Veselka
Categories: Diners, Breakfast & Brunch [Edit]
Neighborhood: Manhattan/East Village144 2nd Ave
(between 9th St & St Marks Pl)
New York, NY 10003 (212) 228-9682
- Nearest Transit:
Astor Place (6)
3rd Ave-14th St (L)
8th St-Broadway (R, W)
- Hours:
Mon-Sun 6:00 a.m.-6:00 a.m. - Price Range: $$
- Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
- Parking: Street
- Attire: Casual
- Good for Groups: Yes
- Good for Kids: Yes
- Takes Reservations: No
- Delivers: Yes
- Take-out: Yes
- Waiter Service: Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
- Outdoor Seating: Yes
- Good for: Late Night
- Alcohol: Beer & Wine Only
183 Reviews for Veselka
One of Veselka's Favorite Reviews
*Fantastic food
*Not too shabby on price
*Enjoyable surroundings
*Always open
I love Veselka. I've eating here several times and I have yet to be disappointed. They have standard diner fare, with a number of extra Ukrainian dishes thrown in that are very delicious. Unlike many other diners in the city, they seem to care about making food that you can actually taste and not charging up the ass for it. I highly recommend the bigos, the pierogis, and the beet salad. The last one in particular is exceptional, and will leave you with a tart taste in your mouth and a big red smile on your face.
The wait staff is efficient, polite, and talkative if you take a shot at it. The clientèle is a smattering of St Mark's dwellers: college kids, old-school hipsters, artists, and lots of eastern Europeans. The monochrome mural on the wall is a tribute to the variety of interesting people that frequent the place.
I've come here at various times throughout the day, even in the wee hours it is buzzing and full of patrons.
Very enjoyable.
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If you are walking around the East Village on a Sunday morning and there's not many people about, it's because they are all in Veselka. And for good reason.
Consistently good food - from the Ukrainian dishes (mmm goulash and perogies) to the good ol' American burgers. I'm a particular fan of their soups; the mushroom barley rocks.
They deliver (see the website), and are pretty quick.
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Not so much.
I just got delivery from them. Yes it was speedy, but the food was really bland and null. I had the mushroom barley soup that looked very unappetizing-icky! It was a chunky grey mess that was somewhat slimy. I also got an order of their potato pancakes-OILY! I could feel my stomach turning and hating me while I tried to fill my appetite with these tasteless oil patties. NOT GOOD.
Maybe the food would be better if I was sitting in Veselka???
Not so much.
A definite "go-to" spot whenever I'm in the East Village. Great pierogies, blintzes, and desserts. And the burger, so I hear, is pretty stellar as well. The best part is, it's open all night!
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The time: 7:00 AM.
The place: a palatial loft, somewhere in Downtown Manhattan.
[Michael D's bronzed, toned body is sprawled across a California king bed, fitted with cream-colored, 970 thread count sheets]
mmmmm...Veselka...your fresh fruit...blintzes...your pink, creamy borscht...whoommmmm...
[The clock radio clicks on]
...SUB-PRIME MORTGAGE CRISIS...BERNANKE...TIGER WOODS...AFGHANISTAN...THIS IS NPR, NATIONAL PUBLIC [SNOOZE button activated]...
Ah God. Time to get up....!
But I had the most beautiful dream! I dreamt that VESELKA had taken over the operation of the OFFICE CAFETERIA where I work!
And...and that there was a Ukranian chef at the grill yelling at people...And that you could get raspberry blintzes 24 hours a daily...And that the cafeteria had daily specials like blueberry pierogis and cold cucumber soup...
And that you could order lime rickeys or glasses of seltzer for only .50 cents...And that you could order breakfast between 7AM and noon and have free WiFi...
Well, back to reality...
[sound of strong, black coffee being poured. Shower water whooshing]
...CONCERNS ABOUT AN ECONOMIC SLOWDOWN...OIL PRICES...THE DOW...HEZEBOLLAH CELEBRATES...THE AIRLINE INDUSTRY...
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This place is ok. It is a diner with Ukranian flair. One thing I had to say about this place is that they always bring your coffee on a tray with the mini bowl of creamers and milk sitting in the coffee. They put it on the top of the coffee mug instead of next to the mug on the tray. The bottom of the bowl is touching the coffee. it is gross! I always make them take it back. Why do they do this? Yuck!
I came in on my own one day for lunch--never ever having tried Ukranian food--and was impressed. I even had really cool company as I ate at the bar and talked with the cooks right in front of me. The warm freshly made food especially felt good on a cold fall day.
