I seriously love this place. The food is always fresh, the pierogi are so good. And just in all very cozy and reminds me of home, every time I leave I'm always satisfied! Our server was friendly as well always making sure our drinks were full and empty plates off the table. Recommend ! read more

Wow, wowie. They start you out serving soup and drinks. Then you help yourself to the most delicious food, buffet style. Real mashed potatoes, side dishes, salad bar and then many different meat dishes. I cut my own piece of ham right off the bone. On top of this, then they serve you an ice cream cup for desert! The waitresses are fantastic. They are quick to remove your old plates so the time you return with a new plate, you already have a clean spot to place it. If there is one complaint, the food is so delicious and there is so much of it, forget about being on a diet! read more

Best Polish food in Chicago and best variety. Been going here with my family for over 25 years. Ironic the most "complaints" are those that are angry they're inconvenienced by not being able to use credit cards. read more

Went today 4/8/18 for lunch. What a wonderful experience. Everything l had on the extensive buffet was delicious! Such interesting salads. A carrot/onion mix yumm! Seafood with fresh dill(l think) the mushroom gravey, potatoe pancakes, pierogies, tilapia, cheese blitzes, stuffed cabbage, everything excellent. I also had to take home a box of goodies. A dessert l find difficult to explain. Parts light & fluffy, parts light & crunchy. Anyway l ate 2 pieces & brought last 2 pieces home. I forgot excellent chicken noodle soup. Than we were served ice cream. My husband said the extra scoop did him in.(2scoops). We drove a long distance. We're in Huntley. Well worth the drive. Will absolutely return!! Only downside parking limited. read more

If you are on a diet of eating less fat, calories and eating healthier, you may want to skip this place. Every time my sister from California would come in, we would grab my grandma and have lunch here. Ahh the memories of childhood, good, heavy, stick to your ribs Polish food. Its buffet style, its cheap and its good. However since I changed my dietary habits, I can't eat here, or I could, but my stomach wouldn't be happy with me. The servers are friendly, the customers are nice and the food plentiful. If you want to try some great Polish food for not a lot of money, this is a great place and a great way to get introduced to it. read more

If I can give zero stars I certainly would. This is solely based off of the service that my mother and I received when we were wrapping it up and paying the bill. First off, my mom goes to the hospiptal every other week for treatment and the thing she looks forward to the most is going out to eat afterwards. We had a great time, and the food met our expectations. The waitress that was giving our drinks and such was very polite as well as attentive. Things took a turn for the worst when I went to pay for the bill. The lady (possibly owner? Not sure, I just sensed it from her snootiness) saw me holding my debit card and said they only accept cash, they have an ATM that only charges a dollar, and she walks away to the back of the room by the buffet and begins socializing with the staff. My mom got upset with the lady and got up to get her attention so I had to calm my mom down and tell her to have a seat. As I am standing there completely flabbergasted by this awful display of customer service, I notice a sign on the coutner that says... and this is pretty much verbatum "In order to keep our low prices, we only accept cash." On the bottom in smaller print says "Exceptions for Credit/Debit Card: First-Time Customers and Cards that do not have a PIN." Everything about that sign was ridiculous. First off, I am not sure what or whom they are comparing their prices too but I can assure you that the price is anything but low. Secondly, I could be wrong but as a business, you can not accept cash and debit/credit card just sometimes. You have to do either or. Thankfully at the time the hamster was on it's wheel which helped me think to take a picture of that sign they had on the counter and forward it on to the proper authorities to have them determine whether or not that is proper business practice. Hopefully I get an answer on that soon. So after reading the sign I called the lady over to the counter and I had to tell her that my card did not have a PIN in order for her to accept it. I figured she would just take the card at that point and swipe.... Nope, I was wrong. She felt the need to tell me that she would accept this card just this once and next time remember to bring cash. Trust me, there will not be a next time. The funny thing is, when she went to swipe my card she bent down below the counter to do it. Apparently they keep their credit card / merchant equipment out of plain sight to hide the fact that they have the ability to accept credit/debit but only accept that form of payment when they feel like it is necessary. I have decided to no longer support this business. They don't seem too grateful to their customers. Moving forward I will be going to Jolly Inn, Grota, Old Warsaw, etc. There are so many other options. read more

It isn't good as grandma's cooking! But it is the best you can get without digging her up!

