Novak's Hungarian Restaurant
Category: Restaurants Hungarian Hungarian [Edit]
2306 Heritage Way SEAlbany, OR 97322
(541) 967-9488
- Hours:
Mon, Wed-Sun 7 am - 9 pm
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Private Lot
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- Free
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Beer & Wine Only
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
- Dogs Allowed:
- No
57 reviews for Novak's Hungarian Restaurant
Review Highlights
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57 reviews in English
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Review from Eric P.
Sweet Home, OR
1/17/2012 1 Check-in Here
Being of Eastern European descent myself, I find that Novak's is always a great place to go and enjoy real hearty stick to the sides of you gut kind of meal. The kind that Nana used to make.
This is a family owned and run business, and no matter if you are the first, or as we are often, the last to leave the building the food and service here have always been good. I particularly love the cabbage rolls, and the homemade sausage. Great flavors that you just will not find anywhere else.
And like true Hungarians, they are also fantastic bakers as well. You will never go wrong with their desserts. I love the apple strudel, and my wife is a particular fan of the chocolate box. For those of you who love anything chocolate, I will just leave it at this, you will not be disappointed.
The last time I ate here, I had the chicken spaetzel which was fantastic, filling and flavorful. It just does not get much better for me. -
Review from Sean D.
Bend, OR
12/25/2011 2 Check-ins Here
Hmmm, must have caught them on a bad night. I've never had Hungarian, so I tried the buffet. The food was flavorful, but cold. Maybe the burners were out.
Everyone was friendly, and I like to support local businesses, so I will try again. -
Review from Jim D.
Modesto, CA
12/24/2011
I had been here before and it was always great.
DO NOT LOOK at the baked goods as you come in, you'll never get past them to a meal! Things of great beauty and desire.
We had breakfast here and agreed it was as good as it gets. IO forgot to tell her I don't like biscuits - I just don't. Got a biscuit with breakfast, so I tried it and I am a convert. THEIR Biscuits are special and incredible.
Eggs scrambled with spatzel were also something to behold. The pasta could easily have gone tough or soggy, it was spot-on. House made Hungarian Sausage was off the chart good, and even their bacon was enough to make veterinarians shout, "I GIVE UP!"
Nice diner-ish atmosphere and great friendly attentive people. One of the cooks was there, on her day off, with a child having breakfast. It says something when staff eats there "off the clock."
MY FIRST VISIT was at their old location about 8 years ago. It was a nasty night and I was running late. They were closing when I got there, but they would NOT let me leave until I had been fed well. They're just that sort of people.
Well worth the extra drive off the freeway and the search (it's kinda hidden) to find this place. -
Review from Jesse C.
Seattle, WA
1/28/2012 1 Check-in Here
Curse you yelp, I really wanted to like this place. The meat stuffs are pretty good but under seasoned except the cabbage rolls which were awwwwwwwesome! The nasty undercooked/under seasoned veggies were... Yuck. Wait staff was kind of creepy. Overall weird experience. Now I know what Hungarian food is. Total old people joint.
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Review from Gail K.
Eugene, OR
1/25/2012
I grew up in the Chicago area -- Lots of Hungarian folks and the marvelous food that is their cruisine! I was absolutely stunned while driving around ALBANY, Oregon to find this place! ( Actually it was with the help of my ever so trusty GPS Garmin)
Food review: YUM YUM YUM and tasted authentic. If you have never tasted Hungarian food -- you will find something that is your favorite. Be adventuresome and try something more "out there" than just cabbage rolls. The spices ( and I am a MIDWESTERNER -- in which salt and pepper was our range of spices) are not so strange that you will be put off.
I am going back soon. They have as of now Jan 2012 a $14.95 all you can eat buffet Mon Wed Thursday nights from 5 to 8 pm. I gotta try the variety that will be in a buffet!
Decor -- Hm... think kinda Seventies Style with drawing ( I'm guessing) of Budapest in a mural. The cruisine is "good hearty" style - and so is the decor. -
Review from Fannie S.
