Pierogi Heaven Open!

After aimlessly walking around the Loop looking for something open past 3pm, I stumbled upon Pierogi Heaven on N. Wells. As luck would have it -- today is the first day it opened. I must say they are reasonably priced and pretty tasty. I had the 'kraut & mushrooms, and also the meat & spinach pierogis. 12 pierogis cost me $8 n' change, and they are pretty meaty. The price structure is good, with 6 of them running $3.99-$4.99, and 12 of them $6.99-$8.99. Plus, they top the pierogi's with big chunks of fresh cut bacon. I'll defintely be back for some quick, cheap eats.

I especially like the fact that they plan on staying open past 3pm, which is a pet peeve of mine since I sometimes get tied up with work that I have to skip the "normal" lunch hours. It still frustrates me how early some businesses close in the Loop during the week.

Pierogi Heaven
169 N. Wells St
Chicago, IL 60606
312-263-9305

streets wrote:It still frustrates me how early some businesses close in the Loop during the week.

I'm sure they find that traffic tapers off after the lunch rush and it's not worth running another shift for a trickle of customers.

I walked by here the other day - it's a block from my office - can't wait to try it!
Glad to here a positive report streets!

Just wolfed down 6 kraut/mushroom. Good stuff! Definitely in the lunch rotation. Hope they survive a while.

teatpuller wrote:Just wolfed down 6 kraut/mushroom. Good stuff! Definitely in the lunch rotation. Hope they survive a while.

I was there yesterday too, I had 6 of the potato and cheddar and they were really pretty good and at under $5 after tax I thought it was reasonably priced.
I'm curious to try the blueberry or maybe the plum next.

I got there about 11:45 and by 12:00 there was a line out the door. Service is a little slow, they could use more help behind the counter but they can get that worked out.

I agree teatpuller, I hope they make a go of it.

I had lunch at Pierogi Heaven today. A friend and I split 6 potato and cheese, 6 mushroom and kraut and 6 mixed fruit (3 blueberry and 3 strawberry - they were out of both cherry and plum.) I will definitely be returning. Both the potato and cheese and mushroom and kraut were awesome. The fruit were fine, but not great. Next time I'll just get more of something savory. For me at least, 9 was the perfect number; I'm definitely full, but not "oh my god I'm dying" full. (Although to do this, you'll have to split with someone. They only sell by 6 or 12, and other than the mixed fruit, you have to get 6 of the same kind.)

After reading the comments above, we went early. When we got there just after 11:30, there were only a few people in front of us. By 11:45, the line was maybe 6 or 7 people deep and by noon (when we left) it was maybe 15 people, which was to the door.

Pierogi heaven is a place on earth! You can tell these pierogi are made with love. I assume once they get a little more used to the lunch rush they'll get more adept at moving the crowd through.

We were there early on the second day they were open, ahead of the rush - and definitely by the time we were done eating there was a line out the door.

I tried:
Potato Cheddar
Potato Cheese
Spinach Meat
Mushroom Kraut
Strawberry

Strawberry were...okay. but everything else was great. I would say there isn't too great of a difference between the cheddar vs cheese to say one was better than the other. The mushroom kraut ones I have still been dreaming about though.

The bacon/onion topping was delish, but a little too much for me (my stomach!) as I don't eat that greasy/fatty of food usually - I mean, they already had butter on them, then top it with bacon/sauteed onions (aka bacon grease) and eat with full fat sour cream... not too shocking my stomach wasn't thrilled.

Well worth it either way, will definitely be back to support these guys! Also to try their sweet cheese because they weren't ready yet when we went!

After looking at the Yelp (!) reviews of this place, I realized that these guys are taking Alexandra brand Pierogi (on the Alexandra website, you can see a carbon copy of Pierogi Heaven's menu) out of the freezer, cooking them, and selling them. Not to say that they're not good (kraut & mushroom were actually some of the best bites I've had in the loop), but it certainly cast them in a different light for me once I found this out. Form your own opinions.

Alexandra Foods Co.
3300 N. Central Avenue
Chicago, IL 60634
773-282-3820
http://www.alexandrapierogi.com/

Pierogi Heaven
169 N. Wells St
Chicago, IL 60606
312-263-9305

Honestly at $3.99 for a 1/2 dozen I didn't really think they were making hundreds of them by hand each night.
As you said they're not bad and at $3.99 + tax I still think it's a good deal for the loop.

There was no secret. I asked the guy if they made them and he said they are delivered every day by an outside supplier.

Yeah, I was in there the other day waiting in line, they were going very slowly, and then I saw them pull the package of frozen pierogi out of the freezer to make more. It looked very much like a package you'd find in the freezer at Andy's Deli. I left, not because I'm against paying 4 bucks for a half-dozen prefrozen pierogi that have been pulled from a package and boiled, as you say it's very reasonable for the Loop, but because I didn't feel like waiting around another 20-30 minutes for my chance to order them. I'll try and get back in there some time when either there's less of a line or they have their process improved.

I arrived at Pierogi Heaven today at 11:40am and the line was already to the door. There must have been about 15 people in front of me. So the word must be spreading that tasty pierogis are available in the Loop. You aren't kidding when you said the line moved slowly. There was one gentleman working the cash register and another filling the orders. The guy filling the orders was SLOW. Once the line waiting for their orders was backed up, the cashier would take a break and help move the line along by filling the orders.

