Green Earth Foods
- Price Range: $$
- Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
- Parking: Private Lot
- Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
7 reviews
San Jose, CA
"It's like stepping into some body builder's wet dream. Joe is friendly, and really knows his stuff. He won't try to get you something just…" read more »
15 Reviews for Green Earth Foods
poor green earth foods. i went there today just to look for some kleenex and i noticed they were closing down. i remember when cosentino's was there and they closed down as well. i guess there is some business curse on that building!
if you want some cheap groceries, everything is 40% off, hurry while supplies last! i should have bought some wine while i was there, but i was in a rush.
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Was really hopeful that this grocery would be as good as the Cosentino's it was replacing and at 1st it appeared to have a lot of the Cosentino's type products (gourmet) but it has slowly devolved into something not even as good as Safeway. The selection of cheeses at Cosentino's for example used to be very diverse and eclectic, whereas the Green Earth is now no better than a small Safeway or Savemart selection. On my last visit to the store there was an off putting stink that permeated the store that was reminiscent of some Asian markets I have been in. I have now learned that this store will be converting to an Asian market. I think that was probably the intent of the owner all along. I won't be going back. I guess I'll have to go out of my way and shop at Whole Food's now.
Strange that ALL of the negative reviews that USED to be here are now gone. Wondering whether I can trust Yelp ratings at all if they do this regularly. We'll see how long my review lasts.
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I wish I could give this place more stars because it seems like a nice locally owned market that has a good selection of organic and imported foods.
However, when I stopped here on a whim yesterday afternoon, I found it very sad that I think I was the only customer in the store. And when I was looking at some yummy packaged cookies, an very nice employee walked by and said "you might want to choose the ones in the back"... which concerned me.
On the plus side, you probably won't have to fight the crowds or wait in line to buy groceries here. The deli also looked good and they had some delicious free samples. They also have a 5% discount for Kaiser employees and members.
On the downside, it didn't seem like there were many items on sale and I felt the need to check the expiration dates on everything I bought... just in case...
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So everyone here seems to talk about how great Cosentino, the previous market at this location, was. But, since I've never been, I can't compare. But, I can say that this grocery store is well stocked with fresh produce at great prices! It's no Berkeley Bowl (which ranks at my all time #1), but it's a great place to buy produce, especially herbs!
I was hunting all around Santa Clara to find ingredients for my Arugula Grapefruit salad, Thyme Mushrooms, and Seared Red-wine Steak, and found them all here at the best quality and prices. (I visited Trader Joe's, Safeway, and Costco... okay, Costco had the upper-hand in meat.) I seriously could not find fresh thyme for the life of me, but found a whole container full of them (fresh!) here for less than 2 bucks. Saved my dinner!
So, it's not a gourmet specialty foods store, but it is a down-to-earth, great local market. One customer in the checkout line commented that their grocery bill got slashed in thirds after shopping here vs. Whole Foods.
Green Earth Foods? That sounds like a place I could find my old Cosentino staples. It is owned by the same owner as Kyopo Market on El Camino. Let's see if they'll live up to the close scrutiny of their former customers.
As I walk in, I notice the same exact setup as Cosentino's. What the...?! I felt like I got slapped in the face. I'm still very unclear why Cosentino's left, but I didn't take it very well. So to find another store that has the same things but just different name and ownership didn't make any sense to me. (Actually, it does now but it'll have nothing to do with this review!)
It's hard not to compare the two because of the setup. But, I'll tell you this... Even though some shelves are still empty, they have the same potential to keep some of the old customers. I know I'll be coming here for some of their nuts & grains, organic fruits, import deli meats and cheese, and seafood & prime cut meats.
A couple of suggestions: Make your own cakes! Cakes packaged by "Just Desserts" in the showcase is just wrong. And if you really want to retain some of the regulars, hire some hot guys to bag groceries! Like that guy who rang me up. =)
Official grand opening is August 4th!
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---November 07---
Today, I stopped in for my second time at Green Earth Foods, and bumped up the 3 stars to 4 stars!