10/4/2011 1 Check-in Here
Warning: Do NOT try to use Google, GPS, or anything electronic to get to this place. However, use the address for the nearby Safeway or call them and ask for directions.
Service = friendly.
Food = lots to choose from. I had their lunch combo, which had two kinds of spatzle with a tangy chicken sauce and the other of savory beef stew. The combo also had a cabbage/pork roll, and a sausage. It was for $15.00. For all of that food, it was worth it. I wish I had the red cabbage/sauerkraut with mine, but it's okay, I stole some off my cousin's plate. Oh, and it also came with a choice of salad or soup. I had to try their galyas. Piping hot comfort food! Everything was delicious, really!
Bread in a basket, comes with a nice herb butter.
I wish I had had room for dessert, as their display case of desserts were so tempting at the entryway.... -
Review from Amiee H.
10/20/2011
First time eating Hungarian food and I'm in LOVE!
Food:
1) Complimentary bread: there was a wheat type and a white type of bread, both equally good! Nice and soft!
2) Farmer's platter: this is a compilation of good bread, meats and cheese! Who can go wrong with that? The marinated tomato was one of the best tasting tomatoes I've EVER HAD IN MY LIFE!! It was a good starter for the meal!
3) Hunter's combination platter: Everything is home made and DELICIOUS! I honestly can't give you much detail because inhaled the food soo fast that I didn't really get to taste much of it but what I did taste was absolutely amazing!
4) pumpkin bar: tastes like a pumpkin pie but in bar form!! YUM!!
5) black forest cake: need I say more?? YUM!!
Service:
Super nice waitress with good recommendations on the food for first Hungarian food virgins like myself!
Price:
I've never had Hungarian food before so I have nothing to compare it to, but I was stuffed and so was my friend and it didn't break my wallet so I guess that's a good thing! The whole meal only cost around $40
Ambiance:
Really big family friendly restaurant! There was so many big families gathered to eat there I almost felt bad I didn't ask my family to gather here and chow down with me! Wasn't anything special or decorated in a super fancy way, but it did the job as a good old family chow down joint!
Overall:
Too bad I'm SOOO FAR AWAY or else I'd totally come back!!! -
Review from Anna A.
9/6/2011 1 photo
I've been working in Albany, OR all summer. That means commuting 150 miles a day round trip from Portland. That means finding Hungarian food in rural Oregon.
A Hungarian family settled in Albany, and opened Novak's some years ago and business has been good. They are an I-5 "Food At Next Stop" Stop. Never trying Hungarian food, I didn't know what to expect just that this place was crazy delicious per local commentary.
Paprika Butter and Multigrain Bread: There is nothing like fresh, granular bread. Especially with a spiced up, fluted butter.
Marinated Cucumber Salad: Sweet, refreshing, with just enough dill and the right amount of cooling sour cream.
One of the house specialties is Székely Töltött Káposzta. Cabbage leaves stuffed with a warming spiced ground pork, topped with sour cream. There was tangy stewed sour kraut, buttered red potatoes and perfectly pan fried zucchinis as well. This is not something I would usually eat/order, but I felt compelled to as it was what my work mates were ordering and raving about per previous conquests. And It was absolutely delicious. Every bite of the roll was full of flavor, with good doses of sweet and hot paprika and a depth of never been tasted before Hungarian spice that was contrasted with a large dollop of sour cream.
On another occasion I picked up a ricotta lemon bar for breakfast. It was atypically spectacular having the perfect tinge of lemon and a moist crumb. I wasn't expecting this.
If you find yourself on the 5 and hungry. You must stop. On future trips I am getting the house made sausage. And hopefully taking a glorious comatose nap afterwards.Listed in: Oh, Albany
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Review from Troy S.