Oh, and be warned: This stuff is filling!
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Heard great things about this place and was pretty disappointed. Maybe I just don't like Ukrainian food as much. I've only occasionally really enjoyed my food when traveling in eastern europe, the rest was just ok.
Anyways, I know borscht is supposed to be bright but it was hot pink and not that tasty. (I guess I prefer hot soup though)
I tried my friend's goulash - tender and good but the flavor seemed like it would be boring after awhile. My meatballs were good but a little dry. Latkes and mashed potatoes were pretty good.
Pretty affordable, and overall not bad just not anything I'd go back for. I think I like more flavor in my food. The ambiance is nice and the service is fast, although not that friendly. Oh and the water tasted really gross for some reason...
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It's a Ukrainian diner, but it has a more sophisticated ambiance. The inside looks like an eastern European Starbucks with character.
Prices are very reasonable, unfortunately you get what you pay for. My meal looked like dog food -- colorless, drab and gruel-like, reminding me of the former Soviet Union. Tempting me with an alluring Ukrainian moniker, my meal amounted to a bunch of chopped sausages and pork mixed up in some mashed potatoes and boiled onions with pepper. Tasted awful. My friends didn't seem to have much luck either. They said their food was fine, but their half-eaten plates said otherwise.
So why three stars? The service was great and the setting made it a great place to hang out for a while.
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This place is great! Being of eastern European descent, I managed to find a lot of familiar dishes on the menu and enjoyed their take on the region's food. The mushroom barley soup was the second best I've ever had (the first being at the White Eagle in Chicago) and the pierogi were tasty as well.
They took some liberties with the pierogi by experimenting with non-traditional fillings, such as spinach as well as sweet potatoes and when my wife asked if they had blueberry pierogi, the waitress didn't even blink. She said she would check if they had any and would let her know (even though they weren't listed on the menu).
The staff here is really nice and the service is speedy. Great place, fully backed.
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As my friend said, Veselka "is like Kiev but less greasy". I've never been to Kiev, so I don't really know what to make of that, but maybe you do...
Anyways, this Ukranian place was pretty delicious. The raspberry blintzes, borscht and perogis (perogies?) were all amazing, and the perfect late night food after going out in the village. I definitely suggest the blintz if you could only get one thing, really awesome.
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I'm to picky for most things on the menu here, but the perogies were good and apparently the borscht is the best.
I was taken to Veselka's as a kid. For ten years I had dreams about their perogies and blinzes and latkes. Then I went back when I was in NY, wished I could eat everything in the restaurant all at once, and have been in search of their duplicate in my corner of the world ever since. Maybe it's just the childhood nostalgia taking over, but the place has continued to mean a lot to me through the course of my life - not quite sure why. Maybe it's the atmosphere. Maybe the food. Maybe both, or other?
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Veselka is a cute place when you're jonesin' for some Ukranian food.
The restaurant appears as a typical diner, nothing fancy. The servers are friendly but not really speedy. The food is delectable, especially the pierogies, kielbasa, and potato pancakes.
The price is just right, no complaints.
My friend tells me that this restaurant gets really busy so don't be surprised if you have to wait for a table.
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I love me some borscht, mommy does even more. We got a quart to go of the ukranian (has meat in it) borscht and were not disappointed. Very hearty and flavorful. The bread that comes with it looks kinda dull, but in fact is not and its great to dip, especially if you toast it. We added a little sour cream when we served it at home. shout out to our eastern European ancestor homies.
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Being from Chicago, I have eaten and grown up on some of America's finest Ukrainian and Polish food--Chicago has the highest number of Poles outside of Warsaw. None of that good Eastern European food is here.
I tried to be a good sport, but their pierogies are too thick and starchy and doughy, and they don't come out as hot as they should. Pierogies are my litmus test of authenticiy.
Been here many times for breakfasts, late dinners, dinners, or drunk off my a** trying to get sober and I've never had a great meal here. Unfortunately, I'll probably be back several more times because it's in a convenient location to the bars.
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If you get the peirogis - get them fried. I really like their peirogis. The other food is okay. The menu is mostly meats. Supposedly the burger is good - one of my friends tried it and he liked it. This place is probably better as a late night snack rather than a dinner place.
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Ordered the borscht (with meat) and a vegetarian sampler plate (including assorted cheese, mushroom and other perogies). The borshct was tasty - meaty and flavorful with the perfect meat-falling-apart consistency. When I come back, I'll definitely be getting the borscht again.
