Polish Pączki Café

I wanted to have an authentic polish experience with a friend and this place couldn’t be more authentic. From atmosphere to food to languages spoken, we felt like we were transported to another place. While the stuffed cabbage was our favorite, other food was good. We liked polish style goulash with pancakes, paczki (polish style donut) and rumbo (dessert with rum inside). Iced tea/fruit punch went well with all the food. We witnessed a long line form often with people buying bakery items and food to go. While we were among many who dined it was nice to be part of a busy cafe while enjoying our food. The staff were nice people and I want to come back again. Soup of the day is on my list to try plus other pastries.

I love this place! Everything I had was excellent. I'm not Polish but grew up with potato pancakes, and these were the best I've ever had in a restaurant, and I've tried various places over the years. The pierogi were fantastic: fresh and soft and flavorful. They have a fruit drink called kompot which is better than any fruit drink you can get. Natural and not too sweet. Even the latte was as good as what you can get at a regular cafe. I came here because a Polish guy told me that they have the best paczki, and those were delicious too. Fresh out of the oven, and I was told that these are traditional Polish style. Absolutely fantastic place, and I will come back even though I live downtown.

Best pączki in my life, and that's saying something. Everything is delicious, the portions generous, and the service is warm, personal, and absolutely perfect.

Do not sleep on this place. If you like Polish food or grew up Polish in Chicago, you owe it to yourself to try this. Everything is lovely and homemade. The atmosphere is intensely nostalgic.

This is probably one of the best Polish restaurants around. I highly recommend the breaded chicken. It cuts with your fork. This shows the chicken is very tender. There are a multitude of dessert entries that are all homemade. They come in a plastic container that you can buy. Enjoy!

Our first time trying Polish food and beyond worth it! So delicious we were drooling smelling the food being cooked. Thank you so much to the wonderful ladies who prepared and served our food!!!! Highly recommend!

If you want to taste authentic polish food, come there. Food is amazing, tastes like home. Ladies are really friendly. Also amazing polish sweets, cakes, pastries. 100% recommend. Went there twice for dinner and dessert and I loved the food.

So praised, but I received burnt, hard packages. and the fillings cried like a cat. maybe they taste ok, but pour them out of the oil a little faster.

I stoped for lunch at little strip mall restaurant called Polish Paczki Cafe. Astonishingly, it's some of the best Polish food I've ever had! And I've had a lot of Polish food.

This place is an amazing place where you can try authentic Polish Food. Everything is made by Scratch. Żurek Soup is my favorite Golonka i really recommend juicy soft and tender cooked slowly for Grandma recipe. Golombki with Mash potatoes definitely you have to try. Every years I come to Chicago we stop to get authentic Polish food that reminds me my childhood with my Grandma in Trzebnica.

This has been on my list for awhile and on a Sunday afternoon we had the opportunity to stop in and I was blown away. Years ago this was a bakery and they were able to convert it to a cozy restaurant and also sell bakery items. There are only 8 to 9 tables, and several were reserved, but we were able to be seated immediately. The menu is a small pamphlet, noting fancy. The food was some of the best polish food I have had in a very long time. My husband had the chopped steak with a bowl of soup. The dinner included sauerkraut and mashed potatoes. The meat was good quality and the portions were generous. I had the goulash with sides of dumplings and sauerkraut. The food is made from scratch and seasoned so well. They do not overpower the food with dill, which many do. Service was very good, even though it was very busy. The entire time we were there, there was a steady steam of customers picking up take out orders. This is an authentic family owned polish restaurant serving traditional meals at very reasonable prices. I will be back !

Great variety of baked goods and friendly service. The cheese cake was exactly how I remembered it from my trip to Krakow

They were rude upon arrival She didn't want us to wait for a table she said we didn't have a reservation not noted anywhere So please make one next time I went down the street to another one because I was disappointed I am sorry to say this I bet the food would be good It looked cute

Hate to update the review to a lower score, but I probably will not return to this cafe anymore due to 2 major reasons: 1. Quality of meat is not good. 2. One of our orders got mixed up with another table and after the server took the mistaken dish of mine into the kitchen, she very quickly brought the food out to another table, which makes me wonder if she just used the same plate/dish. I would expect them to remake the dish given it was on my table for a long time, but I am doubtful if that is the case with this cafe.

