6/16/20 I came here for dinner. I was driving near by for work and was craving something from my "native country" I decided to order "outside the box" and try something more adventurous. So I ordered the Greek pelmemi and the kahn pelmeni. I had the carrot salad and the cabbage salad. I am most definitely not a fan of hoisin sauce and I didn't realize it until I bite into my first pelmeni. The carrot salad was most definitely not what I expected, I thought it was going to be traditional Eastern European style and it was more bland than I expected. I definitely enjoyed the Greek style version and was able to save some of the Hoisin sauced ones by cutting out the meat from the dumpling and using sour cream to mask the sauce. Overall, the food was good, but I should've stuck to traditional flavors and ordered the plain type. I'd recommend trying the pelmeni to anyone who's never had Eastern European foods, as this is as close to it, that anyone would ever have, unless there's other more authentic "Russian" type of restaurants. read more

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CRAZY little dumpling place! Hidden around a corner alley type looking thing. When you walk in, it looks like it should be a place a band is playing at, but... they serve food! Odd, but cool and definitely unexpected. The service was quaintly what you would expect at a little hole in the wall dive, but also part of the charm, haha! Not bad by any means. The guy in the hockey jersey behind the counter was helpful in picking out which kind of dumplings would be good to order. Ended up getting three different kinds and sharing them with my friends. They were ALL good! Not high end, but for $8, decent! Great end of the night food and a fun little spot to take people for an authentic hole in the wall place in the city! read more

Main point: wouldn't order again - too small of portions for big price. Not very big portions, got my order wrong I think (forgot to add sour cream), too expensive for what it was, salads not at all as picture. And they didn't call for the delivery - again I don't know if it was them or the other yelp delivery. read more

Pel Meni Dumpling Tzar - Really small portions for the price - Russian Near Me - Seattle, Washington

As a Slavic person this was beyond bad.... Grains of questionable meat in way too much dough swimming in vinegar.... 2/10 hard pass next time. Bar and staff were nice. read more

Extremely rude service. Bar bartender threatened to kick me and husband out because my ID expired earlier this year. It was a strange response because I clearly said that's fine; I won't order drink then; I didn't insist or complain in any way. His response is so unwarranted. read more

In Seattle for a little vacation. Our exploring and stumbled upon Tzar. We had the Khan Friendly service and CLEAN bathrooms.....the trifta read more

This place is exceedingly better than I had expected. You can't go wrong with anything on the menu. Quality and taste are great. The area is a nice and breezy, good indoor and outdoor seating. Pretty fast service, even during lunch rush. read more

I was really disappointed with the potato dumplings here. There wasn't even fresh dill on top, it was dried dill, which felt lazy. While I did appreciate that they could do most of the sauces vegan, I really wish there were more vegetarian options besides the potato dumplings. I won't be going back. read more

Mean server. Aggressive male. Got our order wrong, came back to give us corrected food but didn't apologize for the attitude.

We asked for the large but the serving sizes were tiny and not worth the price. Each large was $13-15 each and the dumplings were nothing close to authentic Russian dumplings. And they served it in Tupperware with a Tibet piece of bread. read more

Pel Meni Dumpling Tzar - Pelmeni Dumplings - Russian Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Vladimir Ilyich Ulyanov Lennon is alive and well on Fremont's dining tour. In fact this joint is located 20 yards from the massive tribute stature of Vladimir himself direct from Mother Russia. Frank found this small sample of the Kremlin good life at the Bite of Seattle and enjoyed there goodies for last 2 years. I sampled the dumplings and wondered where the F@@K is this place. And today I found it, praise the lord! These wonder dumplings make me wanna turn in my Obama Youth card and head to mother Russia for a bowl of the real stuff but then i woke up and said its cheaper to have them in Seattle... Now Frank chooses to keep it simple, I ate the classic beef dumplings made with butter, curry , red chili sauce , rice wine vinegar, sour cream and cilantro. Why you ask cause if it's good enough for the CZAR's than is prefect for FRANK.. Well, these micro balls of flavor just burst out with multi flavors so pinpointing one great thing about them is impossible. Your mouth will spin for hours on them flavor juices. My advice is grab a large order and either a pint of local brew or one of the many hand crafted specialty cocktails they offer with your meal. Frank defiantly gives a 5 star double thumbs up review of the bistro. Trust me you'll love them or you'll wind up in the Gulag making dumplings for life. read more

