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HarvesTime Foods
Categories: Food Grocery Food Specialty Food Fruits & Veggies Food Specialty Food Meat Shops Grocery, Fruits & Veggies, Meat Shops [Edit]
2632 W Lawrence Ave(between Talman Ave & Washtenaw Ave)
Chicago, IL 60625
Neighborhoods: Lincoln Square, Ravenswood
(773) 989-4400
- Nearest Transit:
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Rockwell (Brown Line)
Francisco (Brown Line)
Western-Brown (Brown Line)
- Hours:
Mon-Sun 7 am - 9 pm
- Price Range:
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$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Private Lot
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
237 reviews for HarvesTime Foods
Review Highlights
"Their produce selections are plentiful and fresh."
(in 194 reviews)
"Harvest Time Foods, for the most part, has great prices."
(in 19 reviews)
"69¢ for an avocado (versus $1 @ Jewel."
(in 85 reviews)
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237 reviews in English
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Review from Karon P.
Chicago, IL
12/26/2011
I just moved to the neighborhood, and I am very impressed! They have an amazing selection of ethnic, natural and organic foods. This is my go to place when I can't get to Whole Foods. The food items are reasonably priced and they are very clean for a market of this sort.
I highly recommend to those who live in Lincoln Square or near by. -
Review from Marc w.
1/16/2012
There is a lot that I like about Harest Time. I like the ethnic foods. They make great guacamole and salsa. Their produce is not too expensive and there is a good variety of it including a lot of hispanic oriented veggies/peppers/herbs. You can buy good olives in bulk. They have siz packs of east European sparkling mineral water for next to nothing. I drink a ton of it in the summer.
The one consistent problem that I've had is that they meats go bad before the expiration dates. And by go bad, a whole package of hamburger will turn greay the day before the expiration date. I bought a steak that had spots of grey four days before the expiration date. This has happened to me with their chickens and pork. And it has happened enough times that I've noticed the trend. I wonder what a meat inspector would discover there with a surprise inspection. -
Review from John H.
Chicago, IL
1/10/2012
I was in the neighborhood for a cheap Sunday dinner with my brother and remembered that I needed some cold cuts for the week, seeing as how I'm a brown baggin' motherf*cker.
It ended up being more than a quick errand, but for good. After picking up some dirt cheap Boar's Head turkey (1lb on sale for $5.69) and cheese, we ended up doing a full tour of the store. I quickly found myself regretting the fact that I'm not a local. Great selections of produce, meats, breads, cheeses and all so scandalously cheap. If you're stuck in a Whole Foods or Trader Joe's rut, you owe this place a visit.
I also enjoyed browsing through their wide selection of international products, which remind you that you're in a neighborhood with a lot of different people. Bulgarian yogurt, Russian cookies, Mexican ____. I picked up some muesli from Germany, quickening my already frighteningly accelerated transition from corn-fed small towner to big city hippie metrosexual.
I'm intrigued and ready for a return visit to get a sense of what it's like when a little busier. Going grocery shopping somewhere an hour before closing time on a Sunday means you have the store to yourself, and you can't always plan such sweet commercial bliss.
Just a couple blocks from the Rockwell Brown line station, so not having a car is not a deal breaker. -
Review from Jim N.
Chicago, IL
1/30/2012
Do they know my name? Yes. Do the cashiers think I live in the stock room? Probably. Have they ever wondered what I do with all that guacamole? I have no doubt in my mind. The bottom line is that I love this place. If you want that one thing that you had in Portland on that trip where you had the best meal of your life, well they have it, and it's cheaper there than at Jewel.
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Review from james j.
Chicago, IL
1/29/2012
Oh Harvestime how do I love thee? Let me count the ways....they got mexican, eastern european, american, asian foods. I love it here, it almost all very reasonably priced especially their produce & meats. And on top of good prices they have some obscure food, which i LOVE!! The staff is always very nice too which for sure can make or break a place.
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Review from Brian C.
12/22/2011
This place is a goldmine for fresh produce, cheese and trail mix. It's sort of a local version of Trader Joes, except a little cheaper and probably a little fresher. And the specials! Man, those deals have had me covered for the past 3 years, plus you don't have to use (ask the cashier for) one of those pointless and annoying customer cards to get the sale prices.
If you live in Lincoln Square, there's no question you should do your everyday-needs grocery shopping at HarvesTime. -
Review from Eric G.
