Babushka's - Temple Terrace

Normally my reviews talk about the pros and cons of the experience. Today, the review only has pros. The dining room is small, charming, and tastefully decorated. Tables are laid out well and everything is clean and tidy. There is real tableware, nothing plastic. The greeter/server promptly welcomed me and gave me a table to sit at. My order was taken promptly. I was very surprised at how quickly the food came out. I don't think I waited more than 5 minutes. This was my second visit and the food quality did not disappoint. I tried the pelmeni, Olivier salad, and kvass beverage. The taste was savory, comforting, robust and flavorful. Each menu item tasted freshly made. Nothing was greasy or fried. I thoroughly enjoyed each dish. I look forward to returning to Babushka's and sampling more of the menu.

Had lunch today. Love the atmosphere and decor. Food was very good. Had beet and goat salad and lamb and rice. Cherry/date juice was really good. Lamb was a little dry but rice was seasoned well. Definitely give it a try, you will love it!!

Babushka’s is such a sweet little gem. It instantly reminded me of home. The Slavic dishes are amazing and clearly made with love. But the honey cake… oh my. It was the freshest, softest slice of heaven I’ve had in ages. You can tell they care about every detail. Can’t wait to come back!

Deana with Offline - Exceeded my expectations by in every way! what a lovely little spot. and the food was spot on. I had been eyeing 2 different dishes in the menu before arriving but when our server Stas said what his favorite thing in the menu, I was sure to go with the Beef Stroganoff. It was so delicious!! very good dining experience!! when I’m due for carbs again, I’ll be back!!

If you are looking for very tasty authentic cuisine, stop at Babushka at Temple Terrace. The restaurant is very attractive for its decor in the theme of Russian traditions. Service is excellent! The food is fantastic. I would recommend to come here few times to try it all! Dont miss this place! It is simply THE BEST!

Absolutely phenomenal! I have never had Russian cuisine before and this was definitely a wonderful experience. The tea , biscuit cookies, the dumplings. Flavorful and tasty. I wish I could keep eating more but I was beyond full from the meal alone. I left hearty and happy. Great job guys I couldn’t ask for a better experience!

Friendly staff and delicious food! Everything was made super fresh and flavorful.

Everything was so amazing! I wish I could order everything on the menu, but what I had was perfect. Make a reservation just in case, since the seating area is small. Definitely worth the drive!! Dumplings, Beef Stroganoff, Cherry Peirogi, Turkish coffee

Food was fine! But it’s too quiet place to talk comfortably. Too big tables for 2 people. Generally is fine!

Stopped here this afternoon and absolutely loved the experience. The decor was so cute and so fitting for the restaurant. It has this cottage-y/forest theme with a forest wallpaper and flowers all over for decor which makes for a very pleasant dining experience. It was also very clean which definitely matters, especially now. Most importantly, the food here is so amazing. I love that they have authentic recipes coupled with descriptions/history (which is a bonus) on their menu so newbies understand where the food comes from. Overall, I'll definitely come here much more in the future.

The food here was so fresh and hearty! I had an amazing lunch with my friend, will definitely be back!

What a fun place to eat at! Here, you can try Russian cuisine in a cozy place. The entire place was clean, and the decorations fit harmoniously with each other. Our waitress was a little inattentive, but they took care of our needs and gave a honey cake on the house for my birthday! The food here is absolutely worth trying! The appetizers from the Samsa, Piroshki, and the Draniki are all surprising, flavorful, and fresh. The main dishes were no exception. My beef stroganoff and Siberian dumplings were all hits on the menu. However, the Chicken Kiev is the best thing we’ve tasted! It has great flavor, the cheesy texture, which all makes it a perfect dish. Overall, would highly recommended this place!

I had a wonderful dining experience at Babushkas. The staff were very welcoming and attentive without being intrusive. It felt very cozy like home and the rustic scenery was very nice. I loved seeing how everything tied back to the Russian culture. The food was delicious. I had the beef stroganoff and the the sangria. All I have to say is chefs kiss. They threw down on that beef stroganoff!!! I would for sure be coming back!!

