Polka Polish Restaurant

In the past, I loved coming here and in my business travels, brought quite a few people with me. Things have changed on the Polka front, though. I knew they were closed for a time due to the fire but not that the business had changed hands until I read reviews. I didn’t care, as long as I could get the same amazing polish food that tastes like memories of my grandmothers kitchen.
Sadly, that was not my experience this time around. I picked up a to-​go order, 5 stars for service from the helpful gal. The mushroom and cabbage pierogis I have always ordered were smaller, and the beautiful texture was now made into a paste. It was my boyfriends first time trying polish food and he seemed happy enough so I hid my disappointment. The meat pierogis didn’t have great flavor, but I’ve never tried them before. This was still a 3 – 4 star meal… Until my man chomped on something. A piece of hard crescent shaped plastic over an inch long in the pierogi. So it’s time I learn to make my own, and won’t be visiting Polka again.

Friendly service and fresh food. It never disappoints. I’ve been there with family and friends for special occasions. Many of the meals come with appetizers and dessert. It makes the meal feel special.

We found this place through triple D on food channel net. I decided to take my lovely wife on the date night. We loved this place!!! What a beautiful atmosphere and friendly service! We are from Ukraine and the food in this place brought us back home :) We would highly recommend to try goulash and pirogies with potato and cheese. We will be back :)

First, let me point out their customer service– it deserves a line or two. Even though it was my only experience with this restaurant, it made me want to go back. The way they handled their mistake was how it should be everywhere– quickly correcting an order and adding something extra on top of it, with a smile and no questions asked.
I ordered a pierogis take-​out (without soup or salad) in a variety of flavors. The lady taking my order was super nice and welcoming!
Only after I got home did I notice that my order was missing a portion of pierogis. I called the place and they were really sorry about the mistake. They said they would add the missing pierogis if I was able to go back that day. So I drove back and the food was already waiting for me. The same lady handed them to me apologizing again. Turned out I also received an extra portion of these delicious treats on top of it!
The food itself was amazing! Full of flavor. I miss pierogis and every time I try to make them, they don’t turn out like at home. These tasted just like my mom’s!

Disappointed by the food.
The service was lovely.

Only true Polish restaurant left in Los Angeles, as if there were many to begin with. They’ve reopened a couple of months ago after having been closed for several months due to a fire that ravaged the north wing of the mall. Dining here last Friday, it’s as if nothing has changed about this place.
We had a lovely server, who was very polite and helpful with making suggestions when I wasn’t certain what to get.
I opted for the vegetarian platter, which came with potato and cheese pirogies, dumplings, sauteed vegetables (in butter no less), and mashed potatoes. In addition, dinners came with a creamy spinach soup and a side salad. Soup was delicious. Simple but very tasty. Potato pierogi was OK. The cheese version was much better. Dinner ended with a small dessert. So, $ 15 bought me a 4-​course dinner. Not a bad deal.
My friend and I shared a side order of stuffed cabbage rolls, also delicious.
My friend, who is half Ukrainian and half Polish enjoyed his dinner very much, especially since he was able to practice speaking Polish with the servers.

First time at Polka.
Friendly people and very clean nice place.
The food:
Pierogi were Amazing
Pork kotlet Delicious and huge. Came with Gravy and Mushrooms, potatoes and vegetable.
You can get chicken or pork and both are SOOOO GOOD.
The Bigos was zesty and so flavorful. Great stew with meat and cabbage for those not familiar.
I liked the Golombki but wished it had more salt. I guess I could have put more salt myself, lol.
My dinner companion came from Poland and said the food was better at POLKA.
We will be back for sure!

When you’re about to marry a polak you have to get accustomed to their food and culture. Polka makes it easy because their food is amazing and the staff is unbelievably kind, am I in LA right now? Sure doesn’t feel like it. You need to eat at this hidden gem.

I really, really enjoyed everything about my meal here. My server was extremely personable without being overbearing at all. I was starving and ordered right after a large party but my server seemed to read my mind and brought me a soup before I even ordered (all of the meals here include a soup). I got the Royal Platter with pierogi, stuffed cabbage and goulash and everything was simply amazing! Hearty and flavorful, with enormous portions. I also had a polish porter, which was delicious and not too heavy. I will definitely be back!

