I came here on 1/1/26 because their social media, Google, and Yelp all said they were open. The doors were unlocked and there were other people eating. I said I can dine in but the person said they were closed? This was at 3:30 pm-ish whereas the internet said they close at 8 pm. Very sus and kind of racist if you ask me. I'm not going to even give this place another try. Grand Duke is nearby, at least they seated me like everyone else. I can see why their rating is low on Yelp. I rarely give 1 stars but this place deserved it. read more

We were visiting Chicago and saw this place and decided to try it out since can't find Lithuanian food anywhere else. Didn't want to miss the opportunity! This is a grocery store/mini cafe place. Good food, friendly service and just simple homey ambiance. We ordered the beet soup, broth with dumplings, zeppelins with meat and the rice pilaf. I think the pilaf was just ok, but the rest of the food were great especially the soups!! I wish I can go to visit again and try the other foods they have. read more

Great food, very authentic, wonderful homemade bread, sour cream, potato pancakes, crepes, the entire menu looks great - we loved everything we ordered. Zeppelins are beyond wonderful. Service was quick and friendly, cafe looks very cute, loved the ambience. Can't wait to go back! read more

Still craving the cold borsht soup, so very good! Fresh, beet sweet but tart and herby, well balanced and delicious. Entrees where good too but rich and need a sauerkraut to balance them. Vegetable side dishes of carrot, beet and cabbage so fresh and enjoyable. Also enjoyed grocery area and bought many hard to find ingredients that i cannot be without. read more

Never had Latvian food before. Cafe Smilga is great. Very unassuming from outside. It's a grocery store and table service restaurant w/ indoor picnic tables. Super nice people, speaking Latvian to patrons. Food is great. Lots of meat (I'm a pescatarian) so I ordered a veggie & cheese omelet. Very good and came with a bread basket. Potatoes, sliced tomato, cucumber and pickles. Very fresh and very good. Il come back to try the fish dishes. read more

Café Smilga - Veggie & cheese omelet. - Delis Near Me - Darien, Illinois

I have very mixed feelings about this place, but I'm rating my last visit here as 5 stars because the food was (as always) outstanding. Portion sizes are always huge and I always feel like I've gotten a good bang for my buck. Therefore, I wasn't even upset by the 3% credit card fee, as I usually would be. Wife and I shared 2 dishes: 1) "Three Corners" (pork loin with boletus sauce, baked potatoes, pring salad, and pickles). What they are calling "pring salad" must have been the cabbage, carrots, and beets - all delicious, and 2) "Zepppelins with meat" (shredded potato balls with ground pork stuffing). These things were HUGE and it's always nice to not only feel satisfied, but also have leftovers for lunch the next day. Ordered this as carryout, and the person who took my order, as well as a higher up lady (possibly a manager) who asked if I needed any help were both very nice. I mentioned mixed feelings, and that's based on previous visits where I actually dined in. There is one waitress in particular (who we usually get, though I didn't see her this last visit) who is very rude, especially toward non-Lithuanians. She struts around like a queen with her head held high and an attitude to match. I've read other reviews calling this place "racist," and I'm sure they're all talking about that same one waitress (or at least I hope they are, because I've stayed away from here for several years now, but would like to become a regular once again). We'll see what the future has in store. read more

I visited this place in 2011 and was very happy as it was exactly my childhood food memory (my parents were Lithuanians who I lost a few years ago) This year I was coming back to Chicago and off course I went to the places with my childhood memories but this time there was a disappointment Chicago is the only one place where I can find cipilini and if the first time they were given with proper bacon sauce this time I do not know what it was but that was not traditional sauce. It was God knows what kind of bacon with strange sour flavor and was not able to eat... Big disappointment Hopefully next time I will be back it will be old fashioned! read more

Café Smilga - Cipilini with meat - Delis Near Me - Darien, Illinois

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Delicious, friendly cafe just 2 minutes off of I-55... totally worth it! The menu is mainly traditional Lithuanian fare, but don't be scared... there are basics for kids and picky eaters (the French fries were A+). Attached to the restaurant is a small, Lithuanian-inspired food and beverage market - grab a basket! Service was delightful! read more