After 20 minutes I finally ordered 6 potato dill pierogis and 6 kraut & mushroom pierogis. I was immediately told that kraut & mushroom were not available. So, I switched my order to spinach & meat. Unfortunately, by the time my order was being filled, they were out of spinach & meat pierogis and asked me to wait another 5 minutes for the next batch. By this point, I wasn't willing to wait any longer. So they compromised and gave me 3 meat and 3 spinach pierogis. Topped with sauteed onions and big chunks of bacon, these were delicious. I asked for and was given a little cup of sour cream as well. The whole lunch (actually two lunches since I only ate 6 pierogis) cost me $7.76. Very economical, very delicious but time consuming. I hope they can get a better system in place soon. Right now, you can tell they're still trying to find their groove.

Regardless, I would highly recommend this place if you have the time. It beats any of the fast food chain restaurants in the area, hands down.

Of course it would be nice to think that 2 Polish brothers arrived in this country with nothing but their mama's pierogi recipe pinned inside one of their coats. And every night after closing the doors, they went in back and started spooning filling into fresh dough and gently pinching the little pillows closed until we bought them. Still...
I went in after leaving the office on Wed. and just before heading into that awful driving rain and buffeting wind to finish the holiday grocery shopping. There was only one table occupied and no line. I was tired, hungry, and burgeoning with a nasty cold.
At that point, I can honestly say that I have never been happier with anything that I lifted out of a foam clamshell container by a plastic fork to my mouth. I had mushroom and kraut, and meat, with that unctuous (yes, I said it!) sauteed onion/butter/bacon mix lightly spooned over it. (Now it's possible that with sauteed onions/butter/bacon spooned over it, I would have been equally happy to eat the clamshell container itself. But this is, as they say in "The Importance of Being Earnest," "clearly metaphysical speculation," and, as such, I leave the matter for French theorists to sort out. Back ih the realm of the vulgar and the empirical, it was delicious, wherever it came from and I look forward to trying the other varieties.
I did find the meat filling so finely chopped or ground that it looked more like tuna salad than meat, but it was flavorful and I had nothing against it.
The one small, and in its way charming, bump in the experience was when I had asked if I could split a half-dozen across 2 types. The counterman said yes, but when I presented him with my 2 selections he demurred because one of them was $5/dozen and the other was $4/dozen, and so he couldn't charge me either $3.99 or $4.99. I couldn't think of a non-snarky way of suggesting that he just charge me $4.50, so i changed my order.

On a side note, there seems to be a mini-trend in tiny, highly specialized storefronts with celestial aspirations. Not an hour after leaving Pierogi Heaven I found myself at Belmont and B'way entereing "Empanada Paradise." I had a mild but not bland meat empanada in which one could clearly make out meat, onion, gr. pepper, raisins and egg yolk. The seafood soup was pretty well ruined by large chunks of the worst Krab I've every tasted---like wet bread that had fallen in the soup by mistake. Had they left that out entirely, it would have been an acceptable $2.99 bowl of soup with some small mussles, a bit of squid and a bit of other fish with noodles.

The place was, as is the fashion now, small, bright, and very tidy and welcoming. The staff were a bit shy and uncertain but also eager and sweet. It wasn't till I left that I noticed that the menu from which i had ordered, which showed empanadas, soups and salads, was also printed on the other side with a large selection of sandwiches. The food photos made one uncertain as to whether things there were largely shipped in, like the frozen pierogi, or prepared more immediately. I certainly wouldn't mind a small investmwent in finding out. The prices being exceptionally cheap.
They also feature, on a rack at the back, Chilean olive oil in 2 varieties: medium, and "intense." The copy on the label of the "intense" oil is almost comical in its desire to frighten you out of buying it because it may be just too much for you. I was too busy to lug another bottle around at the time, but intend to give it a shot. They also sell sealed bags of carica fruit. I don't know it. They describe it as a heavenly cross of peach, mango, and pear. But since the label also listed sugar, citric acid and, I think, ascorbic acid, I wasn't sure just how much genuine carica flavor might remain.

Paradise Empanadas
3204 N. Broadway
773.472.6327

What a big addition to this corner of the loop. These aren't Smak quality but no doubt much better than your average deli case / freezer pierogi. I has 6 spinach and 6 potato/cheese along with the above mentioned bacon and onion topping. I can see myself in here for lunch 1-2 times a week, especially during the winter.

Update on the menu @ Pierogi Heaven

Pierogies
6 - $4.49
9 - $6.29
12 - $7.99

Borscht
Cup - $1.79
Bowl - $3.99 (w/ meat dumplings)

I tried the borscht today- unfortunately it was just broth with no veggies to be found...but the flavor was fairly good. A decent add-on to an order of your favorite pierogies.

Am I the only one who prefers my pierogis fried? The last time I went there, that wasn't an option.

clogoodie wrote:Update on the menu @ Pierogi Heaven

Pierogies
6 - $4.49
9 - $6.29
12 - $7.99

Borscht
Cup - $1.79
Bowl - $3.99 (w/ meat dumplings)

I tried the borscht today- unfortunately it was just broth with no veggies to be found...but the flavor was fairly good. A decent add-on to an order of your favorite pierogies.

I am quite glad that they listened to the customers and added a 9 option. Feel like there were a lot of people who thought 6 wasn't enough and 12 was too much for lunch. I was one of them. Stopped in today for 9, I especially love the kraut and mushroom ones. They also offer extra bacon for 25 cents more, which wasn't an option the first time I stopped by.

First visit and it will be on my lunch rotation. Just like having a Loop outpost of Smak-Tak. Did the u-pick mix and was not disappointed. Based on the traffic on a warm day like this, I'm guessing the long-term success of this place is assured.