The buffet is worth trying if you are in the neighborhood. Not familiar with Ukrainian food? Its similar to Polish. The place is small, but usually not crowded. The food is good, but the main attraction is the wide variety of dishes offered. Don't forget to order the borscht, its really fantastic. read more

This place is fantastic! Some friends and I stumbled upon it after walking up and down Chicago for a good 30 minutes. It's super small inside ~5 tables, the largest of which seats 6, so be sure to come in a group of 4 or less during busy hours. The waiter was very helpful in explaining what all was available and what we were about to eat. Having never had Ukrainian before, I can't compare it to any other restaurant, but man, this stuff was good! No idea what half of it was, but I ate it all. The Saturday night dinner buffet was $11.09 total, including tax. You can't beat that. The place is really small and cozy, which made it just a tad bit awkward at first, but my friends and I really enjoyed the atmosphere once we got situated. Definitely a place to take people who have never had Ukrainian before. read more

Old L'viv is super authentic. This place is a place you go to for an experience, unless you really love Ukrainian food. I really enjoyed my meals here, I just can't give more stars because it's not a place I can keep coming back to. I had to try borscht, it was my first try. I recieved a large bowl of nearly flourescent/deep pink soup. It was packed with flavor and I think I would have loved it except that beets aren't my favorite thing in the world. The buffet is great and I was glad to have so many options so that I could find what I liked. It's mostly just FUN - go and experience the food that initially the made the neighborhood the Ukrianian Village! read more

4 years later this place is still amazing and all below still applies - down to the two grandmas cooking food. This place is beyond excellent. The food is like my grandma used to make it, probably because there are 2 grandma's in the back making it. I haven't had blood sausage in a long time and they had it excellent. This is true Ukrainian food like you would eat if you were in Ukraine. Some "selections" might be odd for non-expecting people, but if you're going here, you should expect that they'll have liver, beats, blood sausage, etc. Great place to speak Ukrainian also. The place is very small though, only about 4-5 tables, so plan accordingly. I only wish there was a restaurant like that in CT. read more

I've never had borscht before and wanted to try an authentic version. And it was terrific. It's a small place on an absurdly long block. My concern was that a big old redneck -- me -- might get a cold shoulder at a place like this. I've had it happen at times in other places that were enclaves of culture for some particular population or another, Ukrainian in this case. They could not have been nicer. The waiter sat me down and politely explained how it works, which is a buffet (small) that you serve from while they bring you borscht from the kitchen. I'd always heard that good borscht is a treat, and it was. And cheap! read more

I actually tried to come back at 12:30pm today and sure enough they were closed. Some dude answers the phone saying they'll be open in half an hour. I've heard that before. I wish I could give them negative five stars!! read more

This restaurant is a nice change from US restaurant chains. Really good food prepared just like in western Ukraine. When my wife was pregnant I used to get carry out - it's that good. Note: it used to be open every day, now it's more staggered, Tuesday, Saturday for sure. Not on Thursday - trust me on this one. read more

