This place is not the same as when I lived in the neighborhood 15 years ago. Â Not paying too much attention to the dingy looking old decor, my family and I settled in for a Sunday buffet. Some of the food looked like it was sitting there for a while and not everything was available. Â Besides the golabki (stuffed cabbage) and the chicken, (which are fantastic), I thought everything else was really mediocre at its best. Â I should've known that this was probably not the best place to eat when very few cars were in the parking lot at 1 p.m. on a Sunday afternoon. Â I wouldn't have minded paying $100 for 5 people and a small child, but the food was not that great. Â Â One positive was the owner's daughter, our host, whom was very accommodating. Â I surely hope they get this place running back up to par as they were really great years ago.
Review Source:Aye!!!!
Gads. Â I shoulda known better, really, I shoulda. Â When it's dinner time and there are three cars in the parking lot you have to ask the question. Â When you walk in and it smells like an OLD building and dusty drywall, you should also take note. Â But man, there were GOOD reviews on this place, so maybe the food is outta sight.
Yes, it's outta sight... there's none of it. Â In the steam table buffet, there were scant amounts of food, the soup was nearly drained, and it all just looked tired, just plain worn out. Â And this was at 6p. Â I cannot imagine how bad it looked at 8p.
So, what I had was very average. Â The meatballs with gravy were likely the best. Â The mashed potatoes were obviously out of a box. Â The cabbage soup was so mushy, it was almost embarrassing. Â There were only 3 dumpings in the tray, and they seemed good, but very small.
Even with no business, I had trouble getting my bill from the staff. Â I feel bad leaving a bad review like this, but this place is awful.
I caught this place at noon on a Sunday, when they were just ending breakfast and starting the dinner cycle, so everything was fresh and plentiful. The old steamtable in the middle of the dining room held pork ribs (boiled, with a little BBQ sauce brushed on top), breaded chicken thighs and drumsticks, pork stew/"goulash," breaded boneless pork chop, sliced pork loin in gravy, boiled potatoes with parsley, meatballs in a creamy dill sauce, stuffed cabbage, green beans, blintzes, saurkraut, kielbasa, dumplings, and 3 kinds of pierogis. Â Plus there was another large bar with a bunch of prepared cold salads. Oh, and two soups, chicken noodle and barley. And pieces of ham and beef under foil on a carving station (which I didn't try because they looked a little dry).
The barley soup was extraordinary -- creamy, deeply flavored, and comforting -- a masterful rendition, obviously made from scratch, of a classic Polish American specialty. It had bits of dried mushroom, diced potato, bay leaf, allspice, finely shredded carrot, likely a little sour cream. Â It was just a little too salty. Â
The breaded chicken pieces were really flavorful and good, the way chicken SHOULD taste, as were the plump pierogi filled with spiced ground meat. Â Everything else was typical of places like Sawa's or Bobak's (or the late, lamented Tatra Inn on Pulaski) -- somewhat heavy, much of it sitting in too much butter/ oil -- but still, you got the impression it was all prepared with care and a deep sense of Polish American tradition. More importantly, everything I sampled was tasty. There was no pizza, mac and cheese, or ersatz Mexican like you find on the local Chinese buffet troughs; no awkward concessions to the changing neighborhood (Bobak's is now making chorizo). Â I'm sure everyone in the kitchen is Polish, and it's Polish food you come here to eat.
I had been wary of trying this place based on the earlier reviews. Â Don't know if it would be as good on weekdays or off hours. It's one of those places that's rapidly becoming a little corner of the world that time forgot. Â The decor is old fashioned, and the plates are this old Homer Laughlin variety -- commercial-heavy, off white, with a curvy gold pattern around the rim; check the photo I've posted -- that it seems like every "nice" restaurant on the South Side and south burbs had back in the 70s. Â The clientele (and there wasn't much business for the large dining room; three or four tables) is older. Â I suspect a lot of bachelors and widowers eat here. Â There was, though, a larger gathering in the adjacent private room -- middle-aged and elderly, white haired Polish folks, the older men wearing what looked like suits and polyester ties they had purchased at the Ford City J.C. Penney back in 1979 but which they still wore with care and pride. Â One old rooster was sporting what was apparently an old Polish military uniform.
Sunday Buffet was $13. Â Surprisingly, I found a $5 check-in offer on Foursquare for using AMEX. Â I couldn't have imagined anyone at this place would know about Foursquare, and I had even wondered if they took credit cards.
But I have to say, this was a delicious and satisfying (and, if you grew up in this area, nostalgic) meal. The place may look a little tired, but the food didn't reflect that. Â You come here if you want authentic, stick-to-your-ribs, east European home cooking of the kind it's increasingly difficult to find.
Granted, it was Christmas Day. Not many restaurants were open except fast-food joints. My parents live in the neighborhood and have been here several times before, though not regular customers by any stretch.
