What an amazing restaurant experience! The atmosphere and owner/employees are welcoming, and the food is absolutely fabulous! I got a turkey and pork cheburek, river city salmon, and lamb shawarma which were all so delicious. I especially enjoyed the turkey cheburek and shawarma each (along with everything) is made with fresh ingredients. The sweet tea is traditional and very refreshing as well. I HIGHLY recommend this restaurant and will definitely return.
Anthony
Worth maybe a one-time visit but nothing more.Menu picture didn’t match description and description mostly matched the food with the exception of no mention of slaw. The onions in the picture were cooked perfectly, but on the food we got, not so much. Kielbasa was very dry. Required eating the mustard to be able to consume. Mustard was great, though. Pierogi was quite mushy. Gave it an unappetizing texture. Small portions for a whopping $26 meal for one person.Others have said there’s a charge for water? I’m not sure, the server didn’t show me the bill, he just took my card and then stood over my shoulder during the tip. But the water tasted awful like dirt.I expected to be blown away considering the exorbitant price and small portion size. I understand there is decent labor in preparing these dishes but honestly a box of frozen pierogi from the grocery store that’s cooked nice and crispy with well cooked onions tastes better to me. And a fourth the cost.
Randi Kelley
Very authentic Slavic food.I honestly can say the best perogies I’ve ever had! The kielbasa was OFF the charts! They’ve actually won awards for them.Not a place really for alcoholic drinks, but who needs that when their food is out of this world!!I actually want to make a trip back to Huntsville JUST to go to this place! So good!
John Fredrickson
This is one of my favorite restaurants in the area, and it is long overdue for me to write this review. A Russian/Eastern European Restaurant in Huntsville? Who would have thought? By now I've tried almost everything on their menu, I've loved almost everything I've tried. In fact, I beg your indulgence with the pictures because I usually forget to take a picture until I've already eaten half the food, it is so good!There is nothing like a nice cold glass of house made Compote (a drink made with various fruit preserves), and a hearty Pierogi (potato dumplings) topped with pulled pork. Their River City Smoked Salmon appetizer is also light and refreshing (and almost too pretty to eat!)The restaurant has a nice atmosphere, and everything is made fresh just for you (so there can be a bit of wait, but it's totally worth it.)I highly recommend it. Be adventurous and try something new! Today I tried their summer soup, Okroshka. A creamy vegitable soup served cold, it was perfect for a hit summer day like today. And a wonderful place to try Borscht for the first time (a traditional beet soup).
Bailey B.
I have been wanting to visit Neon Lilly since they opened their brick and mortar. Had their food once when they were operating out of their truck a couple years ago and enjoyed it, and so I was looking forward to trying more options in a more consistently accessible location. We visited for lunch Thursday of last week and had a pleasant time. The restaurant was very quiet when we walked in, but Terry greeted us promptly and got us seated. It's a fairly large space with lots of interesting decorations from all over Eastern Europe. Their menu is diverse, with everything from schnitzel to shawarma. My mom and I weren't super hungry, so we decided to split an entree of pierogi / vareniki and then blintzi for dessert. They asked we give them 20 minutes for food, which we obliged; it was made fresh and hot within that time frame. We both ordered sweet tea to drink. I liked it, but my mom really did not; I will say it's not especially sweet (at least not as sweet as most other sweet teas in Alabama, lol) and has a very floral flavor, almost rose-ish. I enjoyed the change of pace, but something to be noted if you're a purist. The vareniki were tasty! They came in an order of 8 (iirc) with slaw and sour cream. Soft, slightly chewy, pleasant onion-y flavor. I liked the cheese on the top, and dipped in sour cream, they were very yummy. Wish they'd been served a little hotter, but they weren't cold or anything. The slaw had nice texture and was a decent serving size, but we both felt lacked a little moisture for our preferences. It would be plenty for one person but I would order more if I chose to split it again and I was very hungry. Luckily, this time, I wasn't. The blintzi was my favorite part of the meal! A crepe-like dish stuffed with delicious cinnamon apples and three small scoops of vanilla ice cream. The apples were warm and the vanilla ice cream was super natural-vanilla tasting, and not too sweet. I do feel the price is fairly high - one entree, one dessert, and two sweet teas at lunch time ran us a shade over $40 before tip. Some sort of lunch special or something would be nice. That being said, I do feel it's ultimately worth the price for the uniqueness of the experience, the tasty food, and the friendly service. I'd happily go back to try new dishes or just for another order of blintzi! :)
Tina L.
