Old Krakow--CLOSED

01/12/09

Awesome homestyle Polish food!

by Jelsanna

Wow! This place is awesome! The interior design creates an atmosphere of being at a country house or at grandma's house. It's very warm, cozy, and inviting. It's also very sweet and romantic. It's a perfect place to take that special someone. The staff is wonderful. They're kind, friendly, and know the menu!

Now to the food. The restaurant give the usual bread and butter. You must try their walnut bread. It's good. I love their mushroom soup. It's very hearty and fulfilling. Watch out though. Don't stuff yourselves with the appetizers and bread because their dishes are pretty hefty and large. I had their Hunter's Stew, and it was wonderful. The plate was rather generous. I had to take most of it home. The chocolate mousse was delicious. I love their desserts. They are big enough for two so you and your honey can share! They are a little pricey, but where else can you find wonderful "home-made" tasting Polish food??? I think they're worth it. Give them a try! You just mind find me sitting in the corner having the mushroom soup!

• Pros: Homestyle food. Generous portions. Great staff.

Get a taste of Eastern Europe at this West Portal favorite for home-style Polish dishes (sauerkraut and pickled beets included).

by Contributor

Anyone with a Polish grandmother would love this cozy West Portal restaurant. The small, open dining room is rose-colored and decidedly Soviet-influenced in design, with clocks, framed drawings and various knickknacks from decades past (just like Grandma's). The staff is ridiculously friendly and helpful, especially in helping you pronounce the seemingly all-consonant Polish names of dishes like grzyby marynowane (marinated mushrooms), barszcz czerwony (traditional borscht) and golabki w sosie pieczarkowym (stuffed cabbage rolls with the house mushroom sauce), just like Grandma would. And portions of the hearty meat-and-potatoes fare--you won't find a non-pickled vegetable anywhere near this place--are huge (Grandma says, "Clean your plate or no poppy seed cake!"). In fact, you'll likely see a Polish granny or two while you're there--the spot is a favorite amongst expat families and the 20-something dating scene alike.

09/24/06

Best polish food outside of Poland

by sarahandtom

Authentic food, reasonable prices. Having grown up in Brooklyn, NY I have had no shortage of access to polish restaurants. This is definately one of the best and certainly the most charming I've seen anywhere but in Poland itself. The food is a little americanized only in that they lay off the grease that usually would accompany a polish dish (a good thing since all the taste remains). The rub is that they don't serve liquor; only beer and wine, but that should not stop you from visiting this great place.

• Pros: The food and atmosphere
• Cons: No liquor license (read: no polish vodka)

07/12/06

Authentic Polish Food

by maluch300

Old Krakow offers authentic Polish cuisine at very reasonable prices. I go here often with my family for a little taste of home. i recommend ordering the Goulash, which is served with incredible dumplings with some authentic Polish cheesecake for dessert.... and of course you can't forget to try the Polish beer.

• Pros: Great Food, service
• Cons: None!

10/02/05

Try the Mushroom Soup

by foodielover

A co-worker told me about the delicious mushroom soup and I love mushroom soup. Our neighbors dine here as well. Arriving on a Saturday w/o reservations, the waiter told us they were expecting a lge party and if we were willing to dine within 60-75 mins, he could accomodate us. While we were enjoying our meal, the waiter returned to let us know not the entire large group was showing up & we didn't need to hurry. We loved the mushroom soup. The borscht was tangy, not my favorite. I ordered one homemade lean Polish Kielbasa and sauerkraut. If you like sauerkraut, try this one. The lamb kebob arrived with 1 skewer and the meat was dry and served w/mixed vegts. This meal and one glass of wine was $45, which I felt was rather expensive. I would probably return for the mushroom soup and try the sourdough soup.

• Pros: quaint restaurant, pleasant service, parking
• Cons: pricey

03/01/05

Everything I expected

by caddy25

Good quality Eastern European food. Ordered the Breaded Grilled Pork - good. Mushroom soup - excellent. Kilbasa - great. I love the coziness and miss matched furniture

01/01/05

great food,great ambiance

by zabss

romantica,cozy,food is great,specially the mushroom soup,dumpling ok,meat is great quality,really tender

Dessert are exceptional !

really easy to park

• Pros: romantic, easy parking, great experience

04/03/04

Great Food but too expensive...

by aniam

The food here is authentic, delicious, and nicely served, but for Polish food it's just too expensive. A dinner for two, without wine will cost between $50 - $70.

I frequently visited the restaurant, but they raised their prices over the last two years several times and in turn lost many of their regular customers.

I still highly recommend this restaurant for special occasions. When you want to dine with a big group they are very accomodating.

This restaurant has the best mushroom soup in San Francisco.

• Pros: Great Soups, Atmosphere, authentic

06/08/03

Come with an appettite!

by sangeld

Ok....we walked in, were warmly greeted, seated and immersed in the fragrant aromas. Nice entry! We decided on beer, remembering our Eastern European favorites 2 years ago on our honeymoon. Sharing our 1st beer over marinated herring and incredible soup, we were told of the specials. Our waiter was very sweet and knowledgeable. He worked the busy floor with ease and professionalism. Our dinner was fulfilling and filling! We shared a main course of Goulash and a side of brotworse (sp?) and saurkraut - yum!

What a nice, romantic evening! I hope you try it!

• Pros: fragrant aromas, warm cozy room, Tasty unique food
• Cons: cheesy music

04/06/03

Turtle/Snail like service...

by kiki94110

Wow, last time we went there, it was SUPER noisy, crowded, and the service was lacking... not typical of them, though, as we used to go when it was quiet and a nice place to go for a romantic relaxed dinner. The prices are a tad high, but that's what you get for the neighborhood, but the Potato dumplings are yummy as well as the cabbage rolls... Borscht and Mushroom Soup were also really good... but definitely a bit pricey for Eastern European food. It's a more expensive and fancier version of the Cinderella Cafe, another favourite of mine

• Pros: easy parking, good food!, nice ambience
• Cons: crowded at times, service can be slow, prices a tad high