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Giovanni's Produce & Grocery
Categories: Food Grocery Food Specialty Food Fruits & Veggies Grocery, Fruits & Veggies [Edit]
1600 Liberty StEl Cerrito, CA 94530
(510) 235-1233
- Hours:
Mon-Fri 8 am - 8 pm
Sat-Sun 9 am - 7 pm
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street, Private Lot
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
24 reviews for Giovanni's Produce & Grocery
Review Highlights
24 reviews in English
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Review from Mike C.
El Cerrito, CA
1/27/2012
Good quality produce at excellent prices. That's what this place is known for. I went in for a quick pasta dinner, and was impressed with the selection! Pasta galore, from five or six different makers, and the sauce was cheaper than that big box down the street. They carry one of my favorite beers: Leffe Blonde and the wine selection is great. Customer service is good, and the turkey I ordered for Thanksgiving was delicious!
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Review from Carol K.
Pleasant Hill, CA
1/23/2012
I lived in EC for 6+ years at an apartment not far from Giovanni's. This place has such awesome deals, great employees, and a perfect selection of produce. Because I cook everything from scratch, I'd be stopping by this place almost every other day, getting onions, carrots, parsley, organic apples, bananas (insane deals on bananas and oranges most of the time), and Vital Vittles bread (mmm to the Apple Toasted Walnut and the Sesame Millet flavors).
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Review from Tim C.
El Cerrito, CA
10/23/2011
I LOVE this place. By far the cheapest produce around. Always lots of good stuff to be had. This weekend I got Fuji apples for 10 cents a pound and a 3 lb box of red seedless grapes for 99 cents. Both are perfect. The grapes are sweet but not too sweet. Completely fresh. The apples are firm, juicy and the perfect sweetness. Really friendly people work there too. Can't say enough about the place.
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Review from Lisa f.
Richmond, CA
1/19/2011
This is a great little neighborhood market. It's close to my daughter's school so often after I pick her up, we'll stop by Giovanni's for some veggies or bread to go with dinner.
I love their veggies & fruits in the boxes out front. They may not be the prettiest, but they're usually good enough if you're going to use them that night, or the next. I got brussel sprouts out in the boxes last week for 79 cents/lb. Inside, they were $2.59/lb. I have no idea why the ones outside were so much less, they looked fine, and they tasted fine that night.
There are two negatives about this market:
1. Some if their non-produce items are astronomical in price. I sometimes buy the Niman Ranch ham steak from Trader Joes, and can honestly say I have never paid more than $6 for one. Here at Giovanni's I picked one up, until I saw that it was $15!!! Insanity!!! It went right back into the refrigerator case.
2. Their lack of a fresh meat counter. This would be the perfect market if they had a fresh meat counter. I have heard tales of one being there in the past, but that was before I moved to the area. They really should do something about bringing one back, because I see from the reviews that I'm not the only one missing that element.
Giovanni's gets 4 stars from me. Their produce selection, fresh breads and nice little beer and wine selection greatly outweigh high prices on some of their other items.
Ample parking, both on the street & a small side lot. -
Review from Angela N.
Oakland, CA
1/11/2008
I lived up the street from this store for about a year and some things I loved, some things I didn't.
LOVE the fresh baked bread. Sweet and sourdough...there is nothing like a self-induced carb coma
LOVE the wine...limited in number, but unique and diverse selection
LIKE the produce, while inexpensive, I found on several occasions that it was slightly past ripe or bruised, w/limited organic selections
LIKE the nice variety of grocery items
DISAPPOINTED last summer when my son's favorite snack in the whole wide world, Veggie Booty was recalled (salmonella), it was still on the shelves here 10 days post recall. The clerk removed it from the shelves once I brought it to her attention, who brought it to someone else's attention...neither one had heard of the recall.
FYI-Credit card ok with minimum $10 purchase and I'd avoid the place when middle/high schools get out of class -
Review from Jana S.
1/28/2010
For lack of a better description, what a ... erm.. dichotomous place to buy groceries! First time nipping in/out Monday night, grabbed a few fresh veg, and ogled the rest.