We arrived for lunch, a little after noon. Only two menus were offered for the day: Breakfast (8-12) and Dinner (12-close). I never noticed the prices handwritten with a Sharpie on an 8"x11" sheet of paper posted on a wall somewhere near the entrance as we walked in.
But hey, it was a buffet. How bad can this be, right?
The food was decent stick-to-your-gut homemade cooking: chicken, pierogies, Polish sausage, hot soup, potato pancakes and a host of other offerings like a salad bar and desserts. It was okay...just okay. Nothing spectacular here and certainly nothing to make me think of Gorzów Wielkopolski in the old country - not that I've ever been there, but you get the point.
So we ate. My three-year-old son had a soup which may have been Lipton chicken noodle that was sitting in the pot for a long while based on the broken noodles. My elderly parents ate like birds, but had their fill. My wife had one trip to the buffet and I made three trips for salad, entree and dessert. Again, it was all very mediocre. The dessert offerings of bland cookies and cakes were 'eh'.
The ambiance was like an old banquet hall from the seventies, very tacky and unappealing. The service was friendly and attentive enough to refill our beverages, but nothing more.
Sounds okay thus far, right?
Then the server handed me the bad news: $91.00!!! Are you phreakin' kidding me?!
Look, I lived in Tampa, Florida for twenty years and have eaten superb brunches at world-class hotels and restaurants for no more than fifteen bucks a head, and they offered shrimp cocktail, crab legs, Belgian waffles, mimosas, crepes, oysters, Bloody Marys, blueberry pancakes, fresh fruit, hot pasta, YOU NAME IT.
Even in Chicago there are numerous quality family restaurants that offer above average food buffets for less than a sawbuck. I nearly keeled over with a heart-attack when I saw the bill. For this price, the cute little blond waitress should've at least provided me with a private lap dance in the kitchen.
When I asked her to check to see if the total was in error, she had indicated that my son wasn't charged full price, only four dollars for the overcooked soup. Thank God for that! Otherwise, it was $17.50 per person. What a ripoff. When I acted as if I just had my car stolen, the server reminded me that the price was posted in the front. Thanks.
Two words: NEVER AGAIN.
Great Polish food in a very chill and calm atmosphere.Drinks are poured strong and the food is very good. Great place for accommodating large groups. Other reviews have stated that the waitstaff was rarely seen, this wasn't the case during my experience but it's also a buffet so there is no need for traditional service, right? I will definitely be heading back here when in the area.
Review Source:The buffet has been excellent both times I have been there. Soups hot and delicious, not over-salted. Lots of vegetables/prepared salads (with typical mayonnaise dressings or oil. Beets, Bean Salad Cucumber salad (Miseria - Spelling?), etc. The buffet selection is a little limited compared to Jolly Inn or especially compared to Red Apple, however, the selections on the buffet are delicious. They had a dish of boiled, peeled potatoes fried in butter with dill and red & green pepper garnish. It tasted exactly like my Babcia (wearing a babushka) makes it! Â Sauerkraut (Deutsch spelling) was not too overpowering but a delicious flavoring. Roast beef, meatballs, kielbasa, chicken kiev are all standard fare and New Warsaw does these fine. The desserts selection is a little scant but you usually can't get everything 100%. I opted for a Jello cube and a hot apple pancake from the buffet line.
The servers were extremely polite. They were relatively attentive. Only 2 servers were expected to cover at least 12 occupied tables. They seates us on the far end and we got a view of the entire restaurant.
I was sitting in the middle. I felt bad because Fr. Ralph sat on the end of the table and he kept getting up when the bishop and I stood up to get more food. I went around the other side of the table and that lying nun told everyone at the table (in a loud voice) that I kicked her as I went in back of her chair. Why would I kick a nun? Not me. May the lying nun go far away, perhaps to Antarctica.
Summer 201 when my Aunt and cousins (Italians) were in town we went there. They had never been to a Polish smorgasbord. They found quite a bit of humor in the sign at the front door requesting that diners limit their eating time to 1.5 hours! Hilarious!
Very nice restaurant inside and out. It's 6:00PM, prime dinner time on a saturday night and there is only one table occupied. Very strange. Also was a man just slouched in a chair at the table closest to the door. He did not say anything or even offer a greeting. After sitting down, figured out he was not a customer. Still not sure what he was other than a slob.
Stay to eat anyway as the main reason I'm here is to try Polish food. What better way than a buffet right? Well, if it were busy....yes. I forgot because of my hunger that when a buffet restaurant is not busy, the food is not fresh. The soup was good though....and piping hot. They have 2 soups to choose from and about 15-20 dishes...different pierogis and various meats. All were not fresh and nothing came out while I was there. Even the waitress was hardly to be seen. The food might have been really good if it were hot and fresh....I'll never know as I will not be back.
Over the years I learned to appreciate polish food. Â Got introduced by my husband's mom and his family.
You can tell its a family owned operation and everyone is pretty friendly. Â The waitresses know us now and practically our whole family since we come here not only for lunch or early breakfast on the weekends but special occasions like graduation.
