I wasn't sure what to expect, but based on the pictures and reviews of this place, I was very optimistic. It exceeded my expectations. Fantastic meal! Everything made from scratch, with whole/clean ingredients. Somebody's parent/grandparent is back there in the kitchen cooking the food and it shows. Food was made with love and tradition. I had the shurpa soup and cleaned my bowl. I went with the hot dish + kebab + salad meal. I decided to try the chicken kebab and the Lula kebab, cabbage salad, and Tajik Pilaf. Kompot to drink; it was so good I ordered another one to go. Chocolate crepe cake to finish it off. All of the food was super delicious; lots of flavor! 10 out of 10. Will be back. read more

Smak Deli Cafe - Shurpa soup to start and then chicken kebab and Lula kebab with cabbage salad and Tajik Pilaf. - Delis Near Me - Gaffney, South Carolina

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You must try it...cabbage rolls, chicken kabobs, stuffed pepper, potato dumplings. Cabbage salad, beet salad....so Delicious!!! Oh forgot the honey cake also!! Simply amazing to find a great place to eat & the service was spot on also! We went at 5pm on a Tuesday...no wait! They have a gem...great food, service and decorated nicely...definitely not a whole in the wall casual fine dining at great prices! Loved everything...you all should be so proud of yourselves !!! read more

The food is always amazing. They have clean bathrooms too. If you are interested in a low key hidden gem with tasty flavorful food, this is it. The service is spectacular and the prices cannot be beat. This is our second trip here and I have had the cabbage rolls and hubby had kebabs,rice, potato salad this time. Make sure to stop in right next to the Gaffney outlets. read more

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Wow wow is all I can say! We took a chance on this place based on reviews. The outside is unassuming but the inside is nice and quiet with beautiful ambiance. The service is so wonderful and the food is out of this world! We had the cabbage rolls, the chicken kebabs and the eggplant salad. So tasty and delicious! Do not leave without visiting the pastry counter. The eclair was so fantastic. Definitely homemade and better than any we had ever had. read more

Incredibly delicious food. What a delightful find. Expect something different here, as they serve Eastern European cuisine. It's a welcomed experience getting away from standard American fare. Our waiter was very friendly and knowledgeable of everything available on the menu. So if you're a little iffy on something, ask questions and he'll provide excellent details. The restaurant supports wide area seating with soft music playing in the background making for great ambiance. Unless you, the reader, are incredibly picky, it is doubtful you will leave disappointed. read more

Smak Deli Cafe - Stuffed pepper, chicken kabob, potato salad - Delis Near Me - Gaffney, South Carolina

Continues to be one of the best restaurants around! Always delicious, always amazing and friendly service, and always something new to try! We are moving in two weeks and we sure will miss it, but we will be back when we are in the area. read more

The food and service were excellent. I really enjoyed the borsh. The family loved the kebab and dolma. read more

Smak Deli Cafe - Borsh - Delis Near Me - Gaffney, South Carolina

Omg where do I start?! Returning from a long trip we wanted to eat at another restaurant but it was about to close for the day. Are we ever glad that happened!! Smak Deli Cafe is a delight. What an incredible surprise to stop in a small town in South Carolina and find this place. The food is not only absolutely delicious but gorgeous. We loved the service our waiter was engaging, professional, kind, thoughtful, and because it was 3 PM had a bit of time to get engaged in some small talk which made our day! We want this restaurant to not only survive but thrive. Someone please recommend this restaurant for an award or notify somebody they know who's in the restaurant business or restaurant investment business to go visit. These people are absolutely dedicated to what they are doing which is providing an incredibly important service to anyone who stops by. read more

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What a delightful experience at this charming place. It was very clean and bright. We had wonderful service from start to finish with each dish served. The food was delicious!!!! It was fresh and great tasting read more

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I took this home as a to-go order. I live 45 minutes away. This borscht soup is worth the drive! Yum! read more

Smak Deli Cafe - Wow! Took this home as a to-go order. I live 45 minutes away. This Borscht soup is worth the drive! - Delis Near Me - Gaffney, South Carolina

Had never been here and we were delighted with the menu and the warm welcome we received. Had dumplings, cabbage rolls with beef and rice and more. Then we stopped at the bakery kiosk for homemade bread and coconut cake to take home! Our server was gracious and helpful as we perused the menu options! We will be returning maybe for dinner next time!! read more

Omg Such a find! Not what we thought or imagined. We enjoyed Borsh soup which was beyond delicious. Make a meal which was Chicken Kebabs, Tajik pilaf, and cabbage. So enjoyed! My husband had Zharkoye stew made perfectly. If your traveling up I 85N make it a stop. You won't be disappointed. read more

