Balkan Dining

I have to give the little corner family restaurant 5 star! I’m always interested in family owned places that specialize in their cultural cooking. Everything here homemade, desserts are spectacular and it feels like a kitchen in someone’s home. The prices are extraordinary low and it’s great food on a budget — so what it’s not fancy and all that stuff — it’s simple and elegant in its character and desire to please the customer.

I don’t know why we waited this long to go here. This is absolutely some of the best food I have ever eaten. The location is small and intimate so get there early or be prepared to wait, it will be worth it. The Bosnian Mousaka was brilliant, salads perfect, desserts homemade and to die for.

Great food! Amazing Cevapi and Tiramisu. Had a great overall experience with the wait staff!

Anyone who says that Balkan dining is anything less than a gift from heaven is wrong. The food is absolutely delicious! Pitas are a must. I get my Saturday lunch here and always go with Raznjici (veal kabob) and it is always very good and has a great portion size! Especially for a low price. The owners work there and are very friendly and welcoming to everyone who comes in. Dessert is really good too, if you have room for more food after your delicious entrée.

Just love this Turkish ethnic place. Everything homemade and authentic. Just amazing!!!

Very good. Small cozy place, friendly staff, reasonable prices, tasty food. Fresh bread made in-​house add to the great flavors of the traditional bosnian dishes.

Wow. This place is awesome. I totally understand why it’s so popular after eating there!
The restaurant is small and intimate. We ended up chatting with others who were waiting and they told us they have been here multiple times and that everything is good on the menu.
It was hard to choose something but I ended up selecting the Bosnian Musaka. Eating it made me feel so happy that it felt like Christmas morning. My date ordered the Winnerwald Chicken (I wouldn’t order it because it has mushrooms). I tried a bite of the chicken and it was so juicy and flavorful. We finished our dinner with Turkish coffee.
I’m already dying to go back so I can try something else. I have a feeling I’ll have tried everything on the menu by the end of 2016.

My Order: Apple tufahija (must get if you’re eating dessert), Winnerwald Chicken, Vegetable Musaka (very worth it)
Pros:
+ FOOD: Very delicious and homemade dishes. The mashed potatoes have a creamy buttery feel that make them addictive. If you’re planning on getting dessert, get the apple tufahija. It’s sweet AND healthy, what a treat. I think all the other desserts are outsourced (it takes away from the overall Mediterranean feel)
Cons:
— PORTIONS: The servings are getting smaller :(Oh well. Still worth the money!
— W/​R: The bathroom is hidden in the back past the kitchen. Ask for directions, it isn’t easy to find.
I’ve been here at least 3 – 4 times and I still think it is a lovely addition to Buffalo. I’m always on the search for diverse ethnic cuisines. One can only have pizza and wings so many times (which seems to be traditional Buffalo fare).

The food is authentic Bosnian and delicious. This place is a rare hidden gem on Kenmore. My only complaint is that the tomato sin the tomato salad were not fresh but, instead mushy and poor tasting. The moussakka (traditionally Greek) is quite the Slavic dish; the Bosnian chicken soup tasted homemade; the portions are all generous and the presentation is cute.

While it says Balkan, just think Mediterranean and you know what you are in for. Food was great and it’s a mom and pop style place.

Balkan Dining is a small Bosnian restaurant in what looks like an out-​of-​the-​way dormitory suburb of depressed Buffalo, only feet away from a Family Dollar and a 7-​Eleven, and, well, not much else.
The menu’s not too long. Salads occupy a prominent place and range from the non-​Bosnian classic (Greek, Caesar, mozzarella) to the Balkan (various combinations of tomatoes, cucumbers, bell peppers, yogurt, sour cream, feta cheese). Next, expect lots of grilled meats: pljeskavica, ćevapi, ražnjići, sujuk, chicken kebab… Plus goulash and Bosnian musaka. If you go to Balkan Dining but decide you don’t want to eat Bosnian food, well, firstly there must be something wrong with you, as neither the neighborhood nor the dining room present much appeal, but you still have a few choices in spaghetti, fish fillets, and soups. There are also a few desserts displayed by the counter, including baklava.
I had only one dish, the ćevapi, a generous heap of of skinless meat sausages served inside a lepina (Bosnian flatbread), slit lengthwise. This isn’t truly a sandwich, though — it’s way too big to be eaten with one’s hands without making a giant mess. The lepina is homemade and fresh; it’s very airy, a bit like a focaccia but without the oil. The meat, ground beef seasoned with salt and black pepper but apparently no other spice, is juicy and grilled to perfection. It has the somewhat spongy texture that I associate with very finely ground meat and that I like only moderately. The dish is served with kajmak (Bosnian sour cream) which goes nicely on the meat, and some unnecessary sliced raw onion and lettuce. Traditionally, ćevapi sometimes comes with ajvar; Balkan Dining offers it with other items, so just ask.
A good lunch overall. It reminded me a lot of the food I had in some Kosovan restaurants in the Bronx. Service seemed very fast, but that’s not hard to do when there’s only one customer in the room. So if you’re in the Buffalo area, pay a visit to Balkan Dining! Sure, you could go to some pretentious restaurant that tries to cook the cuisine of popular Western European countries where the chef has never set foot, but that’s a recipe for disappointment.

