Michael N.

To celebrate my birthday, my close friend treated me to lunch at this unique restaurant. While I have never enjoyed Eastern European and Uzbeki cuisine, I was excited to try this place. The dining room is quite large, and off to the right there is an entertainment space, We were promptly greeted, and sat at a large table at the front, as there were 7 of us meeting up for lunch. My dining partner and I ordered the Greek salad to start, along with two orders of the Adjarian Khachapuri egg and cheese bread, an order of the Khinkali soup dumplings, and we wanted to order the Stuffed Cabbage (Golubtsi) rolls, but they were out, so we ordered the Beef Stroganoff to share. The food was exceptional, with different flavors and textures. Beware, some plates do take longer to prepare as they are made fresh. The Greek salad is large enough to share and does come with black olives instead of the standard Kalamata olives. The Khachapuri was amazing! It's a mixture of cheese, with a cooked egg on top and butter. When the dish arrives, you mix the egg and butter into the melted cheese and it heavenly. The Khinkali dumplings were extremely tasty with a unique blend of herbs and spices. The Stroganoff is tender beef in a mild gravy with onions, served on a bed of mashed potatoes, and it was very good! For dessert, we ordered the Napoleon, which was mediocre at best, as the custard was only in the middle, resulting in dry spots around the edges. Ther service was mixed, as the initial server was a pleasant young lady who was very engaging, and made good recommendations. We had a male server towards the middle of the meal who was completely inattentive. We were asking him a question and in the middle of our conversation, he walked away. He also disappeared a few times, and we were puzzled as the dining was practically empty, as it was an early Saturday afternoon. Although the service was lacking, the food and cuisine will definitely bring me back.

Ruslan W.

Bubala Café & Grill - Preston Rd. (Dallas) Without a doubt, the absolute best Russian and Eastern European Cuisine in all of DFW Metroplex‼ I've been here a few times. Here, you're more than a customer. You're treated like family. I've eaten Pelmeni most of my life, but never tasted fried Pelmeni before. Surprisingly they were really good and delicious. Dipping it in Sour Cream made the flavor extra unique and special. Bubala kitchen did a great job preparing them. My friend, Misha and I came here to unwind, relax and enjoy good, Russian and Uzbek cuisine. Here, every table is white cloth with elegant, yet affordable food menu. The space is great for all group sizes. They offer plenty of tables and chairs. On weekends they are usually fully booked. Be sure to call in advance for reservations. Every dish reminds you of simpler times and the food... Cooked to order. Every bite reminds you of home-cooked meals. Some menu items will specify cook time. That is a nice touch of transparency. In most Russian and Eastern European cultures, you don't rush through the cooking process or eating process. You're meant to gather around the table, packed full of meaningful conversation before and during your meal. We ordered, "Boiled and Fried Pelmeni," "Borsch," and "Herring Under Furcoat/ Shuba" (Layers of pickled Herring with onions, beets, potato, carrots, eggs and mayo) Portions were generous. Kiril was our waiter and he did a great job. He was very knowledgeable about the dishes and was helpful in answering any questions we had. They've been open for five years, at least. What is their success secret? "The key to our success is simple: providing quality consistent food that tastes great every time. We pride ourselves on serving our customers delicious genuine dishes from Eastern Europe." (Quote from their website) If you're looking for absolute best Russian and Eastern European dishes, this is the only place to go in all of DFW Metroplex. They do speak English and Russian, for your convenience.

Huaqing L.

Nice restaurant but very quiet Sunday morning. All the food we ordered taste good but a big bug landed on our table and crawling for a while. Service is okay but they don't remember who ordered what dish and have to keep asking.

Yarn Y.

Was very excited to try out some Georgian dishes ,,it's been too long ! I ordered the chivuriki to begin with . Two large pockets , freshly fried and filled with beef and onions . Very yummy 4.5/5 I also ordered the khachapuri with the egg - a fairly large pastry that was altogether pretty good . Not the best I had but it was fresh and tasty . 3.9/5 Friendly and efficient service. Place is not cheap

Sheila N.

First-time visitors to Bubala Bar & Grill. Can't believe we have been missing out on this place! It is a true gem. Just walking through the door gave us welcoming vibes reminiscent of our trip to Eastern Europe. Delightfully adorned with intricate aesthetic elements, a charming, inviting dining space complete with white tablecloths, and tastefully elegant ambiance, I knew right from the moment we entered that Mom and I were in for a treat. It set the mood and tone for the afternoon. We were greeted, seated, and served by Kirill and ordered their traditional Kompot Berry Juice to start. It was crisp, cool, refreshing, and went perfectly with our meal. The service was attentive, courteous, and exquisite. Kirill ensured we had received the dishes we ordered and oftentimes anticipated our needs. We ordered Adjarian Khachapuri, Vareniki Dumplings, and Chicken Kebabs to share and split the Russian Honey Cake for Dessert. All excellent! Everything is made in-house daily from scratch, and you are sure to find something that sparks your fancy on the Menu. It is clear that high-quality ingredients (and a dash of true love and care) are utilized in food preparation. The Adjarian Kachapuri was melty and cheesy with the right balance of flavor from the egg and butter. As delicious as it was, we had to box up the remainder to take home as it was far too large a portion, (even between the two of us), to share. Next time, we will order one less item. The Vareniki Dumplings were absolutely divine and can best be described as soft, pillowy pockets of savory potato and onion. Sour cream was the ideal accompaniment here and truly enhanced the taste by providing a sharp contrast and depth of flavor. The Chicken Kebabs were succulent, juicy, flavorful, and tender. Served with rice, onion, cabbage, and potato chips, the dish was a true palate-pleaser and a delight, both in presentation and taste. The Honey Cake was perfectly and lightly sweet with airy and flaky layers of goodness. We never felt rushed during our meal and will certainly come back to try other Menu items. Adding to our regular restaurant rotations for sure.

