Yitz’s Deli & Catering

I love Yitz’s baked goods and ready to go items. The Vegetable loaf, is good and so is the Yitz’s burger.

I’ve been to Yitz’s a couple times with friends and we’ve always enjoyed the food, atmosphere, and service.
I love that they have different kinds of homemade mustard to pair with your sandwich and I absolutely love their coleslaw! You can never go wrong with their easy on the wallet lunch deals for under $ 10.00 (awesome portions as well).
One day we decided to buy a loaf of bread and my goodness, was it ever THE BEST bread I’ve ever had. EVER. Haven’t had the chance to go back for a second loaf and second assessment (in case the first time was just a good day) but will definitely do an update once I get the chance.

Having recently moved back to Toronto I am of course on the hunt for … well favorite everything. sadly this was not it. I pass Yitz’s every day on the bus and as it was a lovely day I thought I would hop off and pick up some treats… got some potato latkes and asked the BEST way to heat them… after giving me 5 options on how to do it I once again asked what his recommendation would be for the best way to do it (as I assumed he would be an expert) as those were all the ways I knew I could do it but what was the best? a blank stare was the reply… oooookay. They reheated in the convection oven ok but were just Meh and needed some serious blotting to absorb all the oil that came out of them.
Asked for some butter tarts as we all love those… well that was a major miss. When we opened the bag we knew something was off immediately. they had that weird «really old, kind of stale, maybe a little mouldy smell» to them. Tried a tiny bite to see if maybe it was the bags or if it was some strange spice smell but the crust, which may have been a shortbread style crust instead of a pie crust crust we decided that that was definitely the source of the weird smell and although the filing, which was super sticky, was not super sweet (which was good) it could not overcome the smell so off to the garbage they went.
The hunt for a good bakery continues

Great for a weekend brunch!

Very delicious food here. You walk in and the aroma of the deli meats and breads is outstanding. Service was very quick. They have a nice seating area in the back. Their kinishes are deeeelicious. Reminds me of an uptown caplanskys. However, their sandwich deals are amazing and worth the trip.

I really wanted to fall in love with this place as I live in the neighbourhood. However, the meat (tried Pastrami, Montréal Smoked Meat and Corned Beef) fell way short of basic expectations. They almost all tasted a bit rubbery and almost a bit like a deli counter meat. The saving grace was the excellent waitstaff, vintage atmosphere, the potato latkes, coleslaw, great pickles and potato salad which were amazing, though this cannot carry the weight of the whole experience.
My deli experiences range across North America at such places like Katz’s and Kenny and Ziggys in Houston to Schwartz’s in Montréal, Katz’s and Centre Street in the GTA and Katz’s in New York. So a wide variety of places to compare with.
I would go back maybe to try the other various items on the menu.

Now we keep going back to Yitz’s on most every visit to Toronto as it does have the best baked goods to sneak across the border and the deli sandwiches are great too. After the mandatory matzo ball soup which is great but probably better mid-​winter, we shared a pastrami sandwich on rye. I’d say it was a notch above both the Pickle Barrel and Shopsys, but it is obviously disputed by other reviews. But the Rugalah, Bagels, and rolls along with other goodies are what brings us a little out of the way from downtown.
Be careful that your GPS isn’t taking you to a non-​existent site in the far north of suburban Toronto. All that’s up there now is a REAL kosher restaurant where you may feel uncomfortable without a yalmukah. We made the mistake once, and while it was a unique experience, the real Yitz’s is much better!

Not a good experience for me, but it isn’t a brunch place. In fairness they are a bakery and my husband said his smoked meat sandwich was, «okay.» My fried eggs were rubbery and gross, the tomatoes were hard and tasteless, and the fries were fine at best.
The atmosphere is dark and a little dingy. The waitress was nice but not very helpful. She messed up our bill and we wound up being chased out of the restaurant by another waitress telling us we owed an additional $ 10.
Though we didn’t try it, the baked smelled fresh and yummy. So I am only reviewing brunch at Yitz’s: don’t go for brunch.

We haven’t eaten food but have stopped by to get deserts and fresh pastries. Prices are a bit expensive but you are getting the home cooked/​baked feel you would hope for.
It keeps us going back!

As previously stated in somebody elses post about Yitz’s deli being kosher, it is not. It’s an important distinction for those who keep kosher.
Thanks

Who ya gonna call when you need a lunch combo for under $ 10 on Eglington Avenue West — Yitz’s Deli… that’s who.
Wandering the streets when you suddenly realize «It’s as cold as an arctic vortex out here and I’m kinda hungry.» Means that you want warm, comfy food that fills you up and makes you fell all kinds of good.
Yitz’s was nothing to write home to your bubbe about in terms of it’s looks and service, basic marks all around, buy that Montréal Style Smoked Meat, Oy Vay!!! Piled high, cooked to perfection and in between two slices of rye bread and a mountain of coleslaw I was one happy fella.
But hold on that sandwich brought a friend, for the $ 10 lunch special I also got to have a Matzo ball soup that made my mothers meatballs look like raisins (and Mamma U does not make a small ball). The matzo ball was super tender and tasted lovely however I wasn’t really a fan of the broth. It was overly salty and tasted closer to that green/​yellow Lipton Chicken Noodle out of the packet than something freshly made with tender love and care. A good chicken soup should be the equivalent of Jewish Penicillin and cure you of all things that ale you — this soup made me thirsty.
That said, the sandwich more than makes up the difference, so make sure you stop by for one on the go. They also have a whole menu of jewish food faves (knish, etc) so I’ll be back to try the rest of this menu on for size.
Eatcrest Out!

