Bubala Cafe & Grill — Restaurant in Dallas

I had high expectations of this restaurant since I heard lots of raving reviews among Russian Dallas community. First, I want to say most of the food we ordered was good. Chebyreki, chicken kebabs and lamb chops were great. Pylmeni were not much different from store bought. Napoleon was tasty and also good size portion. Overall, we enjoyed our food. Our good experience was finished at this point. Now, customer service is lacking, really lacking. I felt INVISIBLE since we ordered our food. We finished our appetizers and main dishes pretty quick and then we were ready to order some more food - soups and desserts. Unfortunately, we had to wait at least 30- 40 min for someone to come over and ask if we need anything else. Our dirty dishes were removed and the person did not even ask us if needed anything. Then one young waiteress comes over (I really had to grab her attention after waiting 30 min for nothing) and we were ready to tell her what we want to order. She proceeds to tell us that she has to check our table number or something, and she never returns to complete our order. We waited another 10-15 minutes, at that time I was ready just to pay the bill and go home without ordering any additional food. Then another waiter comes over and we decided to just pay and leave, but my daughter really wanted a cake. So I ask them to place an order for pylmeni and napoleon. We ate napoleon at home, could bare anymore stay there waiting. Worth to mention, I came with 2 children. One child was sleeping while the other was quite active 7 years old. So, it is hard to not notice us. I felt like I am not an existing customer there. Also, important to note, that their side are not included with main dishes (rice and so on) and has to be purchased separately. Also, sizes of dishes are quite small. Our water glasses were not refilled until the very end. Nedless to say, I will not be back to this place. Waiters wasted more than 1,5 hours of my time for waiting. It is unacceptable. Really more like a joke. I definitely do not recommend this place to anyone who expects to be served in a professional timely manner. And please do not bring your kids here. They will be miserable waiting because waiters do not...

First-time visitors to Bubala Bar & Grill. Can’t believe we have been missing out on this place! It is a true gem. Just walking through the door gave us welcoming vibes reminiscent of our trip to Eastern Europe. Delightfully adorned with intricate aesthetic elements, a charming, inviting dining space complete with white tablecloths, and tastefully elegant ambiance, I knew right from the moment we entered that Mom and I were in for a treat. It set the mood and tone for the afternoon. We were greeted, seated, and served by Kirill and ordered their traditional Kompot Berry Juice to start. It was crisp, cool, refreshing, and went perfectly with our meal.

The service was attentive, courteous, and exquisite. Kirill ensured we had received the dishes we ordered and oftentimes anticipated our needs. We ordered Adjarian Khachapuri, Vareniki Dumplings, and Chicken Kebabs to share and split the Russian Honey Cake for Dessert. All excellent! Everything is made in-house daily from scratch, and you are sure to find something that sparks your fancy on the Menu. It is clear that high-quality ingredients (and a dash of true love and care) are utilized in food preparation.

The Adjarian Kachapuri was melty and cheesy with the right balance of flavor from the egg and butter. As delicious as it was, we had to box up the remainder to take home as it was far too large a portion, (even between the two of us), to share. Next time, we will order one less item.

The Vareniki Dumplings were absolutely divine and can best be described as soft, pillowy pockets of savory potato and onion. Sour cream was the ideal accompaniment here and truly enhanced the taste by providing a sharp contrast and depth of flavor.

The Chicken Kebabs were succulent, juicy, flavorful, and tender. Served with rice, onion, cabbage, and potato chips, the dish was a true palate-pleaser and a delight, both in presentation and taste.

The Honey Cake was perfectly and lightly sweet with airy and flaky layers of goodness. We never felt rushed during our meal and will certainly come back to try other Menu items. Adding to our regular restaurant...

Third time here today, and wow—Bubala always charms. Here’s what I ordered!

The lagman soup (think elevated minestrone) makes a colorful bowl and the perfect appetizer. A rich broth brimming with chopped beef, vegetables, and noodles, topped with fresh cilantro and green onions, this soup walks tightrope betwixt hearty and light with expert precision. Lagman is now undoubtedly one of my top ten favorite soups of 2022, and perhaps of all time. There, I said it!

The manti, palm-sized dumplings (specifically my palm size, do not have exact measurements) (yet) filled with lamb, onions, and spices. Juice oozes from their interior as I bite in. Dumpling skin is amazingly al dente, its taste and texture profile somewhere between pasta and bread dough in the west (as opposed to Asian steamed dumplings and buns). Lamb filling is reminiscent of beef stroganoff (that mushroom-y, onion-y, spiced energy) without the cream sauce, and of course, delete beef and insert lamb. This is definitely a cozy comfort food, something your mom or grandma would make. Your mom! The dumpling quad is paired with a saucer of sour cream and garnished with extremely large-scale parsley (literally huge), which I’m here for!

The honey cake. It’s composed of alternating layers of paper-thin cake and cream, both bitably dense and melt-in-your-mouth delicate. This cake should be illegal. Its essence is straight up biting into a dulce de leche-covered honey comb dusted with cinnamon (which should probably also be illegal sometimes). No words. I would be down to show up here just for a cup of coffee and slice of this cake.

Awesome service, the beef stroganoff is also great, and there’s belly dancing too! No more points to make, just come...