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Category: Breakfast & Brunch [Edit]
Neighborhood: Forest Hills75th Ave (E, F)
71-Continental Aves (E, F, V, G, R)
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Came here for brunch after my friend ran the Queens Marathon, because she was in need of serious brunch. I love Veselka (which is Ukrainian, I know) in Manhattan, so I suggested we come here.
I ordered the pierogies and potato pancakes with sour cream. YUMMY. What is it about dough encasing meat or potatoes or sauerkraut, then boiled to perfection, that is so good? We tried several different flavors, and they were all delish. The boyfriend's kielbasa omelette was good too, because sometimes, you just crave fatty sausage, ok? (Dirty jokes commence).
They charge extra if you want apple sauce and sour cream with potato pancakes, unfortunately, but all in all, a solid neighborhood restaurant.
I'm no expert of Polish food, but this place has seriously the best blintzes ever! They come in sweet and savory flavors, but I've only tried the savory and they're all equally good (broccoli and cheese, spinach and meat). What makes this dish simply scrumptious is the sauce, or more precisely, the mushroom gravy and tomato sauces. (My friend visiting from out of town told me the tomato sauce reminded him of his mom's El Salvadorean red based sauce.)
Too busy to consume my food, I didn't get to try the potato pancakes, but I plan on coming back to try those and the pierogis though I may just end up eating the blintzes just for those two sauces...
One thing to know is the service-- tis SLOW so it's best not to come here when you're starved.
A group of friends and I (up to 10) used to go there for breakfast every Friday morning. This group did this for over 10 years. (SAHMs) well 2 months ago we started going elsewhere because
1) The service is lousyT
2) The prices went way up
3) The portions are smaller
4) The food isn't that great
5) The place needs a good cleaning
You can order eggs and get kasha, but that's about the only good thing. You can't get a potato blintz until 11:30 am, they charge an extra $1.50 for a dollop of sour cream or applesauce. While the pierogis and blintzes are decent., I've had better.
They should hire a strong Polish woman to clean because it needs a housecleaning desperately.
Find another Polish restaurant, there are a couple in Maspeth.
Good weekend brunch place that doesn't require a wait. Potato pancakes w/sour cream were my fav. The pierogies were ok.. nothing great, but worth a try. The blintzes were good.. will be back to try something else next time. Overall it was a pleasant surprise.. Services isn't so great.. but tolerable.
I'm no pierogi connoisseur, since my main basis for comparison is Mrs. T's frozen ones, but I love the sauerkraut and mushroom pierogies here. The potato ones are also good, too. I'm not too fond of the farmer cheese ones, as I think it's weird for pierogies to be a little sweet, but it could work for some people. While I like spinach in general, the filling on the spinach pierogies could have used something else other than... spinach. Next time I'll just load up on the potato and sauerkraut-mushroom ones.
Service could be much friendlier here. We seated ourselves, but it took a while before we were acknowledged--a look and smile would have been enough to tide us over as the servers helped other diners, but we got nothing until someone finally came by with menus for us. While our waitress wasn't rude, she was rather curt--the place was fairly busy, but not packed, so I can't see why she seemed rushed. Reading over the other reviews, it appears that "rushed" describes the general attitude of the servers here.
Still, for the pierogies and the potential for other excellent dishes here, I'll come again.
Their pierogies are good. So are the blintzes. Wasn't too wowed with beef goulash.
The service was a rushed but that is because I went there 1 hr before they close. (well still it's not pleasant, they started to pile up the chairs on the table 30 mins before the closing time... yeah.. I got your point.. I'll eat faster)
After reading Time Out's review during the summer, I had to check it out. While I don't claim to be an expert on Polish dumplings, their pierogies were interesting and very tasty, especially the sauerkraut and mushroom combo. Sounds strange, but definitely worth a try.
The service was good. Very informative, Polish staff - full of suggestions. The atmosphere? "Just like Grandma's" - lace curtains & no frills tablecloths.
Priced moderately, I'd definitely go back for the variety of blintzes.
