Odessa Reviews

This is a restaurant in the East Village. It’s been around for a long time. They give very generous portions. I have been here 3 times this year. Went with a friend that also has eaten there many times. Today we ate salmon with vegetables and I ate a hamburger with a very big portion of French Fries. One of their specialties is lasagna. It was delicious and you get two pieces. Every time I eat here the food is good. By all means go and visit this restaurant.

Odessa Restaurant has been in the East Village for years serving basic diner fair at reasonable prices. They do add to their menus a few items, that are Ukraniane or Russian in style. These dishes are very good. I love the stuffed peppers, which you can get either with meat or vegetarian, I love the meat. It has a rich tomato sauce on it and is very tender. You get a choice of potato, I like the boiled potatoes, and soup and a choice of salad or vegatables. Tonight i had the blueberry blintzes, which are very thin crepes with a blueberry type sauce inside, served with either sour cream or apple sauce. They were excellent, not heavy. We also had the cream of mushroom barley soup again excellent. If you live in the area they are open 24 hours and they deliver- always very quickly. Check for two was $32.00, including coffee and tea - no charge for refills.

Daughter and I stopped here early Sunday morning for a very good breakfast. Service was friendly, food was good and the prices were reasonable.

Had a great brunch experience with my family here. Staff was friendly, welcoming and caring. Food was good (french toast, eggs, waffles); coffee kept coming and overall the experience was good. Quiet and comfortable; nice environment for chatting.

I miss the old Odessa, which was a dark romantic haunt, this is just a bright diner. But a real old LES spot. Worth having a pierogie or two there.

With the loss of Kiev some years ago, Odessa and Veselka are the remaining 24h Ukrainian diners that I know of. Veselka hit the big time a few years back - probably due to its location, while Odessa's out on the (increasingly fashionable) fringes. The pierogi, the blintzes, the latke, all yummy. I just wish they had Kiev's compote.

Came here around 6 o’clock it was pretty busy seemed like a few locals where here always a good sign. I ordered a grilled Reuben with fries and pickles with a beer. When it came it was well sized and tasted delicious the service was friendly and quick would definitely go there again.

I'm no local, and this was my first time at Odessa. Being a fan of Alphabet City, I wanted to have breakfast somewhere many locals would go. So a cousin brought us here, and the waiter (I believe he was the owner) was extremely accommodating. Throughout our time there, all the workers were very nice and treated their customers very well. My brother, who's under 12 years of age, was referred as the "number one customer" and was treated like gold. My meal, the feta and broccoli omelet with potatoes, was amazing and my mother also adored her Belgian waffle. Given the chance, I'd definitely return as I enjoyed the location of this place as well as its service!

After a heavy night out on the Lower East Side, I wanted the quintessential diner for bacon, eggs, homefries AND pancakes. I'm an ex-pat American, from New York but live in the UK. I went with my English daughter-in-law and wanted her to experience "my" kind of breakfast. Couldn't have wished for better (except real maple syrup would have been nice). We sat at the counter - you gotta do that - and our waiter, who was PERFECT - greeted us with a high-5 and the best service EVER. Didn't catch his name, but he has curly hair, a cheeky grin, a great wink and speaks Spanish. You'll know him if you see him! This is a real locals' place...one you wouldn't think to go in from the way it looks on the outside, and one you'll want to return to once you've been on the inside. Go!

I came in here wanting to LOVE this place since I'm a big fan of diners. If I could pick a rating, I would go with 3.25 stars. We were staying in the neighborhood during our short stay in NYC and this place was literally around the corner. We had bagels the other 2 mornings, so it was time to try something else. Walking in, I felt like I was in a scene from the movie "My Big Fat Greek Wedding," if you have seen that movie you will know what I am describing. We grabbed a booth, the restaurant was clean. Our waitress was good and took care of our refills. There seemed to be a crowd of local regulars, which is always nice to see. The prices were good for NYC standards, however we both felt that the breakfast we had was just average. Nothing awful, but not great. It did take a bit of time for the simple breakfast orders to come out than it would typically take at a diner. Overall, just an average experience. Definitely friendly on the wallet though!

