8 Spots For Meat Lovers In Krakow

We’re sorry, vegetarians, this post will not become your favourite. Krakow is the place to be if you love meat.  It’s not that it lacks great vegetarian places, but whether you prefer a burger with best locally grown toppings and homemade sauces, dry-aged steaks from finest Polish beef, local meaty specialties or offal, it’s all here. The offer is broad, same goes for the price range and specifics of the spots. Therefore if thinking about having a spicy porchetta in a former factory, or a local version of pulled pork in the centre of historic Kazimierz district turns you on, please continue reading.

 

Streat Slow Food

 

photo: Krzysiek Sokalla

 

One of the first food trucks in Krakow and still one of the best in town. They serve burgers only, but they do it good. Their so-called standard menu is already impressive with a combination of homemade curry radish pickles, sweet potatoes, caramelised pears and a variety of cheeses. Apart from the standards, they do specials. Specials usually come on weekends and can be pretty much everything, from a Japanese burger with tamago omelette and soy sauce to a French touch with foie gras and sweet gooseberry chutney. Their best burger? Cesar from the standard menu. Have it medium rare and you won’t be disappointed.

 

Streat Slow Food, ul. Kupa 10 (map below)

 

Ed Red

 

photo: Eat Polska

 

If your slogan is “Nice to meat you” you must be really good at meat. And Ed Red surely is. It’s the first restaurant in Poland that introduced a dry aging cabinet for quality beef. They serve their steaks right and if you’re looking for something with more ties to local culinary culture try their trademark starter – Veal offal 5 ways with liver, sweetbread, tongue, cheeks and cerebellum served on tiny pieces of bread.

 

Ed Red, ul. Sławkowska 3 (map below)

 

Andrus Food Truck

 

photo: Andrus Food Truck

 

Have you ever heard of maczanka? Probably not. A visit to Krakow is a great opportunity to catch up on this forgotten local speciality. Maczanka (which loosely translates to “something that’s dipped”) is a pork shoulder, slow-cooked in thick sauce to amazing tenderness. Pulled pork doesn’t get even near this. The historic version of the dish required you to dip the bread in the sauce. The street food approach is slightly different- the meat is served on a crispy bun with amazingly creative toppings such as blue cheese and hot chocolatey beets, Cumberland sauce and gherkins, fermented kale or bacon and chutney. Also, there are always some seasonal options available.

 

Andrus Food Truck, Skwer Judah, ul. Wawrzyńca 16 (map below)

 

Meat & Go

 

photo: Eat Polska

 

They started as a small booth in the middle of Kazimierz district and quickly disappeared saying that they will be back “in the future”. This usually means farewell, but not in this case. In winter 2016 they reopened as a meat bar, as they call themselves, in the trendiest location in town – a former tobacco factory called Tytano. They also managed to broaden their menu. They serve meat sandwiches and they put a lot of effort in making their sandwiches special. What kind of meat? Jerk pork, porchetta, beef cheeks, slow-cooked pork belly, beef tongues and more. All sandwiches come with carefully selected toppings such as fermented beetroots, sundried tomatoes and homemade hot sauces. Plenty of pickles available too. They also get an A+ for interior design with tables made from old factory machines surrounded by plants.

 

Meat & Go, Tytano, ul. Dolnych Młynów 10 (map below)

 

Food & People by Pastrami Deli

 

photo: Eat Polska

 

Missing New York while in Krakow? No problem! Just visit Food & People and try their New York Pastrami sandwich with 400g of their own pastrami. Sounds like Katz’ Delicatessen? You bet! They have several other reuben sandwich variations and plenty of other meat options such as beef cheeks, ribs and a pork chop. The place is run by a local pastrami producer called Pastrami Deli. If you like it, you can grab a vacuum-sealed piece of meat and take it home.

 

Food & People, ul. Grzegórzecka 21 (map below)

 

Walenty Kania

 

photo: Walenty Kania

 

That’s one of the most original meat oriented places in Krakow. Walenty Kania is the author of a book about offal, where he has compiled a few hundred recipes from all over the world. He also serves offal from his food truck obviously. But that’s just the start. He also makes his own sausages. And these aren’t just any sausages. His offer includes ones made from goat meat, game, veal and pork tenderloin. Occasionally he gets even crazier and serves silkworms with BBQ sauce and cilantro. No wonder he calls his place “Cuisine for the brave”. Check his Facebook fanpage to see where he’s stationed right now, cause he’s a guy on the move.

 

Walenty Kania, ul. Dajwór 21 (map below)

 

Rzeźnia – Ribs on Fire

 

photo: Krzysiek Sokalla

 

Rzeźnia is Polish for slaughterhouse. The place specialises in ribs and steaks. While there might be several better places for steaks in Cracow, their ribs are hard to compete with. The are only 3 options – maple syrup, spicy and Bourbon sauce ribs –  but, man they are good. The glaze is perfect, the meat is tender and the portion generous. What else do you need? Craft beer? It’s all there.

 

Rzeźnia – Ribs on Fire – Kazimierz , ul. Bożego Ciała 14 (map below)
Rzeźnia – Ribs on Fire – Old Town, pl. Dominikański 2 (map below)

 

Karakter

 

photo: Eat Polska

 

A pretty fresh place in the Jewish district, already mentioned before in our autumn “Best 5” Krakow post. That’s the second restaurant with the menu prepared by Daniel Myśliwiec – a French cuisine and offal expert. While his former menu included plenty of French classics, the one at Karakter is much crazier and more courageous. It’s a combination of fine dining approach to food preparation and casual prices – a match made in heaven. There are steaks and slow cooked ribs served with sides such as pak choy or leek butter, but offal is the real deal. Thymus with green peas ravioli and marinated beef cheeks? Tripe Italian style with pine nuts and spicy crust? Poultry hearts with truffle sauce on a toast? That’s only the start. If you’re on a budget, pay a visit between noon and 5 pm and try their lunch menu which includes a mussels bar!

 

Karakter, ul. Brzozowa 17 (map below)

 

Map of locations:

 

 

Text: Krzysiek Sokalla
We’re Eat Polska. We run culinary tours about foodvodka and beer in Warsaw, Krakow and Gdansk. We’re also passionate foodies and city explorers, and this blog is where we share our hints with you.