Review Squish Sandwich Cellar - Banff

You walk by the menu numerous times as you walk the shops of Banff Ave. You think yeah a sandwich would be good, and then you just keep walking. So you've been doing it all wrong. You need to walk down the stairs and have a chat with Squish. Sit down and have an awesome sandwich. The menu is good, and has a verity that should fit for everyone. I had the Montreal Smoked Meat on Rye. The pickle in the sandwich was great and serving of meat wasn't as big as I've had in other Deli's but it was generous and excellent. I didn't notice the mustard being overly spicy and I think that could be better but I would still rank it in the top 5 of MSM sandwiches I've had. My wife had the Turkey and Swiss Wrap. She was very impressed with it. Enjoyed it immensely. Since I was hungover and wanted some good grease I ordered the Poutine. This could have been the best poutine I've ever had. The fries had a great crisp to them and with it being baked the cheese curd was that much more melted. The gravy was very very good too. Just a great dish. I do believe they are licensed as well, so you do have drink options. So take that step down the stairs and get your self a great sandwich.

Mediocre at best. Sure it's tourist pricing but $15 for a sandwich and a bag of chips is a stretch. The place is also small, dark and dirty. The elevator access is also terrible, with the door to the restaurant locked when we used the elevator to bring our stroller down. I had to bang on the door and luckily someone opened it. (Not staff). The cashier, (might be the manager or owner) does not smile at all and his demeanor is not rude but cold. Even when we were brought our sandwiches, no smiles at all, even when our kids said thank you. Just a cold stare like he wanted us to leave asap. Spend your money elsewhere. Don't waste your time here.

Love stopping in here for a warm sandwich! I recommend the Montreal smoked meat or the chicken club. Super delicious, amazing ingredients—you’ll be full when you’re done!

Friendly staff, timely service and delicious food. It's a place you should consider eating at, especially if you love sandwiches. My cousin and I enjoyed eating here during our stay in Banff. 4.5/5

My wife and I wanted something quick but not fast food so we stumbled upon this little place and we were very satisfied. We got the chicken club and Montreal smoked meat and was tasty. I would recommend this place.

Awesome sandwiches and the soup was delish! Service was fantastic and I love that they have games and great music! Prices are awesome too,especially in comparison to other restaurants around.

If this place was in Montreal, it would give Shwartz a run for their money. GREAT sandwishes! Huge flavor! Everything fresh and the atmosphere is perfect. Thanks guys

Amazing Sandwich!! I had Tuna Sandwich and Smoked meat sandwich, both are really tasty. Definitely come back again.

We were walking in Banff downtown looking for food and found this place. Ideally we are baked potato lovers and never thought can get something of this taste in Banff. Potato was huge and nicely baked with sour cream, beans, bell pepper topped with cheese n green onion. It's called Mountain chilli and was perfect. They do sell sandwiches and poutine but than baked potato was enough for me. Nice place with simple, clean ambience.

We were starving after hiking so a stop in Banff was a necessity. My cousin was feeling sandwiches and soup so we decided to give Squish a try. We dropped by on a Monday afternoon around 3:00pm for a late lunch. Menu from the outside. Alway like when places do this. You can see the larger menu here (1 and 2).

What's with the coleslaw?  <br/><br/>My two friends and I biked up from Canmore and thought we would order a sandwich to eat by the river.  So we ordered sandwiches to go expecting they would be wrapped in a small piece of paper or something small.  Instead they came in full plastic to go containers including disposable ramekins full of coleslaw which we didn't order at all.  Not only that, each sandwich came with a disposable fork AND knife presumably to eat the coleslaw (which was bad).  Your food is good but you have got to get a handle on this disposable garbage.  We were shocked and we had no way to bring it back for recycling because we were on bikes.  Instead we tried to recycle where we could but ended up with a lot of waste.  If I ever go back again I will be sure to eat in, not take out.  Please warn your customers as many of us are conscious about our waste.  All that extra plastic is not necessary.