11/20/2011
Driving from AZ to OR, fighting hunger, being tired and maybe a slight hangover, Novak's was exactly what I needed. I had the salad with Hungarian vinegerette, a very hearty goulash and langos. Langos is a giant fried bread thing. It is like a pancake bred with a donut.... The copilot had a sampler plate that included a meatball wrapped in cabbage. Anything wrapped in cabbage is a-ok in my book.
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Review from Betty L.
Greenville, TX
8/20/2011
We have traveled in Hungary so we knew we would enjoy Novak's if they were true to their heritage and they are. In fact, I met Gramma when I went there to pick up a loaf of the marvelous black bread that she makes with small little hands.
For those of you who haven't tried Hungarian food, just know that it is basically comfort food. Noodles, mashed potatoes, brown gravy, breaded and fried chicken and beef, etc. It is just called by different names. The food portions are huge, too.
The food is really good, but the real star of the show is the bread and the herbed butter.
And then there are the desserts; OMG so many desserts and so little time! Just pick what looks good to you - you can't go wrong.
At the end of the evening, the bill comes and another really good thing. Good food for reasonable prices. The desserts may sound a little expensive at first, but when you consider that most of them make two generous servings, it makes a reasonable price for them also.
The servers made you feel like you were in the home of a friend. How can you not enjoy Novak's. -
Review from Wendy B.
8/23/2011 1 Check-in Here
Sorry. Big disappointment here for us. The meats are cooked way too long because they are tough cuts with no marbling. Could not find a tender bite. Their signature dish, the chicken paprika, uses breast meat and became dry. The cabbage rolls were very salty, but might have been delicious otherwise. Mama's meatballs were flavorful, but the overall impression was not enough to make me want to return.
As for the bakery....looks like beautiful desserts, but did not try. -
Review from Dwight C.
Willimantic, CT
1/7/2012
Great food, great service, from the hostess to the server to the bus-boys. The chicken was expertly trimmed and cooked for the paprika chicken; the cabbage rolls were well-seasoned and moist; the spaetzle had a great consistency (though they might have been served a bit hotter); and the bread...we bought a loaf for the road. Really enjoyed it.
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Review from Tom L.
Corvallis, OR
11/20/2011
We ate at this place last night for the first times and every second was a delight! The food was wonderful and the service was impeccable. The staff was quickly attentive to all of our needs, while at the same time, never interfered with my table's conversation. We will absolutely be returning to this great place!
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Review from Greg L.
Salem, OR
8/2/2011 1 Check-in Here
So... much... food! Not much for the vegetarian but what I ate was good and had plenty of left overs. Dessert is a must!
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Review from KW C.
Pleasanton, CA
9/29/2011
Looking for something atypical on a road trip - we found it. Great multi-grain bread with seasoned butter - yum. Service was pleasant. Meals were fairly priced, very nice sized portions. Daily special, saved $2 on meal.
Only disappointment was the lemon bar - not very lemony. More like a lemon cookie. -
Review from Jeff H.
12/21/2010
Novak's is amazing!
First off, I love supporting local businesses, and this is a local business that's family owned, and serves traditional food, hand-prepared on site.
We tried this place after years of seeing the road side signs advertising it. When we finally went, we had a great meal, and have gone back numerous times since then.
First off, they provide full course meals. With bread provided at the table, every entree comes with a soup or salad side dish, and it's always very good. I made the mistake of getting salad the first time, but I tried my wife's goulash, and it was AMAZING. Since then, I've only ever ordered the gulash. And I'll be honest, I hate soups and stews, but I could eat bowls and bowls of this stuff. It's spicy and flavourful, with a good mix of meat and vegetables. Combined with the bread, and it's almost enough to make me not hungry anymore for the regular course.
Which the main entree's are also just amazing. Well prepared, with an variety of sides. The potatoes are some of the best I've ever eaten, and their vegetable side-dish is always changing, depending on what's fresh and what they've prepared. It's not out-of-a-can corn and carrots side, it's asparagus or arugula or cucumbers or whatever else they've discovered that would go well with the main dish.