This place is hit or miss. The only things consistently good are the potato pancakes with applesauce and the red cabbage side dish. It's the only reason I keep coming back. I'm not a huge fan of Polish food anyway so I suppose I shouldn't be quick to judge. The goulash isn't a winner and the vegetables are hard and sometimes cold. Also, the staff is attitude-y and service is pretty slow. I did have a nice lemon sole once, though. Not my top pick.
Great Polish food - especially the white borscht, roast duck, pierogi and blintzes. The Hunter's Pork Chop and Hungarian Pancake (a potato pancake loaded with goulash) are wonderful. Good kielbasy - terrif breakfast, especially the plum pancakes. Also, don't miss the sauerkraut and mushroom omlet - wonderful! You need to update your info on this restaurant, since you note that they do not serve alcohol. That is not true - they serve a number of Polish and American beers and also wine. I love this place and you will too!
Great food, lovely atmosphere, terrific staff. The food here is wonderful - whether you choose the… Read more »
Just Like Mother's is a great (and really cute) place for a calm brunch with traditional fare and Polish food. I agree with the other reviews that the Pirogies are really fantastic, but I do have a few complaints that made the dining experience less than pleasant.
First of all, the service was way too rushed. Even though there were only two other groups there when I arrived, the waitress acted like she was rushing people out. I felt especially bad for the handicapped woman dining alone sitting next to me. The waitress sauntered up to the woman's table, grabbed her half-eaten plate of blintzes and quickly walked away as the woman said "Wait, I wasn't finished." But by then, the waitress was already halfway across the room and didn't hear her.
I'm sure the blintzes are very good, but what good are they if the waiting staff takes them away before you can finish them?
Oh, and the scrambled eggs tasted like plastic.
So long story short, the food was overall pretty good, and my personal experience was rushed but acceptable. That said, the service simply tainted the whole experience for me.
You can have your regular fare of scrambled eggs, flapjacks and bacon, but I would recommend to anyone to go and try the more Polish dishes.
Pirogies, Sausages, especially the Blintzes!!
The blintzes are really really good - fluffy, cheesy, fruity, tangy and sweet... did I mention the cheese??
The decor and the staff are friendly and makes you feel at home. Yes, like just at your mother's without the nagging (or doting).
Now, I dunno what he means by "hardly anyone there" since the place is really popular and packed in the mornings... at least for the few times I've been there. So, if you go in the mornings, especially the weekends - there might be a little wait. Usually not long though!
The food was amazing but the service sucked balls. One of the worst waitresses of all time for sure. Kielbasa sausage was great with omelette.
Yes, I am a fan, and yes, I want to go back!!!
My sis and I went here one misty Monday morning to have breakfast - as i had a hankering for beans on toast and she for somethin' just breakfasty. No, they don't have beans on toast - but they do have an amazingly succulent turkey dish (ok, not breakfasty, but why not!) that comes with small juicy turkey tenders topped with peach slivers, cuddled up to cranberry sauce. It also comes with The Most Fabulous gravy we have ever tasted. Like a creamy mushroom soup served at our favorite french bistro back home - this gravy is pure decadence.
The side of cucumber salad was decent and fresh, the side of beets - no don't do it - you can find much fresher, sweeter beets elsewhere.
But DO get the turkey, and do enjoy every unbelievable mouthful - with and without the gravy.
We also ordered pumpernickle and challah bread, and some jam, a perfect accompaniment to our breakfasts. (she had the cherry blintz and seemed to enjoy it).
I will definitely be back for you, oh my wonderful turkey dish!! Stay tasty!
PS We also got our coffee refilled ample times. Huzzah!! :D
Good pierogies and potatoe pancakes. Wish I would have saved room for dessert, the blintzes looked good.
Service was okay.
Totally peaceful little Polish restaurant. The meatloaf and mashed P is pure intensity. Super attentive staff...probably because there is hardly anyone ever in here.
