Chaikhana Uzbekistan

Okay so first and foremost let me be an unbiased Russian-​speaking critic. I understand that most of the reviews for this restaurant are from biased patrons. For Americans coming to eat here are a few things to keep in mind:
1) Customer Service will be BAD. That’s just how it is. You have to deal with it and not take it personally. So I will not take stars off for this.
2) The owner of this place is a jerk. Which is probably why the wait staff is miserable and you are receiving bad customer service. He kinda looks like part of the Russian mob/​alcoholic so it adds to the whole true experience.
3) If you are sitting inside expect to see trashy music videos playing over and over again. This can be a pro or a con depending on how you look at it. It’s the authentic Russian experience.
This is not traditional Russian or Ukrainian cuisine. It’s better!
Things to get: HACHIPURI!!! But it must be ordered in advanced because of the preperation times.
Shashlik is amazing!
The bread with butter is incredible and will send your taste buds into euphoria.
Overall: come here for the FOOD. Not the customer service or ambiance. Also it’s a BYOB which is great. Bring a few bottles or Vodka or Whisky and shot glasses will be provided.
P. S. For my Northeast Philly people reading this… GET OUT MORE. Philly is an awesome foodie city that extends beyond Uzbek (as all the locals call it).
Will I continue coming here for years and years. Yes. The food is amazing and if your with a good group you will have an awesome time.

What a great experience! We tried to get parking downtown Philly, but gave up, and drove the 20 minutes back to this place. We pulled into their driveway, lined by grapes, and proceeded into the large parking. The length of driveway, size of parking lot, and size of building all surprised us. Based on the stripmalls around us, that’s what we had assumed when we were looking for the restaurant. The parking lot even had nice landscaping! We walked into the outdoor sitting area, decided that it was too noisy from the traffic, and proceeded inside. The cool air, white linens, dim lighting was all such a relief from the 90 degree day and blistering sun. We were met by a friendly waitress that was attentive and responsive the entire time. We were seated, and ordered the first couple dishes while deciding on the rest. We were asked if we wanted the bread, and answered yes. Expecting a bread basket we were pleasantly surprised to find a full loaf placed on our table. Next to it was a tomato garlic sauce, that was addicting and a lovely pourable sourcream reminding me of crème freche. Then came the katub and cheburek. Both were tasty, with me favoring the cheburek and wife favoring the katub. Then came the Hanum, which was delicious! We both enjoyed that one. Then came the Salyanka and Vareniki with cheese. Those were also delicious, and we went past the full point, proceeding to eat until no more fit, and then a bit more. The entire time, we were tearing pieces of the bread off, and dipping it into the tomato sauce or soup. And the bill came to less than $ 40 with tax and tip! This is a restaurant we’re visiting any time we’re in the area.

I think they prefer reservations, but we were able to get a table outdoors.
So here’s the scoop.
The ambiance was okay-​the outdoors is right off the street so it gets noisy.
The service is really good, warm, & inviting.
The carrot salad had a bit too much garlic.
The meat cheuberek was good but also had too much garlic.
The spinach cheuberek was a tad bit oily.
The lamb leg-​out of this world
The lamb chops-​nicely sized and tender-​a must have dish and totally worth it
The lamb kebab –to die for, so tender
The grilled chicken wings-​soooo good
The cheese ravioli-​meh, nothing special
The cherry filled dumplings with black current-​I can’t remember the actual name but this was an extremely unique dish and I am happy I tried it-​delicious
The bread-​very tasty, fresh, piping hot
The potatos w/​portobello mushrooms-​YOU MUST HAVE THIS DISH-​MANDATORY & absolutely delightful

I took my gf here on Saturday, 5/​21, for dinner, and we had a good time. It is a BYOB and there is no corking fee, so feel free to bring whatever booze you like. It was pretty packed on Saturday night, so I was lucky I made a reservation, and I suggest you do so as well.
The ambiance was very nice, and the servers pleasant. There are plenty of TV monitors around the dining room showing Eurovision, or other international TV. Because it was packed with both grownups and children, the service did slow down over the course of the evening.
We started off with the bread (Awesome!!), the Pecan (chicken) salad, and the Eggplant salad. All very tasty and sizable. The mushroom soup, afterwards, I thought was excellent and very mushroom-​y, but my gf thought it was too thin in consistency and needed more potatoes/​barley. We followed this with chicken and lamb rib kebabs. They were cooked nicely and served on the skewer with a tomato salsa/​sauce on the side. I really liked the lamb ribs, but they were a bit small in size. The chicken was perfect. I’ll be sure to order more ribs next time. We finished up the meal by trying the cherry dumplings with black currant jam. I had been told they were really good, and you get 6 or so decent sized dumplings. There were more like 14 dumplings on the plate. If you like cherry pie, you will like this. I thought it was just okay.
All in all, the food is well prepared, extensive, and tasty. I would totally come here again, but perhaps on a different night of the week.

