Cosmos Snack Bar

I find the place dirty… grease everywhere, I also didn’t like the fact they handled the money and food, I never saw them wash there hands.

I came to Cosmos twice about 10 years ago and I always swore that I was going to come back, because it was excellent back then for breakfast and the owner, his camaraderie, his food left a lasting impression on me. I did not realise he is no longer with us, but I am sure his spirit lives in this diner. I am very glad to see this diner still thriving. I like sitting up at the bar and eating epic breakfast food. Still has that great neighborhood feel here.
The fried potatoes are incredible here and the Mishmash is off the hook. It has eggs, cheese, potatoes, pepperoni, sausage, peppers, diced tomatoes and whatever else they may have had laying around, etc all scrambled together… a perfect meal of it’s own.
If you are vegan don’t even bother, there is nothing for you except maybe the coffee… or just convert, once you have this bacon and sausage you will kick the kale aside !
Can’t wait to come back again… don’t change a thing, please.

Top food. Fresh food. Unique atmosphere. The best coffee shop in town with amazing fried potatoes.

I eat here almost every day. If I get there early in the morning I enjoy a Creation with double salami — the perfect egg sandwich to start my day. If I go later on, or after work, I get a cheeseburger with salami on it. Okay, I get 2 cheeseburgers, I can’t lie. Feels like a dysfunctional family dinner. Feels like home.

«I’m the best!» Yells the man behind the counter as he flips absurd amounts of meat and potatoes and eggs. And it’s true. he is the best. The mish mash. the grilled breakfast with three easy over eggs and four kinds of meat and those delightful potatoes. Oh my goodness. It was delicious. I came with my family, and everyone left with a huge smile on their face. the coffee was tasty, the sourdough toast was scrumptious… couldn’t have been happier with our meal. drove to Montréal from California and this was one of the best meals we had along the way. It’s a very scenic restaurant with a great feeling. I wish i had gone to school at McGill so I could get drunk and have cosmos for breakfast the next day. Wow. Cosmos gave me memories that I will keep for a long time and a standard by which to compare all other breakfasts. I love you.

Good small place, French toasts are tasty, the mish mash is delicious, owner is very kind, price is reasonable.

Cosmos is one of NDG’s most famous restaurants and it is known for being one of the best greasy spoons in the area. Located at 5843 Sherbrooke O, it is right down my street however, it took me five years to FINALLY see why it is such a popular spot.
It is a very small space which seats about 11 people. I was lucky to have my friend save me a spot because about five minutes after I got there, all of the seats were taken and people were standing in a line that went out of the building. You can also sit at the few tables they have set up outside.
The Creation
My friend and I both got «The Creation» sandwich which consists of an egg, salami, lettuce, tomato and cheese. It was absolutely delicious. Cosmos has any type of bread you would like– The Globe and Mail stated «[Cosmos] offered 15 types of bread. It was once estimated that Mr. Koulakis went through 25 loaves of rye, kimmel and black Russian bread a day, and fried 20 dozen eggs and 25 pounds of bacon every day, too.» The service is VERY fast. The Creation also comes with a side of hash brown potatoes which are equally as delicious. When I first saw the Creation, I thought it was small and that it was impossible for me to be full from just one but I was wrong. I was happily surprised at how satisfied I felt.
Cosmos is also known for their «MishMash» omelette which is bacon, four eggs, ham, sausage, salami, tomatoes, onions and cheese, all fried in margarine. I will definitely be going back to try it.
Cosmos is so well known, that Ezra Soiferman did a documentary on the late Tony Koulakis called «Man of Grease». To watch the trailer, please watch it on Vimeo.
The famous Epic Meal Time guys even stopped by Cosmos to make a burger! Watch the video on youtube or read The Gazette’s article.
June 22 of this year will mark the two year anniversary of Tony’s death. The events surrounding his homicide made numerous headlines along with questions about whether or not the restaurant would ever reopen. However, there was no way his family members would allow the restaurant to close after Tony dedicated over 30 years of his life to the business. I wish I had gone to Cosmos when Tony was still around– he seemed like a very happy, friendly and passionate person. According to The Globe and Mail, «Meantime, neighbourhood homeless people, or those just down and out, were often treated to free meals, or were told to come back later. At the end of each day, leftovers were handed out, given to food banks or dumped on the forest floor near his cottage for the animals. „He used to say to me it was a sin to throw away food,“ Mr. DiMonte said.»
I would definitely recommend this restaurant to anyone in the NDG area. One customer stated on the resto’s official Facebook Page «Greatest breakfast food ever. I drive 10hrs 3x a year for it.» –Mike Paddon
It is open from 7AM– 5PM every day. To contact them, call (514) 486‑3814.

