This namesake deli and the man behind it have made quite a big name for themselves. With locations in Toronto, as well as the Toronto’s Pearson airport, you can enjoy a filling smoked meat sandwich whether you’re in the heart of the city or on your way out. Caplansky’s just announced that it will be offering franchises, so keep an eye out for Caplansky’s coming to a city near you.

Located in the beltline area, Grumans Delicatessen is a hopping place during the workweek lunch hour. Their menu is full of all sorts of classics like Reubens and tuna melts, as well as other indulgent Calgary favourites like the smoked meat poutine and smoked meat shepherd’s pie. They’re also open for breakfast every day of the week, so no matter when you’re craving some challah French toast, Grumans is there for you.

Tucked into a little block in a sort of in-between neighbourhood between 17th Avenue and the Beltline, Myhre’s Deli still flies under the radar. The nice thing about this place is that you can choose how much meat you want on your smoked meat sandwich so you’re not left with a more than you can finish. Their hot dogs are pretty tasty too!

Featured on You Gotta Eat Here! because of its good old-fashioned comfort food, this deli is a great place sit down for a kosher bite in Halifax. For breakfast, Hali Deli's smoked meat scramble should hit the spot just fine while lunchtime should be all about the smoked meat clubhouse or the smoked turkey on marble rye with house-made honey mustard.

This place certainly needs no introduction, being the oldest deli in the country at over 80 years and counting. Schwartz’ has been serving a trio simple of sandwiches (smoked meat, turkey, salami) and a few more proper plates like liver or steak for longer than most of us have been alive — and it’s still jam-packed daily. If it’s your first time here, the smoked meat sandwich with a kosher dill pickle on the side is the only way to go.

Sherbrook Street Deli may be the newest deli on this list (it opened in late 2015), but it’s got a lot of heart and soul when it comes to its menu. Whatever you’re filling your sandwich with, be it pickled herring, corned beef or pickled beef tongue, make sure to add on the tasty house slaw, pickles and kettle chips. If it’s still snowing in Winnipeg, a bowl of borscht will do the body good too.

Breakfast or lunch at Solly’s never disappoints, especially when you're enjoying one (or two, or three) of their freshly baked bagels, slathered with cream cheese and topped with smoked salmon. Naturally, you can get all the usual suspects here, but don’t you dare walk out the door without a cinnamon bun. Food Network Canada writer, Amy Rosen, happily declares that they're the best in the country.

Snowdon is another Montreal deli that has stood the test of time. A major difference between Schwartz’ and Snowdon is that Snowdon offers a straight-forward breakfast menu. They're also dishing out a huge array of deli items for take-away, including platters of cold cuts, latkes by the dozen and smoked meat by the pound. Walking in here hungry can be a very dangerous thing.

At a very respectable 46 years old, Wolfie’s has been shaving meat for many a hungry patron for an incredibly long time (including rapper Drake!). In addition to sitting down and biting into their signature “Wolf-size” sandwiches, which I’d say is approximately piled to 6 inches, you can also opt to take any of their deli meats home in bulk.

Dan Clapson is a food writer and culinary instructor based out of Calgary. He is constantly creating new recipes and striving to expand his culinary horizons. He thinks yam fries are overrated.