Finally reopened! We got a friendly welcome at the door and were seated immediately. Small dining room but cozy and authentic. Great menu options suggested: #1 kielbasa plate and #11 sampler plate (beef stew, stuffed cabbage, dumplings, pierogis, corn, carrots!). It’s a coursed meal so they bring you a small cup of yummy soup and a tiny salad first. A good Polish lager was recommended and went well with the meal. All SUPER tasty and out in a timely fashion. I was a little shocked by the cost of everything at first but I guess with the soup, salad, entrée and vanilla pudding are worth $ 20.

Back here after a 5-​year break. Décor; much better, new comfy sofas, chairs, tables… Ambiance is very cute and homey. Jazz plays on the stereo.
Food:
Gulasz was absolutely delicious. Marinated (48 hr) tender beef chunks in a delightful blend of herbs and spices, slow braised over a long time. I tasted LOVE in that Gulasz. Potato dumplings next to it were yummy.
Pierogies were delightfully filled with variety stuffing. We had potato filled, sauerkraut filled, and pork filled pierogis. Potato-​filled ones were my personal favorite, so fluffy, hubby loves ‘em all.
Polish light beer was amazing.
Prices; its at the top of the range we would spend on a home-​style eatery.
Very nice server.

First time trying Polish food and our waitress really gave us the whole experience. I’d never tried a pierogi before, I was assuming they were like khinkalis, but they’re actually very different. Pierogis are strictly steamed whereas the Georgian dumplings may also be fried. The dough of the pierogis was delicious and very soft! I’d have to say my favorite was the sauerkraut and mushroom one. They also have a potato and cheese one with drizzled bacon bits on top. Stuffed cabbage (golabki) is also a very popular polish dish — the meat in it is very moist and saucy, very flavorful. You must try the kielbasa — so good paired with mustard that we had to order two of them as sides. Entrees come with desserts at the end.
Very romantic setting at night and the plates are always presented really well. If you’ve never tried Polish food I would suggest coming to Polka Polish. Two thumbs up from me!

Very Authentic and delicious food. The quality is top notch and so is the taste. This was the first time I had polish food and it wont be the last.
Customer service is on point as well. I highly recommend checking this place out.
Ill be back soon!

Polka is wonderful! I have finally found somewhere with delicious Polish food nearby. So happy it reopened. The only downside is the dining area is small and so are the booths. You won’t be able to bring a large party here easily for lunch, so keep your groups small. We had some difficulty trying to make this a work lunch spot, because the food takes some time to prepare — best to plan a long lunch or day off/​dinner. But it’s delicious and the wait staff are wonderful. Can’t wait to return again.

I love this place, and am so glad they’ve finally re-​opened!
The atmosphere is really homey, which is definitely in line with the food. Tastes like someone who loves you made it for you.

Outstanding — small quaint spot with a few tables. The prices are $ 15 – 17 for a traditional dish. Ask for the multi platter that brings you 3 of the standard dishes that you are craving. The downside now — in order to order any sides you just order a mandatory dish which in our hearts was the only downfall since we wanted to order many different options and tastings. The potato pancakes were unavailable at the time we ordered which was a bummer too… Free soup and salad brought this place back to 4…

They’re open! Unfortunately our first attempt was shortly after the fire. It’s too bad we had to wait so long but it was worth the wait!

When I saw their food truck at the Lady & Gents Night Out in Magnolia Park in Burbank last year, I was so excited. I had been wanting to try their food for quite awhile. We ordered several meals to go. Everything was wonderful. Loved the pierogis with sour cream! Can’t wait until they re-​open.

is this place open or closed? i have a gift certificate that i have been trying to use since august (the month i found out they were closed for reconstruction). I remember seeing on Unilocal.that it will be reopen in December, but now its shut down??? There is no info on the contact to the owners, i would like to use my voucher, but now i cant…

We have ordered our Svat Vetcher meal from Polka many times because the food is so good! Though we are Ukrainian, it is similar and makes us feel like we are at home! The vereneky/​perogies are amazing and the holuoptsy/​stuffed cabbage, are the best we have ever tasted!

The food was okay, although I think I may have ordered poorly. What I found most disappointing was how rude the waiter was. We found him curt, condescending an inattentive. Given the small size and family owned atmosphere we expected a much warmer experience. Over all it was a pretty bug let down considering all the hype I had heard about it.