Chicago, IL
1/18/2012
To say this place has an eclectic mix of foods would be an understatement. I counted cookies from 6 different countries. The prices were really odd. Some of the items were insanely cheap; like chicken breasts were $1 per lb... The produce was noticeably more than Cermak market though.
For sure, you should check it out. -
Review from David G.
Chicago, IL
11/9/2011
I can't believe I haven't reviewed HarvesTime Foods until now, after it's been my regular grocery joint for six months. I first went to HarvesTime after a friend winced after I mentioned going to Jewel. Many produce stores in the Ravenswood area are difficult to get to, and paying for parking is always a problem. Also, going to small produce stores is less convenient when looking for certain harder to find grocery items. HarvesTime solved all these issues.
The parking is free, though sometimes it's a pain getting in and out of the lot, and the groceries are more affordable. The produce is almost always fresh. I'm impressed that a store with such a huge produce section could make sure everything is top quality. And the meat section... less than five dollars for two pounds of chicken breast... not a bad deal. They have a lot of prepared foods, cheese, deli meats, canned goods, bread, ethnic items and general groceries, and a good selection of organic items to top it off. The bill at the end is well worth the drive. -
Review from Elly W.
Chicago, IL
10/21/2011
I've been going to this store for years, even before moving to the neighborhood. Now that I'm closer, I go all the time. The prices are awesome and they carry several harder to find ethnic ingredients.
I think this place is owned by Greeks, so they have a fair amount of Greek goods, including really great priced cheeses (you can get 1 lb of feta, easily, for the same price half a pound of the gross kind in the clamshell package at the regular grocery store costs) and common Greek ingredients like mastic. They also have tons of Mexican ingredients/staples and a fair amount of Asian as well.
I just went there today and here is what I got for $22: 1/3 lb. myzithra (Greek cheese), 2/3 lb. pecorino romano, 5 oz. queso fresco, 1 jar tahini, 2 poblanos, 2 tomatoes, 2 heads of garlic, 2 lemons, 1 bunch dill, 1 bunch parsley, 1 red bell pepper, 1 package of lomein noodles, 1 package of green lentils.
They have an awesome hot sauce selection and honey selection - random, yes, but I love both things so it works for me! Ditto for dried peppers.
This probably isn't the place you want to get everything (dried goods like cereal will be more than the sales at "big box" stores) but you can definitely do a fair amount of damage, for not a lot of cash. The only negative is they don't really carry organic produce. -
Review from S. K.
Chicago, IL
9/21/2011
Hasta la vista Jewel y Dominick's.
HEAPS of healthy, fresh produce. There's not a single brown leaf or mushy pear or dented tomato in the whole place. The meat selection is awesome. Some of the pre-packed meat labels are in Spanish so it's a even a little bit of education! As other reviews have said, the counter is a near full-service butcher shop with large slabs of cow and pig. The fresh bread is delicious and smells great as you approach the checkout lanes.
As a fresh-produce, home cooker person who's too busy to grow or raise her own, HarvesTime is now my primary grocery store. I've also found that my local Target has a better selection of foods I eat than D's or J, like gnocchi. Who doesn't carry gnocchi?? D's or J apparently.
My reason for 4-stars.. Some cheese limitations and no seafood!! And they don't take Amex. -
Review from Catticut P.
Chicago, IL
11/26/2011
Now that HarvesTime has solar panels and disco lights, it's all set for world domination.
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Review from Wesley S.
8/29/2011
This grocery store has a selection from several different ethnic foods, while not offering a deep selection in any. For example, I can buy lanbne, sujuk, chicharron in one trip to Harvestime.
The selection of cheeses is limited.
Meat department is full service butcher. For example, you can place an order for suckling pig. If you need a cut of meat that is not in the refrigerated display, the butcher might be able to produce one, or make one, for you. There is some fish for sale.
The deli prices are quite cheap. Harvestime might not be using unionized workers there.
Some fresh bread is offered. Along with the usual packaged shelf items, and packaged pitas, the store has a wide selection of breads. Rice offerings are limited in variety.
Eggs and dairy. Good selection of yogurts, and offers an inexpensive local butter.
Fruits and vegetables, produce. The store offers a fairly complete selection, but prices are unremarkable.
