Need to Eat is an amazing Eastern European café with delicious food and super friendly service. Everything we've tried so far has been excellent--syrniki, avocado toast, pastries, drinks, and hearty lunch specials with meat and potatoes. One thing to note for those who optimize credit card rewards: they are coded as a "bakery" by VISA rather than a restaurant. This means some premium cards won't earn dining points here, which was a bit surprising. While I love the food, this might make me choose a different spot when splurging on breakfast. Still, highly recommend for the quality and service! read more

Ukrainian cafe Dessert and coffee Amex accepted Parking available Limited seating European style dessert and cakes Macaroons and pastries Soup salad and sandwiches available Ukrainian dumplings Also sell frozen food read more

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Quaint and delicious. A little local gem. The green tea lychee is so refreshing. The potato dumplings stole the show, so pillowy soft and swimming in an incredible mushroom cream sauce. With it being topped with crispy fresh greens, it transforms into an absolutely magical dish. The caramel apple crepes were also delightful. We are so excited to go back soon and try more items on the menu. read more

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My husband brought take out back home with their dumplings and a piggy dessert. Their dumpling skins were very tender, kind of like a soft gnocchi texture and not very thick. There was a potato filling inside so it kind of tasted like a potato ravioli mixed with a gnocchi. The dumplings were in a white sauce with spinach and mushrooms. It was very hearty and like a comfort food. We shared one portion which was perfect for us- it might have been too heavy to eat one by myself. The piggy dessert was like a raspberry cheesecake with a crunchy rice type of bottom. It was very rich so sharing is recommended! read more

Need To Eat - Caterers Near Me - Poway, California

This was my first time trying Ukrainian food and I loved my experience so much. I originally found this place because they have beautiful desserts and they are not too far from my place. I came on a weekend afternoon and there was 1 table left inside. The cafe is super small with 3 tables inside and 2 outside. You order at the cashier first and then they bring the food to you! I ordered the mushroom and potato dumpling, and some desserts! The mushroom potato dumplings reminded me of gnocchi. It had a cream based sauce and was so delicious. I don't remember how many dumplings it came with but I felt the amount was fair with the price it charged! I did actually take some home too as leftovers. For desserts, I ordered some sort of chocolate mousse in a skull shape (perfect for Halloween!) and a macaroon. The skull was delicious, not too sweet, perfect for 2 to share. The macaroon is huge! I'm not sure if I would get again but I did enjoy it. The only thing I would change is for the employees to serve water! We were not brought water nor did we ask. So it might just be something we have to ask for. But overall, definitely come and support this local business!!! read more

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We recently visited Need to Eat Cafe on Sunday afternoon at around 2 pm and at that time the lunch crowd was just starting to finish up so we had to wait a bit for a table. Nice little Ukrainian restaurant with about 4 tables inside and two outside so they can get crowded at popular times. We tried the Chicken with Mushroom sauce and I believe Peach crepes and they were excellent. I tried the Beef Pelmeni dumplings which were also excellent. Good high quality food but you don't get any sides so the portions seemed small. The staff were extremely friendly, and efficient. Probably best to come at slow times as they can get busy during breakfast/lunch times on the weekends. read more

Need To Eat - Coffee and macaroon - Caterers Near Me - Poway, California

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Food was just okay. Not all the dishes were up to temperature. Dumplings were much hotter than the lunch set beef stroganoff. Beef stroganoff was lukewarm in temp and presentation could have been better. It took us around 40 mins to get our food, but they did warn us that no tables were available. They only have three tables and a big party of six came before us. The juice we ordered was self-serve. We thought it would be brought to us but it turned out we had to get it from the fridge ourselves. Later I found out that their juice is just fruit water, very bland, but I liked it. The cashier didn't warn me about this though, she said it wasn't very sweet. Maybe they should just offer takeout or do reservation only since the shop is so small. The dessert is overpriced. 4" cake for $55. I tried one of their smaller cakes and it was just okay. Macarons ($4.5) were just okay too. I would prefer quality over quantity for the macarons. The price is justified by the size, but it was disappointing to see jam in the filling. Macaron inside should be chewy and nougat-like. This one was just dry. The presentation for that was a bit better. Service was okay. The cashier was nice but they seemed very understaffed. Should have someone helping her. She even needed our help opening the door since her hands were full from carrying plates and running back and forth through the small store. But I think it will be difficult to hire another person because one of their requirements is someone who is both fluent in Ukrainian and English. Cute store though. Very quaint. Hope all the best for them. Feel bad giving 3 stars but I have to be honest. read more

