Pel Meni Dumpling Tzar Reviews

Both employees took their breaks before they got my perogies. When I finally asked if mine was almost ready, she said, I've got it right here but I still didn't get to eat it for another 10 minutes. It's like they are trying to be hipster in a little while in the wall with a courtyard and a tattoo shop, but it's just really bad service.

I have to point out for the sake of reference, that I grew up in the Soviet Union, and several generations of my family knew how to cook Russian food well, so my expectations might be more demanding than in other reviews. Pros: this establishment serves many kind of dumplings: beef, potato, cheesy and otherwise. If you are looking for something different, their food isn't bad. They even have a cute gimmick, where the male waiter is wearing a cute furry hat I remember from my childhood, incidentally the kind one needs against the Russian cold. LOL They have a restroom inside, you have to ask for the key. They have several tables, and good hours of operation, all the way into the night. Cons They are not easy to find, our bus driver had to make several rounds before he noticed their sign, that seems hidden between buildings. They have somewhat loud music, that does not appear to have anything in common with any genre of classic or contemporary Russian music, and barely allows for a decent conversation. They have several sizes of a dish, I went for a regular, and remained hungry, despite its price not being cheap. The prices are somewhat steep, which would be alright for something as rare as Russian food, so see my next point. Their food is OK, but not authentic, I did not recognize the flavor of the Pelmeni/Dumplings I expected to find. The vinegar that Russians do serve with the dumplings was not correct, it might have been about the overall seasoning, the different ingredients, but the dumplings did not have the proper flavoring. The Pelmeni restaurant even had Rice vinegar to substitute for our Russian Uksus,but it tasted much weaker. I earlier introduced my wife and friend to the authentic Russian food through Piroshky on 3rd and they were the first to point out to me, that after that, they expected more from Pelmeni. Again, for reference sake, I liked the Russian food at Kachka(Portland OR) and Piroshky on 3rd (Seattle, WA) but I did not relish Tzar Pelmeni. They are not bad in their own right, but do not represent authentic Russian recipes.

Pelmeni place that serves Russian staples in Fremont near the Lenin's statue. Overall, it was a satisfying experience. Ordered fried and boiled vareniki. Good portion size. My only complaint is that the place did not serve hot tea. Unfortunatelly, without a cup of steaming tea there is no complete experience.

Gluten-free dumplings. Enough said! For real though, it's the only place in the city I've been able to find dumplings like this. My friends can vouch for the regular glutinous ones too, and they say they are extra delicious. The perfect late night snack. Oh and the staff are wonderful too!

You have to kind of look for this place--there is usually a sign out on the sidewalk. It is worth finding for lunch, dinner or late night snack. The potato and meat dumplings are both delicious and the sauce makes them extra good. Not much of an atmosphere or anything, just a local favorite. Wish the orders were a little bigger!

My friends and I stumbled upon this gem while wandering around Freemont. It is tucked in an alley. The beef and potato dumplings are mind blowing! So good! Steaming and satisfying after wandering around in the drizzle. I will be back to try a little bit of everything.

Pelmeni are dumplings of Russian cuisine which consists of a filling of minced meat (such as pork, lamb, beef or any other kind of meat), fish or mushrooms wrapped in thin, unleavened dough. We tried three different Pelmeni. Traditional: with sour cream, butter and vinegar topping….. Classic: sour cream, butter, curry and cilantro …. Greek: chicken dumplings topped with lemon butter, feta, red onion, Greek olives, tzatziki and pita. The cuisine was different but nothing to do cartwheels for. The ambiance was unique. We can now say we experienced TZAR.

Pel Meni Dumpling Tzar has two locations, but it's easier to find parking on the street in Fremont (the Center of the Universe). Capitol Hill is a madhouse. This hole-in-the-wall is just the spot for late-night snack food after a show. It's off the beaten path, tucked away in a small alley between other businesses. It looks kind of like a forgotten SpeakEasy late at night. But very cool. The concept of Russian style dumplings (little Pierogi) really appealed to my husband and me. Tzar offers classic and traditional meat and potatoes as fillings, as well as trendy specialty dumplings, like a mac 'n cheese version, or an Asian style pork and cabbage. The dumplings are offered in small, regular, and large sizes, or a meal in a combo with a drink and a selection of salads — and with slices of this delectable brown bread. I loved my Classic (potato) Dumplings. They were buttery, with hints of spicy in the Tzar red sauce. I think mine had curry and cilantro too, and a dollop of sour cream. My husband went for the Traditional (meat) Dumplings, large, in a combo with the creamy cucumber salad. I liked his too, which wasn't as dressed up as mine, and tasted a bit sour from the vinegar. The cucumber salad was very nice, but could've used a little more salt. The server took our order and promptly began boiling the dumplings in these huge vats. Very homey. I wish they'd offer as big a selection as the Capitol Hill location, like the dessert Nutella dumplings and Vareniki Fries (fried potato-cheese dumplings).

6/16/20 I came here for dinner. I was driving near by for work and was craving something from my “native country” I decided to order “outside the box” and try something more adventurous. So I ordered the Greek pelmemi and the kahn pelmeni. I had the carrot salad and the cabbage salad. I am most definitely not a fan of hoisin sauce and I didn’t realize it until I bite into my first pelmeni. The carrot salad was most definitely not what I expected, I thought it was going to be traditional Eastern European style and it was more bland than I expected. I definitely enjoyed the Greek style version and was able to save some of the Hoisin sauced ones by cutting out the meat from the dumpling and using sour cream to mask the sauce. Overall, the food was good, but I should’ve stuck to traditional flavors and ordered the plain type. I’d recommend trying the pelmeni to anyone who’s never had Eastern European foods, as this is as close to it, that anyone would ever have, unless there’s other more authentic “Russian” type of restaurants.