Mmm… this felt like a treat for something done right.
I came for lunch a few days ago and, based on Unilocal recommendations, had my order all set in my head. But the dessert case was too tempting and many of the menu items sounded so wonderful. I completely changed my mind with resolve to return soon for the intended items. The place itself is small and cozy with only five tables. Casual. My server was very sweet and hospitable.
For my meal I chose the Bosnian Moussaka. How do I explain? — No other Moussaka will ever be good enough for me ever again. It was just delicious and comforting; also quite a good size for the price. I was very pleased with that decision.
On to desert. I had planned on tiramisu with the Turkish coffee but there was another one there calling my name. I asked about it and told it was new, called Ice Cube? It was just layers of heaven and I’m not even a fan of chocolate cake. The top layer was some kind of pudding. It was sweet in a natural way if that makes sense. I often leave desserts unfinished if they are too fake-​sweet or rich. This was just perfect and went well with my coffee.
I wish I had read Morgan’s entire review before my visit; I would have known what I was doing. When you get to the bottom, there are powdery grounds, so don’t pour that last drop! You’ll be tempted though because this coffee is incredible. It is dark and a bit thicker than you might be accustomed to if you haven’t explored coffee beyond your local Timmy’s or Starbucks. REALLY GOOD! It’s a relatively small amount but maybe coffee was never meant to come in a super grande venti. If I had been there just for coffee and dessert I might have ordered another serving.
In conclusion, everything was just outstanding. But uh, no restroom which I feel is rather unacceptable. It was like a smudge on a beautiful painting. I hope they fix that soon.

8:45 on a chilly, rainy Saturday night. You know, that crappy weekend in mid-​September. Where else to take out of town guests but Balkan dining? We were late enuf that there was no wait for a table; in fact, only two other tables were occupied. DC’s were my grade school boyfriend, visiting from Detroit, and his cousin, visiting from Westchester county (who could not get over the inexpensive prices).
Re: The parking situation. I repeatedly told Detroit that it was really, REALLY okay to park on the sidewalk in front of the restaurant. (you all know what I mean). He was reluctant to do so (wanted to park in the First Niagara lot in the pouring rain) until he saw this big old guido car pull away. I nagged at him until he pulled into the recently vacated Guido spot.
Alas, we missed the moussaka. All gone. Cevapi for two of us, Wienerwald chicken for the third. They wanted salad, I was holding out for dessert.
I found the Cevapi to be a bit tough. Considering these were the last two entrees of the week out of the kitchen, and had been prepared on ??, I cut them some slack. The staff looked exhausted, it had been a busy, cold rainy weekend & the place was packed most of the time.
DCs ordered Turkish coffee. I had to explain the sugar cube business. Detroit took a big swig of coffee & got a mouthful of grounds. Oops!
I ordered hot tea & Tiramisu for dessert. I’ve read other Unilocalers rave that BDs has the best in town. Never having had it before, DCs each took a taste & moaned with pleasure. it was exquisite.
Westchester was gabby (was it the Turkish Coffee?) and the asleep-​on-​their-​feet staff kept shooting me «oh, please» glances, so I wrapped it up by standing up and saying «Let’s let these nice people go home and get to bed. they’re off tomorrow, & I’m sure they like to start their weekend.» So we headed for my place & gabbed till the sun came up.
Leftover Cevapi, tough or not tastes great sliced & sauteed with onions, fresh basil, sweet peppers & garlic in scrambled eggs.

The first time I been here. Nice sweet little restaurant with fews table. I see in the summer you can enjoyed your meal outside. All there food is made fresh. Love the Chicken noodle soup. There plenty of noodle. Dont need to add salt or pepper to it. There dessert out this world and they make there own homemade desserts. If you love Meditterian food this place to come.