Outside by the sidewalk there are boxes of very well-priced veg that are v mildly marred or scratched....inside they attempt to be half gourmet, and half....neglected? i fairly perused all of the aisles at a race-walk pace, and some of the goods (not joking) are, without a doubt, stale. Then there are fresh little goodies trucked in from small businesses, like Maggiola Baking (baguettes), Cassandra's Cakes (now those are hard to find)...
At one point in their hx, they must have primarily sold Italian goods, as the remnant of that feeling hangs (dare I say, a bit stalely...again) in the air.
But what a convenient neighbrhood place a stone's throw from DN Bart to pick up things for a ratatouille (which is what I did)! I'm glad it's en route to many places I go.
Last note: careful! It's located on a one-way street headed north. And, there is a parking lot next to the joint. -
Review from Dave E.
Richmond, CA
6/29/2006
Very nice produce and people.
They always have some real produce bargains out in front of the store, like honeydews for 50 cents and avocados for a dime. Everyone who works here is very helpful and friendly. Some produce not always a cheap as Monterey Market, but at other times both the quality and prices beat Monterey Market.
And they have excellent bread, rolls and focaccia from a Richmond bakery.
A real old-fashioned neighborhood grocery store.
I really enjoy shopping here. -
Review from jessica m.
Fort Collins, CO
7/18/2007
What a relief- after leaving Oakland for the big EC I've been pretty bummed at the imminent reality of trekking to Berkeley Bowl....and then subsequently wanting to commit mass homicide in their parking lot.....
I digress.
Giovanni's thank the lord has plenty of veggies, beer/wine, and important staples that should balance out any weekly grocery agenda. Lots of reasonably priced sausages, ravioli, and things frozen that can save the day on those 'gee what are we having for dinner' kinda nights.
One star off for the depressing corner where (hopefully soon) a meat market shall be. Hopefully soon, and hopefully with sammy's. -
Review from Lee H.
5/8/2008
I always like an alternative to big box supermarkets and Giovanni's is perfect, plus it's close to our house.
I was expecting the usual corner store with a large selection of junk food and liquor, but instead found a full grocery store including a large selection of produce, tons of dry pasta, canned goods and even a decent selection of wine. There are some great obscure Italian products that you usually have to go to specialty stores for. It's all under one roof at Giovanni's.
There's even an old school transistor style radio propped up on one of the displays by the cash register playing classical music. What a great shopping experience and you're supporting a local family owned business. -
Review from Ellen O.
2/8/2007
Giovanni's market is more than a convenience grocery in a small neighborhood. Its attention to organic foods, fresh produce, good prices, and many Italian wines elevates this tiny oasis to my highest level of favor.
Open 8-8 during weekdays, and 9-7 Saturday and Sunday, you can enjoy Giovanni's smiling staff every day. -
Review from Toni M.
8/5/2010
This is a nice little local grocery, one of three w/in a 2 or 3 mile radius of our house. I tend to go more to Colusa Market or to Young's, primarily because they're more on my regular route. Alan picked up some delicious ears of corn here last week and when we were driving by today after lunch at Huong Tra he thought he saw more corn out front, so we drove back to check it out. No corn, but a couple of boxes w/ small, plastic wrapped cauliflowers, one white, one green, marked 2/$1. We got one white and one green. Inside I found the season's first Gravenstein apples, to my delight. We bought some of those and some 'yellow candy' pluots as well as some sausages for dinner tonight and a few other things. The apple I had this afternoon was tartly crisp and perfect and I look forward to tasting the sausages and a pluot tonight.
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Review from Tina J.
Berkeley, CA
11/17/2008
If you're ever in need of cheap and deliciously ripe produce intended for same-day consumption, give little Giovanni's a try. I love getting their overstocked fruits and veggies off the market front stands for a couple nickels or a few dimes - outrageous!
Otherwise prices can run a little steep, but you still gotta love em for the occasional sidewalk steals. -
Review from CM C.
El Cerrito, CA
11/25/2008
Giovanni's is great. Their produce is very good, and dirt cheap (for the Bay Area). They carry a lot of products from local companies, like Maggiore bakery, Triple C foods etc...
Of course, they can't compete price wise with Safeway on packaged items, but their produce is always cheaper, and usually better.
It's really too bad Rick's meats left a couple years ago (I think he retired. not sure though.), and they haven't replaced it. The brisket sandwiches were amazing. -
Review from G. H.
