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If you want real Polish food, Podhalanka is it--it is the real deal! For those of you who've been to Poland, you'll know the menu is not Americanized one bit.
The food takes a while as it is made to order and you'll have to be looking for this place, otherwise no way you'll ever notice it or walk in even after you notice the sign.
Whew a hole in the wall place. I love those places where you know its going to be good hearty food in a not so extravagant dining room.
Podhalanka is nothing short of that as I step in and see a nice elderly woman speaking broken english taking orders! Simply awesome, that is when you know you getting authentic food (take notes).
I would have to say I was expecting a greater amount of food from our 6 orders but I was satisfied though could have eaten more.
We had the ribs, beef roll, and a pork meatball of some sort as our main dish.
Ribs were great, fall off the bone tender with gravy that was flavorful and just enough salt.
Pork meat ball, again pretty okay, kind of dry which is why they have the gravy but delicious nevertheless.
And beef roll - a meat that was rolled up with some veggies which was okay nothing to write home to mama.
But now for the pierogi! Oh goodness these are wonderful miniature delights! Looks like old fashion dumplings but the fillings are incredible! Hands down the cheese and patato pierogi was the best! Had a Philadelphia cheese taste with a bit of potatoes that was just rich and savory. Definitely the best dish. We also had the meat pierogi which has the texture of shredded beef like chipotle's barbacoa beef. It was interesting and quite delicious but nothing compared to... the NONMEAT potatoes and cheese pierogi which makes absolutely no sense to a carnivore like me. But delicious. Which you dip into sour cream by the way.
The potato pancake was crispy and light, came with sour cream and apple sauce to compliment it. Good stuff.
Thus I would have to give it a 3.5 as the portions were very big but the owner was really nice. But then again where can you get polish food where it feels like you eating in someone's kitchen. Give it a shot!
I'll set this up: first trip to Chicago, fiancee grew up in Warsaw. Naturally we had to check this place out.
Decor: it is what it is. Not creepy or unsanitary in any way. Fiancee said it reminded him of Poland twenty years ago. I was sold by the picture of Pope John Paul on the wall and that a cop walked in and sat at the counter. I knew this experience was going to be for real, straight outta polska kochanie.
Service: you seat yourself. Order from everyone's favorite Polish grandma at the bar. Do it in Polish if you can. I left fiancee in charge of ordering and/or translating.
Food: What I initially thought was a plain glass of water was a sweet drink called compote. I had had a rough night the night before and was in serious need of hardy food. They were out of borscht when we visited, and a cabbage-wrapped pork dish that fiancee wanted (disappointing). This was on account of the fact that they make everything fresh (no leftovers!) and when they are out for the day, that's it. That was ok, b/c I still got my soup -- a savory cabbage & pork dish, reportedly a very popular recipe in Poland.
I also had some fantastic pierogis that made my soul smile. Fiancee had what appeared to be the Polish version of country fried steak with mash potatoes and gravy. We also had side of red beet horseradish, which is must on pierogi.
We left very full for very cheap. Back to the hotel we went for a long nap! Podhalanka will heal you of what ails you. Go now before it disappears back to the time from which it came. Podhalanka dziekuje!
Went here with my wife and her sister who are part polish. It was a trip down memory lane for them, and they ordered up a storm: pierogis, potato pancakes, kielbasa, and golabkis. All were very good. The store owner was very friendly and gave us good suggestions too, which I think is what gives this place the 5 star rating. Walking by the place, it is easy to miss. But, I highly recommend it.
OK, a grandmother making each dish when you order it, and for cheap. The authenticity of this place is Yelper certified. Not fancy, not new, just very authentic and well-prepared Polish food. Probably gonna disappear when the owner retires, so treat yourself quickly to this delicious treat.
Dear Chicago,
I'd like to propose that we move Podhalanka to Washington DC...
Okay, now everybody stay calm. Please stop pelting me with pierogi...they're still very hot, and the scalding potato filling bonds to the skin like napalm. Just hear me out, please.