Our first time here. Great food, great service, very clean. The buffet was well stocked and everything was fresh and hot. I will definitely be back. read more

This place i havent been to in a long time. We used to go on like mothers day. However my mother, and grandmother has passed away. Therefore i had a surprise birthday dinner planned for my dad. They did an awesome job of giving us a little private space. Food was amazing and they let us bring our own cake. I only took one star off cause near end of service our waitress lady had an attitude. We were never told we couldnt pay with credit cards. Also thought he would have seperate bills. (She also never asked) and i didnt no she put everything together until we were ready to call it a night. I still tipped her well i hope she was just having a bad day. But rolling eyes really annoys me especially when we werent difficult people we were only there maybe a little over an hour. I know many birthday dinners sometimes go way longer then that. Either way i would go back again. read more

Very clean space, great staff and the food is very polish. If you enjoy very traditional Polish food, it's worth the visit. Loved the potato pancake and cold food read more

This place was horrible do not eat at this place. First off don't go here and bring a credit card to pay with because they only accept cash only. But they have a cash station to take money out. This is a racket that they have. The food was horrible and overpriced! Food was bland and not worth its weight. Would not go back here ever again. The hostess was very rude and obnoxious. This place is outdated and looked like a dump. Don't waste your money or time going to this place! read more

Real Polish - authentic wait staff - authentic Polish foods - done just like in Poland. When I feel like I need a "Polish Fix" we come here. Leave your bad ass American attitude at the door and enjoy these very pleasant Polish cooks, waiters, etc. We love the Red Apple. read more

The Best! I am polish american so don't ask me if these items are truly authentic, but they are fresh, tasty and always consistent. Four stars because I wish they had some different polish items that I like, but oh well. You don't have to be polish to like the food, they have things like fried chicken, ribs, mashed & gravy, veal, beef stew, fried shrimp etc, etc. read more

Since my last visit there's been a vast improvement in the food and service. The food tasted way better than the last time. Way more authentic polish food and well worth the price. We were very pleased and will return again. read more

Meh, the buffet is fresh but I'd say small. Nothing wrong with the polish food, it was all good. I don't like that it's only cash payment. The customer service isn't the friendliest. I was holding a baby and a women carrying out fresh food bumped into me, I apologized and moved out of her way but man did she give me a dirty look... jeez I would have taken back that apologize...she bumped into me and I'm holding a baby. Not nice but the food wasn't bad. $15.99/ lunch buffet read more

Went to Red Apple Buffet for a Sunday lunch with my boyfriend and friend. The service here was very good. Our waitress was very nice, good with refills and quick to clear the dirty dishes. The buffet had lots of selections and everything was very fresh. I really enjoyed the homemade potato pancakes and mashed potatoes. There was also a big selection of other great Polish dishes including Polish sausage, Porgies, roast and chicken. The food on the buffet was always stocked and fresh. One of the better buffets I have been to for this reason. Over all the food here was very good. Only problem was I left extremely stuffed :) Over all very satisfied here and will go back. read more

Stopped in yesterday with a big hunger and left very satisfied. Updating the previous review, they do have a sign up now and prices are at $9.49 weekdays, $9.99 weekends. Sure there's a lot of starch and calories in the selection, but they do have a good-sized salad bar and cooked veggies. Also, I did not find the desserts dry at all. The one with cherries was very good. They have good prices on beer and bottles of wine for $18. The location is conveniently close to Caldwell Woods, near the south end of the North Branch bike trail read more

Very reasonably priced all you can eat buffet with Polish specialties(7.99 pp weekdays 8.99 pp weekends). Beef Stroganoff, cheese blintzes, pierogies, whole ham and roast cut fresh, duck, pork, veal, chicken.... I could not believe the variety of foods. The building has no name on the outside and just says "Restaurant" in the window though you can identify it by the big red apple that hang on the sign over the building. This place is typically packed in the evening with locals. The food overall was good, but was a little bland. Skip the dessert bar, the cakes were dry - but you can request ice cream for free. They also have a to-go option - they just weight your container and charge you as standard to-go price. They had a local man playing some jazzy holiday violin music at tables that requested him. The place gets an extra star for that! read more

