17th and Cermak Rd has been part of my extended neighborhood for over 70 years, and I've driven past Sawa's here for all that time. Never stopped in. My dumb ass. Then again, the place is in a magnificent sort of decay (on the outside). Remove the cars in the lot, the steady stream of patrons, and the electricity to the signs and you'd swear the joint had been closed for awhile. Zero curb appeal. Yeah, that's what I'm blaming it on. Step inside, and as they say, it's a different bowl of Czarnina. It's OLD old school for sure, and, at least for me, that's a rousing and quite affirmative sign that good eats may be in store. And they were. The nearby Berwyn/Cicero neighborhoods were heavily Czech, and we all grew up eating that hearty, stick-to-your-ribs, pork-laden cuisine. A similar thread runs through German and Polish menus. Swap out the recipes for side dishes, and you're still in the same universe. My ancestry has Polish and German (along with the Italian and Jewish) components, so a lot of this food is familiar, much of it cooked by my Grandmothers; so I went in with a basic knowledge and expectation of the cuisine. Sawa's bills itself as a "Smorgasbord", which was a term still in wide use 60 or so years ago when Sawa's was established; it's a Danish word for "buffet". Back in the day, a resto yclept as such was considered "exotic", even when the fare presented therein was anything but. That Sawa's kept that describer is further evidence of OLD OLD school. (See my words about "old school" above.) Still, Never stopped in. My dumb ass. Inside, it's a bustling, warm and inviting room, if it were German, one would describe it as "gemutlich"-meaning very "home-like". The staff is very personable and cheerful. Some of the tables and chairs have seen better days, but they're all clean. The "Smorgasbord" doesn't have a HUGE selection, but what's there is very good. There's a salad station, de rigueur; which I passed over in favor of the selection of Polish Zakuski: cold appetizing bits like bean salad, pasta salad, cucumbers, etc.. I took a little bit of everything, all great! There were a few soups, but I made a beeline for the Mushroom Soup. I could have had 3 bowls of that with a few of the zakuski, a beer and call it a day! I can't remember what the other soups were- I wasn't interested once I saw "mushroom". Main course offerings included 2 types of Polish sausage-smoked and fresh. You KNOW those were yum! Gołąbki (pronounced go-WUUM-kee) or: Stuffed Cabbage in tomatoe sauce were proper. Pierogis of several different types, all, again delicious. Blintzes, Pork ribs, GREAT kraut, and Haluski, a cabbage/noodle dish my Polish grandmother used to make, which I have not had in almost 50 years. Almost got misty-eyed for this one. There were two anomalies: Fried chicken, which was terrific, And the only sort-of miss on the carte: roast beef which reminded me of Italian Beef, but not quite as highly spiced. Not bad, but not exactly something I'd order (or expect) in a Polish resto. I was there at the end of the Lunch service and saw the stuff they were bringing out for Dinner, including a rockin' big hunk of Roast Pork and a beautiful Whole Ham. The desserts offered were Polish-style Kolackys, very good! And a selection of petit-four type things. There was a ring-shaped dark cookie that was interesting. Close to a gingerbread, but not so ginger-y. Know going into it, Polish baked desserts are apparently not extremely sweet. Decent with coffee, but if you're looking for a sugar punch at the end of your meal, see if they have some non-savory blintzes on the board. There IS soft-serve ice cream available for a more traditional finale. The onliest disappointment was the bread, perched on top of the trad salad cart. It seemed like an afterthought. Even shmeared with butter, it tasted a bit stale and tired. A shame, 'cos good Polish Rye is a thing of beauty and a joy forever. An altogether gentle and most satisfying feed. I wish I had ordered a beer, which would have complimented the cuisine admirably; but didn't 'cos its a long drive home to Stately Breakwind Manor from deepest Broadview. Got to stay in the lane, you know. A Solid 4 stars. I'll be back for Dinner shortly, where I expect that 5th star will be added. Even sweeter 'cos the price is so reasonable. Why did I wait so long to dine at this EXCELLENT Smorgasbord? My dumb ass... read more