An 11 seat diner, luckily I and my guests arrived when we did because latecomers will stand around and wait for a seat. Chef/​owner is fun to watch while you sip on constantly refilled coffee. I had the Creation which is a breakfast sandwich, and chef will get back to you on bread options when he’s about to toast it. Had egg bread. Chef and younger girl who came in to sue chef bickered back and forth whilst they multi-​tasked on everyone’s orders. Lots of regulars. THE greasy spoon. Definitely will go back.

I’ve been going there about 38 years. Great funky all day breakfast.
Nick and his sister Nicky.

This has become by far my favorite breakfast place in Montréal. Pop in when it’s not busy. Order a creation sandwich, they’re so yummy and light.
At first I felt this place was a bit standoffish but after visiting the vibe from the staff/​people is so welcoming and just feels lovely. Especially when hungover and anxious and tired etc haha.
But make sure to go on a day when it’s empty. Then you get the attention and love. Weekends is a bit nuts and chaotic.

if you ever need to feel like you’re at your grandma’s for brunch, come here.
the nice old ladies serve up decent, filling, satisfying grub that cures any type of hangover or heartbreak, whatever you suffer from.
free refills of strong black coffee, good conversations with anyone and everyone there, and homebaked cookies on the house. if you’re not already stuffed.
must-​go.

Friendly, fast (when I was there) and decent greasy spoon. Love the ladies cooking up breakfast on weekday mornings!

Cosmo’s is a tasty and cheap breakfast, but damn does it take long. I love going to cosmos for a greasy breakfast but it’s tiring to have to set aside 2 hours because I don’t know how long it will take for me to get my food. If you’re thinking quick breakfast, you’re at the wrong place. Once the food is at your table, you’re set, but getting it in front of you can be an issue…

This was the first place I went to when I landed in Montréal on Monday. Lots of street parking nearby.
Now down to the food, I ordered their famous mish mash and Nick the owner made it, it is a mix of bacon, salami, ham sausages, cheese, peppers and onions with a side of homefries and toast. All I can say it is delicious! Very greasy, but hey its a greasy spoon so its expected. Coffee and tea was included. Portions were huge and after eating at cosmos I didn’t have to eat until dinner time.
The Atmosphere was great, the owner will talk to you about anything, and sometimes the conversation would turn from sports to a tale of a missing wild animal.
Overall I would definitely come back again and try their other items like the «Creation»

Excellent greasy spoon, I can see why this place has so many faithful regulars. The service is as outstanding as the food, cooked exactly how you want it just like food cooked at home would be. Every time I go I feel so welcomed, it’s like visiting my grandparent’s for breakfast.

Cosmos is what it is ! and that will never change, besides, who in their right mind would ever want such a dastardly thing ever to occur on this earth. Yes, ladies and gentleman of the jury, Cosmos is an unchanging vegetarian-​friendly Montréal institution. Situated in the leafy westside down-​home and salt-​of-​the-​earth West-​of-​the-​Main borough of Notre-​Dame-​de-​Grâce (in N.-D.-G. we call it NDG, No Damn Good, D.G. or the simple classic — The Deeg) this is where hyphenations got their big break in the 1960s! Once upon a time during an unseasonably warm November all the way back in Nineteen-​Seventy-​something … some strange Greek gentleman called Tony with a penchant for flicking cigarette ash into eggs on a griddle opened up a hole-​in-​the-​wall and the rest, as they say, is history. Yes, indeed, the late and great Tony (R.I.P.) is, was and forever will be – the man of grease as the eponymous documentary film succinctly depicts. Cosmos has, since time immemorial, been a godsend haven and sanctuary to those hungry, huddled and hungover masses. Cosmos has been a place where anybody is somebody and you’re always welcomed even if you’re a tad short or light in the pocket. Yes, folks, Cosmos is, indeed, the great equaliser! It doesn’t matter if you’re racing down the mountain from your lofty abode in Upper Westmount like a bat out of hell in your suped-​up Rolls-​Royce or if you’re walking up the hill from below the wrong side of the tracks in Saint-​Henri with your shopping cart and German Shepard in tow; you’re both equally held in the same esteem (or lack thereof when it’s busy) here and it’s first come, first served. It doesn’t matter if you come from all the way in the middle of Timbuktu on the West Island (wherever that happens to be) or if you call Hochelaga-​Maisonneuve home — at Cosmos if you’re here then damn straight you’re maître chez nous too! You’ll here that sizzle of that griddle all the same, you’ll smell the strange and exotic incense that is the intoxicating grease smoke, you’ll hear a strange and delirious man repeatedly reassuring himself with the Cosmos mantra that, yes, he is indeed — the best. «I’m the best; I’m the best.» It actually becomes true if you say it enough times; for reals. It’s true too — he is the best — and you are too, fo’sho! Take a stool, sit down, set up shoppe, let someone pour you a cuppa Giuseppe, read Le Devoir or The Gazette and relax. You order yourself a beautiful veggie Creation or a vegetarian omelette or a veggie Mish-​mash with Black Russian or Challah toast, side of potatoes and a poached egg and you really will be the best. On a side note: I’m a born and bred dyed-​in-​the-​wool-​blue-​blooded-​as-​the-​Saint-​Laurent Québécois so therefore as a casual dairy industry protectionist and as someone with taste and also as a fellow with working taste buds — I’m not the biggest fan of margarine (yes, I can believe it’s not butter and in fact I didn’t believe it was butter for a God damned second) so I like to BYOB — bring my own butter, that is. Yes, as crazy crazy hardcore insane as this craziness may sound, I do, in fact, bring my own butter and it is well worth it to portage that stick of golden butter in your pocket and smuggle it into Cosmos. Hand it discretely to your gracious host and taste the difference it makes. Yes, with real butter being used to make your Cosmos breakfast even more authentic, you really are the best and you really can taste the rainbow. Much love. Enjoy!