I have read many exciting things about this place before visiting. So decided to go and try. Here are my sincere and honest impressions: First, this place is really small. I mean really. As soon as I opened the door I stood for a second realizing how cramped this micro buffet is. It's look like a studio with one bedroom. "Ok",- I said myself "You came here not to complain about space, but to try famous, delicious Ukranian food many people are so happy about. Common let's go". The waiter gently offered to us a sit. As soon as I approached the food table here was my second impression- the variety of food is really small. This is so far the smallest buffet menu I've ever had. However the meat dishes were good, fried pork, beef, liver. In the soup section I haven't found any borsch. So I asked the waiter did they have it in the menu. He said "yes" and went to the kitchen to tell the cook. After 5 min he brought borsch to us. Well I tell you. In my life I've tried borsch many times. And this borsch was too thin even looks like a lit bit diluted. There were not any pieces of meat at all only sparse quantity of cabbage and beet . My friend also told me that he got impression that the borsch was too thin and tasted like it was diluted with water. Well, It was obvious that borch was absent at that day in the menu or already ended up at the time of our visit so the cook reheated the borsch leftovers in the kitchen for us. Was the borsch really diluted or not I can't tell you though it was tasted so. The bass stew dish was already empty. So I tried only leftovers which I tell you were tasty. At the beginning the waiter promised to us he will bring more bass stew, but during the whole our meal the bass stew dish remained empty. The seven blintz with cheese which appeared at the end were tasty too. We ate four of them, three remained. I don't know how the rest visitors are going to divide and share them. I simply don't know. Hope in the mercy of the cook. At the end the waiter asked as in mandatory tone how we were going to pay tips in cash or bill included. We didn't know that tips are obligatory in buffets. Usually this option is left for customer's consideration. So here is the summary: Pros: Tasty meat dishes (though not a great variety). Tasty bass stew (I've got impressions on leftovers). Tasty cheese blintzs Cons: Really small, cramped micro buffet. Not cozy at all. Limited menu, and limited portions. Like during the time of Great Depression (as somebody here already said). Awful borsch (too thin and tasted like it was diluted with water) . Mandatory for tips. One visit was enough for me. Never go here again. Will better try somewhere else next time. read more

Love this little place hidden in plain sight, right on Chicago Ave. Small dining area. Great buffet selection of Ukraine food, plus you can order pierogies from the kitchen! Borsch had a great flavor as did the chicken in cream sauce. Loved the blintzes. Wish I had room for more! read more

I just went there with a group of friends this past week and the service was amazing! The food was delicious!!! Everything I ate, I loved. The buffet had many options! It was my first time trying Ukrainian food and I already want to go back. I definitely encourage everyone to try Old Lviv, it doesn't not disappoint! read more

A big fat woman with arms the size of my torso meets you at the door. Then you get a huge amount of bread, and borscht and kraut... and potatoes. Yum. Doesn't seem terribly clean-- or interesting.. but it feels legit. I think the old TV that is airing foreign soaps makes it seem more awesome. My only complaint- they close early. read more

One of the only places in the city to get Ukrainian food. Nice selection of food at the buffet at a VERY reasonable price. All the stuff is prepared fresh (by a Ukrainian grandma) and tastes great. Me and my friends,who are born and raised in Ukraine, all think this is as close to home cooked meals as it gets. read more

Sunday buffet: Carrot salad with tons O' garlic. Crepes with berries. Hot orange and purple borscht soup. read more

What to even say about this place, holy mackerel. To get things started I must say how cultural this place is, truly fantastic; the music in the background especially. Each Ukranian folk tune was resonating throughout every inch of me as I munched upon the delectable home cooked delights from the buffet line (hovering just under 14 bucks to take part in the all you can eat experience). If you come here hungry you will surely leave full and there is something I'd say for everyone to enjoy within the line. I don't know the names of each foods on the line but I tried just about everything; 95% of what I ate was enjoyable. There was one round tube that comes over a bed of pink sauce that made up that 5% I didn't enjoy, it's not that it was bad it's just that it wasn't tasty, the thing mostly consisted of rice. Ratings: mashed potatoes (Kartoshichka) (9.3), shredded carrot salad (8.9), potatoe salad (9.4), Chicken (kiaf) & Mushrooms (8.7), Beef Patty (Gulyash) 8.2. Those were just some food items I remembered. The guy serving us was a very cool dude & super accommodating. read more

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The Ukrainian Village was definitely an area I wanted to visit while I was vacationing it up in Chicago. Since the Ukrainian community in Texas is small, I wanted to see what this Uki town was all about. Old Lviv is very small so if you come with a party of 10, you will be waiting for quite a while. There are about 5 tables total and 1 waiter. Service is slow but not surprising for Ukrainians as we enjoy relaxing, talking, and taking our time with eating, as it should be. I digress..... The borscht is pretty good although a little too salty. The potato and cheese pierogies were good but smothered in way too much butter. I know they made them fresh because it took a quite a while whereas frozen pierogies literally take 5 minutes to boil up and serve. I appreciate the fact that they were fresh! There is a buffet which I didn't have the chance to get a glimpse of. Personally, I would just order off the menu which literally is about 7-8 items. I asked the waiter about dessert, specifically the poppy seed roll. He looked at me like I was a psycho. Hm..... I am wondering how Ukrainian he was? read more

