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    Recommended Reviews - Smetana

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    Circa Jan 2024.
    Howard L.

    We came by this newish one year old restaurant and our party of 5, including two kiddos, enjoyed a big and delicious Polish lunch here.  At least I think they were Polish as I never confirmed but they're Eastern European in any event. We had the following.  Every dish was of tip top quality, flavorful, and beautifully presented, including their desserts.   - Pan fried pierogies (10), $16 - Polish plate with a cucumber salad, $30 - Chicken schnitzel with a beet salad, $22 - Chicken shawarma, $15 - Large dessert crepe with nutella and berries, $15 - Honey cake, $8 The prices may seem a little high, but the servings are tasty and generous.  For example, I'm usually ho-hum on pierogies, but their pan fried pierogies had delicate skins and a tasty beef-pork filling and I think they were the best I've ever had.  I liked all the dishes but really liked all the items on the Polish plate, which you should enjoy with plenty of their namesake smetana or sour cream.  One of the owners and also our very congenial server Martin told me about that translation.  The beet and cucumber salads were also chilled and refreshing.  Both desserts were also very good, but the delectable dessert crepe with fresh whipped cream, nutella, and berries was the better one. The strip-mall restaurant is smallish, but also stylish and cozy and the chairs and table setting were very comfortable.  They had enjoyable pop music on.  There is a small bar/counter area in the back corner and they had a nice looking list of drinks to go with their menu.  Martin was our friendly server and I learned he was working alongside his brother Stan.  Actually, our oldest grand-darling wondered if they were brothers from their looks, and she was dead right.  Martin also told me the chef was a lady from Ukraine and with the short delay in bringing the food out, we could tell the dishes were all freshly prepared.  Overall, a quality place with deserved high ratings, highly recommended, and a great addition to the Glenview food scene.  We'll look to return to support this local family business, and best of luck!

    To go plate!
    Vikki Y.

    Ordered carry out because their kitchen was closing at 7pm on a Sunday! I ordered two orders of the stuffed cabbage and one order of the chicken noodle soup. The food was ready as the time I requested and was so tasty. I grew up eating Eastern European food at friends houses and I loved the flavors of what I ordered. The stuffed cabbage came with a side of yummy potatoes with dill and a side of yummy beets. The food was fresh and very tasty! Portions were okay (not huge) and I'll definitely return to try other dishes. The restaurant itself is not very big or super fancy but it had plenty of seating and was very clean. There is plenty of parking in the plaza outside. It's right next door to the nail place and one of the first restaurants in the plaza (it took a second to find it). The prices were very Glenview/Northshore. My order for two orders of stuffed cabbage and one bowl of soup came out to be $60.00 which is kind of high compared to deli prices. However it was very tasty and comparable to prices in the area. Would definitely return and try other items!

    Herring Beets Tartare
    Joy C.

    Smetana was located in a strip mall at the corner of Lehigh and Glenview Rd., in downtown Glenview. In between a Dunkin' Donuts and a liquor store. We walked here on a Saturday around 6pm and we were the only customers at that time. Our server greeted and seated us right away. Since we were not familiar with the items on the menu, we wanted to try different things. HERRING BEETS TARTARE- the herring and the beets went well together. POTATO PANCAKE w/ SMOKED SALMON- the salmon was good and the pancake was ok. BOGRACH- this was a hearty soup and there was a lot of meat. It would have been better if the meat was more tender though. PORK CUTLETS- I enjoyed the beet salad and the mashed potatoes. The pork cutlet was nothing special. Overall, it was good to finally try Smetana and the unique dishes they have. The service was friendly and efficient. The place was clean and I liked the neat interiors. More power to this small, local business!

    Polish Plate: stuffed cabbage, Polish sausage, pierogis and potato pancakes.
    kris r.

    Bright and welcoming restaurant. Service wonderful. We began with a cup of borscht which was really a bowl in any other restaurant. The rye bread was so good. We shared the Polish plate which also came with a bowl of cucumbers cream and dill or some other salad choices- the cucumbers were great. We had a little taste of most of the items on the Polish plate but were too full to finish. The pierogis were spinach and so tasty. Also loved the Polish sausage . My mother thought the stuffed cabbage had too much rice but I thought the taste was so good even with more rice. Had lemonade and tea. Wish this place was closer to my home -- Roscoe village- because I would order on a regular basis

    Rebecca F.