On Ave A near 9 th St, it may be a little far to walk but the food is good, a very nice price point. Ukranian, so the menu has all the regulars plus... Lacking the atmosphere of Veselka but very good for the price.

I was staying around the corner from Odessa while I was NYC for a week. We had breakfast here every morning bar one, and we really enjoyed it. It was consistently good. The smoked salmon eggs Benedict was delicious, I highly recommend. The waffles were great. I was slightly disappointed with the pancakes when I tired to vary my order. I didn't realise that I prefer them a little crispy, and they were lovely, but not what I was hoping for. Obviously that's on me and not the restaurant. We had many visitors join my sister and I for breakfast here and everyone was happy with their choices. It was very handy with jet lag since it's open 24 hours! The service Was great too.

I will not return. I got the Odessa sampler. It was terrible. Pierogi (bland, stodgy), stuffed cabbage (no seasoning, crumbly, oddly sweet), potato pancake (soggy). Consistent with the spotty service (to be fair, it was 3:30 in the morning) no one bothered to ask how it was so I couldn’t give them the feedback. Maybe the diner food is fine but my meal was thoroughly disappointing. If you want good Ukranian make the effort and go to Veselka.

The food was great and the service was excellent. Our waiter was very attentive. I ordered a combo(kielbasa, sauerkraut, pirogues). I was not disappointed. The food was so good, we went back the next day for lunch. This time, I ordered the salmon burger with sweet potato fries. It was very tasty.

Wonderful service from the gentleman waiters who are always helpful polite and charming. Always nice to see a nice smile in the morning. The food is great diner food, does what it says on the tin. Always full of a mix of people, from hipsters, hobos, business types and families. Good atmosphere and great coffee. Would recommend

We went there twice it was so good. I may not recommend this restaurant to someone with heart problems or high cholesterol as this is the all American big portion sized meals. But amazingly tasty! The interior is terribly outdated but that's part of their charm.

The Odessa is one of my favorite restaurants in the east village. I've gone there a countless number of times and everything I order is authentic,delicious, great service and the large portions are well worth the price . My favorite are the eggs Benedict with salmon and the kiebalsa omelet . Also they are always accomodatin when I bring my daughter in with her stroller to find us a comfortable place that fits the stroller .

You often see places like this in the movies, where people walk in for a quick meal, an elaborate lunch, just coffee, or just to chat up with neigbors. If you do just that yourself, you'll feel almost a New Yorker

Great for Eastern European food, most other things not as much. Indifferent, but relatively efficient service, coffee shop atmosphere. You can't beat the combo plates calorie, fat and salt per dollar. (And that's just what you want sometimes.)

I usually go to Odessa for Brunch. It's pretty cheap and comes with booze. Odessaa also is not usually as crowded as 7A and the waiters are far more attentive than at Yaffa. Sometimes the music they play at Odessa is really fun. It's open all night and they have a full bar.

One of my favorite spots in NYC and it's in my neighborhood ! Best omelets- best grilled cheese -best fries -best latkes ever -best zucchini sticks .. I could go on forever !! Delivery is fast and food is always hot and fresh ! What more can I say! This place is just awesome!!!

It is always the same here. Kindly. Timeless. So much is gone from this neighborhood. Odessa always makes me feel a little immortal.

when there's nowhere else to go, odessa's actually ok...they have EVERYTHING

WAFFLE FRIES WITH GRAVY!

One of the best parts of visiting America for the first time was for me att least, chosing a place to eat. I didn't want to waste breakfast on a small insignificant meal so having breakfast at a diner felt like an opportunity I should prioritize. Odessa really fits into my pre conceived notion of what a diner should feel like and offer. The interior is great and I can't really complain about the service, more the opposite actually as the waiter was very patient with us when taking forever to decide what to order. I hade some french toast with bacon which was amazing and very filling.

