Kerbside pickup
Yes
Balaton Restaurant in Cleveland
Categories
Location on the map
Cleveland, Cuyahoga County, Ohio, US
Service options
Takeaway
Yes
Dine-in
Yes
Phone: +1 216-921-9691
Site: http://www.balaton-restaurant.com/
Site: http://www.balaton-restaurant.com/
Opening hours
- Monday:Closed
- Tuesday:Closed
- Wednesday:1–7PM
- Thursday:1–7PM
- Friday:1–8PM
- Saturday:1–8PM
- Sunday:1–7PM
Comments (199)
This place is so amazing we make a 4 hour trip at least once a year to enjoy their food. Everything is homemade and beyond delicious. The atmosphere, food, and staff are fantastic and you will never leave hungry. I cannot say enough good things. If you can get here, its worth the trip.
Wonderful! Wonderful! Wonderful! Every dish i tried was so delicious. Everything is made from scratch. This is a special place! Take your girlfriend ;)
Serving authentic Hungarian food. wide variety of choices. Delicious. Fresh. This Hungarian girl was happy. Some of the choices on the menu are not often found in restaurants in the US. Lecso. Hortobagy palacsinta. Porkolt. The potato pancakes were so delicious, not greasy at all. I dont live in OH, otherwise I might make this place a frequent stop. They serve Hungarian wines as well.
The food at Balaton is really good. I had the small wiener schnitzel with spaetzel dumplings and paprika gravy. The meal is started with a nice fresh salad with a mild vinaigrette salad dressing. The restaurants atmosphere is cozy and homey. Its a great place to eat if your in the the Shaker Heights area of Cleveland.
I eat here twice a week when I’m in town, this food is absolutely the best food in Cleveland. I love the chicken schnitzel, always a nice golden coating with a juicy piece of chicken inside, not like the rubbery chicken you get it national chains. You can taste the passion and care put into every meal, we need more family owned restaurants like this in our town. Five star!!!
I have eaten there 10 times over the past year since I moved to Cleveland and found this place. The food is *usually consistent and exceptional. Huge portions. I have had close to every thing on their menu. It is best to eat in for the experience and service but I have gotten great food to go as well. I have taken most all my visiting family there.Start with the cabbage rolls, chicken schnitzel, or fluffy? Chicken. Then explore front there. Also great desserts.Call early as you need reservations for both pick up and dining in.*My most recent take out there was actually disappointing. It was during a weekday and I hope was a training chef as the food was off. Oil not as hot for frying making everything really heavy, schnitzel not as thin as usual and portions smaller. I am assuming a fluke and not a change.
We drive from Fort Wayne, Indiana every year to eat at this fantastic Hungarian restaurant. The cabbage rolls and chicken paprikash are my absolute fave. Cant wait to see where they end up after moving January 1, 2022. We will definitely follow!!!
First time there...food ws verrry good.comfortable atmosphere and the waitress was very attentive...I ordered a stuffed cabbage appitizer for starters (photo included) and that was ABSOLUTELY DELICIOUS...followed by beef goulash...which was more than I could eat...very tasty.... if your a fan of hungarian meals then this should be your next stop!
We had reservations for 10 and they put us in our own dining area. The staff was exceptional (knowledgeable & super nice/friendly). The food was delicious and served hot - presentation was amazing. They even have vegetarian options! The restaurant was impeccably clean too. Unfortunately, one member of our group was obnoxious but the staff handled our problematic person with diplomacy, tact and professionalism. This restaurant is amazing on all levels!
Amazing, authentic Hungarian food!! Make sure to make a reservation, they are preferred.
The minute you walk into this restaurant youll feel like youre in your Hungarian grandmas kitchen. The decor is precisely what Id expect in a cozy Hungarian home. The wait staff are incredibly sweet and friendly. The food... Oh the food. Just go and youll see. Everything from the bread and salad they serve to the home-made apple sauce and the flavorful goulash is amazing.If youre ever in the area, please go, you wont be disappointed.
Make no mistake about it! Home cooked food in Own Dining Rooms, and Limited Delivery available. No third party delivery services permitted. Balaton will organize receptions, events, or Your large Garden Party.
It seems to me that my negative review was removed. I am going to recount my poor experience at this restaurant. First, their site said that they preferred reservations, but nowhere on the site did it say they were refusing walk-in customers. We did our due diligence and checked. Once we got there they turned us away. Theyre literally turning away customers, but begging for handouts on their website. They seek donations to stay open; even going so far as to open a GoFundMe. How can you turn customers away but then beg for charity? Furthermore, they were not busy at all and should have had no issues accommodating a table of 2. Keep in mind that I saw maybe 1 single to-go order go out while we were waiting and during our meal.As we were walking away from the restaurant the greeter came out and asked if we could wait some time and they actually could take us. We agreed and came back after the length they asked us to wait. They then told us theyd be right with us but actually made us wait 30 more minutes. Once they sat us we werent approached by a server for another 15 minutes. After that our food came out another 20 minutes later, and after that we couldnt find our server anywhere. One of their employees sat down to eat and another employee came over to hang out. They proceeded to ignore our requests for help. I had to stand up an go look for the server. All in all this trip pushed into a 3rd hour. Over 2 hours to get a simple meal.I dont know how these people have the audacity to whine and complain as much as they do about their financial situation when they are entirely too happy to turn away paying customers. One look at their insane website should tell you all you need to know about their mental state.Oh, and they just buy their bread from a major big box retailer, so youre not getting anything you cant get somewhere else in that respect.