What excellent food! I went to Poland last year and this food reminded me of the tasty things I ate there. Be forewarned the sign says they open at 11 am, but I called and they said "11:30." The doors didn't actually open till 11:40. The sorrel soup was incredible, slightly sour, very flavorful and perfectly garnished with boiled eggs, etc. Most Americans don't know what sorrel is - a wild herb with a unique flavor. Try it! The meat cutlets and potato pancakes were amazing as was the fish. The fish was a revelation! Soft pieces of whitefish stewed in fruity olive oil, rich and acidic tomatoes and just enough salt. Amazing! The liver and onions were crisp, expertly fried and clearly fresh off the frying pan. I'd highly recommend this place to ANYONE who wanted a good meal. A steal at $9. read more

We loved the food: everything was authentic and home-made. We ordered borsch (it comes separately from the buffet), and sampled pretty much everything from the buffet bar: staffed chicken, beef, liver with onions, salads. The price was very reasonable, around $11 per person. However, the service was somewhat poor: borsch was not brought to everyone at the same time (we had to wait about 10 min for 2 other portions, while the first 2 were served almost immediately). Moreover, the place is very small (6 tables), and it is hard to find seating during the busy lunch time. If you do not mind these idiosyncrasies, overall, this is the place to try good home-made Ukrainian food. read more

First review ever on Yelp, I think its about time. Figured I would start with Old Lviv, since I grew up in Ukrainian Village and have been there dozens on times its definitely one of my favorite places to go for Ukrainian cuisine in the Chicago land area. Its very reasonably priced, and with the buffet available its even better. The ambiance is low-key and if you go there a couple of time they will remember you. Waiter Marian has always been nice to me and very courteous. So, for a low-key kind of a night, if you are on a budget, and if you are in a mood for something Eastern European its a very good place to visit. Cheers! read more

This place is so small and cozy you will feel like you are in your livingroom :) They cook the food in the back and it's a authentic Ukrainian Cuisine. Polish people started to Americanize and alter their recepies to accommodate yuppies, so I go to this sweet little lady to have some REAL European Food. They have a small bar, the buffet is all you can eat and it's a very intimate experience. If you are craving good home cooking, potatoes with dill, golabkis, meatloaf , goulash, kopytka's, meatballs in dill sauce, red borshch, breaded pork chops, meatloaf cutlets, all sorts of veggie salads, from soup to main corse, to desert and a glass of wine, you will love it!!! I do and so do all my friends whom I have taken there... read more

I'll right so this is my first time having this kind of food and I know I'm no expert but I thought it was pretty good and so did my Belorus friend. Go with the pink soup, also on know Borsch which is made with beets. And try the Dranik which was amazing. Relatively cheap at 9 bucks and a friendly hostess/waitress. I would definitely come back again. read more

From the borscht to the warenyky, Old Lviv is a hidden old world treasure in the new world. We came here on a cloudy and rainy April afternoon and were overwhelmed with delightful food, gracious hospitality, and an intimate setting. Highly recommend complementing the meal with a Ukrainian beer and finishing off the affair with the amazing coffee and makivnyk (poppy seed bread). Visit here and the only disappointment will be that you waited so long to arrive! read more

Their blueberry pie tasted sour and was spoiled rotten. Their bread was simply old and looked like it was passed from one plate to another plate. Based on what I had seen and tasted, I know they are reusing unused foods. Basically, it all means what was on one's plate is simply being reheated and will go into your plate in order to avoid the waste and to save costs. Please stay out of that place if you want to stay healthy! If you would like to taste the Ukrainian foods, simply walk into any Polish restaurant. The cuisines are very similar, but the Polish dishes are much better in terms of quality and freshness. read more

