Polish G.I. Delicatessen

A Charming Polish gentleman at the counter just sold me the most delicious mushroom soup chock full of mushrooms and wonderfully flavored. Can’t wait to try the homemade pierogi!

Small spot, not everything’s labeled in the refrigerated cases given the size of the place, so you’re better off knowing what you want. Deli items I got were good though. Service not friendly.

Blink and you’ll miss it. And it will be your loss.
This is a TINY storefront. I mean, it’s close to those itsy-​bitsy lottery/​cigarette/​gum places you see everywhere.
But look for it. Because for that tiny of a store, their stock is incredible.
The (I assume) owner seems to believe it is his responsibility to fatten you up. Not that I need any help with that, I’ve been quite successful at reaching that goal in my more than I’d like to admit to years, but he was reminiscent of my dear Polish-​Ukranian babushka in how he pretty much gave you no other option but eat lots of freebie stuff, and then stuffed a chocolate bar in the bag.
For those who know their stuff: they have that Polish tomato paste in small jars that pack a punch, they have Sorrel for your schav (green borscht) and they have all the canned yummies you crave.
Their butter is impressive in that it carries Vologodskoye, which is a MUST.
Their baked goods are yummy without being excessively sweet. Don’t be put off by their seeming heavy in your hands — they are NOT in your mouth and, more importantly, your tummy.
The whitefish is REALLY good. There’s a kitchen in the back and that’s where it’s made. That’s actually where everything you crave is made.
Though about ¹⁄₅ the size of East Village Meat Market, they seem to pack about 3x the variety.
There was a line. But I will say this: locals know where to shop.
I am really glad I found this store (easy trip for me: M15 to Russ & Daughters/​East Village Meat Market/​This shop/​M15 back) that covers all my bases. Disclaimer: you may buy so much you’ll end up flying down one of the very plentiful cabs in the area.
My thanks to previous reviewers for helping me find this tiny jem that packs a Slavic punch. Trust me — I know my Slavic.
(They have those tiny jars shaped like a mushroom that are totally worth the price — albeit I prefer Maslyata (Slippery Jacks) to Boletus/​Boroviki, but this is the opposite of usual; you will love the Boletus).
P. S. I have a crush on the owner. He’s FUNNY and fed me. All I need in life, really.

Love this place!!! Awesome food. Great service!
The house cooked sausage is some of the best. Their fish filets are some of the best.

Family owned, and though I’ve never been to Poland, it sure seems authentic. Tasty food and friendly service, I may never go to Poland and just spend all the flight money at this shop deli instead.

The man behind the counter is very sweet :) He knows how to make first-​time patrons feel welcome.

This shop looks like nothing special, but they have great stuff. The selection of cold cuts, especially for such a small place, is very good (e.g., different kinds of head cheese and bacon). They’re cooked food, particularly the baked sausages topped with paprika, is fantastic.

I’m so excited to find this little gem! My husband, who’s part polish by the way, and I just got done dropping off our daughter at her summer camp when we saw the deli. The moment we stepped it, we knew it was the real deal. The pastries by the window, the assortment of Polish sausages and the owners behind the counter… oh we’re they the nicest ever!!! I even got a big sample of their freshly baked kielbasa. It was excellent!!!
Overall, it a great go-​to-​place for authentic Polish food that’s hard to come by nowadays.
We’ll be stopping by there again!

Best homemade Borscht and other delicious dishes. The nicest owners ever who always give me a free treat. One of the few old school NYC gems left! You definitely want to make the trip here. It’s the best!

Let me preface this by saying that I love Polish food, and loved the pierogi shop down the street from this one dearly, until it closed. Then I tried this one, and unfortunately for me and my boyfriend, we received a horrible case of food poisoning. I had come into the shop just before close and noticed some of the meats/​sausages were out on the counter, but I thought it was just because they were closing up – nope, pretty sure after a horrific 36 hours of I’ll-spare-you-the-details, they leave the food on the counter all day. I know it was their food because my boyfriend and I were both sick as dogs and this was the only meal we had shared together in 48 hours. Beware, Polish food lovers!

What a gem! My cousins and best friend are Polish, so I planned a Tłusty Czwartek party for them. The owners put aside a dozen pączki for me, I assumed they would run out. How could I leave without buying two dozen pierogi and some kielbasa? All plates were wiped clean, smiles all around the table. Smacznego!