I'm poor with writing hungarian names, so I'm only going to attempt what my mainstay is, which is the Becsci Szezlet. It's breaded beef steak, pounded flat, tastefully herbed, and fried, with the potatoes and vegetables on the side. I don't like gravy, so I always order it off, but my wife seems to really love the taste of their gravy.
She will always order different things, but she loves all of them. There's just too many good things for her to eat only one, in her mind.
Then you have to mention the deserts. Traditional American and Hungarian deserts, it actually takes up a whole menu for their options. I simply LOVE their chocolate eclairs, which has the best cream filling I've ever had in my life, hands down, bar none. I will even go so far as to say that the eclairs I had when I went to Paris didn't compare to these.
My wife loves their Russian Honey Cake, which is also made fresh at the site. They do, however, make two variations of the honey cake, and one she doesn't prefer as much. She does state, however, that that is her personal opinion, and when it comes to deserts, she can be extremely opinionated.
All in all, this is one of our very favorite places to go to. Some nights (we haven't figured out their schedule), they will have live music playing. It's not a rock band, it's light atmospheric music, with a decidedly eastern European bend, that play stringed instruments. Very mood setting, but nothing your teen or pre-teen are going to rock out to.
One thing we are aware of, when we went late on a Sunday night (it was about an hour to closing), the quality was somewhat lessened. We think it's because they didn't get their fresh food shipments in until Monday and that, being so close to closing, they weren't preparing as much fresh items, such as the soup and bread. It was a little disappointing, since we're used to such high quality from them, but we also were very understanding that, since the majority of the time they use very fresh ingredients and don't pre-prepare many things, they have limitations when they're near the end of their stock.
We are just aware to not go right before closing on days late in the week. When we go at normal times, it's always wonderful.
All in all, this is definitely one of our favorite places to go in the Willamette valley. -
Review from Brock K.
Bend, OR
9/26/2010 2 Check-ins Here
Novak'sis amazing its by far my favorite winter time place to eat when I am visiting the family. I know that on a cold rainy valley day this is the place to go for some amazing comfort food!
Making things even better Novak's is one of only two places in Albany to be listed on http://restaurant.com you can get a $25 dining certificate for only $10 and if I do it through my companies website I only pay $6.40 for the $25 voucher!
It's small and family owned so make local habit! -
Review from Arwen M.
Albany, OR
4/16/2011
Although we've lived in Albany for a long time, and had known about Novak's we had never been there until some friends from out of town came in a suggested it.
I had the Maple Pork Medallions. They were delicious. The sauce tasted like maple, not maple syrup, and had just a touch of spice to it. The apple sliced served with it were cooked just right. It also came with a huge helping of mash potatoes, and a side of vegetables.
I was disappointed in the dessert though. (I had actually been to Novak's before and had dessert to go. Those times it was wonderful.) This time we split a Mama's Favorite Crepe. It was very dry, and although flavorful, it was just hard to eat much of it because of the dry walnut crumbs. Next time I will skip the crepes and go straight for the cake. -
Review from Robert J.
Brookings, OR
8/23/2010
Ya know - I found this place because of a coupon and i was intrigued after reading reviews. My family on the other hand was not very enthusiastic and everyone was basically in a poor mood when we arrived. We were staying at a nearby hotel on our way to Salem and Portland for a long weekend.
The wait staff was fantastic. Very accommodating and understanding of grumpy (pre-)teens. They did well enough that everyone came around and had an enjoyable time.
Now, the food --- it was great.
Everyone had something different and shared a bite with everyone else. The soup was good (one kid asked for seconds) and however they steamed the veggies - it was great too! Another kid and my wife both asked for a little more!
My 17 year old son had some sort of sausage dish and enjoyed it with several different types of mustard. Mmmm, sausage.
I had the chicken paprikas - having never had them before I didn't know what to expect - and they were very good.