Best breakfast in town… and maybe the best I ever had.
This place comes highly recommended if you have a healthy appetite… not if you’re trying to lead a healthy lifestyle.
I was lucky to have a friend who owned a car when I went to school in Montréal and we would come here at least once a month.
The place is tiny and you smelled like it as you left but the breakfast was the delicious. I tried many of the items on the menu on their own and they are known for their creation (which I probably ordered the most). If you’re a first timer, a bit greedy and want to try many of the menu items, who can go for the mishmash which is a bit of everything on the menu. Interesting fact… the mishmash is extra delicious when consumed later as a leftover — I think due to the time given for the grease to marinate.
I can tell you more about their delicious home fries and extensive selection of breads but I’d rather you go and try it yourself… if your diet will allow.

Hole in the wall with big portions of good greasy breakfast food for fairly cheap price. The food really hits the spot as a post drinking morning hangover cure. I recommend the MishMash omlette, which apparently is famous around here.
Warning: it can get super crowded, and seating is pretty limited.

La quintessence du Mish Mash les autres né sont que de pâle copie.
Le Mish Mash est une omelette 3 œufs mélangé avec énergie à la quel on incorpore: légumes (oignons, tomate, poivron), viande (bacon, jambon, salami et bologne) et «fromage jaune»!
ATTENTION plus de 2000 calories avec les patates «rissolées», toast et la confiture. Meilleur rapport colestérol /​$ de MTL garantie. À chaque bouché j’ai l’impression de sentir mes artères se bloquer. Le Cosmos offre un choix de 6 pains allant du pain blanc au pain russe noir. Tous ce plaisir pour seulement 9 $ taxe incluse.
Le menu offre aussi des déjeuners clasiques, sandwich déjeuner (un autre clasique le Création), BLT, hamburger (aussi offert en version déjeuner avec un œuf dessus), hamburger steak… mais pas de poutines… ils n’ont pas de friteuse… une chance :) car il n’y a pas d’hopital dans le coin.

J’y retourne pour le Mish Mash et les hamburgers bien gras. Pour digèrer une marche rapide d’une heure m’est nécessaire.
C’est un endroit incroyable et unique tenu par des gens sympatiques et expressifs. Mais vu la teneur élevé en colestérol la modération à bien meilleur goût :))

Pour ceux que ça intéresse !!
Le fondateur du restaurant Tony Koulakis est le personnage principal du documentaire «Man of Grease» (2000, 50m). Il est maintenant disponible en DVD. Le réalisateur Ezra Soiferman après nous avoir présenté Tony, son entourage, son resto et quelques habitués; accompagne Tony lors d’un voyage en Crète (ou il est né) à l’aube de sa refaite. Ses premières véritable vacances depuis qu’il a ouverte le Cosmos en 1967. Si vous avez la chance né manquez pas se documentaire très divertissant, Tony est tout qu’un personnage… Il y a une bande annonce sur Vimeo :))

I don’t understand the hype and folklore around this place.
Normally, I love whole-​in-​the-​wall greasy spoons, and this place certainly looks the part. The only problem is that food kind of sucks.
There is nothing exceptional about their greasy spoon breakfasts. Everything is rushed together, and regardless of what you order, your plate is nothing more than a blend of browns and yellows.
That, and the staff behind the counter handle money and your food at the same time. So that kind of grossed me out.

This is the ultimate greasy spoon indeed. Came here on recommendation from some old friends in Montréal and they did not disappoint!
It’s literally a greasy spoon diner/​café, so if you’re expecting anything else or an experience beyond that, you’re going to be heavily disappointed.
Prices are great and the food really hits the spot. Probably even more so if you come here the morning after a night of heavy drinking.
It’s tiny so getting a seat can be difficult, but they move fast so you don’t have to wait long if it’s a full house. Service is direct (some might find it blunt) but it is friendly.
Food is delicious and the overall vibe is just perfect for grabbing some coffee and a delicious omelette to get the day started.