Polish Cottage — Restaurant in Tucson

I was craving sauerkraut. We left the Dr.s office and I asked for GERMAN RESTAURANT NEAR ME and the first restaurant listed was right across the street. It said Polish, so I hoped it had sauerkraut. The strip mall restaurant has been so cleverly decorated that once you enter, strip mall never enters your mind again. You enter into an outdoor area like a back door to a home, turn a couple of corners, and the transformation is complete. We are in the kitchen of a Polish family or their small restaurant downstairs. From a hutch with doilies, to the cooking fireplace, to the coffee table books, to the music, to the decor, all the way to the menu, this feels like a friendly gathering place for family, friends, and neighbors. Since I had a yen for sauerkraut, I first ordered a side of it. It was scrumptious, but my lunchmate said it tasted different than any he'd had before. I also ordered a cup of beet soup which included a boiled egg! We shared an $18 Polish Sampler plate which featured a stuffed cabbage roll, a healthy length of sausage, four pierogies (we ordered two sweet and two saurkraut/mushroom), sour cream, and the BEST OF THE DAY -- Hunter's Stew, which also included SAUERKRAUT! I was in heaven. I chose a restaurant that exceeded my expectations. I have never eaten German or Polish food, and the (somewhat like) Ukrainian food I've eaten was made by me following the directions of our appliance repairman, the former Ukrainian Vladamir. I think I must be from Eastern Europe with my sudden awareness of and love for food from the Polish Cottage. I neglected to mention service (ding, ding, ding, we have a winner) and desserts. Our server was attentive and friendly, admitted not being Polish, gave opinions when asked, and (get this) was polishing the stainless servingware before wrapping it in a napkin! Holy cow. I think the back of the house runs a tight ship and it shows. Every surface was dust free. I couldn't check the Ladies' because I lost track of time eating the scrumptious food. I want to go back and eat tomorrow, it was that good and the menu that varied. Who doesn't want to try Pickle Soup???? Seriously. And Polish Vegetable Salad? I hope it tastes a bit like the Ukranian Olivier Salad I made and ate, thanks to Vlad. I recommend this little cottage for your dining pleasure. Take your plus one out for a little adventure in dining. A+ food, A+ service, A+ cleanliness, B+...

It's a special day for my beautiful bride so she got to choose. We enjoyed the casual cultural ambiance of Polish Cottage. This little spot of Eastern Europe was a surprise to me, located on Broadway just west of Swan. Our waitress, Jana, was very pleasant and welcoming. The dining room is rather small, cozy as opposed to tight. The menu is large, the variety is far more than I expected. The premise of Polish Cottage is traditional Polish country cuisine; simple, filling, tasty. They have done that. My bride had a Combo meal. That's two pierogi ( a kind of dumpling filled with potatoes and cheese, beef, Sauerkraut and mushrooms), pork and rice stuffed cabbage, a small sausage and Hunter's stew. She says the stew was unique, tangy and very tasty. The pierogis had bacon and carmalized onions as well. She is very pleased with the meal. I had the veal breaded cutlet, two potato pancakes and a small smoked sausage. The veal was tender, the potato pancakes were crispy just like my Mom used to make. I especially appreciated the small serving of apple sauce as a condiment. I grew up with it, but it's disappeared from the American table. For desert, I had an order of two crepes. My beloved had apple cake. To the uninitiated, apple cake is a fusion of cake and a moist strudel, very fruity and warm served with whipped topping. I tried some and it warmed me all over. This would be terrific in a cold Tucson evening. My crepes were warm and crispy, full of a mildly sweet curded cheese. They put a creamy strawberry topping and dressed it all with generous dollops of whipped cream. Soooo good! Polish Cottage is dressed in rural Polish style, very charming. It's a wonderful change from the typical Tucson eateries and a nice retreat to a place and culture that is more relaxed and less stressful. I highly...

Clearly, I need to do a better job of keeping up with the restaurant scene in Tucson. I should have been going here for as long as they have been open. Thankfully a friend asked us to to try this with a small group. We ordered an assortment of dishes and shared them, all family style. What a delight! We had hunter’s stew, breaded pork cutlet, Polish smoked sausage, cucumber salad, sauerkraut, caramelized onions, bacon bits, mushroom sauce, 3 or 4 kinds pierogis, potato pancakes, and more I cannot remember. It was all delicious. The most special surprise for wonderful was the pickle soup. It sounds peculiar, but it is not. It is great. The server was engaging, knowledgeable, helpful, and prompt. She made the good food even more enjoyable.

Polish Cottage is part of wonderful, and perhaps new, trend in Tucson. There are some very fine restaurants, such as this one, that are opening in unexpected places, So, these are a little harder to find, but well worth the effort. Polish Cottage is tucked away in an old strip-mall in mid-town Tucson in an area where there aren’t a lot of restaurants. This one, like the others, is an unexpected delight. From its location you might think it’s simply a diner, but on the inside, it is graced with a very rich ambiance, and a nice bar.

Whether you have ever eaten Polish food or not, and I had not, this is a really fine way to spend an evening. My hat is off to the owner and staff. They have put together a great experience...