Been here twice now with different people and have all came out satisfied. Their olivie salad is my favorite, all the meat is seasoned beautifully, I also love the samsas and take extra home. The cabbage rolls are savory and comforting. Haven't gotten around to trying all desserts but my favorite was their crepe cake, very light and just the right amount of sweetness. The server was also very helpful and attentive! read more

Smak Deli Cafe - Chicken, cabbage rolls, olivie salad - Delis Near Me - Gaffney, South Carolina

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Amazing food! We wanted to try everything on the menu. We will be back. So convenient right off I-85! Best was probably chicken kabobs, cabbage salad, and dumplings. read more

What a fantastic find! I was looking for something different in Gaffney and stumbled upon Smak. We have visited multiple times, some dining in and some for takeout. My personal favorite is the beef pilaf, but really everything is amazing here. I recently had the dumplings and they were delicious. I would suggest any of the kebabs since they're very flavourful and crowd pleasing. Definitely a favorite when we do takeout, and highly recommend for others! read more

This was some of the best food that we've had in a long time. Everything we both had was delicious and unique. Chicken and Lula kebabs, cabbage rolls, cabbage slaw, rustic potatoes, potato salad, and the pickled onions. The people working here were very kind and the service was excellent. Don't be put off by the outside of the building. This place is well worth the stop read more

Food was very flavorful,fresh and interesting . Service was excellent - it was our first time but it won't the last . Looking forward to trying more items on the menu. Reasonably priced and there was so much on the plate I'll get another meal out of it. I was surprised that this was in Gaffney right by I85- who knew? read more

Smak Deli Cafe - Delis Near Me - Gaffney, South Carolina

Holy moly! What a fantastic meal! We lucked out and stopped by Smak on our trip to Atlanta. It's right off of I85 in the old BBQ building. The flavors were fantastic and the service was great. Wen enjoyed the chicken kabobs, Lula Kabobs, mushrooms, carrots, potatoes and dolma rolls. Everything was so flavorful. My personal favorite is the carrot salad. read more

Smak Deli Cafe - Dolma Rolls, Lula Kabob, mushroom salad - Delis Near Me - Gaffney, South Carolina

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Somehow my $17 lunch cost me $26. I'm pretty sure they are scamming customers by charging for tap water and double charging tips. Not thrilled. Food was just ok. Very oily. Couldn't eat much of it. But mostly I don't appreciate being scammed. read more

What a great find - thanks Yelp! Excellent Eastern European food (I had the stuffed cabbage and it did not disappoint). Service was friendly, informative and attentive. Very clean, yes especially the restroom! I'll definitely return when in the area again. BTW, its just minutes off of I-85. read more

Don't let the outside appearance of this place fool you--Smak is a hidden gem! The service was warm and attentive from start to finish, and the food was far from ordinary. Every dish was bursting with flavor and felt truly unique compared to the usual options around town. You must try the Tajik pilaf--it's rich, aromatic, and absolutely delicious. If you're looking for something different and memorable in Gaffney, this spot is well worth a visit read more

Always great experience here. Tasty fresh European food, and great customer service. Recommend.

Fast, friendly and fresh. Thought it was a bbq joint till I walked in. Gave it a shot and would highly recommend. read more

Smak Deli Cafe - Mashed potatoes and meatballs! Amazing to say the least... Very friendly very fast and very fresh! Would def eat again! - Delis Near Me - Gaffney, South Carolina

DELICIOUS! Stopped at Smak for lunch between Charlotte and Greenville, and it was the best choice! Eastern European cuisine that is fresh, warm, flavorful comfort food. The Tajik, kabobs, and dolmas are exceptional. Generous amounts of food that didn't feel heavy. It felt great to support a family-owned restaurant. Take a break from BBQ and check this out! read more

Smak Deli Cafe - Kabob, dolmas, carrot and eggplant salad - Delis Near Me - Gaffney, South Carolina

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Had the lamb pot roast and all I can say is "amazing". Read previous reviews and thought I would try for a change while heading back toward Greenville SC. The food and the service was fantastic and a must try if your around exit 90 on 85 in SC. read more

Fantastic place, the food is great and the service is phenomenal. Certainly a gem. The deserts are delicious, and all the food feels home made, a unique touch nowadays. The space is wide and high providing a great ambiance. Certainly a place to visit every tima we are in that area read more

There's nothing fancy about this place. Plain decor, decent service, fantastic food. I ordered a meal of lula kabobs, tajik pilaf and cabbage salad. The kabobs were flavorful but nothing extraordinary. The cabbage salad was nice and acidic and crunchy. The winner was the tajik pilaf; I'd be very happy going back to order it by itself. I washed this all down with a serving of kompot, a tasty but mild fruit punch (If they let it ferment they'd have lines out the door. LOL). I enjoyed what I ordered and lol forward to going back again soon. It might help to read up on the menu offerings first. read more

Smak Deli Cafe - Clockwise from bottom, Lula kabobs, cabbage salad, tajik pilaf. - Delis Near Me - Gaffney, South Carolina

Atmosphere is so friendly!!! Food is always so fresh!!! Everything is delicious!!!!!owners is absolutely wonderful people!!!