A hole in the wall with great pierogis! We visited here last year and were again in the area for a few nights, we ate their twice. Granted it's just dumplings and toppings, not a restaurant but you can sit and eat, the staff is very friendly and the simple offering is excellent.

Having had some fine pelmeni couple of weeks ago at Kachka in Portland(REALLY GOOD meal) came in for a casual bowl of mixed beef and potato dumplings, with classic sides...dang!! ...shoulda ordered TWO bowls for myself! Served straightaway, no wait and completely sated. Good find in an alley...look for the sign.

I eat a lot of Asian dumplings but it has been years since I had good eastern block dumplings and Pel'Meni Dumpling Tzar do them right. I had the Beef & Potato dumplings with the classic Sour Cream, Butter and Curry which are with a slice of dark bread. These were so good which the typical denseness of a Russian Dumpling and just a bit of heat. The restaurant itself has that no frills eastern block feel especially since you enter from a side alley an from the seating area you look right into a tattoo parlor. Very appropriate with a statue of stalin outside on the corner.

Frozen dumplings, nothing natural and/or tasty, slow service. The "icing on the cake" : it is not even cheap but expensive...

It was our first time going to Tzar Dumplings, it was our son's birthday and he had eaten here on numerous occasions and loved it. When we got there at about 7pm we had the place to ourselves. There was 6 of us and several of us ordered multiple kinds of dumplings. We also tried the Cucumber Salad with Dill. Our cucumber salad was great. Once our salad was done our dumplings started to arrive at our table. We had the Traditional, Classic and a Greek style. They were delicious. We were celebrating our youngest son's birthday and the nice lady at the front counter let us bring in our cake. The entrance could be difficult to see if you are in a hurry. We will go back. Thanks

I was not disappointed by the flavor or quality here, but I did think the price was steep. Also, Trip Advisor categorizes this as Chinese, this is definitely not Chinese.

Heard about this from a friend. Dumplings good, basic service and dining area ( we choose outside patio). Picture shows bread with meal, we were not served bread---so ask if you want bread.

We flew into Seattle and arrived at our airport hotel around 11pm hungry and tired. I'm so so glad we went into town to experience this late night hidden gem!! So cool, fresh yummy food, very different to anything I had tried before. Friendly staff and very reasonably priced in a funky part of the city, Fremont. Can't recommend this place highly enough.

Was out on my last evening in Seattle and wanted to soak in some of the flavor of Capitol Hill. The whole district was jumpin' with several streets cordoned off to accomodate pedestrians. A close friend suggested Tzar for their Eastern European specialty dumplings. I'm not usually an "adventurous eater" but was up to trying something new. I tried their traditional potato dumplings with sour cream, butter, and hot sauce. Hmmm, now this was a favorful treat worth remembering! Looming for something different? Try Tzar!

*the Fremont location* We've stopped here many times in the past, as well as tonight. You can usually find street parking somewhere on the block, then walk back to the alley entrance. It looks a little unconventional, but it really is great. I've had most of the types of pelmeni - and I usually prefer beef. Potato is good too. The salads are a nice counter-point. Do yourself a favor and get a HUGE pickle to go along with your meal - the vinegar cuts through the sour cream or cheese or whatever else you have on your dumplings. Dinner for two (including two regular sized meals, sodas, and one salad to share) runs around $30. Then you just find a place to sit in the open space and enjoy the ambiance. It kind of feels a little like a coffee shop like that. They often have art on the walls from local artists. Excellent in winter, good in summer too. Can get it 'to go' And it's open pretty late, too.

This place is tucked away in an alley- follow the signs. The restaurant itself is quite spartan, so I prefer to take my meal back to my office and enjoy it there. Excellent pelmeni - if, like me, you miss kreplach, the beef pelmeni will assauge some of that yearning.

...before leaving Seattle and it was a lovely way to end my trip. I had the beef pelmeni with the "classic" toppings, which included curry powder and sour cream. The service was quick and the courtyard behind the kitchen was a pleasant surprise.

The place is decorated to look sleazy (like the abandoned van with "dumplings---->" sloppily painted on it), but don't let that scare you: it's damn good stuff!

just a simple stand/kiosk in the concourse/lobby area of an old grungy building. steamy glass door wasn't so enticing but as soon as we got in out of the cold we could smell the savoury snacks waiting for us. those dumplings - so comforting! glad my wife noticed the tacky old bus with signage pointing us to this dumpling joint - it peeked our curiosity. great find!

Great pelmeni (Russian for dumplings). Had the potato dumplings. Good flavor. Tradional style. Cooked fresh right in front of you.

My friends and I were wandering around in Freemont looking at all of the local color. Wow! We were standing in front of Lenin and smelled the most heavenly, savory aromas emanating from the alley. That isn't what one would expect from an alley in Seattle but Freemont is unexpected. The potato and beef dumplings are amazing! Delicate and chewy at the same time. The "hot sauce" isn't really hot so if you have baby mouth don't worry. The staff is very nice and totally helpful in explaining the food style. The dumplings are made to order. Super fresh, super tasty, you can't really make a mistake at this place. I'd say if you can find it, don't miss out on it!

A few years ago, a friend from Seattle suggested I go to the Tzar Pelmeni location in Capital Hill. Ever since then, I return here for dinner at least once when my travels take me to Seattle. The Capital Hill location is relatively small, but I've never had trouble securing a seat or table. The food here is really unique. I've never had anything quite like it anywhere else. Over the years, the food and the service are consistently good. My trips to Seattle now always include Tzar Pelmeni. You should definitely check it out!