    This is a great restaurant. High quality ingredients and everything is cooked to perfection. I had the breaded pork chop with a side of mushroom sauce poured over. We also had mushroom and kraut perogi and spinach and cheese perogi and they were both excellent. I also tried everything on the Polish platter. I hope this restaurant enjoys a lot of success because I want them to stay here in the community so we can continue to dine here. The service was excellent too.

    Outstanding spinach, potato and meat pierogis.
    Will K.

    Outstanding food. Very good recipes and cooking to back it up. The pierogi plate features a mix of spinach, potato and meat pierogis and were all delicious. The chicken noodle soup was outstanding, a very flavorful broth with a great mix of thin, light noodles and chicken breast chunks. The restaurant interior is medium sized with maybe 8 tables and works as both a nice date night setting or casual meal. Nice interior touches. SUPER friendly servers, including Oha and Kanza. So sweet. I hope the new restaurant does well and lasts. A great add to the neighborhood. I'll surely be back.

    Polish plate
    Victoria F.

    Came here based on a friend's recommendation, and I am glad I gave it a try! We went on a Saturday afternoon (not peak hours) so there were plenty of seats. The space is on the smaller side, and I could see there being a wait during normal dining hours. The decorations were charming and gave a cozy feel. Our server was helpful in describing the different dishes. We got the Polish plate, combination, pierogies, and European schwarma. Although the food is on the pricey side, I thoroughly enjoyed each dish. I thought everything was fresh, flavorful, and had beautiful presentation. We were too stuffed for dessert, but next time I want to try the honey cake!

    Hot fruit tea with oranges and berries
    Lisa A.

    Absolutely love, love, love this place. I think it was recommended by the Yelp community leader, Kesha, and I headed with high expectations and I give it an 10. When you walk in it is so inviting, nice seating arrangements with comfortable covered chairs which adds a nice touch and the waiter was so pleasant and helpful because I had only been to a place in West Roger's Park that was good but it was very rundown and they didn't seem to care. This place was refreshing, inviting and very bougie. They offer many vegetarian options and meat of course. I'm not sure what they're known for but first thing on the menu is pierogis, meat, cheese, potato, sauerkraut, mozzarella, and spinach. They're really good but I can't imagine eating 10 by myself. It's a good shareable option. I chose Ukrainian borscht as my soup (it was cold windy and slushy) and also shared the Zapiekanka with mushrooms and cheese as an appetizer. Next as my main course I had the breaded pork chop with mashed potatoes and I chose beet salad, and everything was homemade and authentic. The waiter told me that you put sour cream on everything and including the soup. I'm not accustomed to that so I didn't try it tonight. The pork chop was very good and real mashed potatoes were good but I really liked the beet salad. I got to try a bite of each item in the Polish plate and all of it was scrumptious. The fruit tea served hot or cold is very enjoyable with fresh fruits and in the summer I would love it cold but tonight hot was perfect. The crepe dessert was a bit cold but all of it fresh. There's a nice drink menu with hard cider, beer, wine and signature cocktails, but I can't handle the liquor so can't comment on that. Being such a foodie I could come here every day but I suspect my finicky husband will lose interest. I'll find my gal pals to join me. See you soon, Smetana, my little "sour cream "!!

    Cherry Pierogi
    S S.

    Really delicious food here. The place itself is on the smaller side but super quaint. The staff/ owner is super nice and speaks at least 3 languages (English, Russian, Polish) which is helpful if you have older family members that want a taste of home but don't speak English. The food is also phenomenal, everything is fresh and made from scratch and tastes exactly how your grandma would make it. The portions are also fairly large and the prices reflect that.

    Blueberry pierogis

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    1 year ago

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    1 year ago

    Awesome food. Worth a try! It's central European food which is unique. Rather than Hackney's give yourself a different treat. Family owned!

