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Aldi
Rating Details »
Neighborhood: DePaul
1836 N. Clybourn Ave
(between Willow St & Wisconsin St)
Chicago, IL 60614
1836 N. Clybourn Ave
(between Willow St & Wisconsin St)
Chicago, IL 60614
- Nearest Transit:
-
Armitage (Purple Express, Brown)
- Hours:
Mon-Fri. 9:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m.
Sat-Sun. 9:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m.
- Price Range:
-
$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
5 reviews for Aldi
Huzzah! Aldi on Clybourn has arrived!
As a frequent Aldi shopper (I used to go to the one on Milwaukee near Wicker Park), I am so impressed and glad this one now exists. It is clean, brightly lit, had wide aisles and is nowhere near as tiny as some of the other Aldis I've been to. I wouldn't say that they have a greater selection than any other Aldi, but the set-up is a lot friendlier, and doesn't make me want to tear my hair out or shake negligent parents who let their children run amok.
Seriously, this place is it. I spent 45 bucks on 4 bags of a groceries here last week. Spent another 45 bucks in Trader Joe's upstairs for a single bag.
I had never heard of Aldi's until we moved to Chicago. It sounded trashy when people talked about it. I'd hear convos like "it's great, just don't get milk/produce/meat?. Uh, okaaay....why go at all then? Gross.
So I was confused when I heard that one was opening in between J Alexanders and Trader Joe's in Lincoln Park. I mean, wouldn't the snootys of LP protest so a gross store in their 'hood?
Well, I had to check it out and see if it's worth it. And it was just okay. Definitley the place for frozen food goods! Appetizers galore! Also cereal for less than $2 a box. Score! But yeah, as far as fresh goods, no thanks...icky lookin' stuff there.
The entrance is confusing. The store is enormous with not much product in it. But yeah for big aisles I suppose. And for the Sunday afternoon before Thanksgiving this place maybe had 10 people in it.
Oh, and they asked me if I wanted to order my entire Thanksgiving meal through them. Yeah, no thanks.
I will be back for some cereal and frozen foods. I can finally say I've been to an Aldi's. But I think Trader Joe's next door will still get the majority of my paycheck on this block.
Husband says this place makes him sad.
It's usually an excited, "hey, let's go to the grocery store!" followed by a soft, distant "like that new Aldi, I guess..."
It's not a bad place. It challenges blind allegiance to brand names, which I can get behind. But it also makes me really nervous that they've found some loophole around the FDA. But after girding the loins of consumer self-protection, I'm ok with it.
In the balance:
- Produce is obscenely cheap! ... But may be coated with a gray film that transforms you into the world's most compulsive fruit washer.
- Chips and snacks are cheap! ... But MSG and high fructose corn syrup are pretty much guaranteed.
- Meat, cheese, and eggs are PETA-video cheap... yeah that's pretty much it.
The crate-stacking layout isn't very short-person friendly. But the store is super clean, and they have this HUGE table after checkout for backpackers to actually lay out their purchases before packing everything up.
That said, this place is worth the frozen food section alone. There are far more options with legit ingredients, and plenty of the tasty + cheap variety. And cheap frozen fish does not phase me in the least, unlike other cheap animal byproducts (Sorry, PETA! Fish are food.)
I happened upon this Aldi in it's second day of existence in the building that houses Trader Joe's.
Pros:
* Cheap prices; half a dozen bagels for less than $2! Shazam!
* Convenient for picking up the items you couldn't find at TJ's.
* I got a nice, big eco-friendly shopping bag for free.
* Well lit, clean and wide aisles.
* Friendly employees.
Cons: (I've never been to Aldi before so some of these may be standard Aldi-isms)
* Both Clybourn entrances have stairs so it's not cart friendly. You can take the elevator, but it is painfully pokey.
* The produce section is pretty skimpy, many items are pre-packaged so you can't pick the perfect items and usually end up with more than you want/need.
* There are no shelves, items are stocked in their shipping boxes Costco-style. It made it harder to locate items (at least for me).
I couldn't do all of my shopping here, but for some basic staples you can't beat the price.
TIPS for other Aldi newbies:
(1) They don't accept credit cards, but they do take debit
(2) If you don't bring your own bags you will have to pay for them
(3) Refundable cart rental is $0.25
Aldi is great! This location makes it greater!!! The location is a bit on the small size, but space is at a premium in Lincoln Park so that is completely forgivable. It's brightly lit, clean, and has nearly everything a larger Aldi has.
I'm so happy that Aldi moved in right next to Trader Joe's; you can get your staples (flour, frozen goods, etc.) for cheap here and then run upstairs to spend your savings on gourmet cheese & prepackaged Indian food. Being able to get all of your grocery shopping done in one building is amazing.