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We eat at Smilga all the time! They have the best cepalini (Zepplins) in town! My Lithuanian husband says the food is authentic and the decor too. The servers are kind of shy but sweet ladies. We would come more often if they stayed open past 6pm read more

Fantastic food and ambiance, tasty snacks to purchase on the way out, casual and attentive service read more

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I went in and got some Zeppelins, they were to die for! I am definitely a fan of all the potato dishes in the Lithuanian culture! Yum!! read more

Café Smilga - A Zeppelin- a stuffed potato ball with sour cream and bacon. - Delis Near Me - Darien, Illinois

I've been going there for years. I like their soups and food. Most of the time the service is welcoming but not at lunch today. After sitting for maybe 15 minutes plus, my dad sat there longer nobody would come to take or order or leave menus. My dad kept waving his hands nicely, and the waitress just snubbed him. Finally I was out of time and tired of being ignored and I left . read more

Tried to dine/buy some products here since I was in the area, but unfortunately, no one at the counter could speak any English, and to be frank the lady at the counter did not seem to care. Being a neighborhood cafe, please do know that a lot of us who live in the area are interested in trying your food and also supporting your business. I mentioned this to one of my neighbors and he mentioned they had the same experience. Just to be clear not asking for any expert English speaker at least someone who can explain the products for newcomers would be extremely helpful. I really wanted to dine in and try some of the dishes, but don't think I will be back any time soon. read more

Boom! Finally. A joint out here that's worth a second visit. The Lithuanian beer on tap is something I'd knock your Dad out for. Super reasonable pricing, super friendly service. This place ROCKS! I had a pork chop covered in something that gave me a boner... I dunno, it was freaking good! I skipped that purple mystery stuff that tasted like grandmas breath though. Go here! Support these guys! Great shop\ restaurant. I'll be back for my cured meats. Edited: I came back. Dude & Dudettes... the meat pocket is something I will dream about long after I've left the Burbs... get some before you die....dear lord! I'm in heaven. read more

Food was amazing , service attentive and friendly. We shared kharcho soup, beet salad, potato pancakes w pork and homemade cookies. the Lithuanian black currant wine was a fun pairing with the peppery soup :) read more

Café Smilga - kharcho soup, beet salad - Delis Near Me - Darien, Illinois

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Absolutely AMAZING authentic Lithuanian food. Holy cow - we are addicted. Huge portions very reasonably priced. We ordered a variety to try: the pan fried fish with veggies, stuffed cabbage, farmers sausage with stewed sauerkraut, and beet soup. What a hidden gem we will be back!!! read more

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Customer service so disrespectful. If your body not perfect they will laugh at you. I will never go to that place again.

Food is probably the best Lithuanian food I've had in a long time. Even my wife who is 100% Lithuanian said the potato pancakes were to die for! I had the kugelis which was good, but seemed like the potatoes were over-processed. We use to make these by hand grating the potatoes! Regardless, food was great! Service could have been a little faster, but we were not in a rush (thank God). read more

Unfortunately, there's probably a reason this isn't the most sought-out and reviewed place on Yelp. When I found out there was another Lithuanian restaurant in the area, I got excited. Real excited. Why? I dunno. I like the food at the other two. But my love of trying new places bit me in the ass this time. We came right when they opened, and the family that runs it seemed to be all gathered around one of the tables. We weren't even sure the restaurant was open, but after asking, we were told it was. So we sat down and ordered two cups of mushroom soup, a cepelinai plate and an order of kugelis. If you don't know what those things are, you probably aren't reading this review. And if you still don't know, feel free to google them. But basically, they're heavy, traditional Lithuanian dishes made from potato, grease, bacon and love. Unfortunately, aside from the soup, the food wasn't good. It tasted like it had been made about a week ago and was reheated in the microwave. In fact, I'm kind of thinking that's exactly what happened. It was steaming hot, but extremely gummy and just...bad. While the service was quick, and the server was friendly, the food was just lacking to the point that I had to leave half of mine uneaten. And if you know my love for Lithuanian food, that just isn't how I roll. read more

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Such amazing food, friendly staff, and comfortable too! The flavors and smells are delightful!!

