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Balkanika Restaurant

4.1 (77 reviews)
Closed • 9:30 am - 12:00 AM (Next day)

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BALKANIKA RESTAURANT ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Moderate noise
Good for groups
Good for kids
Outdoor seating

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Reviews With Photos - Balkanika Restaurant

Balkan Style Meats
Vincent M.

I was brought by a local and had a great experience! I ordered the meat combo and it was delicious and the atmosphere was great for lively evening.

Pork shashlik
Olga G.

Great service, music is relaxing and good to my taste... Food is delicious and fresh .... Coming back soon..

Balkan Style Meats
Aaron C.

Highlights: *Immersive Bulgarian ambiance with multiple decorated areas *Uniquely Bulgarian cuisine is worth a visit * Food may feel "heavy" to some Food: *Balkan style meats *Daily special: eggplant with feta cheese *Daily special: cheesy potato soup *Garash cake Having scoped out the menu in advance, I had my eyes on the Balkan Style Meats. What we were pleasantly surprised about was the eggplant! It was a daily special so we didn't know what it looked like (the regular menu has pictures) or how it was prepared. Anyway this is the best eggplant I have ever had. The tomato-based sauce was flavorful in a way that seemed more basil than salt. The eggplant was fried with light breading yet it was crunchy on the outside. The Balkan Style Meats is a great way to try the traditional sausages and Bulgarian meat. It is heavy because these are all pork, which is why eggplant seemed appealing to balance it out. The server recommended adding potatoes (if the eggplant isn't available, something else is needed). I think the kufte and kepabche were my favorites. The pork chop was a little bland by comparison. Garash cake was decadent and there was a nice texture with the soft chocolate and the crunchy nuts. Service: For reference we were there on a weekday lunchtime and were the only patrons for forty-five minutes before a party started in the outdoor dining area. Service was pretty good because there wasn't much competition for the server's attention. She seemed excited to share some background about Bulgarian cuisine and was patient in explaining details to us (I asked her what each item was on the Balkan Style Meats for the caption of this pic). Ambiance: There were multiple areas that were decorated, and each with their own distinct style and vibe. *Deli and grocery - just the fact there was a deli in this restaurant is cool *The bar and lobby - had some traditional Bulgarian stained-glass *Private party rooms - no windows and ideal for banquets *Sunroom and outdoor dining area - the sunroom has plants and skylights giving lots of natural light. Combined with the outdoor dining area, there was a definite beach vibe going

Carm A.

Super nice experience. We called our order ahead because we were on a time crunch and they had everything set for us the minute we got there. It was awesome. The atmosphere is amazing, so much detail, beautiful art work. Very friendly service. The food was super delicious. I want to come back and try more dishes, they have a large menu!

Garash cake
Jenny L.

Had calamari and garash cake for dessert before a show in rosemont. Calamari was tender and paired well with the sauces. There was an event so a lot of the tables were reserved but the waiter still seated us in a private room for a good experience

Emilia P.

I was looking for classic grilled sea bream served in a restaurant for months. Even in the Greek restaurants is rare. I found it in Balkanika!!!! Simply prepared, extremely delicious, served with Chimichurri. The place is so good and European. The ambience is unique and different from anything I have experienced in Chicago. I took many American friends there during the years and they are all hooked up.

I was out grocery shopping after work today and I passed by this place on my way back home, I'm completely new to this area so still learning all the good places around here. I decided to look up their menu and right off the start I was impressed, the food looked really good and the prices as well not to mention so many good reviews already. I was looking what I'd want and came across the pizza section and was really surprised by the type of dough they are using so I decided to try it out as it reminded me of a pizza style from Poland. So I went in and placed the order. First when you walk in you can tell it's a nice classic place, very welcoming staff and good vibes. They even got their own mini deli inside the place.. The smells coming from the kitchen were amazing. Ivan the bartender took really good care of me, helped me out with my order and answered all my questions . I ordered to go a well done Margherita pizza with ham and mushrooms, waited about 25 min. When Ivan came out with the pizza you could just smell the amazingness coming out of the box, opened it up and my jaw dropped how perfected the pizza was, I barley got into my car and I had to take a piece out and try it & let me tell you it was heaven on earth! The crunchiness, taste, the sauce , the cheese was perfection!!! It brought so many memories back from Poland! I loooove pizza but I am not a fan of thin crust, it's just not my thing. I've been living in the USA for 13 years now and I have finally found the best pizza spot I've ever had for the last 13 years ! Hands down thank you!!! Can not wait to come back and try the rest of the food. Prices are honestly great comparing to many other places.

a plate of salad with tomatoes, cucumbers and parmesan cheese
George O.

