Cafe Polonia: The Best Part of Poland in Dot

There is something about a home cooked meal that just makes the food taste better. You know, those meals your mom used to make that no one can replicate. If that resonates with you, I recommend taking a trip to Cafe Polonia on Dorchester Avenue, right outside the Andrew T Station.  If you don’t take my advice, you can ask my idol and Food Network star Guy Fieri (Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives star) who deemed this joint worthy of a review for his show.

Cafe Polonia is a small, cozy space that is cranking out, quite literally, some of the best home cooked Polish food in town. Now, I am a Son of Erin, but I always enjoy sampling new dishes from different cultures and societies because Irish food isn’t know for being that great. The Polonia menu boasts a smorgasbords of Polish delights from their delicious pierogis, kielbasa, and sausages to traditional soups and stews.

As I said, I am an adventurous eater. I will most likely try anything once and I definitely tried a first at Polonia…pickle soup! Pickle soup was more of a stew of potatoes and vegetables with a pickled flavor broth. Needless to say it was a unique taste, but to my surprise, it was actually delicious. The Polonia dinner menu consists of a lot of kielbasa, sausage, duck and pork plates among other things. Since I could not choose one thing on the menu, I chose the ‘Polish Platter’ which consisted of a sampling of pierogis, kielbasa and stuffed cabbage. The pierogis and the kielbasa were by far the highlights of the night.

The pierogis served at Polonia are some of the best you’ll find in Boston. If you don’t know what a pierogi is, you haven’t lived your best life yet. A pierogi is very similar to a dumpling or a ravioli where it is a wrapper made of dough that is stuffed with different meats and cheeses then boiled. Now, I know that doesn’t sound all that complicated, but Polonia’s pierogis take it to a whole new section of Flavortown (shout out Guy Fieri). They are a must try if you visit Polonia.

Polonia does not serve liquor, but I was offered a few traditional polish beers, which again, to my surprise were actually great, especially in the stein they serve it in. You can also find a list of red and white wines. As you drink you might even get a  “na zdrowie”  from their staff which in Polish means “to your health!”

The lesson to be learned while dining at Polonia is, don’t be afraid to try new things. You never know what new type of food you’ll find right around the corner unless you look, especially in Dorchester!

Cafe Polonia is located at 611 Dorchester Avenue across from the Andrews Square T Stations.
Cafe Polonia hours are 11:00 AM to 9:00 PM (Monday thru Thursday); 11:00 AM – 10:00 PM (Friday); 10:00 AM – 10:00 PM (Saturday); 10:00 AM – 9:00 PM (Sunday).