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Polish buffet that offers a bit of everything. We went on a Tuesday and they had chicken noodle and tomato soup. Special dish was the meatball in dill sauce, which was light and breaks apart easily with a fork. Very delicious as I never had that. There is a build your own salad bar with fresh ingredients and a variety of salad dressings. They offer a variety of cold side dishes; Cole slaw, pasta salad, potato salad, kidney beans, slices of red beets, jello, sour cream, and many more that I didn't get to try. Next was the hot foods. They offer one type of pierogi for the day, which was cabbage that day. They also had Potato pancakes that were thin and flavorful. Also crispy on the outside and soft inside. There were also Potato dumpling, boiled potatoes with gravy, sauerkraut, corn, and beef slices. First time having stuffed cabbage with ground meat with rice and breaded pork with ground pork. The meat wasn't as dense as I thought it would be, but still very filling. They also had fried chicken. The chicken were moist and just fell off the bones. There were apple blintzes, which was like thin crepe wrapped around slices of apples with powdered sugar. Had a light sweetness to it. Recommend to go add some soft serve ice cream. A variety of small bites of pastries. Kolaczki were amazing and very soft and fresh. They have a small sheet that list out all the items with the prices that they offer at the buffet. They have styrofoam containers to take the food home. Very reasonable prices like the cabbage rolls and breaded pork are $3 each and Kolaczki $0.50 each. Monica our waitress was very quick to take away any empty plates on your table. Refill drinks. Really nice and friendly. Also gave us a pitcher of water so we can refill our glasses. Everything tasted like homemade but even better. Made fresh snd Seasoned well. Weekday buffet dinner for $19 is a great deal. Definitely will come back on another weekday to try another one of their special dish. Recommend to bring cash. They do take credit cards. Oh and the GPS if going East on Cermak rd you can turn into 18th street or turn straight into the restaurant parking lot. Our GPS told us to go down 19th street and turn into an alley to get to the restaurant parking lot. read more

Sawa's Old Warsaw Restaurant - Stuff cabbage, breaded pork, sauerkraut, fried chicken, meatball with dill sauce, cabbage pierogi - Polish Near Me - Broadview, Illinois

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I was very on the fence between a 4 and 5 star review. Overall, I do highly recommend this establishment!! Excellent buffet. It was absolutely packed for dinner on Saturday. The line was long at times, but the staff did a great job of keeping the food full and hot! They do take reservations and it's great for large groups. The food is incredible and authentic. Best potato pancakes and stuffed cabbage I've ever had! I also loved the sausage and the coleslaw. They only had potato pierogi at the buffet but you are able to order variations from the server. Our server was prompt, but a little standoff-ish. It may have been due to how busy the night was. The kraut was not my favorite but it was still good. They had a carving station at the end of the buffet with different meats! If you do not like traditional polish food, there are still some options. That being said, you'll be missing out! There was a little dessert station with a few options and a soft serve ice cream machine. Our entire group ate until we were stuffed! I heard they do catering and I think in the future we may try that for a family event. read more

The soups were very good. The potato pancakes and pierogis were good as well as the apple sauce and sour cream. The other dishes were lacking flavor read more

The buffet is limited in comparison to Polish buffet competitors but many of the items are solid comfort food options. The pierogi were delightful and the chicken (while not prepared in a Polish way) was also delicious. Those were standout items in my opinion, as was the chicken soup (rosol). There aren't many places like this left, so it is nice to enjoy a good old. buffet with hearty comfort options. read more

Dined during St Patty's weekend. I'm polish but have never been to Sawa's. Old world ambiance, clean & spacious. Very friendly staff. The buffet was very well stocked mid Saturday afternoon. Had a long island icetea . The sausage was soooo good. They had smoked & fresh. Cabbage rolls yummy... everything was perfect read more

Sawa's Old Warsaw Restaurant - Polish plate - Polish Near Me - Broadview, Illinois

Our first time here, and it was a nice visit. What's not to like about an old-fashioned polish buffet? This one has been here for years, but Broadview is a bit of a drive for us from the south side. Glad we finally made it here. The very large dining room is attached to a large bar area that also has tables. The diner can work the buffet from both sides, so things move along nicely. Staff from the kitchen is constantly refreshing and refilling the food, so it is as fresh as can be. The variety of offerings on the extensive buffet table is hard to describe, but if you are Polish or eastern European you'll find many things to delight you. For those less ethnic, the fried chicken was really nice, the sliced roast beef and ham-off-the-bone also were a hit. Pierogis and blintzes were excellent, the soups were also. But we thought the best item was the potato pancakes ... crisp on the outside and soft on the inside ... you can tell they have been making these pancakes for years and they got this down. General service is ok: someone sits you at the table and takes a drink order, if you want ... then they pretty much disappear until needed for a table cleanup or a drink refill; as such, service was ok but pretty much what you'd expect at a buffet ... i.e., you do most of the work. All in all a very nice visit and we will return. read more