Such a fun experience! First ever Russian dining for me and it did not disappoint. The menu has a really gold variety and the fold was so flavorful. The inside is so cute and decorated with Russian imagery. A must go for someone wanting to expand their pallette and try something new!

Traveling in Tampa and looking for a new experience, we found Babushka, a family Russian restaurant. We have always wanted to try Russian cuisine and we decided to go in. The place has a typical decoration of the country that makes you feel part of its culture, the service The customer service was fast, but what made the difference was the exquisite and incredibly delicious food. Highly recommended if you want to try something different and I can say that it can be an unforgettable experience.

We absolutely loved this restaurant. We had the chicken Kyiv and schnitzel and our daughter had the solyanka and they were all super delicious. You could tell the food was fresh made and those fries! We live about 2 hours away but would make another trip over just for their food. Delicious!

OMG!! Absolutely FANTASTIC! We ordered the sample platter, a fermented rye bread brew, and a Hefeweizen- all DELICIOUS. The honey cake was a little…burnt? The flavor was a bit off but that’s the best way I know how describe it. However, it’s not enough to drop a star on this review! Adorable little spot, we will definitely be visiting again!

Our second time dining at Babushka’s was as much fun as the first. My wife had beef stroganoff. I had Golubtsy. Both were excellent. We shared a poppyseed cake for dessert. We really enjoy the Russian style foods they offer. Highly recommend you give them a try. We’ll be back for sure.

We loved the homey feeling here! The food was delicious! The service was friendly!

Adding this to one of me new favorites in the area. First time at Babushka's, I wanted to try this place for a long time and it did not disappoint! I'm salivating as I'm writing this review and I can't wait to go back. Their staff was amazing and for our group in without a reservation, so thankful for that! They patiently explained all options and helped one of our friends who is lactose intolerant with info and suggestions. We shared our dishes and everyone loved everything. It seems like everyone decided that #1 winner was meat blinchiki, thin crepes stuffed with meat, so delish! Next close winner was pan fried Siberian Pelmeni (pork and beef dumplings), so good! All of us also got Draniki (potato pancakes with mushroomand cheese mix). Those were good too, I would like to try them plain next time. As far as dessert goes, it was all amazing. Cherry pierogies were heavenly! Honey cake and Napoleon were so fresh, creamy, and delicious! So yourself a favor, find a group of friends you want to share this experience with and go share all these things were. Great Russian decor too.

We came here with five of us to celebrate two birthdays. Our server was Stasz. He was very attentive and the food and service were amazing! This was such a great place to go with family being that it is family-owned. The food is made with love and the restaurant is very authentic looking. We had a great meal overall.

Such a great place to experience something that feels like you are swept up carried to whole other continent. The atmosphere is incredible. The food was new but familiar in some way. Definitely recommend for a quiet dinner date.

Food was delicious! Service was excellent!

We tried it for the first time last night, we had never had Russian food and we were delighted! It was all fresh, hearty and delicious. It felt very homey and comfortable, service was pretty quick too. We tried the beef pelmeni (pan fried), beef stroganoff with mashed potatoes, chicken kiev with fries and the honey cake 🤤👌💕. We look forward to going back and trying more!

I absolutely loved this place. The food was amazing. We had about five different items and they all tasted amazing. The place is small but the staff was nice. Even the patrons eating were very nice recommending food to us since it was our first time.. Looking forward to going back.