Loved this place! The pork and chicken burger patties are delicious. The sausage is delish. And the guy who served me was so friendly! He made me laugh through the entire transaction. Friendly store with over 20 years of history on that location. Also they have great polish beer that is super strong! Try it, you won’t regret it.
And the cutest part is the have these little old polish ladies who cook the food. They’re like little grandmas and the food they make is great. Who doesn’t like grandmas cooking?

This is small family owned specialty grocery store. We came by cause we wanted really good handmade pierogis. It is something we miss in Burlington and look forward to when we visit my parents in NYC. A kind older man waved us in when we looked in and when we got to the counter, which had pleasant home cooked smells and a stack of hot kielbasas ready for sale. The owner fed us samples of kielbasa and freshly fried white fish. We were charmed by this place and decided to pick up spinach, sauerkraut and mushroom, and cheese pierogis plus two potato latkes. We got all of this for $ 28. Really reasonable and we brought the food to cook at my parent’s house. Delicious and authentic, reminding me of the wonderful Polish and Ukrainian restaurants in the East Village that I ate at as a kid. The sauerkraut and mushroom and the spinach were my favorite. We are definitely coming back again to pick up food here.

Walked in and felt like I was home. The husband and wife duo are two outstanding people. The husband kept having me try everything, by the time I left I was stuffed. Everything was outstanding. When I gave the food to my 82 year old polish mother to try, all she did was smile. Best fresh kielbasa I’ve had in decades. The Golumkis were tasteful and perfectly cooked. You want great polish food from two great people this is the place.

David is the man I come here for my routine lunch break the moment I walk in he greets me like he hasn’t seen me for years hands me a sample of their freshest cooked food of the day. This place has such a scent it’s a nice home cooked food smell that you would get when you come to your moms house I can see why they are around for so long and I hope they will stick around for double that.
My recommendation is to try everything you will not be left disappointed I swear to that.
If your into eating cheap nasty artificial food that will make you sit on the toilet long enough to read the entire New York post then go across the street… Lol :) only locals will understand this. ;)

Small store with a lot of products. Owner was pleasant and helpful. Was a busy place during the time we were there.

This is the best polish deli ever!!! the food is so fresh and yum! The owners are so friendly and helpful. A cute mom and pop deli!
Good quality food and friendly service! two thumbs up :)

I go to The Polish GI at least twice a week for years. Can’t tell you what’s best: the food, the people, the choices of hot home made goodies, the bread, the doughnuts, the polish sausage or the ham of the bone. Or maybe the Hungarian salami or the Russian salad, or the half sour pickles .
Or the free samples?
I just don’t know!
So you go and try it. The day will come when these gems of mom and pop stores will all be gone and the Korean and Pakistani deli ‘s will take it all over.

Best bacon, best sausage, kielbasa… I could go on. One of the last cute mom and pop delis left in the east village. Let’s hope this place never closes. Quality foods, friendly service. Reminds me of the old delicatessen on 1^st and saint marks (now a dive bar…)
Support local!

How the hell does this place only have 13 reviews? NYC Unilocalers man, step up your game! You don’t have to go to Greenpoint for excellent Polish food within your city. You can find it right here in the East Village.
This really nice older couple runs this store and have graced this block with an extraordinary selection of hand crafted Polish foods. The pierogies come pre-​packaged and in numerous flavors (I tried potato & onion, sauerkraut & mushroom, and minced meat), but after frying them up, they were absolutely incredible. We were provided with some samples of kielbasa which quite literally was the best rendition of the sausage I have ever tasted. I managed to bring back some stuffed cabbage to DC, but I’d really like to try that item fresh. There are all sorts of packaged goods to choose from as well (think chocolates and the like) and each day, they cook up some Polish favorites (like potato pancakes, etc.). As a final bonus, my total bill for three packages of pierogies, one package of stuffed cabbage leaves, and one kielbasa was a mere $ 36.
This would be a regular stop for me if I lived in NYC and I’m not even Polish. But hey, if you don’t believe me, look at the scant amount of other reviews from people who are Polish that agree with me. This place is legitimately awesome, and it’s near secret status in NYC is shocking considering how long it has been open.