Iconic Ukrainian diner Veselka opens their first ever location in Brooklyn  

By Scott Lynch

The golden age of Veselka, the family-owned Ukrainian diner that opened some 70 years ago on the corner of Second Avenue and East 9th Street, will always be whatever era you were there the most.

For me that was the early 1980s, and those late nights wolfing varenyky, which is what Ukranians call pierogi. But all that history doesn’t mean the spot is some kind of East Village relic. Amazingly and thankfully, the original restaurant feels as vital and popular today as it’s ever been, quoting long waits for tables at peak hours and playing a leading role in the war-relief efforts of the neighborhood’s Ukrainian community.

Veselka Williamsburg (Photo by Scott Lynch)

And now, for the first time ever, the family behind Veselka has brought their legendary varenyky (and everything else) to the County of Kings, with the grand opening today of a glorious new location on the corner of Lorimer and Meeker in Williamsburg.

“One of the most important things to us when designing and building the new place was that, as soon as you walk in, you should feel like you’re at Veselka,” says Justin Birchard, the COO and part of the third generation, along with his cousin, owner Jason Birchard, to run the place.

And, really, they nailed it. Veselka Brooklyn vibes just like the East Village original, from the lunch counter stools to the signage out front to the mural on the back wall, which was taken from the now-shuttered stand at the Market Line food hall on the Lower East Side. Most important, except for a couple of Williamsburg exclusives, the menu is almost exactly the same as you’ll find across the river.

My party tore through a table-full of Veselka classics during a soft-opening dinner service last Sunday, and they were all bangers. The electric-pink Ukrainian borscht was thick with eggs, onions, beets, and onions — definitely spoon in all of that sour cream, and soak it up with the slice of challah — and the giant pan-fried latke was as exactly as crisp and greasy as you want it to be.

Ukrainian borscht, $12 (Photo by Scott Lynch)

Veselka’s famous handmade varenyky (come in six varieties, boiled or fried, including potato, sauerkraut and mushroom, and braised beef, but we decided to try the new Brooklyn-exclusive, limited-time special, the “Pastrogi,” which comes stuffed with pastrami from Katz’s Deli. And just to really live life to its fullest we ordered the decadent Pastrogi Reuben Bowl, with dumplings plopped atop a bed of sauerkraut and gooey melted Swiss, the whole thing drizzled with mustard and Ukrainian dressing.

Katz x Velseka Pastrogi Rueben Bowl, $17 (Photo by Scott Lynch)

My hearty Veselksa go-to has always been the beef stroganoff, a chunky, gamey stew ladled over a bed of slippery egg noodles. Another solid choice in the entree department: the mixed Ukrainian grill, highlighting three types of smoked pork sausages served with some good mashed potatoes and even better sauerkraut.

Beef stroganoff, $25 (Photo by Scott Lynch)

There’s tons more to choose from as well, including Ola’s veal goulash, chicken schnitzel sandwiches, a couple of burgers, stuffed cabbage, dessert blintzes and an all-day breakfast menu with things like latke eggs benedict, corned beef hash and a new Williamsburg fried egg sandwich co-starring a slab of smoked ham. Beer, wine and non-boozy drinks like egg creams and lime rickeys add to the fun.

Potato latke, $6 (Photo by Scott Lynch)

The space itself can accommodate nearly 50 guests, with more seating coming to the sidewalk outside, but the kitchen, storage and prep areas in the back are even larger, the better to handle Veselka’s burgeoning online distribution business. Birchard said that the single-story building used to be a car wash, and that they signed a 50-year lease, so don’t expect it to change again anytime soon.

Mixed Ukranian grill, $24 (Photo by Scott Lynch)

“I’m incredibly proud and nervous and hopeful and all the things that come with continuing the legacy of this NYC icon,” Birchard told Brooklyn Magazine on the eve of the Williamsburg Veleska’s grand opening. “It’s something I’ve taken a tremendous amount of pride in all of my life, that my family has been able to make it in the restaurant business in NYC for so many years. That I get to help grow that, and carry it on, is a real honor.”

The Williamsburg Veselka is located at 646 Lorimer Street, at the corner of Meeker Avenue, and will be open at the start on Sunday and Wednesday from 5 to 10 p.m., on Thursday through Saturday from 5 to 11. Closed Monday and Tuesday for now, though that will change soon. Morning and afternoon hours are also coming. And maybe, somewhere down the line, 24-hour-service? “If people want it, we’ll find a way,” says Birchard.