Service still sucks!!! Waitresses are beyond clueless. Food is ok. The beef stroganoff is different every time I go in. No consistency what so ever except for the crappy service and long wait time.

After reading such an amazing reviews, we decided to stop by for lunch here, on the way from Atlantic City to DC.
It was a mother’s day. So i expected it will be pretty busy. We called ahead of time and made reservation for 6 people. When we arrived we could not find anybody to help us. No hostess!!! Just 2 very busy, running girl — waiters, who just looked at us and did not say a word. Its took us about 15 – 20 minutes to find someone who can have us seated! The menu selection is great! The price is more than reasonable! You get a get plate of yammy salad for like $ 6.50!!! We dont see this prices here in DC! The plov was amazing! Kebob… So-​so, I would not order it again! My main concern is that we had to wait enormous amount of time for someone to come in, take order, bring drinks and then food. We waited for our food for like almost 2 hours. All together its took us almost 3 hours to have a «quick» lunch! Complete under stuff!!! Full restaurant, and only two waitresses! So come here when you have tons of time!!! Because of this i am taking one star off! I wanted to take off one more (thats how bad the wait was) but decided to keep it for amazing plov, delicious salads, and super affordable prices! Management!!! Please hire more people!!!

We were in the mood for something different, so we tried this restaurant for lunch. Great food, we tried about 7 different dishes. The restaurant itself is beautiful, very reasonably priced with large portions. The service was great, the food was just amazing. Will definitely come back.

THIS PLACE IS AMAZING. Get the BREAD!!! Out of all the things I ate here my taste buds still remember the hot fresh bread. I had bought organic jam earlier that day at the Philadelphia flower show and just so happened to have it on me.
This place good for large groups and because its pretty much in the burbs parking is not a problem. I’d recommend asking the waiter for suggestions if you are not sure what to get. All the kabobs are delicious.

I was crazy homesick and craving some good homemade food that reminded me of my mom’s food, that’s when my boyfriend took me to this place. And let me tell you: you won’t get disappointed. Coming from the Central Asia I can tell if the food is authentic or not, and it was!
We ordered so much food I am almost ashamed to list here but you need to know what to try:
1) eggplant salad is delicious (if you are not fun of raw garlic stay away, but if you love eggplants, this is your ultimate dish),
2) lagman soup (a big plus for homemade pasta, I would just add more spices to it like Uighur people do since it is their traditional food),
3) manty (steamed lamb dumplings, if you are wary of fat, you may find it a little bit fatty, but that’s how it Is supposed to be),
4) plov (pilaf or beef with rice and carrots, it was good, not too greasy, the meat could have been more tender, but it was still good)
5) samsa (special clay oven baked bun with meat reminded me real Uzbek samsa that you’d buy on the street)
6) Napoleon cake dessert: my boyfriend just loved it!!! It is similar to milllefeuille, but with different Crème)
The place is super busy on weekend, so definitely call ahead and make a reservation. We sat outside in the tent (and it was February), but we were not cold at all. I gave 5 star rating because I love the place that serves my home food.

Uzbekistan to me is by far one of North East Philly’s best not so secret secrets. The food for the price is UNBEATABLE! You definitely come here to spend quality time with your party, as service can run a little long, but that’s not a bad thing here. This place is a BYO so come with your alcohol in hand and be prepared to sip the night away with some close friends. The kebabs here put places like Fogo and Chima to shame. Brazillian meat buffets have NOTHING on Uzbek kebabs, I highly recommend the chicken and lamb ribs (with tons of flavor and very little gaminess to the meat). For the more adventurous eaters DEFINITELY try the chicken liver kebab. Other dishes aside the kebabs not to be missed are the rice pilaf and bread! I loveeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee carbs and this is by far the best loaf of bread you can get for a dollar. My friend even brought his own jam! So next you’re out in the North East, don’t pass up the opportunity to get quality roasted meats at half the price of big name brazillian meat buffet prices!