As always the foods that are on the buffet are just like homemade, really. I do think they do most of the cooking in house. We had some friends that were returning to town and they had never been here before and we needed to retifiy this. We went on a Tuesday and they have Polish tacos, the second Tuesday each summer months. Needless to say our friends, must go back again and on the second Tuesday in June, he added the date to his calendar. The combination of foods they have are all top notch. read more

This is my second time coming here. It's a very authentic Polish restaurant serving buffet-style dishes. They have fresh salads including preserved beets with all different kinds of dressings. The food was tasty--not greasy and not too salty. I liked everything; even the mashed potatoes were so good! They also have a small pastry section that is fresh and tastes homemade. I didn't have room for the soft-serve ice cream this time. read more

Sawa's was good. We had the buffet. I tried several different dishes and all we really well-made. Started with the chicken soup very flavorful and not very salty. The entrée dishes I had were tasty. If it wasn't that it's so far from my house, I'd go back quite often. read more

Home cooking, polish comfort food! Everything was delicious. The potato pirohi were fluffy, buttery and incredible! Potato pancakes melt in your mouth. Sausage, fried chicken, halupki. Just like grandma made! Served buffet style with salads, sides, sauces, soups desserts. Stomach was only so big, darn! Old world look and feel in casual dining and welcoming staff! read more

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The food,the ambience, the service, was excellent can't wait to go back again.my favor was kolache's read more

Sawa's Old Warsaw Restaurant - Yummy a little plate - Polish Near Me - Broadview, Illinois

Service was wonderful! Attended for a private party. What's not to love about a polish buffet! Perogis and potato pancakes were my favorite. Ham at carving station was also my favorite. read more

Sawa's Old Warsaw Restaurant - Pierogis - Polish Near Me - Broadview, Illinois

Good food and good service. Large selection of food on the buffet and the price was reasonable. An old time restaurant with culinary offerings, reminiscent of traditional Polish cuisine, evoke the comforting ambiance of a grandmother's kitchen. Nice to have these places still in business. read more

I always enjoy the food here, but the pork steaks are my favorite. We went recently on a Wednesday and it was full as usual. Waitresses know their jobs and buffet is promptly restocked. Has been repainted(same pink color) but walls are still adorned with traditional polish adornments. read more

Yum! We stopped here for lunch on a Tuesday afternoon and we were pleasantly surprised. My mom is from a polish family and said the food tasted just like her mother's. The inside is very old, but that does not matter. It is a classic old diner vibe and the service is friendly. All the food is very authentic and reasonably priced. We will be back! read more

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Too much to eat. Great service. The dining room was packed. We were there on a Saturday with a golf league. Kudos to this restaurant.

Good deal...fairly limited buffet compared to others, but food is fresh and delicious kolackis

My family (six adults) and I returned here purely for nostalgic reasons. Growing up Polish, we had my grandfather's funeral luncheon here over 40 years ago, and shockingly, nothing has changed -- literally nothing. The interior and exterior appear untouched. The chandelier and lighting were coated in dust and grime, and it didn't look like the carpeting had ever been cleaned. The food was basic and bland. The sauerkraut tasted "off," and the cabbage rolls were served in a watery broth instead of the traditional tomato-based sauce. Everything felt generic and uninspired. Not a single pierogi was available, which was especially disappointing. Our server, Agnieszka, provided no real table service. Our water pitcher was never refilled, no extra napkins were offered, and when I asked for sour cream, I was told to get it myself from the buffet. From the moment we sat down, she rushed us repeatedly, asking multiple times if we were ready for drinks. She even cleared plates while my uncle was still eating she took his plate while he still had sausage on it he was eating. The bill came to $225. We paid more than half in cash and the remainder by card. When she came to collect the cash, I politely asked to count it together before she took it. She responded assertively, "No, I am going to count the money with you. This is how we are going to do it." Her count was incorrect, so I said, "Now I am going to count the money with you," and my count was correct. After paying, we remained seated for about 15 minutes. She then came over and told us they needed the table for people with reservations. She said to leave without saying that we had to leave. We were all stunned! While there were a few people waiting, there were also several open tables. We were essentially pushed out so the table could be turned over. Overall, the waitress was rude, authoritative, impersonal, unprofessional, and completely out of line. Everyone working there appeared miserable. We will never return. As a family, we should have left our childhood memories untouched, they were good ones. Tonight's experience was horrible. If you're looking for a pleasant environment, do not go here. read more