Talk about FRESH and the hospitality of your own mamas kitchen!! The food was delicious, we enjoyed some borscht, dumplings, a stuffed pepper and baklava for dessert! This is a much try if you are passing exit 90 or just in the area! Thank you for a great experience we will definitely be back! The servers were amazing in making sure we had everything we needed. read more

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I can't say enough good things about this restaurant. The food is wonderful and reasonably priced, and the staff is consistently friendly and pleasant. The menu is Eastern European, so most of the dishes might be unfamiliar; but you can't go wrong with anything you order. The combination meal with Tajik Pilaf, Chicken Kebab, and a salad is our regular thing. read more

Awesome! First time trying Uzbek food and it was great!!! Located off the hiway and is in a old BBQ restaurant, wasn't sure if google maps took us to the right place but it's there!!! Service was helpful and attentive! The pilaf was SO flavorful! We got the white sauce on the side with it and that was also supper yummy! The Cheburek was so crispy and delicious. I'd recommend the mamas dumplings as well. Definitely can't wait to go back and try more. read more

Smak Deli Cafe - Mama's dumplings - Delis Near Me - Gaffney, South Carolina

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The food was so fresh, flavorful with good-sized portions. Definitely recommend if you ever want to try Eastern European cuisine! read more

Smak Deli Cafe - Dolma rolls, olivie, Lula kebabs. - Delis Near Me - Gaffney, South Carolina

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It's newly open business about a year,lots of parking for trucks right next to QT Mediterranean style cuisine food is fresh and hot when you order it ,clean & friendly staff. read more

Bottom Line - Go to SMAK deli/cafe/bakery !! Don't be afraid, and don't be confused by the signage (see below). This is real food prepared and served by real people. They have familiar Eastern /Southern European food like Stuffed Cabbage, Dolmas (stuffed grape leaves), Pierogis and the like as well as their specialty Tajik Pilaf (which can loosely be described as similar to fried rice) and other dishes. We had a group of 8 for lunch and everyone really liked their meals. In addition to the food above we also had the lamb pot roast (small pieces of lamb, potatoes and carrots in a delicious sauce), the meatballs in a mushroom cream sauce, Samsas (like an empanada- pastry stuffed with a mixture of ground beef and lamb), chicken and beef dumplings, and a few of the salads offered. Service was provided by the son of the owners - Svetlana from Eastern Europe and Mustafo from Central Asia (Uzbekistan?). The food is very tasty, not greasy, with balanced savory seasonings and flavors. Nothing overly strong or spicy but definitely not bland. The restaurant name SMAK comes from the first letter of their first names and the AK is from the first two letters of their last name Akramov. The restaurant is located just off I-85 in a former restaurant which still has "Granddaddy's BBQ" painted on the roof. You will also see a small sign near their front door which states "PECTOPAH" (pronounced Rey-sto-ran) This is an approximation of the Russian word for restaurant using Latin alphabet letters instead of the Cyrillic alphabet traditionally used in Russia and Russian influenced areas. They also have many bakery items from their home region. You may not have eaten this style of food before but don't let that stop you. If you have taste buds, you will enjoy it. read more

My family and I love this place, very authentic food and run by an awesome family, I'm having fun trying everything on the menu, very unique food carefully prepared! It's a gem in Gaffney with great attentive service! read more

We got dinner to go and it was great!! I got Mama's dumplings and my wife got Tajik pilaf. The dumplings were tender and seasoned well. The desserts were on point as well. Would definitely recommend.. read more

The best food in Gaffney with amazing service. When people find out about this restaurant its going to do a lot of business

We parked our truck at the QT and walked over, someone had recommended this place. I ordered the chicken kebab with mashed potatoes and cabbage salad and my spouse ordered the chicken kebab with Tajik pilaf and eggplant salad. The food was delicious and had a home cooked feel to it. The ambiance is perfect for a relaxing meal after a long day or drive and the staff was very attentive and friendly, we appreciate the dessert recommendation for the baclavas they were very delicious. read more

Smak Deli Cafe - Baclava - Delis Near Me - Gaffney, South Carolina

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Passing through Gaffney on I85 decided to try this instead of Cracker Barrel for lunch. So glad we did! Had the Tajik Pilaf, Lula Kabab, and Olivie salad- 3 things I've never had before! Delicious! Friendly service. Give this place a try! read more

Delicious chicken kebab, Pilaf, and potato salad! Service was Fast for two of us and very gracious. Portions are generous, too! We will come again! read more