Uma’s

I’ve eaten here twice now, and can’t wait to go back again. I especially appreciate their kitchen’s way with vegetables, even with the dishes containing meat. My understanding of Uzbek cuisine is that it’s very much a blend of cultures, with significant influence from the sizable Korean populations — apparently, the Soviet Union forcibly deported thousands of Koreans to Uzbekistan in its program of attempted ethnic blending (and cultural obliteration). I can’t point out the specific Korean influences, but when you eat here, you get it. My recommended dishes are any of the salads, especially Uma’s Salad and the Labne Salad; the Manti dumplings, especially the butternut squash version; and anything on the specials board. I had a Rockaway-​raised tomato salad this September that was so bursting with flavor, I can still taste it these several months later. They have an excellent, very reasonably priced wine list and terrific beers on tap. The only down side is the first time we ate at Uma’s, it was incredibly crowded, and according to this Unilocal page they don’t take reservations. I would call ahead for a temperature check on table availability.

Pelmini was outstanding and prices are great! Filet kabobs and side of potatoes were also great! Will definitely be going back. Atmosphere was great too and casual.

Everytime we come here, the food is amazing. It’s like someone cooked a real meal for you — which is just what happens when Uma is in charge. Kabobs and mantis out of this world, and I highly recommend trying one of their specials. They are always spectacular. Great service as well, always with a smile.

Ridiculously delicious, flavorful, clean food! My boyfriend and I are eating vegetarian and the veggie options were phenomenal! Our friends had meat dishes and were raving. Very interesting and creative use of spices in their food. Fyi — this is a beer and wine place only.

Every dish was licked clean! Uma’s food is «home».
I love to explore and this place is a great find! I never had food like this but it was instant love!
The staff is very nice!

Our waiter, who was also the bartender, was super friendly and helpful. We got a ton of carbs and were way too full afterwards. They have a wonderful menu with tons of veg stuff on it (unusual for Russian food). We got the veg manti — a kind of pierogi and those were awesome although I think would be better with a spicy sauce (the waiter got me some chili paste). We also got scallion pancakes which were also great. And we got a veg ragout with fresh summer veggies but it was a bit bland. They had a big screen above the bar and I was afraid it would be distracting and awful, but they were playing surf highlights the entire time so that was cool. Nice cosy fun place. I’d go back.

Great food, but terrible service and unfriendly staff. No one greets clients, helps you find a table, asks you about the food or tells you about the specials. No one says thank you for the visit when leaving.
I speak fluent Russian, the waitress does not, yet she tried to correct me when I said some of the names of the Russian dishes they offer. Unbelievable. The waitress attitude toward customers makes you feel unwelcome and ruins the otherwise good impression.

To say that I think that I’ve had the best meal of 2015 at Uma’s may be a little over-​the-​top, but I think it’s true! Wouldn’t expect this from a little chill place out in the Rockaways, but from app to dessert, everything was On Point!
Drove around at 8pm on a Wed. after visiting Fort Tilden, looking for a place that was STILL open in this sleepy NYC Beach Town & Uma’s was packed except for 2 tables. (Avoided the empty Italian place next door) We were seated right away & the boyfriend made friends with the singer/​guitarist playing that night. There’s a small bar that fits 4 – 5 people & about 10 – 12 tables, mixed with groups, couples, and a few kids.
For apps we ordered the Veg Soup of the Day $ 8 (mushroom barley) & Lagman beef Noodle Soup $ 9. The mushroom soup was thick, hearty, filled with mushroom chunks– so fresh & tasty. The Lagman was mind blowing! The beef was fall apart tender, slow-​cooked, noodles were FRESH and hand-​pulled, lots of vegetables (tomatoes, peppers, string beans, parsnips, a sprinkle of dill, a teeny jar of red pepper paste). Actually everything had sprinkles of dill. The Lagman was enough to eat as a meal on it’s own. But gladly– we kept eating.
Main was the Plov (Lamb on Rice $ 14) & the Pelmani Dumplings $ 12. The Lamb was yet again fall-​apart slow-​cooked. The rice had little flavored bursts of gooseberry & golden raisins. The Pelmani were boiled (kind of wonton-​like) beef-​filled dumplings. You could tell that they were just previously wrapped & dropped in water, followed with a light sour cream, chili oil, & fresh dill– right before arriving at our table. It was too large to finish, but I had a great lunch the next day.
Of Course we had to have Dessert: Halva Ice Cream. Amazeballs. Homemade sesame flavored ice cream with bits of Halva shreds & black sesame on top. We split one dish $ 4. Should ice cream taste healthy?
Service was super nice & chill. Wait for food was a little slow, but that’s because Someone’s Mom is cooking it Back there! Saw a Russian dark-​haired woman wiping her face at the end of the night, besides a few sous chefs. Really nice to see & eat all the Silk Road-​influenced food.
Uma’s is a great neighborhood spot & I’ll be back again, hopefully sooner than next Summer.
And unfortunately the phone died, so no pictures, but it was a bit dark in there. AND I think we were enjoying our food too much anyway.

It is nice to have a healthier option for lunch when at the beach, as opposed to burgers & fries. I ordered the chicken shish kebab with rice & beans. It was a perfect portion size and really tasty, with the meat well seasoned.
The only negative was the server took down my name incorrectly so was shouting a different name for ages. When I tried to enquire if it was mine he said it was for the other name. Only after 3 people in front of us got their order and me asking if they even had an order under my name (they just looked at me confused), did I actually get my food, 10 minutes later. Thankfully it hadn’t gone cold.

