Why are Polish restaurants not successful in the USA?

I just asked what do you typically eat over the week. That seems like a pretty good chance for you to tell people about the varied dishes that are eaten in Poland...

But I do have to admit, Polish food not being popular in America due to a Jewish conspiracy is probably the best reason so far in this thread.

[quote=Monia As a proof, that Polish cuisine is healthy may serve a fact, that in Poland the percentage of obese people is insignificant. [/quote]

nazdrowie.pl/artykul/epidemia-otylosci-w-polsce

46% of the Polish population is obese - is insignificant to you?

Are jewish restaurents the most popular in the US then Convex?

Very much so, the McDonalds "golden arches" are just a shortened upside down menorah.

Anyway, back to the topic at hand...

Hello, my name is convex, and I think typical Polish cuisine is bland...along with the rest of Northern European food. That's probably why it's not popular in the US.

Yes and Yes, why else would you have restaurants serving breakfast all day buffet style? Answer: so you can stuff your face 24/7.


Not all americans, just 99 out of a 100.


Sounds about right.


I’m glad you agree with me, remember admitting you have a problem is just the first step of many to full recovery.


My answer is directly related to this thread. Ask yourself what is that staple diet of yours and what kind of food attracts you that makes you fat in the process and you no longer need to dwell on Polish cusine as the shroud of confusion will slowly be lifted.


I’m sure it does, I never accused you of total ignorance, all I’ve said is that you’re simpleminded. You are obsessed with this subject matter and I’ll bet you had many sleepless nights over it so let me help you out with this since 584 posts later still led you nowhere. Ask yourself just a few simple questions grasshopper: What makes you tic? What food you prefer? What are your eating habits?, this will bring you one step closer to the answers you seek, after all who knows you better then yourself? And the question is Why are Polish restaurants not successful in the USA?” This will eliminate the inherent bias in your approach as you no longer rely on hearsay from even more pathetic losers than yourself. My guess, you avoid this approach because it might revele something uncomfortable about yourself, something that you try so desperately to shut out of reality at all cost. This is beyond the grasp of your reasoning, logic simply eludes you but if you follow my approach you’ll be able to solve life’s greatest mysteries.

I suggest you start your research right away, there’s no time to waste. Get your ass out of bed an hour or two before work; count how many cars stop by your neighborhood Dunkin' Donuts, McDonald’s etc. I’m afraid that Poles and their food shall remain your greatest enigma, a nut you’ll never be able to crack.

The problem with this thread is that whenever posters have provided recipes or menus which showcase Polish food that isn't bland the Polonophobic peanut gallery claims that these examples are not Polish because they are not "typical". This is very stupid. Earlier in the thread I pointed out that in South Korea today traditional Korean food is experiencing a revival and this food is bland when compared to typical modern spicy Korean food, but no one would deny that the traditional Korean food is Korean too. Whenever the elaborate dishes of Poland's manors and palaces were cited as examples of Polish cuisine the peanut gallery argues that since these recipes are not typical today then they are not Polish. Koreans are allowed to have a culinary heritage that stretches back into the centuries, but Poles are not? This stupid double standard exists because the Polonophobic peanut gallery is on this forum to try to feel better about their little pathetic lives. They may be losers but at least they are from the First World and they can look down on Poland as being part of the Second World, and so Polish cuisine that is not from the drab Soviet era must thereby be disqualified as Polish by them. It is quite frankly pathetic and I pity these fools.

Remember, most food is borrowed so be careful before calling it your own.

The peanut gallery is commenting on what is served on a daily basis and what you're most likely to come across. You know, the relevant stuff. I'll still stand by my bland comment. You can throw in German food, Dutch food, Czech food, Russian food into the list too. It's good, but bland. I'm a big fan of spicy and zesty food. I'm guessing most people that think Polish food is bland fall into the same category. I'm not saying it's bad, but I wouldn't go out of my way to eat it. Same goes for imported cuisines, they're usually dulled down to agree with the local palate.

When Boletus posted recipes from country inns that continue to prepare the rich dishes of Poland's szlachta or when I posted the menu from Warszawa restaurant in Santa Monica the peanut gallery denied that this food is Polish. Do you do the same Convex?

