Veselka

Veselka has only gotten better over the years. I've dined there numerous times as a single late-night party girl, and continue to go at least once a month now as a mom of 4 kids.\r \r The food is always fresh and the prices are fair.\r \r the pierogis are outstanding. Don't forget to ask for sour cream and carmelized onions to go with them. more

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.\r 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 .\r 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.\r And to finish up the experience- i woke up in the middle of the night with an acute stomach pain! \r We left,my friend apologized for 2 days bringing us there. Never again.\r Pros: Max Brenner chocolate across it Cons: Everything more

This was one of the best restaurants on our recent visit. Although we thought it was strictly Polish food, it is more Eastern European. There are a variety of choices. I was very pleased with the pierogis, although my husband wished they were crispier. The stuffed cabbage was also good. This place is open 24 hours so if you get a late night craving, head there. more

Veselka is a great place to go late after a night of bar hopping. The service is fast and the food was good. I had the beef stroganoff and I was not disappointed. I practically licked my plate clean. more

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! more

Let me to tell you what I like in this OK restaurant , you walk in , you order , the food arrive very fast , I eat twice over there and 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. the only thing this restaurant is too crowded . more

I love weekend breakfasts at Veselka. I dig the atmosphere, no matter what time of the morning- 2am with a buzz on or 10am with a hangover on- no matter, it's always delicious. more

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 more

I wait all year for their special Christmastime-only borscht. Try it next year! more

I wait all year for their special Christmastime-only borscht. Try it next year! more

I wait all year for their special Christmastime-only borscht. Try it next year! more

I wait all year for their special Christmastime-only borscht. Try it next year! more

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 more

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 more

This is an East Village staple; a brunch time and late night institution. The blintzes and pierogies are... more

This is an East Village staple; a brunch time and late night institution. The blintzes and pierogies are not to be missed. Sadly, the service is o... more

This is an East Village staple; a brunch time and late night institution. The blintzes and pierogies are not to be missed. Sadly, the service is o... more

This is an East Village staple; a brunch time and late night institution. The blintzes and pierogies are not to be missed. Sadly, the service is o... more

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! more

Went all the time when I lived in Third North, not so much since. Still good, though. more