Gilmart

I don’t know what people are reviewing in 2012 because this place has been closed for a while. They had a manic-​depressive history of opening and closing but I this time I think its for good. In its heyday I had some of the best Polish food in the city at the dinky cafeteria-​sytle eating area. And I should know good Polish food — I have a pair of my own bowling shoes.

They were really racist toward me when I walked in there to appreciate polish culture. The cashier threw the bag at me.

The name of this store certainly does not give any indication that this is a Polish deli and grocery store.
The store is large and very spacious but way too dimly lit for a Polish grocery store of any kind. This makes the store appear dreary and dismal, not in the least bit inviting. Who wants to shop in a store with half the lights off? The store is not really up to full potential or capacity as some departments appear not to be in full use.
Some of the items in the deli case did not seem to be as fresh as could be. The potato salad appeared to be mass produced. The fresh Polish sausage I noticed in the case, consisted of more fat than pork meat. However, the smoked sausage I purchased along with the Krakus Polish ham was excellent. Some of the items on the shelves seemed tired and there is a separate aisle for past the expiration date goods. I think that tends to bring down the store’s level of quality selling expired foods.
The suggestive T-​shirts promoting the store and Polish kielbasa (sausage) were hysterically funny. A great gag gift for a birthday or Christmas!
Maybe, by the time I return, Gilmart will spruce things up a bit. With a little tender loving care, commitment and hard work this could be a very crowded and popular Polish place to shop.
Good Luck!

Both stores closed on July 11, the one on Archer in Chicago and the other on Archer in Willow Springs. the one in Chicago is under new ownership under the name Gilmart Market Fresh. Have to try the food to see if it is the same.

This place use to be AMAZING! Great authentic polish food, nice staff, and filled with nice assortments of polish chocolate and polish products. I hadn’t been in for a while since the new location open in WIllow Springs but today when I walked in, I couldn’t feel any other way than being extremely DISSAPOINTED! Usually on Friday afternoons this place was packed, today there was barely any traffic, the aisles were empty with limited stock in products. There chocolate assortment was mostly gone and it simply looked like it was going out of business. At least that was the feeling I got, I understand that the owners are probably focusing on their new location but they have completely abandoned the original one. Pretty sad.

Very good food and very inexpensive. For about $ 5 you can eat like a king here. All the food items are fresh and taste as good as homemade. If you enjoy polish food, I highly recommend this small eatery located inside the Gilmart grocery store /​deli.

Food was good, beer was good, price was right, ambiance was great. A step back to the old country. We went on the strength of other Unilocal reviews & they were right. Can’t wait to go back.

What glowing remarks can be said that haven’t already? The Polish food is authentic and delicious! The deli counter is often a madhouse, but the meats you score will always be worth it.
Unlike a few of the other Polish groceries in the area, you might want to bring a native-​speaker to help you decipher some of the labels at this store.
The parking lot is rather small, so you might skip it and park on the street.

Prosze mnie zawiezc Gilmart. Jestem glodny.
Couldn’t it be bigger? That’s the only thing I need to make my Gilmart experience more enjoyable. That said, the cafeteria-​style buffet is tasty and cheap, and the deli service is good if not slow (they keep up the best they can).
I need to go here more often as an excuse to practice my Polish.

Well I have only actually been here once, but my mom goes about once a week. We are from colombia, but my mom loves to explore other cultures. She loves buying food for dinner here and likes the pastries. My favorite is the mashed potatoes. I’m actually trying to learn polish right now so maybe I should go there and practice :-). The food in general is good. I haven’t had a problem before.

My rating is based on my recent experiences.
Essentially, for a deli, Joe and Frank’s on Harlem is the best out of the trio of Polish delis on Archer. Gilmart has decent meats, better smells, horrible day afters.
Don’t you dare do something this dumb like this guy, King Dumb: showing up on a Saturday morning between 8am-​1pm will be quite the adventure. Average wait time was twenty minutes, at best. You could enjoy the sights of people dressed in traditional garb, but for shopping, not the best.
Parking is always fun, but the funner thing is getting outta here. Poor parking lay out.
Love it if it expanded but I dunno about that. That’s a shame.