Update: returned a few days later for exact same sandwich. It showed up cold and had a spoonful of coleslaw on the side. I asked them for the same size serving of slaw I received earlier in the week as well as my sandwich made a melt. The sandwich returned still not grilled and as melted as it should be. Slaw portion was better but not as tangy tasting. Sandwich was missing the aioli that made it a "Mediterranean" tuna melt or it was so minimal I couldn't taste it. I was tired of complaining by this point and took the loss. Wish I had a photo but I originally planned on just letting this go and didn't take one. Hate these places where you tip up front because I was rather generous too. Obviously consistency is a huge issue here. Rating updated to reflect this. 4 to a 2.5. Do not recommend anymore.<br/>.......<br/><br/>Have been here sporadically over the years and always enjoyed our sandwich choices. A previous favourite was the smoked salmon bagel. Today I ordered the Mediterranean Tuna Melt which ended up being on of the better tuna melts I've ever had. Sandwich was large and came with a pickle and coleslaw for about $12. Seen a few reviews saying it's overpriced here but Banff is pricey in general and this is nothing compared to other prices we have seen. Menu posted needs to be updated. Will return.

Staff was friendly and helpful... Debit machine automatically assumes you want to tip, I didn't. Sandwiches were overpriced sub optimal at best. Ingredients used were of average quality. 1 beer, 1 milkshake, 2 sandwiches and a pitiful grilled cheese for my 15month old son $65☹️

Garbage. Better food to be found in a dumpster. The Italian panini tastes like over microwaved gas station food - but worse. Do not recommend.

I have been here many times & today I must say I have never been more disappointed. Waited 35 minutes for my sandwich & milkshake today. THIRTY FIVE MINUTES. There was only three sandwiches ahead of me. When I got my milkshake, it was so liquidy it was literally just like chocolate milk. My sandwich was a mess & gross. We couldn't eat it. $23 gone down the drain. Won't be back.

Stopped in for a quick soup and sandwich, and couldn't be happier with how the quick meal turned out. We had the Rueben and triple decker, both were fantastic. Definitely a place to stop in if your looking for a quick soup and sandwich!!

Meh, the service was good but the food was bland for the price. At $15 a sandwich i was expecting some quality bread and decent cuts of meat. My wife's turkey Swiss was about as plain as it gets and my Reuben, while better in the flavor department, the smoked meat was way over cooked. They made effort with the kids sandwiches and didn't charge us full price which was nice, but it was a wonderbread ham sandwich for ten bucks. The homemade soup was the best part of the meal for me, but they just gave me the cheap plastic cutlery which at that point was just another nail in the coffin. I'd skip this place.

Excellent but pricey. I had the triple decker and it was delicious! But to pay $14 for a sandwhich a little side of chips and coleslaw and a pickle is crazy. If it wasn't so expensive I could have ate this sandwich everyday! Definitely worth a try tho.

Deliciously Slow and Expensive. I ordered the Montreal smoked meat sandwich and my lady friend ordered the veggie pockets, but they were out of pockets so she had it on a baguette.<br/><br/>For simple sandwiches they took longer than you would have expected, though they were moderately busy. The Montreal smoked meat sandwich was tasty and moist while the veggie pocket (sans pocket) was "meh". The sides were lacking (chips and coleslaw) in quantity.<br/><br/>Also, the pickle was good.

Way too Overpriced. We got the montreal smoked meat and the Reuben. We have definitely had better.

Best sandwhich in Canada, MUST TRY!. Was recommended by a friend to come here and try there food! Absolutely loved it and can't stop coming back for more! Personal favourites of mine are the tripple decker and the rueben very filling and delicious! If you in town defiantly come down and try it!

Nothing Special. I was disappointed. It's overpriced for what you get. The turkey swiss sandwich was nothing original or flavorful. Excess amount of plain white bread roll (they don't have whole wheat), meat, lettuce and tomato. And that was it - Oh! And a side of coleslaw and potato chips. Chips that were taken out of an Old Dutch chip bag - Thanks but no thanks. <br/>Subway has a better selection of bread, veggies and sauces at least. - next time I'm going to Subway.

Was great. Ruben sandwich was decent. Kids had a grilled cheese - pretty good - and triple decker - very good. Soup was chicken rice - tasted canned but was hot and fine. Coleslaw needed a bit of flavour. Atmosphere was fine, clean and friendly.

Best Sandwich I've Ever Had!. My husband and I each ordered a different Sandwich they were both absolutely delicious! His was a toasted triple decker with Chicken, Bacon, Avacado and delicious sauce! Mine was turkey breast, lettuce and tomato on a toasted baguette. Both had a generous amount of flavorful, fresh, quality ingredients. By far the best sandwiches we have ever had!

Good food fast. Grabbed some sandwiches here when our first lunch place was packed. I had the triple decker which was tasty- maybe a little more seasoning on the chicken would have improved the flavour but overall the sandwich was good. They don't really have real portions of sides (sandwich comes with a few tablespoons of slaw and a few chips), a salad or larger slaw portion would improve the plate.

