Little Budapest

Born in Hungary, Joe Lacza was a very successful professional soccer player. When his career was cut short by injury, Joe opened his first restaurant at age twenty-one which immediately became a hit with his fans. Although Hungarian law at the time stipulated that each citizen could only own one business, Joe soon invested in other businesses by placing them under the names of friends. When the Hungarian Economic Police discovered his involvement in these other businesses in 1986, the communist government seized all of his businesses and re-sold them to other individuals with the profit going to private bank accounts under their control.

Joe came to the United States on December 22, 1987 with only fifty dollars in his pocket. He didn't speak English, knew no one, and had his jacket containing his money stolen on his second day here. Joe found part-time work at the Marriott Hotel in Washington, DC, then moved to Ohio where he opened a restaurant on Cleveland's east side. When developers tore down the shopping center where his restaurant was located, Joe founded Little Budapest in Westlake, Ohio on May 11, 2001. We visited with Joe recently, and listened as he provided this description of the experience awaiting you at Little Budapest;

Little Budapest is an authentic Hungarian restaurant serving lunch and dinner seven days a week. Light, tasteful, and healthy, our food is all prepared on-premises using the freshest ingredients available and served in the finest European tradition. While training at the Hotel/Business Management School and taking the International Master Chef course I was taught to never put anything on the menu that I do not like myself. As a result, each item we serve is one of my personal favorites. In addition, we have a full bar and serve traditional Hungarian wines.

My cooking style is very unique because my generation is the last generation who were taught to cook by world famous old-fashioned chefs. I was also taught by my mother and grandmother, so what you find at Little Budapest is a delicate blend of professional and home-style food. My food is prepared from traditional recipes with authentic Hungarian spices combined which results in exactly the same taste you will find in Hungarian restaurants in Budapest.

Our most popular dishes are our Chicken Paprikash, Wiener Schnitzel, and Stuffed Cabbage. We serve every entrée with one choice of our hamemade side dishes. The most popular is our Hungarian Dumplings. Our menu also features a few of my own creations, such as our Chicken Princess, and newspaper columnists and food critics have frequently chosen my restaurant for the best Wiener Schnitzel, Chicken Paprikash, and Stuffed Cabbage in the United States.

Little Budapest has been created in a European style dating back to the early twentieth century where the restaurants were designed to give the illusion that you are sitting in the dining room of the proprietor's home. This provides a dining atmosphere that is very comfortable, casual, and enables my guests to enjoy a true Hungarian dining experience.

Little Budapest brings an authentic touch of Hungary to the Westshore community. Stop by Little Budapest today, and don't forget to tell them The Westlake, Ohio Community Advocate sent you!

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