This place serves traditional Lithuanian food. There are so many Chinese, Japanese, Italian or Indian cuisines, but very rarely you see restaurants that are Lithuanian, Latvian, Polish, etc. So i give them credit for trying to bring a different cultural meals to the table. However, the food is not for everybody there. There are many customers that are Lithuanian and probably they are the only returning customers there. I's because once you try the food, you never come back. Every meal there consists potatoes. Literally, ever meal. Of course except the drinks and.... only drinks. I have tried the traditional Lithuanian "Cepelinai" there. Those are potatoes stuffed with meat and floating in a pond of oil in the plate. There is also some sour cream and bacon on the side... Just try to imagine how it looks like... Yeah, if you are on a diet do not go there to eat. read more

Café Smilga - Cepelinai: Potatoes stuffed with pork - Delis Near Me - Darien, Illinois

The food is very good, however the pricing is ridiculous. Recently we ordered ribs which come with boiled potatoes and sauerkraut. We asked for mashed potatoes and they charged an additional $4 for masking the potatoes. Last time we go there unless they offer refund. Management is a mess there. read more

If you like Lithuanian Soul Food as much as I do, you'll definitely want to try this place. I typically get the Kugelis (Potato Kugel) in my opinion its probably the best I've ever had. If you're feeling more adventurous try one of the combination plates with Lithuanian Sausage or various other items. Also, the staff at Smilga is always amazingly friendly, which in my experience is not always the case at Eastern European restaurants, probably just a cultural thing. Enjoy hope you Love it..... read more

Good authentic food service was fair but unless you're into daycare with children this is not your place we sat at a table where there were children's toys tucked away in a corner that after we sat down two grandmothers with two children around 5 years old came in and immediately started playing with the toys in the corner we asked that they please return to their table so we can enjoy our meal. The one grandmother came over to our table and told us that we were terrible people that we didn't appreciate children and I immediately told her that I would appreciate her grandchildren if they knew how to behave in a public setting and that she should return to her table. Manage it did not offer any help. Will never come back here again! read more

Rustic, wooden picnic tables. Are we supposed to pretend this is what restaurants in Poland or Lithuania look like? The food is good though. Heavy duty kugele, potato pancakes, stuffed cabbage. Everything served with sour cream. Well worth the visit if you're craving that old world comfort food. read more

On top of using the cheapest ingredients they can get their hands on and selling stale foods they are racist! If you don't speak Lithuanian they will gladly take advantage of you! The quality of their food is terrible because they don't use fresh or whole foods and they don't throw out the food that is a week old or older! If you don't speak Lithuanian they will act like they don't understand you, sell you the stale food, and rip you off! If you want Lithuanian food without the rip offs and racism just go to Old Vilnius. The food there is made with love and fresh ingredients, and any customer is treated with the same amount of respect no matter their skin color or nationality. If you mention any sort of problem they instantly start yelling at you and then hang up before you get a chance to respond, talked to the owner and he started screaming over the phone... Honestly this place brings a lot of shame to the Lithuanian people. If they decide to rip people off because their business is hurting the sooner they go under the better DO NOT SUPPORT THEM! read more

For those looking for this restaurant please be weary of the address. The yelp map information is incorrect. Please follow the link for the correct address to this restaurant. It is located just East of Lemont Rd. on 83rd St. In Darien. https://maps.google.com/maps?q=2819+W+83rd+St+Darien,+IL+60561&ll=41.739553,-88.009501&spn=0.047906,0.079393&client=ubuntu&channel=fs&oe=utf-8&hnear=W+83rd+St,+Darien,+DuPage,+Illinois+60561&gl=us&t=m&z=14 read more