Was 1st time for our group of 6 (3 from Georgia, 2 from Marblehead, so, a mini family reunion).My sister knows some Hungarian & it was a nice experience for her as our young-lady server (sorry, I forgot her name) spoke it with her.Its an unassuming facade, their sign isnt lighted & as it was 1st time there, I almost passed it up. Parking is limited on Shaker Square so must know where other parking options are located if no parking spots are open.The interior is simple, basic, with the larger room next to the room at the entrance.We all enjoyed our choices, including their dumplings & house salad dressing!Portions are big, some items offered in Large/Small plates (example is my small version of Pork Chops was 1 vs 2 chops).Kinda pricey, which affected my rating (mine & my sisters dinners were just under $60 (including the tip) & neither of us had ordered drinks).When leaving, saw assorted house-made loaves of bread & sliced Nut Rolls for sale.
ABSOLUTELY SUPERB! HUGE (!!!) plates... what plates... TRAYS(!) of great food! See pictures for yourselves. An individual portion is as big as a family platter would be elsewhere.
Fantastic food, excellent service and a most wonderful family owned business. A must do if you love Hungarian food.
I took my elderly parents there for lunch.It was our first visit to this place.Very friendly staff. Food is authentic, gigantic portions! They serve Hungarian wine, which was a nice compliment to the Sampler Platter with sausages and veggies. Desserts are delicious.The only bad thing that totally spoiled our mood were cockroaches! They were crawling on the wall by our table! It was really disgusting!I told the waitress about it. Hopefully they will address this problem! Not acceptable for the restaurant with a good reputation!
Great place to eat and super authentic Hungarian food!
This is photo of dessert. It is called dobish torte. Dinner was fantastic. I got beef goulash though forgot to take a photo. It was very filling.
The food and atmosphere were stupendous. I would recommend this to any and all people that love Hungarian food.
Fantastic food and service. There were 10 of us and we were literally the last customers of 2019!
Great food. Do yourself a favor and break away from the chain restaurants for a more unique and interesting experience. I’ll definitely be back.
Fantastic traditional food, great people, amazing service. We got carryout and everything was top notch and a good value.
This was my first Hungarian restaurant. The restaurant had hardwood floors and some old world flare spread moderately throughout. The entryway was well kept and cozy. The first room was populated with about four small tables that had been spaced wide apart from each other and a lit display case/counter at the back showed a partial view of the kitchen behind. We were greeted promptly and after a minute or two we were led into a side room with many more tables, although still more widely spaced apart than pre-covid. They had tall decorative screens in strategic locations that provided some privacy and sound reduction as well. It was light outside and we were sat at the front near a partially screened display window. I cant speak to the lighting at night but it was comfortably bright at the time. We were given water and bread to nibble on while we read the menu, which is always nice. Our complete meal consisted of; a basket of bread, 6 glasses of water, a bottle of wine (plus 2 glasses more), a couple of beers, the family sampler appetizer, two bowls of chicken soup, two chicken paprikashes, and the gypsy pork chops. The entrees came with a salad and a side. We got the house salads in a sweet vinaigrette, and also a pickle salad (which I had never heard of before). All that followed by slices of seven layer chocolate cake with a hard caramelized sugar topping, and a layered walnut and apricot cake for dessert. The portions were generous so we took quite a bit home and made a full second dinner from it the next day. My entree was the gypsy pork chops, and I think they were probably the best pork chops Ive ever had in my life. They were the kind of pork chops that a person dreams of when they think of how good a pork chop can be. Juicy, flavorful, and tender enough to cut with a spoon while still retaining the texture one wants in a pork chop. There were two of them, they were bone-in and breaded, and they were covered in finely sliced and breaded fried onion rings. It came with a cup of smoked paprika cream sauce and a hunk of bacon that was about three inches long and the thickness of four pieces of regular bacon. My side was mashed potatoes (made from fresh potatoes) and it was all served in a thick wooden tray with sturdy riveted metal side handles that seemed to say This is a meal youd get at a far flung hidden jewel of a country inn while travelling the olde roads. I loved it!I didnt sample the other entrees, but everyone was very happy with their meal. The pricing was nice dinner level. So, at entry-job wages its probably going to cost 2 to 4 hours per person for the entrees. Nothing was priced really high though, and they also had a meal bundle for 2 to 4 people that was a better price than individual entrees. All in all Id highly recommend it. Youll probably have to make a reservation, and youll want to be mindful of parking as this area can fill up.
Wonderful environment, nice staff and delicious food. I can not explain how good the veal paprikash is.. Its unbelievable.! Definitely a must try location.
So so so good. The food was amazing and you get more than enough for what you paid. This place is great if you love Hungarian meals. The service was excellent as well. The building itself is in a convenient area and the inside of so lovely and intimate. They also have a few vegetarian meals so thats nice too.
Amazing place! My first experience at a Hungarian restaurant I loved it.
We went for dinner today, Coming from a Hungarian family, I have to say this is 100% authentic and absolutely delicious.Just like being at home.I am unbelievably impressed,Thank you for the incredible meal!I will certainly be returning & telling everyone I know to visit!
Great food, the Hungarian Platter was awesome!
A lot of good food comes with the chicken paprikash, and the servers are wonderful. Chill atmosphere in Shaker too
All the food here is excellent. Definitely comfort food, but with some gourmet touches. Make sure to get dessert too. Rather than cutting back on service to cut costs as some restaurants have, Balaton has maintained their high level of service throughout the pandemic, with generous portion sizes and continuing to include bread and salad in their takeout dinners.
Great appetizers, meals, desert and service.
I tried Balaton for the first time last night and was absolutely blown away by how delicious everything was. The portions and quality of the food are well worth the price. It’s a comfortable, friendly atmosphere. Expect a little extra time for them to prepare your meal, it’s worth the wait. I really just can’t recommend this restaurant enough now, it’s all I’ve thought and talked about since yesterday 😂 it really was that good. We’ll definitely be back!