I may be only a quarter of a Pole, but I identify most readily with this side of my heritage. I grew up with homemade pierogi on the dinner table every Sunday. I learned Polish songs as a child and sang them to my grandfather. In other words, I roll deep. Once I grew up and moved to Pittsburgh, life was still good. Pittsburgh has a very prominent Polish population (try saying that fast!), so I had my choice of top notch places to get my haluski on.
And then a funny thing happened...I moved to Washington DC. This city has every cuisine imaginable...except good Polish (and Italian, but let's leave that for another discussion). My well ran dry, and I've been thirsty ever since.
When the GF and I first discovered Podhalanka a couple of years ago when we visited your fair city for the Touch and Go 25th anniversary fest, it was just like stepping back inside Pap Pap's kitchen again. The food? Exceptional...just like I used to eat as a child. Sure, the decor is a bit on the creepy side, but I enjoy it...reminds me of the old American Legion in my hometown (I like pinball, and my dad loves beer. Win-win situation). The even creepier religious cards? Bonus!! I've still got several at home! The owners are amazing, too. They were so welcoming that I felt like I was eating in their own home.
Places like this don't exist in DC, and I'm slowly dying without it. Can we work out some sort of trade? If Yelp isn't lying to me, I've noticed that you have a dearth of Ethiopian joints outside of the Northside of the city. We've got plenty of really great Ethiopian restaurants in DC. Please, accept one in exchange for Podhalanka. You can consult Yelp to figure out which one you want and get back to us. I beg you. It will work out much better than Milton Bradley, I promise.
Please take my request under serious consideration.
Sincerely,
Brian K.
P.S. I've already asked you kindly once before...can you please stop pelting me with pierogi??
The last Polish restaurant in what was "Polish Downtown" sixty years ago. A couple reviewers have made the interior sound creepy or something - if you think it's shabby now, you should have seen it ten years ago - but back then, it still had a great jukebox and if you were lucky you might see Rostenkowski hanging out at the counter (man, he was huge).
Point being, the couple that runs this place make you want to eat here because their approach to service is just so inviting. The very sweet man that was waiting on us was surprised and impressed by my clumsy attempts to speak Polish, and thereafter referred to himself, my girlfriend and me as "We Poles". And the food! Solid! Lovely pierogi, and the zurek soup is delish - a white borscht with sausage, egg and dill!
This is a wonderful, special place. You walk in the front door and it's so completely 1978 (or earlier) in here that you'll realize the only thing missing is the smell of cigarette smoke.
The food is outstanding. My parents and I ordered cucumber salad, perogi, stuffed cabbage, and potato pancakes, hitting four of your polish basics. Each dish came out looking and tasting like grandma had just made it. This is some seriously delicious polish food without even a whiff of pretense or irony. This is honest stuff, and I'm in love. If I lived in Chicago, this is the place I'd drag my friends to all the time.
How could you NOT love this place? Husband and I met some friends here for dinner tonight. I felt like I was in my grandmother's kitchen! We ordered 4 different dishes and had soup. First, the food was delicious! Everything tasted home-made and the lady serving us was extremely friendly. We got there a little after 6 and were told that they close at 7. At 7:15 no one said anything, but we were ready to leave.
The food, again, was delicious. The stuffed cabbage was just how my mom makes it. The pierogies were great! The potato pancakes were crispy, crunchy, and oh-so-very-good!
The bill, for all that food, was just under $40. A price you couldn't beat!
This little hole in the wall was one of my favorite meals during my most recent trip to Chicago. It is as down to earth as it gets - some people have called the interior grim while also noting it might be like your grandma's house...hmmm, therapy anyone?
Frankly, I wanna go somewhere like a grandma's house! Grandma's house means love, great soul food, & sweetness. You almost walk by because it's so nondescript outside, turn around and walk into a diner that was probably built around the '30's and remodeled in the '60's or early '70's: Wood paneling, soap opera going, green vinyl place mats, and funky beige linoleum floor. Tables & chairs out of the VFW and a lunch counter...frankly, I love it.