You should see the matzos on this place. Huge. They don’t give a crap about anything, aside from how they’re all up in your soup taking up all the space, like a fat guy in a hot tub.
The ambiance is fairly sterile and they randomly have a cigar shop inside, but they make a mean sammy. Smoked meat on fresh rye with mustards on the table? What more can you ask for! And at under $ 10 with a soup at lunch, it’s a steal.
PUZZLED PEPPER: Seriously. Those matzos are too big for the damn bowl. Why not get bigger bowls?

Have a deli craving? You can settle that here.
Great everything. And — deli service. They’re at your side when you need them but won’t bug or rush you.
Fresh baked goodies at the front too. I highly recommend the challah. Unreal how fresh it is.
The funny part is they’re located right beside Russell Oliver Jewellers. I saw the man himself walking in one day LOL.
Try Yitz’s. One of the best delis in the city for sure!
MY HARD EARNED CASH FOR YITZ’s PASTRAMI — LOL

Nothing cements your single status as a semi-​young Catholic woman like sitting in a Jewish deli alone over fried latkes and listening to Dido’s «Thank you.»
If you want atmosphere, it’s definitely here from the frankfurter-​shaped menu to the comics on the walls (they have to be from the 50s or 60s). This was my first visit and I didn’t have much so I can’t fully judge this place.
Latkes were comforting on a cold night. But be warned: if you’re sitting down, you have to pay a $ 4 minimum. This would have been nice of the lady at the counter to say something before I sat down instead of deciding to take home my latkes.

This review is just for the cigar section of the deli. yes believe it or not they do sell cigars. Its more of a humidified cabinet behind the counter. They did have some accessories on display nothing out of ordinary. Prices are OK not the best but better than other for sure.
Decent selection of Cuban stuff with all the major brands being represented. The cashier was very knowledgeable and helped me in what to pick. They do accept Credit Cards so that is a plus.
The breads and other baked goods looked good though I didn’t try any.
Can be a reason to visit I guess when making a cigar purchase :)

I am being a little unfair! I hardly have any smoked meat sandwiches in Toronto. and my last Deli sandwich experience was in NYC. and in comparison eating at Yitz’s was such a disappointment!
Luckily I was here at Yitz’s when they have weekday lunch specials! For $ 9.99, choice of soup and a sandwiches/​salad/​burger…
Matzo Ball in Chicken Soup and Pastrami Sandwich
— The Matzo ball itself was ok. (not like I am an expert on that, but I ate the whole thing!) The soup based itself tasted like something from campbell. Canned soup… I don’t expect them to make everything from scratch. but tasted like canned soup. which I am an expert in!
— Pastrami was dry… the bread was dry… the smoked meat like what I get from supermarket too…
I feel like I was eating my own cooking at home instead of eating in a restaurant… Can you say that Yitz’s has a homey feel in a bad way?
Waitress here were really nice and friendly… wish the food would be better!
They accepts all credit cards!

