Cevabdzinica Sarajevo
“The cevapi is succulent (comes with ajvar and raw onions, yum) and the bureks are all good, especially the cheese one.”
“Burek is like a giant hors d'oeuvre pastry – its the stuffing wrapped in flaky phyllo dough.”
“I am pretty familiar with Serbian/ Bosnian food because my boyfriend is Serbian and we''ve eaten a lot of S/B food together.”
Cevabdzinica Sarajevo
Takes Reservations: Yes
Delivery: Yes
Take-out: Yes
Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
Good for Kids: Yes
Good for Groups: Yes
Has TV: Yes
Waiter Service: Yes
Caters: Yes
Price range.
$ Price range Under $10
8 reviews
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Cevabdzinica Sarajevo (CS) is a great choice for quick, affordable, and tasty Bosnian food in Western Queens, especially if you're about to see a movie at nearby Kaufman Astoria. The place is small, but the service is quick and the menu extensive. I ordered the cevapi, which featured 5 sausages, a tomato sauce, chopped onions, and some very fluffy pita. Absolutely delicious! The cevapi was juicy, but with a crispy exterior, and the tomato sauce – think a sweet, smoky spread – and the crispy onions made for nice complements both in flavor and texture. Nestle all that in some fluffy pita, and you have yourself a killer meal. And $8 for a meal this filling definitely checked off my affordability box. Definitely a hidden gem!
Sometime ago I visited Cevabdzinica Sarajevo (CS) and I hated it. The conditions for today's return visit to CS couldn't have been more perfect for the restaurant: a fellow Yelper received a review of the day acknowledgment for their review of CS; I was a stone throw away–and I don't throw very far–from CS; and, I was very hungry.
My order consisted of what other Yelpers thought were the best they've had: cevap (slightly spicy sausages similar to the larger Greek befteki), which comes with ajar (very red pepper sauce with moderate spice), raw onions, and a pita like bread. I also ordered the cheese burek.
Fot those not into history you may want to tune-out for this paragraph. The Balkans and most of Europe were under Ottoman rule for about four and a half centuries (see "The Balkans Since 1453" by Stavrianos) and as one might imagine the cuisines of the region gently fused into a blur so that one can't distinguish what was local pre-Ottoman rule. One anecdotal rule of thumb is that the dishes are the same with the exception that the further west a dish is enjoyed the less spice it will contain. Bosnian food tends–in my humble opinion–tend to be medium-to-mild in spice and similar to other cuisines in the region–like Greek cuisine.
Any one of the two dishes I ordered could have come from my mom's kitchen and I could have swore that the cheese bourek in fact was made from my mom. This is not good. The Greek version of a bourek has the suffix of "pita" attached to it as in spanakopita (spanaki = spinach and pita = bourek) or tyropita (tyro = cheese, etc.). The cheese bourek at CS tasted pretty good but the phyllo dough wasn't the usual paper-thin, crispy, phyllo dough variety. It was a homemade and half-baked gooey variety of the kind that mama Mahi made for yours truly.
To paraphrase one Yelper reviewing CS that hit the proverbial nail on the head: CS is fast food Bosnian style. Fast or otherwise the food was good as in not bad and most certainly not great. Quality was a bit lacking but then again I adventurously ordered sausage. Does anyone really want to know how and with what sausage is made?
The service was good too. Absent were the loud yells from the kitchen that others mentioned. I was kind of looking forward to hearing the staff squabble volumously in the kitchen. Indeed, I didn't have much to do on this particlular afternoon.
I look forward to returning and not because the food was memorable but because I'd like to try some other dishes and up or down-tick this review.
As a Yelper, I am drawn to exotic foods. As a Jew, I am drawn to words that sound like a sneeze. Yet despite living in Queens for eight years (three of them down the street) I had never been to Cevabdzinica Sarajevo. That was recently rectified.
The inside is very old school and filled with posters and mementos from Bosnia. It has a great family feel and the owner was personally serving us.
I knew I liked bureks, so we started by sharing a meat one. Holy moly. It was almost a foot long and easily sharable for three people. It tasted very homemade and was quite delicious.
For entrees, we had the beef goulash, meat and bean stew, and lamb chops. Both stews had deep, rich flavors and felt like they were made with a lot of love. The lamb chops were very good too, although there was nothing Bosnian about them so we should have gone with something more ethnic.
The dishes came with a crazy special bread from Bosnia that the owner has shipped in every week. It was OUTSTANDING. Especially dipped in the goulash.
After our meal, we sat with the owner and talked for about 15 minutes. He brought us out three desserts. Two were similar riffs on a light pastry with honey. The baklava was so different than any I had ever had. It was much less sweet (in a great way) and we all fought over the last piece.
This is the kind of place that hopefully won't disappear among many of the interchangeable restaurants constantly popping up in Astoria.
It's been a couple of years since I've been here but I was in the area. The food is still delicious and very filling. I had a spinach burek, potato burek, ten prices of kofte, and four waters for $30. The atmosphere is also very laid back and I would definitely return if I'm in the neighborhood.
I'm going to have to Ceva my ties with this place, permanently. I hate to Bdzinitch about family owned places, but I have to be honest. I can't give them a "yay vote" even if Sara gave them a "Yay vote" (Sara-yay-vote), because of what happened here.
My standards are set very high for Balkan food because of what is possibly WNY's best restaurant – Balkan Dining, up in Buffalo, NY. It's so insanely unspeakably good, it can't be put into words. Next time you're in Western NY make sure you give it a try.
In NYC I've tried a few similar places, most notably Duck-a-genie Burek in the Bronx, which is a 5-star spot for their delicious, cheap and filling Burek. However, my love affair with Balkan food ends with Cevabdzinica Sarajevo.