In summary, this is an excellent grocery shopping destination for those who are after a variety of ethnic foods. Harvestime also has a reasonably full selection of meats, fruits and vegetables, along with some staples. While there is fish for sale, this is probably not the store to go to for fish.
Prices for most items are unremarkable. Deli meats, some of the fresh baked breads, and a few selected sales items are the exception, being quite cheap. -
Review from Jamie H.
11/5/2011
Totally dig it! Great place for produce have a good deli and a good variety of other foods. The milk, eggs and products of the like are more expensive, however. But, for produce it's far cheaper than you'll find at Jewel/Dominicks etc. The variety and quality was also great, I know this is going to become a regular place I'll be visiting for my fruits & veggies!
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Review from Amaris C.
Chicago, IL
9/20/2011
This is my local grocery store/food market. I love it because of the proximity to my home, the low prices and the fresh produce. I cannot complain. Whereas my friends who live in Lincoln Park or Downtown are paying gratuitously high prices for basic produce like broccoli, mushrooms and spinach, I don't have that problem. Thanks, Harvestime, for having a great selection and reasonable prices.
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Review from Megan B.
Chicago, IL
5/13/2011
This is by far my favorite grocery store in the city. I drive 6 miles just to come here, although not as often as I would like to. We have tried other ethnic and small grocers around town, and they just are not the same.
This place is heaven for cooks. You can even find things that would require an extra trip to a specialty store if you try hard enough. I always find what I need here and usually come home with a surprise deal or two. The homemade salsas are amazing, the produce section has the freshest and cheapest assortment (making up for the slightly higher prices of boxed goods), and the butcher is fantastic.
The customer service is unbelievably good. They really know how to please. Chris, the store manager led us to the best olive oil and is always a friendly face.
My only plea for the owners/managers is that they fix the parking lot (people go in the wrong way all the time) and that they bring a store to Ukranian Village! I even know of a perfect abandoned post office for a new location. PLEASE! The jewel sucks! -
Review from Sam D.
Chicago, IL
6/12/2011 16 Check-ins Here
This is our local market, and I find myself here at least 3-4 times a week. They have a great produce selection, reasonably priced meats, and a plentiful array of Latin ingredients.
This is not your one-stop-shop for all things obscure, but a wonderful grocery for just about everything but. Staff are friendly, store is clean, and if you're lucky, there might even be samples of home-made guacamole to snack on while you shop. -
Review from Jasmine R.
Chicago, IL
5/4/2011
If you're still getting your produce at Jewel, stop right now. HarvesTime produce is cheaper, more varied and better quality. I sometimes find myself going for staples to Jewel, because it's closer, and then making another trip to HT just to get the certain things I know are cheaper and better quality.
Besides their glorious produce section, there are some other gems at HT. They carry a lot of ethnic foods you won't find at Jewel or Dominick's. This is where I find the brands that remind of home (Miami) and the foods I can't seem to find at the football-field-size bigger grocery stores. Their meat section is also very nice. Some things are not as good of a bargain as you'd get at Jewel (Ben and Jerry's), but there are a good number of deals there and the variety of obscure foods make it worth throwing into your grocery shopping rotation.
You can actually pick between California and Florida avocados! That alone is worth a trip, at least for my strange self. -
Review from Pam D.
Updated - 9/14/2011
They have added a new awning across the Lawrence Ave. side of the building that is made from solar panels. It is the first of it's kind in the nation. Love it to pieces!!!!!
Listed in: Finding something honorable on…
2 Previous Reviews: Show all »
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12/6/2009
I'm still lovin' on this place. Got one of their prepared chickens. The flavor was really delicious.… Read more »
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Review from Britta F.
Chicago, IL
Updated - 4/3/2011
Another update. Harvestime has made some much needed improvements in recent months. Wider aisles, big enough for carts AND people. More variety of dried and canned goods. Some of which have come down a more reasonable price. Even more organic options (veggies/fruits, cheese, milk, etc.). Most importantly, an updated fresh meat section. Instead of the counter, it is now a wall of nicely organized and labeled meats. All you favorites are still there (chicken, beef, lengua) and even some new additions. I would say I would like the meat wall to be a few degrees cooler, though I am no expert. I would even say the service has gotten better.
All in all, Harvestime is making some positive strides and remains my grocery of choice.3 Previous Reviews: Show all »
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5/31/2010
New favorite thing, HarvesTime Hummus. So excellent, I buy it every week. Produce is still great and… Read more »
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Review from sarah p.