I cant say enough about this restaurant. We were visiting from out of town and happened across it on line. The truth is we havent found a good Hungarian restaurant in decades and this was far and away the best Hungarian food we ever ate. Everything was authentic and meticulously prepared in a manner where it tasted like the best home cooking. We started with a crisp but delicate salad with a wonderful light dressing with just a touch of sweetness. For an app we shared a cabbage roll that was simply perfect. My wife had the beef goulash and I had pork goulash (and of course we shared). The meat on both was delicious and tender, the noodles melted in your mouth and respective sauces sublime. We both ordered the small portion and barely finished. Of course that didnt stop us from ordering a walnut tort, which we split. My wife is as good a baker as I have met but this cake had even her asking how they had made this so delicious. Fortunately the owners daughter was willing to share that her mother had travelled back to the old country recently to learn some further secrets from a baker friend there, and among them was the recipe for this tort. Excellent food, excellent service, and very reasonable prices. We are already discussing a trip back to Cleveland just to visit Balaton again!
Best food I have had in a long time. I am a bit biased as a Magyar, but it was like being back in Hungary. I kick myself for only just finding out about this place. I see them getting tons of money from me going forward. Cant wait to go back.
Dont order the fuzzy chicken. In no way does measure up to the awesome traditional Hungarian food served there.
Understaffed for a weekday lunch. We didnt look enough like we were from Shaker, so we waited and waited even with a reservation. Drinks never came out, and a full hour after seating there was still no food although a few plates were trickling out of the kitchen to tables that were seated long after ours.Who knows, the food might be excellent. Just dont expect to get lunch served to you before dinner.
Amazingly great food. Huge portions. Great service.
I got their Hungarian platter. I was happy with the portion to price ratio. The dish with comes with a few good options.
Very good, most authentic to my wifes grandmother who is from Hungary. Very good service and just our favorite place to eat
No one attended us when we arrived. There was a waitress, but the only thing she did the whole time was socialize with other customers. Even though we were right next to her, she did not pay any attention to us until 20 minutes later. It was like she was completely ignoring us. She did not even apologize or gave us a good service after that. We left the place inmediately. A really bad experience. What kind of customer service is that?
First time eating here at Balaton. Didnt know we needed reservations due to the pandemic but we were easily accommodated and even given change for the parking meter! Excellent food. The potato pancakes were by far the best I ever had. The veal entree was terrific too. Highly recommend it!
Perfect comfort food! We moved to CLE/Shaker Square area a year ago, and we are so happy to have this neighborhood gem place nearby, especially as we hunker down during these times of COVID. My husband and two picky kids love the food, and they get very excited for our Hungarian takeout feasts. Particularly, we love to share a bunch of things family style, and I particularly recommend the Hungarian Platter (stuffed cabbage, schnitzel, chicken paprikash, bread/salad), plus whatever soups of the day they are making that day. The variety of goulash options are also delicious. They also have great daily lunch specials, which include smaller portions of their specialties, plus soup. The restaurant itself has notes from the Hungarian old country, including a variety of authentic handcrafted items for sale. We are pleased to support this great local business.
Service was great and the food was excellent. Extra large portions
The food was incredible. We had a wonderful evening! Service is great and friendly, clean! But the food is amazing. Seriously authentic and terrific. Only suggestion would be to play better music or even traditional classical Hungarian music and to lower the lighting in the evening..maybe some candles on the tables too. Otherwise, wow! Just great!
I highly recommend Balaton to anyone looking for a delicious and hearty meal. I have nothing but good things to say about the place.The food is fantastic. The quality is good and the portions are very generous. I cannot speak to the authenticity. I am not too familiar with Hungarian or Hungarian-American cuisine, but my friends, Polish-American family, or I have never ordered something we did not enjoy.The staff is tremendously friendly and appreciative. The decor and welcoming staff make every trip feel like a visit to family. During COVID-19 social distancing they created a very easy and accommodating pick-up system.The location is great! Right in Shaker Square close to the bus, train, and abundant parking. Balaton is ideal for a meal before or after exploring Larchmere or the Square.I cannot say enough good things about this place. Good people making good food in a good place. 5/5
This restaurant is a real mainstay in Cleveland. The food is made to order and it comes out hot and very tasty.The service is excellent and everyone is friendly. The atmosphere is warm and attractive. One feels like they are in a European restaurant.In these troubled times everyone is struggling. Balaton is closed for two days during the week. They are opened for dining in and for take out. Call to confirm hours of business. I rate this restaurant A+.
This place has the best Hungarian food. They treat us like family everytime we go. The wienerschnitzel is the best. The pork cutlet is awesome. It is a little pricey but youll never leave without food for four days. Lol. Service is a little slow at times when they are busy but the atmosphere is like home so it doesnt bother you too much. You cant go wrong.
Weiner Schnitzel was delicious! Portions are huge! Definitely worth it
Best Hungarian food area!Nicely appointed clean dining room.Friendly well paced not rushed service.Excellent food arriving well proportioned and piping hot. Left overs taken home.Liesure service which was very efficient and attentive. Not rushed and able to enjoy company and excellent food.Will return again!!!!!
First experience with Hungarian food & it was great !
Balaton was the perfect place to host our wedding rehearsal dinner. We recommend them for anyone looking to host a larger gathering. They serve family style food at an affordable price that includes salads and soft drinks, dessert and coffee. And the food here is incredible. Old-world Hungarian/German food made from scratch. The owners and their daughters were very helpful and managed our rowdy group with ease. They have a larger room that can hold up to 50 people, but we had 30 for our event. The room was very warm which is the only complaint I have. The servings were huge and the food was delicious.