The pasta that everything seemed served with was a bit unique - but very good too. It was as if someone made a pasta dough, and crumbled it through their fingers into boiling water to cook, rather tan through a pasta machine. It's probably how pasta is made in the o;d world/in the Hungarian style. It was a little like miniature dumplings. We all liked it very much, but my 11 year old daughter and I especially liked it.
Dessert was a nice treat to take back with us to the hotel as we were all too full to eat it there.
Yet again, give this place a try. It's worth trying something new and you just might really like it! -
Review from chris n.
Los Angeles, CA
12/2/2010
This place is just pure comfort food awesomness!!
They serve this fry bread which is to do for. The wait staff was very informative and the desert selection was to die for..
This is pretty much a nowhere town, but if you stop thru here. give it a whirl, but you will want to fall asleep after -
Review from Jason B.
Lebanon, OR
6/9/2011 1 Check-in Here
I went in for coffee and ended up getting breakfast here. The coffee is great (Allan Bros. I believe) and the breakfast was HUGE. Eggs scrambled with homemade spicy sausage, peppers and onions, fried potatoes and a homemade biscuit were way more than I could eat! All of this and my tab was under $10. Can't beat that. I'll come back to try dinner someday.
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Review from Scott N.
8/15/2010
Hungarian cuisine is among the world's very best. Hungary, being centrally located has picked up influences from countries as diverse as France, Turkey, and Germany. The end result is a cuisine that is hearty, robust, and full of flavor. That being said, Novak's Hungarian Restaurant in Albany does more than live up to a grand tradition of wonderful Hungarian cooking.
Novak's is not an easy place to find. It's located off of the main road. I'm from Portland so I've had to use my GPS on my visits to Novak's. The building itself is actually quite large inside. Novak's is simply decorated and quite comfortable.
The service is attentive and caring. The servers at Novak's act like they're truly concerned about whether you are satisfied with your meal.
The menu here is excellent. Hats off to Novak's Hungarian Restaurant for offering gluten free, vegetarian, and dairy free entrees. For those who are unfamiliar with Hungarian cuisine Novak's offers sampler plates.
The cabbage rolls at Novak's are the best I have ever had anywhere in the world. Other honorable mentions are the chicken paprika, the cucumber salad, and Novak's own delicious homemade sausages.
The dessert menu is large and full of scrumptious sweets. The dessert menu is heavy on European tortas. Once again, Novak's offers a sampler plate for those unaccustomed to European desserts.
Here in Oregon we are so blessed to have such an excellent Hungarian restaurant. Long live Novak's! -
Review from Angel D.
Albany, OR
1/14/2011
This is an amazing little Restaurant that everyone must try at least once.
Comfy setting, amazing service and wonderful food.
I first went here about 3 years ago and have been going back ever since. Family owned by pappa and Momma Novak, they are amazingly friendly people who welcome you as family. I would recommend this restaurant to anyone wanting a wonderful meal! -
Review from Jonathan W.
Corvallis, OR
Updated - 8/14/2010 2 Check-ins Here
This really is comfort food at its finest. Intimate atmosphere, good menu with plenty to choose from.
Soups are fine as meal starters, but I wouldn't plan a meal around one. There are no real surprises here on the menu, except for a special or two once in awhile, but everything is prepared well. The chicken paprikash and pork cutlet (portla szilet i think?) are both standard favorites.
The service was impeccable this time, I believe the waiter averaged 3 minutes between water refills. We also met Papa Novak this time, a wonderful older gentlemen and father of the owner.
Basically, you won't find any surprises, just good food and friendly people.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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5/15/2010
Stopped by for dinner with a couple friends. Atmosphere was very homey. Low lighting with fairly… Read more »
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Review from Stephanie K.
Manhattan, NY
1/7/2010 1 photo
Today was a good food day. After indulging in all sorts of hazelnut goodness, we stopped by Novak's for a late lunch after moving. We let the bubbly waitress know we were in a hurry, and she was happy to accommodate us.