Still one of the best polish buffets/ food around! My only complaint is that their sauerkraut is more like just boiled cabbage. Where's the sour?? No vinegar taste at all. I've never had sauerkraut without vinegar. read more

Polish style food, offering an amazing selection of items from broasted chicken, polish sausage, dumplings, apple blitzes and desserts. My tip is to go for lunch, less crowded. They also offer take out if you want to order items to go. read more

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Food was very good. The restaurant was very simple. Nice salad bar, clean buffet items and carving station. read more

Hadn't been to Sawa's for 30 years, so decided to try it today. I don't think anything has changed. The buffet obviously leans toward Polish dishes but there wasn't anything too exotic. Everything was pretty good for a buffet. Blintzes and Pierogies were good. Wife really liked the potato pancakes. Desserts were also good. Ambience was great if you like going to a place that looks like the 1950's. It's not a problem but you need to be aware they take cash only. read more

Holy Cow I loved this place! Stopped in at Lunch Time and the lunch buffet was totally amazing! To my taste buds every single item seemed homemade. The Potato Pancakes alone are worth the price of admission! The Pierogi were also a standout! The service and atmosphere was also exemplary. It is like stepping back in time! I highly recommend you try this absolute gem! read more

Awesome 7os decor. Excellent buffet food. Friendly and prompt service. Highly recommend if you want to try something a little different. Good ol' polish home cooking. And, they have. Soft serve ice cream machine. read more

Sawa's Old Warsaw Restaurant - Outside signage - Polish Near Me - Broadview, Illinois

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It's been a long while since I've been here and let me tell you something I was very impressed by the service and the amazing Polish food . I ended up trying the lunch time buffet and it was really really good food I can't wait to try the dinner buffet. This is a must try Polish buffet read more

A wonderful place with delicious food. Beautiful interior and not too noisy. The cuisine is outstanding. The staff isn't very friendly, but it doesn't really spoil the overall experience. read more

Sawa's Old Warsaw Restaurant - Polish Near Me - Broadview, Illinois

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Delicious Polish buffet! Would go back in a heartbeat. Our server was attentive and very sweet, and the hostess was very friendly.

Delicious polish food at an affordable price. Lots of nostalgia as the restaurant has not changed since the 1970s. Went back for 3rds for the buffet. Delicious kielbasas, potato pancakes, kapusta, and pierogi. Highly recommend. read more

The primary drawback was halfway thru our Thursday late afternoon lunch noisy music blared behind the wall where we sat. That knocked the rating down a star. Were it not for that, this place would get 4 1/2 stars rounded up to 5. The food was pretty much off the charts with a few items needing a bit more seasoning. But the main dishes were tasty (particularly the potato pancakes) and ample and the salad bar area was plenteous in content and good. Yum! It would be helpful if some of the lesser known items had been labeled so we would have known what they were. However, there was little not to like so not by far the biggest issue but it's beneficial to know what you have on your plate. I had three glasses of iced tea altogether - one sweetened, one unsweetened and the third raspberry sweetened. All were fine but I would have liked our waitress (I guess server is the word nowadays) to have a better grasp of English so she would have known that I wanted the raspberry for all three glasses. But our server was very good in refilling our water glasses, something you seldom see these days (except at Greek Islands) as most eateries do not serve water except upon request. A bit on the pricy side but that's how it seems to be these days when dining out. That said, this place is a gem that has been in place over a half century, though my first time here, despite living not far away for decades. This was well worth the trip with my lady friend (who loved it as well) and we'll be back in the near future (hopefully without the distracting music). read more