The delicious, authentic food speaks for itself and the servers are amazingly friendly and intelligent. Both aspects made our trip to Neon Lilly fantastic enough to go back again the next night! Do yourself a favor and bring some friends so you can share the shwarma, kielbasa, and pierogi!
Mary Weatherly
Up visiting the space and rocket Center with family and we happen upon this place for lunch. It was pretty quiet and for the most part we had the place to ourselves. The waiter was great and gave us some wonderful recommendations. Everything was amazing and even the picky eaters liked their kid dishes. I am marking this place on Google maps and will even make the drive from Birmingham to Huntsville just for this food. Go. Eat. And Enjoy these Eastern European dishes.
Kristi Heath
I really really loved this restaurant! Our server was very friendly and attentive. My main dish was the Plov Uzbekistan (lamb pilaf) and it was great. The lamb was very tender and delicious. The dish that blew me away was the Cheburek though. The filling I had was chicken, mushroom, onion and it was so good that I had to order another one! The sweet tea was very good and unique. I'm also very happy that I tried the honey cake because it's to die for. Definitely ask if they have it! Even if you don't have an adventurous palate I think you will like this place.
Sineaf F.
Great pierogis! And great service!! All the food is made fresh and it was delicious!!
Kevin Key
Absolutely amazing experience and even better food. Fun, friendly, definitely different than your standard cuisine.Ask for the schnitzel, but with any dish you can’t go wrong.Also, a shot of polish vodka makes the world a better place for the next few hours every time.
The service was very good. The climate was wonderful. The food was pretty darn good, however my only criticism would be the pierogies were a little bit greasy and spongy because of it. It's a minor criticism they could have maybe been cooked a little bit differently. Overall, I would be happy to go back there.
Kevin K.
Absolutely amazing experience and even better food. Fun, friendly, definitely different than your standard cuisine. Ask for the schnitzel, but with any dish you can't go wrong. Also, a shot of polish vodka makes the world a better place for the next few hours every time.
funtime42
Nice little restaurant in Bridge Street with wonderful food! Large selection of Eastern European, Ukranian, Polish foods such as Kielbasa, Shawarma, Pierogies, Schnitzel and Pastrami. Big portions with excellent service! Be sure to save room for dessert - their Tiramisu is out of this world!!
Brenda C.
We had the turkey dolmades for an appetizer; they were so good, we ate every bite - even the red onion garnishes. My husband got the vegetarian Swarma; it was DELICIOUS with a side of cubed cheesy potatoes. I had the vegetarian pierogis with added mushrooms (comes with slaw and a side of sour cream but unfortunately didn't appear to be topped with the caramelized onions or cheese). This, too, was good tho I did wish I'd gotten the swarma. We had adult drinks (wine & beer), and the service was excellent! Such nice people. Upscale pricing but worth it.
Eva H.
The upshot: I want this place to succeed so badly, so I hope that more people will give it a try. When we were there for lunch a few Saturdays ago, it was nearly empty (unlike nearby joints) and they were out of several items due to lack of interest. These are very nice people trying very hard to serve the locals authentic food, so please give them a try. Huntsville *needs* more unique, locally owned restaurants! Deets: We tried the smoked salmon again, and it was fine. Salmon isn't my favorite, but what we wanted (a special pierogi, if I remember correctly) they were out of and I was starving. Presentation on those was impeccable. We also had some house-made fruit compote, which was exceptional. Mains were galabki and kielbasa. The galabki was good, though it could have been warmer. The kielbasa was quite good and ample in size. Both came with potatoes, which were dandy though I really need to ask if they can leave the cheddar off mine (I just don't think it meshes well with cabbage, it's a personal thing). Service: it was the server's first or second day I think he said, and he was trying really hard--and doing a good job! I think he had some issues keeping up with other tables, but I can see why he would be overwhelmed. Parking: it's Bridge Street; figure it out at your own peril.
