My sister and I decided to treat my brother in law here for his birthday. He found out that a Polish buffet existed around here so he had to go! We went before the dinner rush on a Saturday. There's a small parking lot in the back but that was full so we parked on the street. We were immediately seated and drink orders were taken as well as soup (which is included). Drinks are added separately and not inclusive of the $34 per person. I had the borscht and that was tasty and comforting. My brother in law didn't waste any time and he immediately got his first plate going. My sister and I took our time to enjoy the soup. I then started with the appetizers and tried the different salads. It was cool to see they had aspic since that's not something you see often either. When I eventually made my way to the warm food, I was overwhelmed by all the choices. I tried to take one of everything but even then it was too much so I didn't get to try it all. The meats that I did try were super tender and juicy. They definitely know what they're doing with the meats! The dessert area had so many different options. There was cake, flan and cheesecakes. So many to choose from! I think I just love Polish food in general because of the comfort food aspect. The proteins are usually simmered in gravy and you get to pair it with potatoes cooked in all sort of ways! My sister was adventurous and just started putting random stuff on her plate that I've never seen before. She found the meat spread and that was surprisingly good too. If you're ever in the area, try to go before the dinner rush. It's a great space and is deserving of the title "Largest Polish buffet in Chicagoland". read more

Red Apple Buffet - Buffets Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

This restaurant has raised their prices and their food has gotten so cheap and bad. There is a big selection but all of the food is like old and reheated. So sad and pitiful. They still don't have white meat chicken. The cooks have gotten very lazy and it seems they don't care anymore. This place used to be so good. Now their food has no taste to it. My family and I were so disappointed. They should be embarrassed with the very poor quality of food. read more

Red Apple Polish Restaurant, Chicago Many years ago, I ate at the Red Apple Polish buffet when it was in a different location. I liked it then and wanted to try it again at its location on Milwaukee Avenue. What a disappointment. Red Apple now has some of the worst Polish food I have ever encountered. While the buffet offers many selections, most are bad. The best part of the buffet was the salad bar; despite the fact there were only a few salad dressings. A must dish on any Polish buffet is Kielbasa (Polish sausage), but what Red Apple served had a very tough casing that my knife had trouble cutting. The roast duck lacked crispy skin and was mushy. The Golumpki (cabbage rolls) were stuffed with rice and had little of the requisite ground beef. While this might be a recipe that saves money, it is also a recipe for disaster. The beef brisket was presented as a whole packer brisker with a carving knife for the guests to cut their own slice, however, the chef never trimmed off the 3 inches of fat from the brisket before roasting and what was offered was visually unappealing as well as discussing. To reinforce my suspicion that the restaurant was attempting to save money by cutting corners, the roasted and fried chicken only had dark meat, no breasts. Talk about being cheap, Cheese and potato pierogis only, no meat or sauerkraut and no sour cream. The BBQ pork ribs were swimming in a sweet BBQ sauce. The ham was good as was the meatballs in dill sauce, but the dough on the kolacky was thick, tough and over baked and not worth a second bite. Finally, the salt on the table refused to pour since it was apparently moist in the shaker, something the staff needed, but didn't, check or change. Red Apple has been increasing its price, recently it had been $30.00, now it is $33/person. It is apparent the restaurant is cutting costs as well as quality and doubt I would ever return. read more

Food needed some salt. Tasted like homemade. They start to off with a soup. Either chicken noodle or mushroom soup. Thought the choices would have been more but it was a lot cause after the second plate I couldn't eat anymore. Price for holiday is expensive. read more

One of my employees came into town for work and demanded that we visit this legendary restaurant. I had heard about it here and there but was not aware of the hidden gem I was so close to for so long. While this is a "buffet style", the service is extremely friendly and helpful. There's a very wide selection of options that all look amazing! And everything I got proved that to be correct. This is a great, cozy experience that is only open on the weekends and is totally worth a visit. read more

Red Apple Buffet - Buffets Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I'm not really an expert on Polish food, but I have to give the Red Apple credit for being seriously tasty. They have all the things you think of when you think of Polish food, sausage, pierogis, schnitzel, stuffed cabbage, blintzes. Also all the things you think of at buffets, salads and carved meats, fried chicken, potatoes mashed and roasted, lots of desserts. A few things I didn't expect, like fish and shrimp. Everything we tried was at least pretty good, and several things were excellent. Service was friendly and good. Dirty dishes were cleared away promptly, beverages brought on request. The decor was a bit dated, but clean and comfortable. My one real complaint is that it's pretty crowded, especially when you have to squeeze between chairs multiple times to get back to the buffet. Prices are reasonable for all you can eat, considering the quality of the food. They're only open on weekends, so skip breakfast and come hungry and you're sure to leave stuffed and well satisfied. read more