I ate at Uma’s food stand at B92nd St on the boardwalk and my whole family, including kids, including 18month old baby loved loved it!
Eggplant ragout amazing!
Potato perohtzki incredible!

Among the bagel stores and hip fish taco stands of Rocapulco is Uma’s, like a golden fish out of water. Russian & Uzbek food are not often considered surf fare, but here it is and it’s awesome. Delicious vegetarian selections, fresh ingredients and a light, modern take on the usually heavy Eastern European tastes make this an exciting place to accidentally stumble upon (like me) or actually trek out to.
The owner was sweet, his wife cooked and a local surf instructor flirted with another customer. All wore flip flops and tans. I’m into it, especially the Schav.

Drinks: Friends and I split a bottle of cab, which was pretty delicious. You could tell it wasn’t a cheap bottle. However, they didn’t even pour it for us for our initial first glasses.
Service: SLOWWWWW. We waited about 15 minutes before someone came over to take our orders.
Food: THIS is why I am giving this spot 4 stars. Chicken kebabs were cooked perfectly. Friends had the salmon kebabs and they thoroughly enjoyed them. We also had the Kale Salad Special, which was not coated too heavily with dressing, and the kale was fresh. But the all star were the Manti with Squash. It is a *steamed* dumpling filled with butternut squash, topped with onion sauce and a garlic dill yogurt sauce. The combination of flavors paired perfectly, and the squash was juicy, not too mushy, and really just spot on. Good thing we ordered two servings of them!
Overall, GO FOR THE FOOD. You won’t be disappointed.

I had the cabbage piroshky — simple, yummy, a great snack. It’s good by itself and the cabbage is very flavorful and moist without making the dough soggy. The spicy sauce at the counter makes it even better.

Great food! Even though half of the menu wasn’t available. The staff were nice and friendly and the prices were affordable. I will recommend this place to whoever comes to Rockaway beach; it is a very nice diner

Had a delicious dinner at Uma’s, an Uzbek restaurant in Rockaway. I must first say, though, that our waitress was in her own little world. She brought us BOTH the wrong drinks (both my wine and my boyfriend’s beer were incorrect) and seemed completely confused when I notified her of this. It was strange.
Luckily our food order was correct. The borscht was excellent although I would have been even happier if it was cold! The hot temperature was a little much on this summer day but the taste was fantastic, especially with the cool sour cream. Filled with beets, carrots and beef chunks, it really was tasty. Our other appetizer, the samsa, was a pastry filled with meat and potato. Also very nice.
The manti filled with meat was our favorite dish of the night. These were four ginormous dumplings served with yogurt sauce. The plov (rice with vegetables and meat) was unfortunately quite dry but also has good flavor. Overall, we enjoyed the experience even with the spotty service.

Great service and good new food style to try out made this a great visit.
We had the Manti with Squash (5 star), Scallion Pancakes and dill sauce (got a second helping 4.5 stars), a bread pastry with meat inside that was great (4 stars), Beef Filet Kabob (4.75 stars), Chicken Kabob (3.5 stars for good flavor, but a bit too much char for my taste from grill).
Sides of Rice and Young Potatoes were solid too.
Server was a hoot and took great care of all the patrons.
Will definitely come again on our next visit.

I’ve had my fair share of Russian food and I have to say for a place surrounded by beach goers & originality this place caught my eye. I was telling my friend I wanted a Shish Kebab not really considering what kind, but all ll I knew was that I wanted one.
The one thing that threw me off was the sign for Uma’s and what was written underneath it. No where located on Uma’s menu do they offer anything remotely close to Asian food. Maybe it was a typo. Maybe they took over the place. I’m not quite sure. It was bizarre yet I still placed my order anyway. When you’re hungry you make hasty decisions, at least I do.
My Chicken Shish Kebab came with seasoned rice, a side salad consisting of cucumbers, lettuce, onions, and tomatoes. It was decent but needed additional seasoning. A little bit of minced garlic marinated over the chicken ain’t never hurt nobody! I also bought a cup of their natural Lemon Mint Green Tea mixed with Apple and Plum juice. It was refreshing on a beautiful summery day.

WoW Uzbek food at the randomest place, Rockaway Beach.
I’m a big fan of Uzbek food since a few of my friends introduced me to this awesome food a while back. So seeing this place and all of the authentic menu items, including dessert, brought a smile to my face.
I got the Manti With Meat and Borscht. The Borscht was good but I think missing a spice or two. The Manti were delicious and made just right.
I also had one of the Ukrainian beers they had on tap. Wish I had room for some dessert like Chak Chak but was already full.
They serve beer and wine only and have table and bar seating.

This is by far our favorite place, close to home. I would say we eat here the most when we don’t feel like cooking.
We love everything on their menu! The food is always cooked perfectly.
The atmosphere is always comfortable and fun.
We love Karl family and wish we could visit more often. I am looking forward to things slowing down once hockey season ends. (Which takes up most of our time nowadays.)

Tried Uma’s while visiting far Rockaway and the beach. Tried the Pretty Chicken kebab which was pretty good and came with rice, vegetables (tomatoes and cucumbers) and about 6 big chunks of tender meat. Very tender.
The only thing is that you have to wait for a looooong time for it to cook because they grill them as you order and that’s for chicken, which cooks fast. I don’t know how long their other meats take. They could have also been backed up with orders because my bf and I stood there for a minimum of 25 minutes waiting and he said there were people waiting around even before us who came back and their food still wasn’t ready.
Location is cool and there was live music so at least you weren’t just starting at the cashier while waiting. We’d probably visit again if we’re at the beach.