So like our lunch, I'll make this short and sweet. Had the farmer's platter, fried veggies appetizer, green bean and noodle soup, chicken and noodle soup, black bean burger, and chicken paprikas. Huge portions for everything. Great cabbage with the farmer's platter and I love the spicy mustard. Couldn't get enough of the soup or the fried veggies.
Entrees were delicious as well. Couldn't stay for dessert, but we had to get three to go. The hazelnut tort, poppy seed cake, and sacher torte were amazing! Can't wait to try their other desserts since they have so many! -
Review from Jessica S.
Albany, OR
1/27/2010
Novak's is delicious, different, and family owned goodness. In the winter, it is my go to dinner choice. Warm, filling, gravy love.
The herb butter and the challah bread cannot be beat.
Comfort food at it's best.
If you've never tried it, you really must.
#corvSMB -
Review from Emily S.
Eugene, OR
6/1/2011
Fantastic pastries. Even if you can only stop by for coffee and a lemon bar it's worth the trip.
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Review from Anna A.
Napa, CA
5/12/2009
Novak's is a gem in the otherwise dreary papermill town of Albany, Oregon. It's in an unassuming facade-- a temporary building, of all places, that has been dressed up with ethnic wares and a rotating cake display.
Novak's has wonderful Hungarian dishes like beef porklott and the cabbage rolls are EXCELLENT! If you're lucky,you'll be dining there when the accordionist plays. At Novak's,you can go to Budapest without leaving the country! -
Review from sherrie c.
Eugene, OR
6/2/2010
I've been to Novak's 3 or 4 times now. Every time, we have incredible service and amazing food.
Last time I went, i had the anniversary special dinner. It included soup or salad (i went soup), a cornish gamehen with cranberry stuffing, some veggies and something else I can't recall now.
The food was great. I ate it all, except my goulash soup - that was heavier than I wanted. I LOVED the game hen and the stuffing.
The other times I've gone, I had the chicken paprikrash. This is the "safe" dish everyone is supposed to like. It comes with some veggies. The noodles are covered with the sauce.
Let me just say this is the ultimate comfort food. Its very filling, warm, comfy, and makes you feel good to eat it. It tastes like something a grandma would cook for you.
Its really hard to explain this restaurant, for some reason, but I guess I can just sum it up as this: I think this is the best restaurant in Albany. -
Review from Tim M.
Seattle, WA
9/14/2011
Wed 9/14/11 7:30pm Novak's Hungarian/2306 Heritage Way SE/Albany, OR/ http://www.novakshunga... : we searched city center for Thai or Sushi but no luck, so we turned to Novak's due to its 4-stars reviews. Our TOM TOM GPS did a poor job leading us there. Finally found it and extra hungry. This is also a bakery, we tried to pass it quickly with our growling stomach, but the wait for a table took a toll. Our child already picked out her huge chocolate cake meal. Oh well, will see. We sat down to a booth next to a buffet table. Yep, they have buffet of the 4 top entries, plus bread and salad. Our child couldn't wait, you can see the hunger in her feet. She picked up a plate and headed for the line. Buffet it is; $15 for adult, child $6. The sausage Kolbász was nicely seasoned and packed tight, same with the meatloaf ball in cabbage wrap; however the Chicken Paprikás and Beef Pörkölt were dried, even drowned in their curry sauce. The cabbage preparations remind us of Polish dishes, go figure. We also ordered an appetizer pate; not much lever in the pate. The busser is extra friendly, we see him more than our waiter. The waiter came out a few times but neglected to refill our water, and we had to flag him down for dessert and the bill. He gave us the full attention and friendliness when he's there but getting him is somewhat tricky. This is a heavy meal, more meat, more curry and sauce, an experience of Hungarian's food. The price is right for the amount of food, but we're not big built, so pack it togo. We would return for togo desserts though, pretty homey cakes and cobblers. Whew, side affect with lots of water at night :(. Just lost my rating by 1 star.