So close to home...who knew??? With the dismantling of the Marquette Park Lithuanian culture, many of the bakeries and delis that we grew up with have closed or moved making it harder to find "home cooking". Cafe Smilga hits the spot making the long trek to Racine Bakery almost not necessary. We didn't mess around and went straight for the kugelis. I'm usually disappointed with offerings other than my own grandmother's recipe, but this cafe was amazing in taste, texture, and size of portion. The two of us had to split 1 order. This alone would make this place worth the effort to get there. The cepelini unfortunately was a swing and a miss. The portion size was great. Texture,color, and presentation was also excellent. The filling was proportionate to it's size and tasted great. They had, however, a fishy taste to the potato. Maybe someone dripped fish water on them accidentally taking something else out of the case ? I don't know for sure but it was prevalent enough that I ate the filling and tossed the rest. I'm hoping it was a one time thing since everything else is so good. The other thing that they could change and it wouldn't hurt my feelings is the fact that they only offer bacon buns on Fridays after 12 noon. Don't they know that bacon buns are a staple???!!!! I've not made it over in the required time frame but hoping to soon. I'm languishing though. I'd recommend this place to anyone. Really, I have to think that the cepelini thing was a one-off. Everything else there, including the atmosphere, is awesome. read more

I live close and have been to this restaurant several times. I've read other reviews and agree and disagree with some of the comments left. It's not a fancy place having picnic tables, and amateur booth construction, etc., so in my opinion you have to adjust expectations for what the place is. I've never received poor service or a bad meal here. I've dined in and had take out. Portions are always generous. It's a small gem in the community that allows you to sample European - Lithuanian style cuisine. Give it a shot.. Best read more

"Do you want to order any meat? You've ordered a lot of potatoes." Cafe Smilga is not for anyone counting carbs or on a low fat diet. I met a couple of my foodie friends there recently for lunch; it was very enjoyable, but left me in a food coma. The menu is heavy on all things potatoes, all things pork, and all things fried. We started out by ordering Red Beet Salad which consisted of beets, beans, pickles, carrots, and POTATOES. (I also detected black olives.) The salad was available made with either oil or mayonaise. The waitress was asked which she prefered and we were told mayo, with a nod that led us to believe, "what else?" My friends decided to have the homemade bread kvass to drink. Kvass is a fermented beverage. I declined and decided to stick with water, but our kind waitress brought me a sample. It wasn't bad, very interesting. Smelled a bit like beer and I thought it tasted like a cross between beer and hard cider. Ordering, after that point, got even tougher. I had settled on POTATO Sausage. Some how in my mind I was thinking it was something like Swedish Potato Sausage, but it was a potato mixture studded with bacon (I've seen it called potato bacon pudding) stuffed in a casing, served with a side of sour cream and chopped, cooked bacon in lots of bacon grease. (Oh yeah!!!) My friends had a hard time deciding between POTATO pancakes, Kugelis (grated POTATO cake), Zeppelins (dumplings made from POTATO dough), other dumplings and various pork dishes. I suggested we try the "Kugelis, plain potato pancakes, dumplings with meat" combo platter. It was at this point that the waitress made the POTATO comment, so we tacked on a fried "Meat Pocket." The other items also came with sour cream and more bacon!!! The beet salad was delicious. Nice texture and great flavor. I was very pleasantly surprised. (Not a big beet person.) The potato sausage was heavenly. Unique texture, not like mashed potatoes, but not just grated potatoes, studded with bacon and held together with bacon grease. The potato pancakes were fair; they appeared to be deep fried; definately not as good as mom's. The "Kugelis" was similar in texture and flavor to the potato sausage, but sans casing and bacon pieces and it was fried, so the top and bottom were crisp. You definately could taste the bacon fat. The small dumplings were filled with ground pork. Slather on the sour cream and bacon pieces - a tasty treat. Some carmelized onions would have really taken them over the top. The fried meat pocket looked like very large, thin calzones. Not bad, but nothing special. After we started eating we realized that we hadn't ordered any Zeppelins, but that will have to keep for another trip. The meal with tax came to about $32.00 and we left with a couple boxes of leftovers. Cafe Smilga also includes a deli and carries many imported canned and jarred goods as well as bread and sweets. It reminded me of the German deli's back in Lincoln Square in Chicago. i sveikata (cheers in Lithuanian) read more

I can't say that I liked this place. I ordered chicken breast fried and rice and I want to say that the rice wasn't fresh. Place looks a little old and I don't know if I will be back. If someone wants to try European food , try something different !!! read more