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    2 years ago

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    1 year ago

    Great and tasty food. Nice selection of drinks and reasonable prices. Will come back. Thank you

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    2 years ago

    Lovely atmosphere. Welcoming services. And good food. We like coming here for a lunch on weekends.

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    2 years ago

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    3 years ago

    We have been walking by but not stopped until now!! It was great! Super clean, great service and the food was beautiful and delicious.

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    3 years ago

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    3 years ago

    Great Eastern European food ! Friendly staff and great service. Will come back to soon!

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    2 years ago

    Average food, good service. Great drinks made by the owner. Very accommodating owner.

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    Page 1 of 2

    Smetana Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - Smetana

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    Qulinarnia

    Qulinarnia

    4.3
    (298 reviews)
    8.1 mi
    $$

    Definitely a must try restaurant for anyone who lives nearby. This spot gets everything right-…read moreplenty of parking, fast and friendly service, elegant decor, big portions, and delicious food! Admittedly, I'm not an expert in Polish cuisine, but this restaurant has greatly increased my interest in trying more! Outside of the food, there's many things to like about this restaurant. The decor is nice and modern, and the presentation of the food is good for this price point. The restaurant is comfortable and good for sitting in for a while, with service that is extremely friendly. This reminds me of another excellent restaurant A Thousand Tales, where we are treated like family on every visit - even on the first visit there. It's very clear how proud the staff is of the restaurant and the food they serve, and they take the effort to explain the food to the diner. Fortunately, the food is just as good as it looks. I've been looking for food that's prepared from scratch with high quality ingredients that aren't reliant on heavy sauces, and this really hit the mark. Everything from the bread with herbs and butter to the delicious soups was prepared fresh and tasty. Similarly, with the chips and salsa - it was clear that this was homemade with a great flavor to match. Unsurprisingly, the pastor tacos were full of flavor, with a generous amount of slightly fatty pork, fresh cilantro, and onions served with fresh lime. These were some of the best tacos I've had in recent memory from any restaurant, and I am definitely a huge fan of the preparation (the sweetness of the pineapple juice perfectly matched the bold mix of spices). The sampler platter was also a great option which gave a mix of many different items. The goulash was delicious with the mushrooms and sautee pepper. The pierogis had the perfect firmness and delicious filling. The sausage was flavorful and juicy. The potato pancakes could've been a bit more crisp but the flavor was still good. The breaded pork schnitzel was tasty and had just the right amount of breading. Overall, definitely recommend going to this spot for anything that's looking for high quality made from scratch food at a reasonable price point. The great service and elegant interior is a bonus on top of a very enjoyable and filling meal.

    Polish food? No. This is a summary of a pick up order…read more -Beef goulash potato pancakes. The potato pancake imposters were severely burned on one side, over salted, and should not have been offered for consumption. The watery soup, which was supposed to resemble goulash, contained chunks of pork meat with fat chunks attached. I located several mushrooms in the watery liquid. -Seasonal pierogi, described to be mixed variety, some containing lobster and spinach... I was sold cheese and potato pierogi only. They appeared to be deep fried in used oil. I located chunks of unidentified meat like substance mixed in with the pierogi. -Ceviche: chunks of rock hard, not ready for consumption yet, avocado. -Side dish of rice. Really good. I called the restaurant about an hour and 30 minutes after I picked up this order. I spoke with the same person who handed me the order, who related over the phone he has been serving this food for 13 years and no one was ever dissatisfied. He apologized for my experience and offered to refund the $75 I paid, or issue me a coupon for a couple of free of charge meals. I declined the meals and requested a refund. This occurred on 15 May 2026. Today is 21 May 2026. I'm still waiting for the refund...

    Photos
    A view from the entrance.
    A view from the entrance.
    Qulinarnia
    View of reception desk.

