Old Vilnius Cafe
| Address: | 2601 75th St, Darien, IL 60561, USA |
| Phone: | +1 630-324-6811 |
| Site: | oldvilniuscafe.com |
| Rating: | 4.5 |
| Working: | 10AM–9PM 10AM–9PM 10AM–9PM 10AM–9PM 10AM–10PM 10AM–10PM 10AM–9PM |
Location
Photos 1
Reviews 12
JI
Jimmy Peterson
Grand Dukes (63rd & Harlem) little brother/sister! I had a Groupon from the place that was nearing expiration - the only reason I hadnt gone is that its kind of far and inconvenient for me. But knowing that the food would be along the lines of the Lithuanian food at its sister restaurant, I knew it would be well worth the trip. Started out with a cup of mushroom barley soup - good stuff, though suspiciously much like the sauce that adorns several entrée offerings. But thats OK - its still good. As they say, "when in Lithuania, do as the Lithuanians do" - that includes ordering a half liter of Svyturys beer. Goes great with dinner - wouldve ordered more, but the meal fills one up pretty well, so more beer isnt always a good idea. Time for dinner. As usual, I have a tough time figuring out just what I want - there are soooo many good options. I decided to do a "Make your own Combo" - three decent sized options from the dinner menu at $18.99. I had to order potato pancakes as the ones at GDs are awesome (Ive ordered the dinner potato pancake dish at GD as an entrée and taken some home too). The potato pancakes here were good - though could have been crispier - they were a little mushy. Next - breaded pork! This was awesome as expected - served over some mashed potatoes which were a little bit of overkill with the potato pancakes. This had the "soup sauce" on it that I previously mentioned. Finally - my third option on the combo... Siberian Dumplings with Pork. This was something new to me and I like to try different stuff - but often get into the trap of ordering things Ive had and loved before. Well... add another item to that category! These were like raviolis with a thinner pasta around the meat in a light broth with a fresh pork-like bacon topping on the dish. Wowsa. Flavor and then some - if bacon lovers stumbled upon this dish, pig farmers wouldnt be able to keep up with demand. I decide to take one of the potato pancakes home - which left a little room for dessert. They had a turtle cheesecake that looked interesting, so I ordered it. Another hit! This was a piece of good cheesecake with a layer of hot fudge-like chocolate between the graham cracker crust and the cheesecake at the tip of the serving - and going back about halfway. But heres the kicker - it was warm while the cheesecake itself was cold. Not entirely sure how they managed to do that! Now - after a gangbuster review like this, five stars would usually follow. But heres the thing - the place has its "rough edges". Overall, the servers are nice - but they miss things. They brought me a bread basket, but no plate (used the plate that the cup of soup was on). Also. no silverware or napkin at the table - had to ask for that. They have about 28 spot lights on the ceiling - 12 were out - and it didnt look as if they were out "by design". Entrée was slow to come out as well - I wasnt in a hurry anyway, but it was a little longer than what would be "usual". So given the hiccups - fours stars is appropriate. Ill definitely be back though.
EI
Eileen Quinn
We were pleasantly surprised! Once we got passed the piles of boxes and signage at the entry and through the little Lithuanian shoppe, the cafe was charming. Even better than the creatively-decorated room was the food itself. The fried smelt appetizer was light, crisp, delicious, and a very generous size: about 18 fish! The entrees our party chose: pierogi, potato pancakes with salmon, and stuffed cabbages were HUGE and very good. All were well-presented, authentic, European recipes. Everything was complemented by large, cold glasses of Svyturys EKSTRA on tap. The single waiter for 8-10 tables never made anyone feel hurried. He politely and most efficiently greeted diners, took orders, bussed tables, and did it all with a soft-spoken explanation of the menu and a smile.
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Natalie Roberts
Went here for dinner, and wish we had saved our money. The food was terrible, potato pancakes were flavorless and burned, and the beef stroganoff sauce was chunky and tasted like flour. No seasoning on anything, and when we asked for chocolate ice cream for dessert she brought vanilla and said they had no chocolate, even though it was on the menu. No drink refills, the waitress never asked how everything was or if we needed anything else. This is not a cheap place, and I really cant see how they stay in business with the bad service and equally bad food. It was really a disappointment.
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Vlad S
Ordered 1(!) order of pork hock (ham-hock or eisbein), 1(!) order of fried pieces of rye bread with melted cheese and Lithuanian beer. Everything was fantastic, very tasty, beer fresh, bread crispy but soft inside (just the way I like), portions are so huge so I it was more than enough for 2 people, waiters were very nice offered coffee while I was waiting for that to-go order and even didnt charge me for it. So 5 stars is not enough, Id give 6)
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Jeff Grindler
Great traditional Lithuanian dishes and exceptional service are tops for an enjoyable cultural dining experience. Make sure to also visit their sister store, Grand Dukes, on Harlem avenue close to Toyota park. Kugelis, Lithuanian sausage, cold and warm beet soups and grandmas pork balls are the best! Make sure to BRING your appetite with you....this food will fill you up!!
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Jason Cadell
If you want some great Lithuanian food you must stop here at Old Vilnius Cafe, 2601 75th St, Darien, IL 60561. All of the dishes that they have taste fantastic. In my trips here with my group I believe weve eaten everything and never been disappointed. Staff is friendly and the food is served as it should be hot or cold dish dependent. I look forward to going back soon!
TO
Todd Kuebelbeck
Great food, great environment, and great staff. My food: Kibinai, Pickle soup, and the Siberian Dumplings were all well cooked and great tasting. My only complaint would be the loud Lithuanian music--so loud I had a hard time hearing the person across from me. That may be a rare occurrence, but overall Old Vilnius definitely worth a taste!
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Morgan Win
I love this place! Ive been here multiple times with my bf, and I always get the same thing: Noblemans Zeppelins! So good! Ive gotten the country fried pork or something too with mushroom sauce, and it was delicious as well. I really enjoy the food, and if you come during lunchtime, they give you a complimentary bread basket!
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Dominykas Sipelis
The service was awful, the wait was way to long taking a whole 45 minutes for the only 2 people in the restaurant, and the food was mediocre at best. Good if your looking for lithuanian Food and merchandise, bad if youre coming for a quick meal. Id rather go to grand dukes where the service and decor is great.
J.
J. Bednarzyk
I bought a Groupon for this restaurant but have been back several times. Good beer, nice atmosphere, friendly waiters and yummy food. The borscht tastes just like great grannys! Faves: Fried Lithuanian platter, traditional potato pancakes, and the mushroom barley soup is awesome.
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Zzz Mmm
receiving food in 45 min is unacceptable , no more !!! Plates damaged corners , washroom sink not draining , feels like place build 20 years ago , tables dirty , not talking about floor , is terrible, waitress time to change , blonde need to retire
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Regina Pavlicic Pavlicic
The food was horrible, very salty, Made me throw up after I left and had stomach issues, this will be my last time ever coming back to this place I wouldnt recommend going to such a place like this for this experience.
