This is not Stek Chalupa! It is Stek! Someone changed the name of the listing I added!…read more
If I were to rate Stek on portion size alone, it would undoubtably be a five star review. I don't think I've ever seen as much food on one plate in my life!
Portion size aside, Stek has an eye-catching exterior with 'Stek' emblazoned in red on a dark backdrop, the 't' a vivid bull's head. We'd passed by in the day and, impressed by its size and design, decided to have dinner at Stek.
The staff were friendly and helpful and we received a warm welcome. Stek looked relatively quiet but, I'd say that this was largely down to the size of the tables. Larger parties would benefit from the thick wooden tables, which could probably seat up to 12, but when it came to the three of us, we felt swamped by the size. It would have been nice if there were a variety of sizes, including smaller ones for smaller parties. Seeing couples sitting at the huge tables didn't seem all that cosey!
As we we entered, we passed a huge open grill, with meats cooking on the fire. It was atmospheric and part of the initial first impression that attracted us to Stek. The menus were attached to traditional ciupaga (Polish axe-shaped walking sticks) which hung from the wall. This was a nice touch and went well with the overall theme.
In terms of eating out and general expenditures when holidaying in Poland, everything is impressively cheap! And Stek is no exception. We had potato pancakes to start. (One portion meat, the other with garlic butter garnish.) They were tasty but unlike more traditional styles I've tried. I'm used to a stodgier home-cooked taste. This dish was lighter and made a nice starter!
For mains, we had chicken and steak (both looked delicious!) and I opted for a burger. Now, if you're thinking of a delicious juicy burger patty in a brioche bun, as I was, you'd be fooled! What I ended up with was rather a large mound of flattened beef which was thin and crispy with sheep's cheese on top and chips and coleslaw on the side. It would have been nice if the meat was served warmer to allow the cheese to melt!
I don't want to say I was disappointed, rather bewildered. A polish burger is very different from a burger anywhere else in the world. - That's the lesson to be learned! Certainly different but not my finest burger!
Stek was a pleasant stop for dinner, albeit not traditional Polish cuisine. It's worth a visit for its kitsch appeal. Look out for a particularly strange (rude!) picture!