Pel Meni Dumpling Tzar - The dumplings rule.. - Russian Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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Stopped in today for a cocktail and Mari made sure that we had a fantastic time! And the dumplings are awesome! read more

I thought I'd give this place a shot considering the great reviews and since I've never had Russian dumplings before. This little stand is located in a really strange place right next to a yoga place and they only had one person working the stand. I ended up ordering a regular mix with the classic sauce and one regular mix with the bacon onion mix. The sauces were both not my favorite, as the classic sauce had this weird sweet taste to it. The dumplings were also quite interesting and not really in a good way. The skin of the dumpling was too thick for my liking. The potato dumplings were bland and the beef dumplings were just okay. I definitely didn't want to finish all 18 dumplings in my regular bowl. I didn't like this place and didn't think it was that great, but I guess I don't have much to compare this to. Maybe I am just not a fan of Russian dumplings. read more

Pel Meni Dumpling Tzar - The Classic Mix...interesting - Russian Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Love this place since I can remember. So glad they are still open. Best damn dumplings I've ever had. read more

Pel Meni Dumpling Tzar - Russian Near Me - Seattle, Washington

I really got tricked by the reviews of Russian dumplings?? Dumplings only came in potato or meat place hot sauce for some heat Eight dollars for about twenty Yes, I am hungry and that's a plenty! I made a special trip here for a treat but it ended in defeat As the dough was dry and thick I am so hungry I feel sick Dipped them in sour cream With that extra it made it seem A little better but doesn't hide the fact I am not coming back. Located by the alleyway. Disappointment. Where are my Chinese dumplings? Ate about half, tossed the rest in the trash. Fluke moment? read more

Pel Meni Dumpling Tzar - Russian Near Me - Seattle, Washington

I'm Russian and these pel'meni don't taste like my mom's pel'meni, but.... they're still pretty darn tasty and very filling. I was looking for food before my eyebrow appointment at Wax On, and was pleased to discover this new little spot on the same floor and in the same building. How convenient! I wasn't in a meat-eating mood, so I ordered the potato dumplings. The employee said they would take several minutes to make, which was fine by me. They were served in a little to-go container with some bread. I grabbed a table and started eating. My impression on first bite: These aren't like the one mom makes and the sauce is not quite right, but they ARE tasty and they DID hit the spot. The bread was a sort that I'm not a big fan of, but I was glad to have a bit more food, so I ate it. My one dislike was the cost. $7 for about 5-6 little potato (or beef) dumplings and a slice of bread???? I think $5 would have been more appropriate. read more

Pel Meni Dumpling Tzar - Russian Near Me - Seattle, Washington

The wait is way too long. Can't imagine it's taking more than 30min to cook dumplings. And at this point, my meal still is not yet ready, btw this restaurant is half empty only. Finally my meal is ready. Very disappointed. Will never come back read more

Follow the old Volkswagen bug van and walk down the little alley to this very groovy fast-casual eatery in Fremont! I was already stuffed but had to stop by on my recent trip to Fremont and am glad I did. They offer normal and kid sized portions, and I got a kid sized portion which was pretty hefty actually. I got the beef and potato dumplings (it's not beef with potato, but rather beef dumplings and potato dumplings). These dumplings were Russian-style, so they were a lot like a blend between mini pierogi and gnocchi. So soft and fresh. It comes with a slice of pumpernickel bread. Altogether my portion of dumplings cost me around $7. My only complaint is how slow it was to receive my food. This is a tiny eatery and it was mid-day Saturday, and there were only two other customers there and I sat waiting for my to-go order for probably a good 20 minutes. Seems like way to long to wait for them to just boil dumplings and sprinkle some toppings and sour cream on top. There are a lot of Russian posters and decor which is super fun. The place is open until 2AM, so I guess it would be a perfect place to stop after a few drinks at the nearby Fremont bars. read more