Continuing to explore and discover Chicago's amazing culinary scene, I had my first Bulgarian dining experience! Yes I've had Banitsa but that doesn't count. The restaurant also had a small grocery area on the side! Also, there was a DJ playing amazing music and the bartenders were excellent! * * Must Trys: *Mixed Grill meats (Kabobs, Balkan Sausage, Balkan sujuk, and steak with feta fries *Shopska salad *And the spreads with bread

Fries
Mira K.

My boyfriend and I differed on our opinion here, so we'll meet in the middle. We ordered a lot of food and everything tasted fresh. Our favorite dishes were the french fries with feta, shopska salad, and the meatball. For me, in the combo shashlik, the chicken was a little dry and the pork fatty. The garash cake was different--chocolate mouse and walnut meringue. Not overly sweet with a distinctive nutty taste. COVID-specifc review: Unfortunately, this is where I would take off another star. When walking through the large restaurant most of the staff did not have their masks on properly because they didn't cover their noses. When I came nearby or when they were interacting with patrons, they did move their masks to properly cover their face.

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1 year ago

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8 years ago

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2 years ago

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4 years ago

Balkanika is the best Bulgarian restaurant if you are fan of the Mediterranean food that's definitely a place to check our!

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4 years ago

Amazing food very nice staff!! I love the place and i always recommend it to my coworkers.

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7 years ago

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5 years ago

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3 years ago

Food was good atmosphere was chill. Waitress was above average! Would go back again.

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6 years ago

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3 years ago

This place offers a great selection of balkan cuisine, good service and great ambiance.

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5 years ago

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Smetana

Smetana

4.9
(56 reviews)
5.4 mi

Fantastic place. One of the best restaurants in the area and Glenview is very lucky to have it…read more It's very neat and classy inside. We ordered pierogi's on a Friday night and they were incredible. We ordered a plate of half potato and cheese and half spinach and mozzarella. They were simply just amazing. If I have to be super super picky, though, the potato and cheese pierogis tasted only a slightly bit doughy, but it was still great and I'm planning on paying Smetana multiple visits in the future.

Service - 3/5. Can you not see that I'm dying on this date?! Why is service so slow when we're the…read moreonly ones here? Guy said chicken in stuff cabbage which was wrong (date doesn't eat other meats). Missed when we ordered chicken schwarma warp. Mistook 'hot coffee' and somehow brought out raspberry coulis alcoholic drink?! Give that kid a coffee or multivitamins! Food - 5/5 Pierogi plate - selection of different fillings, boiled or pan-fried Polish platter - sausage, perogis, stuffed cabbage roll, potato pancakes with sour cream and mustard, served with creamy tomato-based sauce or the other sauce. Chicken shwarma wrap - delicious. mostly filled with mozzerella cheese and crunchy vegetables, seared in panini press. I would not describe this as schwarma wrap whatsoever. Coffee came out with 3 sugar cubes on the side of the tea cup. The hygienic part of me is screaming. Doesn't it make more sense to use a sugar bowl?

Photos
Smetana
Beet Carpaccio
Beet Carpaccio
Herring Beets Tartare

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Herring Beets Tartare
Balkan Taste

Balkan Taste

4.4
(57 reviews)
2.7 mi
•$$

Heard that Chicagoland had the largest Serbian population in the US, so on a whim a friend and I…read morepicked a place to experience our first Balkan food. Went to Balkan Taste and we got their beef special and their pork tenderloin special. The spicy kajmak sauce on the tenderloin went so well with the way they grilled it, and the beef was hearty and delicious. Plenty of lepinja was served and it went so well with everything! Enough food for the next meal as well. Would definitely go again and try the standard fare.

What a hidden gem!!! I loved everything about Balkan Taste-the service, ambiance and food. All…read moreexcellent. The server I had was very nice, and made a great suggestion for one of the daily specials-pork tenderloin with Kaymac. I've never heard of that before (which was the reason to visit Balkan Taste-a new adventure in food!) kaymac was described as the top of the milk, and it reminded me of butter. But better! He also brought me a side of kaymac to have with my bread, and I knew I'd love the pork dish. It was indeed a home run, the sauce was super tasty. Also had beet salad , and a cream puff for dessert. I inhaled the cream puff too!!! I enjoyed the authentic/family atmosphere, and will surely be back. I'm picky about my food (I LOVE the "good stuff") everything I had tonight was outstanding. Thanks for an excellent meal and making me feel like a welcomed guest!!