I think this is an important restaurant for everyone in the region to try at least once. It’s a hidden little gem on Kenmore Avenue. It’s next door to a Chinese restaurant at the intersection of two busy roads. The parking lot is awful and getting in and out of here is just as taxing. Luckily, I like the actual restaurant.
There is outdoor seating here which I think is absolutely lovely but it was way too windy the last day I came here to be that adventurous. We sat ourselves at a table against the wall. I ate a spinach and cheese pita along with Turkish Coffee.
Five stars immediately for the Turkish Coffee. It’s a taste I can’t quite explain: deep and hearty, like the beans were pulled from behind the counter and pressed for you. Don’t drink the grounds though! The coffee is so thick that you almost end up drinking it anyway, but just a warning that they’re there… waiting for you. dun dun dun.
If you make it through the large portions that they provide you, dessert is definitely worth the undertaking. I had the tiramisu and I almost cried from delight. It was so creamy and milky that my stomach hated and loved me at the same time. My friends had the chocolate cake and that too, was pure goodness.
Just try it for the cake and coffee and it would be hard not to give this five stars.

I’ll put my conclusion first: if you love grilled meat, you gotta come here. They are grilling experts.
My wife and I just had the best meat dishes so far here after living in Buffalo for three years. We started with Greek salad and chicken noodle soup. The sour cream on the salad goes very well with the vegetables, smooth and refreshing. To me the soup tastes like our nostalgic Asian noodle soup, very rich with strong flavor of chicken broth. Worth trying. The best entrée we had this evening is mixed meat plate, which included chicken kebob, sausage, and beef. The chicken is pleasantly tender. Best grilled chicken we had so far. The sausage smells very good and tastes just as appetizing. The beef is juicy and fragrant too. And for each entrée they have rice, fried fries and meshed potato as side choices. I strongly recommend their rice. It looked like steamed rice with remarkable moisture and coated with a little bit butter and herbal fragrance.
We ordered a little bit too much for three of us tonight. It’s a feast of various meat and cost us a reasonable $ 45. I would definitely come again with my family and friends with so many unexplored items (why we missed the desserts!) to try on the menu!

I was definitely pleasantly surprised!
I’ve driven by this place a few times and the curb appeal has always caught my eye. One night when I was out and on my own for dinner, I thought I’d stop in and get some carry out.
It’s not really a carry out kind of place; it’s certainly ideal for coming in and sitting down to enjoy the Balkan experience and have a Turkish coffee, but the girl at the counter took my order happily and the lone cook in the back got to work on it.
While I waited for my Vegetable Musaka, I could hear guests at two different tables in the restaurant speaking with Eastern European accents, so I figured that on top of the great Unilocal reviews, this place must be pretty good to have diners of the original cuisine there too.
I checked out the menu while I waited and the prices are really decent. Like I mentioned, there were only two people working on a Wednesday night, so they must keep overhead low to provide such great prices. That, and there are only 4 or 5 tables in the whole place, so certainly they can bottleneck the orders that come in. Not a bad business method at all! I’m impressed!
The only thing I wish they had more of were some vegetarian options. There are plenty of meat options, which is fantastic because that should certainly get my husband through the door, but I can pretty much only expand to a spinach and cheese stuffed pita before my options are exhausted.
But honestly, even that’s OK. For as harsh as my picture of the Vegetable Musaka was to go, it tasted AMAZING. It was so, so, good, I will happily eat it a dozen times over! I really like this place a lot!

I could become a regular here. It’s all just really tasty food prepared well.
The dining experience here is very comfortable. It honestly feels like going to your favorite aunt’s house and having her cook for you. Nothing is fancy or over the top but you eat it and it makes you feel good. The prices here are also extremely reasonable so I’m always getting multiple dishes to share among the party.
Oh except the dessert. Omg. You know that aunt that you’re always trying to convince to open up a bakery? I feel like this is one of those aunts. The deserts here are amazing. It’s not your basic cake. It’s like 10 step assembled dessert masterpieces that probably took like an entire day to make. We are talking like opera cake style with genoise cake infused with orange filled with a lemon gel and whipped cream topped with ganache and drizzled with caramel type stuff. I’m going to start coming here for the dessert alone.
Really friendly waitress that had yet to let me down on her recommendations. Take get recommendations! She knows what’s up and won’t steer you wrong.

This place is a hidden gem! I hope it stays open because there was no one when we were there and I don’t see much advertising. But it was fantastic my husband and I went we started out with the feta and cucumber salad then got 3 entrees (we couldn’t decide) pita. Cevapi, and the Bosnian musaka… All were amazing! Prices are awesome we will definitely be back! We got dessert to go and the tiramisu was fantastic!