I met my mother in Chicago one weekend and being Polish, we decided to check out the Polish neighborhood there. We stumbled upon this restaurant, which is essentially a buffet with all Polish food. Everything tasted authentic and the selection was huge! If you like Polish food and want to sample different dishes, then definitely check this place out! read more

Red Apple Buffet - Pierogi - Buffets Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Decided to go out for brunch and we picked a great place! The service was outstanding and great Polish food. Stuffed from the carving table: Roast beef, Turkey, Ham. Breaded chicken and breaded pork cutlets delicious!!! The mushroom soup so good and full of flavor, the chicken noodle soup deliciously light! Great price too! read more

Six of my friends and myself attended the Thanksgiving day buffet at the Red Apple today. I was very skeptical of going to a restaurant especially a buffet restaurant for Thanksgiving but I must say I was incredibly surprised. The food was spectacular with such variety and so much flavor!! Not to be corny, but it reminded me of my grandmothers cooking, she was Polish and a GREAT cook. I must say the service by the waitress was outstanding! She was a tall thin blonde women in the back room. She was very attentive, very polite, she whisked away dirty plates before you knew it and kept coming by to ask if we needed anything else, another soup, more coffee, ice cream etc. etc. Though this was my very first time attending the Red Apple it will certainly not be my last. If you're looking for a restaurant that has incredibly good quality and delicious food at a great price, come to this Red Apple. read more

My fiance and I jumped on the Polish food bandwagon back when the Pierogi Factory still existed on Belmont. Since it has closed down we have been going through Polish food withdrawal. When I found out about this place I nearly had a heart attack. We came here on a weekday and ate our little hearts out for a mere $9.99. They even have liver and onions! read more

Very disappointed in this place. While their soups tend to be excellent, they're served in very small serving cups. Most of the hot food was rather bland and on the fatty side. I've had much better at both Sawa's Old Warsaw and the Jolly Inn. While the service was excellent, the subsequent bill shocked me. I thought the $16.99 for the lunch buffet was very high, and the food offered was definitely not worth the money. Never again. read more

This a geriatic dream buffet...so many "blue hairs" there, I thought I walked into a nursing home. The place is clean and the hostess and waitresses say to everyone,"you can seat yourself. Anywhere..." Even though it's a polish buffet, there are also American dishes. The food is okay... cabbage rolls, beef slices, potato cakes, cheese blintz, snitzel, pierogies, and VERY DRY desserts. $10.99 + tax. It's typical buffet food with lil favor. My chicken noodle soup had lots of noodles and no chicken. In the end, I was also given ice cream for dessert, but I tried the dessert on the buffet. Big mistake. read more

It had been awhile since our last visit and today was surprisingly good. Everything we had was tasty. We did not have to wait for them to refill the selections and the food was hot. The only strange thing was that the kolochky tasted and smelled like beer. There was a sign on the door that they no longer accepted credit cards but if you needed cash there was an ATM. That is very strange for a restaurant especially one that has been around for a long time. We paid $16.99 a person but I saw that is was around $25 on the weekend. I think the $25 is too high for a Polish buffet. read more

This place doesn't get 5 stars only for it's less then attentive service. However, the food is amazing. Best pierogies I've had in quite some time. Good price and and great food. Definitely a great place for people to go if they've never tried polish food. read more

This place is ok for a big eater. The food is basic polish food. I've been there a few times, food does seem to all taste the same. They do have a variety and it is all cooked and monitored. One thing I hate is an all you can eat place that does not watch the food. They keep an eye on things and keep it clean. read more

Quite the experience. Not really vegan friendly, but I've been there pre-veganness. For one price you get an all-you-can-eat buffet of HEAVY food, with soup to start and ice cream at the end! Thing is ... polish food is all the same color ... Oh, but they have jello on the salad bar! read more