Just Like Mother's is an authentic Polish restaurant that is actually pretty popular. During dining times, this place usually has a good number of people. I have had only one thing here - the Pierogies. They are deeelicious. They come either boiled or fried - I always get them fried. They have a few types of pierogies (ready?): potato, meat, sauerkraut & mushroom, farmer cheese, cheddar cheese, and spinach. A "Full Order" has 7 pierogies, and you can mix up the different types in one order. I think it's a bit pricey; your order will come out to about $10 just for the pierogies. But trust me, it's a damn good periogie. One strange thing - sour cream is an extra charge. I don't know why.
I'm sure their other authentic Polish dishes are okay too. They have Polish Kielbasa, Chicken Liver, Beef Goulash, Blintzes, etc. If I ever try anything else, I'll let you all know how it is.
I'm giving them 3 stars because I'm only there for the pierogies, so it's not a place I would go to all the time. The service isn't great, and the place isn't that nice.
The prices have gone up. We usually get the half roast duck($19.95), the polish platter with pierogies,kielbasa,stuffed cabbage,boiled potato and sauerkraut($13.70) or the beef goulash($13.10). The cooking is on the bland side.
bleh, i think it's a little overrated for it's breakfast/brunch.
i was a frequent brunch-goer but the last time, the service was so bad, i don't think i will ever go back. the waitress was so bad and the manager just sat there and did nothing even when the customers complained. First, the waitress smeared/spilled syrup all over one customer's jacket and instead of apologizing and offering to clean/dry clean the jacket, she grabbed it and disappeared to the restroom for a good 20 minutes. The customer was fuming and told the manager, who did nothing.
Our meal was okay, not great, but was strange since the waitress put the eggs, the sausage, toast, pancakes, and bacon alll on separate plates. So the two of us sat there with like 8 plates. SO STRANGE. The banana pancakes are nothing to rave about. If you've ever had the pancakes from clinton street or normas, they are not even close. finally when the check came, the waitress had the nerve to charge us $4 for a side order of ONE scrambled egg! and when we asked her about her she just said there's nothing wrong with that and just waited for us to pay!
never again!
I've had a mixed experience with this restaurant. The breakfast/brunch items are delicious: blintzes, pierogi, and kielbasa omelet are all tasty and have authentic Polish flavors. The coffee, however, is terrible. The service is also subpar. Several times we have had to wait a long time to order, even though the restaurant was almost empty. On a weekend when I have already had my coffee and don't mind a long wait, I'll still go back.
Had brunch here not long ago. Decided to order the Eggs Benedict Polish style which is the same as the traditional way but instead of hollandaise sauce they use some sort of sauce with dill which was different but incredibly delicious. Nice atmosphere and cute little place with very friendly staff.
I like this place a lot. The sweet and savory blintzes are great. It is probably a best bet for breakfast in this neighborhood. Why isn't it busier??
They have great breakfast there! Banana pancakes are delish! You have to get there early and fight the crowd. The blintzes are great as well. I'm not big on potato pancakes but they were damn good there.
It's a very small cozy place. The staff is always busy, and you try to flag them down but you know they're busy and not ignoring you on purpose.
But I have to say this place as the best damn pierogies I've ever had. the skin is not too thick, not too thin and its not over cooked or boiled. They told me to use some sour cream with it, I was surprised at first but it made it taste oh so much better. The best ones are the sauerkraut and mushroom. It sounds weird but its' so freaking good. They let u mix the order up a bit so you can try them all, but hands down sauerkraut and mushroom are the way to go. Breakfast is the way to go.
They had a meat blintz, and it was DAMN good. I'm not sure if it was a special or what not, but it was good.
Service was friendly and efficient. The food was good and authentic. If you are interested in Polish food and you are in the neighborhood, it is worth a visit. No alcohol.
Neighborhood: Forest Hills
Category: Juice Bars & Smoothies
Neighborhood: Jamaica
Category: Breakfast & Brunch
Neighborhood: Forest Hills
Category: Restaurants
Neighborhood: Forest Hills
Category: Diners
Neighborhood: Forest Hills
Category: Restaurants
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