Grocery 13 Inc.

 

2

8

Linus G.

Philadelphia, PA

If you're looking for a certain level of gourmet and don't have any other options, Grocery is an option. I used to go there for coffee in the afternoons, but they're bad about keeping it fresh and after a few disgustingly stale cups I've stopped doing that. Mornings are a good time though because there is more turn-over.

They also have a decent selection of pre-packaged sandwiches and pasta salads. Be warned: everything is over-priced.

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10

63

Courtney L.

Los Angeles, CA

I'm still recovering from the foodgasm due to my lunch at Grocery.  I had a chicken summer roll with spicy peanut marinade and a side of asian slaw.  Yum yum yum!!  The roll was the perfect amount of spicy but still light and clean tasting.  The asian slaw was an excellent compliment, and I'm seriously tempted to walk back over the to buy another one for dinner.  

Grocery has an excellent of prepared foods inside the case, but also a salad bar containing many of the same salads.  Yesterday I made my rounds on salad bar and had some of the moroccan tofu salad on top of baby greens with some grilled asparagus.  They also have sandwiches, prepackaged pasta and dinner options, and some general "grocery" items like seventh generation cleaning products.  

It reminds me of the Pasta Shop in Berkeley, CA and also very similar to Joan's on Third in Los Angeles.  I will certainly be frequenting Grocery during my extended stay in Philadelphia.

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Elite '08

70

305

Deborah H.

New York, NY

Reading Kevin W's review below made me sad because I really liked this place (referring to the cafe, not the market).  I'll pay careful attention to how they treat the employees next time I go.

I stopped by for lunch and had a tasty panini with great mixture of flavors that worked well.  The side of orzo that comes with the salads and sandwiches was a very nice touch.  I enjoyed the desserts too, especially the cupcakes.

I went again the next morning for breakfast and I LOVED the steel cut oatmeal bar...  I've never seen anything like it before: along with the standard brown sugar and raisins, there were walnuts, cranberries, chocolate chips, and apricots to choose from.  I bought a large bag of granola (crunchy, honey-toasted oats with lots of fruity and nutty goodies) to take home and I almost finished the whole thing on the 2-hour train ride back.

I thought the cafe was so well-done, I wanted to own it.  Seriously.  They did a great job with the design, and the business model is ingenious (paninis are all premade but the ingredients are chosen such that they don't wilt in the fridge, and everything perks up after being grilled; providing a side such as orzo instead of potato salad adds a touch of class; the oatmeal bar is cheap and easy to run, but can still generate substantial revenue).

Whenever I make my way back to Philly, I'd love to try this place again and chat with the owners, if possible.

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15

55

Kevin W.

Philadelphia, PA

I'm not sure if it's appropriate to base a review entirely on personal experiences, but I feel it's important that all customers be aware of the people who they are giving their money to.

Simply put, the owners of Grocery (and Lolita for that matter), are some of the most despicable people I've ever met.  

My ex-girlfriend and a number of acquaintances used to work there.  One girl accidentally set off the fire alarm while overcooking something and the Fire Department had to come.  They uncovered numerous code violations and the owners decided to blame my friend for their discovery.  Incidentally,  the last I heard, the conditions that led to these violations remain unchanged.

Oh, and then there's the illegal immigrants that are employed in the back room.  The owners treat them like their other employees -- like dog crap.

Speaking of treating employees like dog crap, here's the icing on top.

My ex was an exemplary employee.  She always worked her ass off and never called out.  (Remember, she's an ex, so I'm not being blindly loyal or anything.)  One day, it was her time of the month and, consequently, had to go to the bathroom frequently.  

Well, this was unacceptable to the owners.  They angrily asked her, in front of the customers, why she was going to the bathroom so much.  Embarrassed to answer, she said that it was none of their business.  They fired her right on the spot.  

Nice people huh?

Oh, and they still haven't mailed her W2 forms.  When we went to inquire about them, we were thrown out....in the typical passive aggressive manner they're accustomed to.

Eat there if you want, I just figured I'd make some knowledge known.

Ps.  I'm fully aware that Yelp policy discourages "second hand" information.  But, when you have to pick your girlfriend up from her workplace while she's crying hysterically, it's definitely a personal experience.  Plus, I've met some of the illegals who work there and have spoken with them about it.  Ditto the fire code violations.  I have a feeling that Grocery would never accuse me of slander -- that would require spending money to fix the violations and to pay their employees something above minimum wage.  (ie. -- not worth squashing the truth)

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Elite '08

40

293

Susan L.

Chicago, IL

Grocery has a little restaurant/cafe attached to the market.  I went for brunch-y food, and the paninnis are okay, but the bowl of steel-cut oats with toppings bar is to die for.  So yummy, in fact, that I went out and bought some steel cut oats to enjoy at home!  Huge serving, we ended up splitting it and were completely satisfied.

The cookies look tempting, but aren't soft--instead a bit of a disappointment.  I'll try the cupcakes next time.  The atmosphere was cold, with a random assortment of people stopping in.  If you live nearby, I'd stop in to get take out--there's no reason to eat at the restaurant.

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70

300

Nicole R.

PA

Called simply 'Grocery,' this upmarket corner grocery store offers mainly pre-prepared goodies, cheeses and a specialty olive oil selection which you can get pumped into your old bottles.  They have now installed a salad bar which has delicious Mediterranean-inspired options like quinoa salad, grilled chicken and roasted peppers, olives, beans.  It's like a mini version of the salad bar at Whole-foods.  They also have a large beverage cooler in which they have a variety of waters, teas, juices and all-natural no high-fructose corn syrup soda.  They have a wall of organic and European chocolates as well! Another treat is the cheese sampler.  

What I like about Grocery is that it's a scaled down alternative to either Whole Foods, DiBruno Brothers or the Reading Terminal.  You can be in and out in a matter of minutes with a lunch that is both really tasty and healthy. It's not cheap, but you wouldn't expect something that has this good quality to cost pennies.

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