Parking is the hardest part here because of the tiny lot and packed side streets. We managed a spit about two blocks away but were seated right away when we got in. Lunch and dinner prices appear to be the same (over $30) for adults but even though the waitress asked how old our kids were, she charged us less, so win on that! Husband liked the carved meats and kids loved the dumplings and all the mini desserts and fruit. I had a bit of dumpling and some sausage and rice, but was getting over a headache, so this was not a gorging meal for me. Very nice waitress and we didn't feel rushed or crowded even though they were busy. read more

Love the food quality here. You know it's good when they are only open weekends. They have some really delicious selections. Walking in, there is definitely an old school vibe. The place is bustling with patrons. The selection is small but mighty. Here are some honorable mentions: Cabbage rolls in a tomato sauce Bbq ribs Friend chicken Potatoes of all kinds: mashed/ boiled with some dill, etc. Veggies- carrots, peas, cabbage Cut your own brisket and hams Onions and sausage Pork stew Pierogis Salmon with dill sauce Assorted desserts The service is wonderful. This place is a bit steep in price is what my only complaint would be. There is a small lot for parking but ample street parking. read more

Solid Polish buffet even if the tabs a bit steep after all the taxes and fees. Was $165 for four of us on Sunday. Place is clean and the food was well stocked. Some temps were off, like warm soup and a couple entree items but worth the trip if that's what you're craving. Service was adequate but we did wait an abnormally long time to get a check. read more

Great selection, friendly service, delicious food. My only complaint would be the polish sausage was a little dry and tough, but it was sitting out on a buffet, so... The rest of the food was above average, kind of like my grandma used to make. I certainly got my money's worth with the delicious food. Highly recommend! read more

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Great service and great authentic polish food like this is becoming more rare everyday.

We visited on a Sunday afternoon with a party of 6 and got seated right away. It was busy, but they were on top of restocking the buffet dishes. Everything was good on the buffet besides the desserts. Would go again! read more

Cute family owned polish all you can eat buffet. $33 for dine in or $12.99 per lb for take out. You can also purchase some items separately like pierogies! The food was pretty good! My favorites: cheese and potato pierogies, strawberry and blueberry pierogies were interesting, golumpki (stuffed polish cabbage), potato pancake, garlic shrimp, chocolate cheesecake, merengue type dessert, cabbage, etc. Only open on fri-sun. Lots of people going in and out. Quick service- take away plates quickly. Will definitely come back! read more

First time here and I was in love at first bite. The food is amazing and very tasty and the service was excellent I never had to ask for a refill on my drink and the waitress was so friendly and polite I can't wait to go back read more

Red Apple Buffet - Buffet is amazing and the mashed potatoes are delicious and the stuff cabbage rolls are delicious too . They are so yummy - Buffets Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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AUTHENTIC POLISH! Red Apple is an absolute gem! I came here with my mom and aunt, and it was such a special experience that I've decided to make it my tradition every time I visit from San Diego. The food is authentic, comforting, and packed with flavor. My favorites were the "little hoofs" kopytka with rich wild mushroom gravy, the tender Angus beef brisket, perfectly crispy potato pancakes, the breaded chicken cutlet, and the classic potato and cheese pierogi. Everything tasted homemade and full of love. I had tea with lemon alongside the meal, and we couldn't resist finishing with their beautiful selection of treats. The coffee meringues and homemade whipped cream were divine. The atmosphere is warm and welcoming, just like a Polish kitchen should be. The servers were attentive and kind. We never felt rushed. They have a beautiful full bar and another room that looks like it can be used for a party or private event. Highly recommend this spot to anyone looking for real Polish comfort food and a memorable dining experience! read more

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Excellent foods! waitresses waiting to keep buffet spotless and filled with fresh food!! High quality food and pastries!!!

