It truly felt like we were stepping into a grandmother's kitchen. The restaurant is clean, warm, and inviting. The owner warned us that we were ordering too much, but our party of four was there to sample as much as possible and prepared to take leftovers back to the hotel. Everything is scratch made, hearty, and delicious! We tried the potato pancake with pork goulash (the pork was fall apart tender and so flavorful), potato pancakes with sour cream, a mix of pierogi, meat filled potato dumplings, kielbasa, sauerkraut, pork chopped steak, fried pork tenderloin, all the "salads" (beets, slaw, red cabbage, and cucumbers), Polish fruit punch, and Paczki. I can't say enough about how amazing this meal was! I would make a trip to Chicago just to eat here again. Try it all, but definitely get the pork goulash. read more

Polish Paczki Cafe - Potato pancakes with sour cream, potato pancake with pork goulash, pierogi, kielbasa, and salads. - Cafes Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Long line especially on Fat Tuesday but I can see why... So soft and pillowy. They don't have any other flavor other than mixed jelly fruit; that is fine by me! The older gentleman there was so cute and friendly. Brought this to work and it held up great even after several hours. Spent about $40 for a dozen. read more

Polish Paczki Cafe - Cafes Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

We ordered meatballs, pork cutlet and potato pancakes. Everything was hot, fresh and delicious. The place is small but quaint.

The very best, authentic paczkis! Would never get them anywhere else. Hands down the very bet authentic paczki's. read more

I've never had a paczki to compare with the hot fresh pillows of fried floral goodness they serve here. Fried and glazed to order. Perfection read more

We walked in and knew we were in for a treat. This literal hole-in-wall is a must visit in Jefferson Park. The food is just incredible. Everything reminds me of what my grandmother would make me as a kid. The potato pancakes are amazing. Pierogi are a delight. And you can't leave without a namesake Pączki. read more

Pierogi chyba są lepione maszynowo. Brakuje mi trochę tego ręcznego wykończenia pieroga. Wolał bym cebulkę albo nawet skwarki zamiast boczku na pierogach ale to już indywidualne smaki. Poza tym wszystko git. Pączki wyśmienite read more

Polish Paczki Cafe - Cafes Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Food excellent. Service good. Ambiance is quiet family style. Highly recommended. Gołąbkis are delicious. read more

Polish Paczki Cafe - Gołąbki dish. - Cafes Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Paczki's are one of the best! Polish service,If you choose,otherwise they do habla English, modern cafe feel, but you can view all the goodies they offer. read more

Love the food and the aurhenticity. They're the real deal. And this is coming from a Polish girl whose grandparents are from poland, didn't speak English. I grew up on thes food. read more

A must go! Best paczkis in the world! All good is fresh, delicious, and well worth any trip you need to make to go there. Great service, prices, vibes, and of course, all their foods . read more

Absolutely amazing packzi. Can't miss. What's a packzi? In grocery stores, they're typically sugar coated jelly-filled donuts. Here, they're an artisanal home made light and puffy pastry filled with a blended apricot and berry filling. It's dusted with the correct grind sugar and citrus garnish The filling is balanced sweet and tart and would compare in all ways with the finest pastries in Chicago. Hence the price ($$$). They're pastries not donuts. The menu is also home made and worth exploring. This is where I'm challenged. The ambiance is "strip mall cafe." The prices are in line with nicer places. That just says, Notoriously frugal Poles might avoid but food explorers should dive in. Pierogi were great. I'll try the cutlet next. DONT EXPECT AMERICAN CHEERY SERVICE. Just ask for your food and wait. Complaining won't change anything. I would add 45 minutes to any trip, each way to enjoy a paczki again. Five stars for the remarkable pastries. read more

Delicious! Totally worth it to drive out there this morning to pick up handful of paczki to take home and share. I think they only have one kind of paczki, with a fruit filling, and it was very good. I'll definitely go back. read more