I sat at the lunch counter across from Pope John Paul II and had a splendid meal: tomato-rice soup and potato-cheese pierogies. The owner is very sweet, & I'm sorry I couldn't understand her better. She gave me a treat of some delicious homemade juice that I would describe as a weak cranberry iced tea - it was so good! I didn't understand that she had tripe soup that day, a regular next to me was raving - I would have loved to try it. Every plate that passed looked fantastic. There were so many things I wish I could have tried - definitely come with a dining partner so you can sample more!
I was getting over the flu when I went in, the soup & juice helped heal me, I'm convinced! And all for less than $15. One of my first stops on my next trip, fer sure.
My only complaints about this place are that they aren't open later and that the atmosphere is a little grim...but otherwise, the service is fantastic and the food is inexpensive, plentiful, and very good. My favorite items on the menu are the white borscht and the pierogis. The potato pancakes are good as well, although not in the style that I prefer (but that doesn't make them any less delicious).
I honestly wish I went here more often, since I tend to forget about it until it's too late...it's a shame they aren't open til 8 or 9. The front of the restaurant is easy to miss, but it's worth hunting down and then eating everything you can.
I've been meaning to write about this place for awhile, as I've been several times with my boss, who is a HUGE fan. But, now that it's been mentioned in Smithsonian Magazine in an article titled "Chicago Eats," I need to contribute to the many great reviews here.
Podhalanka is NOT a swanky place, so if you're looking for fancy decor and table settings, this will not be the place for you. In fact, it's an old bar that was converted into a casual dining restaurant -- it's long and narrow, and the original bar is still there and you can eat there if you like, like the old fashioned lunch counters you see only rarely these days. It's not open very late, so if you're heading over for dinner go early. Don't be surprised if the television behind the bar is on.
This joint is very popular with cops and folks who live and work in the 'hood -- always a good sign that the food is good and reasonably priced. From the moment I entered, I knew I was in for great Polish food -- the owner/waitress and chef are native-born Poles. The owner, from what I understand, only moved to the States when she was in her mid to late 20's!
Everything I've had there is excellent -- the potato pancakes, the pierogis (among the very best I've ever had), and the white borscht are my favorites. My heritage is not Polish (German/Irish mostly, with a lot of other stuff thrown in for good measure), but I still savor the food here as if my grandma made it or something. There's something comforting and comfortable about it.
Service is good, but again, the owner/server is not a native English speaker so be patient. I've only had one bad experience with the service, and that was when I had to send back my silverware because it wasn't thoroughly clean, but that can happen anywhere. She promptly and gladly exchanged the silverware for me with no attitude about it.
If you'd like wine or beer with your pierogi, bring your own. Don't expect fancy wine glasses, though - if you're a wine lover and have to have that special wine glass to let it breathe properly, suggest you bring your own or deal with the regular 'ol kitchen-style glasses they have here.
The price? OMG it's such a deal. This is a working person's restaurant -- the prices are great! You get a good amount of food for what you pay here. Of course, now that they've been featured in the Smithsonian Magazine, they'll probably get uber-popular and the prices will go up, and it will lose its down-home, city neighborhood feel. Let's hope not!
They can accomodate larger groups, but call in advance so they can have the tables set up for you -- it's a small restaurant.
My only regret is that I don't live anywhere near here so it's a hassle to go to this place -- I would definitely eat here more often if it was closer to my home.
And to think that I thought that all the good Polish restaurants were on the Northwest side. Podhalanka is yet another awesome restaurant that I've lived nearby for close to 6 years, yet had never been to until a few weeks ago. It is very easy to miss I guess. Pretty scary looking on the outside, but has a great vibe on the inside. So old school diner-like. I love it! We liked it so much, we went for 3 consecutive weekend dinners.
