I'd seen this place mentioned on Reddit so decided to check it out for a light lunch. It's dark inside, but then again that's pretty traditional remembering back to my time in the Balkans. Big tables, Serbian pop music playing, and attentive service. I ordered the cevapi with bread and a bowl of veal soup. Both were hearty and well seasoned. Thankfully the cevapi came with a nice heap of onions. If I had a complaint, it would be that the bread has a tougher crust than the Bosnian somun. Also I would have appreciated some kajmak (thick cream) along with the ajvar. But I think it's a place I will visit again to try other things on the menu read more

Balkan House - Cevapi u ljpepanje - Modern European Near Me - Burnaby, British Columbia

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Balkan Platter meats were cooked perfectly, so tender and flavorful. Seasoned rice complemented the meal very nicely. It was meant for two but could honestly feed a patty of 4 very easily, took the rest of our meal back for lunch tomorrow!! Waitress was very sweet and efficient. Definitely would recommend grabbing a bite here! read more

First time trying out Balkan House, a Serbian restaurant, on a weekday evening. They've been around since 1996. The inside is old school; hunting lodge vibes with large booths. Llunch menu (11:00am-2:00pm, Tuesday to Friday) along with a Sunday buffet ($40.00 adults). - Greek salad ($13.50 large) - standard fare - Balkan platter for two ($53.00) - platter easily fed four people. All 6 meats (pljeskavica, kobasice, bacon, pork raznjici, dimljena vjesalica and cevapcici) were delicious. Excellent grilled, yet tender. Rice and mashed potatoes complimented the meats - Veal schnitzel with mushroom sauce ($25.95) - schnitzel was a good sized portion but not crispy read more

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Inconsistent. But when it's good, it's really good. Very authentic food and menu. Parking is always a problem...but that's life out here.

If you want a meat fest, Balkan House is the place to go! It is open for both lunch & dinner. Exterior of the restaurant looks like an Alpine Lodge, interiors is nice with lots of seatings for small & large groups. Service was good, they are attentive and checking on us during our dinner. We ordered the meat platter for 2, plenty of food for 4 people. Meat was cooked nicely, flavour was great. Their mashed potatoes was so yummy. There's actually a buffet on the weekend, I have never tried but I heard there's a lot of meat choices in the buffet. Well, the meat platter was plenty enough for us. Do check it out, you won't regret it. read more

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I don't know what's happened. I took my friends for dinner over there June 27/25 . It was a worst dinner that I have in a long time. Food was not fresh, well overcooked, dry, probably reheated to many times. I think that they changed the cook and try to cut on proper ingredients. We eat very little, packed rest went straight to the garbage. It is way overpriced for what they are serving. It used to be one of my favorite places to go for dinner. I won't be going there any more . I do not through my had working money into a garbage bin. The worst experience ever. Don't go there. read more

My friends came here for the meat. I was here for the schnitzel. I ordered the Vienna schnitzel and it was huge. The schnitzel occupied almost the entire plate. It came with a choice of salad (Greek or coleslaw), mashed potato, rice and pita. I had the coleslaw which was tangy and refreshing. As it is Vienna schnitzel, it stayed true to tradition with only a wedge of lemon to drizzle over. No sauce or gravy. The schnitzel was crispy and the meat was tender. It was not dry but I do wish there was sauce on the side as I am used to drenching my meat with gravy. The mashed potato was creamy and so delicious. The portion was huge and I had to take home my leftovers. You could probably make 2-3 meals from this piece of schnitzel if you are a small eater. Parking is available at the rear or on the street. There is also a lunch special where prices are slightly cheaper. read more