Montreal Smoked Meat and Triple Decker ROCKED!! Beer selection is great. Milkshakes are thick creamy and delicious. Loved it!!

Great!. Just stopped in!! I had the smoked meat, and it was fantastic. Fast and friendly service. You can tell the Quality of the food and bread was fresh. I eat there every time i'm in town.

Great Sandwich. Had the Reuben and it was great. The prices are too high ? Maybe but the food quality is also very high.

Yuck!. Squish had been a perennial favourite for my wife and I. I often bring a brisket home from Swartz's when I visit Montreal, and love smoked meat. On our most recent visit to Squish, the meat was under- steamed - to the point it looked more like ham than smoked meat. It was tough, tasteless, and not at all enjoyable. We won't be back.

Great sandwich but too expensive.. My sandwich was great (salmon) and I have no complaints about the food - the salmon was fresh, as was the bread. The coleslaw and pickle were a nice touch. Having said that, I felt the sandwich was about $3-4 more than it should have been. I know this is Banff, but I'm not sure I'd be in a rush to go back and pay the same again. Also, I informed staff that the soap was out in the bathroom when I first arrived, 30 mins later it still hadn't been filled.

Decent food but grossly overpriced for what you get. 7 dollars for half a can of Campbell's soup. 14 dollars for a 2 dollar sandwich.

So good. Ive never liked avocado or tomato and now I can't have a sandwich without them. The triple decker is by far the best, however at 13.75 a sandwich, I don't know if I'd go there often.<br/>For 2 sandwiches (no drinks) your spending the better half of 50.00 <br/>That's a little to much for a couple sandwiches. Maybe at 8-10$ a sandwich I'd go much more. But always remember the bitter taste of poor quality is remembered long after low price is forgotten.

Hidden Gem!. This place is awesome! The sandwiches are tasty, good sized, but not over the top. When you don't want another huge artery clogging burger for lunch on your road trip this is a brilliant place to visit. One Reuben and a good old fashioned milkshake and your trip to Banff will be complete!

Super nice staff, awesome shakes, good sammiches. One Montréal smoked meat and one reuben, as I recall, and both super tasty. The shakes were delectable - they use Foothills Creamery ice cream (I really should've taken a pic of the flavours menu... sorry). Took a bit of time to get their attention to order, but when we did, they were prompt and very friendly (...and offered to reheat our sandwiches after we took care to feed the wee one... I was fine, but the gesture was nice :)

Excellent food, very friendly service and well worth the money.

Best Montreal smoked meat outside of Montreal. Delicious and very filling. We could have shared a sandwich and still been satisfied

This is the best sandwich shop I have ever found. There is a great variety - something for everything. And the pricing is really good for what you get. I would come to Banff just for one of their sandwiches.<br/>I was shocked when I read one persons review saying the sandwiches were small - this is not true unless you are typically a 'big eater'. I would guess the majority of people will be quite full after eating here.

AMAZING!!!. Food was amazing, the staff were even better!!! Loved the Scottish girls - made my holiday!!

We go to banff as much as we can. This is 100% the best sandwich place we have ever had! If you like avacodo try the triple decker!!! Thee best!sp full of flavour !

YUM!. Was here over the weekend, looking for a late lunch as the dinner place we had originally chosen wasn't open yet. Had the giant 10 oz meat sandwich and the ruben squish. Both were delicious! I love 'squished' sandwiches, and this one was excellent. Good crust, hot and melty inside. The potato chips, cold slaw and pickles were a nice touch, but overall pretty bland. The price is also quite steep ($13 per sandwich), but what in banff isnt? I enjoyed my meal, and would return again.

Great little hole in the wall.. Girlfriend and I were in Banff for a couple days and wanted to grab something light on the way out of town the last day. Figured, why not squish? After all, the name sounded like the girlfriend's shoe in the rain, made me laugh and think "it must be good". It was! I had the wasabi tuna sandwich and it was quite tasty and very fresh. If you want a nice quality sandwich without the pretentious Banff spin of uptight waiters and managers above speaking to customers, pop into Squish.

Perfect post-hike meal. This was the best meal we had on our week-long trip from BC to Banff. The amount of food for the price is just right, the service is excellent, and the food is outstanding. The reuben could make a grown man weep. Then again, we did just finish a 13km hike, but hunger notwithstanding this place was superb! Highly recommended.