The cabbage rolls are excellent, as are the potato pancakes and cucumber salad. Not so good was the pork roast, I think it was. I still need to try the pierogi. Next time for sure. I also need to try more of the soups. I'm not too fond of the complimentary mystery juice. Well...it seems it's not complimentary on every visit. The service is a tad bizarre, but the food and the reasonable prices make up for the odd service. I love this place, and will be back often.
Visiting Chicago brought out our cravings for Polish comfort food, and Yelp led us here. We exited the Blue Line at Division and almost passed by the unremarkable restaurant entrance. My dining companion raved about the cabbage soup and the cabbage rolls. I asked for a half order of meat pirogues and half potato-and-cheese pierogies. I enjoyed the potato-and-cheese, however, the meat, took the form of minced mystery meat.
I agree that the interior is pretty drab, but does have the feeling of being in somebody's grandmother's kitchen. The prices are cheap!
Stopped in for lunch today since I was in the mood for some polish food. The place has definitely not been updated for a long time, but who cares when all I was there for was some good food. I must say the menu was a little short. I was hoping for some sort of lunch combo plate with sausage, kraut, pierogis, maybe even a potato pancake or two, but nothing like that could be found. Everything I was looking for had to be ordered separately. I had the cheese blintzes which were excellent, and a polish sausage sandwich with onions which was also good, but my craving for pierogis was not satisfied because I didn't really want to order a third plate. Overall I think the place is definitely a gem in the city, but next time I may see if the dinner options are more to my liking.
Ba da ba ba ba, I'm lovin' it!
This place is the perfect place to go when it's crappy outside and all you want is comfort food.
I'll be honest: It ALMOST looks like a meth lab from the outside. But don't let that scare you. Delicious food awaits.
My fiance and I took a trip there one gray, drizzly, cold night. We were seated at the bar and were promptly given a big ass stack of delicious bread with butter to munch on.
We milled over the menu and made our decisions. My fiance ordered stuffed cabbages and potato/cheese piergois. I ordered the vegetable soup and potato/cheese piergois. THE SOUP WAS EFFING AMAZING. WOW. It was just perfect. It was really some of the best soup I have ever had. It was seasoned so well. Yowza! The piergois were very good as well, you can tell they were homemade. My fiance enjoyed his stuffed cabbages. We didn't talk much that meal - just stuffed our faces with good polish food.
The best part? Everyone who worked here was a cute Polish Grandmother type.
Ahhh, we'll be back.
For great comfort food that's easy on the wallet, Podhalanka is hard to beat. Perfect winter time food.
My wife and I usually come here and get a coup of soup each and then 2-3 plates to share family style. There is typically enough left over for lunch the next day and the damage is usually less than $30. Some of my favorite items are the vegetable soup, the pierogis (best I've had anywhere), the blintzes, and the potato pancakes. In fact, I used to be convinced that my own homemade potato pancakes could not be trumped....until I had the ones at Podhalanka.
The atmosphere here is definitely simple. It's nice and clean, but if you're expecting something fancy you'll be disappointed. The service is very friendly, but can seem slow if you're used to the kind of restaurant service experience where you get the bill before you even finish your entree.
3.5 stars. i so wish you could give half stars. total hole in the wall. my kind of place. =)
had no idea how to order (never had polish before), so i ordered half random, half off of previous yelpers. went with 5 friends and ordered family style so we got a taste of everything.
vacationed in hungary a few months ago and the food reminded me a lot of the food there. white borstch: good. creamy, sausagey, with a little pepper and vinegar. potato pancakes: great. crispy and good with applesauce. meat pierogi: okay. reminded me of canned tuna. potato and cheese pierogi: great. soft, doughy and creamy.
ribs: fall off the bone excellent. rolled stuffed beef: okay. kinda dry. breaded pork cutlet: great. crispy and juicy. side veggies: tasty. a great compliment to all the meat
overall: felt like i was at a friend's house and their mom cooked us dinner. definite bonus. hence the extra half star. i think polish is just not my thing. not fair to compare, but i have nothing else similar to compare to. the food in hungary was better.