When the food is freshly out its great. Â It is a buffet so sometimes the food tends to sit there if there is no customers eating it. Â I like early breakfast on the weekends b/c its a cheap way to feed the family and to eat my favorite meal of the day! Â
Love, Love, Love the freshly made potato pancakes!
I'm a fan. It's far west, but if you're craving some Polish food you'll get it here fast & plenty. I've never seen more than five people in here at a time when there wasn't a wedding reception going on, so don't worry about waiting for anything. It's buffet style, all you can eat. I like the salad bar and the varieties of pierogies. It's possible to work around the offerings & make a decent meal if you're vegetarian, but don't get uppity about the amount of meat dishes---it's POLISH food.
Review Source:For what it is, it works. This is a place to come for a CHEAP, Polish buffet. The hot items are really tasty. Fried chicken floating in grease and butter, pierogis floating in grease and butter, all manner of fried potato things (pancakes, dumplings), mashed potatoes, gravy with chicken gizzards floating in it, some sort of beef in a thick brown gravy, and of course a salad bar and two soups of the day. All of the above was good.
The desert bar on the other hand, not so good. They had assorted jello and cookies, and they also had some nondescript cake type things. I opted for the cake type things and within a moment of biting into them, could tell that they had been sitting in a freezer somewhere for way too long and had recently been thawed out (or possibly, re-thawed). I realize for the $5 or $6 it cost for the buffet, I might be asking a little much in my request that the desert not taste freezer-burned beyond all recognition, but there you have it.
The atmosphere is no-nonsense, utilitarian, with a smattering of polish posters, dolls, and other knickknacks throughout the place, and the service is straight out of the old country.
This is where you go when you are broke and hungry.
Skip breakfast come for lunch and you won't be hungry at dinner time.
For around $6 you can eat all the Kielbasa,Pierogies, and other polish cuisine  you want.
You have to try the Apple Pancakes they are awesome.
DO NOT order a drink though $7.50 for a rum and coke WTF?In a neighborhood where it should not cost more than $3.That's more than your meal.
This is a polish american buffet that I especially enjoy during lunch. The facility is quite big and I believe that they host parties etc. as well as the lunch and dinner dining room menu. The food is very good. The menu includes all of the usual polish specialties as well as fried chicken and a fair salad bar. The prices are good and the staff is friendly.
Review Source:I feel horrible only giving this place 2 stars, as it seems like a struggling restaurant who have had to cut back to avoid going out of business.
The building itself is a bit strange, and seems like it may have once been a funeral parlour before it was converted to a restaurant. Creepy.
My wife and I walked in to a huge dining area, deserted aside from one other table, and no wait staff. After a few minutes of standing, we took our own seats, and after a few more minutes of waiting, we went to the buffet to grab our food. While we were returning to out table, the waitress finally appeared and took our drink order.
The buffet itself is tiny compared to other chicago polish buffets: One small row of trays, some, filled with your standard polish fare. The best thing I tasted there was the soup. the rest was overbuttery, and fairly boring. The potato pancakes, for one, were so overbuttered that if you cut into them with your fork, a look of butter would coalesce on top. I guess for some people, this would be a benefit, but for someone with a bad gall bladder, it lead to a few hours of intense pain later that night :(
I hate to give any polish buffet a bad review, because I love polish food and I love buffets. I also love underdogs, and would love to see this place come back from the brink and really start doing things better, but I fear it may be too late :(
This place is awesome. i love polish food and i can never find  a polish buffet... and when i found this place, i was like omg! finally! from the outside it looks all old and crummy like its been there for like a million years in an old part of Chicago, but rlly, its nice! they have a section for smoking and nonsmoking, so thats good. crystal chandliers, and food!!!!!!
soup, sauerkraut, pierogis, ham, beef, cod,veggies, cantoulope, watermelon, different colored jello, ice-cream, cakes, stuffed cabbage, and more!!!!!!!!
BTW.... blueberry pierogis... YUMMMMMMM! try em! theyre AMAZING! NOT KIDDING! and also... the apple crepes! AMAZING!
Free Tip:
Don't eat for six days before coming here. Why? It's an all-you-can-eater. With homemade Polish food. And soup.
The place may look old, but I call it homely. The place may smell like an old Polish lady in front of you at the local grocery store, but I call it great. There may be enough old people here that you may think a bingo game is happening, and I say damn. Really, that's the only down side to this, the old people who clog up the area where you get your food. They devoured the fresh pot of dumplings as I was fifth in line. FIFTH! fresh pot of dumplings gone. Man, those geezers know how to chow. Lunch was 7.50 per person, which really ain't bad. They had the typical Polish food and beet soup (I loathe beet soup).
Hell, you swing by later you can see the Polish band they sometimes have, play in their Polish dress.
Another great thing about this place, come here early enough, be nice to the waitstaff and they won't push you out the door. So you have a full two and a half hour gorge-a-thon. Just tip them well.
...and don't push the oldies outta the way.
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