Polish Paczki Cafe - Delicious paczki. - Cafes Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Everything was perfection. Pierogi (cheese, mushroom and kapusta) with a nice thin dough came with cheese, and mushroom and kapusta fillings. The pork tenderloin (the size of a dinner plate) was fried in lard, and came with dill mashed potatoes, sweet and sour beets, red cabbage, and cole slaw. Dessert was a warm freshly made paczki of mixed fruit and a lemon glaze. An array of desserts was on display but we only looked over them, but you can just come in to buy them separately (highly recommended.) Prices were very reasonable considering the portions and quality ingredients. We appreciated that effort. You must go there for delicious food. The Lady was sweet, helpful, and charming. She is the wait staff. And lovely. Make any effort necessary to go here. read more

Amazing Paczki's! They are the best authentic paczki's in the city. This is my go-to place!

Great food and staff was friendly. Stopped in for a change of pace. Haven't been to a Polish restaurant in sometime. Nice treat. read more

Polish Paczki Cafe - Breaded, pork chop mashed potatoes, cabbage, sauerkraut - Cafes Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Rzekomo wyśmienite jedzeniu tu serwują. Rzekomo... Niedane mi było jednak się o tym przekonać. Siedzieliśmy przy stoliku z narzeczoną przez pół godziny. Całkowicie zignorowani i olani przez obsługę. Obok siedziało dwóch panów i podobnie jak my czekało. Oni byli mądrzejsi i wcześniej wyszli. Kolejka po pączki posuwała się jak mucha w smarze. Z nudów zacząłem odmierzać stoperem czas, w którym każdy pączkowy klient został obsłużony. Mieściło się to średnio w przedziale od 1 do 5 minut. 2 klientów również wyszło z linii pączkowej. Razem z nami to 6 klientów, których sfrustrowała opieszała i olewacka obsługa. Daję 2 gwiazdki, a nie 1, bo przynajmniej przypomniała mi się "komuna" no i dzięki bogu nie zostaliśmy za nic okrzyczeni przez obsługę. Aż łezka się w oku kręci! Dziękuję za tą sentymentalną podróż do przeszłości i życzę powodzenia w dalszym prowadzeniu biznesu. :) read more

I went there yesterday to purchase Paczkis as well as other pastries for a friend of mine. The place was clean and well lit. The staff was friendly and helpful. The pastries tasted very sweet when we finally got around to eating them. Highly recommended... read more

They were rude upon arrival She didn't want us to wait for a table she said we didn't have a reservation not noted anywhere So please make one next time I went down the street to another one because I was disappointed I am sorry to say this I bet the food would be good It looked cute read more

Polish Paczki Cafe - Outside Not staying Very rude Said reserve only Not posted anywhere - Cafes Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

We had a small event catered from here and the food was great. It was last minute, but the staff was very accommodating.

I was saving my 700th Yelp review for someplace special. And it doesn't get more special than this. Polish Paczki Cafe is the REAL DEAL for authentic, homemade Polish food. Based on experience with my Polish mother-in-law's traditional cooking, I'm confident there are actual Polish babcias doing the cooking! We stopped for lunch recently and shared the stuffed cabbage rolls garnished with fresh dill, pierogi (potato-cheese and sauerkraut-mushroom) and paczki for dessert. The large cabbage rolls came with a side of really good mashed potato. The pierogi dough was thin and tender, fillings were delish. Everything came out screaming hot and left us stuffed. Better than my mother-in-law's. Yep, I said it. ;). Bonus: they had chilled compote as a drink selection in their cold case which hubby loved. It's a mixture of various dried fruits stewed with mulling type spices. The small, spiffy clean place was pretty busy at an off time (Sat 2pm). We walked in down a little hall lined with at least 15 feet long of tables holding all kinds of yummy, Polish pastries packaged for quick pickups. As soon as the woman behind the counter spied my husband's obvious Polish face, she immediately spoke Polish to greet us and got us settled at a table. Another super nice Polish woman took our orders and chatted a bit. She told us the paczki are fried fresh so she would watch and when we were closer to being done with our entrees, she'd tell the kitchen to make ours so it would be hot. The spectacular dessert came and was devoured. Paczki: think jelly filled donut but not as sweet. Our lovely server put a couple additional, equally spectacular pastry samples on the plate: a babka and szarlotka (apple tart). Mmmm While we ate, there were a few other full tables of happy dinners and a STEADY flow of people popping in to snag boxes of pastries or wait for boxes of fresh paczki to go. There were a few regulars who popped in for carryouts - one Dad with his child who got extra attention and a little squeeze from our server. You want comfort? Come here! read more