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Seriously good Serbian meat place for a reasonable price. Parking is available along Edmonds, as well as the side streets. The inside is pretty dated. Looks like an older European tavern. The space here is quite large. Great for hosting groups and events. Staff are friendly. Looks like a mom and pop place. My understanding is that the current owner used to work there, then took over at some point. Not sure what's up with the complaints about the staff in the other reviews, but my friends and I had no problems at all. With that said, we came on a slow day. The dish to get here is the Balkan Platter. This can be done for 1 or 2 people, with similar pricing. Covers all the bases or animals so to speak. The platter comes with bread and either coleslaw or Greek salad. As for the meats? Meat (pork?) patty, sausage, bacon, (pork?) shish kabob, smoked pork neck, and cevapcici (Serbian sausage). My only complaint is that the some of the meat is a bit too salty. Watch your blood pressure when destroying yourself. I should mention that another place in town (Tenen) offers a similar platter for basically the same price. My friends and I prefer the Tenen platter, but that is not to say this one is bad at all. It depends on what one is looking for. The platter here has more minced meat patties, while Tenen leans towards more skewers and more variety in the meat. In fact, I would be perfectly happy coming back, depending on which type of meat I feel like eating. Other things worth mentioning: There was once a Sunday buffet available, but it was killed off by the pandemic. As of the time of writing, it doesn't exist, despite being mentioned on the website and menu. The Sablja Balkan (pile of meat on a sword) also doesn't exist despite being on the menu. The owner mentioned they're still tweaking the recipe for this one, but when it existed, 8 adults couldn't finish it. This would make the dish a great deal if they ever bring it back. My friends and I already have this dish in our sights for next time. I am getting hungry just writing this review. Go figure. Can't go wrong with this place. Recommended. read more

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Around South Burnaby there are lots of European restaurants. Balkan house is one of them. The food is very similar to Tenan. There are plenty of free parking at the back. The restaurant itself is quite big. At the moment, they have suspended the Sunday Balkan buffet but the owner said he will probably resume it sometime in September or October. We were a party of 5. B and I ordered the Balkan Platter for two. The platter is enough for 4 but again I am a small eater. My friend E and W shared a platter for two and they were able to finish it. So it really depends on how big of an appetite you have. The Balkan Platter for two came with- 6 assorted house specialty types of meat: meat patties, sausage, bacon, shish kebab, smoked pork neck & cevapcici. I did find the meat all tasted somewhat the same. The smoked pork neck, cevapcici and meat patties were all grounded meat with same seasoning. Don't get me wrong it was very delicious. I liked how the platter came with mashed potatoes and rice. B and I each got our own salad. B got the Greek salad and I got the cabbage salad (similar to coleslaw). The salad was very refreshing. The meal also came with balkan style pita bread with butter. Everything was delicious. Service was great given the fact that they were very short staffed. I heard from the owner that his chef took time off and he doesn't have enough people running the kitchen. They have a $200 platter for around 4 to 8 people (depending how hungry each person is) on a sword. That won't be available until sometime in October. My friend E was talking about getting a bunch of people to try it. We will see if we can actually make that happen. read more

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Wrote a review twice now and it keeps getting deleted! We ate here in October- were seated on the patio and they were allowing patrons / staff smoke on the patio. We ordered; Sausages (Cevapcici) .. with red pepper spread.. mustard.. onions and house made bread Calamari - Greek salad (salad was warm) and tzatziki - they brought it with mashed potato and rice (despite us asking for no rice/potato) ... there was hair in our food.. Had a lav beer as well - the beer was warm, and unappealing. Service was almost non existent and dismissive when we had requests. Husband, toddler and I all ended up with food poisoning. read more

Balkan House - Modern European Near Me - Burnaby, British Columbia

The food was simply amazing. I'd never eaten Balkan food until a colleague invited me to have lunch with him here. This is the cuisine from his homeland, and it was worth the visit. The family that runs the Balkan House is on-site and quite friendly. They make sure the customer is satisfied with good-size portions and quality, fresh foods. (All at a fair price) I'd go back again, and have recommended to several people as a place that is a must-visit for authentic food. read more

This was the worst meal of my life. The rolled schnitzel was overcooked. Dark brown. Tasteless mash potatoes. Cordon was overdone, too. When we complained, the waiter didn't care. The place looks like a dungeon. We were the only 3 people in there. I understand why now. Just bad. Bad. read more

We tried this restaurant for the first time today. We ordered the veal schnitzel with mushroom sauce, the sausage dish, and the mixed platter. All dishes were very good. I was actually surprised how large the portions were. Very reasonable for the price. The quality of the food was also amazing. Even the sides (Greek salad, mashed potatoes, and rice were excellent). I will go back for sure. read more

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Amazing food the best authentic Serbian cuisine you can get! Service is great, I've dined here multiple times and plan on continuing to do so. Also really great for large parties if you reserve ahead of time they are super accommodating! read more