This place feels like home. =D You'll walk out of that place just feeling a lil bit more Polish, if you didn't already. It's old, practically frozen in time. The komput (fruit juice) is awesome. It's not Kool-Aid people! Promise! I know the secret ingredients....bwhahaha!
If you like to eat your food in peace, this is a pretty good spot. It's a crazy mix of people from old polish people to young people that miss their mom's homemade soup. Try it out. Support small business. You're better off eating a bowl of soup from here than eating again off Wendy's dollar menu.
Lived in the neighborhood over 2 years now and have just tried this place.
After a long Saturday night and standing in a booth for 2 hours at the rained out Renegade Craft Fair, I started feeling a bit under the weather. Shivering like a wet mouse I was dreaming of comfort food. I went there and took home some vegetable soup loaded w/ dill and potato and cheese pierogis. Perfect for cold, rainy days.
I believe it has saved me from a certain death.
After looking on yelp for a polish restaurant that serves good perogis, I settled on Podhalanka.
I took my fiance, cousin and a friend here for dinner on a Friday evening. I was surprised to find it quite empty. Other than us four, there was a couple at another table and guy alone at the bar. Unswayed by the lack of customers, we sat down and ordered.
I had the cabbage soup and potato and cheese perogis. Both were great. The soup was fantastic, though maybe just a pinch too sour. However, no complaints on the perogis. I would return for those.
My fiance ordered the sour borsdt and beef stew dinner. He said he enjoyed both. I took a sip of the soup and didn't like it at all. But I am on the picky side. However, I did also take a bite of the beef and found it quite tasty, juicy and good.
My cousin ordered the cabbage perogis. He said he liked them. I also tried, but didn't like. I am more of a cheese/potato perogi girl. The friend had blueberry perogis. I didn't try them, but she said they were ok.
So its good for food. Next time I plan to try the potato pancakes I hear rave reviews about. I was stuffed after soup and perogis.
The ambiance was like being in an eastern european kitchen. I liked the homey feeling, but classy it is not. I liked it. It is unpretentious and comfortable.
But best of all, its super cheap. The check for 4 pple came out to $37 dollars, and that included tax.
Let me preface my gushing over this place by stating my country of origin:
I am from Ukraine.
That being said, perhaps it's really nostalgia for flatly lit, oilcloth clad, empty and stuck in time places that made me so happy in Podhalanka.
Now, if you are do not have inexplicable longings for Soviet Era/deeply 70s/even deeper in the boondocks kind of feel then perhaps you should avoid this eccentric hole in the wall.
I went with Mom who admittedly makes way better potato pirogi, but having them served to us along with some sour borscht and beet salad was just a fun experience.
Especially that we are in Chicago in 2007 and the place feels more like 1977 Poznan.
So inviting, and oddly charming. Once you walk in the door you are quickly greeted and taken in by whoever is working. Very plain and family style looking restaurant, but there is something so warm and charming about it.
Get the soup and get the komput! The cook takes so much pride in both, and there is something to be said about every customer coming in and ordering soup on one of the hottest days in the summer. The white borscht, soooooooo delicious. If you want the taste of homemade, authentic polish food this is the spot in Chicago. Go POLAND!
This place gets 5 stars just for the soup. The white borscht soup is just so amazing I wanted to consume bowl after bowl. To make the soup there is some sort of dangerously addictive rye starter and cuts of delicious polish sausage involved. The cucumber soup was pretty amazing as well, it was hearty and filling without being fatty. Yum! The pierogis were pretty standard, but the soup, oh the soup, sooo good. It's definitely worth a trip back for the soup.
Sooouuuuupp. Mmmmm. I can't even write a coherent review because I'm salivating for this soup so bad. I will leave it at that.