Polish Paczki Cafe - 12 feet of delectable baked goodies as you walk in - Cafes Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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This small storefront bookended between a bank and a pet store provides a taste of home to Chicago's large Polish community. The traditional home-style comfort foods based on fatty meats, rich gravies, and carbs galore will surely tip the scales for the diet-conscious (vegans beware). But for foodies, it's uncompromisingly authentic. The dining room is plain but bright and live plants thrive in the window. In cold weather, avoid the tables near the entrance. Want a glass of ice water? Nie, they serve only bottled water ($1.50), as is customary across the Atlantic. For credit cards, they add a 3% surcharge. And, would you believe the owner reproached us Seniors for short-cutting to our table through the room divider? But their hearty food won us over. For those who haven't polished their Polish, a smile works in any language and the menu does provide English translations. My entrée was placek po węgiersku. Translation: a large potato pancake topped with pork goulash and mozzarella cheese (sounds weird but was absolutely delicious). This came with a generous side of sałatka z kapusty (cabbage slaw, vinaigrette dressing). My Missus ordered the gołąbki plate, stuffed cabbage rolls served with mashed potatoes. Our lunch companions feasted on pierogi and a kotlet mielony (chopped steak) plate served with French (not Polish) fries. Everything here is prepared from scratch in-house using fresh ingredients and homeland recipes. The chef doesn't add seasoning beyond a sprinkle of seeds or a dash of paprika, but everything we tasted was savory and satisfying. The bakery items are phenomenal. Their signature paczkis are remarkably light and ours were served warm. Filled with a fruit jam mix, they're glazed and topped with candied lemon peel. One bite and off we went to peruse a table piled high with pre-packaged sweets. We brought home an assortment of delectable cakes to indulge in later. read more

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Truly the best paczki ever ! Must try. We've had a few places in NW Chicago and this is by far the best.

Great meal selections. Fresh. Wonderful experience . Very traditional dishes. Great homemade soups

Packi was delicious.small cafe that specializes with fresh and authentic food.Traveled 1 hour to get there well worth it.

I mean this place is beyond words.... Besides the stellar homemade food and desserts the customer service was so nice which is unusual for Polish restaurants (I know, I am polish). The young girl who works there is so sweet and attentive which made our experiences so much better. I wish I lived in the area so I could frequent this gem more often. Dziękuje ! read more

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What to Get: - Prune Paczki ($1.50 each) - authentic polish cuisines - sweets(cheesecake/cookies) Spotlight: Fresh Prune Paczki Pandemic Dining Options: pick up and no indoor dining payment Options: Cash preferably/Credit cart with surcharge Parking : Parking Lot *In my yelpions: It doesn't need any holiday such as Fat Tuesday to get yourself some fresh paczki. This warm soft polish donut really hit home specially in a cold winter time. It is not overwhelming sweet since the filling is abit sour with fresh prune jam, which keep the sweetness balance. Each bite is truly heavenly delicious as you were eating cloud. Cafe only offers two kinds of paczki, one is bake prune paczki, and one is fried. Both are great but I personally love the fried version. I would give 5 stars, but while I was waiting in line, the cafe has such a "super friendly culture" that some costumers doesn't believes in social distancing and wearing Facemask. I got cut in line twice because I was trying to keep 6 feets apart, but half of the people in line was way too close. Next time I would try to go during a not so busy business hour, as well as call ahead to reserve my paczkis on the phone. read more