This place is highly overrated not to mention way way way overpriced considering the options from nearby Polish buffet places at a FRACTION of what they charge (Cash Only at that) WTF! To boot, they have a CASH machine that also charges for using it. This place is like a $$$ hungry casino just waiting for the next sucker. The food tastes "Okay", however, b/c there are some many other options nearby at so much less than they charge, it is a no brainer not to do business here. I have to say though the servers are very nice, cute and friendly. I am also seeing that they charge you "double" buffet the price if you stay longer than their allotted time slot. What genius thought of this! How about just posting a time limit and that is it? WTF more ways to rip the consumer again?!?! Will not return!! read more

This place is our go to place for polish food. My only "concern" is the price she charges on "holidays/special dates". On Father's Day she wanted an extra $10 / PER PERSON on top of their regular price (weekend price is already more). I paid the extra price on Easter and almost passed out when I got the bill for three people and it was $75! On Father's day we didn't even enter the place when I saw the sign on the front door - and won't go on a special occasion dates from now on (lesson learned). I'll keep to normal weekdays and enjoy this place. read more

Mighty fine stick-to-the-ribs Polish food. Variety was truly excellent! All tasty and fresh. Buffet line is constantly monitored, refreshed (and cleaned). Wait staff very personable and efficient. I like this location much better than the one down the street in Logan Square. First time to this location and I'll certainly be back. (But truthfully cannot make a regular diet of Polish food because it's so heavy!) read more

Had dinner there last night for the first time in 6 years,place was packed, food was awesome! Left about 5 lbs heavier lol.

Food is really good. Strange management practice though...while paying was told "we prefer cash, next time...we have atm around corner". That statement assured that there won't be a next time, unfortunate because the food is good. Also, $2.69 for a small coke...come on man... read more

Lovely buffet, really good quality for a buffet restaurant. Potato pancakes alone are worth the trip. The gem here is the waitstaff, very kind and helpful. Their chicken noodle soup is simple but so delicious. Small parking lot but there's enough space on Milwaukee. Cash only! read more

I love this place. I may not be an expert on Polish food (I'm from Ukraine) but everything tasted really good to me. The place was busy even early (around 6 pm). My favorite item was the chicken soup you get at the beginning of the meal. I would have gladly had seconds and thirds of that! The price was reasonable for me, but probably only because I'm used to River North Prices. read more

came here by mistake, stayed anyways and wow I can honestly say it was good eats!

Polish food that is mmm tasty! I especially love the peirogies and salad bar. It doesn't matter the season they always have fresh fruit in the salad bar! Very casual place for the home cooked meal. So love their cream of mushroom soup and chicken noodle soup. Good for little kids too. read more

I gave Red Apple 5 stars, not because it is the greatest gourmet restaurant in the world, but because when you consider the good quality and variety of the food, and you also consider the cost, you get GREAT VALUE at this place. It is a great place to go to if you're really hungry. All you can eat of wonderful pierogies (meat, cheese, sauerkraut, etc.... I especially love the meat ones), and mashed potatoes, and wonderful cabbage rolls with sauerkraut, and Polish sausages, large roasts and ham, decent salad bar, big variety of fruits and dessert, and, well, I could go on and on. Plus you have friendly, efficient service, and a clean nice atmosphere to boot. Yep, this place deserves 5 stars in my opinion. One the the best values I know of in the Chicago area. And, if you're comparing this restaurant to other "all you can eat" places, like the "Country Kitchen" type of places, Red Apple has them all beat by a mile in terms of quality. read more

They make some of the best pierogis around and don't get me started on their potato pancakes. Good home cooked polish food. The only negative is there isn't much in the way of parking and it is easy to get ticketed in that neighborhood. read more

Now, I'm not Polish but you can't come to this restaurant and not think of an old country polish meal. It was fabulous. They had it all. Piroges, blintzes, schnitzel, and veal ragu. I loved the mushroom gravy. There was plenty of waitstaff but I didn't feel that they were attentive as they should be with only 2 patrons in the restaurant. If the waitstaff were more attentive a big 5 stars. read more