Opening a delicatessen in Toronto can be a mug’s game. Caught between two of North America’s greatest smoked, cured meat centers in Montréal and New York, just about every Toronto deli pales in comparison.
Both Montréal and New York boast their own deli styles and cultures. You may go for the pastrami/​corned beef concoctions named after Woody Allen or featured in Rob Reiner movies, or you may prefer the luscious fatty smoked meat of Mordecai Richler’s youth. Either way you’re biting into something much bigger than a sandwich. Toronto may have recently discovered all manner of charcuterie, but we’re a new food town, especially when it comes to the heavy, meat-​laden meals that our grandparents preferred while we opted for cookstown greens and artisan goats cheese.
There are some delis that have withstood the test of time. Our family frequented Yitz’s on Avenue and Eglinton. The happy yellow sign and vintage comics/​songbooks posted along the wall promised the kind of salty meat-​goodness that growing palates love. Lightly charred hot dogs, sweet crisp cole slaw, and best of all, their own fries. Today, I’d compare them to loonies in size and color, but I’m old enough to remember when paper money actually mattered.
Yitz’s has recently fallen on hard culinary times. Several years ago Mr. Yitz hung up his red socks (I now have several pair myself, as an homage), and sold to a new owner. The food took a dive in consistency and quality, leaving me to wonder about the glowing reviews here and the state of deli in our fine city. A negative review in the Toronto Star confirmed my opinion; the corned beef was dry and texturally unpleasant.
Still, it’s close, and as a family favorite deserves a visit, at least once every few years. On this occasion, it was an unexpected pleasure.
We start with soups; the special is yellow pea. It’s rich, thickened with noodles and legumes. The peas are nicely melted, not chalky, and complimented by generous chunks of carrot. We forgo the usual matzo balls, which we find mushy, and order the new kreplach soup. The broth is made by a secret process that involves waving a chicken over the pot while dropping chicken base into the water itself, but the kreplach are light and well-​seasoned. My inner five year old approves.
My favorite part of the evening is the beef knish which arrives next. Long before a certain Mr. Caplansky began stuffing smoked meat ends into every item on his menu, Yitz blended his product into his beef knish filling. The result is addictive, super-​savory meat inside a crispy crust. You can have it with gravy, which appalls the New York and Montréal contingent at the table. Maybe it’s a Toronto thing. In any case, it’s unnecessary. Better to slather the pastry with some of Yitz’s house-​made extra hot mustard. The kind made with horseradish, which allegedly grows hair on one’s chest.
Food arrives at a fast clip, presented by a disinterested server who spends half the evening getting chewed out by the owner at the next table.
A plate of french fries is inhaled by the table. They’re round and ridged like they were when I was a kid, but they lack that consistent crispness that I remember. The last place I had fries like that was Katz’s in New York. they were deliriously crunchy and puffy inside.
Sandwiches come warm, on rye bread that holds up to juicy meat. Corned beef is soft, salty, and tangy. Pastrami is more robust, but lacks the subtle sweet/​smokiness and unctuousness that comes with really stellar product. Add more extra hot mustard, and you’ll weep with joy anyway.
At one point, Yitz’s was kosher enough that you couldn’t get cream for your coffee. Thankfully, they’ve amended this policy. You’ll need it for the grey, lukewarm brew that’s grudgingly slopped into our cups. As it sits, I’m reminded of Johnny Cash singing «ain’t no grave». I don’t know why.
Baked goods are fair; a trio of chocolate ruggelach meets the traditional requirement that you take coffee or tea «with a little something». The best dessert on the menu, a towering tart lemon meringue pie is not available. It’s a shame, but I’m full, and for one evening anyway, reminded of why we came here so often.

I find it difficult to locate a good kosher meal in Toronto, which is odd given the large Jewish community. Montréal, in comparison, is a kosher bonanza!
My favourite part of Yitz’s are the doors — when you walk in you’re greeted by a sausage door handle. I mean come on! Can you get more awesome than that?!
I have only ever come here for gefilte fish and matzoh ball soup. The gefilte fish seems pretty standard issue and they give you a GYNORMOUS chunk of it. The matzoh ball soup is perfect for a winter day, and the chunk of matzoh is huge — but my complaint is about the soup, which tasted like they just used some Knorr soup mix. Prices were not exorbitant, but they were probably 15−20% higher than they needed to be.
We came here on a Saturday evening around 8PM, there were a ton of seats. The staff were attentive, but where we were sitting (at the back of the restaurant) was super cold.
I suspect that Yitz’s is now just coasting on their reputation as the go-​to kosher place in North Toronto despite not having great quality food — it looks like there is some room for a tastier challenger.

A fun, different experience than any I’ve had. It allowed me a small peek into ‘Jewish’ dining.
I had matza ball soup and knishs… very very greasy. Good, but greasy.
Definitely not a health food place. And it wasn’t cheap, but it was good deli, diner type of food. Sandwiches, fried stuff… meat…dessert. A nice, simple, and casual place to grab a bite!
What’s great is that you see the deli and know it’s all made there and then.

Taking a class all-​day on Saturdays, to put it bluntly, sucks. As a result, I enjoy treating myself lunch every week. My classmates and I decided to go to Yitz’s today as I HAD many fond memories of coming here with my grandfather and listening to his same stories a trillion times.
We had forty-​five minutes to eat lunch, which SHOULD have been ample amount of time.
Well… all of us mostly ordered matzah ball soup and/​or smoked meat sandwiches. Both these things do not take long to make and are perfect selections for people in a hurry… so we thought. The service was extremely slow in spite of us informing the staff ahead of time that we only had 45-​minutes.
Prices are quite high considering the amount and quality of food you get. I ordered the matzah ball soup and cabbage roll … the matzah ball soup was mediocre and pretty small considering it’s almost five bucks. The cabbage roll was almost seven dollars and the cabbage was burnt.
I’m sure there’s a chapter covering this in the textbook for hospitality school, but… we had to move seats and then had to sit in an awkward area with about 10 little kids running around. The lunch was not relaxing to say the least.
There are so many amazing delis in places like New York and Montréal; it’s a shame that the «authentic one» in Toronto is Yitz’s.