I was saving my 700th Yelp review for someplace special. And it doesn't get more special than this. Polish Paczki Cafe is the REAL DEAL for authentic, homemade Polish food. Based on experience with my Polish mother-in-law's traditional cooking, I'm confident there are actual Polish babcias doing the cooking! We stopped for lunch recently and shared the stuffed cabbage rolls garnished with fresh dill, pierogi (potato-cheese and sauerkraut-mushroom) and paczki for dessert. The large cabbage rolls came with a side of really good mashed potato. The pierogi dough was thin and tender, fillings were delish. Everything came out screaming hot and left us stuffed. Better than my mother-in-law's. Yep, I said it. ;). Bonus: they had chilled compote as a drink selection in their cold case which hubby loved. It's a mixture of various dried fruits stewed with mulling type spices. The small, spiffy clean place was pretty busy at an off time (Sat 2pm). We walked in down a little hall lined with at least 15 feet long of tables holding all kinds of yummy, Polish pastries packaged for quick pickups. As soon as the woman behind the counter spied my husband's obvious Polish face, she immediately spoke Polish to greet us and got us settled at a table. Another super nice Polish woman took our orders and chatted a bit. She told us the paczki are fried fresh so she would watch and when we were closer to being done with our entrees, she'd tell the kitchen to make ours so it would be hot. The spectacular dessert came and was devoured. Paczki: think jelly filled donut but not as sweet. Our lovely server put a couple additional, equally spectacular pastry samples on the plate: a babka and szarlotka (apple tart). Mmmm While we ate, there were a few other full tables of happy dinners and a STEADY flow of people popping in to snag boxes of pastries or wait for boxes of fresh paczki to go. There were a few regulars who popped in for carryouts - one Dad with his child who got extra attention and a little squeeze from our server. You want comfort? Come here!

I mean this place is beyond words.... Besides the stellar homemade food and desserts the customer service was so nice which is unusual for Polish restaurants (I know, I am polish). The young girl who works there is so sweet and attentive which made our experiences so much better. I wish I lived in the area so I could frequent this gem more often. Dziękuje !

This small storefront bookended between a bank and a pet store provides a taste of home to Chicago's large Polish community. The traditional home-style comfort foods based on fatty meats, rich gravies, and carbs galore will surely tip the scales for the diet-conscious (vegans beware). But for foodies, it's uncompromisingly authentic. The dining room is plain but bright and live plants thrive in the window. In cold weather, avoid the tables near the entrance. Want a glass of ice water? Nie, they serve only bottled water ($1.50), as is customary across the Atlantic. For credit cards, they add a 3% surcharge. And, would you believe the owner reproached us Seniors for short-cutting to our table through the room divider? But their hearty food won us over. For those who haven't polished their Polish, a smile works in any language and the menu does provide English translations. My entrée was placek po węgiersku. Translation: a large potato pancake topped with pork goulash and mozzarella cheese (sounds weird but was absolutely delicious). This came with a generous side of sałatka z kapusty (cabbage slaw, vinaigrette dressing). My Missus ordered the gołąbki plate, stuffed cabbage rolls served with mashed potatoes. Our lunch companions feasted on pierogi and a kotlet mielony (chopped steak) plate served with French (not Polish) fries. Everything here is prepared from scratch in-house using fresh ingredients and homeland recipes. The chef doesn't add seasoning beyond a sprinkle of seeds or a dash of paprika, but everything we tasted was savory and satisfying. The bakery items are phenomenal. Their signature paczkis are remarkably light and ours were served warm. Filled with a fruit jam mix, they're glazed and topped with candied lemon peel. One bite and off we went to peruse a table piled high with pre-packaged sweets. We brought home an assortment of delectable cakes to indulge in later.

