A Polish Girl’s Guide to Polish Food in San Diego

Growing up in Chicago, I didn’t have to look far for Polish food near me.

If I wanted a deli, there were half a dozen within walking distance. If I wanted a home-cooked meal, there was a buffet option and a sit-down restaurant, also within walking distance.

The city of Chicago does, after all, have a higher percentage of Polish people than any other American city. It makes sense that there are so many options.

Moving to San Diego, though, I entered a land dominated by fish tacos and, really, all the fish, and Mexican food. Lovely Little Italy had a bevy of Italian eateries, but I had to dig a little deeper to find the best Polish food San Diego had to offer. 

Polish food in San Diego does exist. Much like its waterfalls, it’s just more limited. Sadly, some of my favorites have shut their doors or moved on, but you can find it if you know where to look. 

Let’s dig into my guide for the best Polish food in and around San Diego so that you can go get yourself into a pierogi coma already. I’ll include options for Eastern European food, too, as there is often quite a bit of overlap.

Continent Delicatessen

If you have any Polish blood, you know that access to a good deli is basically critical to your survival.

I was spoiled by all of the options in Chicago, but I made do with the Continent Delicatessen in La Jolla, the most convenient Polish store option for us while we lived in San Diego. 

Note: This one used to go by the name Continent European Deli. It’s the same shop with a new name.

The Continent Delicatessen was my go-to for when I’d be shopping for Polish Christmas Eve, or Wigilia.

They carry all of the traditional old favorites for the big event: several varieties of pickled herring, pierogi, rye bread, poppyseed rolls, and those chocolates that are filled with booze that explode in your mouth.

You’ll want to just eat those whole, by the way. I’ve made my mistakes.

The prices are definitely not comparable to what you’d find in my hometown of Chicago, though. They don’t really have many competitors for their offerings, here, so can charge what they want.

You’d be a fool not to stop by and try some of their goodies, though.

The deli also sells a variety of Russian and other Eastern European foods, so just buy with your eyes if you don’t know what you’re doing. It’s all worth a taste.

Taste of Poland

Taste of Poland is a catering company based in Vista that makes appearances as a food stand at events around San Diego if you’re lucky.

They frequent festivals in North Park, which is where we lived, so I’m always happy to support what they’re doing by eating my weight in their offerings: pierogi (obviously), potato pancakes, and Polish sausage, to name a few of their more popular plates.

They’re also a popular presence at farmers’ markets throughout North County.

If you’re interested in having yourself a name day party or just want to treat yourself and your nearest and dearest to some delicious Polish food, their catering services can be contacted by calling (760) 420-5145.

You can also call them to find out where they’ll be set up next, as they keep things very mysterious and don’t yet have a webpage.

READ MORE: Love beer with your Polish food? Check out my guide to the best breweries in San Diego.

Pushkin Lounge

If you’re looking for a true Polish restaurant in San Diego, you’ll run into some trouble, especially after the closure of Romeo & Julieta Wine Cafe in Talmadge and the disappearance of my personal favorite, the Pierogi Truck.

Is it because we left, too, y’all?? That was the best place to get pierogi in San Diego, sadly.

You’ll have more luck if you expand your horizons and accept Poland-adjacent cuisine into your life.

I know. It can be difficult. When you must, you must.

The Pushkin Lounge in the Gaslamp Quarter near East Village, named after Russian author Alexander Pushkin, is one option. This place has been serving their takes on Eastern European plates since 2015.

Standouts include their borscht, or beet soup, crispy pelmeni dumplings, and potato and cheese pierogi. They used to serve quite a few more on their Russian and Ukrainian-inspired menu, but they’ve done a complete revamp that now includes sushi.

I’m not sure whether I’d pair tempura eel with borscht, but I’m not going to harsh their vibe any further.

I no longer see blini, a pancake popular on both Russian and Ukrainian menus, either, but their honey cake is a big seller. Reservations are available online.

Pomegranate

Pomegranate is a Russian-Georgian restaurant in North Park, one of the best San Diego neighborhoods, that is all about home-style cooking from the Mother country.

No matter what you decide on your main entree, you’ll want to try one of their dumpling options.

Their pelmeni are classic comfort food, meat dumplings served with a yogurt-dill sauce. Their khinkali are a popular Georgian soup dumpling. They have pierogi on the menu, too, but you’ll be limited to the potato and cheese variety.

Entree highlights are their version of golubsti, or stuffed cabbage rolls, kotleti, or pan-fried chicken patties, and their shashlik, or skewered pork, chicken, or lamb.

Note: The shashlik at Pomegranate is only available Fridays-Sundays, so plan accordingly if you’re interested in their skewered meats.

