I wasn't sure where I wanted to go to breakfast this morning because the City of Willoughby (in their infinite wisdom) decided to block off the entirety of downtown for a festival. So no one could reach the downtown businesses. So on my way home I came across "Cafe Europa and Bistro" in the Pineridge shopping plaza. It's a small storefront in the middle of the plaza, run by a European family - husband, wife, and son. When I walked in I was a bit surprised that the place was entirely empty because the parking lot was nearly full. The son greeted me warmly and told me to choose any table. He brought me water (spring water) and a menu. We chatted a little. I read the short, very to the point, breakfast menu. And settled on the "Healthy Breakfast". The young man was exceedingly friendly and kept up a running conversation the entire time. His mother was in the kitchen preparing my breakfast. And the entire thing took on a surreal feeling as if I was in the kitchen of their home as a guest. A marvelously fresh breakfast appeared very shortly thereafter and I began my breakfast, as the running conversation (admittedly a bit one sided) continued. An oversized mug of excellent coffee appeared quickly that really was excellent. Time flew by and before I knew it I was reading to leave. The young man asked if I would like a ginger shot, on the house before I left. I thanked him but said no. I paid my $16 bill and after a few pleasantries, departed. All in all it was an unusual experience. Excellent food, good service, nice people... but maybe a little too personal... maybe? I don't know. It was just different. I guess I would just say you should give it a try and see what you think. read more

Awesome family restaurant. Authentic. Delicious. Satisfying portions. Great service. Even claim ingredients are sourced well. They have a little marketplace of beer and wine and a big dessert case. Pretty decor with a Midwestern diner vibe. Had a great calm breakfast there with the family- will be back for sure! We drove 30 minutes for this place from Cleveland and it was well worth it. read more

We went to Cafe Europa and Bistro on a Saturday evening and found uncrowded conditions in a European inspired dining room. The Weinerschnitzel and homemade spaetzle in gravy were outstanding. The home-made bread was excellent. The owner Johann was very friendly and suggested an excellent wine-pairing choice. Dessert was also fabulous. We bought a pack of the Walnut Cookies to go and were not dissapointed. Recommended for anyone that likes central / eastern European food. read more

Cafe Europa and Bistro - Cafes Near Me - Willoughby, Ohio

A very authentic local restaurant. The owner is talkative and makes it a fun experience. We had the Wiener schnitzel which was very tasty. The walleye fish was light and flaky. The goulash was also very good. This is certainly a gem of a restaurant for the area. read more

Excellent, authentic! Buen One of the best restaurants in Northeast Ohio! Authentic home style cooked German food! Plus fresh baked bakery! Great service! Great ambience! Best of all, great company! Very nice owners! read more

Very good choice for lunch in strip mall in Willoughby Hills by Heinen's and Manhattan Deli Stopped here with my wife after shopping at Heinens and medical at CCF Willoughby Hills Saw a couple having beer with tall Pilsner glasses which looked good r, so I asked to try one. I tried the light and was as good as it looked For meals my wife had stuffed cabbage which came with mashed potatoes, Texas toast and a salad . All very good. I tasted her stuff cabbage and like the tomato sauce poured over , very tasty I tried the schnitzel and was very good . T he schnitzel comes with vegetables , rice and German potato salad as well as a garden salad. The Texas toast is also on table The waiter gave us two danish style fruit cookies as well Overall much exceeded expectations for lunch for two , $45 with tip read more

I created a yelp account just to say how awesome this place is. The owners are super friendly and kind, and the food is awesome. Someone else mentioned it was comfort food and I think thats accurate. The place is a warm and welcoming place and I will be returning read more

I read reviews before I went and was excited to try their food! It was just one guy working, I think he was the owner, and he jokes around ALOT. If you want to go to dinner and not be bothered, this is not the place. If you go, knowing you're going to get a little entertainment, then it's fine. The food..... I ordered the schnitzel and my friend got the Alfredo. The schnitzel was good, however the vegetables served with it were definitely frozen and tasted like they had been reheated in the microwave. Also had zero flavoring. It was also served with potato salad that tasted like it was from the prepackaged of a bad grocery store. My friends Alfredo was mediocre. Seemed like jarred sauce. I was excited to go here for some European food but really disappointed. read more