Ma and Pa type restaurant! Tasted very authentic and delicious. The food was very rich in flavo. Can't wait to come back!

Good stew with dumplings which is what I always buy. Ample size portion. Pick out some cake to go with for dessert. Wish they would reintroduce the cake pieces for an assortment.

Five stars isn't enough for this wonderful Polish restaurant. Everything was fantastic. The food. The service. Everything. Best pierogi we've ever had! We will definitely be back!

The pączki never disappoint! Even though fat Thursday passed and it wasn't Fat Tuesday yet, the place was packed. I got them and they were still steaming hot and definitely fresh out the kitchen.

What to Get: - Prune Paczki ($1.50 each) - authentic polish cuisines - sweets(cheesecake/cookies) Spotlight: Fresh Prune Paczki Pandemic Dining Options: pick up and no indoor dining payment Options: Cash preferably/Credit cart with surcharge Parking : Parking Lot *In my yelpions: It doesn't need any holiday such as Fat Tuesday to get yourself some fresh paczki. This warm soft polish donut really hit home specially in a cold winter time. It is not overwhelming sweet since the filling is abit sour with fresh prune jam, which keep the sweetness balance. Each bite is truly heavenly delicious as you were eating cloud. Cafe only offers two kinds of paczki, one is bake prune paczki, and one is fried. Both are great but I personally love the fried version. I would give 5 stars, but while I was waiting in line, the cafe has such a "super friendly culture" that some costumers doesn't believes in social distancing and wearing Facemask. I got cut in line twice because I was trying to keep 6 feets apart, but half of the people in line was way too close. Next time I would try to go during a not so busy business hour, as well as call ahead to reserve my paczkis on the phone.

Amazing!! This cafe has the best paczki hands down, game over! To be honest all of the hot foods and deserts are delicious! I purchased a ton of different Polish deserts for Easter here and all were fresh and yummy. There paczki which are like polish donuts are incredible. Filled with homemade jam made of rose and prune I believe. I got a babka that was so good reminded me of my grandmothers. The zurek (Polish soup with white sausage and egg) was a hit for everyone that tired it. I was obsessed with the poppyseed deserts. Definitely worth checking out if your in the area and want authentic fresh delicious Polish food

We had lunch here today. The food was delicious and the Paczki, cheesecake, and spice cake are all very good. I had the very large potato pancake covered with pork goulash. Pork was tender and the paprika was sharp and just right. The people there were all very nice. Lots of traffic for baked goods. We will go here again.

Wow..this place is insanely good!!! First day we came for the paczki... probably the best I've had...served hot with a rich jam filling. Second day we came back for food and can't say enough about it all! Took home the cabbage soup that was soup of the day...yum! Also ordered potato pancakes with goulash (my favorite), 4 meat filled potatoe dumplings, pork tenderloin with gravy and mashed potatoes. All REALLY good and planning our next visit. Restaurant is very clean and staff extremely helpful and nice. Store was extra busy with Fat Tuesday rush and the crowd was so nice and fun to be around. Overall great place to go!

Amazing paczkis!!! Stopped here to grab some as we don't have them out in Vegas. Also got a box of meringues, and they were just tasty. Awesome neighborhood place to get good Polish food and treats!

Excellent. Vibe service authenticity. Go!!!! We got the Paczki the potato pancakes and the sauerkraut and potato cheese pierogis. Recommend them all!! Lovely flowers everywhere

Cute family run deli. Such a kind service! They offer a nice variety of home made food and pastries.

Real Polish! Great food at a great price! If you like pastry this your place !!!!!!!!!!!!!

Not my favorite anymore. Paczki are much better in Shop and Safe store. The ones I bought here were hard, very little filling,

The food was overpriced for the quality. We had beef goulash over a potato pancake. The pancake tasted like a plain flour pancake. The goulash was good but sparse and could have had more vegetables. Won't come back here.

Real authentic and delicious Polish food! The cabbage rolls are just like my mom used to make and the pierogis are even better!