El Cerrito, CA
11/16/2006
A wonderful little Italian grocery. Reminiscent of the good old days. The produce is always fresher (& usually cheaper) than other local stores, & sometimes you can even find organic produce, too. Nice selection of imported pastas & sauces & bread from Acme & Maggiore. Oh, yes, & a decent wine section too. Friendly people & a funny old Italian guy who mills around in suspenders, rearranging the produce. They're stuffing flyers in the grocery bags now, where Italian recipes are provided. One of a kind market. I'm soooo glad to live within walking distance of the place!
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Review from Mr Yelp Y.
Bay Area
11/9/2010
This place has the best gummy bears.. Too bad Mike's Deli left, they had the best seafood sandwich!
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Review from Michael P.
El Cerrito, CA
9/8/2009
Giovannis is right in the neighborhood in a residential area and is totally perfect to find all different kinds of produce at some really great prices. Occaisionally, they seem to clear out produce that is reaching the expiration date and they sell it for cost. For example, they had pint containers of cherry tomatoes for like 10 cents...and pints of strawberries for like 1.00. The peaches I got were fabulous and the seedless black grapes were great at 1.00 per pound. It is right near Portero and walkable from Del Norte BART. I have now figured out that I can buy almost all my groceries at Target and then get my produce here and I can almost always avoid Safeway and Lucky's. Don't plan on getting much more than produce, they have rare pasta, but did not see much of a selection of sauces. Their basic grocery items were not outrageously priced, but was not a real deal.
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Review from Arun C.
Somerville, MA
7/2/2006
I just moved to the neighborhood, and I'm glad my housemates told me about this place. For a small store they have a good selection of produce and their deli sandwiches are quite good.
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Review from Leslie D.
El Cerrito, CA
9/5/2007
This is the best thing about the neighborhood, hands down. Great produce, great selection of grocery items for such a small store, reasonable prices. It's great to be able to buy most of our groceries at a local, family-run place. I'm knocking off one star because of the big hole where the meat market used to be -- they've been saying for over a year now that a replacement would be going in "soon."
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Review from Tony D.
CA
2/4/2007
Awesome family run business. Great produce and good times!
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Review from John K.
El Cerrito, CA
10/4/2006
Great deli sandwiches.
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Review from Karen H.
San Francisco, CA
7/16/2008
Without Yelp, I would've never discovered this place, even though I live just on the other side of the BART station. A great store for produce - much cheaper than El Cerrito natural grocery and you won't have to weave through swarms of people like at TJ's. You'll walk right up to the check stand - amazing!
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Review from Katrina M.
El Cerrito, CA
11/2/2009
Great place to shop with fresh fruit and veggies, lots of Italian products, community bulletin board so you can find out what is going on in the neighborhood, nice wine selection, and more! My son says it's a great place to pop in for the newspaper. He also likes the "dibs" in the ice-cream section! I like the hand-made shopping bags and the fact that Giovanni is supporting local businesses and crafts people.
Mi piace moltissimo Giovanni's Market! -
Review from Joe P.
El Cerrito, CA
9/13/2008
I'm amazed at the compliments this place gets and that some even venture to describe it as an "Italian market." Have you ever been to a good Italian market? Clearly not. I wanted to like this place - a local little market, if good, is always welcome in my life. Let me just say a few things. The produce is often horrendous and not cheap. Lettuces are often very wilted as are the fresh herbs, particularly the basil. The store is dirty and the staff, although pleasant enough, knows nothing about food. The cheeses and meats are packaged items from the big food manufacturers. Nothing local or fresh or exciting in this regard except for the Acme bread. Moreover, they try to sell things that are way passed their time. I once picked up a package of Niman Ranch hot dogs and saw that the expiration date was 6 months prior. When I alerted the clerk she just shrugged. That's outrageous. Why there are so many bad little markets (see the one on the Arlington in Kensington) compared to good ones amazes me. It's not rocket science. In all, Giovanni's is good for a desperate milk or egg run and maybe the occasional tomato. Otherwise it blows.
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Review from Natasha J.
El Cerrito, CA
3/9/2009
I stop by Giovanni's at least 3 times a week to pick up fresh produce. They have good prices on fruits and vegetables and carry many organic items as well. I especially like that there are rarely lines so I can just run in and out!