I had heard good things about this place and was excited to finally visit there for lunch. Small family run restaurant with the owner doing everything. Friendly and chatty, definitetly takes pride in his place. We were not able to order lunch, only the dinner specials, I ordered Spinach Strudel with Sour Cream. The strudel was tasty, but the lettuce in my salad was brown.. My friend ordered Italian Wedding soup, and received what looked like Mulligan stew, all the leftovers thrown in a pot. There were dumplings, meatballs, some chicken, red peppers, cauliflower, broccoli, and lots of pepper; no spinach or small pasta. It was a disappointment. We were not checked on after receiving our food, so we did not have a chance to let them know. Ambiance was cheery and homey, the restroom was clean but the walls next to the table had food splashes on them. read more

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Awlful. Ordered Italian wedding soup got some sort of soup with broccoli, red peppers, noodles, and dumplings in it and way too much pepper. Nothing like Italian wedding soup It was awful and I didn't eat it but the person who served us didn't even bother to ask if we liked our food or why I hadn't eaten any of it. Will never go there again and hopefully this review will save someone else from going too. Online they show a menu that has breakfast and sandwiches but when you go in you can only choose from the specials. read more

Cafe Europa and Bistro - a bowl of soup - Cafes Near Me - Willoughby, Ohio

Delicious authentic European classics. Love this place. You have to try it. Everything is fresh and homemade... Friendly, personable service. read more

Cafe Europa and Bistro - Amazing Christmas cookie tray! Why bake?! - Cafes Near Me - Willoughby, Ohio

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Absolutely delicious meal of freshly made Weiner schnitzel, yummy cheesy potatoes, rice with leeks and a vegetable medley. The meal included a fresh salad and hot buttery homemade bread. I would definitely eat here again and plan on doing that next time I head back to New York!!! Finally, I accidentally left my purse in the restaurant and headed home to Tennessee. Johann (the owner/chef) went WAY out of his way to ship it to my home. Very kind and thoughtful man!! read more

First of all, the service is absolutely hideous. Our server did not answer our very simple question "what is yellow sauce made of", instead he said it's his own sauce.... That was irritating. The Cuban panini was not a panini and the sandwich consisted of ham and a white cheese on grilled white bread. The Cubans that I had in the past consisted of many more ingredients including turkey. Getting ice was a big challenge too. The server argued that his water was already cold. The food was good. read more

Cafe Europa and Bistro - Cafes Near Me - Willoughby, Ohio

Unfortunately, I cannot keep my formerly glowing review of this place. My last batch of baklava was inconsistent with the quality previously given to us, and to my dismay, as I witnessed it, it was because the proprietor chose to give pieces leftover from an older batch rather than those on display. To chose to make money on an old batch is just plain ol' BAD business practice. To add insult to injury, I was shamelessly over charged. I permitted the transaction just because I wanted to see if the proprietor would really go through with it. And he did. Sadly, perhaps he forgets how I've come here several times before for the same purchase. I left with smile because I knew I will save so much more from no longer being a regular patron who, by the way, always tipped very well. We will not be back, ever. The lady who works here is lovely, but unfortunately, we cannot continue to support this place. read more

Cafe Europa and Bistro - Old. - Cafes Near Me - Willoughby, Ohio

Terrible food. Corned beef and noodles with cabbage was awful. Corned beef was a pile of deli sliced lunch meat, not brisket. Noodles were tasteless and dry. I won't be going back. read more

Food is amazing and the service is out of this world! It has a very friendly environment and many delicious options. Highly recommend!

Very RUDE, does not matter how good the food is when you are treated with insults. Told my sister she should only have water, due to her size. When We were done eating and she had left overs and asked for box he said big lady would want .My husband was with me, so I was not attacked. The crazy thing is that she is average build for the US. I wish I would have understood what he was saying to her early into the meal before we began eating and we would have gotten up and left. What a mean and hateful person. read more

Discovered this interesting little Bistro late one evening. Mom and I had just got in town and needed a late dinner. The nice little German guy let us in and took our order. Interesting conversation between two southerners and a heavy German accent. The dinners were very good, chicken Marsala , with a delicious gravy served over mashed potatoes. Wow, southern comfort food!!! Delicious pastry dessert recommended by the guy. Billed as European comfort food. Cute decor! read more

I found this restaurant by searching for vegetarian dishes in the area. We went 30 minutes before closing due to a long day and the owner (I think) was very nice to accommodate us. Only one vegetarian dish was available - the spinach schnitzel deal. It was served with a side salad. It was very flavorful. My guy had the pork chops with with mashed potatoes and veggies. He ate it all which means it was good lol. Some reviews stated the owner is pushy or aggressive. I believe it's just his nature as he takes pride in preparing the food. He gave us a free dessert also. I would recommend this place if you want a non traditional meal. Our bill was around $26. read more

