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That's Polish for "milk bar", an invention of the post-war Communist government to make sure the poor could afford to eat. Twenty years after the fall of Communism, there aren't very many left, and they don't have the state subsidy that they once had, but you can still find them if you look. You can still get a complete meal for under a dollar, and if you have two dollars to splurge with, you can buy a feast. The closest thing in the United States would probably be a franchise cafeteria where you get your tray at the entrance and load it up as you slide it along to the cashier. Unfortunately, all the ones in the U.S. are set up as profit-making enterprises, and they would think you crazy if you asked them to set up in poor communities and charge reduced, subsidized prices.
Oh, one more thing. The food at a bar mleczny is hearty peasant food, heavy on the vegetables with not a whole lot of meat, much healthier than greasy hamburgers and fries.
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