Fun and great food

OMG! The breakfast destination after a night of clubbing. Don't mind the goths :P

A friend recommended this place and it did not disappoint. Wonderful diner food and always personal service.

Odessa is open early and is directly across from Tompkins Square Park. It's a no frills diner type place with two eggs any style, a plate full of potatoes fried with peppers bread and jelly and a meat. I got 6 slices of bacon, very well done all for $6.88! Seems like a place locals frequent as most of them knew the service staff and lots of New York accents. Went for breakfast twice in three days and enjoyed it both times.

By subway there are two good ways to get to this restaurant. Either take the L train to 1st Avenue (which lets you off at 14th and 1st Avenue, then walk to Avenue A and turn right and you will reach it just after St. Marks Place OR take the #6 train to Astor Place, then walk on St. Marks Place until you reach Avenue A, then turn right for 1/2 a block. A reviewer on this sight said that the Mushroom Barley Soup was really good here, so I went to the restaurant to have it. The problem was that they don't have it every day, you need to call the restaurant to find out if they have it on that day you call, or if they will have it on the next day. I had the lentil soup instead and found it to be just okay. I had an order of boiled Perogi (8), which was a combination of different fillings, which is $8.50, it is one dollar more than 1 filling only. My filling choices were potato, cheese and meat, with sour cream on the side, and I enjoyed them all.

There was a time in the East Village that you had a wide choice of where to get your carb overload or breakfast once the clubs shut down at 4AM. There was Leshko's, Kiev, Odessa and numerous others all serving similar hearty Eastern European and American Diner staples. Odessa is one of the few left and I usually prefer it to Veselka. Like everything else the menu has kept most of the old faves of Pierogi combos - I go for the boiled ones and they have good vegetarian stuffed cabbage as well. For meat lovers, the kielbasa seems like a very popular choice and they do Chef's combos that have all the above plus a blintz or potato latke, etc. They also serve very nice Challah Bread. Expect to leave full, fat and happy.

Located off the travelled path on Ave "A" in Alphabet City LOES right across from Tompkin Sqr Park. Mostly loyal locals, eager for some yester-year stodge. ( pancakes, French toast, eggs and home-fries etc) at yester-year prices. Still walk away with change under $10 pp. Food basic but well done, staffed by some miserable Polish women. Sit at the counter, friendly Hispanic male and courteous service.

I'm a native New Yorker and Odessa is my "go to" diner. We just ordered one chicken parm and one veal parm, both with linguine and challah bread and it was so delicious I called and told them. The price is ridiculously cheap, everything is fresh and real....REAL white meat chicken and REAL (tender) veal....for 35 bucks for BOTH delivered it just hit the spot! Loved it! PS - their soups are also delicious, I love the hot and cold borshts.

Great for breakfast and huge portions. I tried the he-man and I am afraid it beat me! I believe they are open all day!

The perfect way to kick off your morning. The omelette servings are delicious and the potatoes served with it are in abundance and full of flavour. The bacon is a must, super crispy full of crunch!

Everytime I go to Odessa's , I look at the prices and I'm a little irked. the prices seem just a BIT too high. Fortunately, whenever I get my food there, I realize that it's TOTALLY worth it. The Sausage, Knishes, Latkas and Rubens are spectacular, and the breakfast is good too (although they overcook the hash browns, which seems like it shouldn't be possible). The 24 hour-ness of it blended with its hip east village location just off Tomkins' Square park means that you'll always find an ecclectic group of people that seem like they don't belong in the same place together. Just more proof that good food is a universal thing.

Having lived within a block of Odessa I ate there regularly. It started with Sunday breakfasts, great omelets with all the fixins', huge portions and at a great price. Eventually when I stared working from home I used them for delivery of lunches and dinners. Great comfort food (meat loaf, chicken, spaghetti) as well as a great assortment of Polish dishes (pirogies, blintzes, stuffed cabbage). Their delivery service is super fast, portions are more than adequate and prices are very reasonable. I used this restaurant for over 30 years and they have always been courteous, quick and consistent. Eventually then knew my voice, all I had to do was say hello and they remembered my address instantly, could not have been easier.