The store is more complete now after it's summer opening in the old Cosentino's building. They've found their niche offering gourmet and green items, as well as some grab and go traditional products (ie: Top Ramen). The produce section is also fresh and high quality. Prices make sense here too.
This market is a great spot to pick up a deli sandwich and also pick up your week's worth of groceries. The butcher counter looks like they know what they are talking about.
Also...now there are "No Smoking" signs in the front! Yay!
---First Post---
GREEN?! What's up with the smokers sitting on the tables in the front. That made me gag. I think these guys work there too.
3 -stars for my initial review, as I can tell that they are in the middle of getting out of Cosentino's store and into their own concept. Will re-review later. The pricing isn't consistent either. Some things are extremely expensive, other things are less than expected.
I would love for it to be great, and for the store to make sense especially since I live less than a mile away. Right now, it just doesn't feel right. And don't allow smoking. That's nasty in front of a healthy concept store. There's a reason that Whole Foods didn't allow smoking outside of their stores years ago.
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The jury's still out on this one. I'm a loyal Whole Foods customer but Cosentino's was a close second. Their selection was not up to WF and their hours were very restrictive (closed at 8pm, just getting off work and home). I was hopeful for Green Earth Foods but their selection is even slimmer and they are still "working out the kinks". Their employees seem a little "green" (pun intended) and overall, they (GEF) don't seem to have a good sense of "who they are and where they're going".
I think they need to get more involved in the local community, understand the needs and serve them. I hope they progress over time. I think they have a good shot at succeeding but will need a lot of work.
Deja vu, man. Walking in here was like Cosentino's didn't go bye-bye. They've repainted everything, updated some of the cases, and hung a few new awnings, but the layout and the selection feels mostly the same.
Of course, if you take a closer look you spot some differences -- there's a new section of Asian cookpots and containers near the front, and an aisle of Korean snacks near the back.
As if on autopilot, I picked up a flat of De Cecco fettucine and some grated parmesan, which were both in the exact same place I'm used to finding them when this was Cosentino's. They have green mint chips, though I'm stocked up on those from when Cosentino's was going out of business. They have Boar's Head deli meats; no Bertucelli's ravioli, though. I didn't take a close look at the produce or the meat case (had done the bulk of my shopping at PW before heading over to check this place out), so I'm not sure if they compare to what used to be available at Cosentino's. They did seem to have lots of little baskets of different kinds of produce like the old place did, though the signage on the produce reminds me of Albertson's, FWIW.
There's a sign up front that says they will be slowly phasing in more "green" foods in coming months...not sure if that's related to them buying Cosentino's old stock and not planning to restock some of it. If they mess with the pasta selection, I'm not coming back. Ya hear me, Green Earth Foods?
3 stars on probation.
I really, really want this place to succeed. So I'm going to keep shopping here and will continue to post suggestions about what kinds of items I'd like them to stock... like my daughter's (and husband's) favorite Mothers Cocoa Bumpers cereal (way better than Cocoa Puffs!) and Egglands best eggs.
I have shopped at Green Earth a few times since the doors opened. Some of the shelves are a little empty but they're trying to work out credit with their suppliers, so I'll give them some time. They still carry a lot of the Cosentino's stock (mostly because it just sat there on the shelves when they transferred ownership) and I was pretty pleased with the addition of the Korean foods. I hope they add some marinated kalbi to the meat counter. Their meat counter desperately needs some help though. I also miss all the lovely bulk food bins. They have less than a third of what Cosentino's had.
I made it to the grand opening celebration and had a blast. The food was really tasty--grilled short ribs, sushi rolls, chicken wings, and pizza and sandwiches from Pizza Party. We flipped down the tailgate on our SUV and had a picnic in the parking lot.
I, too, was a loyal Cosentino's fan and stayed away at first. Now, however, I am rooting for them to succeed. I'm quickly becoming attached to the place.
First, the overall quality of the food is very good. The meat selection is excellent and well priced. The butcher knows about different cuts of meat and will happily cut to order. The produce selection is also excellent (not quite as extensive as Whole Foods, but actually better quality in many cases (I've unwittingly purchased bad produce at Whole Foods several times)). The fresh bread selection is very good.