Photos
Bar and kitchen area
Bar and kitchen area
Goulash
Goulash
Balkan Taste

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Social Inn

Social Inn

4.3
(121 reviews)
5.9 mi

Social Inn has been on my to-try list for some time.  My husband and I finally had a chance to…read morecheck it out on a Monday evening recently.  I made a reservation via Tock that I already had an account for years, so that was simple. On a weekday evening, as expected, the restaurant was not busy.  We were promptly seated at a 4-top table (2 × 2-top) against the right wall, with some other 2-tops on both sides.  Like many reviewers had mentioned, the venue was beautiful, modern and chic. There were 7 tables occupied, including us.  The music that they had was not too loud, just that customers' conversations were amplified by the box shape open dining area.  If we focused enough, we could hear every conversation if we wanted to.  This was obvious when a table of about 6 women got seated at a table near the front door, some of them laughed and talked very loudly.  My husband and I just found it funny and didn't let that bother us.  However, when the restaurant is filled on busier days, it might be a different story. Our server, Patrick, was very nice and attentive.  Since they did not list drinks on their menu except those with alcohol, I asked him about non-alcoholic drinks.  After a brief "discussion", he asked me to leave it to him to make me a drink with mango.  He came up with a beautiful drink that was good and refreshing, with some mango flavor.  It was Virgin Paloma on our receipt for $8, which was reasonable.  He was very polite and checked in on us several times at appropriate times during our dinner.  The pace of the dinner was good, we spent a total of an hour and 15 minutes in the restaurant. Patrick might be the only waiter serving all the tables that evening, though. I also ordered Grilled Octopus ($22) which was very good, tender and flavorful, but was a little too salty to my taste.  The small pita bread wedges were warm and fluffy with some crispy edges, the beet hummus was creamy, and everything was delicious and tasted fresh.  I generously shared 2 little bites of octopus with my husband and I finished the entire plate, it was so good!  My husband really liked his Spiked White Fish ($29) and I shared a bite of that too.  He also had a House Salad for $6, that was a very good value.  He enjoyed a glass of Sauvignon Blanc Crossing ($12) too.  We also shared an order of Crème Brulee ($8), that was creamy and cooked perfectly.  We ordered a takeout order of Rigatoni with Sausage ($23), that was a good portion, and was still delicious and al dente the next day after being microwaved. I am so happy that we found Social Inn - a hidden gem in Plaza del Prado, it's not far from home, with comfortable and beautiful ambiance, excellent service (from Patrick), an attractive menu with enticing food (fresh ingredients and appealing plating), and reasonable prices, we will definitely be back!

It's been a while since I went to Social Inn. They used to be open for lunch as well as dinner, and…read morethat was easier for me to get to. We were in the area late in the day and remembered Social Inn was open, so we went. We ordered a variety of items. I had the Social Burger (at least 1/2 pound), we also ordered their chicken dinner salad and the beet hummus. Everything was delicious. I did order my burger medium and it was delivered well done, but it was still good. They also have one of the best gluten-free buns I've ever had. I do wish they were open at lunch time still, but I understand they need to be open for their busiest hours. Social Inn is a great option when you are in the Glenview area.

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Host counter
Host counter
Beet Mezze
Beet Mezze
Bar area