Back in the day, when I was a hippie living in the East Village, I would go to Odessa several times a week for their Pirogi. Though they've expanded their menu and every business around them has changed, Odessa is like a rock of stability in this old neighborhood. The Pirogi (and they have many kinds) is as good as ever, but I expanded into their Italian choices and also had Eggplant Parmesan. Though it was offered as an entree, they were kind enough to give me the sub that is my favorite and this meal alone made my two day trip to NYC memorable as ever. On top of that, their prices remain truly reasonable, and how many places in New York can you say that about?

This East Village diner hits the spot. While the food is typical diner fare, it's done just right. The staff is also extremely friendly and welcoming. There aren't many places like this in NYC these days, which makes Odessa a gem.

I went to this place with some friends at around 4:30am, after a fantastic night in the bars of the city. It didn't disappoint. A wide range of American style fatty breakfasts were available, forming a perfect end to the night.

While New York City may be considered on of the culinary capitols of the world, there is much to be said about its lack of diner food. Set right in the heart of the East Village on Avenue A, the Odessa brings you back to a time when food was food and people with a craving for sushi had to go uptown. Today, with the gentrification of Manhattan at its peak, the old-school diner has disappeared in order to make way for the carb-conscious foodies that have done their best to pull a 1984 on fabulously tasty words like "gravy" and "fried motz"--sure, you aren't thrown in jail for speaking from the gut, but bells ring and noses turn to the sky if you dare utter the words "I feel like a He-Man breakfast with extra bacon". So what do they have? Think pages and pages of traditional diner flavor, arresting your urge to binge on perogis, pancakes and porkchops. Not a fan of the p's? Then maybe the burgers, bulemia-inducing breakfast platters or the bottled beer will catch your fancy. I'm a big He-Man man myself--it includes pancakes, bacon, sausage and eggs, and usually I'll add on the disco fries. The decaf is to die for. You'll catch yourself muttering, "Is this SANKA?" The He-Man is about $8 and fills you to the point of spewing, but no worries... just waddle a few steps to the curb and spend the money you saved on a quick ride home.

It's a 24hour diner that serves all types of food for a cheap prices. I ordered a lettus burger and a side of spinach. There was only one waiter who was reluctant to help. I was with my friend and her daughter so was a bit difficult to get his attention to bring us a napkin,spoon, as he was always in the back. The quality of the food was poor as after I left had a upset stomach. So not sure I would go back. Although it's a great place for midnight snacks or if you like to party and looking for something open come here. The good thing was that the prices were very cheap $5 a burger and the back of the diner was spacious.

We recently ate at this restaurant because when we searched for Eastern European Restaurant it came up and had decent reviews. We were disappointed to go and find that the majority of the menu is American food. They do have some E. European choices, but I wouldn't consider that to be the type of restaurant it is. The food was good and reasonably priced. The guys working were nice as well.

The Odessa has been on 8th St. near Ave. A for well over 40 years, and while the current incarnation is a sit-down restaurant, and has a wide range of cuisine besides the Ukrainian-Russian dishes (Blintzes, pirogi, etc.) that are its specialty, it remains a good and inexpensive place to dine. The cheese blintzes are fabulous, two of them making a quite ample meal; dining companions enjoyed pirogi, burgers, etc. Friendly service, unpretentious.

slow service, food was just okay

This place is so cheap it's hard to believe it's in NYC. The food is good (not great) but it's really a bargain. The service is friendly and the entire place has a good vibe. We had breakfast, so I can only speak about that. The eggs were very dry but there were plenty of hash browns and toast. The blueberry blintz was wonderful! For the price there's no room to complain. I'll go here again.

THis place has been around on Second avenue for a long time. They have outstanding mushroom barley soup served with chalah. My mouth waters to think about it now. IT is open very late and a actually maynot close at all.