Meat In the Middle

Have been four times and always stick to the deli side of the menu.
Always get the coleslaw and the pickles! Best I’ve had are the reuben and cuban, and the smoked meat comes close for me.
Too bad it is located so far from the office towers. If it was closer, they would have needed a much bigger space. Their sandwiches are so many cuts above Marcello’s.

I recently met my wife here for a midday meal. Being well before the typical dinner crowd, there was only one other table occupied while we were there.
The interior is your typical modern restaurant chic with a rustic wood/​industrial feel. The open kitchen displays their prep area and large smoker and the menu is on a couple chalkboards near the kitchen/​counter. We were there too early to try their BBQ chicken, so I asked the guy behind the counter whether to go with the roast pork or Montréal smoked meat sandwich. Without skipping a beat he suggested the smoked meat, so I went with that and sides of mac and cheese, and extra pickles. It turned out that they were out of rye bread, but not being a smoked meat purist fanatic, I was fine with the replacement ciabatta.
My food was brought over soon after. They sliced the meat in thick irregular hunks, instead of the typical slices and I enjoyed the texture that gave as I bit through the juicy smoked brisket. It was the perfect degree of doneness– ultra tender but not falling to pebbley pieces, juicy and with that signature Montréal smoked meat flavour. I actually ended up preferring the ciabatta over the 86’d rye — it was lighter than many ciabatta’s are, so it wasn’t too tough, but its nicely toasted crust held up much better than rye ever does. I never understand why large smoked meat sandwiches have such thinly sliced bread, as it inevitably disintegrates.
The bread crumbs on top of the mac and cheese were a bit too loose — not mixed into the cheese, or enough butter mixed in with them — but a quick stir fixed that. The lightly coloured cheese sauce packed a great flavour and the macaroni was cooked perfectly — supple, but not undercooked. My three hefty pickles spears made for a nice contrast against the rich sandwich and Mac and cheese.
Service was friendly and prompt, and the suggestion of the smoked meat sandwich panned out extremely well.
Whether it’s rye or ciabatta, they’re doing it right at Meat in the Middle.

Just had their rib panini, soooo good! Wonderful place to have lunch or dinner. The cook in there is pretty cool.

Stopped in here for lunch on Monday after a traumatic dentist apointment. What better way to heal my aching teeth then with smoked meat. Mom and I trumped down Bank Street and after rejecting a few places just stumpled over this place, which has a neat sign and was pretty quite.
I Immediatly saw their bold claims of awesome Smoked Meat and knew what I was having. Mom tried a Cranberry Mayo Chicken and we split a side of Coleslaw and Mac and Cheese. Everything was super good! The smoked meat, while not as good as the Montréal Illuminaries (it was lean) was very respectable and the slaw and mac and cheese were great.
Great option on Bank Street.

Went to this place 3 times in the past 2 weeks for lunch. Every sandwich I’ve had so far has been delicious. Service is very friendly and eager to make sure you enjoy your meal. Looking forward to trying out their BBQ options in the evening.

I first spied this restaurant a few months ago during a pride parade, and my daughter’s boyfriend kept pointing at it emphatically with a huge grin on his face, indicating his great desire to eat at this establishment. Why? For the name alone, of course. How clever can one possible get? Unfortunately, pride tends to be a madhouse of people, so we skipped going there until a later date.
Fast forward a few months, and rewind to a few days ago, and I had the pleasure of having a light dinner there with a good friend of mine before a shopping jag. And this place is. just. fabulous.
Their specialty is fresh, in-​house roast and smoked meats, as well as BBQ. Not only do they have eat-​in menu items, you can also order their meat by weight to take home. Since moving to the Ottawa Valley region which borders Quebec, I’ve become a bit of a smoked meat snob and have grown pretty picky when it comes to its quality. Meat in the Middle doesn’t pull any punches, either. I had the smoked meat on rye sandwich as well as a kale greek salad on the side. It was extraordinarily good, tender, and not overly greasy like some of the more sloppy versions out there. I nearly wept in beef-​glee, it was so good.
The layout of the place is diner-​style, but with a more modern décor. There’s a variety of seating for both individuals, couples, and larger groups, though the place isn’t too large in itself. You order at the counter, and the lady brought out the order when it was complete.
The bathrooms are well-​kept, nice-​looking, and odorless. That’s a huge plus, too. No one wants to eat in a place with a funky bathroom.