Such a cute Ukrainian cafe that took over Fish Delights. Located in the Oak Knoll plaza directly across from Starbucks. The inside is duck themed. They open at 8am. We arrived at 8:10 and waited for 5 mins, no one was there so we left to another coffee shop. The second time, we came at 8:30 and the guy just barely started to put table and chairs outside and still setting up. Makes me think they operate on European time! Everything after this was just chill time. Very European. So don't expect to be in a rush if you're short on time. All the desserts looked so good and unique like the waffle cake, honey cake, the thickest macarons I've ever seen, and much more. We wanted to get something that was Ukrainian and got the potatoes and mushroom dumplings. Beautiful presentation. Potato filling with a cream of mushroom like sauce on top. To me, it tasted like gnocchi. Very good and filling. We also got the beef and burata salad. Had pine nuts, pesto, tomato, and the beef was sliced thin, almost like beef jerky. For drinks I wanted coffee but there wasn't anything specific to the culture so I got the Ukrainian cold drink called Compote. The flavor was strawberry basil. They say they make it in-house. It was refreshing and wasn't syrupy. There's still more to try here such as their lunch special for $15.50. You get a choice of protein and side. Worth a second visit. read more

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I went back to Need to Eat for a second time, this time with my daughter and she loved it as much as I did. We tried the shakshouka (traditional Ukrainian breakfast) which has a base of spicy tomato sauce, eggs plus bread. It was spicier than I enjoy but it was fun to try something new. We then shared the 3 layer chocolate mousse and it was phenomenal. Can't wait to go back again! read more

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Cute new restaurant in Poway. I hope they make it because the food is really good. You order at the counter and your order is delivered to your table when they come out. It's a new establishment and since they make your food to order, it takes awhile to come out. My friend's order came out much dinner than mine. She was halfway done with hers before her drink order and mine came out. It's a small place so there's only 3 small tables instead with a couch and two bistro tables outside. I was checking out the other food orders coming and being delivered to other customers. Everything looks really nicely plated. The tuna Asian salad was a beautiful dish and my friend really enjoyed it. I ordered the mushroom and potatoes dumplings and that was absolutely delicious. Will definitely come back to try their other dishes! read more

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I first found this place while searching for "hot and new" places within the area. I did some research, found their website and instagram handle, and immediately fell in love with their story and humble backgrounds. The cafe itself is quaint and nicely kept and the employees are very nice. However, for what we got, my honest rating, and I feel bad for giving this, is 3 or 3.5 stars. I truly believe they have a good concept, supported by a talented team. They have a nice selection of sweets, with a good diversity in flavors and types of desserts. It was so hard to choose just one, but we ended up taking a slice of their basque cheesecake to go. The whole cheesecake looked huge, so I was expecting our slice to be pretty big too! However, for $9, we ended up with a pretty small slice (maybe 1/12 of the whole cheesecake?). The overall texture was smooth/lump free, but closer to the center was underbaked and farther from the center was dense. I know basque cheesecake is supposed to be loose/smooth, but ours collapsed nearer to the tip. Additionally, of all the berries that topped the whole cheesecake, we only received half a strawberry (unglazed as well and therefore dried out), which made me wonder if you get "more" if you dined in vs take out. Lastly, the flavor of the cheesecake was one note. It needed a touch more vanilla, maybe some lemon, or more berries to help with contrast. All in all, I'm hoping to give them another try again and update from 3 stars to 4 or 5 stars. Right now though, in my opinion ... great customer service but higher than expected prices and a cheesecake with potential. Maybe this was just a one off experience. read more

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Amazing food at a very affordable price, I loved the sun-dried tomato and tuna sandwich, I would recommend it for sure along with the rest on the menu. Be warned if you have a sweet tooth this place will have you drooling.... read more

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the mango passionfruit meringue is so good. we ordered several rolls for a party & all the guests asked about it. anton was also very nice to work with read more

Love the food so much, varenyki so delicious and the deserts is one love I would highly recommend this place read more

Need To Eat - Cakes - Caterers Near Me - Poway, California

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I have not tried their savory food but the dessert is very presentable and tastes amazing. The tiramisu was a favorite. However, the matcha lattes were not great. The matcha is not ceremonial grade and the syrup is too sweet. Another note is that the staff was very relaxed and did not rush the order. He made our drinks and packed our dessert very leisurely so if you're in a rush, this is not the place to go. I would love to come back and try their savory menu! It has lots of interesting options I've never tried before. Also love the inside, it was so cute! read more