At this point, my loyal readers, both imagined and fictional, you may wonder why it seems that I am handing out stars the way some Republicans hand out corporate tax breaks. Following are my reasons:
1) Chicago has some of the best restaurants in the world, and when I'm through eating at every restaurant in Chicago I will then proceed to St. Louis where I will reserve a total of five stars for all of the city's restaurants put together
2) I love eating and would give five stars to the act of eating itself if such were on Yelp
3) I always look in the window before going inside. If the clientele look like jerks, I won't bother to go in and face my one star experience.
Well, the trouble with this place is, the window out front is too dirty and cluttered to look through.
But I took my chances and went inside anyway.
Five stars. Good, reliable Polish food, good service. Expect the Polish basics like sausage, pork, cabbage, and pierogi, all of which are inarguably bland in comparison to southern cuisines. But, to get the most out of your meal you really have to try what I consider to be the highlight of Polish cuisine and a staple at every Polish main meal, the soups ("zupy"), which are very far from being bland. They have eight soups on the menu, and though on any given day they'll only have a few ready, they all seem to be good. The zurek (white rye soup with sausage) is excellent, as is the mushroom soup (like a typical chicken-noodle soup-type broth with dill). I'm holding out for a day when they have ogorek.
This is also a place where most would probably feel comfortable eating alone. There's plenty of space along the bar, along with a selection of Polish and English-language newspapers.
Hilarious. This is a totally old-school, feel like you are in your Polish friend's basement from childhood, charming home style restaurant. I went there one chilly Winter night with a bunch of friends and I felt like we were at someone's house. The waiter, who I believe is the owner's son (or maybe he is part owner too?) is totally attractive. So besides the delicious food, you have some yummy Polish eye candy to look at. The prices were totally reasonable too. It's a fun place to order a bunch of stuff and share with friends. With so many places trying to be cool and trendy and the next "big thing", you have to respect Podhalanka for the down to earth vibe and comfortable atmosphere. I hope they never change because I think the whole atmosphere is really charming and unique.
Podhalanka is an absolute hidden treasure!
If you're an image snob, don't bother. There is nothing newer than 1972 in this diner-dive. There doesn't need to be. The food speaks for itself. Amazing, totally authentic Polish food, exactly how my grandmother made it. Podhalanka offers huge portions, cheap prices, and friendly service.
No one comes to Podhalanka for mod styles, ambient trance music, or the pretentious snobbery that you find at Chicago "hot" spots. People come to Podhalanka for huge, warm, comforting bowls of Cabbage or red bean soup, pirogies, and mouthwatering entrees. Also, there's a free glass of "komput" (sweetened drink made from dried fruit) with your meal.
Yum
PS. DO NOT bend the menus back or the sweet lady behind the counter will reprimand you for this naughty, destructive behaviour; as it is frowned upon.
An acquaintance of mine long ago said to me "they have the best pierogis in there".... and I just kept driving by and saying that dump has good pierogis?.....Years later I finally stopped in and discovered for myself that the pierogis are wonderful and very good.
Don't judge a book by it's cover is the lesson the be learned here. While the outside facade of this Polish restaurant lacks curb appeal, this restaurant located near the once, very center of Chicago's Polish community...Milwaukee, North and Ashland Ave. is a great reminder of the areas not so distant past.
Inside the place is charming, homey and very much like going to a tiny restaurant in Poland and the owner, Halina, will never forget your face even if you were there only once before. All the Polish trinkets set on display, the TV fixated to the news blaring on from Poland and the regulars fluently speaking their native tongue, all add a little something that makes one feel not so in Chicago but in Poland.
While I may not be Polish but, Ukrainian and I know my pierogis(varenyky)...Podhalanka isn't like my grandmother's but, I wouldn't draw any comparison those. Podhadlanka's are excellent and properly seasoned and the dough is reasonably thin and not chewy. While some prefer the Wrigley's chewing gum kind that is just like chewing on a wad of gum.... That would be grounds for instant disqualification in a pierogi contest! You would get those at the old Busy Bee!