We were out and about looking for some good Polish food, and the one place we tried closer in to the city (Staropolska) was booked. So we continued on north down Milwaukee Avenue to the Red Apple Buffet ... an all-you-can -eat buffet. The Red Apple sports two L-shaped very large buffet tables, and they probably offer 50 some different items ... including mains, salads, soups, and desserts. Now that is a good and a bad. The good is that you have many, many selections to choose from (for example, looking at just the proteins, I tried the brisket, the lamb, the pork stew, the fried chicken, the meat croissant, the pot roast, the ham, the Polish sausage, the cabbage rolls, the fish, the shrimp, etc.) ... and the bad is that one really can't specialize and do justice to that many items (they cannot all be 5 star offerings). But with all that said, this was a nice outing. My 5-star hit of the evening was the potato pancakes ... thin, crisp, and light. The staff was excellent, helping clean tables and refreshen the buffet items regularly. Everything on the buffet was fresh, and had not been sitting there for hours. The dining room was bright and cheery and cozy, and they offer a full service bar ... with all the good Polish beers. This restaurant operates pretty much just weekends ... Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. They do not try to put out all that food 7 days a week. if you have a large enough party, you are offered the opportunity to make a reservation for a weekday, but they normally are closed weekdays. There is street parking in the area. All-in-all, a very nice outing. read more

I like this place. A lot. Homie American staples like mashed potatoes and gravy mingle with old world delectables like pierogis and beets done all sorts of different ways. Roasts, shrimp, salmon, and an ample salad bar (complete with pickled herring) sit next to various towers of desserts in small cups. Service staff were all old ladies who killed it. Service like a hug. They also have beer. One beer. A polish beer. And it hits the spot. read more

Not your typical buffet of old tired over cooked foods. Food are refreshed quickly. It's like eating in your Polish Grandma's kitchen! Not cheap but worth it. Bring cash! read more

My Polish au pair wanted us (her host family and friends) to experience authentic Polish food. Her guests included international friends. We reserved a room. They gave it to another party. My Polish au pair translated the chat. They screwed up. Gave our reservation to another party. They didn't admit their mistake. We had to endure a noisy long table in the regular restaurant. I would have walked out, but I didn't want to spoil the Polish au pair's going away party. She chose this restaurant because it was featured on Polish TV. Red Apple, you're ethnically racist. You assume you can speak in Polish and not be understood. Seriously??? In the area that has more Polish speakers than anywhere else in the world except Warsaw? I'll never be in your place again, and will continually expose your ethnic bias. read more

From our visit at 4:30PM Friday 03/20/2026 and Saturday 12:30PM 03/21/2026: My wife is Ukrainian/Polish, grew up in Kyiv until 38 years of age. I lived in Eastern Europe 2002-2005. This includes two years in Ukraine, mostly Kyiv, Kharkov, Odessa, and Kherson. Wife says ALMOST everything is authentic and very well prepared! I thought it was very flavorful. We brought six carry out trays back home to Indy in an Ice cooler! The ALMOST is for the Chicken Kyiv, which was not properly prepared by Ukrainian standards. The Red Apple's version of Chicken Kyiv was really a chicken cutlet. Very good, but not authentic Chicken Kyiv! read more

Food was above average. Good selection of protein with small business, family owned feel.

Best buffet in town. Always fresh food re-stocked and great variety Highly recommend. Never disappointed They serve Lavazza coffee too ! Servers are very attentive too. Hours are limited to weekends after COVID Ambiance is like northern woods I don't like buffets. Red Apple is an exception read more

An abundance of food, and maybe it's just the nature of Polish food,, but the majority of it is tasteless. Parking is inadequate. Buffet is huge. Price is excessive unless you can.stuff yourself with enough food to make it feasible. Adding a surcharge to credit card payments on top of the price of the buffet is unnecessary. This place has lots of good reviews and seems to be quite popular. We have wanted to go there for quite a while, but I have to say that we were disappointed because it doesn't stand up to what we expected. read more

Definitely! Fantastic polish buffet and restaurant! It tastes like homemade. We always take home an order of potato pancakes!

Ezcellent service. Buffet hot food was hot, cold food was cold. Very tasty and tender sausage, excellent mashed potatos and mushroom gravy...best potato pancakes that I have had in many years. Good dessert variety. (Pierogi were too mushy) Worth every dollar yourspend. read more

Service was very good. Food was just average. When it came to pay the bill, owner/cashier had some kind of attitude. On top of that, she informed us that 3% would be added if you use a credit card and not cash. Thought that only happened a gas stations. Would not return. read more

