulevard restaurantStrategy

  Background

  The business faced pandemic-related disruption, prolonged construction around Saint Laurent Boulevard and increasing food and operating costs.

  Action taken

  Main Deli ceased operations in May 2023.

  Aftermath

  The closure ended the restaurant’s nearly five-decade presence in Montreal’s smoked-meat district.

  Source

• 2013

  Sale to new ownershipM&A

  Background

  The Varvaro family sold Main Deli after the death of founder Peter Varvaro Sr.

  Action taken

  Ownership transferred from the founding family to new operators.

  Aftermath

  Subsequent accounts reported that the meat was no longer smoked in-house, coleslaw was removed and prices rose, with a perceived decline in food quality.

  Source

1. 1Main Deli Steak Houseen.wikipedia.org