Syrena Market - Polski Sklep Maspeth — Restaurant in New York

I’ll start off by saying that I really almost never write negative reviews but my experience last night at Syrena Market really necessitates it.

I have been going to Syrena market since childhood for afterschool snacks when the old Polish Saturday school was open in the nearby Holy Cross elementary school.

On Sunday, December 1 at about 7:30 in the evening, I visited Syrena market. I bought four products and the total should have been approximately $18. I checked my card statement Tuesday night and discovered that I had actually been charged $180.88 ! Of course I called the deli and asked how to go about getting my money back as I no longer have the receipt as I don’t typically save receipts for grocery items (lesson learned). I spoke with one person over the phone who told me to simply bring the card in, but I got a different person when I visited the store last night. When I got there, I explained that I had already called about the issue and showed him my bank statement which had the name of the store, location, date and time of purchase - to support everything I said and showed him the card itself.

Immediately, he said there is absolutely no way he can give me my money back without the original receipt. I told him all the information for my purchase is there, including the location and name of the store. He even went so far as to accuse the purchase of being at “the Syrena in Brooklyn.” I asked him, don’t you have cameras? $180 is a lot to spend in a little deli and I’m sure there was proof of me only bringing 4 items to the counter. He said that he did, but he couldn’t check them right now. Then I asked him, well don’t you have the merchant copy of the receipt and can’t you compare the last four numbers on the card? I noted that I remember signing a receipt when I made my purchase. Again he denied that he had any such merchant copy of the receipt. We went back and forth with those same 2 requests about checking the cameras and his own copies of receipts for about 10 minutes and he still refused. I was truly lost with where to go from here and I walked out in tears. I called my family who searched and luckily was able to find the receipt in the plastic bag I bought the original four grocery items. I immediately went back to the store and presented him with the picture of the receipt. At first, he said that the “coloring” of my 2! pictures of the receipt was “off.” Then, he said OK let me check the “batch number.” he then proceeded to pull out several bags of receipts showing that he DID in fact always have said “merchant copies” of receipt. Finally after a very embarrassing ordeal, my money was given back and he mumbled an “I’m sorry.” That’s the only reason I’ve chosen to give two stars.

The fact that these copies of the receipts as well as the camera footage was always at his disposal, but he chose not to make use of it is the part that I just can’t comprehend. I cannot, for the life of me, remember a time in my life where I was treated like that at a store and I will...

9/2022 update: I find the older owner to be pleasant and attentive. The younger one is brash and leaves the cash register unattended, goes outside, or talks on his phone, while the one girl is drowning in customers. He is also rude to his employees.

The new older female employee, who has worked in several stores in Maspeth (like the now closed Grand Ave produce store), was unacceptably rude to a group of non-caucasian middle schoolers purchasing multiple bags of ice. It was evident she was suspicious of them and treated them like delinquents.

6/2020 update: 2 ⭐ Since mask use is required, I have been here twice. Each time, the girl slicing the deli meat wasn't wearing a mask and the younger owner had his nose and part of his mouth exposed.

5/2019 review: 5 🌟 I have been shopping here since the 1990's, when my grandfather would send me "do Araba". The older owner is a genuinely lovely man and has great staff.

It is a smaller store, but it is crammed full of Polish goodies. Syrena has become a staple in the Maspeth...

beware there are thief's working there!!!!,I bought two items there l,did not pay attention,payed with the debit card ,then I noticed I was overcharged over double the price that it should be(28.13$) so I went back didn't say anything and put same two items on the counter,same girl told me that now I owe 23$!!!!when I asked of a price of each item she started to stutter didn't know what to say,she makes up prices on the spot!that was my last visit and I highly recommend you find...