Ukus - My Queens Restaurant Tip

A Reader Writes

I've got a restaurant in Queens that I've become a fan of to recommend to you. It's a Bosnian restaurant on 30th Avenue near 42nd Street in Astoria, Ukus (42-08 30th Ave, Astoria, 718-267-8587). They describe themselves on their business cards as a Balkan Pie and Grill (Cebabdzinica-Buregdzinica), so primarily focused on grilled meats and bureks.

I found it from a Village Voice review by food critic Robert Sietsema: A Pair of Bosnian Cafés Compete on a Queens Corner.

I'm sure that these places are particularly appreciated by meat-eaters, so as a vegetarian, my five-plus experiences enjoying Ukus aren't completely representative. The three things I've loved there are the amazing unique bread they bake (comes with the meat dishes I think), the fantastic huge chopped salad (tomato, cucumber, feta, onion, and romaine I think – all amazingly fresh with a zesty delicious dressing), and especially the baked-to-order spinach and feta burek.

Ukus is also always fun to go to, comfortable and friendly, a small restaurant usually filled with Bosnian families and young people. There's a lady who is ALWAYS working in the kitchen in her hairnet who looks like she's direct from the recently war-torn old country. I hope her life is better here. She runs a great kitchen.

- Mark Misrok