My family is from Ukraine. I was born in America but we still celebrate the Ukrainian traditions and especially eat the food. I went here for the first time with some friends in from L'viv and I have to say, it's pretty damn good. They have somewhat of a bar too if you want a Lvivske beer. The food was very authentic. Fantastic holuptsi. I really enjoyed it. For the price, it's the best deal in Ukrainian Village. read more

I love mom'n'pop establishments like this. Unfortunately the food was barely edible. I tried the borscht. Now to be honest, I don't really think that I would like any version based on how this tasted, so don't take my opinion too seriously if you're a fan. However, the buffet lacked anything that had any, I don't know, taste? The variety of items was small. The food was lukewarm, prepared in a very basic way not worthy of my money, and the killer was the liver and onions, the smell of which just makes me nauseous. The place wasn't particularly clean (I had to ask for a new glass). We went with friends who had read about it, they weren't impressed either. won't be back. read more

One of those fabulous small Chicago diners. I felt like I was in my Grandma's kitchen, and my Grandmother isn't even Ukranian. The buffet was fantastic..I am almost positive it is the first time I have tasted liver since the age of twelve. This time, I actually enjoyed it..(don't tell anyone) And it is the first time I can remember joining in on pleasant conversation with other diners and the owner..truly, it was like hanging out with the cousins and in laws in grandma's kitchen. read more

This place is a Ukrainian Village gem. You can stop in and get home cooked food in a buffet for $12, which includes some really good soup (my favorites are the borsch or solyanka). Where else can you find liver and onions? Also, if you love the food, you can get it to go by the pound. read more

Awesome stuffed cabbage, pea soup, and meatballs! Also the cabbage soup is actually pretty good. This is one of my regulars each week.

I am their customer for more than a decade. Old owner ran this place as her own kitchen: good food, unassuming service, clean, fast, taste of home... I was there only once after the owners changed. Glad to find the same authentic food and welcoming host. read more

Like the other posts said, better call before arriving. I came here 3-4 times and they were closed, when they should of been open. They also don't replenish the buffet trays, from the time they put it out at 11:30. So, if you go there at 4pm, the food will be at least 1/2 gone. read more

I felt that I was having dinner in someones house in Ukraine! hehe. This place is small but very cozy and accommodating. The server was young gentleman, very courteous and polite. I love their pierogi and as they are homemade they're so damn delicious. Yum. read more

What a joy to walk into a restaurant and be greeted in the Ukrainian language (true Ukrainian, not Russian or Surzhyk). Some previous reviews emphasized the lack of customer service at Old Lviv, which would actually seem quite normal to me given the culture, but that was not my experience today. I was welcomed and seated right away, and my food was brought almost immediately. The server spoke with me in both English and Ukrainian and later helped me find the closest Vily station and gave me directions to the Ukrainian Institute of Art. My first taste of soup at Old Lviv, loaded with dill, took me back to the home cooked meals of Ukrainian kitchens. Absolutely lovely experience. read more

In search of a unique ethnic dining experience, my partner and I found Old Lviv and were very grateful that we did. The establishment is small, but quaint and cozy, creating it's uniquely charming atmosphere. My partner, who has traveled extensively throughout Eastern Europe and the Ukraine, was very impressed with the authenticity of the foods we sampled from their buffet. Both of us found the food to be very tasty and certainly fresh as it was delivered to the buffet line when finished in the small kitchen run by family. The buffet consisted of a generous assortment of meats, fish, vegetables, and salads made in house from old family recipes. The deserts were equally as delectable and plentiful. Beverage choices of Ukrainian beer and German Riesling wine complimented our dinner nicely. Our waiter was extremely helpful, courteous, and attentive. We were thoroughly delighted with our experience at Old Lviv. Although we live a several hours away, I'd say we're likely to visit again when in Chicago. While this establishment is not fancy, it guarantees something significantly more important, genuinely good food served with a genuine smile. read more

