Gene's Sausage Shop & Delicatessen

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  This is the real deal!  I wish I worked there.  
  It's like being in your Gramma's kitchen, but multiplied by a million!

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  Posted on 04.16.13 Nancy S.

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  My mom still makes homemade chicken noodle soup, but it's getting to be a bit too much work.  Me, I've always been lazy & have rejoiced when I time it right to get some.  My mom gave me an article from the Chicago Tribune about Gene's, so I  thought it might be worth a try.  I read some of the reviews below before going there today.  I was fully prepared for attitude, no help (I don't speak Polish), etc.  I can't tell you what a complete opposite experience it was!!!  As soon as I walked in, I asked the cashier if she spoke English.  Yes.  She directed me to the chicken noodle soup.  I asked where the pierogis were.  She directed me to the deli counter, but while I was still getting the soup, she brought up several containers of pierogi for the case up front.  I went to the deli, only to check out 'the largest' deli cases (one of the reviews).  Was talking to a fellow shopper, and had 2 samples of meat from the very nice woman behind the counter.  (I didn't even ask.)  I just finished the chicken noodle soup before writing this, and it is 99.99% comparable to my Mom's.  (I don't even know what the .01% difference would be except I can't ever say anyone's is better than my mom's.)  I will be trying the barley soup, pierogis and breaded pork cutlets.  If they're anything like the soup, I will be having a trip down memory lane (my mom's cooking) with every meal.  I HIGHLY recommend this store.  Their own parking lot (which is why I didn't consider the Lincoln Ave store, though I didn't actually check into this) was very convenient.  Thank you to the woman with the samples, and Marianna (spelling?) at the front, who was just darling.  As Arnold would say, "I'll be back."!!!

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  Posted on 03.14.13 Cathy R.

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  Gene's has two unique locations.  This location on Belmont is near the center of the cities Polish neighborhoods.  Vegitarians need not apply.  Just a terrific website.  They do a great job describing all the different sausages.  Do yourself a favor and do a little bit of homework because the selection can be overwhelming.  It's truly unbeliveable that you can go to a store that literally has dozens of sausages that you've never tried.  There's sausages for snacking, sausages that are good for the grill, good for putting on sandwiches, good for topping with horseradish, good for dunking in mustard and strait up sausage that's good in one hand when you have a pickle in the other hand.  Here's an exciting list of some of the best items (that I've tried until now) -
  
  - Alpine sausage (Kielbasa Goralska)
  - Gypsy Ham (Szynka Cygańska)
  - German Ham
  - Kabanosy (snack sausage)
  - Hunters Sausage (Mysliwska)
  - Veal Wieners (Parowki)
  - Don't forget a Giant Deli Pickel!
  
  So both places totally have differnent feels.  The location on Belmont has a very Polish feel and the location in Lincoln Square has a German feel (naturally since it's Lincoln Square).  It doesn't hurt if you have a Polish representative as part of your party when you visit the Belmont location.  My wife is Polish and was able to connect with the staff right away (mostly given her ablility to speak Polish fluently).  Now that I've been here a couple times, I do just fine on my own. They have an entire section of the deli that has prepared polish food for lunch or dinner on the go.  Smacznego!

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  Posted on 09.06.12 Keith D.

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  The meat here is amazing, but no one spoke English.  If you speak Polish, this is your store.  If you only speak English, try the one on Lincoln instead.
  
  Don't forget to buy some Bacon.

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  Posted on 05.06.12 Eric G.

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  Finally stepped inside this well stocked Polish grocery store and was amazed at all the fabulous, authentically Polish and Eastern European items there is to be found at Gene's.
  
  I love their Gypsy hams (Szynka Cyganska), which went into my Ukrainian Easter basket to be blessed at church... Orthodox Easter is one week later in 2012.
  
  Excellent food and liquors here!

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  Posted on 04.10.12 John Y.

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  My father introdiced me to Gene's Sausage Shop many many years ago. I have been going there since and have never been dissapointed. Great meats, great soups!!! Will always shop here!!! A true gem!!!

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  Posted on 01.18.12 james m.

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  My heritage is 75% Irish, 12.5% German, and 12.5% Polish, so I can by no means call myself a true Polish guy, but every Christmas my grandpa and I come here to to get food for our big Christmas dinner. We celebrate our Polish heritage on xmas. I love going here, it is such a cool shop and everything looks amazing. Everything that we get is awesome and even with a family of 30+ people, we still have leftovers which are great for the next day.
  
  Highly recommend.