The soups are hearty and flavorful. Try the breaded pork cutlet, it's a Polish standard and here it is outstanding.
Halina works hard and takes great pride in the food she presents and the level of service she offers to her customers. A very nice lady!
Support this place! Eat Here!
I think Podhalanka functions by the same rules as embassies - when you enter the doors you are officially on Polish territory. It's amazing what people can do with the basic ingredients of pork, dough, potatoes, beets, and cabbage!
I love the soups, the pierogi (I get the "mixed"), the fresh buttered rye bread, the men watching Wheel of Fortune during an early dinner, and the friendly owner. I miss living right around the corner.
I love this place. When I first moved to Chicago I went to Podhalanka for lunch one day and was immediately hooked. It was spectacular. AND CHEAP. Pirogies and potato pancakes are great... I suggest just letting whoever is taking your order just bring you the best thing that day and enjoy. Your meal seems to come with a bottomless basket of sliced sandwich bread to soak up the rich delicious sauce (after slathering it with butter, of course).
I honestly haven't been back in a while after an extended absence from the neighborhood, but we've moved back recently so I'm planning on a return trip soon -- updates to follow!
Great prices. It's not a white linens, better-than-thou kinda joint. It's more of a quaint, comfortable atmosphere with touches of culture around every corner. And the food...
DELICIOUS! The white borsht was amazing. The polish sausage in it was so fresh and had the best taste. The pierogis with potato and cheese were good...but the potato pancakes were out of this world. OUT OF THIS WORLD, motherfuckers! Eat them. Eat them and love them or I shall smite thee.
Seriously though. Crunchy in all the right spots. They knew just where to touch me that would make me pull out...
...my wallet and leave a generous tip. You pervs. I'm a girl. I can't pull out.
I didn't know how much I loved polish food until I went to this place for a friends birthday. The waitress hugged me, and brought out a picture of her daughter who she said looked like me. Everything was so delicious and they give large portions for good prices.
The cucumber salad is amazing, and get the pierogis fried if you want them to be super tasty.
Also, the potato pancakes looked really good too.
Great at home atmosphere...Great People... Great Food.
oh, and it's B.Y.O.B
Podhalanka is the Polish alternative to your traditional greasy spoon. It's basically a Polish diner. I'd say 3.5, but I rounded up.
Ever since the Pierogi Factory closed down (RIP), I've been trying to find a new place to get really good pierogis. Podhalanka's were alright, but not quite on par. I'd give them another try. The potato pancakes were pretty good, nice and crispy, and came with a good portion of applesauce and sour cream. The split pea soup wasn't all that great, it definitely needed some spices. On the other hand, the cucumber salad was pretty solid. It was just like something by boyfriend's mom would make at home. You also get a nice basket of Polish rye when you sit down.
Bathroom: Utilitarian
Atmosphere: Right out of Poland, No Frills, Plain
Service: Excellent
Food: Home cooked Polish food
In Poland they don't smile much and say crazy things like Please, Thank You, Enjoy your meal or How was the Food! You eat what they give you and you'll like it! Food is a necessity. Not a luxury to be taken lightly......
That being said, I Love this place! Vegetable soup was big enough to be a meal, the bread was very fresh. The stuffed Cabbage was amazing. Everything did need a little salt.
I left with this very comfortable satisfied feeling that lasted the rest of the day, I needed it!
My girlfriend invited me to join her Supper Club for the week, it happened to be lunch this week...Podhalanka, today at 11. I'm Polish...and really haven't had Polish cooking, other than my mother and grandmother (whom is hard to contend with!), so I was excited to give this a go!
I felt like I was in the basement of a relatives house, setup as a dining room...it was interesting decor, but very appropriate to what this restaurant is.
It is a one woman show here...and listen up because she doesn't like to repeat herself!
