Little Walter’s — Restaurant in Philadelphia

Ask your partner if they'll take you on a date. Ask them if they'll take you to Little Walters. For the record I don't think a reservation is necessary during the week, it is probably necessary during the weekend.

The place isn't that big and that's quite alright by me. They haven't hung their sign outside yet but they don't really need to work a big neon pierogi in the window. The place is cute. The bar takes up maybe a fourth or third of the space and there are a few two tops, and fours. There's exposed brick and some venting. There's a few Polish pieces around the place and to me it's just enough accenting.

We got seated at one of the high tops and it was decently sized. We were given the drink and food menus, and I zeroed in on the pickle martini. It's everything I wanted. Salty-briney, vegetal, body, dirty martini. I do love an olive dirty with vodka but pickle brings it to a new place. My partner got a beer, and then declined the vodka portion to make it a "citywide". I gladly accepted it.

I chit-chatted with the excellently social wait staff, Nika. They gave me the low down on what I needed to have and try. They also explained WHY I needed to have it. The why was very welcome. We started with the assorted pickled salad, cabbage pierogi, and the kielbasa. All of these were perfect. The beets had a well done dill "pesto". The tomatoes were perfectly marinated. The cucumber was outrageous with a tahini-esque sauce. The kielbasa had a pile of pickle (that were maybe the best I've ever had, do NOT tell my grandmother), and mustard. The mustard was just bitey enough to cut through the delicious fatty smokey flavor of the pork.

We moved on and had a cutlet. Which, let me tell you is almost a traumatizing concept growing up on Shake'n'Bake. I wasn't convinced but after another lowdown from the staff I was sold. It showed up and it was GORGEOUS. The piece was perfectly brown. The cauliflower on top was mustardy and on point with sharpness. There was a pan sauce that my partner and I fought over. I gladly forfeited because the cutlet and pickle were that good.

I got a second cocktail of a homemade sort of liquor topped off. This was berry, dessert, smooth, and oh so summery.

For dessert we had the "water ice" and cheesecake. Let me tell you that the cheesecake is maybe some of the best dessert food I've ever had. But it is not sweet. It is so exquisitely balanced between crust, cake, and topping. The fresh herb really brings the whole project together. I am so moved. The water ice wasn't quite water ice, but damn. It was smooth like soft serve. Light like water ice and slightly savory fruity from the wheat berry. This place is pumping out desserts for people like me. I have heard things about the chocolate peanut butter pierogi but I am beyond happy that I chose these.

TLDR: amazing honorable Polish food. Don't be afraid to pay for this. We can pay $5 for a taco. We can pay $5 for a pierogi. Try as many things as you can. This chef is clearly putting heritage and heart into these plates and my soul feels it. Stop by, ask questions, but most importantly,...

This is a tricky review for me to write because the food was outstanding but there were some issues. Firstly, food was 5 stars. Without question. Our party did the tasting menu and every single item that came out was stupendous. Pickled veggies, pierogis, salad, bread, pork, chicken.. all so flavorful and delicious. It was an incredible meal and well worth the price. Drinks were amazing too. For this reason, I can’t wait to come back and I plan to. My husband wants to try the pirogies most of all. However, in stark contrast to the food was the service. It was just strange, actually. We sat for 40 minutes, after 2 rounds of drinks, before we were presented with a food menu - and that was after one member of our party asked for menus. Our reservation was 7pm. We each got 1-2 cocktails. We were conversing, having a good time and didn’t notice that over 35 minutes had passed and we hadn’t seen a menu, nor been asked about dining. This is totally nuts to me. Once we asked for menus, they were handed to us with no question of if we’d been there before, had any questions, wanted to know about the tasting menu so again, we asked. The breakdown of the menu was rushed. Like an afterthought. We ended up going with the tasting menu which was well worth it. The food came out really quickly which was a pleasant surprise. I’m not really sure what happened with the menu / food situation. We were a large party at a back table. Maybe they forgot about us? But they were still serving us drinks. And we were immediately next to the kitchen so staff saw us. They were friendly. It was just .. awkward. No one was mad. We didn’t bring it up with the server. We had a really nice time. But it was one of the longest dinners because of the 40 min delay. I’m not used to having to ask for a food menu during dinner hours and I’m not used to having to ask what’s included with the tasting menu. If I’m spending $55 on dinner… (and most of the menu is in Polish)…. and it’s my first time dining with you … I expect a thorough walk through on the menu. Lastly, the restaurant lay out - as another reviewer mentioned - is completely bizarre. It’s jam packed and haphazard. There is too much furniture for such a small space. Our back table featured 2 large couches - one on either side - of the tables and to get out to go to the bathroom, you had to Jenga the entire table across the floor to squeeze out of the couch. It was another version of awkward. Just not visually pleasing or logistically sensible. In sum, food: incredible. Layout and service: needs a...

Little Walter’s is one of the best restaurants I have been to in a very long time! Everything was top-notch. We were greeted immediately with a smile when we walked in the door and the knowledgeable, friendly staff checked in on us often throughout our meal. Beautiful solid wood tabletops, that we were told all came from the same tree, an exposed brick wall, that speaks to the history of the building, a modern open kitchen concept, and an exquisitely refinished church pew. What a cool combination of old world European mixed with modern style! The crowning touch is the framed marriage certificate of the owner’s Great grandparents next to their picture on the wall . And the food, that was incredible! Our kielbasa was flavorful, crispy on the outside and juicy and delicious on the inside with just the right amount of spice. The combination of the kielbasa, the tastiest mustard I have ever had, and the pickles which were just the right amount of sour and crispy, made a perfect bite. Next, we shared a plate of pierogies. Always a favorite, and these were no exception. So authentic, you could tell they were homemade. The stuffing inside wasn’t heavy, and again just the perfect blend of seasoning, cheese, and potatoes; the caramelized onions added just the right finish. Although we could not pronounce our next dish, the wieprzowina y rozna, we definitely enjoyed it! The rotisserie pork had such a flavorful crust on the outside and the kapusta (cabbage dish), was the perfect accompaniment. The picture I took was actually after we had already dug in, but you can still see the beauty and how it was served. Throughout our whole dining experience, the staff was courteous and very solicitous, checking on us often, and taking the time to explain and pronounce everything on the menu, including the authentic cocktails. And let me just say if you are a fan of gin cocktails you must try the.pszczelarz! Light, refreshing, and, oh so good! We finished our dining experience with two delicious desserts. The blueberry pierogies, which were served over an amazing homemade cream that was just the right blend of sweetness made this dessert. A light and tasty treat. We also sampled the sernik, the spiced honey cheesecake served with peaches on top; a truly divine dessert!. Can’t wait to return and try the rest of the menu; judging by the happy faces on all of the people at the tables which were full all around us, this restaurant will soon become one of the hottest spots on the Philly...