Piekielko

This is a small Polish bar, a little dingy, so the food was actually a pleasant surprise. They specialize in what’s called «Polish pizza» — mushrooms, cheese and other goodies put on Italian bread and in the oven; but also some classics like pierogies and tripe soup (flaki), and it’s really not bad at all, and very affordable. One of those hidden gems nobody has any idea about. Not a fancy place though, by any means.

Before I begin I would like to state that I am Polish. Born in Poland and moved to New York when I was 10. That being said this place reminded me of why I don’t have any Polish friends. The food was fine, standard Polish fare, I love Polish beer so no complaints there but the atmosphere/​customers who I guess were all locals and friends of the staff were absolutely horrible. I came here with my fiancée and her father, seeking the absolutely delicious Hungarian pancake, which we usually get at Krolewskie Jadlo (Fresh Pond Rd). Since Krolewskie Jadlo was already closed this was the only alternative, and boy was it a mistake. For the record the server was very nice, but her friends sitting at the bar playing Dj with their phone were so annoying, imagine enjoying your beer waiting for your food and all of a sudden the annoying techno is interrupted by a loud phone call, followed by feedback as the «Dj» disconnects the audio wire from her phone and takes the call. This goes on and on and on and on, when the server brought over the first dish my future father-​in-​law asked if she can turn the music down a little and maybe play something else. The server told her friend — who in turn made a face at us, put on some Britney Spears or something, and in a very snotty rude tone asked «is that better?»
At this point I wanted to sink into the ground, all the local Polak hicks were staring us down with so much hate for even asking to turn down their awful euro trash techno. The rest of the time was ok, except they brought out the dishes one at a time, so we all ate separately. Again the food was ok, but the Polish rednecks really kill the vibe.

Horrible food, not fresh at all and they have no idea on how to treat their customers! Plus drunks hanging out their all the time!

I wrote a review but my account was deleted. I feel extra obligated to write another one :)
Avoid at absolutely all costs. This place is absolutely disastrous. Dying plants all over the place, tap water tasting like toilet filth, disgustingly dry and bland food, and a contradicting, unbelievably rude waitress. Could it get any better? Oh yea, it could, cause I forgot about all the flys swarming around my head as I was attempting to eat my vomit on a plate. I also enjoyed being stared at by old polish men as if I had a swastika tattooed on my forehead.
No wonder why they are frequently closed. Maybe now all 3 of the regulars at this place have to resort to a different place to eat. The dumpster down the street could easily replace this place.

Summary
The menu is very traditional, the food quality is almost as good as home cooking in Eastern Europe, beer selection is decent, prices are low even for the neighborhood, service and ambiance are about average for an Eastern European restaurant.
I’ve been at Piekielko twice, both times with my wife. We found that the place is quieter earlier in the evening if you’re going there for the food. Later in the evenings there’s more drinking and the ambiance changes from restaurant to sports bar.
We shared the pirogi and ordered the sausage and also the meatballs with mushrooms on the side.
The sausage and pirogi were perfect, the meatballs didn’t have the strong taste I’m used to back home but the mushrooms were great. Everything was almost at home cooked quality, so we were very happy with the food.
The price of the food was really cheap, even for Ridgewood, especially since a small salad was included with the main dishes.
The beer selection is typical of what you’d expect at a bar in the area and included Zywiec, which is the most common Polish beer in the neighborhood.
The only thing that people not used to Eastern European service quality might find lacking is the service, which I would say is average for that kind of place but people used to the service in most NY restaurants will probably find lacking. As for me, I consider it good enough for the neighborhood and wasn’t expecting much more.
If you are coming late in the evening expect to find people playing Fifa (I think) on a PS and yelling in Polish. So the ambiance is very authentic, but might not be ideal if you’re expecting a quiet place to dine. In that case go early before the local crowd gets there.