We all started with soup, I had the White Borscht with sausage (very yummy!!) and the others had the Cabbage (which was lovely) and Vegetable.
We shared Potato Pancakes, these were sooooo goood!! and we ordered Potato and Meat perogies, which I have to admit...my mothers are better :/ these ones just tasted to 'doughy' to me...kind of thick.
This is a great little place, I will visit again...maybe I will take my parents to dinner for a change (definitely within my budget, considering these tough times!!).
na zdrowie!
OH DEAR JESUS! There is NOTHING like Podhalanka for some seriously great, comforting Polish food! This place was my savior when I worked around here because a bowl of soup with three slices of Polish bread was $2.85! I love Polish soups and these were no exception! The tomato rice and white borscht are so yummy and steamy hot and dipping your buttered bread in them just makes this meal the most perfect Chicago winter meal you could ever want. The only soup that's gross is the chicken noodle and weirdly enough this seems to be consistent with all Polish places. It's like Polish chicken noodle soup is just hot water and noodles ick!
The blonde woman who is always there and always your server is the sweetest woman ever. At first she seemed mean, but then she just warmed up and she was so nice, like a sweet Polish Auntie. When you go in for a sit down meal, there's always plenty of free sweetened hibiscus tea(if it really is beet juice it doesn't taste like it one bit it tastes like hibiscus tea), which happens to be my favorite tea ever! The menu is reasonably priced and stocked with Polish goodies. My favorite is the golabki, I just can't get enough of it! The pierogi is fluffy and cooked in plenty of butter and onions MmmmMMMmm!
The inside is a pretty dumpy with a couch (?!?!?!?!?!?) in the middle of the place,but don't let that put you off! Just grab a stool at the counter and thank God you're eating at Podhalanka!
The potato pancakes here seriously rock! I first went here with my realtor when I decided to move to the neighborhood and I discovered through my real estate search that he had excellent tastes in restaurants.
Great comfort food. Great prices (not that I paid, but I looked at the menu, lol). Great service.
I will certainly go back here, but probably not until fall when its cooler out and I'm more in the mood for filling meal.
I lived in Poland for 3 years and this place is quintessential Poland!!! The food is awesome. The best Polish in the city, I reckon. You won't get more authentic tasty Polish food anywhere else outside of the NW suburbs.
And the owners are SO nice! Sometimes E. Europe rest. can be hit or miss when it comes to hospitality, so it's great that this place has good food and good service.
Took my boyfriend here in memoriam of his Polish grandma...it was wonderful! Very quaint! I knew I hit the nail on the head when we walked in, and he said "It smells like my grandma's kitchen in here!"
For the record, the woman working here told us that the juice was from blueberries, not beets, just an FYI!
I had the cabbage soup (a HUGE bowl, and it was DELISH!), the potato and cheese pierogies, and potato pancakes (so I love potatoes!)...boyfriend had the vegetable soup (not NEARLY as good as the cabbage, but not bad), and some sort of stuffed beef (it was stuffed with vegetables and bacon) and served with a side of mashed potatoes that my boyfriend swore were just like his grandma's.
It was a lovely meal. We loved seeing people come in that actually spoke Polish to one another (one mumbled something to me as he walked by in Polish, but I had NO idea what!) and that it felt very authentic and homey. I will definitely have to go back to try some of the other things on the menu!
Going in this place is like entering someones home.
its totally old school.
the owners are amazing.
they know their regulars and are very friendly.
you will sit down, soup, a large bread basket and a drink will be set in front of you. the perogis, soup, potato pancakes, omlets are all amazing.
fthis is totally a polish mom and pop place.
i love it and eat there regularly for a very low cost.
this place is under 10 for 2 people most of the time.
Neighborhood: Humboldt Park
Category: Polish
Neighborhood: Jefferson Park
Category: Caterers
Neighborhood: Portage Park
Category: Restaurants
Neighborhood: Archer Heights
Category: Polish
Neighborhood: Avondale
Category: Polish
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