# What grocery stores are in your area **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [January 30, 2005, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-grocery-stores-are-in-your-area/287353 "2005-01-30T01:19:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Lissla\_Lissar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8491ac/32.png) [@Lissla\_Lissar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lissla_Lissar)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2005, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-grocery-stores-are-in-your-area/287353/61 "2005-02-01T19:18:34Z")
Huh. The Whole Foods here is in the most frigging expensive shopping district we’ve got. The customers just make me want to run off with their cars and wallets. ---
**Author:** ![carimwc](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ac8455/32.png) [@carimwc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carimwc)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2005, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-grocery-stores-are-in-your-area/287353/62 "2005-02-01T19:30:05Z")
> [@Lute Skywatcher](#): > > There’s a Greatland Target (aka Super Target) in the old Montgomery Ward builing in Seven Corners. Don’t forget Han Ah Reum in Fairfax too. There’s also a Wegman’s out in Loudoun co. with a new one supposedly coming to Fairfax soon. There’s also an Aldi in Alexandria, in the Fairfax co. side. I used to do my shopping at Shopper’s and Harris Teeter. Shopper’s was right down the street and cheap, with lots of Asian, Hispanic, and Middle Eastern goods. Now I get to shop at HEB and Super Wally World. We have a local supermarkt, Bauman’s, but it’s only really good for the butcher. I also worship at the Central Market. ---
**Author:** ![Missy2U](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/3bc359/32.png) [@Missy2U](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Missy2U)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2005, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-grocery-stores-are-in-your-area/287353/63 "2005-02-01T19:33:46Z")
Chicago 'burbs (NW) Jewel Dominicks Meijer Whole Foods Aldi Trader Joe’s Cub Piggly Wiggly ---
**Author:** ![bouv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bc8723/32.png) [@bouv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bouv)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2005, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-grocery-stores-are-in-your-area/287353/64 "2005-02-01T19:34:54Z")
Well, in my immediate area, there is just Price Chopper (IMO, the best overall grocery store EVER,) and Tops. Tops are the ghetto-est stores on the face of the planet. I have been to some ghetto WInn-Dixie’s in Florida, and the best Tops is worse than the worse Winn-Dixie. The ailes are always filthy, the selection is poor, and probably pretty old (the Tops right near me used to be a Grand Union, and they went bankrupt four years ago, and i’m sure some of the food from the grand Union is still in there.) If I expand the region to include “The Northeast”, then I also have Stop n’ Shop (Or maybe Shop 'n Save? Both?), Hannaford, and Shaw’s. There were Grand Unions all over the damn place, but, well, that chain went by-bye, although there is the occaisional Grand Union STore, or something to that effect, which I think are either stores that were boguht by the local owner, or someone bought the name to use after the company went away. Oh, and **Shagnasty** : there are no P-chops in Boston? I thought they were all over NY and New England. ---
**Author:** ![caveman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/caveman/32/7242_2.png) [@caveman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/caveman)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2005, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-grocery-stores-are-in-your-area/287353/65 "2005-02-01T19:54:50Z")
Hereabouts we have H-E-B, which has spoiled me for any other supermarket around. I’ve no stake in the company, but I’ve always received amazing service, and am very happy that they’ve not hopped aboard the loyalty card bandwagon. Acme, Krogers, Giant, Eagle, and others I’ve encountered in my travels make me appreciate it even if I can’t get a case of birch beer. There are also Albertsons and Randalls, the former of which is generally crummy and the latter, pricey. This being Austin, there are also several Whole Foods (including the new corportate HQ/flagship coming downtown), 2 Central Markets (owned by H-E-B), a couple Sun Harvest (which is owned by some regional or national chain these days, but I can’t think of the name), a Fiesta, as well as a handful of Co-ops I can’t walk into for fear of being sniffed out as having voted Repubican a few times. ---
**Author:** ![Nametag](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nametag/32/406_2.png) [@Nametag](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nametag)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2005, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-grocery-stores-are-in-your-area/287353/66 "2005-02-01T20:21:42Z")
Right around here ('twixt Napa and Vallejo) we have Raley’s, Safeway, Albertsons, Food4Less, Nob Hill, Costco, Trader Joe’s, and Vallerga’s; there are smaller places in some neighborhoods. In the parts of the Greater San Francisco Bay Area that I’ve been to, I’ve also seen Lucky, Whole Foods, Andronico’s, Pak ‘n’ Save (or is it Pay ‘n’ Save? The one in Berkeley had the letters in squares), Cala Foods, and… others? ---
**Author:** ![Redwing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/dfb087/32.png) [@Redwing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Redwing)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2005, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-grocery-stores-are-in-your-area/287353/67 "2005-02-01T20:34:45Z")
> [@Motorgirl](#): > > The only thing that really matters about the Boston Metro area supermarket situation is that we don’t have a Wegmans. ☹ > > But in addition to Shaw’s/Star, Stop&Shop & ones that others have mentioned, we also have Johhnie’s Foodmaster. Some Johnnie’s are kinda crappy, some are good, none are luxurious. The one near my house is one of the good ones. Selection is mediocre, but the prices are good & the staff are very nice. Well there’s also some Wild Oats stores in Saugus and Andover. ---
**Author:** ![kiz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/7feea3/32.png) [@kiz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kiz)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2005, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-grocery-stores-are-in-your-area/287353/68 "2005-02-01T21:11:20Z")
> [@bouv](#): > > Oh, and **Shagnasty** : there are no P-chops in Boston? I thought they were all over NY and New England. I’m not Shagnasty, but the only Price Chopper in the Boston area is out on Route 1 in Walpole. They’re primarily a west-of-Worcester chain – I think their corporate offices are in Springfield. ---