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    View of reception desk.
    Staropolska Restaurant

    Staropolska Restaurant

    4.6
    (668 reviews)
    10.4 mi
    $$

    This place would get five stars, except customers were making loud phone calls and the staff didn't…read moreask them to take it outside. The food was fine, but the phone calls really affected the atmosphere. ​​

    Chicago reportedly has a large Polish immigrant population, so I tried Polish food here for the…read morefirst time. It was quite unique and commendable. Sour Rye Soup: Not bad, but honestly, I wouldn't order it again... the fermented sourness was just too direct and intense. Polish Hunters Stew: Apparently a national dish of Poland. The first bite tasted like Italian meat sauce, with a rich tomato flavor and a slight smoky aroma; then I discovered the ingredients included sausage, cured beef brisket, minced meat, and sauerkraut, making it quite substantial and much more satisfying than Italian meat sauce. Overall, it was a rich, sweet and sour flavor, perfect with rice, pasta, or bread. Sauerkraut & Mushroom Pierogi: Dumplings, but the Polish version. The sauerkraut was only slightly sour, refreshing and delicious with the mushrooms, while the sour cream added a touch of creaminess and richness. Unfortunately, the skin was thick and sticky, as if it had been boiled for a long time. For better dumplings skin, please turn to a Northeastern Chinese. Half Duck: Strangely, it reminded me of confit de canard. The meat was incredibly tender, falling off the bone with a gentle pull; the melt-in-your-mouth texture was truly delightful. The cranberry sauce was perfectly balanced between sweet and sour, with a rich fruity and fermented aroma. The rosemary emerged in the aftertaste, enriching the flavors and cutting through the richness. The accompanying sauerkraut was even better than the duck, with a crunchy texture and a mild, pleasant sourness, enveloped in a rich buttery and creamy flavor. The accompanying fpotatoes were also soft and delicious, but the roasted pear was too overpowering in its softness and sweetness, not meeting my expectations for a palate cleanser. Table Bread: The bread itself was unremarkable, but the generous amount of butter was commendable. I cannot believe that there is only one server for all the tables.

    Photos
    Inside Staropolska(Old Polish Area Milwaukee Ave block from Belmont Ave) Highly Recommended! Great Polish Food!Super inside Decor! Cool!
    Inside Staropolska(Old Polish Area Milwaukee Ave block from Belmont Ave) Highly Recommended! Great Polish Food!Super inside Decor! Cool!
    Staropolska Restaurant
    Zywiec O.5L

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    Zywiec O.5L
    Bacowka

    Bacowka

    4.4
    (477 reviews)
    14.9 mi
    $$

    You know, hubby and I have known about this restaurant since we moved to Schaumburg 2 1/2 years…read moreago, but besides pierogies, we really had no idea what Polish food was all about. It was time to try. We expected a bit of a hole in the wall and that's not what we found - we found a very nicely decorated and maintained restaurant with a lot of dark wood overtones - we were seated immediately and given an extensive menu. I ordered a Polish beer, and we ordered a Polish plate - kind of a combination sampler plate if you will - and a ground pork cutlet dinner. Now before we could say anything? Some bread showed up with a lovely but lightly flavored hummus type spread- we enjoyed it because it also came with a nice big half sized pickle. When the Polish plate came? OMG we had sauerkraut - we had sausage - we had some pierogies, and when the pork cutlet came out? It literally covered the entire plate and was resting on a bed of freshly mashed potatoes. We shared the Polish plate and we shared the extremely large pork cutlet. Now to be fair? We loved the Polish plate immensely - while the cutlet was nicely breaded, and the mashed potatoes were great? I'm not certain I could say that about the pork cutlet. There was nothing wrong with it. I think the flavor was fine, but it was not something that I would order again. It just wasn't my taste that's all. So would we come again? Yes. Yes we would!

    This place was absolutely awesome!!!! The food was absolutely incredible. The service was super…read morefriendly. They had karaoke night so that was def entertaining! Had the sampler plate - just to get a taste of everything! Such a great variety, such a nice place to have in a strip mall. Can't wait to come back soon!

    Photos
    Main dining area
    Main dining area
    Żurek (white borscht) in a bread bowl with fried egg. Seriously, one of the tastiest soups in the world.
    Żurek (white borscht) in a bread bowl with fried egg. Seriously, one of the tastiest soups in the world.
    Bar atmosphere is awesome and welcoming.  The entire restaurant is beautiful too

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    Bar atmosphere is awesome and welcoming. The entire restaurant is beautiful too

    Smetana - modern_european - Updated June 2026

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