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  Posted on 12.01.11 Mike D.

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  Decent selection and prices but i prefer bobaks . Thats just me tho.

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  Posted on 10.18.11 matteo h.

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  I have been coming here on and off for many years. This last time I had  their mushroom soup and WOW!! Delicious! I think it was 32 oz for $2.99, it was their biggest cup. I also had their meatballs in mushroom sauce, it was also very delicious, the sauce was so creamy and tasty and the meatballs were soft enough to cut with a plastic fork that is how soft they were. The rice was also tasty but a bit dry. Overall it was good, definitely will go back!

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  Posted on 04.05.11 RALPH C.

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  This place neighborhood is a lot of fun to visit, and the food at Gene's is great.
  
  The store is is fairly large with lots of offerings.  Go load up on sausages and Polish food.  You can also buy European chocolates and fresh bread.

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  Posted on 12.27.10 Alf O.

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  I really tried to love this place. After multiple visits, have to say, I've had some pretty mediocre meat.  I had great skirt steak from these guys a few weeks ago and then this week?  Couldn't get my teeth through the skirt steak.  Frustrating.  A few weeks back, paid top dollar for some grass-fed ribeye.  That too was just not good.  Kinda bummed.  So, moving forward?  Guess I won't be buying red meat here.  Pierogies are incredible, especially the potato/cheese variety (just don't get the "sweet cheese" as it is definitely more of a dessert item.)  Brauts, can't really screw those up.  Positive note: The beer selection is awesome, a great selection of imported German, European beers and American microbrews.  Major negative note: Oh (WARNING!), don't go there anywhere near 4pm on a Sunday, when they close.  I was treated rudely by a woman behind the deli counter who kinda in a huff told me to "get there earlier next time" -- that after I had waited 15 minutes for my number to be called!  Gotta love the clock-punching types at supposed "finer establishments." Nice.

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  Posted on 07.25.10 Andrew S.

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  Hello 1985! It's good to see you again. I love walking into a time warp. I was flooded with feelings of warmth and memories from my chidlhood of grandma's polish cooking. I've been in search of good homemade pierogis since she passed and my mom and I certainly do not possess quite the same talent as the master of polish cooking that was grandma.
  
  Gene's pierogis came pretty close! The other deli food was really good too. The potato pancakes were out of this world. I swear they were made 5 minutes before we bought them. The cute little lady behind the counter was so friendly and helpful, counting off each pierogi as she packaged it. "OK, 1 sauerkraut....2 sauerkraut...."  I picked up a huge container of chicken soup for $2.50. It had the skinny noodles and I am a broad noodle broad but for $2.50 I wont argue. With all the food we got, it was only $17.00. We got 2 meals and then some out of it.

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  Posted on 04.21.10 Kymberly J.

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  4.5 STARS! Wow, why has it taken me so damn long to take a looksie at Genes? Honestly, I figured this place was a typical overpriced specialty shop in the heart of Lincoln Square. If it were not for a friend who raved about the quality of meats, and the insanely cheap prices, I'd probably not have stepped foot into this gem of a Delicatessen.
  
  In the past two weeks I've probably been in here about 4-5 times. Seriously, I am in love with Gene. No, I am not gay, bi, or even curious, but I'm truly infatuated with a man named "Gene."  
  
  Let's get to the important part of the review: Unbelievable selection of deli meats, brats, sausages, meat, and cheeses. Prices. Uh, f'n cheap! Seriously, where the hell can you get a 16 oz. (Quality cut) NY Strip for $8.95? Customer service. Yep, they've got that covered here as well.
  
  Pretty impressive selection of beer, wine & liquor in their upstairs section. This is where they lose a 1/2 star, because the prices are higher as you walk up the stairs. Rumor has it that they'll have a roof top bar open this summer. If this is true, you will most likely spot me there.
  
  Genes is definitely my new favorite specialty shop in Lincoln Square. HIGHLY RECOMMEND!

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  Posted on 04.15.10 Scott B.

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  Orgasmatic for meat lovers.  You are transported to Krakow when you walk through the door.  The smells of fresh meats and smoked sausages permeates the air.  The spoken voices are mostly in Polish.  The signs are bi-lingual or simply in Polish.
  
  This is where to go for meats, cans & jars of salads, soups and sauces, and Polish beers.  But the fresh produce leaves something to be desired, so drive a little bit west and get your fruit and veggies at A&G Fresh Market.

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  Posted on 02.21.10 Thomas B.

