This place surprised me! Driving by I was not sure how I felt, the exterior is not aesthetically pleasing. However, they serve the best, most authentic eastern European food in Indianapolis. The owners are very friendly and helped decipher the menu for me. My husband and I have gone many times and tried many things and have never been disappointed with taste or quality. This restaurant is an Indianapolis gem!
Review Source:Small, quaint place. Has lots of interesting meats in small Deli counter, but they are not labeled or priced. Unless you are very familiar with the Eastern European foods you have no idea what they are. Just one man there handling business...assume he was the owner. So if they are busy you may have a wait. Also... if looking at Deli items and he is busy in kitchen or serving others you hesitate to ask questions as he is so busy. Maybe just short staffed for the day. They do provide samples and the sausage was very good. He provided three sausage samples from mild to spicy and one cheese sample. I was going to buy some sausage but the smallest package was appx pound and $10 so I skipped it.
Had a Living Social coupon which purchased for $12 and indicated got $26 value meal for two, but meals were 9.95 each for {goulash} and bread, and drinks extra. No fountain drinks, just cans and bottles with no refills. Â So don't know how they come up to $26 value. Â I told the owner the coupon was miss-leading, but he said it was wrong. Also can't get glass of water so have to buy water or soft drink for your meal. The owner was friendly, and would had provided 3 or 4 stars, but was not pleased with coupon experience. Since there was a miss-understanding....I think he should have said he would not charge for drinks, or told us up front that the "meal" did not include drinks.
When you see the 9.95 price and coupon says 26 value....I think most people would feel you get something else included...such as drinks.
The goulash was good and large bowl but thought 9.95 bit expensive with such low overhead establishment.So if getting only bottled water with your meal.....around $11 for simple lunch, or more if needed more water with the spicy foods.
Lou will greet you and feed you like a family member once you step foot into this Eastern European Meatery / deli / Market. Â The meats that Lou and his family have been smoking in Indiana for 30 years are of cuts that you might not find anywhere else. Â secret family smoke and spice blends. Â The Goulash and sausage and sauerkrautare amazing. Â It is also host to a bevy of sandwiches and nosh. Â If you need to find European ingredients then this is also the small market that you need to visit. Â Bring your friends and family to this welcoming market. Â It is a fun adventure and a great place to stuff your face.
Review Source:Taste of Europe is a great find in a city that lacks ethnic flavor. Â As 20-year residents of Indy, we're always happy to find local ethnic joints that remind us of our hometowns of Chicago and Pittsburgh.
The proprietor of T.O.E. is a friendly and hospitable immigrant who is generous with the free samples. Â We loved the selection in the deli. Â There were goods from numerous European nations, with an emphasis on Eastern Europe. Â The fridge had both packaged imports and also some homemade items like strudels. Â We bought some pierogies, beets with horseradish, and Swedish Fish for the kids. Â My wife is half Slovak and half Irish, and I'm German and English. Â Among those ethnicities, the Slovak was definitely best represented at Taste of Europe. Â We would have bought some of the horseradish cheddar, but my wife had just stocked up on cheese--next time! Â Also, we'll definitely order a meat & cheese platter for a future party. Â It all looked so good! Â If I were grading solely on the deli, T.O.E. would get 5 stars!
Lunch was tasty, but not stellar. Â The beef goulash outshined the pork/chicken medley, which contained some chunks of unappetizing fat. Â The garlic bread was fine, but wasn't served warm. Â Our meals were rustic, just as we expected. Â The portions were generous, and the service was super friendly. Â With only one employee (the owner), we were glad to have arrived early for lunch. Â Those who came after us had to wait for awhile to be served. Â The stews were fine, but next time I will opt for either the authentic grilled sausages (the Chicago Style Polish was calling my name) or the sub sandwich, which I assume is loaded with those delicious European deli meats--yum!
In all, shopping at Taste of Europe is a nostalgic and rare treat in these parts. Â Dining there is also well worthwhile, and I'm optimistic that my second meal at T.O.E. will be even better than the first. Â Let's support this locally owned gem!
Good food and large enough portions that you'll have leftovers, especially if you indulge the Serbian owner's requests to eat more after he gives you samples of everything he's ever made before you order.
The Hungarian goulash was delicious, as were all of the various sausages our party politely then ravenously sampled. Walking over to the fridge in the corner of what almost certainly used to be somebody's small house to grab a drink really is reminiscent of the small lunch dives along the Mediterranean. Bottom line: if you want a non-commercial Mediterranean experience, try out this place.
We were really excited to find this place. Â The owner was friendly and personable and the food tasted great. Â We dined in. I had chicken goulash, and my husband had meat pierogies... the only thing is my husband and I both had stomach problems the next day. Â His hit first thing in the morning and mine hit an hour later in the morning, but before we had eaten anything else. Â That's the only reason for my lower rating. Â I'm not sure if it's been too hot lately - like if the frozen food thawed too much during shipment, or if it was a matter of cleanliness, or what... Â I guess it could have been the samples - the sausage and cheese samples were pretty warm, due to the heat, and we arrived in the evening, just before closing time. Â No one else has reported illness in their reviews so far, so it might have been a one time thing of using the wrong knife or something :/. I would recommend checking out the rest of the store, though. Â There are lots of canned/packaged goods, tea, chocolates, cookies, etc. Â Wish it would have turned out differently, it's a unique place....
