Veselka

10/05/2008 Posted by NinaBa

Just because place survives long enough to boast itself as a "landmark"-does not make its food good. Living in NYC long enough to learn that those "famous" ones should be avoided by all means, because places like Veselka no longer care ( do they eat that stuff themselves?) for what and how they serve- tourists will come anyway. I knew Veselka is going to be bad, because i grew up in Ukraine and know how good it should taste, and in America , you get authentic food only in ghettos- those places run by first generations, speaking exotic languages to each other, fairly cheap and unpretentious, with basic interior design . Indeed, it was spectacularly bad. Service was brisk and un charming- fine with me.Borsch was very sweet( and no, not because of beets- because of sugar), with prominent taste of vinegar in it. Then came the "meat deluxe" plate with "mushroom" gravy on a side. I don't know where were the mushrooms, but it was a mere tasteless lump of boiled potato starch with water.Another shapeless something on the plate happened to be some mix of cabbage,rice and minced meat- trust me on this one , it had nothing to do with stuffed cabbages.To add to my confusion what looked like "vareniki" to me (stuffed dough dumplings- always boiled) was called here "pierogi'- but that is just Polish name for them , I guess.Potatoes did not have fried onions in them( not even taking of smaltz!)- think how boiled dough would taste with mashed potatoes from the box- yes, that bland.The worst of all were pirogi, or whatever, with "meat". I think that meat was already eaten by somebody before it was stuffed in that dough- it was super dry,processed looking,tasteless. As condiment there were caramelized( and i wish they really were!) onions- pale and sad they swam in plenty of oil. And to finish up the experience- i woke up in the middle of the night with an acute stomach pain! We left,my friend apologized for 2 days bringing us there. Never again.

Pros: Max Brenner chocolate across it

Cons: Everything

06/30/2008 Posted by pbr2008

Have you ever noticed all the sticky fly traps lining the restaurant? That makes me want to eat about as much as seeing the ones that haven't been caught yet landing on my fork .

Pros: Pirogis!

Cons: Flies!

04/25/2008 Posted by acb723

The raspberry blintzes and pierogies (especially the sweet potato ones!) are very good. The service is not. You shouldn't have to keep asking for water, and the waitresses are on the ditzy side. But the food is really good, and the location can't be beat. It's also pretty inexpensive, which is nice. Don't let the bad service discourage you from the good meal you will have here. If you can put up with the flaky waitstaff, you will enjoy it a lot and come back for more pierogies, blintzes, and more!

Pros: good food, inexpensive

Cons: too much of a wait sometimes, lousy service

01/02/2008 Posted by anthony22

I just don't understand some of the previous reviews. If you want fancy Eastern Block food (as if there is such a thing)--go some place else. If you want hearty fare, at 2 in the morning, served by hard core veteran Ukranian waitresses, in a place that is buzzing with energy--step right in! Who in their right mind orders delivery from Veselka's? That's like asking the guys at McSorley's to deliver some of their ale to your door. Do people really expect a short order cook who barely speaks english (and who's been manning the grill for the last twelve hours) to give you service like at Jean George's? Keep it simple-- order the boiled pierogi sampler, a bowl of the HOT (not the cold) borscht which has huge chunks of meat in it, a plate of Bigos (their version of sauerkraut-kielbasa hunter's stew), some wonderful blintzes, a few Uki beers, and you will be very happy. In a world full of Starbucks, Bennigan's, and McDonald's, I thank God for a place like Veselka. It plays a special role in the East Village scene, and it's no mistake that it stays packed 24/7/365.

Pros: hearty, unpretentious food, unmistakeable vibe, cheap

Cons: none

09/04/2007 Posted by ars_poetica

What happened to this East Village institution? Service at Veselka has always been extremely slow and ridiculously inattentive, but one could rely on the good food and 24-hour convenience. No one would give us menus; okay, we’ll get them ourselves. No one would take our order; okay, shall we input it on the POS computer ourselves too? Challah bread arrived hard and crumbled; perhaps, those New York pigeons sent them back as inedible and we got them instead. The cold borscht arrived hot and the hot cabbage roll arrived cold. And the beer never arrived at all. This place is definitely resting—make that sleeping… nah, they’re just plain comatose!—on its precarious reputation. Guess if a business is making their nut, they don’t feel compelled to do any better. But please, at the very least be decent.

Pros: East Village Location and Open 24/7

Cons: Terrible Food and Even Worse Service

07/10/2007 Posted by vintage70

I go to Veselka every so often-mostly cause I am nearby- the food is okay- not great but if you're in the mood for a heap of carbs it works. The counter man was very rude on my last visit- I ordered a soup that I didn't expect to be cream laden. When it arrived I asked him what was in it. After telling me it had no cream- and me asking why it looked creamy-he said it was buttermilk. I told him I did not want to eat something so creamy so he took it back and rather rudely said good-bye. I guess I will take my business elsewhere!

06/02/2007 Posted by ljm123

veselka is my favorite non-trendy place to eat in the city. i am always seated quickly and served quickly. the food is delicious - the mac 'n' cheese is my favorite, and i also love the pierogies, grilled cheese, burgers and fries.

Pros: everything

Cons: none!

05/30/2007 Posted by notapickiediner

I sat at the counter FOREVER!! waiting for someone to take my order. Instead I just asked the soup guy, standing there filling orders, for a cup. It was not a busy afternoon. I asked for the bill repeatedly and just figured out the total myself. I clearly showed a hostess standing by me that i was leaving money on the counter for whomever (here, you don't pay the cashier directly). As soon as I left, a waitress ran after me asking why i didn't pay. I will never come back here again.

05/04/2007 Posted by tadevosy

This place has nothing Ukranian about it. As far as diners go, far below average. Went there for some good comfort food and ended up having to grab dinner elsewhere afterwards. Meat pierogies stuffed with some strange, overcooked and not easily recognizable kind of meat. Tuna melt had terrible orange-colored cheese and was not even warm. The grilled kielbasa was really just a frankfurter. I love hearty Ukranian food and this isn't it. If you're hungry for diner food, go to a real diner!

Pros: Very nice and polite waitstaff, fun location

Cons: very bad food

12/02/2006 Posted by techiehost

The blintzes are amazing---- breakfast, lunch, dinner, dessert or as a snack. I eat them all the time. I highly recommend them. The service is quick and the waitresses/waiters are always pleasant. Of course, since I eat there multiple times a week, they make me feel like family. Open 24/7 so I also visit on occasion during the wee hours of the morning.

Pros: Blintzes are divine