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This has been on my list for awhile and on a Sunday afternoon we had the opportunity to stop in and I was blown away. Years ago this was a bakery and they were able to convert it to a cozy restaurant and also sell bakery items. There are only 8 to 9 tables, and several were reserved, but we were able to be seated immediately. The menu is a small pamphlet, noting fancy. The food was some of the best polish food I have had in a very long time. My husband had the chopped steak with a bowl of soup. The dinner included sauerkraut and mashed potatoes. The meat was good quality and the portions were generous. I had the goulash with sides of dumplings and sauerkraut. The food is made from scratch and seasoned so well. They do not overpower the food with dill, which many do. Service was very good, even though it was very busy. The entire time we were there, there was a steady steam of customers picking up take out orders. This is an authentic family owned polish restaurant serving traditional meals at very reasonable prices. I will be back ! read more

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Great variety of baked goods and friendly service. The cheese cake was exactly how I remembered it from my trip to Krakow read more

Polish Paczki Cafe - Paczki - Cafes Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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We have been here several times. The menu is more than enough to choose from. I like that the food not overly salted. It is small, so be patient on the food and service. After all, it is a cafe style restaurant.​. Paczki are very good here. Worth trying. Order ahead. read more

Hate to update the review to a lower score, but I probably will not return to this cafe anymore due to 2 major reasons: 1. Quality of meat is not good. 2. One of our orders got mixed up with another table and after the server took the mistaken dish of mine into the kitchen, she very quickly brought the food out to another table, which makes me wonder if she just used the same plate/dish. I would expect them to remake the dish given it was on my table for a long time, but I am doubtful if that is the case with this cafe. read more

Polish Paczki Cafe - Donut and apple pie - Cafes Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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I stoped for lunch at little strip mall restaurant called Polish Paczki Cafe. Astonishingly, it's some of the best Polish food I've ever had! And I've had a lot of Polish food. read more

service is great. food is good as homemade. love the side salads which come with the meal choice of cucumber or red cabbage. i believe there are others but these two my favorites. really like the potato pancakes with stew. all the menu offerings are great. pastries also great especially the individual pieces. everyone can sample different flavors. read more

Great food. I goulash was fantastic and pierogi's were great. Loved the soup. I personally do not like noodles in mushroom soup. That is just me! read more

Amazing paczkis!!! Stopped here to grab some as we don't have them out in Vegas. Also got a box of meringues, and they were just tasty. Awesome neighborhood place to get good Polish food and treats! read more

Polish Paczki Cafe - Cafes Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Wow..this place is insanely good!!! First day we came for the paczki... probably the best I've had...served hot with a rich jam filling. Second day we came back for food and can't say enough about it all! Took home the cabbage soup that was soup of the day...yum! Also ordered potato pancakes with goulash (my favorite), 4 meat filled potatoe dumplings, pork tenderloin with gravy and mashed potatoes. All REALLY good and planning our next visit. Restaurant is very clean and staff extremely helpful and nice. Store was extra busy with Fat Tuesday rush and the crowd was so nice and fun to be around. Overall great place to go! read more

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Five stars isn't enough for this wonderful Polish restaurant. Everything was fantastic. The food. The service. Everything. Best pierogi we've ever had! We will definitely be back! read more

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IMHO Best tasting paczki in Chicago so far this year. They are genuine. Kind of out the way location.

THE BEST POLISH PACZKI in Chicago! Always Fresh!!!and...Warm!!! (How They Do This?!) Amazing Authentic Polish Test! Hot Hot Hot! Not only Paczki and Pastries! This Place have Great authentic Polish Food! Makes daily from scratch!!! Fresh and Very Testy !!! Cook and Service from legendary "Old Warsaw". Now open! Harlem & Foster! Close to old location. Mniammmmm!:D read more

The pączki never disappoint! Even though fat Thursday passed and it wasn't Fat Tuesday yet, the place was packed. I got them and they were still steaming hot and definitely fresh out the kitchen. read more

Polish Paczki Cafe - Pączek - Cafes Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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