As customers come and go at the Warsaw Inn, they're greeted as if at a friend's home. Hugs are sometimes doled out and shouts of “see you soon” are delivered as diners leave.
It's the Polish way to make every customer feel at home and taken care of, says Joe Zubrzycki, who owns Warsaw Inn in McHenry with his sister Bernice Zubrzycki.
“Everything's so impersonal now,” Bernice says. “When you come here—it's warm, it's inviting. You can take a break and relax. It's comfort food—it's like a recharge. It's a very warm, family atmosphere. We're happy to see all of our customers every day.”
Joe interrupts the interview for a brief moment to announce “the boys are leaving,” as a group of regular customers heads to the door after finishing lunch. “We've got to wave to the boys,” he says.
Giving every customer a familiar and relaxing dining experience is the goal, Joe says.
“We make sure our customers are taken care of,” Joe says. “That's what we're doing here. We're helping people have a nice meal and nourishing their bodies for the day. It's a good thing.”
Mom's Home Cooking
Whether it's the homemade meat, cheese and cabbage pierogis or roast duck and potato dumplings, the six chefs at the Warsaw follow mom Angela Zubrzycki's recipes to a T.
“The majority of recipes are still mom's recipes—the real core and the heart of it,” Joe says. “We still have all the old, traditional recipes and then we've added new recipes too.”
Joe and Bernice's parents Eugene and Angela began the family business 35 years ago, with their first location at 127th and Ashland Avenue in Calumet Park. Their menu items are always made from scratch—even the bread.
“I still remember the day the bread man aggravated dad,” Joe says of a delivery at the family's first restaurant. The deliveryman brought day-old bread, Joe recalls, and his dad said, “No, it's not fresh bread.”
After a brief dispute, his dad refused to take the bread order and declared, “I tell you what—we're making bread today. Angie, you're making bread today.” From that day on, the family's restaurants always had fresh bread.
Menu item suggestions from valued customers are always welcome, the owners say. Now, every Thursday night, corned beef and cabbage is available per a customer's suggestion. And garlic bread is now available daily.
“This little teenage girl said, ‘Why don't you have garlic bread every day?’” Joe says. He wondered why he hadn't thought of it.
At the holidays, with Santa and his sleigh and a lit up Christmas tree on the restaurant's roof, many local families start their celebration at the Warsaw.
“It's a tradition for a lot of families to come enjoy dinner here before going to midnight Mass on Christmas Eve,” Bernice says. “We also do a lot of carry outs on Christmas Eve for family dinners.”
Christmas Day is the only day the restaurant is closed all year.
There's No Place Like Home
In 1982, Joe and his mom opened the Warsaw Inn in McHenry. At that time, the family ran four restaurants, and between 1977 and 1982 they opened and closed three of them. But the Warsaw took root, and 25 years later is an icon for the city.
“Through the years we've moved around a lot,” Joe says. “It's nice to be in one place for 25 years. McHenry is home.”
When they opened the Warsaw, the family already knew the business well. “We had a set operation,” says Joe. “We were by that time very good at it. By the time we opened this restaurant, we had 10 years of experience.”
When Joe was just 20 and Bernice 18, the two were already running one of the family's restaurants, the one located at 63rd Street near Midway Airport.
“I love being in business with my brother,” Bernice says. “We have a lot of fun together,” Joe agrees.
Having fun while working endless hours is something their parents taught them, Joe says. “They have shown us how to live life, how to work hard and how to take pleasure in our life,” Joe says. “Work isn't a bad word. They did a great job in giving us such a great work ethic.”
Being part of the community is also important to Joe and Bernice. Both are past presidents of the McHenry County Restaurant Association, Joe is active in the Rotary Club, and Bernice is involved in Chamber of Commerce activities. The two also provide food for Thanksgiving dinner for soldiers and for years provided brunch for the children who participate in the Shop With a Cop program.
Serving the Masses
Joe and Bernice's latest venture has them catering for hundreds through Classic Events and Catering. “We can do whatever anybody wants,” Bernice says of the food selection. Warsaw Inn offers its own catering, mostly serving the traditional Polish foods. The new catering business will serve up whatever a client can think of—such as meatloaf for 200 people. “We had a combination of four or five recipes,” Bernice says of the massive meatloaf. “I created my own.” Or chicken marsala for 100 people. “We made up our own along the way,” Bernice says, adding that the dish was a hit.
Cooking one main dish for hundreds has its own challenges, Joe says. “You have to be able to laugh along the way,” he says. “Because things don't always turn out the way you want.”
After decades of cooking for the public, the two know the tricks to preparing dishes customers will remember. “The key is not to overpower with one seasoning,” Joe says.
Getting the freshest ingredients to start is also vital, he says. “Whether they're serving a family of four or a party of 200, enjoying what they do every step of the way helps them to do it better,” Joe says.
“It's not the destination,” he says. “It's the journey.”