Great service and very good food. The MORS drink was very refreshing and the Chicken and mushroom crepes were excellent. My first time trying Ukrainian food and it was a good first for me. Small but very cute place. I would definitely try it out. Very clean. read more

Need To Eat - Chicken and mushroom crepe - Caterers Near Me - Poway, California

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This place is so cool so cute!! I'm so happy to find out this new opening place which just opened last week. They have desserts, drinks and breakfast, I had a cheesecake macaron, it is probably the best macaron I've ever had in US! My husband had a drip coffee which is very delicious as well. We will come back to try their breakfast sometime soon! read more

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Wow wow wow! Everything is yummy and amazing! Definite will be back! We tried dumplings and it was amazing! read more

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The dumplings tasted like home. So comforting, tender, and full of flavor. Our guests loved having something unique and meaningful on the menu. Thank you for bringing a little bit of Ukrainian heart to our wedding table!!! read more

Cutest Goose cafe ever! The desserts at AMAZING!!! The owners are very nice and do an amazing job. Gone twice in one week and both times the food was superb read more

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Quality of service, food and coffee were amazing! Definitely coming back for the delicious syrniki read more

Need To Eat - So good!! Quality of service, food and coffee were top notch! Definitely coming back for the delicious syrniki - Caterers Near Me - Poway, California

Great food , service was great we enjoyed the dining experience. Highly recommended, Ukrainian food, very tasty, not expensive.

Thanks, grandson, for inviting us for breakfast here! Delightful delicious food, service was very nice. Intimate. Nice place

Found this sweet Ukranian-based cafe with a friend when looking up places in the area. Our server was helpful in educating us about the location and letting us know what was popular. We ordered Syrniki with Caramel and Berries, Coffee Drip mixed with Orange Juice (Bloom something I think it was called), and Avocado Toast with Salmon. We split both meals to have a bit of both which was the perfect decision. Everything was delicious! read more

Need To Eat - Pictured from left to right: Syrniki with Caramel and Berries, Coffee Drip mixed with Orange Juice, and Avocado Toast with Salmon - Caterers Near Me - Poway, California

My first Ukrainian gastronomic experience! The staff kindly guided me through their menu and provided an overview of their offerings. They sell pastries, Ukrainian Juices (Compote, Mars), Pelmeni (Dumplings) and the legendary Beef Stroganoff. I elected to go for the Beef Stroganoff with Roasted Vegetables. It came with ample amounts of beef and a little cream sauce to dip. The dish also came with two thick slices of buttered bread. Overall great experience, would recommend! read more

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Ordered the Beef Stroganoff and the mushroom potato dumplings. Also ordered the cheese cake and triple layer chocolate. The dumplings are amazing. Huge order so enough for two people or at least two meals. Stroganoff is also a huge order. Potatoes have a nice homemade taste. The deserts SO good. Cheesecake is more of a creamy consistency, which I prefer. Triple chocolate desert is awesome. The fresh fruit on top just makes it even better. People are friendly. Good customer service. Clean and neat. Cute table and chairs area with outdoor seating as well. Will definitely return to try something else. read more

Great new eatery with lots of fancy desserts, and Ukrainian food, right here at the center of Poway, not too far from San Diego. I found it by accident looking for a place to have a business meeting. Really enjoyed their Ukrainian dumplings and a milkshake. They took over an old Russian store that used to be here a while ago. One of the owners, Anton, was very friendly. We will definitely come back and try more Eastern European food and fancy desserts! read more

Need To Eat - Ukrainian dumplings with potatoes and mushrooms. - Caterers Near Me - Poway, California

why haven't anyone told me about this place?! this place needs to be on the map because these desserts were SO bomb! i got the 2 different macaroons and the basque cheesecake! my husband and i made the mistake of only getting 1 slice of the basque cheesecake and we were fighting over each bite lol! the cheesecake was so creamy, light, airy, sweet, but not too sweet! the cheesecake melted in my mouth, but at the same time kept its form! there must be a science to basque cheesecake and this place has cracked the code! the owner and chef was there and was friendly! and the cashier was very friendly and kind! she offered us water and brought it out in cute duck cups! the decor was cute and filled with duck decor! i'm upset no one told me about this place before, but nevertheless my goal is to try all their desserts this year! and this time i will get 2 slices of the basque cheesecake for me and my husband hahaha read more

Need To Eat - macaroons and cheesecake - Caterers Near Me - Poway, California

Stopped by this new Poway addition and was pleasantly surprised. Having Soviet parents? I grew up on this food so it was very familiar to me. The Borscht is delicious and the Syrneki were decadent. Plenty of parking in the strip mall and the service was spot on. Highly recommend trying- will be back soon! read more

Need To Eat - Caterers Near Me - Poway, California

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I love NEED TO EAT! The desserts are amazing. I love the beef stroganoff and the Mor tea.

