Gil Mart polish buffet

hi there: I started a new job and two of the women I work with were talking about heading to a place called Gil Mart on Archer (near 50th) to partake in their Polish buffet at the back of the store. I have eaten (and shopped) at Bobak's many times and ate once at Szalas up the road, but I have never heard of this Gil Mart. Can anybody provide any insight or past experiences? They said it was at 50th and Archer. Thanks in advance.

bjt

Hi,

If you do a search on LTH as Gilmart, then you will find some mentions. Meanwhile I am sure others will comment on their experiences.

Regards,

I did do a search on Gil Mart and I didn't find any mentions . . . lots of love for Bobak's and a few threads on buffets but no mentions of Gil Mart. That's why I posted because it seems a little off the radar (but so close to Bobak's!) so I wondering if anybody had been there. Thanks.

bjt

Hi,

I did a search as GILMART and found some mentions. If you look as GIL MART, then you do not find a thing.

I have been to Gilmart once or twice. The first visit I already had eaten at Bobak's buffet, which has changed dramatically recently. Gilmart's food offerings were served Eastern European canteen style. Nothing fancy, good value and seemed to be well executed food. While Bobaks is a Chicago style ethnic store, I found at Gilmart I was in Poland akin to going to Mitsuwa's for a Japanese culture immersion. I walk out the door and back in Illinois.

Regards,

Cathy2, thanks for the hand-holding on the search specifics! bummer about Bobak's, we often headed there after flying into Midway, ravenous of course. (And I am kind of shocked that they got rid of their liquor department, I was always impressed with the massive amounts of very large bottles of vodka.)
I think I am up for checking out Gilmart and if it doesn't look like what I am after, I can always head over to Szalas to put away some comforting meatballs while staring the stuffed bear down.
thanks again,

bjt

Gilmart has closed, unfortunately.

cybermud wrote:Gilmart has closed, unfortunately.

I was by there over the weekend, their door signage indicates they will reopen in Glenview.

Seeing is believing, because no address was provided.

Regards,

Yeah, that sign's been up there since it closed down like three or so months ago. I'm not exactly holding my breath, either. The whole Gilmart fiasco was a bit of a mess, with it closing down, reopening under new ownership, and then closing down shortly thereafter.

Im sorry to hear they closed. I used to visit there in the early 90's when I got a Credit Union Account at Archer Heights next door. I'm african American. I was always impressed by how helpful, welcoming, and respecftful everyone responded to me. I got to learn a lot about the food and had good, experiences.

beelewis wrote:Im sorry to hear they closed. I used to visit there in the early 90's when I got a Credit Union Account at Archer Heights next door. I'm african American. I was always impressed by how helpful, welcoming, and respecftful everyone responded to me. I got to learn a lot about the food and had good, experiences.

[begin middle aged man musings]
Oh, wow. That's like way back when they first opened. I'm not sure what year it was, but in the Gilmart space used to be a big hardware store called "Steven's" or "Stevenson's" or something like that, when one day in the late 80s, there was a huge fired that burned the place down. I must have been in 7th or 8th grade, which would have put it at around 1987-88. From those ashes, Gilmart arose, and became quite a meeting point for the Polish-American community of Archer Heights. Place was always jam packed and you felt like you stepped into another country, another reality, whenever you stepped through its doors. You probably also remember Miami Bowl across the street then? Closed in 2004 (I still have the bowling pin I got to keep from being there on the last day). They still haven't developed that area. Just a big, open chunk of nothing on the major intersection of Archer & Pulaski (well, a tiny bit southwest of that, technically.)
[end middle aged man musings]

Binko wrote:Gilmart arose, and became quite a meeting point for the Polish-American community of Archer Heights. Place was always jam packed and you felt like you stepped into another country, another reality, whenever you stepped through its doors. You probably also remember Miami Bowl across the street then? Closed in 2004 (I still have the bowling pin I got to keep from being there on the last day). They still haven't developed that area. Just a big, open chunk of nothing on the major intersection of Archer & Pulaski (well, a tiny bit southwest of that, technically.)
[end middle aged man musings]

A visit to Gilmart was a visit to Poland. Absolutely.

Bobaks down the street feels like a Pole in America.

Regards,