Reviews Old Vilnius Cafe

Grand Duke's (63rd & Harlem) little brother/sister! I had a Groupon from the place that was nearing expiration - the only reason I hadn't gone is that it's 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 that's OK - it's 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 - would've ordered more, but the meal fills one up pretty well, so more beer isn't 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 GD's are awesome (I've 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 I've 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 wouldn't 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 here's 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 here's 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 didn't look as if they were out "by design". Entrée was slow to come out as well - I wasn't in a hurry anyway, but it was a little longer than what would be "usual". So given the hiccups - fours stars is appropriate. I'll definitely be back though.

Went with my Lithuania friend for lunch. It was a wonderful experience. The waitresses are nice. The atmosphere was good. Most importantly, the food was DELICIOUS!!!!

We ate dinner there and then we shopped in the gift shop which we bought some blackberry wine dinner was awesome I had mandarin orange salad we also bad potato pancake appetizer and the little donuts with Nutella sauce and strawberry sauce we are definitely planning another dinner there

Initially got some food that was over 50% fat, but they were quick to fix it and apologized. If you want to see and experience the Lithuanian culture I dont think you will find a better spot in the United states.

Great food and good service. Don't be in a hurry when you come here though. There is also a store attached to the cafe.

A very nice Eastern European food store with Lithuanian, Russian, and Polish specialties, baked goods, frozen sections, herbal remedies, souvenirs and crafts and many other useful things.

Unbelievably good, and very unique for the area. Everything is homemade and delicious. My favorite place around.

The food was FANTASTIC!!! The waitstaff was lovely, the atmosphere was warm. The only minus was the music. Too loud, and a lot of hip hop for an old world restaurant. More authentic music would have been much nicer to dine by. Otherwise, I can't wait to go back!

We purchased Lasisa (cold smoked salmon) and cold smoked tuna. It was wonderful, as always! They have an extensive selection of imported liquor, and we bought two bottles of Lithuanian Three Nines herbal bitters for gifts.

Love this place and it’s old-world charm! The food is hearty and comforting, everything I’ve had has been so good and delicious. They have a large variety of Eastern European and German food, so lots to sample and choose from.