What a great little spot! We tried the borscht, khinkali, kotlety, the babushka salad, and the farmer's cheese blinchiki for dessert. The borscht was amazing - so flavorful with tasty bits/chunks of beef throughout. Khinkali are giant Georgian dumplings. We had them for the first time at a place in South Florida. These were far and away superior. Note that these have soup and meat inside - the soup spills out when you break into it. So delicious, they are bursting with flavor. Kotlety are delicious little meat patties and accompanied by yummy mashed potatoes and babushka salad. The babushka salad was fresh and tasty. Everything was wonderfully seasoned and oh so flavorful. We decided to try the farmer cheese Blinchiki for dessert, and it came accompanied with a chocolate swirl, a sprinkling of blueberries, and sweetened condensed milk for drizzling. The crepes were light and flaky, and the filling was ample and creamy. Also, love the decor. It is kind of on the rustic side - lots of wood. Babushkas and folk art everywhere make this just delightful. (The Ukrainian flags were a nice touch, too.) Seating is not the plushest, being wooden benches w/thin cushions, but they're not uncomfortable by any means. We arrived around 7:00 on a Saturday evening and had to wait about half an hour. Reservations are recommended on a Saturday if you don't want to wait. Our server was super friendly and helpful. 10 out of 10 would recommend and we will return.

Me and my wife first time visiting Babushka's left us really impressed! We come from Brooklyn where there is a large Russian population and many Russian/European restaurants and let me tell you, this place is delicious! Everything from the Borch to the pelimeni to the samsa was delicious. Everything was great and reminded us of good home cooking. Also, make sure to get some kompot (fruit punch) to drink, it is delicious. We will definitely be back!

Food was amazing! I was skeptical because I have never heard anyone talk about Russian food. I got the Kompot, meat blinchikies, lamb plov, chicken Kiev (to go) and honey cake for dessert. Service was great I got what was recommended. I overheard other customers say they liked the food also. Cool Russian music playing overhead. This place is a gem!

I was sick the other week and really craving a homemade meal. I stumbled across this restaurant on DoorDash and they were doing a happy hour deal. I noticed they had cabbage rolls, Golubtzy, which was one of my favorite dishes my grandma would make me as a kid. I decided to give it a try and I am so glad I did. It was so delicious and gave me that home cooked meal feel that I was looking for. Tasted like my grandmas cooking. I definitely will be back to try some other dishes!

Excellent authentic Russian food. Our server was excellent. We always have to take a to go box when we visit. We make this a must eat place whenever we’re in Tampa.

First time trying Russian cuisine and exceeded my expectations. Everything was delicious, a lot of flavors, I got the beef stroganoff and my boyfriend got the sampler. I just didn’t give 5 stars because I wish the server could talk more and explain a little bit more about the sampler dishes. I got the honey cake to go but would be nicer hearing for the server their recommendations and best desserts. I would definitely come back again to try more dishes

Food was very good, lovely flavors, we had the sample platter and dumplings. Service was a bit odd/shy but there was no wait it long time between table visits.

It was a cool experience! I've never really had food from Russia, Ukraine, or Georgia. I've only had the Americanized versions. Honestly, I've been wanting to try this place since it first opened near USF. There are 2 locations. The other restaurant is in the Hyde Park area. This review is for the original location. Our first impression was a good one. I love the rustic look and ambiance. I felt like I was Little Red Riding Hood visiting Grandma's (Babushka's) house. It's like a cabin in the woods, but decorated with flowers and cool light fixtures. It's cozy, yet the wooden bench tables are spaced out and have individual seat cushions for a more comfortable experience. The table set up gives a very nice homey feel to it. Service was good. There were 3 other tables that were occupied with one waitress. She did a great job. Fortunately, we already knew what we wanted. She took our order and brought our drinks out. The food did take a while, but that was expected. Our appetizer was the Hot Buterbrod. It was definitely unique. It was 4 good sized slices of ciabatta bread with a mixture of cheese, ham, peppers, and a dressing that is baked in the oven. I think there may have been some shallots in there. It kind of tasted like an elevated pimento cheese, but more zesty. We thought it was pretty good. We got our main entrees about 15-20 minutes later. Not too terribly long for something that is cooked to order. His Beef Stroganoff arrived first. The beef was very tender and the sauce was very good. He really seemed to enjoy it. He got it with mashed potatoes instead of egg noodles. My pan fried salmon came out shortly after. It was so wonderful! One of the best salmon recipes I've ever had. I totally loved the crispy skin under the salmon along with the seasoning. The filet was very tender and juicy inside. The young potatoes had slivers of garlic. It was a simple preparation that felt very comforting. That homemade dill sauce (blended with sour cream) went so well with the salmon and potatoes. I'm not usually a big lover of sour cream, but I used it on everything. It was great. We didn't have any leftovers to take home. However, we did get Napoleon pastries for dessert. We had it boxed up for later. I think that was our only disappointment. It tasted okay. It definitely had a good pastry cream filling. It was just that the pastry layers were soggy. It wasn't fluffy or crispy. Perhaps we should have tried the Honey Cake that everyone raves about. Other than that, all was good. We want to eventually go back and try the stuffed peppers and braised cabbage. We just didn't have enough room to try everything.

