Kramarczuk's Sausage Co. Inc. — Restaurant in Minneapolis

Second experience and response :

Hello,

I appreciate your response and the clarification around your parking policy. I want to emphasize that I understand and respect the posted signs and the expectation that customers only park while shopping at Kramarczuk's. That said, I chose to return today and give the store another try, keeping this policy in mind. I parked on the street to avoid any further confusion, as I was also picking up a smoothie from a nearby store.

Unfortunately, what I experienced again today was not a matter of misinterpreting the rules—it was the continued attitude and behavior of the staff, particularly the individual monitoring the parking lot. Yesterday, I was approached in a manner I felt was aggressive and borderline harassing. As a woman, having someone stand in front of my car, watching and waiting, felt unnecessary and intimidating.

Today, I encountered a similar atmosphere. As soon as I entered the store, employees began speaking in their native language and made remarks that included “let’s go tell Andre,” followed by someone quickly running out to the parking lot. It was clear there was an assumption being made about my intentions. Thankfully, I was not parked in your lot this time and did not have to deal with further escalation.

While I still enjoyed the chocolate bar—something I have routinely stopped in for during my lunch breaks—the service and environment continue to leave me disappointed. I’ve been a loyal customer for some time, but it’s difficult to return to a place where I feel watched and unwelcome.

As an immigrant myself, I respect and admire the history and legacy Kramarczuk’s holds. However, mutual respect is essential. I’m not trying to sabotage your reputation, but rather share an honest account of how I was treated—not once, but twice. As soon as I’m able to find another store that carries the chocolate from back home, I will likely take my business elsewhere to avoid this uncomfortable and disheartening experience.

—————————————————————————— First experience:

I had a very disappointing experience here. The restaurant offers parking for customers, so I parked and went in to purchase a dessert. As I was leaving the store next door—after already buying something from the restaurant—a staff member who was standing in the parking lot approached me in an extremely rude and aggressive manner. He told me that if I didn’t move my car immediately, it would be towed.

His attitude was completely unnecessary and unprofessional, especially considering I was a paying customer. This kind of treatment leaves a bad impression. I won’t be returning, and I wouldn’t recommend this place to anyone who values...

I have seen people raving about Kramarczuk’s Sausage Company online and have had people tell me I need to go here so I stopped by this last weekend. Some of this food I also grew up eating so the expectations may have been just a tad bit higher. Unfortunately, I found the food to be underwhelming, and I think I may have been overcharged as well. I wouldn’t come back here and would rather just make this food at home next time.

I ordered a cup of borscht and two meat pierogi. The soup was mainly broth with a small amount of beets or cabbage (I couldn’t tell) and two very small pieces of meat. It was also a bit oily, but I read this could be from the meat cooking in the broth so I didn’t really mind this much. The pierogi had potential as the meat seemed flavorful but they were served below room temperature (borderline cold). I was confused how this could be the case as the line was moving fairly fast and I saw them on the flat top cooking too. They also seemed a bit old or rubbery as if they had been sitting around for a while. This was a big letdown as I was really looking forward to trying these here.

Now, the part that confused me the most was how much I was charged after tax (without tip). This is the first time I can actually recall second guessing the price because it seemed higher than it should’ve been. I understand they use quality ingredients and make most of this stuff by hand but something was off here as the total seemed quite high. I was in a rush so this didn’t really dawn on me until I was elsewhere. I remember the menu board showing the cup of borscht being $5.49 and the pierogi $2.50 each. However, after tax I was charged $16.11 which would total a 53.57% tax. Even if we use their DoorDash menu prices, the total would’ve been $6.00 for the borscht and $3.00 for each meat pierogi. However, the tax would still be 34.25%. From a dollar standpoint it might not seem like much, but it's a matter of principle, and I don't like that feeling of being overcharged as a consumer. There could be a possibility I am overlooking something here especially if they are feathering in a “gratuity tax” without it being displayed but there needs to be more transparency on your pricing or taxes. It would be great if management could provide...

Kramarczuk’s has been on my list of restaurants to try in Minneapolis St. Paul since 2017. I’ve been by it many times and tried to go one time but the hours on Google Maps was wrong and they had just closed. So I finally got to try it and I regret not stopping in sooner.

It is cafeteria style so you grab a tray and order from different stations, pay then grab a seat.

There are many things that I wanted to try so I have to come back the next time I’m in MPLS.

I settled on three things that I hoped would give me a good sample of what they offered.

Meat Pierogi 4/5. Ordered with Sautéed Onions & Horseradish Sour Cream.

Cup Borshch 5/5. Ordered with sour cream. I believe this may have been the first time I have ever had Borscht. I have traveled in Central Asia and don’t recall eating it there so if I did it was unremarkable. This was very good and I will seeking it out from now on.

Ukrainian Sausage 5/5. Ordered Cossack Style (split with swiss cheese), with Sautéed Oกions & Sauerkraut. Excellent homemade sausage. Wish I could find a place back home with good quality homemade sausages.

I definitely need to get back here sometime to try the Cabbage Roll and...