**Author:** ![BurnMeUp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/91b2a8/32.png) [@BurnMeUp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BurnMeUp)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2005, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-grocery-stores-are-in-your-area/287353/69 "2005-02-01T21:12:50Z")
Here in Western Washington (and within an 8 mile radius of my house) we have: Albertson’s Safeway Larry’s Market (upscale gourmet type) Whole Foods PCC (Hippy Co-op) Trader Joe’s Fred Meyer - I guess this counts sinc eit does have a gorcery component QFC (Quality Food Center) Uwajimaya - A chain of Asian supermarkets A wide selection of Indian markets A few Mexican markets ---
**Author:** ![ColonelDax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/71e660/32.png) [@ColonelDax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ColonelDax)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2005, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-grocery-stores-are-in-your-area/287353/70 "2005-02-01T21:49:13Z")
We used to shop at Safeway when I was growing up in Washington, D.C. I always had the impression the area was a duopoly between Safeway and Giant, although I don’t know how accurate that is. Here in London, I usually go to the Waitrose on Marylebone High Street. As has been noted, Netherlands-based Ahold owns Tops, as well as Stop & Shop, Giant and Peapod. The company just sold Bi-Lo and Bruno’s to Lone Star Funds, a private-equity house. Delhaize Group, located in Brussels, owns Food Lion, Hannaford, Kash n’ Karry (which is being rebranded as Sweetbay Supermarket) and Harveys. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2005, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-grocery-stores-are-in-your-area/287353/71 "2005-02-01T22:53:33Z")
> [@ColonelDax](#): > > We used to shop at Safeway when I was growing up in Washington, D.C. I always had the impression the area was a duopoly between Safeway and Giant, although I don’t know how accurate that is. How long ago was this? They still have the lion’s share of the market but I don’t think they’ve had a duopoly in that time that I’ve been here. A bunch of the old cube-shaped Safeway stores dating from the '50s are now Mom & Pop operations and there’s all the other chains metioned earlier. ---
**Author:** ![Agrippina](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8797f3/32.png) [@Agrippina](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Agrippina)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2005, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-grocery-stores-are-in-your-area/287353/72 "2005-02-01T22:56:08Z")
In Kansas City: Hy-Vee, Hen House, Sunfresh, and Price Chopper ---
**Author:** ![CynicalGabe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3e96dc/32.png) [@CynicalGabe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CynicalGabe)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2005, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-grocery-stores-are-in-your-area/287353/73 "2005-02-02T00:10:49Z")
Central Valley, CA Nugget Safeway Albertsons Roadside markets … … and WalMart. ---
**Author:** ![racinchikki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/eada6e/32.png) [@racinchikki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/racinchikki)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2005, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-grocery-stores-are-in-your-area/287353/74 "2005-02-02T01:03:44Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > The other chains – Grand Union, ShopRite, Great American, Albany Pubic Market, A&P, P&C – are either bankrupt or pulled out of the area… Haha pubic market > [@bouv](#): > > There were Grand Unions all over the damn place, but, well, that chain went by-bye, although there is the occaisional Grand Union STore, or something to that effect, which I think are either stores that were boguht by the local owner, or someone bought the name to use after the company went away. There’s a Grand Union in Valatie. I worked there two summers ago. It’s a very small chain owned by a larger company whose name I have forgotten (the name on the paychecks was GU Markets). I can’t remember where the rest of the GU Markets were, though. ---
**Author:** ![Bambi\_Hassenpfeffer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Bambi\_Hassenpfeffer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bambi_Hassenpfeffer)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2005, 12:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-grocery-stores-are-in-your-area/287353/75 "2005-02-02T12:07:41Z")
> [@danceswithcats](#): > > In south central PA there is […] Publix […]. Don’t take this with any kind of attitude on my part, but no, there isn’t. Publix is only in FL, GA, AL, SC, and TN currently. Anyway, in my area I have several to choose from. The ones I shop at: [ol][li]Publix, where I do almost all of my shopping. Clean, well-lit, excellent customer service and fresh departments.[/li][li]SuperTarget, where I go for the things that the local Publixes don’t / can’t carry. Similarly clean and well-lit, with helpful associates.[/ol][/li] The ones I won’t touch: [ol][li]Albertson’s: Always seems to have this weird smell, and overpriced. Has a club card, which I hate – without the card, everything is too expensive.[/li][li]Kash 'n Karry: Dirty and unpleasant. Currently being rebranded as Sweetbay, which isn’t all that different from Kash 'n Karry, once you see it. Again, club card, and the rudest employees I’ve found.[/li][li]Super Wal-Mart: political reasons, as well as cleanliness issues. Cheapest, but not worth it as long as I can afford not to shop there.[/li][li]Winn-Dixie: ugh. What **ivylass** said. Like Kash 'n Karry, but absolutely filthy. Club card too, and if you don’t have it you’ll pay through the nose. My brother worked in one long ago, and I will _never_ shop in one again. Especially his.[/li][li]Save-A-Lot: only the truly poor shop in this one, as a rule.[/li][\*]U-Save: see Save-A-Lot[/ol] ---
**Author:** ![mlerose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/43a26b/32.png) [@mlerose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mlerose)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2005, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-grocery-stores-are-in-your-area/287353/76 "2005-02-02T16:40:56Z")
The markets in Denver are probably the same as those in Colorado Springs, though I would add Whole Foods (Whole Paycheck, I like to call it), Wild Oats, and Sunflower market. There’s only one Sunflower in Colorado, but it’s the only market that reminds me somewhat of my favorite grocery store ever: Berkeley Bowl, in Berkeley. I desperately miss Berkeley Bowl. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-grocery-stores-are-in-your-area/287353.md?page=3)