Interesting place as you rarely find Russian restaurants. The Pelmeni dumplings my girlfriend ordered were amazing. While the Kotlety i had was basically some Russian meatballs. They were pretty good, but lacked a little something for them to stand out. I get the feeling that since this place is on the newer side, they are experimenting and seeing what menu items excel. I was advised not to try one one the cherry based dumpling style items as they implied it wasn't worth it. A little sad as I love cherries and was curious how a dish that incorporated them would be. The staff was very polite and courteous, and the decor was refreshingly fitting to the theme and style of their food. Unfortunately the wooden bench seating can be a bit uncomfortable and easily tipped over if you aren't seated back. I did notice some seats had cushions to add comfort. I must say overall this place was quite enjoyable and I definitely plan to head back in a few weeks after they become a little more settled. All of their menu choices seem like they would be enjoyable. This restaurant has the potential to be upgraded a 5 star review once they get into the groove. I'm glad to see a Russian style restaurant and wish it great success.

Good, not amazing. Talking from an empty stomach experience. *Friendly service. Good savory crepes. *Olivier salad was not good at all. Vareniki are definitely not hand made, taste like they were from a factory made package.

Unique dining experience with great cultural ambience. Friendly and efficient service and very authentic food. Only negatives were that the lamb plov was too dry and mushroom blinchiki was tasty but could’ve been hotter.

It's got a fun, rustic atmosphere paired with delicious homemade food. It's one of those places where you can't imagine your dish starting in a plastic bag and being dumped into a fryer or pot of boiling water. Everything tastes fresh, homemade and delicious. There's not a lot of Russian places locally to satisfy a Slavic craving, but even if there were I'd imagine Babushka's would stand out. Does not disappoint.

friendly people and nice atmosphere. the food is okay, I've never tasted a Russian food before but for me it's lacking taste. but overall for the price you should try it and decide. the mashed potato on the sauce was good but the beef was just okay blant. my three stars rating is just maybe because of the taste I like very flavorful food it's not about the restaurant itself the people are very friendly the atmosphere is great. maybe that's the Russian cuisine and that's how the food tast. Give a try not expensive.

I came here a few years ago and haven’t had a chance to come back till today. We did a Togo order and it wasn’t good I would give it 2.5 stars but two feels too insulting so I’ll round to a 3. Cabbage rolls change they used to have a more red sauce like on their menu when it shows photos it now has an orange purse maybe carrot? Not sure it was still good but not expected. Ordered Siberian dumplings and I’m not sure what I got but they were not good and last time they were so good I ordered seconds and a 3rd to go that’s how amazing they were. Thankfully I’m on a diet and only ordered one order. The beef stroganoff didn’t have enough sauce so it was really dry trying to eat the noodles last time they gave a lot. Not sure if it was just an odd day with the last two and a mistake the recipe chancing for the cabbage rolls is fine it happens but I feel the dumplings and stroganoff could have been way better.

Nice atmosphere but the food was pretty mediocre and not even worth the price of $50 for some low quality meat balls $7 tea in a grandma kettle that is in fact, flavorless as hell and just overall expensive for just 2 people. The Honey cake was amazing and I really enjoyed it but i’d only come back for that.