Chicago, IL
10/10/2011
Not Sure I'd survive with out it. Seriously the best grocery store ever. Cashiers could be a little more friendly but Im not there for them. Great prices on produce, meat and milk.
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Review from Adele n.
Chicago, IL
Updated - 4/16/2011
Guess what, guys? My one complaint about this great grocery has been fixed! They now take Discover card. Good stuff!
Once you start buying produce here, you'll never be able to shop at Jewel/Dominicks again. Harvest Time has far better quality and selection. Both thumbs up for this excellent grocery.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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7/9/2009
Blamo! You brilliant yelpers set me in the right direction once again! This is a _great_ local food… Read more »
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Review from Emily H.
Chicago, IL
4/4/2011
A friend recommended this HarvesTime Foods for the el pastor taco prep kit. Being a Bucktown resident, the haul up there didn't seem worth it.
That said while heading to Paulina Market this weekend we swung by HarvesTime and will be going back time and time again. The butcher case looks fantastic with prices that will blow you away. The produce is beautiful and fresh. Focused on Mexican offerings, the tamales and salsas are fantastic and come in several varieties. That said, we were able to hit almost all of our list at HarvesTime. The ethnic offerings are a little light, but that wouldn't deter me from heading here for the majority of my shopping/
For being a great city, Chicago has pretty awful grocery stores. Yes, Whole Foods and Fox & Obel are amazing. The high end shops are not my concern. It's the Jewel's and Dominicks that are terrible. And still expensive! HarvesTime does a great job of filling the gap between the Stanley's of the world and Whole Paycheck. -
Review from jillian t.
Glenwood Springs, CO
4/13/2011
I don't really get the hype, y'all. While this is definitely the best selection of produce I've seen in these parts (and it's not like I'm hauling all the way down to Stanley's anymore), I wasn't that impressed with the rest of the store. The prices were great for the fruits and veggies. A lot of places (like Tony's for example) have great prices but you will notice their stuff ain't that fresh.
The lunch meat selection was also decent, although I felt a little pricey. A lot of higher-end stuff like Boar's Head (which is delicious). The butchered meats looked good quality as well. They have dirt cheap pork tenderloin! However, cut the shopping trip short there. This place is very overpriced in the canned goods and staples department. And I have no idea what they are going for - mostly ethnic offerings, but a crazy amalgamation. Next time I come in I'm sticking to broccoli and Boar's Head. -
Review from Dana D.
Austin, TX
4/1/2011
This place is the bombdiggity for fresh produce and homemade salsa! The produce section is nicely laid out and I was mesmerized by my choices. Literally, I stood there staring into this section with a grin on my little face just waiting to grab one - or some - of everything! There were a couple of vendors handing out samples which is always nice when one makes the mistake of going shopping while hungry and this helped to keep my/our overall spending at bay.
The store is clean and staff is friendly. The deli is nice and offers Boarshead which is a PLUS to me. The cheese and bakery selections are good and the ethnic food selections are amazing. I didn't notice any wine/beer or other spirits but Foremost is right down the road so hit that place up after your grocery shopping is complete if you're planning a dinner party or are in the mood for some good cheese, fruit and wine/beer.
Do yourself a favor and don't get mad/upset when you see people walking into the parking lot from across the street while looking for a parking space like I did...the store is actually across the street from the store's lot! Oh, well. I made things entertaining for the BF. -
Review from Dora V.
8/23/2010
HarvestTime's produce is beautiful and bountiful, and a fraction of the price you'll find at Jewel or Dominick's.
The giant, 79 cent bunches of dill and perfect-sized cucumbers are what make my home-made pickles possible.
There is always broccoli rabe, which I cannot say about any other grocer in Lincoln Square.
The deli offers Boar's Head meats, which I adore and rarely see in Chicago. The selection of other ethnic foods and dry groceries seems to be consistently improving, and sports a surprisingly rich variety considering the relatively small size of the store. If you like to choose between10 different kinds of fresh feta, this is your place.
B-b-but wait! There's more. HarvestTime has a hot sauce SECTION that is worth the trip on its own. I generally try a new one each visit. I like my tastebuds a'tingle!
Another thing to try are the pretzel rolls. The baked goods are tucked into the back corner, but it's an aisle worth strolling down.
I appreciate HarvesTime's fresh food focus; I only wish it were big enough to drive down produce prices at other places. -
Review from Stacey A.