Review Source:Are you serious? This dude seriously admitted to us that his food was microwaved. My food arrived half luke warm, half still frozen. My husbands bowl was blistering hot but only a few bites were even warm-ISH. I had one bite, husband took 2 and said "we need to leave, NOW!" Just disgusting. This restaurant needs a visit from Gordon Ramsey, but I doubt he'd even take it on. Â Had a living social deal and have requested refund because we ended up at Texas Road House instead.
Review Source:Excellent place to lunch. Â We had the goulash and it was very filling and a generous portion served with bread. Â The owner is very nice and brings you lots of samples. Â This place is hidden but well worth the drive. Â It is also a European market with a nice variety of things to take home, including meats and baked goods.
Review Source:The food is authentic and very tasty; the service warm and friendly. Â We came with my family of 5 (including a 3-year old) 15 minutes before the restaurant closed (at 8 pm) and the owner/ cook was happy to turn the fryer back on to make my son some french fries. Â I was especially impressed to find vegetarian goulash made with tofu (quite delish). Â The space is 'rustic' and lacks proper air conditioning, but the service and quality of food would make me come back on a cold day, no doubt.
Review Source:Yes, yes, yes! Â What a wonderful shopping experience. Â As you chat with the owner, he keeps pulling things out for you to try (I LOVE free samples). Â I'm a big fan of the kolbasz (Hungarian sausage). Â I've had lots of horseradish cheeses, but this one actually tastes like horseradish! Â The goulash is thick and comforting - yum!
He also does whole pigs - he mentioned that he is getting quite the Filipino following.
Yes, all the good stuff the others already wrote.
It's a combination deli/store and restaurant. Â Mostly Eastern European items, Polish, Russian, etc. Â Lots of bottled/canned vegetables. Â Jams, jellies, candies. Â Desserts. Â Frozen and refrigerated items. Various types of brats/sausages/meats/cheeses. Nice frozen selection. Â Dry stuff like pre-packaged mixes, and instant soups/stews. Â It reminded me a lot of Babushka's Deli. Â (And there's a slight overlap with Heidelburg Haus.)
Located in a house in an area that is otherwise office/warehouses. Â It's not a good retail location, because it's not on the main drag. Â So if you like it, talk it up amongst your friends/coworkers.
I counted seating for 38.
I had the goulash and liked it very much. Â It's basically a stew served with a couple small loaves of bread. Â I can't speak to authenticity, but it's tastiness and down-home goodness was at least on par with the various stews you get at Yats.
I think this place is worth the drive for a regular lunch or dinner if you are in the Park 100 or College Park area, or similar distance.
If you're from out-of-town, and staying/working along the Michigan Road or West 86th street corridor, you need to try this place for lunch or supper. Â It's a welcome homey/comfortable alternative to the cookie-cutter chain restaurants in the area.
Get one of the pies/cakes/desserts to take back to the office/conference/training center, and your coworkers will LOVE you for discovering this place!
And of course, if you're specifically seeking Eastern European brats, meats, or a meal, it's worth whatever distance you're willing to drive for it.
Thank goodness I stumbled onto Sara's review when I was looking for a place to eat lunch close to work today! This place is great. Since it's tucked into an industrial park area, you have to keep your eye out for it, but once you see it, you can tell this place looks all right. I was greeted by Lou, the friendly owner and the wonderful smell of smoked, cured meats as I walked inside. Lou was helping another customer but told me to look around for a bit and he would bring me some samples. He soon brought me a little plate with slices of different Hungarian smoked sausage and pork shoulder, as well as fontinella cheese. He also told me the specials of the day and offered me small samples of each. The sausage and cheese was delicious, and I decided to have a bowl of sauteed green peas, pigeon peas, onions and mushrooms for lunch. The fireplace-equipped dining room was decked out in warm colors lit up by plenty of natural sunlight shining through the window, making for a pleasant dining atmosphere. The peas came with a baguette-sized loaf of bread, which I used to mop up every last bit of sauce that was left on the plate. It was a simple dish, but loaded with flavor, a mouth-pleasing texture and a portion size that left a just-right feeling in my belly. Eastern European comfort food! Before I left, I had a great conversation with Lou and ended up buying some Hungarian sausage, horseradish cheese and a cake to take home. There's just something about going to a food business with a friendly, hospitable owner who describes his food to you well, but then gives you ample opportunity to try it for yourself before buying. I'm normally a shy, awkward customer on my first visit to an ethnic foods restaurant, but this guy made me feel very welcome and filled me full of good food. Do yourself a favor and stop by for lunch some time. I can't wait to go back.
Review Source:Head north on Michigan Road, hang a left on 96th Street, and Taste of Europe will be on the right in an old house tucked amongst warehouses and industrial store fronts. Â Maybe they are off the beaten path because they are doing something different than any other small business in the city.
Taste of Europe is both a grocery store and a restaurant, and I took advantage of both. Place your restaurant order at the counter where you also pay for your grocery purchases.
I took the male owner's (I think he said he's from Croatia) recommendation and ordered their specialty, a kabob like meal. Â Andy order the polish dog which they split and grilled on a flat top to get a slightly crispy texture. Â Both meals were really tasty. Â They have a homemade Irish sausage meal that is made with corned beef. Â I want to go back and try it. Â
I'm not an expert on Eastern European groceries, but several others in the store seemed very excited about the selection of soda, mustards, and other packaged foods.
After sampling their homemade sausages, we took a couple of the spicy links home along with horseradish cheese. Â The sausage got good reviews when we served it at a small gathering of friends. Â The flavor of the cheese is good, but the texture is a little soft for my taste. Â They sell meat and cheese trays with a variety of both. Â
Finally, I bought a fresh piece of tiramisu and an eclair. Â Both come highly recommended by me and my sweet tooth.
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