Rachel J.

Tried Uzbeki food for the first time, and I'm obsessed! Growing up on Chinese food, I noticed some similarities, and so it totally hit the spot for me. We got Khachapuri (cheese boat), Plov (traditional rice dish), and Manti (dumplings) --YES, you need to try them all!

James Z.

Edit: After coming back again, the food has gone down in quality. See pics for comparison. The plov has a shorter grain rice that is missing things they used to have like chickpeas and veggies on the side. The samsas taste like frozen ones from the store. The dough is very thick, no layers (not flaky), greasy, tasted undercooked, meat was still cold inside, and left me with a stomachache. It's sad to see what was a staple for us decline but hopefully they can improve.

Giovanny E.

The food is full of flavor. Meats are tender perfectly cooked. The spices are different than other cuisines i've been too but it is delicious. Will be back to try other menu. Service is great. The place is a bit fancy.

Lauren R.

This place had me feeling a little nostalgic given that the last time that I had cabbage rolls that weren't made by myself were made by my grandma. I absolutely love a place that has Slavic dishes that are hard to find in most restaurants in DFW. My only note is that the service was really slow. I know that a lot of their food is made to order and might take longer than normal to give you that good quality, but there was only one server on a Tuesday night waiting on everyone in the restaurant. I felt like there was a point where we were waiting a while just to order dessert and leave. Note: Their Russian Honey Cake is to die for. Do not come here without at least taking a slice with you.

Jun L.

I came here on a date night with a friend, this spot having been recommended for a good classy spot to dine. While I did enjoy my time and the live performance, I can say it could be considered overwhelming for those who are less inclined towards loud noises and party scenes. There was a live performer and DJ who were singing and remixing music and it was almost a persisting volume which may interfere with any individual seeking a more quiet and classy experience (maybe for quiet, go on a weekday). The friend I visited with almost seemed upset that he could not talk or hear over the performance, making communication difficult with the server. Personally I did not mind it. It's not everyday you see a live performance, afterall! The service was mediocre but not off-putting, but certainly not spectacular for a place considered so high end. I ordered the salmon whereas my friend ordered the stragonoff. Because everything was made fresh, it took a while for the food to come out, and when it did it was delicious! I thought the portions were quite generous and hearty - though the bill is rather pricy for what it is. However, for the cultural experience and the novelty of trying new things, I would recommend this to my friends and family, just warning them to watch the bill and be mindful of the day and atmosphere they want!

Reynu S.

Went here for date night and the contrasting energies are a bit overwhelming. The dining area is clean and on the finer casual side with white linen napkins and table cloths. The music was abhorrently loud, so much so that I thought about deducting a star but the food is too tasty to do so in good faith. Plov- immensely delicious. The rice is medium grain and cooked perfectly. Not too soft but also not too firm. The carrots are braised to the perfect texture and the beef is tender and flavorful. It's decadent and homely. Lagman - a very tasty soup!! This reminds me of a veggie crock pot soup my mother makes every winter. It's a tomato-based soup that echos all over the world but there's definitely something special about this one. The noodles look irregular so I assume they're made in-house. The veggies are perfect and the broth is rich with beef flavor. Khachapuri - worth the wait! Although we didn't have to wait long. This is technically an appetizer but you have to wait for them to bake it, so it takes 25+ mins to arrive. In the meantime we received and enjoyed our other dishes. It's a fluffy, pillowy bread filled with cheeses and a raw egg. It's so hot when you receive it that you can see the oils bubbling from the cheese. It's way too good. And when it gets too salty or rich, dipping a piece in the Lagman helps resets the palate. This is certainly a place we will be adding to the rotation. Can't wait for our next visit. :)

Brian Q.

This was my first time trying Russian food and I loved it. My Russian foodie friend took a group of us here and knew exactly what to order. The tongue salad sounded strange but was quite good. My favorite dishes were the Plov (a braised beef and rice dish with carrot matchsticks), Adjarian Khachapuri (a fresh bread boat filled with gooey cheese and runny egg yolk - drool!), and the Lamb Samsa (flakey pastry filled with minced lamb). I had my doubts about the Shuba (chopped herring, eggs, potatoes, carrots, beets, onion and mayo) but it was surprisingly good - like a potato salad and not too fishy. We also had some Varniky (boiled dumplings with sour cream) but this was the most plain dish compared to the others. Definitely try the amazing honey cake for dessert if you have room. Soooo good! I hear they have music and dancing on the weekend nights.