Great restaurant for all ages, from 7 to 77. They really want guests to feel welcome and relaxed. Food is mix of Serbian (southeast Europe) to Mediterranean. read more

The guy working here is very disrespectful and thats so sad because I really did like the food and place. But the last time I came here I tried to call him over to help me with my order and when I did he pretends as if he dosnt even hear me and talks to his friends. I think I called him like 5 or 6 times but no answer. Finally comes over and takes my order in a very lazy attitude. But then I decided forget it Im going to cancel it and never come back because thats not how you treat customers. When I went back inside to let him know Im canceling, the same thing happens again pretends as if I dont even exist. MY ADVICE - DONT COME HERE ITS NOT WORTH BEING IGNORED! read more

Horrible service no host to greet you as you enter the restaurant, once seated service is so slow. When asked her how questions about sides the server was clueless just told me to read the menu, the salad was ok. Mediocre food and teeny tiny portions. read more

If you're going for the first time it is difficult to find as the signs are not lit up and in fact the large sign on the post is broken. We tried Balkan House for the first time last night. There is a parking lot at the back of the restaurant. The Sunday buffet for $20.95 sounded interesting and for the price sounded like good value. The outside of the restaurant really needs work as the signs are not illuminated. When you walk in the restaurant is decent. We were warmly greeted when we entered and shown to our table. It is clean. There were 2 TV's on mute and Serbian music was playing. They have many black leather booths so there is good privacy and space between the tables. The lighting is also very good so it is easy to read the menu. After looking at the buffet my husband decided that he would order it. I opted for the menu and ordered lamb chops for $18.95. We also ordered a 1/2 lt. of wine. The lamb chops came with nice hot bread, a salad, mashed potatoes and rice. The buffet had bread, salads, sausages, wiener schnitzel, roast veal and chicken and desserts. Unfortunately all of the food on the buffet was overcooked and dry. My lamb chops were very tough and chewy. The prices are very reasonable but the quality of the food was very disappointing. The service was decent. We would not return as we found the quality of the food to be very poor. read more

My first time ordering food here. I came to pick up the food and there was no one at the front to greet me. While waiting, I noticed the server was busy chatting with a big group of people without social distancing and a mask on. When he finally noticed me, he came over (still without a mask on) and processed my order. He was straightforward and fast. I was just really concerned that he wasn't wearing a mask nor social distancing when they have signs on their main door about COVID restrictions and policies for customers. In regards to their food, it was mediocre. I got the restaurant's meat platter. I didn't really like it as much. I won't come back to this restaurant. read more

WARNING: Vegetarians, stay clear of this place. So I was up to the challenge to battle the dish they call the The Balkan Platter for one, which is meat, meat and MORE meat. The menu describes the meat as meat patties, sausage, bacon, shish kebab, smoked pork neck & cevapcici. My 2 brave friends ordered the Balkan Platter for two, which as you can see in the pictures the difference in sizes. I will get to the meal in a bit but first a little bit about the restaurant environment: The interior feels a little dated like we are in the 80's, but kept clean. The servers are fine, until the place becomes busier, they become scarce and forget to come by our area. We came on a Saturday night and were able to enjoy a bit of live music. Now back to that Meat Platter. The dish also comes with Greek Salad, and Bread for starters. But after that, its all that meat piled on. Meats don't seem to clash at this place. I heard they also serve a buffet here, and you probably won't have to eat for a week after that. I would say the cost performance is good, but the quality is average. Note I only managed to finish 70% of the plate. Overall I am satisfied with the place, but nothing I would travel far and away to get to. read more

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Baltik countries cuisine...my 6th time in here..the recent one was a dinner treat by a friend,meat dishes never fails my taste buds,we had the balkan platter for 2, consisting of 6 kind of meat dishes with rice and potatoes,and salad it taste immaculately yummy,calamari for our appetizer this one sad to say wasnt really good dry and bland no taste at all,service was just average,decors are old old european style with contemporary bar thats make my rating a 4 star,free parking at the rear and it can house 20 cars,very datk surrounding so be careful to hit the fence and high gutter.wash room is old needs some touch of renovation,accept allkinds of card + cash,noose level low,good for family and group..kids friendly,serves alcohol...lightning fore kinda dark plus the upholstery of some seats are dark aswell,,but in total still a good place to bring your visiting friends for a meat bonanza read more