Second, the people there are genuinely nice. They are a little "green" as someone commented, but it's almost endearing and makes me want to cheer them on. I feel like it's almost a family there.
Third, it's never crowded -- I do worry that because they aren't get getting a lot of business, the quality of their fresh food will decline. That is why I am posting here: I want to encourage people to shop there and support a local business.
Fourth, prices are good.
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Update: 08/04/2007 - Needed a nice chicken for dinner tonight. Went in this afternoon, and I was pretty discouraged by what I saw. Lots of chicken parts looking really gamey. And the Rosie Organic Chicken in the front of the display was about 7 days beyond the sell date. I really want this place to succeed, but they're gonna have to convince me that they're minding the meat counter. Dropping down to 3 stars until further notice
Whew! I was in fear that the building occupying the space where Cosentino's once dwelled was going to be razed for more high density housing ( which we absolutely don't need more of ). Green Earth Foods is now open for business, although their official grand opening is a few weeks away. Initial impression was positive, and as they start stocking their shelves, I'm hoping this rating will move further to the right. There was virtually nothing in the bread department, so it appears that they're still working out things with their suppliers. But the main points that need to be stressed here is that 1) Santa Clara gets a new grocery store, and 2) It's not a Safeway, it appears to be independent. I'm certainly going to be doing the bulk of my shopping here.
I had to shop at Cosentino's one last time, even though I didn't need anything, during their last few hours. I was so sad to see it disappear without much fanfare at all. I am a real TJs fan and will shop Whole Foods on occasion, but we have no other grocery stores in Santa Clara except Safeway and Albertsons (now back to Lucky). So I hope Green Earth makes it.
I've been here a half dozen times since it opened. On the plus side: they have the Western Bagels (100 cal each) that I can never find anywhere else, and they feature bread from small, local, organic bakeries. Produce is Cosentino-grade. Their coffee (fresh brewed) is quite good and much better than the Starbucks in the same shopping center. And I like the addition of Korean items.
What I don't like so well: I miss the fresh-baked goods; the deli is just ordinary, there's a limited supply of hot foods, and there's a limited selection behind the butcher counter. It's evident they are training new staff, who are coming up to speed so I won't ding them too badly.
With the new Kaiser facility right across the street, there's a huge, new base of potential customers and I hope Green Earth can capitalize on this. I missed their open house but heard it was quite fun with great food. But I've stopped by a few times during the lunch hour and it was pretty quiet. I'll continue to support this new store and I wish the new owners all the best.
If you took a 7 eleven ,99 ranch,Safeway, and a LITTLE and I mean
VERY LITTLE Whole foods you would have GREEN EARTH FOODS.
I read they kept some of the stock from the old COSENTINO'S .
Well some of the Freezer items looked like they had been there forever. Snowcone looking cakes of ice all around the boxes of
things and well, ( when's the last time you saw DR. ATKINS ICE CREAM ? ) It's the kinda store after you take a look around you
shrug your sholders ,raise your arms slightly with the palms of
your hands turned up and say ( EH ). Lets go look for a WHOLE FOODS. Update this store is closing what took so long.......
I'm deciding to like them. They are new, but what's wrong with that? Everyone starts somewhere.
I don't have time to drive to WF and these guys are right aroud the corner! It's a small place that I heard from somewhere that they sell lots of local produce which is cool.
I've been to the meat counter and was very pleased. Great service and selection.
Although, the rest of the store is lacking in variety of items available. It would be great to see this place do well.
I was very excited about this store opening in my neighborhood. I thought from the name that it was going to be an organic grocery store. Unfortunately I was wrong. There is a small section in the produce that is organic and they do have a few organic items but not many. The prices seem good on what the do have. The rest of the stuff they do have you could get at Safeway. Over all the store is slightly funky and the shelves are empty. (This could be because they just opened). I did have high hopes for this place. I was hopping for more of a cheaper Whole Foods that was locally owned. Maybe there is still hope since they are so new.
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