U Gazdy Polish Restaurant : Cozy Polish Cuisine, Disappointing Service

I visited U Gazdy in Wood Dale with my wife and nephew on a weekday. My nephew wanted to stay local and had a craving for Polish food, so he suggested we try a local favorite. Who am I to turn down the chance to explore a new place? This brings me to my latest review.

U Gazdy in Wood Dale

Pork ShankPhoto bycfk

Located just off the busy Irving Park Road, U Gazdy is easy to miss if you’re not paying attention. It’s also right next to another Polish deli, Helen’s.

chicken noodle soup comes with mealPhoto bycfk

Upon entering, you immediately feel like you’ve stepped into a cozy wooden cabin. Everything, from the tables and chairs to the walls and ceiling, is made of wood, giving the place a rustic charm. To your left, there’s a small bar as soon as you walk in.

perogiPhoto bycfk

The night we visited, the restaurant was moderately busy. Since it’s designed like a fully enclosed cabin, the noise—laughter and chatter—bounced off the walls, making it hard to have a conversation if other tables were being loud. We chose to sit all the way in the back, hoping to distance ourselves from other patrons so I could fully enjoy the experience and snap some pictures of the food.

potato pancakesPhoto bycfk

Our waitress greeted us with water, and we started with an order of pierogies and potato pancakes. My nephew also ordered beef tartare and smoked salmon rolls.

smoked salmon rollsPhoto bycfk

The appetizers arrived within 15 minutes. We ordered half meat and half sauerkraut pierogies. While they tasted fresh and were clearly homemade, they lacked flavor. Oddly enough, I preferred the frozen pierogies from Helen’s Deli next door. The potato pancakes were crispy and delicious, but very greasy. Fortunately, the grease didn’t overpower the taste—they were still quite good.My nephew enjoyed his smoked salmon and thought the beef tartare was solid.

Beef TarTartePhoto bycfk

However, this is where the experience started to decline. Our server disappeared for a long time. We saw her spending the majority of her time attending to two tables near the kitchen. She was at those tables about 85% of the time we were there. I even had to pour water into my wife’s glass after she sat without a refill for 25 minutes.

delicious cabbage rollsPhoto bycfk

After roughly half an hour, one of the other staff members noticed we’d been waiting with empty glasses. They called over our server, who didn’t apologize but simply asked, “Are you ready to order?” I replied, “Yes, but first, could we get some water and refills on our drinks?”

insidePhoto byyelp

She brought over the drinks, and we placed our orders. Both my wife and I opted for the stuffed cabbage rolls with mashed potatoes, while my nephew ordered their famous pork shank.

insidePhoto bycfk

The food came out relatively quickly. I took a bite of my cabbage rolls, and they were out of this world. Typically, I’m used to cabbage rolls with a tomato sauce, but this time, I had the option to top them with mushroom gravy—it was absolutely delicious. The mashed potatoes were forgettable; I barely paid attention to them because the cabbage rolls were that good.

My nephew thoroughly enjoyed his pork shank, which arrived sizzling on a skillet. His only complaint was that while 50% of the shank was tender, the other 50% was just fat.

Overall, this experience could have been a solid 8 out of 10, but the service was a major disappointment. There were two waitresses handling about six tables, and they seemed overwhelmed. When we left, I noticed our server chatting with guests at the bar, so I wasn’t sure if she was simply too busy or just hanging out with regulars.

One last thing I want to note: This was the first Polish restaurant I’ve been to that didn’t offer a Polish plate for dinner. When I arrived, I was hoping for a little taste of everything, but our waitress informed us that they only offer it for lunch. I find that ridiculous. Most Polish restaurants offer a loaded plate with kielbasa and pierogies for dinner, and it seems odd to only have such a heavy meal available for lunch. It should definitely be on the dinner menu.

My final rating is 6.5 out of 10. The food was above average, but the service left much to be desired. If you enjoy this content, please subscribe! I try to post new reviews regularly. You can also find me on YouTube under the name Chicago Food King. I’m aiming to get as many subscribers as possible so I can start posting videos!