What an amazing restaurant experience! The atmosphere and owner/employees are welcoming, and the food is absolutely fabulous! I got a turkey and pork cheburek, river city salmon, and lamb shawarma which were all so delicious. I especially enjoyed the turkey cheburek and shawarma each (along with everything) is made with fresh ingredients. The sweet tea is traditional and very refreshing as well. I HIGHLY recommend this restaurant and will definitely return.
Worth maybe a one-time visit but nothing more.Menu picture didn’t match description and description mostly matched the food with the exception of no mention of slaw. The onions in the picture were cooked perfectly, but on the food we got, not so much. Kielbasa was very dry. Required eating the mustard to be able to consume. Mustard was great, though. Pierogi was quite mushy. Gave it an unappetizing texture. Small portions for a whopping $26 meal for one person.Others have said there’s a charge for water? I’m not sure, the server didn’t show me the bill, he just took my card and then stood over my shoulder during the tip. But the water tasted awful like dirt.I expected to be blown away considering the exorbitant price and small portion size. I understand there is decent labor in preparing these dishes but honestly a box of frozen pierogi from the grocery store that’s cooked nice and crispy with well cooked onions tastes better to me. And a fourth the cost.
Very authentic Slavic food.I honestly can say the best perogies I’ve ever had! The kielbasa was OFF the charts! They’ve actually won awards for them.Not a place really for alcoholic drinks, but who needs that when their food is out of this world!!I actually want to make a trip back to Huntsville JUST to go to this place! So good!
This is one of my favorite restaurants in the area, and it is long overdue for me to write this review. A Russian/Eastern European Restaurant in Huntsville? Who would have thought? By now I've tried almost everything on their menu, I've loved almost everything I've tried. In fact, I beg your indulgence with the pictures because I usually forget to take a picture until I've already eaten half the food, it is so good!There is nothing like a nice cold glass of house made Compote (a drink made with various fruit preserves), and a hearty Pierogi (potato dumplings) topped with pulled pork. Their River City Smoked Salmon appetizer is also light and refreshing (and almost too pretty to eat!)The restaurant has a nice atmosphere, and everything is made fresh just for you (so there can be a bit of wait, but it's totally worth it.)I highly recommend it. Be adventurous and try something new! Today I tried their summer soup, Okroshka. A creamy vegitable soup served cold, it was perfect for a hit summer day like today. And a wonderful place to try Borscht for the first time (a traditional beet soup).
I have been wanting to visit Neon Lilly since they opened their brick and mortar. Had their food once when they were operating out of their truck a couple years ago and enjoyed it, and so I was looking forward to trying more options in a more consistently accessible location. We visited for lunch Thursday of last week and had a pleasant time. The restaurant was very quiet when we walked in, but Terry greeted us promptly and got us seated. It's a fairly large space with lots of interesting decorations from all over Eastern Europe. Their menu is diverse, with everything from schnitzel to shawarma. My mom and I weren't super hungry, so we decided to split an entree of pierogi / vareniki and then blintzi for dessert. They asked we give them 20 minutes for food, which we obliged; it was made fresh and hot within that time frame. We both ordered sweet tea to drink. I liked it, but my mom really did not; I will say it's not especially sweet (at least not as sweet as most other sweet teas in Alabama, lol) and has a very floral flavor, almost rose-ish. I enjoyed the change of pace, but something to be noted if you're a purist. The vareniki were tasty! They came in an order of 8 (iirc) with slaw and sour cream. Soft, slightly chewy, pleasant onion-y flavor. I liked the cheese on the top, and dipped in sour cream, they were very yummy. Wish they'd been served a little hotter, but they weren't cold or anything. The slaw had nice texture and was a decent serving size, but we both felt lacked a little moisture for our preferences. It would be plenty for one person but I would order more if I chose to split it again and I was very hungry. Luckily, this time, I wasn't. The blintzi was my favorite part of the meal! A crepe-like dish stuffed with delicious cinnamon apples and three small scoops of vanilla ice cream. The apples were warm and the vanilla ice cream was super natural-vanilla tasting, and not too sweet. I do feel the price is fairly high - one entree, one dessert, and two sweet teas at lunch time ran us a shade over $40 before tip. Some sort of lunch special or something would be nice. That being said, I do feel it's ultimately worth the price for the uniqueness of the experience, the tasty food, and the friendly service. I'd happily go back to try new dishes or just for another order of blintzi! :)
The delicious, authentic food speaks for itself and the servers are amazingly friendly and intelligent. Both aspects made our trip to Neon Lilly fantastic enough to go back again the next night! Do yourself a favor and bring some friends so you can share the shwarma, kielbasa, and pierogi!