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If you are going to be the Tzar of anything, might as well be dumplings, especially when you are stone's thrown from a statue of Lenin, in what is the self-proclaimed center of the universe. Let's be clear, this isn't Chinese dumplings, or American Southern dumplings, these are Eastern European/Russian nibbles of joy. So let's review the menu, because there are two items... Dumplings and/or a Salad. Dumplings: Beef or Potato ($7), or a combination of the two ($8). They charge an extra dollar if you want the combination, so if you and a friend both want that, just order one of each, then part the two, and save two bucks. They cover the things with curry, some sour cream, with a slice of dark dye bread to make the meal. They also squirt some other stuff on them, which I think is vinegar. Mine was take out, so I'm thinking they load that puppy out for the door. I didn't have the salad, but from the other awesome people in the place who were munching down on them, it seems like they really liked them, so they must be generally yummy. The deal here, is that they are in an alley way, so like any good place, it's a hole in the wall, more like it's a hallway between shops and the door, and they setup shop there. There is plenty of seating, and while I was there, there was a record/LP vinyl, player there, and weirdly, it wasn't playing anything, yet there was still music coming out of it... maybe being there at 2AM, I missed the boat on how it worked. If you want something late at night, and something to mop up that mess of alcohol that you might have just consumed, or will be consuming soon, this is a wonderful place to get that on. read more

Pel Meni Dumpling Tzar - Combination Dumplings. Pretty darn tasty! - Russian Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Pel'Meni Dumpling Tzar has an interesting location in Fremont. It's tucked away from an alley and sharing an entrance with a tattoo shop and a hot yoga studio. Straightforward, no frills, and satisfying....regular ($8) has 17 dumplings and large ($10) has 8 additional dumplings. Interesting varieties of flavors to select from to have your cooked-to-order dumplings tossed in. A combo for $3 more gets you in addition a beverage, bread, and salad. Glad to checkout the original site located close to the larger-than-life Lenin statue, plus there's also a newer location on Capitol Hill. read more

Pel Meni Dumpling Tzar - Regular size beef dumplings with Bacon Onion Relish with sour cream, butter, and green onion - Russian Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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I'm at a loss for words. I had fairly high expectations for this place. I've been reading their reviews, and drooling over their food photos, for years. I also love Russian food. I took my somewhat finicky 8 year old son with me, and we dove head first into: (for him) a medium order of beef pelmeni "mac and cheese style"; the young lady at the counter was sharp enough to ask my boy if he wanted the green onion on top. I was pleased that he said yes because it really tasted good altogether! Our minds were blown. I got the medium order of beef pelmeni and potato pelmeni mixed for, I think, $1 extra; my order was "classic style" which means served with sour cream, butter, vinegar, curry, Tzar red sauce, cilantro, and also a nice little slice of soft rye bread. I requested no curry powder and this dish was so freaking delicious that I honestly forgot to try differentiating between the potato pelmeni and the beef pelmeni. It was heavenly, first to last bite. I might need to move to Fremont. read more

Pel Meni Dumpling Tzar - Beef pelmeni, potato pelmeni, served "classic" style with soft rye bread and sour cream. Soooooo good! - Russian Near Me - Seattle, Washington

I liked their preparation options for their dishes such as traditional or gourmet. I felt their Pelmeni beef filling was too dense of a mixture, if it was even a mixture. It reminded me of tube chopped burger in a dense lump. They provide amazing customer service. read more

The dumplings were absolutely delicious, but as others said, the servings are tiny for the price. I got the large-sized Classic bowl with beef because I read reviews about the small servings, and the large was like a fist-sized serving. I was still hungry when I left. And I do not have a big appetite whatsoever, I can hardly finish a snack-sized bag of chips. The service was very friendly and fast, and there's a really cute courtyard that you can sit and eat in. I'll probably bring guests here to show them something different, but it's more of a lunch spot than a dinner spot since the servings are teensy-tiny. For the price, I'd expect a regular serving size. read more