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  All I have to say is UMM,UMMM,UMMM,UMMM Good! I love me some Gene's.   Its so cheap and the polish food is so good.  I would have given Genes five stars but I had to take on away due to poor hours.  Really Gene you need to close at 5 on Sundays.  I have been to many polish delis and this one is by far the bast!

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  Posted on 01.18.10 Christina K.

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  I *heart* Gene's

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  Posted on 12.30.09 Jeni Z.

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  Great Selection! Great Food! Great Prices!
  
  The refrigerated case near the cash registers has huge containers of soup for $2.50, several varieties. It sometimes is a tad salty but there are so many good soup varieties and the price is incredible. At Dominick's or Jewel you can't even get a small serving of soup for $2.50, whereas the big containers last me 2 or 3 bowls! Hmm, maybe the 2012 soup prices are $2.99 but still an incredible value compared to anywhere else.
  
  The deli counter has incredible pork cutlets or chicken cutlets usually with cheese and mushrooms or peppers on top. So YummY! The pierogi in the deli case are huge and super fresh and tasty! I bought an envelope of cinnamon for fifty cents! Real ground cinnamon! Brand name spices are so over-priced! Not at Gene's.
  
  They have the best multi-grain bread selection anywhere in the entire city. Huge ham or turkey sandwiches for $2.99!  - Well I think it's up to $3.99 now but still way better prices than any other grocery esp. Whole Paycheck, Jewel, Etc.

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  Posted on 12.15.09 Dennis C.

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  Gene's Sausage Shop is my most cherished Chicago find.
  
  The first time I walked into Gene's I was greeted by a Chicago Police officer arresting a Polish man for stealing sausages in his coat pockets.  Realizing this was a sign from God, I looked around for the angel Gabriel and pledged to spread the good word to all the peoples of the land.
  
  You will often find these deals:
  
  -Chicken halves for $0.49/lb
  
  -Ground beef chuck for $0.99/lb
  
  -Pork tenderloin for $2.99/lb
  
  ~
  
  My favorites here:
  
  -Gypsy hams (Szynka Cyganska), little juicy one-pounders smoked to perfection
  
  -Royale smoked ham (Szynka Krolewska), a smoky salt-cured dry ham
  
  -Potato pancakes
  
  -Apple blintzes
  
  -Snack sausages (thick, homemade Slim Jims)
  
  They will vacuum pack any of their meats right at the deli counter for $0.25 per bag.
  
  If you don't know Polish, you may have a hard time ordering.  Just point , smile and nod.  It usually works out.  If not, you might find your next favorite dish.

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  Posted on 12.05.09 Tony B.

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  After a year and a half in this general neighborhood, we finally got to Gene's today (Thanks, Pam D.!) and boy I have to say I was impressed.  The meat and deli department is large and well stocked with mostly Polish specialties.  We picked up some gypsy pork loin and asked for a cheese to go with it, and we got samples of several different cheeses so we could make up our minds.  Very nice service!
  
  There are also a lot of baked goods including some bread that looked wonderful.  If we hadn't already been to Great Harvest I might have bought some, but I'll be going back.  The shelves are just full of wonderful European specialty foods -- again, mostly Polish.  But we did find jars of honey from a local supplier and French butter.  I also found a bottle of "Pure Birch Juice" but wasn't brave enough to try that, or the sour apple liquer.  maybe another time.  There were so many jars of pickled vegetables it made my head swim, and of course the ubiquitous pierogies.  The meats looked very nice, though there didn't seem to be anything too special there.  There were LOTS of cookies and candies.
  
  Prices were good and the service was good, if not particularly friendly except for the one deli counter lady who was so sweet to us.  It also looked squeaky clean, which is a big plus.   In all, it's a winner

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  Posted on 11.07.09 Jean C.

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  I know this is NOT going to sound right, but I REALLY don't care, because Gene's Sausage Shop is TRULY amazing.  
  
  The first time I went into Gene's with one of my awesome friends and now camp buddy...I thought I died and went to Sausage Heaven (told you it wasn't going to sound right!).
  
  What is sooo special you ask?  POTATO SAUSAGES.  My friend boasted about these suckers when we were there (and it took us some time to find them - we had to ask to receive on that one!) she ordered tons for camping.  We cooked them for breakfast one camping morning and only one word can describe these heavenly creations...WOW!
  
  The hot dogs?  Ginormous.  And VERY tasty.  Oscar Mayer, you are soooo out!  Once you have tried Gene's hot dogs, you will never go back to mass produced wieners.
  