Sure, it's Polish food. It's just not typical Polish food. Typical Polish food is bland, I'm sticking to that. Wild game is eaten about as often as kimchi, and usually gets the same treatment, a drenching in some sort of salty brown sauce. He posted recipes, not menus....some of them quite good. The menu that you posted is most certainly not food that you'd typically find in Poland. It's Americanized, just like Tex-Mex.

Here's the honest to god truth, most folks here, and particularly restaurants, don't take a lot of pride in the cuisine that's being served....and yea, that's a shame.

Good then you are at least one step ahead the peanut gallery. (Althought offering to suspend me today for someting I wrote two days ago, as you did at the top of this page, doesn't attest to your alacrity as a moderator.) The restaurant whose menu I cited is very successful and so perhaps the answer to this thread's query is that Polish restaurants in the USA should serve the richer more elaborate dishes from Poland's culinary tradition and thus be successful and forgo offering the bland items that you claim are typical. As for the Polonophobic peanuts I have a prediction for you all. Since Poland's economy is growing you can expect to see a stepped up revival of manor cuisine in Poland herself as more well off Poles decide to get in touch with their nation's rich culinary legacy as we members of Polonia do here in Southern California at Warszawa restaurant.

I thought it was a pretty decent offer.


I'm sure it's successful, they have managed to put a nice twist on bland staples and come up with food of their own.


Doubt it. Maybe fusion places will pull in Poles. The "traditional" Polish restaurants are usually packed with tourists. Poles are more likely to be found at a Greek or Italian place than a "traditional" Polish restaurant.

This is just absolutely amazing. How difficult can it be for a few poles on here to give us a list of typical polish food. and while you're at it, like convex had previously requested, tell us what you ate over the last week.

that outta give us a good start and back to the OP.

ShortHairThug wrote:


my personal diet is completely irrelevant to this thread.

Sure it is FUZZ. Why are Polish restaurants not successful in the USA? Ask yourself what is that your average Yank eats and the answer to OP's question will become crystal clear, after all it’s all about Yankee palate and why Polish food is not very appealing to your average Yank, or are you simply too stupid to realize what the question is really about? Not enough grease perhaps?

There's many paths to enlightenment grasshopper.

ShortHairThug wrote:


OK. Right after you answer my question....what the average Pole eats.

The key phrase in the original question is USA not Poland. Devil is in the details. It’s all about Yanks palate and your preference. What Poles eat is irrelevant.

The question should be, why are Polish restaurants not successful in the world. If it's such a great food then why almost no one else likes it other than the Poles? Your food is not entirely bad, few things are OK but it will never be popular in most of other countries.

Polish food had been consumed in Poland since time immemorial, still is making it a great success, thus making your statement false. What’s your contribution? Corn? (Maze) sorry that’s Native American Indian contribution to the culinary arts. Perhaps some spirits? Hell NO, Scottish immigrants manage to establish that as the newly established government imposed a tax on the spirits to pay for the debt accumulated during the Revolutionary war, fought precisely for that reason in the first place, TAX. Not willing to pay that tax they simply moved out of Pennsylvania to Kentucky where they could at least for the next few years enjoy the freedom of the oppressive regime, thus Kentucky Moonshine was born. You have nothing to your name, everything made its way to America through immigrants. LOL, yet you want to discuss finer culinary arts? What makes you the expert on the subject I ask?

ShortHairThug wrote:


so why would american palates not coincide with polish palates?

Polish food is fatty, greasy, often times fried, lots of meat and starch, desserts, coffee/tea......does that sound entirely UN-american?

one would have to wonder why an American doesn't eat such food, no?

unless you'd like to prove otherwise and tell me what Poles DO eat on a regular basis. maybe then we'd have something here.

NOW we're back to the OP.

no, I'm a Polak just like you too, only a little bit more realistic about everything Polish.

Fuzzywickets this thread is about Polish restaurants in the USA not about what Poles in Poland eat on a daily basis. Are you sure that Polish restaurants here serve food that is identicle to the everyday fare of contemporary Poland? If they don't then it makes accomodating your demand for an account of typical Polish staples irrelevant to the thread.