The perogies tasted good, but were a little too dense for my taste. That said, they were nothing compared to the heaviness of the stuffed cabbage. They both came with the vegetarian sampler. It was a rainy day in NYC, so it actually hit the spot, but I did come out of it feeling a little leaden by the experience.
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I actually come here for "brunch"/breakfast since the specials go to 4pm, though it gets packed really fast during normal hours. The portions are to my liking, and it's a enjoyable setting. I think the breakfast is pretty solid, especially for the price.
I've tried their perogies and raspberry blintz before, but nothing really blew me away. The apple crumb cake on the other hand...yumm. Sometimes it just sneaks its way into my thoughts.
Oh, and the late hours are a definite plus.
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The food is just a little better than any 24hrs diner in the city, but they do have something that make me go there again and again. Their Cheese Blintzes with raspberry sauce, Milkshake and of course Borscht soup!
The main downside of this place is the surliness of the wait staff, cold, no smiles, but I guess its NY.
I came here after a failed Rai Rai Ken visit (we couldn't find the place) around 2 or 3 am with Arthur O. and Gretchen B., stumbling around drunk trying to make sense of things (notice a pattern with my reviews?).
I was so psyched that there was a 24 hour coffee shop. I kept expounding on the possibilities to my companions, who really didn't seem to appreciate them as much as I. Late night food. Late night post-drinking coffee and desserts. Late night Dostoevsky-inspired writing sessions.
I think what added to my excitement was the atmosphere of the place. It reminded me of the grand old European coffee houses (like in Austria), with its wood-paneled interiors, pattern-tiled floors, high ceilings, mixture of individual circular tables and booths, eclectic mix of bums, artists, drunken revelers, and tourists, and the overall aroma of coffee in the air.
I think I had a brownie and some coffee. They were very mediocre, but somehow it didn't really bother me. I was just excited about being able to have coffee and dessert at that time of the night, in a cafe environment as opposed to a diner. I think I was enamored of the idea of this cafe, of its very existence, and of discovering it for the first time, and realizing the freedom and possibilities it provided, in terms of getting what I wanted at a particular time.
I love those moments of elation, as they remind me of the reason why I came to this city in the first place, why I love it, and give me that moment of respite and reflection, away from the torrent of everyday activity, drama, and life of this city, as if I were standing on a rock high above a roaring river.
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If there's something more scary than a Chinese chef holding a cleaver and yelling in Cantonese it's a skinny Ukranian chef yelling at everybody outside the confines of the kitchen walls. At Veselka, the Ukranian chef's frustration is on display in the open kitchen.
My friend had highly recommended the place as one of these true NY experiences. So I went by myself and took a seat at the counter.
The food was pretty good. I got the vegetarian special with 4 pirogies (2 cheese, 2 potato), cabbage, soup and salad. For the price you pay, you get tons of food.
I had fun watching the chef sending people back into the storage area, turning to his right and yelling, turning to his left and yelling. The whole thing was pretty damn hilarious, esp. when he threw an order of pancakes across the counter, and one of the pancakes flew onto to counter right below it. The waiter looked at me and started laughing, which was again, pretty funny. The pancakes went back to the plate, from there back to the grill to be re-heated and then back onto the plate, where they were served to an unsuspecting patron. But I guess that's what you expect from a (Ukranian) diner.
The food was pretty good, and the ambiance lively and laid-back. I found it quite entertaining. Truly a NY kinda place.
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I married into a family with Ukranian heritage and they take their pierogi and stuffed cabbage seriously. Parents in law in town this weekend so we made a beeline to Veselka and waited nervously as the first bites were taken. The verdict: success! So for those of you who don't get this sort of food at every family gathering, you can't go wrong with one of the combination plates which gets you a little bit of everything.
Last night I tried the special chicken and mushroom stroganoff and, true to form, Veselka came through with the delicious. Potato pancake on the side - nothing better. My husband really likes the bigos - a stew w/ kielbasa and sauerkraut.
Fantastic every time. Whether for a yummy lunch or a middle of night/post concert dinner, Veselka always hits the spot.
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I know most people in NYC hate college students, but I have to say, some of us are there and some of us like to eat. And more specifically, some of us like pierogis and mushroom-rice stuffed cabbage rolls. I was one such, and now that I have returned to CA, I still fantasize about the good old late-night chats Veselka facilitated with its hot beverages and home-style Ukrainian goodness.