Food was outstanding and reasonable.! Loved it! It was crowded but didn't have too wait long at all. Definitely going back!

Wonderful place, great food. I ordered some food for a small family gathering...it was hot, fresh and delicious.

THE BEST POLISH PACZKI in Chicago! Always Fresh!!!and...Warm!!! (How They Do This?!) Amazing Authentic Polish Test! Hot Hot Hot! Not only Paczki and Pastries! This Place have Great authentic Polish Food! Makes daily from scratch!!! Fresh and Very Testy !!! Cook and Service from legendary "Old Warsaw". Now open! Harlem & Foster! Close to old location. Mniammmmm!:D

Pyszne polskie domowe jedzenie. Przepyszne pączki i ciasta. Polecam! Jeżeli masz ochotę na tradycyjną polską kuchnię, lub pragniesz znowu zakosztować smaków kuchni swojej mamy lub babci, to musisz odwiedzić to miejsce. Schabowy, gulasz, zup itd. smakiem przypominają mi dania jakie gotowała moja mama i babcia. Pączki - najlepsze pod słońcem, niejedna Polska cukiernia powinna uczyć się od tych Pań robienia pączków. Następnym razem jak będę w Chicago napewno odwiedzę to miejsce.

Best Perogis I've had since my best friends mom made me some. I've tried those frozen ones and what not and it just doesn't compare. These melt in your mouth and there's just the right amount of filling in them. I ordered cheese and potato Ones and they are to die for! As for their paczkis I was worried because they had just One flavor and it was well worth the risk. They are now my FAVORITE. Best paczkis I've ever had. The dough is so fresh and fluffy. The filling is just perfect. It's some sort of plum/prune/ fruit mix I believe. I do not like prunes or anything but this is perfect. My husband even said it was delicious and he's just super picky overall. So happy we gave this place a try. Wish I did long time ago since it's right down the street from me. Thank you!!!!!! Will be back

This little place has the very best Polish pączki ever! Absolutely the best! Delicious, fresh, made daily! Every time I stop by here I remember that feeling of goodness when I was a kid growing up in Poland and eating this lovely polish donut. Their baked goods are super delicious and the cappuccino I got to go was spot on as well. You've got to try this place. You will not be disappointed!

Despite the language barrier, we're definitely going back to this quaint Polish eatery. The rose flavored paczkis were amazing. The hostess/waitress was kind.

I was driving by for work and saw the reviews had to check it out. Worth the stop the soup of the day was delicious and light. The lady who served me was amazing. The coffee was great I regret not getting a pastry. If I'm in the area I have to go back for the sweets.

Polish Paczki cafe is the best! A family-run restaurant, service is so kind and haven't had a bad meal in the time I've been going. Really can't go wrong, but I recommend the stuffed cabbage.

Wow this is the freshest most delicious paczki I've ever had! Highly recommend. They make everything by hand and only have one flavor (mixed fruit) but it is so fresh and still warm and fluffy. Yummmm!

I stumbled across this cafe because I needed some coffee and a small bite to eat before an appointment. I had some time to kill, so I checked out my Yelp bookmark list and this was one of the places that popped up that was nearby. The cafe was located inside of a strip mall. Parking was plentiful. I walked in and the lady behind the register was speaking Polish with another lady. Moments lady, the customer left and the lady behind the register and I greeted one another. I asked her about the paczki's and asked about flavors they offered. She said they had one flavor, which was a mixture of raspberry, plum and rose. Sounded delicious, so I said I would try one. She went into the back and about 30 seconds later, came out with a paczki that was nicely packed up to go. I didn't realize that they had a $6 minimum for cards, so I inquired about other items they had. I figured I could grab $6 worth of bakery items and share them with friends or coworkers, but the lady told me that it was okay and that I could try the paczki and came back again to order more. I declined the offer because I felt bad, but she insisted. It was very sweet of her and left a good impression. The paczki was delicious - very fluffy, not too sweet, and the filling was delicious (as anticipated). I will definitely be back to try more items. I'm interested in trying their lunch items.

