Surdyk's Liquor & Cheese Shop — Attraction in Minneapolis

I have been going to Surdyk’s for a while and felt compelled to write a review after a the worse experience I have ever had with any company anywhere in my entire life.

I entered the store 8 minutes before its closing and while looking for a specific craft beer was approached by Pete the supervisor and aggressively scolded in a raised voice for apparently entering a side door (which I did not do, I entered the main entrance automatic door next to the cheese store). I proceeded to defend myself by telling the supervisor that I had in fact entered through the main entrance, and then mentioned that I did not appreciate being treated like a child. Pete then became extremely confrontational and began yelling at me before turning to a different younger customer (perhaps the actual culprit) to yell at him as well. A different employee then herded me out of the store since it was approaching closing time. As I passed Pete the supervisor on the way out, I made it a point to look on his name tag and voiced “Pete”, which prompted Pete to initiate another round of angry yelling, and made it clear to me that he is indeed the supervisor. As I continued to the door and was about to exit, a lady at the checkout counter decided to take a stab at me as well, telling me: “That’s right, run away.” I am not sure it was fair to say I was running away since I was being kicked-out of the store.

At the very least this was a very bizarre and disappointing experience. Although it brought back some of the nostalgia I feel about my Drill Instructors from Officer Candidates School, that’s no way to treat a customer. Clearly this business, its management, and employees do not understand the importance of customer service. I will certainly never go...

Such an awesome place! I've followed them on Instagram for over 6 months, and I finally had a chance to visit them while in the Twin Cities. We visited on a Saturday morning and there was plenty of parking in the lot right in front of the store. There are two entrances because, of course, Minnesota separates alcohol from other goods.

The liquor store has a lot packed into a small space. This is not a bargain shop; you'll pay a premium, but you can find many items here that you cannot find anywhere else. My husband discovered a bourbon he's been looking for for about 10 years, while I found several new ciders to try.

Then there was the cheese shop/cafe. Oh wow. Wow. Wow. For a cheese-obsessed person such as myself (check out my other reviews and the theme is pretty obvious) this is a dream store. An expensive dream, but well, that's reality for you. Just as with the liquor store, at the cheese counter you'll find a diverse selection of domestic and international artisan goodies that you won't find many other places. In my handbasket, I accumulated an eclectic mix of soft cheeses from Australia and France, plus one from Tennessee and two from local maker Alemar. I also grabbed a rose hip jelly that I haven't had before.

Most of the people in line that morning were there for coffee, and with reason--my husband bought a cup as well and found it to be excellent. The nearby pastry case had some incredible looking offerings, too, but those will need to wait for a return visit. There WILL...

I've been a customer for over a decade, but I think today was the last time. The entrance for the liquor side feels very claustrophobic after the remodel. It's aesthetically displeasing how narrow the aisle with the liqueurs looks. It really gives a sensation of being in a haphazard attempt to emulate a chain store. As unsettling as entering the liquor side is, it was the behavior of an employee that has soured the atmosphere more than anything. I made my way to the registers, and saw a couple people waiting in line at one, with no line at the other. I began browsing the endcaps and impulse buys near the registers to see if there was anything worth an investment. I never got within 6 feet of another customer near the checkouts. The register with the line seemed to be moving through it at a good pace while there was only one party checking out at the other. As my browsing brought me closer to that register I was a bit curious about what the delay was since the last customers in the other line had reached the register, and I realized that he wasn't actually doing his job. Instead he was having a personal conversation with some of his friends that had come to shop and visit. I believe he realized that I was in earshot as I noticed a look of embarrassment in his eyes, which quickly turned to anger. He began yelling at me to go away. His hostility is...