Balkan House - Modern European Near Me - Burnaby, British Columbia

This place was recommended by a friend and I decided to try it out with 6 of us. They have buffet which was the main reason I wanted to try out. We re guys and meat loving dudes and they like it as well. I like their selection of meat dishes and we left this place stuffed. read more

If you are a meat lover stop by, if not walk away. If you like home cooked food stop by, if not walk away. If you appreciate European service stop by, if you want North American service buzz off. If you like TV with your food walk away, if you want to enjoy food and conversation stop by. If you want annoying teenagers with perky boobs walk away, if you want an experienced server stop by. This place is amazing. I travel for food and this is amazing food by European standards and not Burger King eating standards. read more

So my mother made a reservation 6 weeks ago for their 50h wedding anniversary. When my sister went into ensure certain things would be in place the day before she was told that they moved her reservation to the front of the restaurant (even though they booked the private room) and they weren't even going to tell us!! It just happened my sister went in!!! Then she was told that she had to understand that they struggled during COVID and this would now give them 60 people (20 our party, 40 for the new one). The deviation that this has caused my mother makes me wanna tell everyone to stay clear. And go fuckyourself as you ruined a special day. DO NOT TOVE THESE PEOPLE YOUR BUSINESS AS THEY DO NOT CARR!! read more

Came on a Saturday night and ordered Halibut aNd my husband ordered salmon. It was busy but the woman who took our order was unfriendly and so lame. Food was not generous portion and just ok. Lots of meat in this place and for me, who likes to eat more fish, it wasn't for me as there was only one fish dish. We were told even the Sunday buffet contains mostly meat dishes. read more

Amazing food! We did a catering order for 20 people and everyone was so happy and satisfied! Huge portions and fresh and hot it arrived! Thank you Balkan house! read more

Returned to Balkan House after an absence of perhaps two years. We almost missed the driveway on a dark wintery night. The pork tenderloin with mushroom sauce was hot, very tasty, and a very large portion. My Vienna Schnitzel was large, tender, aromatic and delicious. The greek salad, while tasty, was not a good complement to the entree. Next time, I will request the euro salad. The parsley mashed potato was good, the rice not my favourite but my partner said it was super delish. The freshly baked bread was delish. My dining partner was ready to consume the entire loaf it was that good. Best surprise was the deeply aromatic coffee! Atmosphere is early 80's but clean and actually funky. Red faux leather booths, half circle, really nice for conversation. Service was friendly. Dark wood panelling and trim make me feel as if I should bolt out for forest bathing after the meal. Large parking lot in the rear. Family owned and operated. Family friendly dining, for youngsters to oldsters. read more

Feed em large and feed em good I always say... but then again, I am of German and Slavic extraction... we think "portion control" means making sure everybody gets a third helping. Took a dear friend here today for lunch. Here is the quick list: 1. Lost a star for crap parking 2. Lost a star for slooooow service. Holy cow. 3. Would have given the food a much higher star count. 4. Wonderful flavours and authenticity. 5. Great selection - but would love to see a bit more vegetable choice with the entree. 6. Interior is clearly brand new and very clean and tasteful. The booths were half circle comfy and very intimate. 7. They have a private room for functions!!!! 8. FIVE STAR CHEESECAKE... no seriously.. I have NEVER had cheesecake like that, not even my Oma made it that good. That alone will get me back there. My lunch guest was pleased as punch with his meal too, and we had a leisurely visit, but I wouldn't have wanted to be on a 1 hour lunch break. Gotta love lugubrious Eastern block servers... you aren't sure if they are grumpy or just dark by nature. It sure added to the atmosphere. Go there... wear eating pants. read more

Man O Man, Europeans looooove their carbs ;) I recently came here for a baptism reception... i never really tried Euro food before and I was pretty curious.. It was a buffet so Imagine my delight that i get to try a little bit of everything . Apon gazing the plethora of food i noticed the scallop mashed potatoes, the shnitzel, the beautiful tender roast pork the roast chicken, sausages, skewers, mmm pretty much all you need to keep you warm on a cold winters night. My favorite Item was the Roast Pork Tenderloin.. A definite must try if you plan on eating here :) mmm High butter and full of flavor :) .. this even got me holding my chest and checking my blood sugar content.. Great hearty food made by friendly owners and chefs :) Would i come back?: "yes" but only on occasion for me... wow ... i never thought i'd say that.. read more

