Continent European Deli

Leading up to Mardi Gras recently, I was looking for paczki (poonch-key) which were similar to jelly-filled doughnuts that are eaten the day before the start of Lent. Where I grew up, these deep-fried calorie bombs were popular because of the large number of Polish immigrants in the area. After doing a Yelp search, Continent European Deli in the Regents Marketplace of La Jolla appeared as the only business in San Diego that made paczki.I called the deli, and a lady responded that their paczki needed to be ordered in advance. The difference between paczki and doughnuts is that the dough is richer and denser. The only filling they used was a plum jam which I had never tasted before but was supposedly very traditional. More common from my past were raspberry, lemon curd, and custard. They were sold at $3.49 apiece which was about 20% higher than what I recall paying for them.I am not a fan of the parking lot in this plaza as not only is it frequently full, but you need to pick up a ticket from a meter at the entrance to gain admittance. Consequently, there is often a backup in traffic as vehicles are waiting for others to exit before they can enter. I picked up my dozen paczki that were placed inside a cardboard box and ready to go when I arrived. I took the paczki to share at the office the next day, but I did eat a couple of them first.I noticed right away these paczki were not as sweet as they did not have a layer of powdered sugar or icing on the exterior. The jam was also not as fruity as I had expected either. Lastly, you could taste the oil in the dough which should not have been as prominent. Overall, I was happy to find a spot that sold paczki for Fat Tuesday, yet the quality and cost were not up to a four star level or better at Continent European Deli.

Bakery was spot on and great. Get the cherry cake you won't be disappointed. Would visit again

So glad I discovered this cool deli! It's a little dingy but filled with tons of food and drink that are completely new to me, shelves and shelves of candies, drinks, and canned goods. They also have deli meats and cheeses, as well as hot goods and pastries. Maybe this is a byproduct of growing up frequenting local Asian bakeries and eateries (cash-only, Mandarin-only kind of joints), but I feel rather at home when faced with brusque, to the point service. The language at Continent European Deli may be different, but the energy is familiar, in a nostalgic kind of way. They also have a minimum spend amount for credit cards ($10).I ordered some honey cake as well as chicken and potato pierogis. The honey cake was sold and packaged confusingly. The woman helping me said that they would only cut the cake in long, narrow slices (it was a large sheet cake), and then packaged the cake in a super tiny box. I also wasn't too sure about the taste. It had a strong alcohol flavor and a mushy texture. It wasn't clear to me whether the cake had been out for too long or if I simply wasn't used to the flavor. Either way, I don't think I will be getting it again. The pierogis were great! Not too pricy, and a good size. I reheated them in my air fryer and they were delicious. Well-fried and seasoned. I especially liked the potato pierogi. I will definitely be coming back for more of those, and I definitely want to sample some of the snacks and other goodies as well.

Good place if you go in knowing what you're looking for. There is a lot of goodness packed in to this little store - it has the essentials. Items are somewhat on the pricey side but worth it for the convenience of "Russian" food. The shopping carts, however, are dirty with mildew and smeared substances!On a personal note, even if you don't speak the language, learn to say "thank you" in Russian. Even if you don't say it right it is appreciated.

Went there after a while for some cold cut slices. Choices were OK, so was service, a bit slow, but they did not remove the skin from the various sausages to be sliced. BAD, because now I had to remove the skins from each thin individual slice. Kind of messy!

Thank God i finally found the authentic, made in Russia products here!!! Not a lot of selection but still. Thank you, owner you still order our Russian goodies and yummies we love from our childhood! All are fresh too! A bit pricey yes... not everyday store for me but it makes me so excited to go there again! Thank you!

The Babushkas who run this store are very friendly and helpful. There's a wide selection of Russian/Ukrainian/Soviet food products like Doctor's Sausage, Borsht, Solyanka, Plov, Kvass, Pierogi, Olivier salad, Gretchka, Shashlik & much more. Everything tastes authentic and fresh. Coming here is always a great experience and an opportunity to practice my Russian.

You can find so many things here. Baked yogurt for example, or plmeni's (spelling isn't right but you know). Caviar to chocolate, they got a lot. I ABSOLUTELY HATE THEIR PARKING LOT, but it's free for the first hour.

Well they were rude. Very rude. I guess they haven't learned about American culture and the expectation of good customer service. Feels like a little click in there and we shouldn't be bothering them. Crowded and seems dirty and they really don't want to help you if you don't speak their language. I'll pass. No thanks.

Pretty much the only store in San Diego where you can get overcharged classic Soviet style. I had a larger order and sure enough got charged for 4 cheeses instead of 3, 2 buckwheat boxes instead of 1. Says here cashiers name was Bella. Don't be gullible like me. Review and count your purchases before you walk away and also check for expiration dates because I have seen expired products on their shelves all the time. Just check out others reviews and you will see it. I wish the owners would train their staff and manage this store better