8/24/2010
If Family Fruit Market is my main squeeze, HarvesTime is my piece on the side.
The meat selection isn't as great as FFM, and the merchandise tends to favor the Hispanic market (as opposed to the Polish/Hispanic dichotomy of FFM) but the place is pretty badass.
The produce selection is lovely and cheap and it's all of 8 minutes from my house by bike.
Call me, HarvesTime. -
Review from Emily A.
Chicago, IL
9/6/2011
This is a nice little local grocery store. Went to here for a couple years when I lived in walking distance and didn't have a car. It was more than sufficient, but sometimes I wished there was more of a selection.
There isn't a huge selection of everything under the sun like the big chain grocery stores, but they have everything you need, plus some. They have the ready-to-go hot lunch/ rotisserie chicken station and some fresh bakery goods, which is a bonus. And it's a good place to find a variety of ethnic foods.
Their produce is always fresh. But I would go to a meat shop for meat. Theirs never looked bad, but was always too fatty or whatnot for my taste. But it always looked edible, otherwise. And was priced MUCH better than big chain stores, where you get similar quality.
Overall, I liked the place. It would be nicer if they stayed open later than 9pm, but it's a nice local grocery store with reasonable prices. -
Review from mina a.
Chicago, IL
9/3/2011
awsome. I love this place. it is close and easy to get to with a
great selection.
yes the parking lot is very small and during busy times could get a bit crowded.
overall great customer service. if you need help carrying out your groceries they are more than willing to help and would not take a tip either. -
Review from Eric V.
Chicago, IL
Updated - 1/12/2011 20 Check-ins Here
Harvest remains my go-to spot for fresh produce, not only for its freshness and quality, but also for its affordability. On top of that their selection of international dry goods and fresh cheese continues to expand. They seriously sell everything from fresh guacamole, instant polenta, and dates to beef tongue, roasted red peppers, and mirin (not that I would use all of that in the same recipe).
They've continued to grow and improve over the years while I've only grown more and more spoiled to have such a wonderful grocery store so close to home. If I ever leave the neighborhood Harvest will be likely be one of the things I miss the most.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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11/21/2008
An excellent fresh produce selection at a good price. I love fresh fruit and there's always a deal… Read more »
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Review from Keith A.
Wilmette, IL
1/14/2011
zomg, this is a produce heaven. I had a hard time grasping the amount of different peppers, mushrooms, citrus fruits, and other fruits and vegetables. There was a lot and all of the prices were very good and affordable. You don't get this kind of selection at even most of the whole foods I've been too.
On top of that, there is a ton of different meats that you can choose from. THey really do run the gamut as they have all sorts of traditional cuts, but they also have the more "peasant" cuts like lots of beef shank, beef necks, pig's feet, cow's feet and chicken feet. As an occasional offal eater, it was great! They were also all very affordable and I was just standing there trying to figure out what dishes I could cook up.
I just loved all of the different kinds of foods you could buy here. Since its a very diverse area, you can get a variety of foods to satisfy whatever urges you have. If you want to cook up some chinese food, they have you covered, mexican food no problem, middles eastern food, you're hooked up.
most of all, I was able to get out of here for about $17 after getting a small variety of different things. I was just loving the selection and doing my best from going back, getting a cart, and then loading up on a lot of different things -
Review from Mark J.
Chicago, IL
1/5/2011
You wont find a $.99 lemon here! You get two or three for a $1. Great selection of herbs, greens, and fruits that are of good quality and less than you would pay at the big stores. In addition, their deli and meat area has five kinds of feta, and the wonderful arrecherra that the butcher will trim and ''run through the machine' for the perfect steak on the grill.
Well edited Asian, Latin and Middle Eastern section of foods. Discovered my two favorites: Klass Jamaica punch and Klass Japones style cacahuates!!! Num. Num.
Just keep in mind alot of people on cell phone wander with no sense of direction. I find that at SHARP tap of the cart on their heel move the line along. -
Review from Pete S.
Chicago, IL
10/17/2010
Ok, I am sorry yelp. For some reason I had failed to acknowledge your ability to guide me in my quest for a quality grocery when I moved to my new place. I've been going to jewel on Lincoln for about two months, its ok, but always busy and not that great produce wise.
So, on friday I finally got around to following yelp recommendations while grabbing a Sammy from nhu lan.