  And the Polish sausages were outstanding.  And so were the bratwursts.  And the sauerkraut.  And the mustard.  
  
  And that is NOT all...I had to venture into their pastry and baked good sections.  And ended up purchasing a tray of kolachkies (for those of you who are not familiar with this, they are pastry filled with fruit jelly).  Flaky, soft and they melt in your mouth!  Two thumbs up.
  
  Oh, and if you like imported European beer, they have a MASSIVE section full of beers.
  
  What's making me more excited is the fact that my friend stumbled into their soon to be open new store in Lincoln Square.  That means, RIGHT down the corner for me.  I CANNOT WAIT!

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  Posted on 10.17.09 Jacob Y.

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  Dear Gene,
  
  Will you marry me?
  
  Love,
  Nat
  
  Oh damn... I have a husband and he's a Yelper. I'm
  so busted.
  
  Two words for you: POTATO SAUSAGE. it's heaven in an intestinal casing. Mashed potatoes... onions... BACON.
  
  We have started a new camping tradition. Whenever we go, we must make a stop at Gene's for potato sausage and those GIANT hotdogs. Perfect on the open fire.
  
  I honestly have no idea what most of the stuff behind the meat counter actually is...  but it doesn't matter. Just get some of everything. Cook it. Mmmmm... meat coma.
  
  The grocery section is impressive as well. All sorts of goodies. I take the same approach as the meat counter... if it looks good, buy it.
  
  The highlight of my week: the Mr. and i were walking through Lincoln square and noticed a new storefront... with a large cow over the doorway.
  
  COULD IT BE?! We eagerly pressed our noses to the window and peered in.
  
  YES!!!! The work permit displayed on the door told us it is, indeed, a new Gene's location. Significantly more convenient for us Ravenswood residents.
  
  I can't wait!!!

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  Posted on 10.16.09 Natalie S.

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  Hands down the best place i kno to get your 'deli' on.  While the selection of produce and fresh meats is not the biggest they do carry some -and after all, its DELI u came for ..and deli they got!  The deli counter stretches along one very loooooong back wall .. great assortment of ready to eat staples like pierogie, meat croquets, schnitzel, dumplings and assorted 'breaded' meats .. good selection of salads and slaws-and then there are the sausages .if u came in and tried one every week for a year, u would still be going down the line next year ..  Deli meats  like ham and  roast beef are fresh and plentiful (3.99 for a lb of roast beef- try to beat that!) and they have a good variety of cheeses-also fresh and very affordable.  The bakery section is a little skimpy (but again .. 'DELI' .. its just the small assortment of cakey sweets they do have makes me crave more), but the liquor section is huuuge and well stocked and includes some european treasures u dont see very often elsewhere. (Try the cherry liquer bottled with cherries by Cracovia) There is also a nice variety of imported canned products, both in tins and jars and condiments tucked into those general rows. Very easy to visit Genes and buy some precooked schnitzel, beet salad and a quart of soup for dinner that night and shop for your deli needs at the same time =D ..  4 stars instead of 5 because of the cons-and there arent many. The largest one has to do with the language barrier. Most of the shelved products and the sausages are labelled in polish (which makes sense since the shelved products are mostly imported and the sausages are just going by their names, but a little guidance would be nice) The other con is what other reviewers have mentioned before - you may not get the most helpful attitude if u dont appear to be  Polish.  We went to the Deli and spent $50 (which is a feat here !) and the girl behind the counter pretended at first not to understand me ..then was impatient and slightly bored as we ordered items. A request to suggest a sausage that we might like was met with an eye roll and we were handed a regular polish sausage out of all the varieties available lol but hey maybe she was just having a bad day .. I lived in the neighborhood about 20 yrs ago and Genes was going strong back then-and yes, the attitude situation was the same back then. After the people in the shop got to know me tho, it changed and i was always treated nicely on my weekly forays for tidbits. Im planning on being enough of a regular again now that we've moved closer once more-so heres hoping =)  Either way, the goodies are worth a little bit of tude.

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  Posted on 07.25.09 chris e.