Reservations are available by phone at (619) 298-4007.

Fish Delights

Fish Delights is up in Poway, but it’s worth the trek to North County for goods you’d find in an Eastern European deli.

Their deli includes a variety of prepared meals, like stuffed cabbage (yes, again), herring plates, and beet salads.

In addition to that, their traditional deli options are top-notch, including headcheese, smoked bacon, and kabanosy, the long, thin, dry pork sausages of my childhood.

Oh, and they have a full cheese case of all kinds of European delights. That includes sheep’s cheese, creamy farmer’s cheese, and the Swiss-type Polish royal cheese, or Krolewski, if you’re looking for it while you’re there.

You don’t need to be royalty to enjoy it, by the way. You just need to like cheese.

READ MORE: Since you’re hitting the road for this one already, check out my favorite San Diego day trips.

Polka

This Escondido shop is another option for classic Polish goodies that include all of the sausages, imported Polish teas, and all pickled everything. They also offer fresh Polish dinners to-go if you don’t mind filling out their online form.

Previous combo plates have included Polish sausage and stuffed cabbage rolls, sauerkraut salad, and a variety of pierogi flavors. They vary some depending on the time of year, but I’d put money on the fact that you’ll get some kind of pierogi no matter when you’re there.

Fun fact: A single Polish dumpling is a “pierog.” I know you likely won’t be having just one, but it’s something that not even big lovers of pierogi know. When you say “pierogi,” you’re talking in plural form.

The Annual Polish Festival

In true Old World style, the only Polish festival San Diego hosts is held on the grounds of a Polish church in the city, the St. Maximilian Kolbe Roman Catholic Polish Mission.

Unfortunately, they’ve been known to cancel in recent years depending on pandemics, funding, and I’m not sure what else. I’d still urge you to make it a point to attend on a year it IS happening if you’re looking for the city’s best Polish experience to add to your bucket list.

If it’s happening, it’s usually happening in October. Check out their website in the fall for more information.

In addition to the traditional folk dancing and crooning by Polish performers young and old — it’s truly a sight to behold — you’ll have access to plates of yummy Polish food at this Pacific Beach Polish festival.

They have separate areas for the savory offerings: pierogi, stuffed cabbage, Polish sausage, and, sometimes, tripe soup.

Don’t knock it ’til you try it!

Then you can knock it because it’s definitely an acquired taste.

The line for potato pancakes gets particularly long, but for good reason. They’re crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside, served with both sour cream and apple sauce as the pancake gods intended.

Oh, and they have a whole tent with dessert for days that features the star of all Polish desserts: pączki.

Fun fact: Pączki are basically donuts, but better in some way, although I’m probably biased. The traditional prep for pączki is a fruity or other sweet filling of some sort and a dusting of powdered sugar on top.

If you want beer while you’re there, you’ll be limited to their beer-drinking area. It is on church property, after all. It gets a little crowded when the afternoon wears on, so chug your pint and be on your merry way back to those potato pancakes.

House of Poland

The House of Poland in beautiful Balboa Park is one of 15 cottages that make up the House of Pacific Relations International Cottages. The cottages are all about promoting the culture and traditions of each nation they represent, but they’re also about good relations among one another.

Every year, the cottages come together for food fairs and the International Christmas Festival at December Nights as a way to teach San Diego locals and visitors about each country.

The House of Poland takes things a step further with open houses every Sunday, summertime potlucks, and an annual celebration of Polish Constitution Day. They celebrate on the first Sunday of each May, but if you want to get technical, Polish Constitution Day is always on May 3.

In any case, expect pierogi, stuffed cabbage, Polish sausage, bigos, and pastries at that event.

Hancock Street Cafe

I haven’t made it out to this one, but I had to include it here as a one more option for gut-busting Polish kielbasa sandwiches and pierogi and a modest selection of Polish beers.

The reviews are all over the place, but I’d brave the possibility of heartburn to taste the passion project of Mario, the Polish immigrant who opened the place. Mario has since passed away, but the cafe remains in the family. From the looks of it, the funky decor has remained the same, too.

This is a greasy spoon type of establishment, so expect things like chicken parm, brats, and meatballs to go along with your Polish sausages. They have kielbasa pizza on the menu, too, so you may as well bring the antacids.

You can have Polish food in San Diego.

You just need to know where to look. I admit that this list doesn’t get anywhere close to what you’d experience on visits to Chicago, the ultimate city for Polish food in the United States, but for a place known for California burritos, it’s a good start.

If the Pierogi Truck ever wants to restart their business, by the way, I’ll be back in San Diego in a hot second. They were that good!

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