Love this place. Great food. However the whole strip mall where this is located is fenced off for some reason. Not sure what’s going on. Will post a photo soon.

So came here for lunch and it was practically empty. Four other people present aside from my coworker and I.
Street parking is free and plentiful. They also have a small lot in the little strip mall they are located at.
Came here to give Polish food another try so I HAD TO GET the pierogies, yes? Chose different flavors…
Potato Cheddar — was good but did not stand out.
Potato Jalapeño — was very good. I guess it needed a bit of spice and kick because otherwise, all those potatoes and pasta and cream sauce would be bland.
Sauerkraut Mushroom — MMMMMMMM. So good. I love mushrooms. It goes great with ANY cream sauce so this is perfect. But the sauerkraut gave it that tangy flavor that rescued it from being bland.
Plain Potato — it is very good, but not there to impress. Great introduction to those who are not adventurous when it comes to food. Like some members of my family. And my daughters. My daughters are traumatized when it comes to food experimentation. I experiment too much.
Beef and Pork — eh. Would probably not order this again.
Spinach and Light Cream Cheese — is ok.
The salad is nothing to write home about and you can skip if you wish, but you shouldn’t because you need to eat your vegetables. Especially with all those carbs!
The soup was great!
The dessert. The strawberry crêpe (are we in the part of the world that calls these blinis yet?) comes with whipped cream and ice cream. And… Yes!!! They set the… was the cinnamon… on fire on your plate.
I know: My threshold for fun is VERY low.

The pierogies are good but they are not as amazing as when the original owners started the place. I love the cabbage rolls and dessert was good. Service is slow and the place can be quite busy at times and is not a large dining room so get used to being close with your neighbors. Overall the food is good and prices are fair, it does satisfy when I get the yearning for Polish

My mom & I were regulars. We really enjoyed the salmon, always fresh and prepared perfectly.
Not the same since the change in ownership, it’s lost its original charm.

I’ve been coming to Polka for 10 years. Last October the husband and I had our annual Polish sausage, sauerkraut, and potato pancake fall feast with friends and I ordered a tray of potato cheese pierogi from Polka but when we walked in the door to pick up our catering order there were NO Christmas ornaments dangling from the ceiling, NO bag of tennis balls was tacked to the wall… and where was the light up waterfall wall hanging? The wonderful couple that owned and operated Polka for years, and their beautiful daughter Basia had packed up their knick-​knacks, moved back to Poland, and sold the family business. The good news was, the pierogi were just as delicious as ever.
Fast forward to today. It was a rare rainy day in LA. Glendale’s Cruise Night was canceled, so our plans were rained out, and I wanted comfort food. The husband and I decided to go to Polka because what’s more comforting than potato and cheese pierogi? Am I right?
It was nowhere near as busy at it usually is. Not sure if that was due to the rain or if they’ve lost some of their loyal customers. I was so grateful that we didn’t have to wait for a table. Right away they brought us each a big cup of creamy spinach soup with buttery deliciousness and potatoes. Just as good as the soup I remembered, and the salad was a-​ok as well. Just like the good old days!
Todd ordered the Golabki (stuffed cabbage) and I had the Pierogi plate (6 pierogi plus veggies.) Since they had a bunch of new flavors of pierogi I ordered an extra three pierogi on the side for a grand total of 9… the extras are only a buck each.
The Golabki was amazing. They are SUPER meaty. It comes with two huge rolls of stuffed cabbage, mashed potatoes, and veggies (carrot, corn, and green beans.) each roll is like a mini meat loaf rolled in cabbage leaves and soaked in tomato sauce. So good.
The pierogi were good but I must admit that I’m used to hockey puck sized dumplings… and these were more like misshapen golf balls. Tasty misshapen golf balls however. I ordered meat, potato cheese, potato cheese with jalapeño, spinach, and potato cream cheese with bacon. My favorites were the meat (it’s always been my favorite) and the new potato cheese with jalapeño flavor.
We ate every bite on both plates so we obviously enjoyed our meals AND I checked in so we got to experience their sweet crêpe which was absolutely delicious!
Oh and I DUG the Billie Holiday playlist they had going on.