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I only came here once with a friend (Sam--see Silver Spurs review) who has been here many times (she loves it). Maybe it was Sam hyping it up too much, but I just didn't feel the spark that I was expecting. However, the place is pretty cool--nice and airy with big windows. My hamburger was delish; I haven't had a burger like that in a long time. The topper though was the coleslaw. I know it comes standard on the side of most burger orders, but this coleslaw was something special. I was kinda obsessed with it.
Sammy had the blintzes, and she orders them all the time (according to her). I had a bite and must say they were pretty good.
I don't know if I'd ever return, I think there are better places out there (as far as diner food goes). But if you're looking for an enjoyable Eastern-European spot, then I'd suggest giving Veselka a go.
I must say, the speed of service was good, once we were seated. Popular location - the tables small, but the food delicious. Tables outside to sit at, but all full, so took aim at a table inside and were seated at a decent pace.
Lunch is busier than dinner here. The brunch here is nothing exciting, but certainly interesting if you appreciate a slight touch of extra sweetness on top of everything they decide to serve, including the omelette I had.
Dinner - the perogies were good, although they misserved my first batch to me - it was for a different table. Good thing we hadn't started to eat them yet. The meat ones were less than tasty when boiled (better fried) and the sauerkraut and mushroom is definitely for a palate of a different measure than my own - I love sauerkraut, but cooked the way it was, definitely wasn't a fan. Still, good quality and served mostly hot.
The spinach salad - okay, although a bit too much cheese and the spinach and carrots were dry, as if left in the fridge overlong and dehydrated and hard to eat. Bacon was fresh, though, which was a nice touch. Although the extra we took off and put on the perogie plate that ended up being someone else's (so they took it all away).
And that apple crumble cake - will have to try it next time. Saw it served just as we were leaving. Looks good.
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The food here is very tasty and well portioned, the staff very friendly and prompt - I spent perhaps a little more than I'd intended but think it was worth the price and would happily recommend it to Ukrainian food enthusiasts.
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Why are all men immature little boys? Why is it so much to ask for a guy to behave like a normal adult person?
I don't know, either. And yet I found myself asking these questions quite loudly on 2nd Ave at 3:00 in the morning last night. Thankfully, Veselka was there for me.
Veselka didn't have any answers, but it did have really nice wait-staff who were willing to put up with our drunken screaming and some serious comfort food we could stuff our faces with. Blintzes, potato pancakes, irrationally good sour cream--such delicious 3 am snacks that I can't believe I ever stoop to eating pizza at that hour.
Unfortunately, after splitting these tasty (so tasty! just the tastiest!) appetizers with two friends, we still have the unpleasant feeling of being stuck in a sex-in-the-city-style nightmare for idiots, so we decided to get some more food. My buddies got pirogies--potato and some new-fangled goat cheese and arugula flavor? I don't remember. They said they were fantastic and I'll have to take their word for it, because suddenly, there was only room for one thing in my universe: Apple Crumble Cake.
Now, I am what you'd call a lady who likes herself some desert, and I am an expert crumbles. And let me tell you: this crumble cake was bonkers. Maybe it was all the alcohol bubbling about in my brain, but I don't think I have ever had anything so good. The bottom crusty part--like if butter and sugar had mated and produced like...heaven or something! Did humans make this cake, or maybe gods, or aliens from an alternate universe where everything is inexpressibly delicious?
This cake is my new boyfriend. This is true love. I have found happiness.
Apple Crumble Cake at Vesela + Sasha Forever!
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Back in my day, freshman year at NYU I was queen of the weekend graveyard shift here. It was not glamorous. At 4am the place would fill with all you drunkards and me and this tall polish dude would run around like crazy fullfilling all your drunken needs.
It was worth it.
There was no manager at night and I used to eat like crazy. I would starve myself all day (usually I would sleep anyway) and then order a plate of mixed boiled pirogies when I got to work. (Sour cream on the side of course.) Around 2am I'd order dinner--blintzes, latkes, spinach salad, whatever was fresh. Around 4am it was time for some borscht. Sometimes we'd split one of those delicious apple pies. By this point I'd also have had 10 cups of coffee mixed with hot chocolate. When the end of my shift at 7am rolled around I'd by chillin' with the crazy lady that didn't work there, but somehow found the need to water our plants, eating poached eggs and challah toast.
Heaven.
Still glad I'm not a waitress anymore though.