So, I'm headed to get some bahn mi, and I pull into the lot...wait, this lot is only for harvestime customers, I should probably check out the grocery before grabbing my lunch. Ten minutes later, I walk out with some veggies, some Bulgarian feta, some bulk chorizo and some eggs...
That was Friday, today, Sunday, i was back. Got some fruits, veg, skirts steak, and some fresh bread from my old hood, damatos bakery.
Needless to say, jewel has fallen out of my rotation. -
Review from vanessa m.
Chicago, IL
12/10/2010
This place is great. Some friends who brought a home nearby had raved about it so I stopped last Friday when I was running errands for the shop.
I was impressed. The produce was fresh looking and very well priced. The grocery had a interesting selection of staples and imports. And a parking lot was just a bonus. -
Review from Nick M.
2/25/2010
After wolfing down a delicious brunch with Mr. Pants, I needed to do some veggie shopping for the week. Of course I was going to go to my favorite place Edgewater Produce but Mr. Pants suggested a better place. He claimed that the deals were better and there was a lot more to choose from... I scoffed, "like there can be any place better then EP" I said.
Right off the start parking was a little tricky, it's a small lot and the streets fill up fast apparently. I said "see I don't have this problem at EP" but after entering the store I quickly had to eat my words!! Curse you and your smarts Mr. Pants. They have such a selection and amazing prices to go with them. EP doesn't have whole fennel or lemongrass. We must have been in there for an hour or so. I got two weeks worth of veggies, some fruit and a few other items, all for under $25. That's just nutty! What's really nice about HarvesTime is that everything is easy to find (unlike Jewel) and the staff is extremely friendly (unlike Jewel). Also check out their website http://harvestimefoods.../ for weekly specials and easy to make recipes.
I guess all I have to say is that EP I love you but I might have to cheat on you from time to time. -
Review from Y M.
Chicago, IL
4/24/2009
Whoa, over a 100 reviews for HarvesTime? The same store I used to go to years ago has now become quite popular. Good for them! I revisited the store recently and checked out the goods.
Produce - an excellent selection of well-stocked fruits and veggies. Much more varied here than at a typical supermercado. I saw two (count 'em two) types of dandelion greens, rapini, super cheap garlic (10 cents each), and everything else looked fresh.
Cheese - they carry my all time favorite Bulgarian sheep's milk cheese. Very creamy and tangy, I prefer this to Greek feta (sorry, Greeks...Bulgaria FTW!). This is the best cheese for feta cheese sandwiches. Which brings me to the bread section...
Bread - this is probably the best bread section I've seen in any grocery store. The majority of the bread is locally made. Pita (regular and whole wheat) from Al Khayyam. Rye, pumpernickel, oat, and more from Val's Bakery. Italian bread, baguettes, and more from Labriola. Corn tortillas from El Milagro. Several varieties of European bread from other local bakeries, and they all looked amazing.
Meat - this place is such a sausage fest. Seriously, do we really need all this sausage? Of course we do. And not only that, they have several varieties of smoked and dried meat, and whole slabs of beautiful smoked pork belly. Head over to the butcher section and you'll find cuts of meat that you may not see at Jewel or Dominick's. I also noticed that they have fried pizza puffs at the prepared food section. I'm sold!
The rest of the store reflects the diversity of the neighborhood, with specific aisles for Hispanic, European, Middle Eastern, and Asian products. And they even have a boojie organic section, too, awww. You know, for the folks living across the street from the store. Hope you guys appreciate it! The only thing missing is the booze section. Where's the wine and beer to go with dinner? Oh, well.Listed in: Lincoln Square
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Review from Lindley E.
Chicago, IL
10/3/2008
For a brief few weeks this summer, Lincoln Square was my center of operations, and HarvesTime was my market, my multi-ethnic, produce-heavy, obscure-grocery carrying market. And, though it didn't have my fancy-dancy, hoity-toity organic and natural staples, it was more than sufficient to keep the pantry stocked and my stomach full.
Where to begin? Unlike markets like Cermak Produce, which focus on Latin American, mostly Mexican and Puerto Rican groceries, HarvesTime doesn't limit itself to a single region of the world. There's a little bit of everything, great breadth and depth of offerings,including interesting dairy (even a locally-made Polish butter that looks like it came straight out of the old country a century ago), tons of fresh butchered meat, prepared food cases as far as the eye can see, and produce, lots and lots of glorious produce.