Alright, I was in Seattle only for the weekend, but I got food here twice. both late night. Both the beef and potato dumplings are good and will help to prevent a hangover. The odd thing is that it was never really crowded. -Dave read more

Pel Meni Dumpling Tzar - Russian Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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So happy I stopped in. There's a pel meni place in my home town, and apparently this place gets theirs from the same place. So, it's just as good. This place has a few extra things I had never had before. I tried the creamy cucumber salad which was not too bad. I'm a pretty finicky eater, so it's hard for me to try new things. Everyone was really friendly, helping me choose which salad to choose. Talking about my shirt, and my home town, things of that nature. It was a good meal, great conversation with the employees and a superb time all around time. I will definitely be back! read more

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A favorite whenever we are in Seattle! Been over a year since our last visit but with first bite of the Traditional (sour cream and vinegar) beef pelmeni it was as good as we remembered...others chose the Classic (sour cream, curry powder, and a red sauce) in both beef and potato which turned out to be quite a nice flavor combination with the pelmeni....again never have been disappointed with their pelmeni... read more

Dumplings were delicious & reasonably priced. The beef classic is the way to go. I felt like I could have eaten 3 full bowls though. Nice that they're open till 230am. read more

Happened upon this place completely by accident after seeing the Fremont Troll and a whirlwind day of seeing the sights around the Seattle area. It was exactly what I needed because I w as s starving, but we had a dinner reservation in less than 2 hours. A small was just the right amount to hold me over. We need a place like this in Atlanta. read more

Pel Meni Dumpling Tzar - Small "Traditional" with beef. Maaaaan... - Russian Near Me - Seattle, Washington

This place has the best atmosphere, plus great drinks and awesome customer service! Got the Razorback and it was banging! Make sure to mix the sour cream in with all the sauces ;) read more

Sat for an hour waiting for an order. Guy said he completed all orders and copped a huge attitude asking if we still wanted our food. Super nice guy who refunded us but older guy with tats should find a new job. Too salty to work night shift. Go to sleep. read more

My friend and I found this place by searching "lunch" on Yelp when we weren't too hungry around 1pm. We wanted something good to share, nothing too heavy and decided to check this place out. We shared the classic dumplings with potato and beef dumplings mixed. They were SO flavorful and warm!! Perfect for the rainy weather that day. The spices and sour cream on top are definitely aspects of the dish that I can't see EVERYone in town lining up for, but as for me, I loved it all! The workers looked like they knew what they were doing and they were working super hard! Mind you, they were all men and you can see the open kitchen! Overall, fairly rustic and a very quick bite kind of setting, but one for the books! read more

Pel Meni Dumpling Tzar - Mixed potato and beef dumplings! - Russian Near Me - Seattle, Washington

It's a good bowl of dumplings. The $10 large isn't hugely different than the $9 bowl. Neither are big and the curry powder is ok. The salads are good and worth adding as a side. What you get here is a good rest bit from overly complicated Seattle food culture. They offer a good meal that your grandmother might have made. It's often a quick meal. So tuck in and go. read more

If the food had nothing to do with a review, this place would get a 3-4, but when it comes down to it, this food is just not good. If I had to use just one word it would be bland. I got the Greek chicken dumpling house special. It wasn't worth finishing. Several warm hot dumplings in a weird gravy is the best description I can give. Frankly it was gross, but I was trying to be kind. Yet, my nausea reflex is getting triggered just writing this. Bland dough balls in goo are your thing, keep on walking to the three hundred other restaurants within a block. Service was friendly. Atmosphere hip. read more

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Nothing else like it in the area! Offered delicious gluten free dumplings, which are surprisingly hard to come by in Seattle. Meal ended up being a little pricey for the serving size, but would still go back again. Might be good to go with friends and share. read more