The service is always great here. The waiters are such sweet Polish guys. The food, always delicious. Like a home cooked meal Always leave here with a happy tummy.

First saw this place featured on «California’s Gold» which was taped apparently many years ago and finally tried it tonight. Just off the Glendale Fwy in an uninteresting corner strip mall with limited parking.
Since I know of no other Polish restaurant around I guess it’s in a class by itself and we had nothing to compare it to. Dumplings are tasty but $ 17 is expensive for just six. Initially ordered the $ 21 royal dinner but was then informed afterward that there was no stuffed cabbage! So selected the roast pork for same price. Came slathered in brown gravy.
The meal comes with a small cup of soup, a small radish salad and entrée. Used Unilocal checkin to get a free Cherry crêpe dessert (otherwise the meal came with tiny scoops of ice cream). Overall the food is hearty, very meat and potatoes kind of dinner that probably appeals to a certain segment of the population. Just don’t expect anything gourmet.
Portions aren’t as big anymore as shown in the Unilocal photos and dinner prices are $ 17 to $ 30, so not inexpensive.

The polish food truck was at my work today, and I am so happy I had a chance to try it!
I ordered stuffed cabbage with 4 pierogis filled with potatoes, cheese and jalapenos. I’m so glad I was a bit adventurous with my food today because it turned out so delicious! The pierogis are amazing, although I do think they are a bit overpriced. BUT regardless, it was a good foodie experience for me!

Always a treat, Polka does not disappoint! It’s so consistently great that I take in laws here. The pierogie and stuffed cabbage are more than on point, and the rolled stuffed pork tenderloin is also great. Every dinner also comes with soup and salad. Great value.
Pro tip: ask for a zywiec porter. This polish beer is not on the menu and definitely worth a taste. Not as heavy as most porters with a great day finish.

I actually found this place because of the Unilocal email the other day talking about all kinds of places like this. This is one type of place I have not seen in LA yet, and being 50% polish and a 100% Polish grandmother I needed to try it. I grew up with all of this food so it had a lot to live up to. Especially the pierogies.
When we walked in we were surprised that everyone was dressed a bit better than casual, I mew it was still a casual atmosphere but maybe more like business casual. Noted for next time. The place was somewhat dimly lit and a bit cozy but it made for w nice atmosphere. It did not feel like an LA restaurant at all, in fact it felt like you were eating at someone’s house which is the best way to eat and share food.
I looked over the menu, and while there were many great choices I was definitely cravings pierogies, so that’s what I got. There were 8(?) kinds to choose from so I got the spinach and light cream cheese, potato, cheddar and bacon, and the potato cheese and jalapeño. They were much smaller than what I squally make from scratch at home but that does not mean they were not good. They were really good, thing chewy dough, perfectly mashed and creamy potatoes and just the right amount of other fillings to compliment the rest, no one taste overpowered. I also got s side of kielbasa, which is definitely the best I have had out here, the skin had a nice snap to it when you bit into it, and it had a nice smoky flavor as well as being really juicy. The best part was that they gave you horseradish with it, very traditional.
Minor complaint section: the pierogies could have used s pan fried finish with butter and onions. The menu was a bit pricy for the amount of food. Really that’s it though. A great experience with some really tasty food, reminded me of home and my childhood, I will definitely be back to have more pierogies as it is easier than making them. Polska!

Came here with my family to try some polish cuisine as my grandpa was from Poland and the food was so good service was great everyone was very nice number 11 krolewski the royal platter was amazein can’t wait to come back well we got lucky new promo every 50^th customer gets their meal free my mom was the lucky # 50 she got free meal score
For dessert we had the crepes very delicious

