Cracovia Polish Restaurant - Deli & Bakery — Restaurant in Spring Hill

I dined at Cracovia on Sunday, Feb 24, 2019. My server was Heather. Once our order was placed, we received drinks and appetizers in a very timely fashion. We asked for a half order of pierogi as our appetizer rather than their normal appetizer fare. The server was accommodating.

Pierogi - The pierogi are either pan fried or boiled (they won't do half and half - we asked, but they said no. That was OK though). We ordered pan fried. When the pierogi came out they were beautifully fried. You can tell they are NOT deep fried as other posts have indicated. Once you cut in to their pierogi, you can see the outside of the dough is fried while the inside is not - if they were deep fried, all the dough would appear deep fried. They do fry them in a decent amount of oil in the pan which gives them their overall golden, evenly fried appearance. The taste is good. The onions are fried, not caramelized, so depending on where you are from, this could be different than you remember. However, a very valid attempt and success with pierogi. They are served with sour cream and fried onions, as is expected.

Main Course: I ordered the Roast Salmon with mashed potatoes and vegetables ($22.50), my husband the Osso Buco Beef with demi-glace sauce, mashed potatoes ($22.50), and vegetables and my son ordered the Devonay (breaded chicken stuffed with cheese, parsley and butter) with mashed potatoes and vegetables ($18.00).

Review: All entrees at our table were cooked to perfection, each item hot, and the food is fantastic. Plating was beautiful, seasoned very well though I added salt to my salmon - but that's a personal preference. The food is well worth the price. The vegetables that came with each dish were lettuce, coleslaw but without mayo - not sure what was in it, but it tasted almost like a vinaigrette of some sort (very tasty), carrots - which tasted very fresh and almost sweet, and beets - which were very fresh and much more tasty than I remember as a kid. I did not like kids when I was younger, but theirs were better than I remember.

Drinks: We ordered 1 long island iced tea (DAMN Fabulous - their bartender is the best I've had in a long time - and I even stopped after my meal to tell her just that) and an Ococim (Polish draft) beer. Ococim beer has a very nice taste to it, light but in the realm of German/Belgian as far as taste. I was pretty pleased with their drink selections and quality that we received.

Total: All in all it came out to ~$91, plus tip - and I tipped over 20% because I was that impressed with both the hustle of the waitress as well as the taste in general.

Overall Experience: We got there right at opening (3PM) and the place was already packed. We got the last table available and were seated right away. The people behind us had to wait. The wait staff is young but talented and they were working their tails off to ensure we had our appetizers, meals, and drinks in a timely fashion. From what I saw at other tables, they were working very hard all around. I spent less time here than I did at Chili's next door waiting for food and drinks. Their kitchen has a good grasp on what's going on and getting it out quickly. The hostesses had a handle on everything going on in the dining room as well and were on top of things. The bartender was fantastic. This is definitely a place to visit.

I have read the other reviews in the past where there seemed to have been growing pains since opening, but those issues seemed to have been resolved. Our food was good, the service was good --- and pleasant! -- and the check is what we expected.

Would I bring my Ukrainian family to this restaurant when they visit? Absolutely. Would I go back? Absolutely. I highly recommend this restaurant and I'm glad they finally opened here in...

11/2022. Every dinner here has been wonderful. I keep returning. 9/2022 A must visit place. Great food and service. On 8/14/2022 I paid a second visit to Cracovia Polish Restaurant in Spring Hill. Really delightful! So here’s one last update because it was so good. This time I had the best Beef Barley Soup I've ever had; perfectly seasoned Chicken Roulade with goat cheese and garlic spinach and a tasty sauce; homemade mashed potatoes; chunky mixed veggies; a decadent dessert; coffee; and a drink. The garlic was so complimentary to the dish--not too much, not too little--and so fresh that it really was delicious. Bread lovers will love the bread here. The cocktail was both potent and tasty. Thanks, Debra!

I'll let the photos tell the full story. Oh, and surprise! In addition to the desserts on the menu and on the daily specials board, there is a Dessert Box! OMG! It’s July 31, 2022, and I just had a truly delicious dinner at Cracovia Restaurant. The food was fresh, tasty, and plentiful. I took home enough for lunch tomorrow. The drinks were very tasty, both the Cracovia Special and the Lemondrop Martini. The atmosphere was inviting, all red brick and stone work, with open rafters, and comfortable booth seating. The table seating and the bar looked fine, also. The place was i m m a c u l a t e and fun, transporting your imagination to a castle or palace in Cracow. From the moment I walked in, Debra the bartender acknowledged me, showed me to my table, and provided some great recommendations. I deliberately went at a time when they weren’t busy. I know most restaurants are (still!) short staffed, and that can make for a bad experience, so I wanted to avoid big crowds. This Sunday afternoon was perfect. All the servers were doing a wonderful job being attentive to their tables. Debra and two other wait staff, in traditional and colorful Polish dress, made sure that I had everything I needed. I chose the day’s specials: Sauerkraut Soup to start, then Rump Steak with Onions and Mushrooms, Mashed Potatoes, and Beet Salad. For dessert I had the Apple Cake. You could tell that everything was fresh and homemade. Next time, I’ll try the goulash soup and the Breaded Pork Loin Schabowy, and maybe a Polish beer. I highly recommend this restaurant, and I will be returning soon. It’s up a notch, so it would be great for special occasions, too, but I felt comfortable just in nice casual clothes. If you‘re going to sit outdoors on the patio for lunch or for some apps and a beer, it’s a great casual spot. Note: This was my first time here; I have no other connection to them, but I really enjoyed my visit. I’m so glad I tried them today. Worth the trip to Spring Hill. If you are not familiar with Polish food, don’t be put off, just read the menu before you go. It’s delicious, filling, and comforting. All the ingredients are very familiar, and there is something...

The most authentic Polish Resturant I've ever been to. Reviewed by a W.O.P-LOCK, who's Mom makes the best pierogis and best galumpkis ever... Food is very good. For Polish food in Florida, you probaly won't find better. Remeber though, this is Polish Food and many folks will have issuea. Atmosphere here is cool as it could ever be. Never seen a resturant with such ornate, attention to detail in the furnishing as well as having the nicest chairs and tables, I've ever seen in a resturant. Ever. And the amount of revised I've done speaks volumes on that.

Pierogis. Had Cheese & Potato and Meat Filled. Ordered them Boiled with butter and onion but received fried. No big deal. I prefer mine boiled but have had them fried many times. My mother has been making pierogis since I was an infant. Mom's will always be best however for those without Polish Heritage (my mother was actualy in Poland when we drove by this place), these are FAR better than The Pierogi Grill in Clearwater, Pierogi Bar St Pete or any pierogis you will find in a store. Plus the atmosphere at Crakovia blows the other Polish Resturants Out the water.

The Sampler. Potato Pankake tasted just like my mother's. The Kielbasa - Respectable. I'm not the biggest fan of Kielbasa but this one was not overly smokey flavored. Many Polish Meat Shops have smoked Kielbasa and Cabanosi so rancid in Heave smoke. This was not the case at Crakovia. PIEROGIES - SEE ABOVE. EXCELLENT. Galumpke - delicious. Mom's will alwsys be better but this one was excellent. If you've never had one this would be a good introduction. Cabbage was sweet and the filling was delicious. The accompanying tomato sauce was acceptable.

Pork Loin and Appricott - so so so tender. Was delicious. Also loved the roasted red Potatos that came with it.

Overall I'm not sure you can find a better Polish Resturant in Florida. Reminded me very much of the Crakovia Resturant what was located in New Britain CT many years ago.

Also, our server...