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Swung by their today for brunch and enjoyed ourselves. The cheddar cheese grits with poached eggs was fantastic. The scrambled eggs were good. Minus 1 star for so-so service and disappointing Challah.
Very vegetarian friendly.
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Love the fried Pierogi. Little pockets of cheese, potato, etc. and today they had a seasonal special of Arugula and Goat Cheese Pierogi. Those were the best!
Service was pretty slow at 3pm but it's a relaxed kind of place - seat yourself, and my lunch (pierogi platter and apple cider) cost $13.
They have Wifi. I didn't try it, but it says so right on the menu. No reason not to believe them. Lots of vegetarian options too, but lots of meat, as it is Ukrainian food. Lots of character.
I like it.
NOTE: I went back at 10:30 pm to have dinner and use the Wi-Fi, and it turns out they offer it, but they don't want you to use it! I asked if I could move to a table with an outlet nearby, and first I was turned down because I was one person moving to a 4-top (very rude and sarcastic turn down too) and then I asked the manager, and he said, "Ok, you can go over to that table (a 2-top) but you can't stay long." Excuse me, but it's my opinion that if you have 7 tables empty as there were last night (a Wednesday!) then by all means I should be able to move and stay as long as I still have a drink to finish! I might order dessert and a coffee, and then some more snacks or whatever. I can see if you're busy, but come on. Don't be inhospitable. Now I don't want to come back...
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My mom came to visit me for 24 hours the Sunday right before NYE. I had always wanted to try the place so off we went. Luckily, my mom is as in to trying all different kinds of food as I so this was a great adventure.
We started with the Christmas Borscht which, honestly, was one of the best things I've ever tasted. I'm used to the chilled, beety, yucky Borscht. This was warm, tangy, had little tortellinis in it, and dill (get it red and green). It was so good, my mom loved it as well. Then she ordered the pierogie sampler platter, with a selection of one of each flavor, and ordered them fried instead of steamed. Each filling more flavorful than the next, so yummy, so filling, so warm to my belly.
I was lame and just ordered a veggie omelet, but it was good. And, it comes with juice and coffee. You get the cutest little petit juice I've ever seen, I almost didn't want to drink it, so cute!
Our waiter was great as well, my mom asked him a lot of questions. He was quite funny and very knowledgeable about the menu.
A great experience overall!
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It's obvious everyone loves Veselka and I do too. My first experience with Veselka was on tour with a rock band at 2am going there for an egg cream. It was fantastic. Really good. I went back to NYC a year or two later, I was back... this time for breakfast... which was also amazing. Then during my flirtation with living in NYC (I stayed in New Haven while the wife was in NYC and I was sometimes too), I hit it up a few more times even though we were on the UWS.
I just really find this place to be pleasant: the food is really good, the coffee is yummy and it sort of houses everything that's good about Manhattan... open late, high quality, interesting place, interesting people...
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It's 4 AM, the bars are all closing, and you want pierogies. Where else is there to go but Veselka?
Checking out the reviews before mine I noticed that a number of people talk about heading to Veselka in the daytime. What's up with that?
I must've been Polish or Ukrainian in my past life because I am in love with Veselka. If it were up to me, I would give it 5 stars but I've also been there with other people and for some reason that I cannot decipher they are just so-so about it. It is not for everybody I guess.
Nine times out of ten, I will get the vegetarian combination plate that includes a meatless stuffed cabbage, 2 cheese and 2 potato pierogis and a cup of soup AND salad. It is a fulfilling meal but you won't feel stuffed or unhealthy (especially if you get the applesauce side for your pierogis instead of sour cream).
I always choose the beet red colored Ukrainian Borscht although I think that liking it is an acquired taste. Some people hate it! But if you do love it, I think they make a good one at Veselka.
The veal goulash is yummy yummy too and seems to be a fave of guys that like substance in their food.
Finally, I would also try out the breakfast / brunch at Veselka. They make eggs benedict with a twist. Instead of english muffins, they serve it with potato pancakes which are just delicious! Highly recommended!
Food-talking aside, I like Veselka not only because of the food but also because of its decor. It's super bright with huge windows and, most importantly, clean. Party people would also enjoy the fact that Veselka is open 24/7.
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My favorite 24-hour spot in the entire City, hands down.
I've been coming here for over a decade, since my college days in the Village, and the food is still delicious although the menu and the interior have gotten a hipster-renovation in keeping with the entire neighborhood (and City). The character has changed - it's def. lost its grit since the days when the neighborhood was a heavy on Eastern European immigrants, junkies and punk rockers (not posers).