«Meh» is the right word for this place. The interior is dark, outdated and sorta creepy. The staff is polite, but distant and slow. The prices were ridiculously high for a dive like this. The bathroom was through the back behind these old gaudy, crookedly-​hung curtain drapes, and they had a white vinyl privacy fence separating the bathroom from the kitchen. The bathroom had vinyl floor tiles over all the walls, and was extremely poorly done.
The food was par at best. For waiting 30 minutes, the food came out luke-​warm. We split the royal platter, which consisted of a decently sized stuffed cabbage, a small pierogee and a ladle of goulash… for $ 20. The pierogee was OK (boiled, with no pan-​fry to bring it back to life?), and the potato dumplings were too soft/​mushy. The stuffed cabbage was the best thing on the plate, making me wish it was actually hot. My 2.5 year old daughter said «Daddy has poopy on his plate» and pointed to the goulash. Haha. Yes, it wasn’t a pleasant-​looking dish. The goulash tasted OK, though, but nothing special, and certainly not «best ever» that Guy claimed on DDD.
Unilocal had a check in coupon for a free crêpe, so we tried it. It was the best part of the meal. No complaints. Served with the cliché corner flames by lighting alcohol on fire as it comes to your table. But at least the crêpe was cooked properly and the filling was good.
Certainly want to avoid this place. After the last few DDD places, it feels like Guy is being paid by struggling/​failing businesses to drum up new customers before they sell.

We came here for our 6 month anniversary and the yummy food made it very special. Homey atmosphere and friendly servers.
I recommend the chicken cutlets. I will return

Service was amazing today. The waiter was very attentive and was patient with me. I was dead tired and needed a moment to think of what I wanted. I wanted to try the chicken liver, but he told me they ran out at lunch time. So I went through my old review and thought… Why not try the pierogi’s again?
OMG… My inner stress doctor told me to get the Pierogi entrée ($ 17.99) and sure enough he was right on. The entrée comes with 4 different kinds of Pierogi’s but you can mix and match which ever way you want it. It entrée alsocame with soup and a small salad. The soup was tasty and I wanted more of it!
Last time, I only got to try the seasoned pork and chicken so I decided to try all four of them. The other ones I tried tonight were the chicken or sauerkraut & stewed mushrooms or potatoes & cheese or potatoes & cheese & jalapeño. The dumplings did not disappoint! Every single bite got me closer to food nirvana. The potato, cheese, and jalapeño is my new fav. The spice gives the dumpling a kick to it!
*Hope you have a good appetite, because once you’re through eating… You’ll be in food nirvana! :)
*cue the food nirvana chant… OMMMNOMMMNOMMM… OMMMNOMMMNOMMM*

In the spirit of full disclosure: I don’t have extensive experience with Polish food, or much to compare this to. That being said, I love Polka!
The lunch prices are a bit lower than dinner, but still come with soup and salad, and the portions are generous.
We started with tomato soup, a perfect balance of sweet, savory, spicy, and then a cool, crisp side salad with, oddly, a ginger sesame dressing.
I had the vegetarian plate for my entrée, which has a few different veggies and pierogies. Whether you’re eating meat or not, you should consider the potato/​cheese/​jalapeño pierogi. Cheesy, savory, a bit spicy.
The service was quick and very attentive. Just get past the crummy strip mall exterior and you’ll be glad you did!

It’s in a strip mall. Parking can be found on the street if the lot is full. Since its a small place, it can get a little bit stuffy inside. You’ll find all walks of life dine here– families, couples, etc.
***check in offer**** free Nalesniki (crêpe)
Where have you been all my life?!
I’ve never had Polish food before and had this place bookmarked ever since I saw it on DDD. I know they have switched owners since the show aired, but man oh man. The food! To top it off, service was awesome.
Highly suggest ordering the combo entrée called Krolewski because you get a little bit of everything. Each meal comes with a salad, soup and dessert. Vegetarians are welcome. They have a platter just for you!
–soup– really good!!! And this is coming from a person who generally doesn’t like soup. It was a simple potato base without a ton of heavy cream.
–Golabski– stuffed cabbage, on point with the description. It comes with a tomato sauce and is tightly rolled.
–2 pierogi of your choice– since 3 of us ordered the same meal, our pierogis got mixed up :(so I took a couple bites of mine and found that I got potato and jalepeno, which I personally wasn’t a fan of.
–Gulasz– because this took longer for them to cook, we got a piece of Klopsy as a replacement so that the 4 of us could start eating. The Gulasz was my favorite dish by far. A hearty beef stew with tender meat. With every bite it kind of reminded me of curry. I would come back for this for sure!
–dessert– I liked the chocolate moose (but it had a pudding texture) more than the crepes. It had more to do with the fact that I’m not a fan of the filling inside the crêpe. They light up two corners of your plate by burning sugar.
For a busy night, the food tasted great. I need to take my husband here!