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Bar area
Qulinarnia

Qulinarnia

4.3
(298 reviews)
4.1 mi
•$$

Definitely a must try restaurant for anyone who lives nearby. This spot gets everything right-…read moreplenty of parking, fast and friendly service, elegant decor, big portions, and delicious food! Admittedly, I'm not an expert in Polish cuisine, but this restaurant has greatly increased my interest in trying more! Outside of the food, there's many things to like about this restaurant. The decor is nice and modern, and the presentation of the food is good for this price point. The restaurant is comfortable and good for sitting in for a while, with service that is extremely friendly. This reminds me of another excellent restaurant A Thousand Tales, where we are treated like family on every visit - even on the first visit there. It's very clear how proud the staff is of the restaurant and the food they serve, and they take the effort to explain the food to the diner. Fortunately, the food is just as good as it looks. I've been looking for food that's prepared from scratch with high quality ingredients that aren't reliant on heavy sauces, and this really hit the mark. Everything from the bread with herbs and butter to the delicious soups was prepared fresh and tasty. Similarly, with the chips and salsa - it was clear that this was homemade with a great flavor to match. Unsurprisingly, the pastor tacos were full of flavor, with a generous amount of slightly fatty pork, fresh cilantro, and onions served with fresh lime. These were some of the best tacos I've had in recent memory from any restaurant, and I am definitely a huge fan of the preparation (the sweetness of the pineapple juice perfectly matched the bold mix of spices). The sampler platter was also a great option which gave a mix of many different items. The goulash was delicious with the mushrooms and sautee pepper. The pierogis had the perfect firmness and delicious filling. The sausage was flavorful and juicy. The potato pancakes could've been a bit more crisp but the flavor was still good. The breaded pork schnitzel was tasty and had just the right amount of breading. Overall, definitely recommend going to this spot for anything that's looking for high quality made from scratch food at a reasonable price point. The great service and elegant interior is a bonus on top of a very enjoyable and filling meal.

Polish food? No. This is a summary of a pick up order…read more -Beef goulash potato pancakes. The potato pancake imposters were severely burned on one side, over salted, and should not have been offered for consumption. The watery soup, which was supposed to resemble goulash, contained chunks of pork meat with fat chunks attached. I located several mushrooms in the watery liquid. -Seasonal pierogi, described to be mixed variety, some containing lobster and spinach... I was sold cheese and potato pierogi only. They appeared to be deep fried in used oil. I located chunks of unidentified meat like substance mixed in with the pierogi. -Ceviche: chunks of rock hard, not ready for consumption yet, avocado. -Side dish of rice. Really good. I called the restaurant about an hour and 30 minutes after I picked up this order. I spoke with the same person who handed me the order, who related over the phone he has been serving this food for 13 years and no one was ever dissatisfied. He apologized for my experience and offered to refund the $75 I paid, or issue me a coupon for a couple of free of charge meals. I declined the meals and requested a refund. This occurred on 15 May 2026. Today is 21 May 2026. I'm still waiting for the refund...

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A view from the entrance.
A view from the entrance.
Qulinarnia
View of reception desk.

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View of reception desk.
Cobblestone - Chicago

Cobblestone - Chicago

4.3
(69 reviews)
11.4 mi

Third time at cobblestone and this time was for Valentine's Day. We wanted someplace cozy and cute…read moreand Cobblestone set the bar high with a candlelit dinner. They had a terrific Valentine's Day dinner $95 for two people which included a small amuse-bouche each, an appetizer to share, individual entrees, and a dessert to share. We loved the crispy broccolini and were fighting over it. The entrees were huge portions and packed with flavor. I consider myself a scallop connoisseur and in all the restaurants we've ever been in, these scallops were cooked beautifully. They had a perfect sear to them on the outside but cooked perfectly on the inside as well, 10/10 no notes this is the scallop I will compare all future scallops to. And the duck confit, oh my...we also fought over this dish which paired incredibly well with beans to our surprise. Chocolate cake had a beautiful strawberry sauce on the bottom. Everything was incredible including the service. Cobblestone remains our favorite in the area and is loved by all the locals. Thank you for a perfect Valentine's Day dinner.

Went here for NYE. I was really disappointed by the food. It has good reviews and a friend had been…read moreand liked it. I got the pre fixe menu. The pickled deviled eggs were tasty. It was not an "Amuse bouche" which is a single bite item, it was much more but I'm not complaining about that! The appetizer was grilled octopus over sweet potato mash. I learned that day that sweet and grilled octopus is not a good mix. It was nearly gross. I picked the octopus up and tried to brush off as much of the sweet potatoes and possible. The octopus tasted good but was over cooked. My main was the branzino. It was charred to a crisp and full of bones. It did not taste good and was extremely difficult to eat. I did not taste the German chocolate cake for dessert but was told it was dry and people barely touched it. My husband and others are our table got short rib goulash, which was served like a steak with gravy. It wasn't tender like short rib should be. He said the flavor was good at least. Someone got the fish and chips and said it was flavorless. Someone else got the burger and said it was also charred and over cooked. Over all, pretty disappointed. Cute place with decent service. Hopefully this was just an off night.

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Back patio
Back patio
Hangover Hash
Hangover Hash
Crab Tartare

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Crab Tartare

Balkanika Restaurant - modern_european - Updated July 2026

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