Food was ok, had the pork tenderloin special. The pork was flavorful but a little dry. I chose the dumplings as a side they were very " gummy " many not cooked long enough? The sauerkraut was very good reminds me of my late aunts.

Missed our connecting flight so overnight in Chicago. Make lemonade out of lemons, so Polish food eases the pain. Cafe was near the hotel. Even at 2 pm pretty much full. Wife and I did the splitsies. Meatball and potato dumplings and kielbasa, kraut and mashed potatoes. So tasty. Meatballs were great and dumplings a bit on the heavy side covered with great sauce. Kielbasa was good a bit dense with mushrooms and onions. Kraut really good with mashed potatoes. Fruit drink tasty. And paczki to go. Other interesting Polish dishes like stuffed cabbage and potato pancakes. Maybe next trip will give them a try. Great little neighborhood ethnic cafe the type that makes Chicago a great city.

They only have one flavor of packzis because they are that delicious. The fruit filling is excellent. I stood in line behind a woman who drove in all the way from Naperville for the paczkis.

I ordered Kolaczki and they were super fresh and delicious! Will order again!

Absolutely amazing food. You will never eat a Paczki from anywhere else ever again after having them here. The kraut is amazing!!

If only I lived next door to Polish Pączki Cafe!! These are even better than my babcia's pączki! That's saying something! My wife and I visited Chicago briefly in early Nov 2020 before starting our Route 66 road trip. What a brilliant and delicious way to start off a memorable adventure. Definitely will be back!!

Been here a couple times - sit down and take out. Food is delicious - tastes home made. The paczki are the best I've ever had. They made them fresh. Highly recommend.

The best polish paczki in the city. The taste is phenomenal and look very good. The good tip is to have them fresh right of the oven. I would recommend a cap of coffee as a addition. This location works fine and the line is not long. You can order for pick up. Very convenient and accessible location. The staff is friendly and polite.

Oh my god! wonderful polish food. very small strip mall spot - mostly take out. excellent bakery, kolacky, etc. the soups are the real deal. we had the breaded pork and the tenderloin medallions. the potato pancakes are unreal. also superb dumplings! really nice woman running the place. it's small and busy, so you might have to wait if you want to eat in. But it's worth the wait. solid polish food. you'll be hungry again in a week! Prices very reasonable too for the size of the servings they give.

If you want delicious, authentic Polish food, this is the place! Everything was fresh and the restaurant was clean and inviting. We'll be back!

Strongly recommend!!! I've been here 3 times since it opened. I think it tastes significantly better than Old Warsaw because the orders are made fresh and the quality is consistent .(Old Warsaw was amazing but there is no compare) I like their flaczki (beef tripe soup), placek po węgiersku (Hungarian pancake) and kotleta schabowy a lot. The gulasz on top Has a strong smoky flavor from the paprika and the meat is tender and juicy. The placek is crispy outside and soft inside, indeed amazing just by itself. The pączki and makowiec (poppy seed cake) and are also great. Their kompot is homemade with pear and blueberry at least and very flavorful, the best one i had in Chicago. In comparison the coffee is not that great. The handwritten menu on the blackboard is in Polish at all time, but the staffs are helpful if you don't speak Polish. The menu on the table also has English translation. So language isn't a problem for any average English speaker.

Definitely 5 stars. We always being home at least two dozen anytime we are near by. The inside is nice and cozy and the paczki are amazing. They are always so fresh and once you eat one you want more and more. Being a first generation kid I have trie paczki from everywhere around Chicago and these are the best. Always fresh Always so good Highly recommend them to anyone!

The Polish Food in America!!!! Authentic recipes, the Gulazh is amazing, Mash Potato and the Cole slaw really good. Fruit punch Paczki are the best. Great Food and very friendly people. Thanks Again. I wish we can have a real Polish Food in San Antonio Tx.

Spectacular place . I ordered the sauerkraut soup and grabbed some bakery items . Everything was fresh and the price is incredible .