This was one of my favorite places in Fremont. My last visit was the final nail. In the past I would give 4 stars. It gets 2 stars for old time's sake. I ordered take out and noticed there wasn't any bread. The cashier said they don't give bread with take out. I was there two weeks prior and a few times over the last few months and take out always had bread. She offered a slice to me, went to the kitchen area and grabbed it with her bare hands. No gloves, didn't wash them, was on her phone, and handed it directly to me with no way to store it. What?? I asked for one she didn't touch with her hands and she was clearly annoyed about that, taking quite a bit of time to grab a slice that meets basic restaurant requirements. Even in a pre-Covid world this would be unacceptable and goes against the basic food worker permit standards and common sense. I'm taking a long break from this place. I was an avid supporter (many, many punch cards) and came here often. After so many changes to their service and recipes (no more butter in the Classic) and the rude service, even by Seattle standards, it's not worth it anymore. read more

The classic Russian dumplings here are amazing! A regular ($9) comes 3with about 12 dumplings that a bit small but packed with flavor. It comes with half a slice of bread and some sour cream. It has a slightly spicy but vibrant in flavor chili-type oil that complements everything it comes with. It is just amazing. You can order beef, potato, or mixed dumplings. **PRO TIP: mixed (beef and potato) is $1 extra AND they only gave us ONE beef dumpling out of all 12 dumplings. Everything was delicious but I'm only mad because we paid an extra dollar for that. So, just play it safe and only get either beef or potato so they don't gip you. It was delicious but a little pricey (especially that extra dollar for only ONE beef dumpling. It was great to try and I'd love to come back if I had more money / I was in the area! Service here is meh, the guy basically knew it was our first time from how clueless we were but didn't really care to ask if we needed more help or explain the menu. read more

Pel Meni Dumpling Tzar - Classic dumplings ($9) - Russian Near Me - Seattle, Washington

There is a Russian dumpling place near the Lenin statue. Be still my Russophile heart. I subjected my kids to my love of all things Russian, and we ate in the graffiti art-decorated courtyard. It was pretty empty so the counter person was nice enough to bring me my order and to put all the fixings on the side - the better for sharing with kids, some pickier than others. We had an order of beef pelmeni, and an order of potato. Strangely there wasn't that much difference in taste, because of the thickness of the wrapper which overpowered it. I didn't notice which I was eating - beef or potato - unless I really thought about it. I was surprised to see the counter people cook frozen pelmeni to order. I'm sure they're made in house and everything, but still - frozen? Using my fixins I tried them their style - "classic" - with hot sauce, vinegar, curry powder, sour cream, and dill, and "traditional" style - with sour cream and dill. (By the way, "classic" and "traditional" are easy to confuse. How about "Tzar style"?) Somewhere between those two versions is best. One is lovely in it's simplicity but the other has a nice heat and flavor. The vinegar is best left out. They were good but also forgettable except for the fixins. read more

Out looking for a troll under some bridge.. We stumbled across this hidden spot; you will miss if you don't look hard enough down the alley. Ambiance: None, completely empty. But from the looks of it a very chill, low key spot. Service: Fast and friendly. Nothing special. No wait service, you order at the counter. Con - Who ever was cooking, really did take their time... I felt it could have been quicker as there was no one in the place. Ordered: Greek - Chicken dumplings topped with feta, red onion, greek olives, tzatiki, & pita. Classic - Sour cream, butter, curry, Tzar special spicy sauce, and cilantro. Taste: Loved it! I thought for a moment looking at the bowls before us; "there is no way my belly is going to be happily satisfied with these servings." But surprisingly I was. It was a very filling dish. Pita bread could have been warmed up prior to serving. Overall: I would recommend coming here if you are looking for a meal to hold you over that is tasty and a great comfort food! read more

Pel Meni Dumpling Tzar - Greek - Russian Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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How the girl with green hair is still employed is beyond me. Horrible customer service and the dumplings aren't as good as they used to be.

This was my first time having a dumpling! It was recommended to me by a friend and I have to say I was a fan of the Mac and cheese potato dumpling. I did try the classic with potato and the classic with beef and by far the potato was better. I also tried the cucumber salad but didn't love it. Overall it was a nice treat to have when looking for something quick to eat at home. The staff was friendly and the inside was intriguing as there were other businesses inside (tattoo shop and yoga studio). I think they are also moving their location to next door on the corner which is great because right now they are in an alley. read more