Many of my friends stopped shopping there years ago, and finally I joined their ranks and now take advantage of rare visits to Houston to buy Russian food and souvenirs. Prices are high, and quality is the worst of any Russian store I've visited over the years. Some savvy recent immigrants from Russia can tell when candy is fresh and when not to buy, but for a more inexperienced shopper, there is a high chance of ending up with stale products. Sasha doesn't seem to care about repeat business, he wants to sell what's on his shelves at any cost. If your child pokes a finger into some package and dents the sweet roll while you are looking away, you will find it added to your bill. And beware of specials: ""buy 3, get one free"" doesn't mean ""buy 6, you'll get two free"". No more Sasha for me, I'll wait for another trip to Houston, where there is healthy competition and stores have to win their customers.
Pros: the only Russian food store in Austin
Cons: expired food, poor customer service
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