I'm a fan. -
Review from Jada B.
5/1/2008
It's been said before in other reviews, but it bears repeating because HarvesTime is just that good.
1. Best Guacamole ever! My husband and I could [and sometimes seem to] eat it by the wheelbarrow. So fresh and cheap, too!
2. The other prepared foods like the Pico [wow! does it ever get hot if you don't eat it all on the first day] and rice pudding are also awesome.
3. The produce is so cheap and fresh and clean. The whole produce section is amazingly well maintained. Hey, I love Stanley's too, but HarvesTime kills Stanley's in terms of freshness and quality.
4. Great selection of unusual and surprising foreign packaged goods. I especially love the teas, jams and sauces.
5. Love the sweets and nuts! The roasted soybeans are a fave.
6. Terrific deals on a huge selection of feta cheese.
7. Great deals in the meat section and the ground beef is so fresh and red. I also kind of get a sick kick out of checking out the scary bits that sometimes show up in the meat cases, like whole heads and such.
8. So many groceries you can hardly carry them to your car for under $50.00.
I love, love, LOVE this place! I just wish the parking lot was a little bigger. It's probably on my top 10 list of favorite places in Chicago.Listed in: Sweet Home Chicago
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Review from Jenny z.
Logan Square, Chicago, IL
7/31/2009
For $35 dollars at Strack and Van Til (which is still cheap as hell but mentioned for the purposes of illustration) I got a 30 pack of Miller High Life, a pint of cream, some shredded cheese and some cat food.
For $35 Harvest Time I got 2 lemons, a quart of greek yogurt, 5 heads of garlic, 2 lbs of spinach, 2 8 packs of Vienna Beef hot dogs, 3 bunches of green onions, a 3lb bag of onions, 2 huge zucchinis, hot dog buns, 2 cucumbers, a bag of radishes, an avocado, a can of chipotle chiles, a watermelon, 2 green peppers, 2lbs of fresh green beans, a pint of sour cream, 2lbs of cherries, a package of mushrooms, a container of lard (baking, c'mon), a quart of buttermilk, a whole chicken and a pint of milk. It was like 8 bags of food, I hearts Harvest Time.
Things I passed up - a great selection of cheese, homemade and European sausages, a clean and well stocked meat counter (mmm...hi Ox Tails!!!) some exciting Asian products, a very explorable freezer section, 8 million kinds of hot sauce, gorgeous Balkan breads, exotic produce...this place has it going on!!!!
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Yeah, so unless you style yourself after Donald Trump and enjoy wasting money (in which case, I hope an army of angry citizens appears on your doorstep with torches and pitchforks, you deserve it if you think you're Trump, if only for the bad toupee you are probably wearing) there really isn't any freaking reason not to shop here.
Bonus points for having parking and being conveniently located by Nhu Lan so you can get a cheap ass bahn mi after your shopping trip.Listed in: Poverty is HIGHLY overrated
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Review from Julia A.
Chicago, IL
5/2/2008
No need to ever set foot in a Jewel or Dominicks again, Harvestime has everything I need for much, much cheaper. When I moved from Old Irving, I was said to leave the Family Fruit Market behind, but I came here at my parents' recommendation when I needed some lunchmeat. I was delighted to find the same low prices as I was used to, not to mention a bigger selection.
The deli and butcher area is huge, and so is the vast array of fruits and vegetables. There's a ton of ethnic sauces and spices as well as brand name cereal, macaroni, tea, etc. I can buy a week's worth of food for about $30.
The parking lot can get cramped, especially on the weekends. The best times to come here are on weekdays or early on the weekends. The only thing that bothers me a little is the ladies at the registers -- would it kill them to say hello, or at least crack a smile?Listed in: Lincoln Square, 24 years and…
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Review from Jessica M.
Chicago, IL
8/11/2006
Ya know, I was all ready to love this place and did for the first couple of times I shopped there.
Then, on my third trip, one of the guys in the meat department leered at me and made lewd gestures at me with his tongue while I was looking for mac and cheese. Charming, no?
I called to complain to the manager. He said he would talk to the guys about it but there was no way he could identify the individual guy even though I gave him a pretty good description and he generally gave me a "you're overreacting...boys will be boys" vibe. And that's it.
So yeah, I won't be shopping there again.Listed in: Love for Lincoln Square