I've been to a couple in the US now, and the food was terrible versions of the basic staples. Kotlet, pierogi, golabki... If Polish restaurants would do a fusion like the menu of that place that was posted earlier, I think it would appeal. If they keep serving subpar versions of the basics, they'll be about as popular as other northern European restaurants in the US...

The 'Polish food problem' is simply a matter of exposure and publicity...The Food Channel in the USA has a very entertaining program called 'Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives' which covers the US in search for down home style eateries serving up both traditional American and various ethnic foods at reasonable prices...Recently featured were two Polish restaurants, one in Dallas and one in LA...Both were extremely successful...Suggestions for the restaurants are sent in by viewers of the program.

There’s no accounting for one’s taste. :))


Logically speaking, it should be right up your alley then.


Is it just me or you simply do not see the contradiction in this statement vs. the one right above this one.


Au contraire, unlike people like yourself I have nothing to prove, simply nudging you in the right direction to keep to the topic at hand as you often seem to veer off course trying your best to prove God knows what. Putting you on the right track so to speak to find the answer to the original question posted here. Somehow I get the feeling that’s not exactly what you want. If you deliberately want this debate to take a different course may I suggest you start your own thread something along the lines Polish grease vs. American grease and I’ll post there too and on topic, that’s a promise.


Irrelevant, as it’s all about your average American palate, what YOU eat. After all; that’s what will ultimately make or break any ethnic food establishment in US not just Polish. You’ll either frequent this particular joint or not, as the food being served there is to your taste or not. Simple, isn’t it?

Now we’re back to the OP’s question

ShortHairThug wrote:


yes, it's simple. too simple, that's the problem. all you have said is, "americans don't eat Polish food because it's not to their taste".

the question is WHY. why is it not to their taste? THAT is the OP's question. saying, "because it's not to their taste" is a total non-answer. it's repeating the question in statement rather than question form. if you want to get to the bottom of it, you need to look at the food itself. what is it about the food that turns them away? how does it differ from mexican, japanese, korean, chinese, indian, italian, french....all successful cuisines in the USA.

what makes this interesting, IMO, is that for example, PolAms outnumber Chinese Americans considerably in the USA, yet Chinese restaurants are incredibly successful and in basically every town imaginable. where are the Polish restaurants? why are they not there and if they are, why doesn't anyone go to them? "why are polish restaurants not successful in the USA?"

I have also posted a link to a Californian TV personality, satirized in an episode of the Simpsons as "Howel Hueser", visitng Polka restaurant in LA in post #418 of this thread.

Breakfast: if I have any, I usually stick to what we call a "continental" fare; some bread, butter, jelly, tea. I think that I got from my Polish upbringing. I still can't get used to american breakfast of fried eggs, bacon, sausage... or cold cereals.

Lunch: occasionally I take Americans to a local Polish restaurant for lunch. They like the soups, although they are supprised how 'watery' they are. They notice the sweetness in salad dressing. For main course they consider kielbasa too heavy, but will go for a pork chop or, a lot of time, go with fish. Something they recognize. There are no sandwiches on this restaurant's lunch menu. Kanapka z pasztetem would have been nice.

Dinner - for starch, my favorite will always be potatoe.
I love saute'ing stuff in butter - I think that comes from my Polish side too, Americans use more oil.
I make a lot of cabbage side dishes. Love cabbage.

Most of Polish food I know is comfort food. And that works best if it is what you were raised with.

I think Americans don't eat Polish food because it's not as available as other foods. When you go into a shopping mall and pass the food court, there's no Polish food but you do see Greek and Italian and Mexican and Indian food. If Polish food was more available, more people would eat it.

Now that’s something you’ll have to answer on your own, I’m Polish, I don’t have your taste buds, but I’m pretty sure the answer lies in what you eat, the portion size, the time it will take to prepare as your impatient ass waits for it as well as the price, oh and most important thing, dose the joint have a drive through. LOL


Are you sure it’s the food? Like I’ve said; time, price, etc.


Yes and where are those Poles? Seen any in Nebraska lately? Don’t be stupid Poles are concentrated in certain areas, not dispersed as others seem to be but where they live you’ll find plenty of Polish restaurants.