My boyfriend and I think this is the best restaurant ever. Romantic with well-prepared dishes, high quality ingredients in a very sweet setting. Its special when we get to dine here. read more

Tried to pre-order delivery from Cafe Europa for dinner using Grub Hub. A guy from the restaurant called me at 1:40 to say my food was ready and I should pick it up. Explained that I ordered delivery for 5:15pm and he said he was too busy and that I needed to pick up the order. Called Grub Hub and they politely called the restaurant but they were rude to them, too. Got refunded plus a token credit from Grub Hub for the inconvenience. I never got to try their food but they are obviously not customer service oriented. If a customer pre-orders for a certain time and orders delivery, the restaurant should read the order to fill it correctly. read more

Absolutely love this place. Family owned and Authentic food. Had the Chicken Paprikash and it was as good as ever. Very authentic. Definitely recommend if you know how European food should taste, this is it. read more

We were driving from Boston to Michigan! We spotted this restaurant on Yelp. We decided to try it since I don't see many German restaurants. My preferred breakfast in the world would be in Germany! When you walk in, you'll be amazed with all the decors in the restaurant! It's all the details that will WOW you! The design of the chair, the fabric used, the table cloth, all so beautiful! The long table at the dining room table made me feel welcome because I can see people dining and feasting happily!! We ordered the German breakfast and Weiner Schnitzel! The German breakfast is filling! It filled me up for half a day. It has ham, German sausage, sausage links, potatoes, toast, and egg. My favorite type of breakfast!!! Love it! The Weiner Schnitzel was BOMB! They used a corn meal batter so it was extra crunchy! The pork was pounded out so it's flat. The meat was so moist and tender! It was served with vegetables and rice! Those were also good! I loved every bite of my meal. I just want more! The lady at the counter served us. I think the restaurant is owned by her and her husband. She is such a sweet lady! All her pastries look so, so good! Pastries are a must try!!! read more

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Feels like Europe! Authentic German and Croatian foods. They serve breakfast, lunch and dinner. They offer great homemade desserts like baklava. Outdoor seating in the warmer months! Their Wiener schnitzel is my favorite thing on the menu! Beer, wine and coffee is also on menu. Highly recommend! read more

Cafe Europa and Bistro - Dining area - Cafes Near Me - Willoughby, Ohio

This is a homemade hands on restaurant serving classic comfort food like Wiener schnitzel and cabbage rolls. Very affordable ample portions the food is very good and you can order beer or wine but the selection is limited. Homemade desserts coffee espresso and gelato from Italy. Breakfast is good too. This is a nice little place read more

Not my mother's paprikash but pretty good. Schnitzel was good and plentiful. Owner gave our party a complimentary dish of saugage and potato to try. Delish. Service was good. If I had one thing to say it would be that the owner dial back the conversation. read more

I like it. It taste very traditional. If you want to find some food from east european, this is the place. The main dish usually comes with rice and potato salad. Coffee is also nice, not too sweet. I dont like the big TV in the resutrant. Others looks like similar as you would expected in a cafe in an East European countries. The owner is funny. He was very proud of his food. read more

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Entrees are a D+. Desert was microwaved. The walls were dirty along with the utensils and the salt shaker had sticky grime on it. The place was empty and my husband and I should have walked out. The man who served us has the personality of a slug. read more

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This is a cozy spot for delicious and authentic Eastern European food! Service is fast and personal, mostly because the owner is hilarious and loves making conversation with customers. We got the stuffed peppers and mashed potatoes, which were delicious and seasoned very well. I also highly recommend trying whichever daily desserts are out on the counter - we tried a random sampling of what was leftover from the day and they were still fresh and delicious! read more

Cafe Europa and Bistro - Stuffed Peppers - Cafes Near Me - Willoughby, Ohio

We stopped by Cafe Europa for breakfast after an unexpectedly stressful Saturday morning. The woman who was serving everyone was just so kind and funny, she immediately lifted our spirits. The breakfast options were also delicious and we left in such a good mood that we went back on Sunday with friends!! There was a man working there too that day who was also very friendly and funny. The food is great (especially the kremsnite) but the people there were even better. I hope to stop by again the next time I'm in the area. read more