I came here due to YouTube Food Vlogger Mikey Chen. Plus it's a polish buffet, how could you not want to try it. Inside the atmosphere definitely has a European feel to it. Probably Polish, that would just make sense. They are only open on Saturday and Sunday and close at 8 pm. So if visiting from out of town that can make things difficult. The meal starts out with a cup of soup, in my case Chicken Noodle. It was very good and definitely warmed me up on a cold day. Next up was the buffet. This buffet had a plethora of options on it. I got a little bit of mostly everything. My one real disappointment was the food temp was lukish warm. It was all still very good, however I imagine it would have been even better hot. My favorite thing was the ribs and a cheese wrap thing. Both delicious. I didn't really not like any thing. Even the cold chicken was still good. The staff seemed very stern, just their way I guess. They were very efficient though. Overall for me a 4 star review. Not the best I've had, however it is the only Polish buffet I've had. Would I return? Absolutely. read more

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The price is crazy to eat there and I'm sorry I like my potato pancakes to have more potato to them than just some potato chip. If I want potato chips, I will buy potato chips. The pierogies tasted like they were burnt it possibly could've been smoked cheese, but it just did not taste good. The kolaches were also burnt. These are staples of Polish buffets Jolly in is far better. You get your soda either in a can or a bottle and they give you a glass of ice it's not even served cold and I'm sorry when you screw up potato pancakes, kolaches, and pierogies I have no use for you. I was there a while ago and my bill was almost 100 bucks and for what? read more

Delicious Polish food with a wonderful buffet assortment! The service is fantastic and very attentive. Highly recommend if you're in Chicago! read more

Visited here Saturday afternoon for there $34'sh buffet, make sure to come hungry because you'll be leaving full!!! Main dining room near full, side room 1/2 so it was a popping afternoon. Started out with chicken noodle soup :) good stuff. I could only survive 4 food and 1 dessert trips this visit. Food was rotating quick, serviced hot and fresh... I was a sucker for there potato pancakes and chicken.... Wait stuff was great, attentive, made me feel right at home. read more

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The entrees wre delcious. The wait staff was attentive. You could tell it was an old resturant but we'll maintained. Would I go again, if it wasn't an hours drive for me I'd put it in my rotation. read more

First time trying a Polish buffet. There are plenty of options to choose from including pierogi, potato pancakes, schnitzel, and even stuffed cabbage. The food was super delicious to the point. Even though it's expensive, the food is worth it. read more

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By buffet standards, I think Red Apple is very good quality for $30. Standard items like fried and grilled chicken, mashed potatoes, bbq ribs were good. Not dry or bad flavor. More authentic items like Pierogi, Polish sausage, Sauerkraut, potato pancakes, polish schnitzel, stuffed cabbage, ham hocks were delicious. Service was nice. Great variety among hot foods and desserts. Parking lot and street parking is a huge plus! read more

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Came here for my 30th birthday celebration with family. I used to come here with my grandparents as a child and decided to celebrate here because it was nostalgic. The food is okay and it is quite expensive when you're with a large group of people. However, the service and the vibes were great. Everyone sang Sto Lat and that made me very happy. read more

The food here is tremendous. One if the best buffets I have experienced. We had heard very good comments about this restaurant. So glad we took a drive to the Northside to try it out. There are so many choices for you on the buffet, so even if the typical pierogi/sauerkraut/typical Polish food isn't your thing there is lots of other homestyle food to try. All the food I tried was good to excellent. Dessert is basically pastries. But just enough after sampling all the dinner options. Service was friendly and the restaurant itself is warm, clean, and welcoming. We were there until closing and noticed they did keep the buffet food stocked late so we didn't feel like we were getting scraps. (Just sad to see all that good food getting tossed at the end of the evening.) Highly recommended. read more

YUM!!! This place is so, so good and really turned around in the past few years. I loved the mushroom soup, chicken, kopytka, krokiety, and more. Everything was top-notch. You can also load up a to-go container and pay by its weight to take home. Fantastic! read more

Red Apple is a staple in Polish Food! I personally know the owner, Anna. She provides the best quality food in Chicago! The service is excellent!! Keep in mind that the waitresses are Polish and may not understand you 100% but will provide great service. The array of food and the display is top notch. If you want the pierogi fried, just ask! The bad reviews are from people who don't understand the food or nationality. I promise EVERYONE IS WELCOME!!!!! read more

Sooo good, worth the trip from midway to far north food was delicious, fresh they food was constantly replenished our waitress kept our drinks refilled read more

Red Apple Buffet - Buffet assortment, breaded pork,dumplings, gravy sauerkraut and kielbasa - Buffets Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Come hungry and expect to leave wishing you could pack a doggy bag. The diversity of primary Polish cuisine and quality of the preparation is exemplary. Not the sort of place for a hot summer day - but I could live here on a fall weekend. read more