Family staple for many years. Excellent place to make an impression either to colleagues or a significant other.You wont be disappointed with any dish.Favorites of mine:Hungarian LescoKremesBulls blood wineHot spiced wine
Warm, affordable, family-like place with delicious homemade Hungarian food. This is that kind of place where traditional and quality ingredients are still the kitchen pillars. ...And you can taste it! Good selection of bottled beers, imported and not. Service is kind, polite and attentive, accommodating small variations (due to allergies) with no fuss. Parking in the back is a plus. Always a pleasure having dinner here. Highly recommend.Update April 2018: we went back for dinner, after quite some time we had not, and we have found everything is still delicious. An affordable treat wed love to enjoy more often if theyd accept AMEX credit cards, which, unfortunately they still are not. Besides that, great experience.
Each dish was dramatically different from each other. A perfect variety for one who needs an introduction to Hungarian delights. Paprikash was spicy and extremely tasty . The Schnitzel was perfectly prepared. Perfect balance between veal & breading coating. Very tender and not overly spiced or prepared.we could hear them preparing it - the pounding could be heard from the kitchen. All and all, we now see why it is the top rated restaurant.
Server left us sitting for 20 minutes, ignoring we were there. We werent given menues, there was a lady who was rude to us and said they had been sooo busy (on a Thursday night) with plenty of empty tables. I had a more detailed review about this but seems the business has deleted my previous review.
Hungarian food in general isnt my favorite but Balaton does a great job. The food is always prepared well, the portions are large, and the staff is very friendly. The atmosphere is charming-- definitely nothing over the top. Very clean.
Food was fantastic. I had the beef goulash and my girlfriend had stuffed cabbage. Both were excellent and staff was friendly.
The best word I can summon is authentic... great Hungarian cuisine that brings back memories and wonderful old world service. Our only regret was that we did not have an opportunity to bring home what remained of the large portions because we were just traveling through. The cabbage and noodles was the big hit of the day.
Food was exceptional and service was great! They really make getting a meal to go very easy during these difficult times. Everyone enjoyed their dinner and were looking forward to our next visit.
Balaton is a charming, likeable family-run Hungarian restaurant. Its a world apart from cookie cutter chains. The food is authentic traditional Hungarian, the decor is quirky and its clear that many of the guests are regulars. I visited twice during my stay in Cleveland. I tried the Wurst platter (disznótoros), as well as the signature Chicken paprikás dish, and I had a chicken soup too. The food was great and the portions hearty!
Great family dinner. The kids loved the langos and paprikas, the Hungarian platter was a great shareable appetizer. The dobos was also a hit with the kids for dessert.
Service was a little slow, but, the servers so friendly and the food so good that it more than made up for having to wait a little. Plenty of paprika in everything we ate; the chicken paprikash and beef goulash, both with dumplings, were a nice mid-afternoon meal. Im more accustomed to Polish stuffed cabbage, and the Hungarian version was a nice change of pace, especially with the sauerkraut in the cooking broth. And, while it seems silly to rave about this when everything was so good, the homemade bread is what I seem to remember the most and regret not buying a loaf of to take home with me.
This quaint Hungarian gem of a restaurant will delight your palette and introduce the uninitiated to the marvels of Hungarian cooking. It has been a very long time since I have enjoyed Hungarian food the way my mother used to prepare it (or better, but dont tell her :-). Please, if you find yourself anywhere near Cleveland, do not pass up the chance to experience authentic Hungarian cuisine served with a smile.
Incredible food and we loved everything about this restaurant !!
Always a wonderful dining experience! The food never disappoints! Portions are generous as well as delicious! Its nice to have a smaller portions size option for many of the dishes....it leaves room for one of their many outstanding desserts. Great service rounds out a wonderful dining experience for this hidden gem of Cleveland!
My family and I have been going to the Balaton restaurant for more than 50 years. I remember when they started out on Buckeye Road in Cleveland. My mother was Hungarian and she loved eating there, as do I and my family. If I could give them 6 Stars I would. The food is outstanding and the portions large. Enjoy.
Delicious food! For an hour I was back in my Grandmother’s kitchen. Try the Hungarian platter and a side of cabbage and noodles. Excellent, friendly service; homey atmosphere.
Dont get me wrong, I absolutely adore the food here. Its obvious theyve honed these recipes and my goodness they are delectable. The lady who serves/hosts is also incredibly pleasant.Balaton, please hire more staff!The main reason I give this place only three stars is the pace of service. Absolutely do not go here if you are in a rush. We went here for lunch and it took over an hour from being seated to receiving the check, when there was only one other table being waited on. It also bothered me a lot that we were given a dinner menu when their website has lunch specials that were never mentioned.Another time we came for dinner, it took 15 mins to be seated (with a reservation), and then also over 1.5 hrs to get through the entire meal, but that was with a full restaurant.Also, their takeout containers could use an upgrade to plastic liquid-sealing bowls instead of styrofoam boxes that spill in the bag youre given, since many of their meals contain a lot of liquid.
When we arrived at this place, it was packed. While we waited for a table, we went to the bar for beers. Despite being so busy, the owner took his time to go over the beer selection with us. When we were seated, I ordered he schnitzel. It was cooked very well and tasted tender and delicious. The sides were also quite good. This restaurant was very good and I would come again.
Cant get to Hungary? Come here! Extensive menu. Excellent and plentiful eats. Casual dining but reservations recommended. Saw singles, families, all ages. The faily appetizer tray was excellent as were all four of the dishes we ordered.
Great Hungarian food just like Grandma used to make! The service was great too. Service of our family of 22 was perfect. Have been there a number of times. Will recommend Balaton to anyone.
Wonderful food. Brought back great memories of Sunday dinners and holidays at Grandmas.Everything made from scrstch and in a traditional way. No shortcuts her and you can taste the difference.Great value for the authenticity of flavor.We shared the Wood platter. Table of 4 and we ate like Hunky Kings.Best review...we cant wait to go back again.
Best Hungarian food in Cleveland. Hands down. Theyve lived up to their reputation for decades. Its nice to be able to enjoy a traditional family owned ethnic restaurant. This place is a gem.