A couple years ago, this used to be one of my favorite homestyle, grandma-feeling places to go eat. It just made me feel like I was in an older Ukrainian couple's home and they were feeding me with pride. The buffet concept is great, too, although I'm afraid it's the reason the quality of the food has gone so downhill. This past time I went, some of the food was so dry or old that it was practically inedible. The buffet is already kind of pricey per person for what you get, especially considering the pierogi are extra. It still has the grandma's home feeling, but now it feels more like grandma is on her deathbed trying to cook and run a business. I will say that I appreciated watching Wheel of Fortune while I waited for our check, although it appeared the owners were much more engulfed in figuring out the words than we were and we apparently had to wait until commercial to pay. read more

This place is so small and cozy you will feel like you are in your living room :) They cook the food in the back and it's an authentic Ukrainian Cuisine. Polish people started to Americanize and alter their recipes to accommodate yuppies, so I go to this sweet little lady to have some REAL European Food. They have a small bar, the buffet is all you can eat and it's a very intimate experience. If you are craving good home cooking, potatoes with dill, golabkis, meatloaf , goulash, kopytka's, meatballs in dill sauce, red borszcz, breaded pork chops, meatloaf cutlets, all sorts of veggie salads, from soup to main course, to desert and a glass of wine, you will love it!!! I did when I still lived in Chicago and so did all my friends whom I have taken there... read more

What the reviews have not mentioned is that it's an all you can eat buffet for ***** $8.50 *****. Included is a soup (borscht, chicken noodle, and another one were offered the day I went). Unlike Podhalanka, there is no juice included. Soda is $1.50 and they do have a small bar. I believe the young Polish guys next to us were imbibing some vodka with their meal. I have to take a star off because nothing is labeled as to what it is and I felt awkward having to ask what nearly everything was so I wouldn't accidentally ingest liver or something non-poultry because it is very hard to tell. The stuffed chicken is so good and it's stuffed with mushrooms and cheese. They also have what seems to be a baked chicken/thigh leg that was tasty. The mashed potatoes were a wee bit dry but they had a mushroom gravy that I noticed Ginny put on hers. I was glad they had a lot of dark meat chicken options. Preferring dark meat, I am down with that. The chicken noodle soup was good too. I'd say you shouldn't eat here if you have big plans that night since the food is very heavy. I wanted to take a nap after eating! The sweet cheese filled crepe was great, but I think there was another one of these that was a meat option. To round out the meal, there is watermelon on the buffet. Watermelon. Mmhmm! read more

The only reason I even went to the place was because my friends liked it. Thats funny. Every time they would go there they would have stomach problems. Yet some force kept bringing them back. I won't lie. The soups are eatab. Thats it. I have been there at least 3 times and the rest of the buffet looks like its been laying around for days. I have tasted real Ukrainian food. Never liked it that much. But Old Lviv's food is pretty much tasteless. Oh yeah, if you are not white, you might want to avoid the place all together. When I came with a friend that wasn't, I hat to actually defend myself for bringing him there! read more

First time I tried Ukrainian food with my mom and we absolutely loved it. The price is extremely reasonable and the selection of food items was great. The food was fresh and tasty (very home-made like). The service was prompt and friendly. They could add more variety of dessert items but overall we were pleased with the experience. Definitely will be coming back again! read more

I felt like I walked into my Grandmothers kitchen. Great buffet, tasty food.

Brings me back to when i was a wee lad running through the streets of Ukrania. Oh wait, I was born in the US. Well, the food is still amazing. Get ready for some spelling errors. All of the food is homemade, like the Golabki, fried chicken, borstch, I could go on, but I think you should try it yourself. It's good your your big friend with an even bigger appetite, and it won't shrink your wallet. Nicely done. read more

After walking around Ukrainian Village for a bit, we came to this buffet spot based on recommendations off Yelp. The food was delicious (we weren't sure what most things, though), and dinner for us was $11 each. We were so full that we had to walk around for a bit afterwards before continuing on our way. read more