Very cute little cafe with some adorable merchandise being offered. I'm looking at you, goose bag! I had their potato & mushroom dumplings & mojito lemonade. The lemonade was so refreshing & not overly sweet. I will order that again! The dumplings were very satisfying & savory. You get 8 large dumplings with some greens on top. The flavor was SO good! Then I took a fruit-topped éclair to go. That éclair was good too! Nice creme filling & perfect size for that end-of-the-meal sweet tooth. Next, I want to try the Tuna Asian Salad. I think I found my new spot! The dessert case looks amazing as well. Very nice service too. read more

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Do not come here if you're in a hurry. Come to kick back and enjoy food that is all made in-house and to-order. This is a true family-owned and -run business. There is cute seating inside (4 small tables), as well as two tables outside. Love the goose theme. My husband and I experienced our first Ukrainian food, and it was delicious!! I had borscht, which was so flavorful...the beef was tender, the veggies all melded so well together. The accompanying in-house smoked pork belly had a delicate richness to it. My husband's beef dumplings were SO good! We didn't have room for dessert, but noticed so many people coming in for the meringue roll, so we had to get a slice to go. We also got a chocolate pineapple mousse cake. I spoke with some other customers, all who had been there before. They raved about the desserts (which change regularly!) and the potato mushroom dumplings. The service was top notch. I look forward to going back! read more

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Nice find! On a whim had some time so decided to try Need to Eat. Ambience was nice. Small modern boutique feel. Maybe more small cafe. Service was friendly, efficient and helpful. Menu had some interesting items. You could sense it had an European flare to it. The place is owned by a couple from the Ukraine. Which reflects the menu dishes. It was morning so I'd thought I'd try the pancake looking dish. They call it Syrniky. It's a cottage cheese pancake. Sort of a blintz. It was delicious. The fruit helped balance the richness of the syrniky. They had a display of pastries and baked goods. Looked good but I didn't try anything this visit. Definitely going to come back. Gotta try the dumplings. read more

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The food is amazing! We ordered a chicken Cesar salad. The croutons were addicting and the dressing, delicious. We also tried the salami sandwich; the bread was so yummy! For dessert, we got the lavender and matcha macarons. I'm not even a fan of this type of cookie but these were soooo good! We tried the pancakes, delicious as well! The honey cake and tiramisu were amazing! We had a difficult time deciding on one dessert...nothing was overly sweet, just right. Def be coming back. Can't wait to try the rest of the menu! read more

I really loved Need to Eat! The dumpling was absolutely delicious! The atmosphere is very cute with all Duck themed decor. I'd definitely recommend and come back! The waitress was very nice and even gave me complimentary desserts to go. read more

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Delicious food and kind and friendly staff! My friend and I really enjoyed this cafe. We tried the syrniki, pelmeni, and vareniki.

My friend and I had lunch here, and this is what you can call comfort food. Everything was delicious--homemade dishes with restaurant-quality presentation. The dessert display is incredible! We'll definitely be back for breakfast! read more

Need To Eat - Caterers Near Me - Poway, California

Tiny place, but everything is soooo delicious. Tastes like home, like your mom prepared it herself. We're from Ukraine, so we know the real deal. This is it!!! Dumplings with sour cherries are so easy and yet so complexed. Slava Ukraine. read more

My new absolute favorite breakfast place in town. The Shakshuka was so full of diverse flavors such as egg and tomato. Spicy with a hint of herbs... other than that, I can only describe it as deliciousness, amazingness, or flavorful heaven on earth. It had a truly unique flavor. I must also add that the mushroom crepes were fascinating. Creamy mushroom sauce, chicken cooked to perfection, everything rolled together in the soft yet slightly crispy on the edge crepe. Both of my young daughters hate mushrooms, and yet at the end of the meal I had barely had more than a few bites. I can't wait till next time. So many new foods to experience... I can't wait to try them all. And that's without mentioning the window full of delicious, perfectly presented deserts (cause it's a bakery...) read more

This is one of if not the best Cesar salad I've ever had. Definitely recommend trying this place out they also have a ton of pastries. read more

Need To Eat - Cesar salad with chicken - Caterers Near Me - Poway, California