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    Need To Eat

    4.9 (108 reviews)
    Open 9:00 am - 5:00 pm

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    Cassidy F.

    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!!!

    Coffee and macaroon
    John P.

    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.

    Warm (grilled) salad. Unique and absolutely delicious!!!
    Adriana M.

    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!

    Drinks
    Myphuong L.

    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.

    Only recieved half a strawberry of the bounty of berries that topped the whole cheesecake before slicing :(
    Carlin T.

    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.

    View of counter/fridge and freezer containing frozen meals all hand made...
    Lee H.

    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....

    Sharon B.

    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!

    Cakes
    Snizhana S.

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

    Chicken and mushroom crepe
    Sylvester R.

    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.

    Iryna N.

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

    Vivian T.

    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

    So good!! Quality of service, food and coffee were top notch! Definitely coming back for the delicious syrniki
    Dinara K.

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

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    10 months ago

    Amazing. So good food and service. Coming back for sure. Get the pelmini. You won't regret.

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    I had a delicious breakfast with my lady friends. I recommend their savory smoked salmon and sour cream crepes topped with fresh salmon roe!

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    1 year ago

    Food was great, prices weren't bad, flashbacks from childhood goose inflicted trauma were manageable, can't complain!

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    1 year ago

    No words can describe how amazing the food is honestly it's my new favorite go to cafe with friends

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    Page 2 of 3

    Ask the Community - Need To Eat

    Review Highlights - Need To Eat

    We had Syrniki with caramel and berries, Beef dumplings, Shakshuka, watermelon lime lemonade, and honey cake.

    Mentioned in 6 reviews

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