“My first time here. The place is spotlessly clean and extremely cozy and comfortable. The staff is very helpful but not "too much" so you can enjoy the excellent food.The salad was not only delicious, but very pretty and colorful.Excellent food, excellent atmosphere, excellent service. What more could you want?“
“Really nice family owned restaurant. The variety if food on the menu was great. The honey cake especially was amazing. The food portions were very generous and the price wasn't bad at all. The restaurant was beautiful decorated and the Martin's service was excellent!“
“Always welcoming atmosphere, best "burek" and "cevapi u lepinji" in town. Always quick and fresh.I always feel welcome, the hosts are always in a good mood.Cevapi in a bun like at home! Excellent! Burek is always freshly prepared.“
“2024-02-03 11am-12pmOur waitress Vicky shepherded us through the choices, making the "Service" and "Atmosphere" 5-star from the get-go.I got Komplet Lepinja, my wife ordered Smoked Pork Shank (daily special) and my son chose Oxtail (also d.s.), finishing up with Balkan Taste cake. The food and drinks, along with Miss Vicky's continued service, pushed all star ratings to 6!The $20 to $30 rating is only because my wife's and son's specials were a little more expensive than the standard menu item prices (but fully worth it for the taste) and taking into account the other things ordered (see receipt).My wife's comment as we pulled away: "It didn't feel like a restaurant, it felt like we were at someone's home."“
“Everything we had was delicious and truly in hefty amounts, so much we left alot to discard unfortunately (we were flying so no way to package it up).. Waiters very pleasant and great at making suggestions.. If you like a strong flavorful drink, Try the dacquiri or mojito! Awesome!“
“The experience at Zhivago was truly exceptional! The atmosphere was lovely, and the staff were exceptionally friendly and welcoming. The food was not only delicious but also beautifully presented, adding to the overall experience. I highly recommend Zhivago to anyone looking for a fantastic event – it's definitely worth a visit!“
“The food here is so absolutely fresh and delicious. We are definitely not European but we have been coming here at least every 6 weeks since we discovered this place several years ago. Everything is homemade and super super tasty!!! The pizzas are great and the grilled meats are seasoned perfectly. Absolutely love it!! A hidden gem! And we met our waitress Vanya today for the first time. Just a super fun lady and nice person. Enjoyed chatting with her...she's great!! If you're in Des Plaines absolutely do not overlook Balkanika!“
“Went there with a group of friends last night. The place was so cute & cozy. While there are a lot of entrees to choose from we just ordered a bunch of appetizers & cocktails. Food was delicious & service was excellent. Great for a date night, girls night or just hanging with friends. It also has a very nice bar to just stop in for a cocktail. Check it out!“
“Needed a place for a late morning breakfast. The Bulgarian breakfast foods we ate were fresh, tasty, and excellent. Bulgaria Soccer was on the tv and the Bulgarian beer was smooth and tasty at 10 am. Will be back to taste the other foods on the menu.“
“There is plenty of seating inside. The staff was nice and we were quickly given a table. Food was served fairly quickly as well. The dish I ordered just wasn't to my liking but was still pretty good. I would happily come back to try a different dish as the food quality and prices were great.“
“Went here for a business meal and couldn't find any reservations anywhere. Have this place a chance and me and my supervisor were blown away with the price for the lunch specials that were like under $15 per person I think. AND the food was so so so delicious. I would of paid easily $25-30 anywhere else for the plates we got at that quality. Highly highly highly recommend to go here. The atmosphere I imagine is different outside of lunch time. (I think they have a lot of seniors so there is no music during the lunch time playing) once the seniors left the music came on and I was like OHH YEAH. I want to come back. Will come back and will recommend. I am bringing my employees here for lunches in the future.“