Cracovia Polish-American Grill

Today I had lunch at Cracovia Polish-American Grill. At least I think that’s the name. I’m still not totally sure what the exact name of this restaurant is. The menu says “Cracovia - Your Family Restaurant - A Taste of Poland.” When I arrived, about 12:30, there were three other groups of people there. Two of them were speaking Polish and the third group was speaking English. All the other patrons were middle aged or older, and most of them were dressed like they just came here from church.

When I walked in the door with my backpack slung over my shoulder, wearing shorts and sandals, several people turned and stared. And I thought, “This place has only been open two weeks, so how can anyone develop in that short time a sense of ownership of the joint that they would stare at newcomers?”

The dark haired neighbor boy that used to live three doors down was there, as the busboy. He’d just started a couple days ago. There were three waitresses working the place, one of them a trainee. They’d only opened 13 days ago, so I guess everyone’s a bit new. The three waitresses all spoke both Polish and English, and were all in their late teens or early twenties. I’m guessing they grew up in America to Polish-American families, because they all spoke American English fluently.

After I got settled, they brought me a menu, a glass of water, some bread, and a little bowl of white and brown stuff that I’m guessing is pork lard, with a spoon. There was no butter, so I’m guessing the lard’s for the bread. I tried some, and it was OK, but I’m thinking it must be an acquired taste.

I asked the waitresses what they would recommend, since everything on the menu sounded good to me. One suggested the “schabowy” which is her favorite dish, so I decided to go with that. Plus, she said her mother works in the kitchen so she guarantees that it’s good. They asked if I wanted some kind of beetroot salad or pickles, and I went for the pickles.

When it all arrived, I found what I got was a platter with the schabowy on it. That’s basically a schnitzel, a piece of pork pounded flat, breaded, and fried. On the side were two scoops of mashed potatoes with some sauteed onions, and a little garnish. On a separate plate were three halves of dill pickles. It was all yummy, and I ate nearly everything (though I found I didn’t need the 3rd pickle).

They don’t have “to go” menus yet, so I had to ask for the regular menu back so I could write a few things down. For appetizers, they have soups, borscht, and a beef tripe dish. The main courses range from $5.25 to $12.99; I’m not sure if any of them are vegetarian. The menu has a section of side dishes and salads that range from $1.50 to $3.25. They have a desserts section with items called kemowka, rolada, and paczki. (Note: my keyboard doesn’t have the funky characters from the Polish menu, so I’m spelling these things out using the letter in English that looks closest)

They also have the usual soft drinks, plus ginger ale and tonic, orange and cranberry juice, and tea and coffee. They have a few beers to drink: Budweiser, Okocim, Lomza, Zywiec, and Piast. And lastly, the menu had a few California wines.

I asked one of the waitresses how business has been and she said so far they’re more popular for supper than for lunch. Yesterday (a Saturday) they were packed and there were so many customers even at 4 PM that the staff couldn’t have their traditional “family” meal together before the dinner crowd arrives. She said most of them were from the local neighborhood, people who didn’t really know Polish food but wanted to try it out.

And I guess that description fits me, too. It’s not a style of food that I really crave, but I can definitely imagine going back. The food was very tasty, and reasonably priced.

Cracovia Polish-American Grill 8121 W. 94th Avenue Westminster, CO 303-484-9388