This isn’t a Star Trek themed place (that would be «Vulcan Dining»), or a Home Alone-​themed place («Culkin Dining»), nor is this a Lord Of The Rings place («Tolkein Dining»). It’s not a wheat-​based place («Bulgur Dining»), nor is it an internet browsing place («Bookmark Dining»), and it’s not a place to be balked at (that would be «Balkat Dining», obviously).
No, this is in fact the cuisine of Bosnia. Did you know Bosnia had a cuisine? No? Well you’re missing out. It does. And it’s amazing. Apparently this is Edin Dzeko’s favourite restaurant. Apparently, without BD (not to be confused with VD. Not at all) Bosnia would never have miraculously qualified for World Cup 2014 in Brasil.
What to get: Bosnian Musaka (amazing), Goulash (amazing) and Cevapi (my personal fave, if you like meat a lot, get it), then Tiramisu for dessert.
Also good: everything on the menu, especially Pitas, Kebabs, Chocolate desserts.
Only 5 tables in here, so discuss with them in advance if bringing large group. Also it takes awhile to make the food, so don’t go here when in a hurry.
Thanks to Alex and all of the others for the amazing glowing reviews of this place.
How did Buffalo get this lucky? So many great ethnic food spots. So much good Buffalonian stuff. And now we have an *incredible* Bosnian restaurant too. And the prices at this place are low… ridiculously low. I ordered 3 entrees, 1 dessert, and drinks, and it came out to $ 25. Yeah. Ridiculous.
The stars of the show are Cevapi, Bosnian Musaka, Goulash, and Tiramisu. Cevapi is Cylinders of Ground (Kofte-​esque) Kebab in fluffy pita with just onions. Simple. Especially if you like meat, or kebabs in general. It’s one of the best things I’ve ever tasted, anywhere. Get it on the bread it comes on, as a sandwich, and ask for the red sauce too. F***ing heaven. The juice shoots out from the meat into your mouth (I know you’re used to this in the bedroom but at the table it can be just as thrilling), and it’s so flavourful and awesome.
If you’re not into meat, or if you’ve already tried the Cevapi or want something a bit more complex, or don’t like salt, then get the Bosnian Musaka. It’s out of this world and it’s the fave dish of most of the people I’ve taken there. Also, if they have Goulash, try the Goulash. It’s tender and juicy and delicious and filling.
So more on the Musaka and Goulash. The Bosnian version of Moussaka (not much like Greek Moussaka but absolutely delicious, not only when piping hot, but as leftovers the next day), has so many layers and flavours, with cheese, spices, meat and potatoes, and it’s a true star of the local landscape. You *must* try this dish.
Goulash: one of my favourite dishes. Most I don’t like, my favourite is at Corky & Lenny’s in Cleveland. Balkan’s Goulash is right up there C & L. It’s every bit as delicious and tastes even more home made. It’s *fantastic*. The mashed potatoes it’s served over, are delicious; the meat is tender and awesome; the broth is divine; the bread that comes with it is fresh, unique, yummy.
I’ve tried Pita (which is basically like, Bosnian Burek, round doughy large delicious bread, similar to a Spinach Pie but bigger), you can get it stuffed with Spinach, Cheese, Meat, or other stuff. Very good fresh, and surprisingly I enjoyed it even more when starving the next day. Yum yum yum. Nom nom nom. There’s also Winnerwald Chicken, if you like chicken you might love this, it’s not my fave.
And I had the Tiramisu for dessert: it was just like the best of the ones in Europe. Absolutely delicious. If you’ve never tried an amazing Tiramisu, please try this one. All the desserts are super cheap too. It’s possibly my favourite dessert in WNY. Some of the other desserts are great too, the chocolate ones for instance. The coconut and cherry ones are average.
Also the young couple that help run it look like the Bosnian pop stars that play on the Eastern European MTV channel on the TV in dining area. The man looks like George Michael in the «Faith» days. Have a look for yourself. The girl is like most Eastern European girls: beautiful. More importantly they are extremely friendly, and even more importantly their food is some of the most and good-​value fare anywhere in Western NY.
*** Edit: I can now say that I am utterly addicted to the Cevapi. I get a little cup of the red sauce on the side. One Cevapi sandwich fills me up completely, sometimes twice (that sounds dirty, but it’s not, I mean I eat half of it later, you gutter minded internet generation, you). I’ve tried a few Bosnian spots in NYC, but this place is considerably, remarkably better; it’s the best Balkan or Slavic food I’ve had anywhere, the best Eastern European food I’ve ever had, and WNY’s joint-​best restaurant (with Valle). ***
I have a new favourite, I will be recommending it to others, I will be back, and this is just another example of why I love Unilocal.Without Unilocal,I’d never have found this place. How do you say «nomtastic» in Bosnian?