Up visiting the space and rocket Center with family and we happen upon this place for lunch. It was pretty quiet and for the most part we had the place to ourselves. The waiter was great and gave us some wonderful recommendations. Everything was amazing and even the picky eaters liked their kid dishes. I am marking this place on Google maps and will even make the drive from Birmingham to Huntsville just for this food. Go. Eat. And Enjoy these Eastern European dishes.
I really really loved this restaurant! Our server was very friendly and attentive. My main dish was the Plov Uzbekistan (lamb pilaf) and it was great. The lamb was very tender and delicious. The dish that blew me away was the Cheburek though. The filling I had was chicken, mushroom, onion and it was so good that I had to order another one! The sweet tea was very good and unique. I'm also very happy that I tried the honey cake because it's to die for. Definitely ask if they have it! Even if you don't have an adventurous palate I think you will like this place.
Great pierogis! And great service!! All the food is made fresh and it was delicious!!
Absolutely amazing experience and even better food. Fun, friendly, definitely different than your standard cuisine.Ask for the schnitzel, but with any dish you can’t go wrong.Also, a shot of polish vodka makes the world a better place for the next few hours every time.
Restaurantji Recommends
The service was very good. The climate was wonderful. The food was pretty darn good, however my only criticism would be the pierogies were a little bit greasy and spongy because of it. It's a minor criticism they could have maybe been cooked a little bit differently. Overall, I would be happy to go back there.
Absolutely amazing experience and even better food. Fun, friendly, definitely different than your standard cuisine. Ask for the schnitzel, but with any dish you can't go wrong. Also, a shot of polish vodka makes the world a better place for the next few hours every time.
Nice little restaurant in Bridge Street with wonderful food! Large selection of Eastern European, Ukranian, Polish foods such as Kielbasa, Shawarma, Pierogies, Schnitzel and Pastrami. Big portions with excellent service! Be sure to save room for dessert - their Tiramisu is out of this world!!
We had the turkey dolmades for an appetizer; they were so good, we ate every bite - even the red onion garnishes. My husband got the vegetarian Swarma; it was DELICIOUS with a side of cubed cheesy potatoes. I had the vegetarian pierogis with added mushrooms (comes with slaw and a side of sour cream but unfortunately didn't appear to be topped with the caramelized onions or cheese). This, too, was good tho I did wish I'd gotten the swarma. We had adult drinks (wine & beer), and the service was excellent! Such nice people. Upscale pricing but worth it.
The upshot: I want this place to succeed so badly, so I hope that more people will give it a try. When we were there for lunch a few Saturdays ago, it was nearly empty (unlike nearby joints) and they were out of several items due to lack of interest. These are very nice people trying very hard to serve the locals authentic food, so please give them a try. Huntsville *needs* more unique, locally owned restaurants! Deets: We tried the smoked salmon again, and it was fine. Salmon isn't my favorite, but what we wanted (a special pierogi, if I remember correctly) they were out of and I was starving. Presentation on those was impeccable. We also had some house-made fruit compote, which was exceptional. Mains were galabki and kielbasa. The galabki was good, though it could have been warmer. The kielbasa was quite good and ample in size. Both came with potatoes, which were dandy though I really need to ask if they can leave the cheddar off mine (I just don't think it meshes well with cabbage, it's a personal thing). Service: it was the server's first or second day I think he said, and he was trying really hard--and doing a good job! I think he had some issues keeping up with other tables, but I can see why he would be overwhelmed. Parking: it's Bridge Street; figure it out at your own peril.