It was so good, a lot like a meal youd have in Hungary.
Absolutely fantastic cuisine - authentic Hungarian dishes, prepared by the Hungarian family. This is a local gem that is totally worth visiting. Traditional soups and goulash are the must. Save some space for desert - it is not something you can by at the store.
Good food in a relaxing atmosphere. It was very easy to have a conversation with my friend across the table. We were there for lunch but it does not have a lunch menu. It has authentic Hungarian cuisine.
If you go - go hungry! The portions are large (even the ones marked small on the menu!). And more than that - the food is awesome. I just took my Mother in law - whos Hungarian - and she loved it. Loved it!
Fantastic food served family style. The price may seem a bit high, but the portions are generous. Genuine ethnic cuisine, with flavors you dont find at other restaurants. Parking can be a challenge on certain nights, but there are several free lots around the square.
This is a delightful change of pace. White table cloth (with white butcher paper atop) Authentic Hungarian cooking, and friendly service. I liked the food I got, but I also must be fair, that it is not what people typically eat these days. Heavy on the carbs, and lots of starch. I love that! Great bread, homemade spaetzle (farfel), and huge portions. The salad literally swam in th oiless dressing, and I joked that it was lettuce soup, but again, it tasted great and I ate every bit of it (with my spoon). The desserts looked authentic, but I was too full to try them. They can be purchased for taking home. The only drawback was the stuffed cabbage rolls which were overly seasoned and spiced. Dobze!
They put cinnamon or allspice in the the goulash yuck. The meat was tender but had bits of bone nearly with every bite. Lots of people at dinner so they must have liked it.Spatzl was good. Salad good. My belly.... Not good the next day. Exceptional BACp d if you get my drift. NICE SEVER.Comeback little bit of Budapest !!!!
Tastefully done, with personal touches, clean, neat. Attentive but not overbearing staff. Food was very good, just what it should be for authentic Hungarian food, the spices were deftly done, not overwhelming.Ate too much.... Worth it!
Fantastic little place! I love the atmosphere, the music, homely feel to this spot. Its truly lovely, the staff are pleasant and the food is amazing. Absolutely amazing. Will certainly be back if I have the time.
W usually visit Little Budapest restaurant when visiting relatives in the Cleveland area and always have a great meal. However we heard that Balaton was even better and decided to give it a try.We walked in to an empty restaurant and figured wed get pretty good service. It took a good five minutes to get water and menus. We took a moment to visit the rest room and wash up. The restroom had seating for two but only privacy for one. The cramped sink was loaded with personal hair care products and the toilet barely flushed.The menu has plenty of yummy options but at a premium price. We usually get the same amount of food at Little Budapest for half the cost.The food was greasy and salty and the service was poor. Once the food finally arrived we were completely forgotten and not serviced again. We had all stopped eating at least fifteen minutes before the check arrived. We asked for boxes and had our plates whipped away before we had completely finished with the boxes.We will defiantly be going back to Little Budapest where the food is always delicious without breaking the bank and the owner himself comes to the table to chat if not too busy. We have never had poor service there even when crowded.
We just ordered chicken schnitzel, spaetzle with paprikash sauce, and bean soup —wow was it good! Balaton is open for takeout. Order through the restaurant and pull behind the building at the designated time. Christine and her family are masked and gloved and everything felt very safe.
Delicious Hungarian food with large portions. Staff is friendly and welcome. This has been a favorite restaurant of my familys. They are consistly good.
Service and food were excellent! Cant wait for them to move to their new space.
Most meals have a small and a regular portion. Even the small portion is plenty to fill you up. The regular portions look like they belong on a man vs. food eating contest. I would suggest that unless your appetite is extreme or you want to take food home that you order the small portions. I ordered the small Weiner Schnitzel meal for $19.
Lived in Europe for nine years. This restaurant the closest we have found in Ohio to be what we were accustomed to when we were dinning in Europe. The service is excellent and the waitress was so pleasant and help it was like being back in Europe.A truly marvelous eating experience and if you have room try their deserts, especially their Napoleon.
A few months back my friend Rob and I discovered this place, after I had moved to Cleveland. Now Rob has an interesting background, he actually used to own a Hungarian restaurant, but gave it up about a decade ago. But he absolutely loves this place.He happily makes the 2+ hour drive fromColumbus to get his fix.Food - Tip TopAtmosphere - Beautiful homelike decorLocation - Shaker Square (Can you beat it)My recommendation: Just do it. You won’t regret it.
The food here is very good. I got the Hungarian sampler and it had cabbage roll, wenier schnitzel, and chicken paprikash. Would have to say the cabbage role was the best I have had yet. Would reccomends this to others that want to try something new and culturally different.
Balaton quite simply is a timeless classic. It is a magical family run restaurant where the food is cooked with love. Located in the classy Shaker Square, Balaton is a step back in time. The dining room shouts old world charm with an understated but warm decor. I ordered the chicken noodle soup.
Best Hungarian food in the Cleveland area. Comfortable setting with authentic and tradition food. Good ethnic wine selection. Good service and a real Hungarian experience.
Very good Hungarian food. Save room for the Crepes Suzette. Not too crowded at lunch time, parking may be challenging. Check the website or ask about the lunch specials -- theyre not on the printed menu.
Understaffed for a Summer Sunday afternoon. The two of us were seated and served bread in a reasonable amount of time. No drinks, we waited and waited. I finally asked a woman setting a nearby table to please bring us some water and we were ready to order. A waitress eventually came we ordered a salad, a few appatizers and the main course. We waited as people that came in after us were served their meals, maybe they ordered ahead. I dont know. I ordered Cherry Juice and a Coke, my companion ordered a Coke. We were brought the main course first, the salad and cherry juice. No Coke, no waitress in sight. Oh she is serving the others that came in after us! I asked for the appatizers and our Cokes. Finally had our bill straighted out. The food was excellent, the service was absolutely inefficient and careless. We had to find the carry out boxes ourselves, I guess it was self serve. We had to wait and wait for the check. Got the check and waited and waited to pay the bill. I will never go back.