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  When I first walked in here I thought sheesh,  what a sausage fest.
  (badumbum!)
  A fellow yelper, G.R., knew I was in search of a good deli that could rival the NY delis ouf my youth, and recommended this place.  I walked in and really enjoyed looking around at some of the more unusual litems.  I love ethnic groceries for that reason.  However, as someone who rarely eats beef or poultry, I was at first thinking I was not going to be able to review it highly because there wasn't much I wanted to buy.
  Then I got home and tried what I had bought.  Whoa.  I bought a piece of stuffed cabbage (I was in need of childhood comfort food memories) and some beet salad.  I never had beet salad like that, and while at first I wasn't sure I liked it, that changed in a a few seconds and I happily and eagerly devoured it.  For another meal I bought cheese pierogis, sauerkraut and mushroom pierogis, and potato pierogis, and all were also really good (though really, what isn't going to taste good when fried in real butter?).  The prices were amazing--my pound of beet salad was a little over two bucks, a pound of cole slaw was a little under $2, a thing of strawberries (which were in better shape than most grocery stores that charge way more) were $1.89 I think.  
  If you are a meat eater, make your way here for the vast assortment of items, they did look really good and interesting.  If I am in the neighborhood, I will definitely return to try some more of the vegetable and fish items.
  Note: they have a parking lot.  Note 2: Credit care minimum is $15.  (Prices were so cheap I didn't hit it!)

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  Posted on 05.14.09 Lauren H.

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  Let me just say HEX YEAH!!  I love Gene's and go every year at Christmas and take things in a cooler back to Arizona with me.  This year the airport security people confiscated several items (previously permitted) and I wasn't happy but hey-at least some smoked porky goodness made it through.  Maybe I should have hid them in my burkha LOL!!  
  Their kabanosy and gypsy ham are not to be missed, though I have never had anything that wasn't absolutely delicious.  The counter help can be a bit b!tchy if you're not Polish but this last time the lady was real nice!

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  Posted on 12.31.08 Tracy M.

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  Being a "raging Polski," (as many of my non-Polish friends call me)  I know a couple things about Polish food.  This place is hands down, without an argument, my all time favorite Polish deli.  They have a wide variety of Polish sausages, as well as various deli meats, as well as other groceries.  The reason this place shines brighter than other Polish delis in the area is that it's well kept, organized and very friendly.
  This used to be my neighborhood Polish deli growing up and I'll still go out of my way to stop by here to get my fix of Polish goodness.

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  Posted on 10.28.08 Chris S.

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  My husband would give this place five stars, I'm not there yet but we'll see.  This small store (huge inside) seemingly has every Polish product you could get on the boat and sneak into the States.  Just about nothing is in English and there are such a variety of jars, packets, boxes of curious items - that unless I bring a translator I'll just never know what to make of them.  They do have 2 aisles dedicated to chocolate, a huge deli, lots of cold items and a big barrel of dead (probably pickled) fish.  We like the sausage - bought 6 lbs of fresh made italian, polish, and bratwurst along with fresh mustard and homemade kraut - came to $14.  $14.  Not sure if you read it, but $14.  Holy.  Good for cookouts, experimental Eastern European food shopping, and deli items (potato pancakes and german potato salad).

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  Posted on 06.02.08 K M.

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  Just incredible!
  
  This place is really good. This place is on my mom's list as one of the best. Yes we're polish. So is most of the staff behind the deli counter. I try to order my stuff in my very limited Polish, they humor me and give me the goods.
  
  So many ready made items, you can put together dinners for over a week. In addition to that, they have a butcher area. Some items cross nationalities, such as potato pancakes, knishes, and more.
  
  You can get everything here, they have grocery items, fresh produce and they carry liquor also;  from Vodkas, a Polish must have staple, like pasta is to an Italian , to various Polish and other European beers. I'm not a big beer drinker and I always bring home one of their sale beers. Hey it's a sale right!
  
  Bakery selection could use improvement, however they carry a good selection of bread, especially rye.
  
  Yes it is out of the way for some, but remember this place is amply sized and you can complete your shopping list here.
  
  And during the holidays they carry all the specialties.
  
  I should of done this review before eating  dinner, I just made myself hungry. Darn it, double calories, time to nosh.

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  Posted on 07.16.07 G R.

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  In an area loaded with Polish deli's Gene's is a little different.  First, it's not just a Deli, it's a mini grocery store- they've a side parking lot and inside you'll find produce area, canned goods, beer, etc.  You'll know you've found it by the giant cow on the roof!  And the deli counter really is something to see- the longest deli counter I've seen!  I usually order something, even if as a non-Pole I don't know what it is!
  
  This place had it's 15 minutes of fame years back when the Frugal Gourmet paid a visit on his show (alright, enough with the young boy jokes)- it was good enough to put on TV and I'm sure you'll find it's good enough to pay a visit.  'I bid you peace.'

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  Posted on 08.05.06 Mark S.

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