Very good and traditional Polish food buffet. You cannot go wrong with the stuffed cabbage, fried chicken, pierogis, mashed potato's & steamed veggies. All very delicious & authentic. You serve yourself, so it goes as fast as you are! A ton of traditional art pieces on the walls that look like from Poland, as well. Good establishment with friendly people. read more

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Great Service. Friendly staff. Pleasant Atmosphere . Food was remarkable even the next day! Well woth the drive from Naperville! Thank you read more

The buffet on Fri and Sat is $24 per person and offers prime rib and ham on the bone. The potato pancakes and potato pierogis were exceptional. I'm not typically a fan of sauerkraut but there's was on the milder side and almost tasted like smothered cabbage. There's also a great salad bar, several fresh soups and a dessert station with kolacskis. Their diet soda is diet rite. I asked for Diet Coke and was surprised the distinction wasn't mentioned or disclosed. That said, it resulted in me consuming mostly water. The ambiance is dark, old school, casual flair, which is a nice way to plan to have a plate or two over good conversation. read more

Sawa's Old Warsaw Restaurant - Front entrance - Polish Near Me - Broadview, Illinois

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Wonderful food, courteous servers and pricing is good. I've been going here for over ten years and have never been disappointed with the food. We had our wedding banquet here too. The atmosphere was fine. Everything went smoothly and the guests loved the smorgasbord. read more

Today I had lunch there with a friend. It was delightful! Everything was scrumptious! (especially the potato pancakes) I was very pleased with the freshness of everything. It was MUCH BETTER than what I have come to expect from buffet style dining. I VERY highly recommend it! read more

When we first walked in, there are video gambling machines and full bar. You have to walk to the other side of the room to be seated for the restaurant. When we first walked into the dining room there were pinkish red and blue lighting on the ceiling which would be nice for Valentine's Day but it was not the best lighting to see your food. I took pictures of our food using the flash... if not all you would see is pink food. Our waitress was very sweet, she gave us a pitcher of water and kept our table cleared from empty dishes which was surprising cause it seemed like she was the only one working the tables. They must be short staffed. There was another lady carving the meats and a guy putting out clean dishes and cups. They don't have any music playing, so you can easily hear people talking around you. It was not too bad though. The floors are carpeted and someone spilled a topping on the floor by the dessert buffet and it was a huge mess. The ice cream was being used so much it was more like a shake texture then ice cream. So eating a cone is pointless. As far as the food buffet, there were lots of great options and I loved trying every hot entree. I don't think you could even try all the cold ones cause there are tons of them! The chicken noodle soup was so yummy, thin noodles and lots of chicken. The salad bar was stocked full of fresh veggies and there were lots of cold salads (macaroni salad, and other toppings) The meats I tried seemed to all be flavored the same... ribs and fresh polish sausage tasted very similar. There were lots of great dining options so I am sure even the most pickiest people would find something they like! I think this restaurant is good to come to maybe once a year when your craving polish foods, I cannot see myself coming here regularly. They only had potato pierogi, it would be nice to have other pierogi flavor options. They were good but not the best I have ever had. If your in the area I would definitely recommend dining here at least once. You will not be disappointed! read more

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I can understand this place can appeal to those who have an iron stomach. What I found was everything there was incredibly oily which if you have a sensitive stomach is perhaps not the place to be. The service was fine. The inside feels like a bit of a fever dream, you're crowded, and if some customers have their chairs back too much it's challenging to get to the buffet. It's a great "bargain spot". For $17 for a lunch buffet and great drink prices...If you like to drink and you're into buffets you can't do much better. However if your stomach is sensitive to seed oils, perhaps tread with caution. read more

This may not have the largest selection in buffets but they are always turning over fresh food so the selection is always hit and fresh. The polish is better than most and the ham and beef were awesome. The broasted chicken was juicy and the sleeper was all the homemade desserts. The nice touch was also the owner manning the carving station and overseeing everything personally- this is a do not miss!!! read more

Sawa's Old Warsaw Restaurant - Old school lets you know you're in for something good - Polish Near Me - Broadview, Illinois

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Great authentic Polish buffet. Service is good and atmosphere is like being in Poland. I would highly recommend this restaurant as I used to travel to Chicago for business and would frequent here often. read more

Great friendly atmosphere and good service. Food was excellent especially the bluntzes and potato pancakes! My only wish was that the sauerkraut was more sour all else was on point!!! Thank you read more