If you are hankering for Hungarian and dont want to go to the effort of cooking it yourself, give Balaton a go. Authentic food, decor and wait staff make for a truly international experience. They have a sampler entree of staple Hungarian foods (paprikash, stuffed cabbage, schnitzel, dumplings).
This place is a hidden jewel, one of Cleveland best restaurant. Hearty portions and family owned. All food is fresh and homemade recipes. You will not be disappointed, best chicken schnitzel in town ...
Our family was visiting the Cleveland area for a family wedding and we made reservations while on the road. Unfortunately, we arrived quite late but the staff was very accommodating and polite. We got great service and the food was excellent. My youngest daughter is a vegetarian and she really enjoyed the mushroom paprikash. We finished off our meal with dobos torte for dessert, which was quite delicious. Nagyon Jo!
One of the best if not the best restaurants in Cleveland area. Unique Hungarian dishes are of unrivaled quality. Hungarian platter and chicken paprikash are of unrivaled quality.
Absolutely delicious, true home cooked meal, gave us free pastries with our order. Will definitely be a new regular spot for my family.
Portions are huge, food quality is well seasoned & grease free. Wait service is friendly and informative. Atmosphere is light and casual with a homestyle feel. Elegantly simplistic. These folks know what theyre doing
We loved the authentic food and the ethnic flare. The family owners are truly hospitable. Desserts are to die for!!! Im going back soon to try another one of the many dishes. Try it! You wont be sorry. Elizabeth Thelen
Sat for over half hour for a waitress to come over. She only came over after I got up to ask for one. Cabbage rolls were excellent. The chicken Paprikash wasn’t as good. Not much taste. Would I go back NO.
If you are looking for a great place to celebrate a special occasion, then DO NOT go to Balaton Restaurant at Shaker Square. Our 715 PM reservation left us waiting for twenty-five minutes before bing seated by an apologetic hostess, whom we assured blissfully unaware of how dibolical the evening would become, that it was not a problem. If only we had known. Twenty minutes later, I am wondering aloud if we have a server and if they know we have been seated. Another ten minutes passes before an employee realizes we have no beverages and brings us water. More time passes, I am losing track now either due to my recent dehydration or hunger, before miracle of miracles our server appears to take our order. Now we are getting somewhere, or so we thought. Two hours after our arrival, a mere hour and forty minutes after being seated, and I decided to watch a movie on my phone while waiting for our food to be served. Nineteen minutes into my movie our food was finally wheeled out by a sheepish and scared looking server, who by the way is not our server. To be honest, at this point Im not really hungry anymore, but I really wanted to try the roasted half duck. As my eyes glance towards my plate, I notice something is not right about the roasted half a duck I ordered. My half a duck appears to be missing the entire breast, half a thigh, and mutated to include three legs. Now I realize I grew up in the suburbs and the intricacies of raising ducks to be used as food are beyond me, but I am pretty sure a duck only has two legs; one on each side of the body. At this point, I have basically come to the startling conclusion that this restaurant has run out of food and has piecemealed together my entree in the same vein as Dr Frankenstein and his monster. A conclusion confirmed by the paper thin and heavily breaded Weiner Schnitzel that was obviously stretched in an effort fill another plate for our party of three. A paltry three hours and a handful of minutes after arriving we finally head home, leftovers in hand, our celebratory evening ruined. The only upside being the presence of leftovers for our faithful dog, who has been alone for four hours by the time we make it home. The point of this verbose criticism is best brought home by our dog, who upon being offered both a piece of duck and veal took one sniff and turned his nose up at both.
This is the perfect cold-weather food. Theres everything ranging from a sausage board to a vegetarian goulash. I think the owners may prefer a reservation, but I always forget and they always find room. Im so glad this is local!
The best beef goulash and spaetzle Ive had since I went to Germany. My grandma is German, and goulash has always been my very favorite food. The service is a little slow, but thats because the small place was packed (even at 3 in the afternoon). Will be back!!
If you love Hungarian food as much as I do- then you will love Balaton!
Food is outrageously good, huge portions, authentic home cooked food. Warm staff and great food.
My grandparents came from Budapest to Cleveland as minors with their families for a better life so I was raised eating Hungarian food. We are up here from Cincinnati because their is a movie being filmed here I am in. Words can not express how outstanding the food and service was. I left in happy tears. My mamaw recently passed and all of the wonderful food that was served to us brought back such wonderful memories. Thank you for the excellent meal and precious memories that came with it.SincerelyJulie Bolser
Felt like I was back in my Nanas house back in the 60s. Had the stuffed cabbage as an appetizer, Szekely goulash and Palacsintas for desert. It was wonderful, large portions, friendly hosts. I was quite early for dinner so it was quiet in the restaurant, Erika chatted with me about the food and history. I will be back whenever I am back in Cleveland.
They make their own bread and desert.Staffed by father and daughter?You will not go away hungry or broke...😆.They even powder their own sugar!!!Please, try this place out!We even saw the lady balancing a table!!!