Delicious.
I went here with my partner to celebrate Valentine’s Day, and we had a FEAST with leftovers for maybe $ 20? Everything we ordered was great, but the stand-​outs were: vareniki with cheese (sweet cheese dumplings with blackcurrant sauce and butter), the manti, and the bread. The bread! It came out piping hot, with a tender-​crisp crunch and a pillowy interior equally perfect for sopping up sauce, eating with soup, or just devouring with a pat of butter. It was, no joke, the best bread I’ve had in Philadelphia.
Do make reservations on the weekends. Maybe bring some vodka. Don’t expect doting service. Go when you’re hungry.

Good Russian/​Uzbek food, although I highly recommend you make reservations, especially if you show up on a weekend. It is definitely a popular spot among the Russian/​Uzbek community and we were fortunate to be given a table at the hour we showed up. The service was okay, probably a personal feeling because we weren’t from the Uzbek community and didn’t make reservations, but the food more than made up for the service.
We had the Lagman Soup, Pilov Samarkand (Fried Rice), Chicken Kebab, Fried Chicken Ravioli, Tandoori Bread and Baklava. They all tasted great and the price was very fair for the portions we received.

Finally got a chance to visit this fine restaurant that I have driven past many times. I got the Lamb Leg with Vegetables and so did my companion. A beautifully done, tender and fall off the bone leg of lamb, garlicy shredded carrots, grilled eggplant & peppers, and fried potatoes. Everything was delicious and with the additional bread, was very filling. We didn’t have a reservation so we were seated outside in a heated tent. My suggestion, if you go in the winter, get a reservation! I would definitely go back to try other items on the menu as they sounded as great as the dish I got.

We visited Uzbekistan during my brother Jesse’s Bachelor party weekend in Philadelphia. I had been once before a few years ago and had to go back. The outside area was closed on a Thursday so we ate inside. The dinning room is quaint but welcoming. It is BYOB so we brought our trusty bottle of Vodka with us and had a seat. My dad was a little uneasy because he had never brought a bottle of liquor into restaurant. It was not a problem at all. The server brought us sipping glasses and we drove on. We ordered the bread, (2) achicka chuck salads, homemade potatoes and shish-​kebabs (chicken, lamb, lamb rib, beef). Everything was sooooo good. I live in Richmond, VA now and am kinda glad this place isn’t near me because I can’t stop eating it. The loaf of bread was large puffy and had a great crust. It paired with the tomato and onion salad. Jesse and Dad loved everything but especially enjoyed the chicken kebab. Myself, I preferred the lamb and lamb rib kebab. I can’t say enough good things about the food other than it just «perfect». The place was packed on our arrival and we had about a 15 minute wait. This was not a problem, we stood at the bar area but the hostess /​waitresses who sat us did not make us feel very welcome. No smile and seemed a little bothered. Our waitress during the meal was a little better but not what I would call friendly. Regardless, we came to eat and the food was excellent so I’m overlooking the service and chaulking it up to «Cultural Differences»

Food: 5 Star
Service: 3:0 Star
Ambiance: 4.0 Star

Great value for money — $ 36.63 total, excluding tip for bread, chicken kebab, Lula (lamb) kebab, pilaf Samarkand, cheburek, compot (juice) pitcher, and Napoleon (dessert) for two — dine in and had left overs to take home! Loved the food. See pictures

We come here a lot. A lot. It’s BYOB and the outside area with lights is nice and relaxing despite being right on Bustleton Ave. They just recently added a back porch area we have yet to sit in, but it looks nice.
The food is always fantastic. Hubs says the chicken skewers are «phenomenal». My family always shares the fresh, hot, crispy bread and Greek salad (meet as they write it on the menu is asked for on the side without an issue). It comes with shredded light feta my Mom raves about. You would never know its feta by the way it looks. The salad is tossed in a light oil and vinegar.
We always get the mushroom barley soup. You can get a half which we sometimes do and is really enough. A little oily, but SO delicious. The kind that Bubbie used to make. Comforting for sure.
I love the eggplant salad but I seem to be the only one in my family that does as it has chunks of garlic. I still love it. It has walnuts and pomegranate seeds. It’s so different and bursting with flavors.
We get the fried potatoes with portobello. They are a tad garlicky. Just the right amount and topped with chunky mushrooms and sautéed onions.
We alternate between the sweet and savory vereniki (like a pierogi). The sweet are topped with warm blueberries and the savory with sautéed onions.
We sometime get the pitcher of compote (a Russian fruit drink) it’s very sweet like a Kool Aid but worth a try.
Honey cake for dessert is a must. Nutty and chewy like a baklava consistency more than a cake.
Reservations for dinner are a must. It’s fairly small inside but cozy. Lots of vodka drinking and big family dinners. Tonight the entire table next to us was singing. It’s fun really. My Dad prefers the ambiance here to other places like this in the area because of the authentic feel and music etc. it’s really a no rush, sit and relax type of place.
I would give it 5 stars but the tv always has super creepy shows on and the servers always look like you are annoying them. I’ve actually never really had a pleasant waitress and like I said, we come here A LOT but the food is really that good. And reasonable.

