Deli Joe – Little Italy has a brunch spot

The 411

In Little Italy, right nearby Jean Talon market is an area that lacks in brunch spots. There used to be one that I loved years ago but sadly it closed down. The area is so nice and in the summer it’s the perfect way to spend the afternoon; grabbing a bite then going in to peruse the goods of the Jean Talon market. To my knowledge there is only one spot that serves brunch in the area and that is Deli Joe with its breakfast/brunch service everyday from 6 am to 3pm. You can go there any time and fill your stomach for a day of adventure in the Jean Talon market.

At 1st glance

Deli Joe is conveniently situated off Jean Talon and Saint Dominique. Parking in the area is difficult but if you go one or two blocks north or west you will be safe. Avoid going into the Jean Talon market area as it is impossible for parking. I used to love waiting and watching people trying to park and others arguing over parking spots. When you get into Deli Joe you notice there is lots of space to get comfy so don’t worry about giant lineups. They even have a small terrace although, when we went we did not see anyone on it.

Food

Deli Joe is open 7 days a week from 6 am to 3pm so you can get your breakfast fix any day of the week. The menu offers lots of options and specials. Now, when I say lots of options I mean LOTS. There has to be about 10 pages jammed with items. There’s a mix of $5 simple dishes and some more substantial dishes around $10. The breakdown of the menu is as follows:

We started off with a fruit cocktail (two for $4.00) which was fruit berries in an iced format. I was not impressed by this; it was not a smoothie nor was it was a fruit drink. The taste was more ice than fruit. That drink was accompanied by a two egg plate ($3.95) and an extra egg ($1.00). The dish came with a side of potatoes and some fruit. The potatoes were OK, nothing out of this world, and the fruit was not varied nor was it tasty. The trio crepe ($9.95) came with 3 crepes stuffed with fruit and my friend added some bacon to it as well. The crepe was decent and filling, but overall it was uninspiring and did not stand out. It’s not that it was bad or anything, it just lacked that “wow” factor that would make it stand out from the menu.

Lastly the Eggs Benedict Maritime ($13.95) was two poached eggs with smoked salmon, a side of potatoes and a mountain of fruit. The fruit was varied with even some less common fruit like star fruits, the potatoes were home-style and were a generous portion. My one issue was the that the hollandaise sauce was mediocre at best.

Service

The service was adequate, nothing good and nothing bad. My coffee refills were frequent so I was happy about that. We did come near the end of the day so they weren’t in their rush, but I was satisfied.

Vegetarian

There are a few vegetarian dishes and there is also a health section with a half dozen items in it. While most of the menu items come with meat in them, I’m sure you could ask them to sub it something else. For a vegan option, you can chose the fruit plate but there’s nothing else vegan other than that.

Wrap up

I was disappointed with Deli Joe. I felt the food was mediocre at best with some items being a little pricey; although, there are a few very well priced ones. The fruit drink was not impressive at all. I was hoping that with it being right next to the Jean Talon market it would have fresh produce from the market like some nice fruit, breads, eggs. But, I did not notice that and was let down.

View Restaurant Deli Joe in a larger map

Price	$$	$7-$10
Overall		3/5
Wheelchair Access	NO	0/3
Parking	Parking Meter & Street	Difficult
BUS	92,93,372,55,363,	Get Directions
Metro	De Castelenau	1 minute

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