Everytime I come here (which sometimes I do late at night still) I reminisce about the days when NYC had edge....when the East Village rocked with personality, local starving artist energy, talent, hunger and most of all......pain. Now? Well, we won't get into that. This place was the place to go after bar crawl or show, from what I remember of my late teens/early 20's.
Some of the updates are that you can get a lot of American diner classic fare here, and I think it has gone Wifi now, too. But you best believe that whether you come here for a burger, breakfast, the classic mushroom-barley soup or fully Ukranian-American entrees (try the beet salad, the raspberry blintzes, the pieorgies, the kielbasa, all the soups) here, it's all outstanding, no matter what time you drag in. It's also a great brunch spot/hangover helper....another tradition from the days of heroine chic.
My 100th review naturally goes to The Rainbow.
"ODE TO VESELKA"
Veselka =Rainbow, Heart of the East Village, HOME. for 50 yrs. you have been feeding your Ukrainian soul food to the tired, the poor, and the huddled masses from all walks of life, shapes and sizes, races, genders, trans-gendered with absolutely no judgment... 24 hrs a day 7 days a week. You warmed us up with your Christmas Borscht made with love on Christmas eve in festive surroundings, when all others closed their doors on us bah-humbug!
Veselka I will be forever grateful to you. You have nourished me since I was an itty creature in my mother's womb; many mornings on my various substance induced walks of shame. I have grown into a healthy, vivacious and bodacious young woman thanks in part to your hearty dairy free soups- especially your healthy mushroom barley, nurturing vegetable, and outrageously creamy oatmeal.
The next time a young handsome cad gasps in fascinated excitement inquiring "please do tell Tori k. what dooooo they feed you?" I will proudly proclaim "why Veselka's vegetarian combo and coffee from the Porto Rico company at 3 a.m. on a Wed."
God Bless you, the owners and staff of Veselka. Happy and Healthy 2008! Here's to many many more years. Tori K. will always hold you close to her DD natural cup of mushroom Barley grown bosom.
See you in a couple of hours.
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Ukrainian you are not. Just because you have borscht doesn't make you Russian. I would say its more Polish with the Peorgies and Kielbasa. But I was not a fan of this place.
Good:
Open 24hours
Busy at 2am like it was 11am on the weekends for breakfast.
Accepts credit cards
Coffee was strong and good.
French fries were crisp and tasty.
Bad:
Worst French Toast I have ever had. Claimed to be Challah....Not even close. It was also flavorless and chewy.
Western Omelet-overcooked, not good.
I will not be back, probably should have ordered the Pierogies, blintzes or even the potato pancakes. Stay away from the breakfast items though they are truly a disappointment.
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I was really excited to learn about the 24hr Ukrainian Diner - not only was it conveniently located in my neighborhood but I also heard good reviews. The reason I give this place only 3 stars (even though I'm a returning customer) is because half of the dishes I've tried are outstanding the other half are only ok...dishes that I'd never order again. The hot borscht, meatballs, and meat in cabbage are all delicious. The other dishes (kasha, mash potatoes, potato pancake, pirogi) are all bad...it has nothing to do with me just not liking that food - these are some of my favorite dishes. I grew up in a Russian household so I know how good all these dishes can be - they just dont' cut it here. The kasha was extremely dry and the pirogi were beyond plain. It would seem that the simplest dishes would be the easiest ones to perfect - here they do a good job on the complicated dishes and f up the simple traditional food. The other downside to Veselka is it's pricey - I get that it's a twist on the diner culture but no grilled cheese (especially the quality here) should cost $8 NOT including fries. Stick to their specialty plates - do not come here for a diner experience.
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I guess if you're choosing between Veselka and Yaffa Cafe (or *gasp* Moonstruck, I think it's called), you'll be happy you went with Veselka. But, really, this place is rather over-rated, people. Sure, they're open late and they have pierogies and borscht, but it's really nothing to write home about. The food is consistently so-so, and the ambiance (with the lighting) is about as pleasant as sitting on a doctor's examining table, just with a constant stream of drunk people looking for late-night eats to soak up the booze.
But, still, it IS open late, and it's palatable. So I'd say skip it in favour of the myriad options that are open semi-late in that area (viz., Cafe Orlin), unless you find yourself seeking food in those wee hours when you're forced to choose between something like this and a diner.
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