Real authentic Montreal smoked meat sandwiches in the heart of Banff. Who could resist that!

This was an amazing sandwich shop. There were 7 of us and each person enjoyed their meal. 1sandwich could easily be shared because they were very generous servings & toppings. The ingredients were very fresh & tasty. The atmosphere was friendly & fun. The prices were very fair especially given the quality!! The Montreal & Reuben sandwiches were WOW.

Best sandwiches. Squish makes the best sandwiches. My favorite is the rueben but also love the triple decker and montreal smoked meat sandwiches too. We're from Calgary but often make it out to Banff. We always make sure that we stop by and eat there. Sometimes visit Banff just to eat there!! It has a great atmosphere, wonderful music playing in the backround. The owner, Greg is always pleased to see us. He's very welcoming and helpful. It's nice to see someone so enthusiastic about what he is doing. As long as squish is around you'll be sure to see us visiting Banff, squish and Greg! Keep up the great work!

Way overpriced tiny sandwiches. Don't be fooled by the pictures on the menu, the sandwiches are not nearly as good as they look. Not by a long shot. Maybe, if they didn't rip you off they would be alright. The Montreal Smoked Meat did not appear to have any smoked meat on it, maybe some corned beef, but that was all. On the Reuben all I could taste was the Thousand Island dressing. You definitely pay the tourist tax at Sqiush. Go to McDonalds, same taste, same size of sandwich but much cheaper.

Went today!. Went today to Squish for the first time. Very friendly owner greeted us at the door and welcomed us. I don't eat meat so went with the Veggie sandwich. It was very tasty with all the nuts, fruit and veggies. Didn't really enjoy the plain pita wrap though. Would have preferred a nice bread or something. But glad I tried it.

Love it!. If you're in Banff and love a good sandwich, you have to go. The staff is fantastic and the look and feel of the place is interesting. They don't have a large menu, but nor do they need one. What they do, they do well.<br/><br/>I'd highly recommened the smoke salmon bagel (though I personally pass on the tomato, just not a fan of those wo together). The turkey swiss baguette is stellar; simple but delicious. It's all about the bread here too... the textures were perfectly crunchy outsides with soft and slightly chewy insides. I wanted to try the smoked meat sandwich but there just wasn't time enough to fit in another meal.<br/><br/>If they were closer I'd be in more often. When I'm back through Banff, I'm bringing in some friends.

The triple decker is a beautiful mess of a club sandwich with ooey gooey cheddar and creamy avacadoe.

Lovely food!. Love freshly made sandwiches, with high quality product. to top it all off they add pickles & chips with your meal.

The deli sandwiches were fresh and delicious. We also had the milkshake... Good to the last slurp!

Franchise in Edmonton. The Montreal Smoked Meat Sandwich and the Reuben "Squish" Style lead to the only conclusion. "Squish Sandwich Cellar" needs to be franchised in Edmonton.

Loved This Place. We thoroughly enjoyed Squish Sandwich Cellar. The service was awesome and our sandwiches were excellent! <br/><br/>Next time we're out in Banff - We'll definitely stop in again!!

It was awesome and the people are so nice the food was freat I had the triple decker sandwich yummy!!!

Very friendly. Check it out!. We went to Squish for lunch on a cold day out. We were a bit turned off by the apparently high prices (13 bucks for my Reuben, 10 for my wife's veggie sub, 5 for the soup that we shared), but it turned out to be a pretty solid value for what we paid. My Reuben was stacked so high with very nice quality meat that I could barely fit my (extremely large) mouth around it . Best Reuben I've had in a long time. My wife's veggie sub was a bit hard for her to eat, as it was loaded with veggies and cheese such that it was a little slippery; it was a while before we got it structured so that she could eat it. It was very good though; unlike many vegetarian sandwiches, it was far from plain, with some really flavourful, memorable combinations: good quality cheese and pickled artichokes were her favourite contributions I think. Our sandwiches came with a nice slaw and a little thing of potato chips, which were a nice touch but there was so much food that we couldn't finish all the little garnishes. Our soup (chicken creole) was necessary given the cold outside, but not as good as the sandwiches.<br/><br/>The owner was there making our sandwiches, and seemed like a really nice guy. We could tell it was a newer restaurant as he was very interested in hearing how we felt about them.<br/><br/>We had a really good, filling lunch. I'd recommend Squish :)