See latest visit below.Better Potato Pancakes than my mother makes! Excellent food, but slightly slow service. Worth it anyway! Dont forget to get the Potato Pancakes. You can thank me later!Went back again. Potato pancakes are still wonderful. Try the Fuzzy Chicken.Just edited this review from 5 stars to 3. I am very sad. This was one of my favorites places in Cleveland, but I guess nothing stays that good forever. In the past the slow, funky, but always friendly service was made up for by the extraordinary food. Unfortunately that is no longer true.Tonight the the food was merely good. The potato pancakes were not crunchy on the outside and somewhat bland. My wifes Goulash tasted good, but was a little salty and cold. I asked for a dish of Paprikash gravy (I was willing to pay extra for it) to pour on my Fuzzy Chicken and dip my bread into (Mmmm). When I did not get it, I asked the waitress for it again. She told me that she had already brought a bowl to the table and I could share that. When I told here that I wanted my own she said that one bowl was enough! I never got my gravy.We could not get our drinks refilled. Members of our group (7 of us) had to literally get up and refill our own drinks. The waitress then brought a single check for the table. When I told her we wanted separate checks she actually patted me on the shoulder (like I was little kid) and told us that WE should have asked for that. When I replied that it was her job she rolled her eyes and said that after we gave her our cards we could tell her what we got and she would see what she could do.There was more, but you get the idea. I would have complained to the owner, but there was actually a line to complain (honest), we were not the only unhappy diners.None of us left a tip and I doubt that my wife or I will ever be back. It really makes both wife and I quite sad.
Welcoming, charming, great food. This is on my short list of places to delight a guest visiting the area from NYC or LA.
You can see why this place has such great scores. Authentic food prepared perfectly and served and presented in old European style. I wish I had saved room for desert.
This is the most authentic Hungarian food this side of the ocean. The family who owns it are friendly and even brought out some food that wasnt on the menu that they happened to serve up for their family fathers day feast (meggy leves). My favorite restaurant in Cleveland (which is saying a LOT!).
This restaurant is a hidden gem one of the best foreign food places I have had ever we ordered a big sampler board that comes with pork chops with onions on top veal chicken sausage mashed potatoes rice the salad is amazing the bread is very good you don’t find places like this anymore I highly recommend this place if you’re reading this review thinking about giving it a try do yourself a favor go in and have the best dinner that you will find in Cleveland wonderful place wonderful service highly recommended
Legit food made from quality ingredients.Others have complained about the price and the speed of service. If you wanted fast and cheap sub par food your palette would be happier at Dennys.
A true treat; some of the best food around!
Im hungarian and I liked it. However, this is not a gourmet-fashion restaurant. It is like a mom and pops place. I would put more effort in improving the dobos torta but it is ok so far the price. I guess Im accustomed to use more paprika... somehow I felt my meal very mild.
Old school, quiet and pleasant even when full. Family run. Delicious Magyar standards and a bit more. Slightly erratic service the only knock, but understandable. Its family!
Three generations of my Hungarian family dined at Balaton.Though my family is from Hungary, I being American born and bred never tasted true traditional Hungarian food. I figured the tastes would be similar to German food, but with more paprika and sour cream. I was pleasantly surprised.I had the mushroom paprikash with sliced portobello mushrooms, onions, buttery spatzel, all served together in a stew like consistency. My dish was light, delicious, and comforting.The 2nd generation had veal schnitzel or weiner schnitzel. Tender vealthat cut elegantly with a knife. The dish came with spatzel and a small salad with a lightly sugared vinaigrette.The 1st generation had her mothers favorite recipe to cook which was the stuffed cabbage. With every bite my grandma recited stories of her childhood in Hungary. Grandma even said that the violinist who used to play at the restaurant was an old friend of hers after she moved to Cleveland.Overall Balaton was a beautiful introduction into Hungarian cuisine. My palate has opened to food of my heritage and I cant wait to try more delicious entrees.entrees.
Love the chicken paprikash or Paprikas-csirke with Hungarian Dumplings and a bowl of Hus Leves soup. I still think the old restaurant from the Buckeye neighborhood had better food but it still is a great place to eat probably the best in northeast Ohio.
I love their food for 35 years.it is one of the best places in town. i can not say one thing is my favorite. i love everythingLunch, is great diner is greater. LoL.
Great, authentic food, friendly staff
Fantastic food. Weiner schnitzel is the best Ive had since Germany. The veal paprikas is fantastic. Definitely authentic Hungarian foid!
Avery good Hungarian Restaurant Northern Ohio is blessed with so many European people that we got her in Northern Ohio that you can get get great meals in all descendants areas of Northeast Ohio
Delicious Hungarian food. Worth the long wait on a busy night.
Been going there for years . Food is excellent. Everything is homemade. Going there tonite !
Went on a friday night and had no problem getting a table. We had the veal paprikash and goulash which were absolutely fantastic! We will absolutely be going back.
I think about the meal I had here often. I wish I lived closer.
Amazing, authentic Hungarian food and friendly service! Koszonom szepen!!!
Great meat/cheese appetizer platter and vegetable soup, and I enjoyed a taste of my husbands chicken paprikash--will get my own next time!
Loved it. Friendly staff, delicious food, big portions. Also it was nice to order in Hungarian.
Reservations recommended, delicious, authentic Hungarian cuisine. Delicious entrees and desserts, highly recommended.
Such a cute little restaurant w delicious, authentic Hungarian food. Great service, food and atmosphere.
Great food, definitely tastes as if grandma made it for a Sunday dinner. Make sure you bring that CC because it is not moderately priced more like premium but well worth it!
Authentic Hungarian fare, wines and pastries! If you love ethnic food, this is the place in Shaker Heights, Ohio!
Good food and service. Authentic.
Had the Hungarian Sampler and everything was phenomenal. Portions are large and this was more than enough to share between two.
We shared the variety platter with choice of sides. It was a huge amount of food, serves like 4-5 people
Classic Hungarian restaurant in Shaker square. Is a local institution and if you havent enjoyed the schnitzel here you owe it to yourself
Talk about traditional old world recipes! Fantastic food and experience! Prices are great but the food and service is awesome!
Great food, large portions, wonderful desserts
This place was amazing and we had the most wonderful time. The food was super good and the staff was incredibly kind. I cant wait to go back.