Soo good. If your Slovenian, german, Hungarian or Croatian mom cooked sunday dinner for you then please go here. Dont listen to those bad reviews on here, they sound like guys in bmws or millennials. You know douchebags. The food is better than any of those chains you go to where the plate is the same temp as the food. Support a small business and try it. Act like its sunday dinner and listen and respect them. So good. read more

The food deserves 4 stars, but the guy running the place would not stop talking while we were eating about how the refugees are ruining Europe. He's his own worst enemy to a successful business. Had just kept his horrible views to himself and left us alone, we probably would have been back for Breakfast. Instead we're going anywhere else. read more

Good food, not so sure about service. Ordered coffee and few pieces of cake. Asked for a few plastic spoons / forks, owner said ' Are you not going home?'.... read more

So we read the reviews and even called ahead to check about alcohol. Based on the reviews, we had a 50/50 shot at a good experience. The owner was exactly as described - a bit pushy and definitely eccentric. But very amusing! The food was good and the deserts were even better. This was far more interesting than all the crappy chains in the area. If I lived in Willoughby, I would go back! read more

If you have any taste buds in your mouth and any respect for yourself, stay away from this place! The food is absolutely nasty. What I just attempted to eat was supposed to be a slice of strudel. Never in my life had I tasted a strudel as revolting. They use frozen filo dough to make it, which in itself is so wrong, but to add insult to the injury they don't even bother to apply eggwash to the top before baking. It looks and tastes like paper, and is an insult to the mouth. The filling is equally disgusting, with barely a single cherry in a slice, surrounded by starchy swamp pretending to be cherries. Absolutely inedible! I took a picture of this disgusting slice, look through the gallery to see it. I would never eat anything else in a place that treats their strudel with such disrespect. Shortcut upon shortcut. Ugh! Never have I been as sorry to have spent money, and given that this was a doordash delivery, I guess I'm out of money. This so called meal was pure trash, and that's where it ended up. Chef Ramsey would've had a field day at this place read more

Cafe Europa and Bistro - Disgusting, inedible mess sold here under pretence of "cherry strudel". - Cafes Near Me - Willoughby, Ohio

Delicious food. I had the stuffed cabbage and it was very authentic. Great service, definitely coming back and suggesting to friends.

What's up with the wait staff? I order veal goulash that came with a salad from the owner. Moments later he served me a bowl of soup saying "a big guy like you should be eating a bowl of soup, not salad." My mother who was with me began to laugh, so I ate the soup in good humor. I thought I was getting noodles with my goulash which is standard fare. Instead he served my goulash with mashed potatoes exclaiming "I was a big guy and should be eating goulash with potatoes and not noodles." Later he attempted to make up for any confusion by bringing over a strainer of noodles that he poured on top of my goulash. As we prepared to leave he gave us two free cookies. All said, the food was good despite the mix ups. I never received my salad. read more

Cafe Europa and Bistro - Cafe Europa and Bistro - Cafes Near Me - Willoughby, Ohio

we are headed to a family Octoberfest where we bring something authentic and German beer or wine. we just got back from honeymoon and setting back to work so hubby found this authentic European bistro. Walk in and greeted by owner who clearly is passionate about his business/craft. so friendly we told him what looking for and so many choices for bakery and he explained ea piece. Johan gave us tour of kitchen and explained how fresh and homemade everything is. they offer breakfast beginning monday-friday 6a. sat 7am and sunday 10am. did anyone say Crepes? everyone loved the pastries and we look forward to checking out dinner . love local. read more

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I grew up on St. Clair Ave. in the old neighborhood. Polish, Slovenian and Croatian meals are what I grew up on. Cafe Europa is no where close to being authentic. It was terrible. The dumplings were like mush. 4 of us, each had something different and everything was awful. Bland and salty. The table was dirty and the floor looked like it had never been swept. If you're in lake county try Dubrovnik's or Kuhars. Both are so much better. Too bad there isn't an option for no stars because that's what this dump deserves. read more

Café Europa is a strange little gem. The owner is so eccentric and a little weird, but man can he cook. And it tastes like the kind of cooking you can only get at ethnic church dinners. The coffee is good. So far I've had the German Breakfast and the cabbage rolls. Both were delicious. Hubby has tried their torte and it was wonderful (I stole a bite!) I've never seen this place busy, so I wonder how much business he has- but he's always been friendly and the food makes my day. read more