Oh dear Lord...I gained a dress size going in here...and felt an artery harden... This restaurant has been in my neighborhood for years, but I never really thought of going in until a friend suggested it. Actually, he said if he lived that close to it, he'd be there everyday, twice a day. (I'm a little worried about his arteries now). This is a MEAT restaurant and you get some AMAZING MEAT. The decor is old school, but that's not why you are there. Lots of couples and families of Eastern European decent made up the mix. Wait staff greeted & promptly sat us. She was attentive without being instructive the whole time we were there. Prices on the menu range from $11.99 to $18.99. We went in Sunday night, which turned out they had a $15.99 All You Can Eat Buffet. Being a first-timer, I asked the waitress what she would recommend and she said the buffet - same price as most stuff on the menu and a bigger selection. Boy, was she right! Homemade fresh bread, lightly crusty on the outside, soft and warm on the inside. Greek salad was a great mix with not too much onions to over-power the rest of the ingredients and they were very generous with the feta. Steamed broccoli and cauliflower. Chicken was moist and well flavored. The sausage was AMAZING, bursting with flavor - a combination of veal and pork. Tenderloin was moist on the inside, done just right on the outside and came with a wonderful mushroom sauce I dare say competes with my Mom's. Potatoes there were a few types, one done like scalloped and another roasted with some onions. Fruit with a custard pie rounded out the evening. I will be back...but this time, I will be skipping a meal and eating light for a day or two before I go. (I passed out on the couch for 3 hours afterward I was so rolly-polly). Like I said, they serve meat and some amazing meat at that. My hat's off,two-thumbs up and a bouquet of flowers to the staff, chefs and owners - this was a great meal for a great price - Thank You for sharing it with us! read more

Recently my girlfriend and I decided to try the Balkan House since yelp had rated it decently and I live close by. I feel bad saying it but I'll be honest, from the outside I never expected much from this place so I always avoided it. That was a mistake. Inside the atmosphere screams FAMILY!!!! in a good way. Friendly staff, live music on occasion, and hearty food with huge portions. You feel like you've already been going there for years. I recommend anything meat. Girlfriend had Vienna schnitzel, I had the calamari. The piece of schnitzel was so big she had to take half of it home. My calamari came with so much extra stuff I hardly finished it all. Mmm, stuff. Good experience. Friendly staff, good prices, authentic food, and I didn't leave hungry. read more

When I step inside the door at the Balkan House, I feel like I've been transported to a roadside restaurant in the former Yugoslavia. The decor is just the same as I used to see there. The food is also authentic. I take friends there every chance I get, to introduce them to the wonders of cevapi done right. A couple of warnings: the servings are generous. My parents split a schnitzel between them, and still took half of it home in a doggie bag. Also, this is not the place for vegetarians. Balkan cuisine is about meat, prepared in an astonishing variety of ways, all delicious. The real mystery about this place is why there isn't a line right out the door every minute it's open. read more

Do you like meat? Of course you do. Balkan House has meat, lots of meat. The balkan platter has a lot of meat on it for ~$17, including some of the best homemade sausages I've ever had - rivaling what I've had in Germany and Austria. They also give you Greek salad and fresh baked bread with most entrees.... but don't let the green stuff distract you from the important stuff (the meat). I'm going back to my meat-coma now. zzzzzz read more

I gotta admit, I was here 4 years ago the first time, and we did the buffet. I was a bit disappointed, it was all just meh, nothing special, This time we were smarter and we ordered the good stuff! I was afraid it won't be authentic, but it quite is! I loved Karadjordjeva, and I'd definitely recommend that to everyone. Cevapcici and raznjici were also really really good! Kupus salata is as good as back home! Our server was super nice too, I can't remember her name, I only know she is from Hungary. I'll go back for sure! If you like meat, this is the place to go for it! read more