Coouldnt be more perfect! We drive from youngstown ohio to bring my 93 yr old father to his favorite restaurant! They treat us exceptionally and the food is perfection!
Very nice place with wonderful authentic Hungarian food, it has a family charm and the people are very friendly, will definitely be a number 1 place for me in Cleveland OH
Paprikash! Schnitzel! Spaetzle! Strudel! Come hungry. Leave sated! Dont order the large unless you plan to eat 2 meals in one sitting.
Eating here was like that scene in Ratatouille, when Ego eats the first bite of ratatouille and has a flashback of childhood and his mother’s food and he drops his pen in awe
An amazing place with excellent service and the most delicious, savory food.
Food was amazing! Service was lacking. They need to hire more people, and need to be better organized. Poorly managed, but great food.
Real Hungarian dining. Wonderful food and service.
Great food! And amazing service, the waitress was very friendly and helpful
This location is one of my favorites. I will be back with my coworkers. Prices are decent for the quality. They have a lot of great reviews for a reason.
The best wiener schnitzel!
Really delicious food with eeal chicken in paprikash (not any spongy one). Good wine and tokaj.
Always great food, served by an amazing family, giving a warmth felt only there
One of my favorites. There is nothing that isnt delicious on this menu. Go in on Wednesday for the goulash soup!
The schnitzel is delicious. Its the best I have ever eaten. Cant wait to go back.
Food is fantastic. And it is a safe place to eat during this pandemic.
Fabulous Food, service beyond and above, atmosphere, and you cant possibly be hungry for anything when you leave..
They can be weird about letting you pay with a card unless you spend over a certain amount, even though it wasnt obviously posted anywhere that I saw. The Dobosh Torte is amazing
Try the flat bread, they make it in traditional style, cant really find this type of food in the United States.
The food was fantastic but they were so slow when it came to coming and checking up on the table, even when there wasnt many people there
Excellent food. Enormous portion sizes
Great food. Great service. Always reminds of of being back in Hungary.
Havent been there. I was just looking at the menu to see whats availabletheyre not open week of Thanksgiving so I have to go elsewhere thank you
Authentic Hungarian food. Highly recommended!
Excellent food. Reasonably priced. Large portions. Very good service.
Great home style cooking and friendly service. Have lived in Cleveland for 36 years and just found another gem.
Friendly staff and remarkable food. Come hungry! By far the best wienerschnitzel in Cleveland.
Didnt take any pics but it was awesome. Nice private place been there sence I was a kid Awesome..............
Service is awesome even when they are busy. it has a nice interior. they have a lot of positive reviews for a reason.
Love this place. Food is always delicious and hot! Give it try. Mushroom paprikash.. YUM!
Very large portions almost to large ..great tasting food .great service
You dont need to go to Hungary,To have outstanding Hungarian foodGo to Ohio
Great food and service. The portions are huge.
Great food and friendly staff. Wiener schnitzel is amazing.
Delicious homemade Hungarian food, just like mom and grandma make!
Friendly down home place with excellent home cooked Hungarian food.
Very good Hungarian food and gift shop
Food was absolutely delicious and all homemade and authentic.
This is the best Polish/Hungarian restaurant I have found in quite a few states
Great food, the Hungarian Platter is the best!
Very pleasant servers, always smiling. And to top it all good food.
The service and the food are great. Roomy, very clean. The prices are reasonable.
Best Hungarian meal weve ever had.
Always a pleasure dining at Balaton.Great family business, great family atmosphere.
It literally tasted exactly like my great grandmas food it was fantastic
Excellent food and service made my birthday celebration special
Total reviews rating 4.7
199 Reviews for Balaton Restaurant 2023:
Review №1
2021-12-31Table of 8, including two ethnic Hungarians. All loved it. Chicken paprikas is excellent. Langos is amazing! Those new to Hungarian food should start with the Hungarian Platter and langos. You need reservations at least 48 hours in advance, all food is cooked to order.
Review №2
2021-11-28All the main courses were great. The torte we got for dessert was hard and stale. Service was hit or miss, depending on whoever came to our table. The quality of the main dishes made it worth it.
Review №3
2021-12-19Yummy! My husband loved the Schnitzel! The picture attached is the fuzzy chicken. Good, but a little too greasy. Super kind and helpful staff!
Review №4
2021-12-23Really hope this place survives the pandemic. their hours are strange and reservations are needed but it’s all worth it because the food is god tier. köszönöm Balaton!
Review №5
2021-08-13What an amazing dinner. Hungarian food at its best. Truly family restaurant with old country recipes and service. Owner Mr Ponti was a delight to talk to. Will be back for sure
Review №6
2021-09-22Balaton is a great Hungarian restaurant. Foods are very delicious. My family and I love to go there and always greatly appreciate the kindness of the owner, the servers and staff members.
Review №7
2021-07-05Had an amazing dinner. Visited with my Hungarian friend who suggested it. It was an incredible experience. Will certainly return.
Review №8
2019-07-15The Balaton serves lovely homestyle meals, has a clear passion for sharing their Hungarian heritage, and will leave you feeling welcome and satisfied. The portions are generous, so bring an appetite. The restaurant will not disappoint and is recommended for an evening out with anyone - family, friends, grandma, or a date.
Review №9
2019-12-15Absolutely delicious,100% authentic Hungarian cuisine. Friendly family restaurant. The service is a bit slow but I prefer it vs waitress checking if you doing ok in every 5 minutes. Theyve had Christmas beigli/kalacs amd some cookies in boxes ready to go.
Review №10
2020-10-17Excellent food. Great experience if you’re from an area Without a lot of Hungarian food. We tried a bit do everything and doubt you can go wrong with anything. Service was a bit slow but food quality more than made up for it. As others suggest, call ahead to make a reservation as they don’t seem to like drop ins. And save room for the Dobos tort!