I give the the absolute 5 star. I was on my way from montreal to Toronto and Unilocaled to find a good local food. Thanks to those wrote reviews previously.
I got the traditional smoked meat montreal. It was very lean and tasty and potato salad which was the best and a pine of local bear which I forgot. All cones with slice of dill pickle. The portion size was good enough and they were very friendly. I can not say I’ll come back again as I was traveling but definitely recommend this place.

Amazing smoked meat sandwich, terrific red potato salad (made with a fantastic garlic aioli) and a pickle. The sandwich is on Rideau Bakery rye bread — great value. Beau’s beer on tap! Picked up some smoked meat to take home and it was excellent — lunch for my son (and the family) when he was home for a break from teaching in northern Quebec — we’ll be back! Tasty!

Stopped in today during my travels and it took me forever to order because everything sounded so delicious! I finally decided on the smoked pork sandwich and it was delicious. I added on the coleslaw which was actually one of the best I’ve ever had and totally worth the extra few dollars.
My only issue was the fact that they forgot to make my order and if I hadn’t of walked back up to the counter they may have never realized. It was busy so I wasn’t entirely surprised but the friendly service made up for the wait anyways.

I’ve been three times. First time was a turkey and cranberry sauce sandwich. Second was pork. Both were excellent. I think the smoked meat on rye, which seems to be their signature dish, is as good as anything in Montréal. It’s conveniently located in the heart of the gay village. Staff are friendly. Simple down to earth décor. I plan to become a regular!

Excellent!
The Smoked Meat and Ruben sandwiches were very good. The smoked meat is done on site and is wonderful. The potato salad and coleslaw very good. I liked the dash of pesto on top.

Really. Good. Food.
We popped in after a frigid walk from the skateway to find this gem sparkling on the corner. «Used to be a Quiznos» he claimed.
I sure was glad the former franchise had made way for this delightful eat in/​take away.
The smoked pork sandwich was my choice right away. I was in heaven. One of those sandwiches that I wish never ended. Perfect balance of sauce, toppings, and of course THE MEAT! The arugula was a nice kick to the savoury flavours. Potato salad was creamy, so if you prefer creamy, don’t pass this one up. Coleslaw with its Rosemary had me rethinking what I considered good coleslaw. New fav!
You could probably spend the same amount at a McDs but leave feeling gross and guilty. Instead you can drop into «Meat in the Middle» and feel good that you’ve eaten very fresh food created by a man that produces a fine meal with respect for your hunger and high regard for quality.
Go now!

This new sandwich shop should not be judged by its sparse interior or its somewhat dour-​faced co-​owner behind the counter. They make excellent sandwiches.
My husband and I finally wandered in last Saturday and shared a Cuban and a Montréal Smoked Meat sandwich. The Cuban was out of this world: delicious pork, jalapenos, cheese and sauce (but not too much) and then the bread was grilled with cheese on the outside, so it was this crispy, flavourful delicious mess that you of which you wanted bite after bite. The Montréal smoked meat comes highly acclaimed and also doesn’t disappoint, but it’s not grilled like the Cuban. It comes on soft rye bread with carraway and the portion of smoked meat is quite generous, although not impossibly piled high like Dunn’s, so you can actually fit the sandwich in your mouth and not be charged 14.00 $ for it. Of the two, the Cuban was our fave.
They have a diverse menu and we’ll definitely back. Oh, and I should say, once we engaged the dour-​faced co-​owner behind the counter about the curious décor (a well-​hung slightly engorged Goat above the door), his face lit up and he was quite friendly. Now if I could just get my sandwich with a smile…

Incredible cuban and Reuben sandwich! Friendly staff that learnt my order after only two visits. Potato salad wasn’t to my liking but that may have been a personal taste issue. Nice ambience for a sandwich shop. I highly recommend it.