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Review from Rachel S.
Seattle, WA
4/21/2007
Now, normally I don't like cake. Cake tends to be fluffy. Also sweet. Fluffy + sweet = why bother taking on the extra calories? But someone talked me into trying the cake here, and it was heavy, dense, and delicious, with only a modicum of icing.
The meal that went before it was good, too. -
Review from Laura H.
Eugene, OR
1/31/2011
We were excited to eat at Novak's, but sadly left unimpressed and hungry. The food wad uniformly bland. The cucumber salad didn't have vinegar in it, the pate tasted like the fridge it was stored in, and the entrees suffered from an anemic flavor. We had the chicken paprika with Hungarian noodles, supposedly a specialty and it literally had NO flavor. We also had another specialty, the cabbage rolls and they were so high in salt I felt like crap all that night. We were so disappointed in what we were hoping was a cool, random find, instead we were served what amounted to cafeteria food. It is with sadness, I give this place one star.
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Review from Ray M.
Albany, OR
12/8/2009
This is an okay place. I had a chicken fried steak kinda thing and soup. The steak was lacking in taste and the soup was too. I have lived here for a few years and eaten at Novaks 6 times. The place always leaves me feeling heavy. It will for sure fill you up.
The service was prompt but not always proper. The cheesecake is tasty but overpriced. I think they are true to their theme which is refreshing. -
Review from Joe B.
Mill Valley, CA
3/27/2011
The most authentic Hungarian food I have had outside of Hungary. Great Langos, Gulyas and Paprikas Chicken. Very friendly and homey people. If I lived in the area I would be a regular. Oh...and gluten free and heart healthy items on the menu without losing the authentic flavors!
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Review from rachel n.
Salem, OR
12/15/2008
Since Albany doesn't have a surplus of good restaurants, I'll round this up to a 4* from my preferred 3.5.
I've been here a few times. The food is usually quite good but service is sometimes erratic. The dining area is comfortable for enjoying a leisurely meal (don't try this place if you're on a tight schedule) and probably good for families. -
Review from Doug R.
Louisville, KY
12/12/2008
Whenever I am in Oregon, I always make it a point to stop in at Novak's.
The menu offers so many truly wonderful dishes, that it makes a lot of sense to try the Sunday Brunch where you can get a sample of several different things. The Beef Pörkölt with cubed sirloin tip in a rich mushroom gravy over homemade (you can tell) pearl noodles is one of my favorites. The staff treats you like family -- in a good way -- and is always helpful to explain menu items.
Since they also are a bakery, their desserts merit special consideration. Even though you may be too stuffed from your meal to eat it now, do think about getting something to go to eat later. You'll thank yourself for that wise decision. -
Review from DJ M.
Albany, OR
6/22/2009
If you are ever looking for a special treat or a change in the everyday world of "chain" restaurants; this is definitely it. You need to plan on coming with an appetite and make sure you have plenty of time to sit and enjoy the experience. I feel the service tends to be a little slow for me; but worth it.
I especially love the Chicken Paprikas and cucumber salad. Also, don't forget to order the Langos as an appetizer or just on the side.
Mama and Papa have done such a wonderful job by opening this restaurant so many, many years ago and their children are doing a fabulous job keeping it going.
Thank you! -
Review from Clint G.
Hayden, ID
Delicious! As good as it gets; my family has stopped to eat at Novak's for a good number of years and it's always perfect :)
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Review from Kyle D.
Neotsu, OR
1/1/2011
Consistently good Hungarian comfort food. Prepare to gain some weight, but it's worth it. The staff has always been wonderful. Wish I lived closer...then again, my waistline is grateful that I don't.
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Review from Bill D.
Eugene, OR
6/20/2011
The Beef Porkloit (sic?) is great. Cubed beef on fresh made egg noodles with a light Hungarian sauce. The salad is good, not a slick menu type. Iced tea has a great flavor and the bakery is one of the best. A must-go-to!