It is a neighborhood gem. Tasty food reasonable price and very traditional Uzbekistan food. Eggplant salad and dumpling are really highlighted dishes. BYOB is a huge plus for local people. One star off is that those waitresses are less attending possible because their English are relatively limited and their check is already added 10% tip. Overall a great place to enjoy home cooking of middle Asia.

The soup is so good the rice and meat is nice the bread is too much. Don’t need to order

I came here with a group of 8 on a Saturday evening for my boyfriend’s birthday. He called ahead to order everything for our group, which I think may be required for large reservations. Let me see if I can remember everything we ordered…
Achick-​chuck: tomato and onion salad. This was one of my favourite dishes — the tomatoes were incredibly fresh and the spices were perfect.
Fresh vegetable salad: a garden salad. Good.
Greek salad: excellent. Uses grated feta instead of chunks and includes strips of dried beef on top, a bit unusual.
Cheese pie: I can’t find this on the menu but it was a massive pastry-​based pie stuffed with garlic and cheese. Very rich but delicious. HUGE.
Lagman: hand pulled noodles with veggies and organ meats. Yummy but the noodles were a little too soft.
Chicken ravioli: like little fried chicken fortune cookies. Delicious.
Manti: large lamb dumplings. Fantastic.
Hanum: large ground beef and vegetable dumplings topped with tomato sauce. Also fantastic.
Vareniki with potato: basically pirogi. I didn’t love the texture of the potato filling.
Vareniki with cheese: LOVED these. Served at the end with a black currant sauce. Excellent dessert.
Veal kebabs: to die for. All the kebabs were the best grilled meats I’ve ever eaten and I’m a serious grilled meat aficionado.
Lula kebabs: like a kofte, ground meat with spices. Fantastic.
Chicken kebabs: sleeper hit. Tastiest chicken I’ve ever eaten.
Napoleon: puff pastry layered with pastry cream dessert. Delicious but a little too sweet for me.
We got pretty much 2 of everything and it was an insane amount of food. I left feeling like I just ate Thanksgiving dinner and we had a mountain of takeout boxes to bring home. This crazy-​huge feast broke down to only $ 30/​person (gratuity included) and took us about 2 ½ hours form start to finish. They did a great job pacing the meal, bringing out water, fresh plates, etc. Atmosphere was lively and very Russian, we were basically the only non-​Russians there. They have a large front porch, lovely back garden with a tent, and a huge dining room and the place was packed. Next time we’ll sit outside. Evidently the tent is heated in the winter!
There were a few hiccups with our order where some things didn’t appear (pilaf samarkand, lamb kebabs, possibly sold out?) while some other mystery items did (didn’t order the hanum or the chicken dumplings), but everyone was happy and the amount of food was insurmountable, so we didn’t miss anything.
I can’t wait to come back. Wear your stretchy pants.

In a section of Philadelphia that is highly populated with people and eating places from the former Soviet Union, Chaikhana Uzbekistan stands out. Obviously, this is primarily an Uzbekistani restaurant but it also serves food from Georgia, Azerbaijan, Russia, and Ukraine. This is one of the most accessible of the many Russian-​related restaurants in the far Northeast. Everyone seems to speak English here … non-​Russian speaking people seem to be as welcome as the many Soviet émigrés who certainly make up the majority of the clientele.
But lets get to the food. The menu is huge so you have quite a choice. You can never go wrong with Uzbek mantis. These are among the tastiest dumplings in the world and are filled with a minced meat and topped with dill. Of course the vareniki are equally as tasty — they are just smaller. A pilov rice dish with meat & veggies completes a filling Uzbek meal. Or you might want to try something from another cuisine like the extremely tasty Azerbaijani Kutab. This is like a thin crêpe filled with spinach and feta cheese. It is served with sour cream and their delicious homemade tomato sauce.
The décor inside Chaikhana Uzbekistan is very pleasant and in warmer weather there is a large outdoor seating area under cover. And they have their own complimentary parking lot.