I had the smoked meat sandwich and the Cuban sandwich. Both were excellent. The smoked meat was tender and the Cuban was the best I’ve had in the city. Good, simple food. I look forward to going back and trying their sides.

Oh man this place is positively delicious! I think sandwiches might be my second favourite food (next to pizza), and I’m always on the hunt for great sandwich shops. I noticed this place while walking down Bank, and was intrigued. I thought it would be something similar to Seed to Sausage, but when I got closer, I realized it was a sandwich shop and I was thrilled. I went inside around 2 p.m. and it was petty dead, but it gave me a great view of the shop. It’s awesome. It’s pretty basic in terms of décor, but still super tasteful (it reminds me a lot of the vibe at Ministry of Coffee). There’s lots of wood, a big communal picnic table in the middle and plenty of smaller table and chairs. It’s an awesome looking space, and I could see it being a great spot for a meeting or lunch with a friend. It has a very familiar and cozy feeling while still being hip.
I got my sandwich to go, and my only complaint is that it took quite a while for my sandwich to be made. We’re talking about 10 minutes, with no other customers. Perhaps the chefs were a bit busy with post-​lunch cleanup or something like that. I was a bit irritated, especially when I saw the cost, but when I bit into that turkey-​cranberry sandwich all was forgiven. Oven roasted turkey, cooked to perfection, was piled high on amazing French bread with amazing cranberry sauce, mayo and lettuce. Yes, it sounds simple, but what made it so amazing was that every single ingredient was perfect.
I think I might have to start making a weekly pilgrimage to this place. I love the vibe, the food is amazing, and I can certainly wait a bit, and pay a bit more for something this delicious.

This place has only been open for three months and has some of the best sandwiches I have ever tasted!
We stopped in here before going to the Machine Gun Kelly concert this past Monday.
I had the Croque Monsieur Panini (Ham, Cheese and Cheese sauce on French bread) AMAZING. I have never had a croque monsieur before, and the chef pointed me towards it. I am very glad I tried it because it was amazing, there was A LOT of cheese!
My boyfriend got the cuban sandwhich (Pork shoulder, smoked Turkey, pickles, cheese and mustard) He loved it! I had a bite and I loved it too.
They smoke their meat in house and working on getting beer on tap.
If you’re looking for a quick but good bite to eat, come here!

Don’t let the parsimonious naysayers win! This place is amazing and will produce for you one of the most delicious sandwiches you have ever had the pleasure of enjoying. The sides (coleslaw or potato salad) are unlike any version of these common salad’s I’ve ever tasted… they add what appears to be rosemary and several other interesting twists.
The ingredients are insanely fresh, including their beef and bacon. Unlike other less expensive sandwich joints, they don’t stuff in the meat, however the sandwiches are still extremely filling and in a taste league of their own.
Don’t bother comparing this place to Di Rienzo’s, Ni Castro, or Sherwood, as its in a different category. A bit pricier, a bit longer of a wait, and a way different flavour and selection. In a similar league to Robz on Carling.
Definitely worth a try!

The décor was very nice, while still a lunch sandwich shop.
I ordered a sandwich and water; $ 13.00. A bit too pricey.
However, the sandwich was spectacular. It was a turkey with cranberry sauce and mayo, which you think should never be spectacular, but it truly was.
I will go back… and perhaps go for a combo deal and/​or not order a beverage. The sandwich was that good.

Wow! I stopped in here yesterday for the first time and I was pleasantly surprised. This isn’t your typical sandwich shop. The décor is subdued and there is a large eating area should you wish to eat in.
I ordered a Spicy Turkey Club combo. The combos consist of a sandwich, a dill pickle slice, a side (coleslaw or potato salad), and a can of pop. I was a little shocked by the price at first; I paid a total of 16 dollars which includes taxes and a small tip. That being said the price was totally worth it.“Meat in the Middle” is not your typical sandwich shop, it is artisan. The ingredients are really fresh and very tasty, you know they haven’t been sitting in their fridge for weeks on end. The coleslaw was really excellent and the turkey on the sandwich was nice a moist.
I will be returning to this restaurant for sure. The staff are also very friendly and were helpful to me as it was my first time ordering from «Meat in the Middle». All around I was very pleased with my experience!