The only reason it gets 3 stars is because the food is delicious. Not nearly as delicious, mind you, as Balkan Dining. Based on the Cevapi alone, it's somewhere between a 4 or 5 star. The portion size is not very generous. The price is on the high side. But the meat is juicy and good and the bread that it comes in is enjoyable.
However, unfortunately, I had one of my worst NYC customer service experiences here. I asked for the Cevapi Sandwich, and we were very clear on it, and there was no confusion. She then made me the full-order Cevapi dinner (I guess) which is twice the size. I certainly didn't want that, but especially considering she then charged me something close to $15 for it (which is twice the price that the sandwich should have been).
When I pointed out this error, all hell broke loose. There was bickering, arguing, fighting amongst themselves, accusations, and all sorts of nastiness. It was a very awkward way to reduce the price by half. When she did finally agree to charge me for a sandwich instead of a full portion, she made it a point to open up my order, take out half of the order, and leave me with – honestly – what looked like a little less than half of what she'd originally given me. She took half the bread, half the meat, and so on.
I hope the extra bread and meat which they took back (and I assume threw away? Or hopefully someone ate them) was worth it, because it earned them a 3-star instead of 4 or 5, and it also earned them one less customer, since I'll never go back after being treated like that.
I can't believe that I am craving Cevapi!! I said to myself on my way to Cevabdzinica Sarajevo (Sarajevo Fast Foods). For someone who has been raised on a regular diet of Kebabs, this was saying a lot, but Cevabdzinica's version of the grilled dish of minced meat is very addictive! I can even overlook the fact that the ajvar spread that is served alongside it, comes straight from a bottle.
I only chanced upon the dish by accident. In my first visit, I asked the proprietor for the Kosovski Sudzuk, which is a new addition to the restaurant's menu (given their popularity with both Albanians and Bosnians). The proprietor took a hard look at me, and suggested that I try half an order of the Sudzuk, and half an order (5) Cevapi, as "it's very good". Now, I had done my research that Cevapi was a form of Kebab, and in fact owed the etymology to the Persian word. So, I didn't think much of how the dish could wow me, but I assented. It wasn't that I had been pressured into it, but one look at the man's eyes and seeing his absolute conviction was enough for me.
I am blessed to have a high batting average when it comes to making the right call on an unfamiliar dish from an unfamiliar cuisine. These Cevapi (with black pepper, cumin, and salt) have been grilled to a crispier, charred exterior to contrast with the soft, juicy interior – but, it's the spice mix that set them apart from all other Bosnian versions in the neighborhood…. and, I've tried all of them.
The Kosovski Sudzuk was also excellent: salty, smoky, spicy – exactly what I had expected. The bread (Lepinja) is exceptional – thicker, fluffier and spongier than the pita bread found at other Bosnian restaurants. The only disappointment in my two visits has been the cheese burek: which despite being served hot, and straight out of the oven, had become soggy from moisture condensation. I would say that vegetarians would not have much in the menu to look forward to. But, that is also the cultural tradition in the region, for I understand when you go to someone's house, meat is the first thing you get!
Sarajevo Fast Foods is indeed fast service. I find the family run operation really endearing, even if I've thought that the desserts at Djerdan were much better. The Baklava was the kind I've come to expect in New York: excessively syrupy to enhance life span, and the Kataifi similarly texturally boring (thanks to the refrigeration). The one taste that did stand out for me was that of egg in the Hurmasice. It strangely reminded me of a less common Halva that I never had outside of my uncle's home, as a kid. The kinship amongst cuisines is fascinating, and weird – in a six degrees of separation kind of way.
I will not claim to be an expert in anything Eastern European – I can't tell you where what countries border Bosnia or what the language sounds like. I can't name their major industries or their political leader. But what I CAN tell you, is that this place is the bomb.
Cevabdzinica Sarajevo is around the corner and I was ashamed I had yet to grace its doors. (Please don't ask me how to say it. Please?) I've had cevapi before and wasn't really wowed – but I was willing to try it again here based on the recommendation of my fellow Yelpers. I ordered 5 cevapi and spinach burek. Cevapi is basically a kind of sausage – seasoned ground meat, without the casing, grilled until cooked. Burek is like a giant hors d'oeuvre pastry – its the stuffing wrapped in flaky phyllo dough.
The cevapi here is delectable – its moist and tender and flavorful and filling. It comes with some regular pita bread , diced onions, and red ajvar spread, which is sweet, but don't ask me what's in it. The spinach burek was good, but I wish they heated it up before I ate it. It was a little limp and sad, but still rather tasty. All together, the bill was $12.
The space is rather utilitarian, with outdated tables and chairs, fluorescent lighting, and a giant light up take out menu with pictures. I wouldn't bring a date. But for some delicious grilled meat, this place is a solid winner. Also, if you're a burek fan, get here a bit earlier since once they sell out, they don't make more until the next day.
I've never had Bosnian food before coming here, so I can't really compare it to anything else. But I do think their food was tasty, flavorful, and came in big portions. I had the burger dinner platter. The burger was marinated and kinda of flat, but juicy. It came with a side of some sort of red pepper tapenade, which was a little too spicy for me.
They bureks are really good too. Apparently they started making them in pie-shaped slices now, $6 for a giant slice. Before they were large flakey rolls, similar to a large cannoli. They have spinach, cheese, and ground meat. Their spinach ones run out fast. Those used to sell by the pound, I hope they start making the rolls again- they may be even better than the spanikopita in Astoria….
5 stars for the woman/owner. She is very friendly and patient.