I recently went here, and I was not really sure what type of food I would be eating. The menu is a bit confusing. There is a little splash of German, a little splash of Greek, and a little splash of Italian on the menu. I decided to try the Balkan platter and the chicken cutlet with mushroom sauce. The platter included a lot of meat and sides; one of the meats being pork neck. I wasn't sure if I would like the pork neck, but it was actually quite tasty. However, the most impressive thing was the chicken cutlet with mushroom sauce. It was around $12.99, and it was MASSIVE. Good thing it was delicious too because no one wants a massive piece of disgusting. I would definitely go back and order the chicken cutlet. The sides are nothing to rave about, but they are prepared to expectation. They just aren't exciting. If you're feeling like a huge chunk of meat, go try it out! read more

Very disappointed, we ordered the Balkan Platter. The salad and bread was good, however the meats must have been made hours earlier (or the day before) and then reheated. They were all completely dried out. The meats were served on top of the smashed potatoes and rice but absolutely no meat juice stained either the rice or potato which proves that the meats were grilled hours earlier and then reheated. We won't be back. Worst meal we've had in a long time. read more

If you are from former Yugoslavia or have a particular desire to taste food from this region, particularly Serbia, then this is the place for you. Having been to many similar restaurants in Macedonia, Jersey, Chicago (the larger Macedonian and Serbian enclaves in the U.S. are in Chicago/Indiana and North Jersey), this place is a gem. Really good authentic food and surprisingly nice inside (sometimes these type of places look a bit rundown or tacky). It's all about meat and potatoes here, so come get your fill of a plethora of grilled meats, from kebabs (cevapi - they look like morning sausage links), meat patties, pork chops, to chicken, and a lot of other random things. The fries are good, the scalloped potatoes (which they refer to as mashed potatoes) are even better, and the other sides , like rice and bread, are ok. As usual, you will never see a fountain machine in any of these places, so plan to nurse your can of coke or bottle of water unless you want to pay a couple bucks more for another one. They also have a large selection of alcohol, of course. You'll find both families and groups of men here hanging out. Apparently they have live music on Friday and Sat nights too. Also, service will be slow, which is always expected at these establishments. When I went there were 5-6 tables, mostly with 4-8 people, and there was only one server for all of us. She was apologetic and I felt bad for her. Oh, and the street this place is on is quite sketchy and really dark, but the inside makes up for it, so don't worry. read more

For the price, it's pretty good. $15.95 for a full buffet and there's a substantial meat selection. Most of the things on the menu is between $12-15 so the buffet is definitely worth it, especially if you like meat & potatoes. **Vegetarians, stay away from this restaurant b/c all you'll be eating is salad and dessert. ** Atmosphere: Feels very Eastern European. Family friendly and lots of dining space so a large party could come and be seated comfortably Buffet: The meats (other than the veal and chicken) is quite dry but the sausages are mouth-wateringly flavourful. The potatoes are amazing and the vanilla squares are a must try. Really. Get the dessert. Potion size: even on the a la carte menu, the portions are huge so don't worry about leaving hungry. Actually, I would recommend wearing pants that have some extra room on the waist. read more

My boyfriend and I went on Sunday for the buffet. We were greeted warmly and told that coffee was complimentary with the buffet. The staff were good about taking our used plates, but seemed to forget to fill up our water glasses. We never got offered our coffee even after we were obviously finished and waiting for the bill. Maybe we had to ask for it? The food was very good. There were a couple things I couldn't really identify, but it was all delicious. We will probably come again, considering it is so close to home we could walk here. read more

Back when I was in the Army in West Germany I got to go to a gasthaus run by Yugoslavian family. When I saw Balkan House on Yelp I knew I had to go. We had the buffet so we could try a number of dishes. For a buffet the food was pretty good and they had a nice selection of items. Atmosphere: 5 I loved the décor. It is totally 1970s fancy eating out place, lots of wood and somewhat dimly lit. Service: 3 The service was so so in terms of keeping up with drinks and getting us our check. What was nice though was how friendly all of the staff were. They all seemed genuinely happy that we choose to eat their and were all happy to tell us about the food and their home country. Food: 4 The food was good. It was a buffet so the bar is not quite as high. Value: 3 The prices weren't too bad. The buffet dinner was around $15 and certainly well worth it. read more