I was here recently with my family for some Lithuanian food. My husband dines here often with his family and I had heard some great reviews from him. I really wanted to try the stuffed cabbage as that is my favorite Lithuanian dish, but they were out of it! I will have to come back for that.The restaurant was cute and it seemed most of its patrons were regulars. The waitress was nice and spoke to most of them in Lithuanian. I ordered the Snitzel Astra, potato pancakes, kugelis, and mushroom soup, and my husband ordered the pork tenderloin meal. Everything was really good and there was so much food, we had leftovers. The kugelis was good, but not as good as my mother in laws. I will definitely be back for the stuffed cabbage. read more

My assistant placed a walk-in order and was lectured about how slow it will be and how she should have ordered ahead. At the time there were only 2 tables that were seated in the the entire place. Normally, people change their mind and better customer service would be to accommodate the patron's needs. After they told her it will be 20 minutes, the ticket said 1 hour. My assistant went back after 15 minutes and waited in line only to find that the order was ready and waiting and was then told with an attitude that it has been ready for some time. No wonder why this place has only 3 stars with their terrible and rude customer service. Save your time people and take your money elsewhere. There are better Lithuanian restaurants around the Chicagoland area. read more

I miss the ethnic restaurants in Chicago from the 50s and 60s. Our family ate here this month while I visited from Fl. Plates were full. Food rivaled homemade from friends long ago. Staff courteous and helpful. Wait not too long for Beef Stroganoff, Zeppelins, Kugelis, and more. Prices reasonable. Sounds perfect? Maybe! "Smilga A tave myliu" read more

Café Smilga - Zeppelins - Delis Near Me - Darien, Illinois

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Me and my moms favorite, my mom is from Lithuania and came here when she was 21 and it's one place we always go back to

Ok, first of all, let me explain something. As a Lithuanian myself, i know my heritage and the food dishes that come with it :) Lithuanian diet is heavy with potato because, well it just is. Life was tough in Lithuania for many years, before and during the whole soviet era. Potatoes were cheap and people made do and invented quite a few dishes featuring what else...potatoes of course. So, here you go, now you know why. Anyway, the ambiance of the little cafe reminds me of a coastal cafe, somewhere by the sea. Wooden tables, benches and decor is very nautical (fishing net and buoys included :) The food, even though starch heavy is delicious and hearty. If you are not sure what to order, ask, no really, ask! The waitress will recommend and tell you the ingredients so you can make a wise decision. The aforementioned Kvas is what we Lithuanians call Gira (Kvas is actually Russian). Gira is actually pre-beer, that is how homemade bread beer tastes before it becomes beer, it has no alcohol in it yet, but you can taste the yeasty bubblyness. Personally, my husband doesn't like it, but i say, it's an acquired taste. Ask for a sample and i'm sure they will give you some. P.S. They have the best Lithuanian salads! read more

True, this food is heavy and not for everyone. (I wouldn't want to eat it on a hot summer's day, for instance.) But c'mon, potato pancakes, blimps, meat filled dumplings, all served with sour cream and bacon...it's fantastic! Stop counting carbs and just go here. It's a good, hearty meal. I am Lithuanian and these blimps are just as good if not better than the ones my grandmother used to make. That's saying a lot! One more thing, the prices here are very reasonable and I have gotten a meal to go before on my way home from work. Convenient. read more

Seating is very modest, service very mixed with a fair amount of tude . If you like potato pancakes nice and greasy, you found the right place. Love the carrots and beets. Would go with a 4-5 star ratings if food were the only issue, and a one on everything else, so 3 overall seems about right. read more

Yummy! Old school like Sunday dinner at Gram's. I had the Snitzel Astra which had chix, raisins and cinnamin. New taste treat for me. Potatoes and 3 different slaw like veggies. Soup is also wonderful, that with the dark, dark bread is the best warmer-upper. Nice staff. Also some grocery items and take out. About the size of the average living room but great for families, they encourage kids with some toys in the "foyer". Very casual. Would like to go with a big group so I could sample every's dish. I try something different each trip. I'm on page 3. Again, wonderful. read more

I would love to write a review,but when we arrived mid morning we found the place was not open,despite the signs on the door proclaiming 8:00 AM as being their opening time.We drove back to Kewanee disgusted. read more