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27 reviews for Produce World
Review Highlights
"...of imported juices, olive oil, pasta, chocolate, cookies..."
(in 5 reviews)
"Great selection and great prices on all kinds of fresh..."
(in 3 reviews)
"OMG a million kinds of imported candy and cookies."
(in 7 reviews)
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27 reviews in English
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Review from Jamie S.
Chicago, IL
10/9/2010
I LOVE this store! Unbelieveable prices and tons of ethnic stuff. Nice meat section and wonderful produce. They also have a great selection of breads, focaccia, pita, lavash, rye, italian, polish, etc. They have a great deli that even includes a whole section just for different types of feta cheese.
And I won't even mention the sweets... OMG a million kinds of imported candy and cookies...
Every time I come here I find something new and really enjoy browsing through tons of stuff that has no English writing on the label! They seem to be remodeling or fixing up the store a little bit and carrying more items than they used to. They just added a nice size section of Indian food.
The store is pretty clean too... even the meat section. (I'm really paranoid about cleanliness)
Prices are the lowest I've seen compared to the other produce centers I go to frequently, like A&G and Fresh Farms.
I am totally addicted to ethnic produce centers and this one is one of the best! -
Review from Kymberly J.
Oak Park, IL
12/22/2011 2 Check-ins Here
They have a super selection of seasonal fruit and veggies and ethnic food products that well serve the local community. I only wish they had more organic produce.
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Review from Sunshine S.
San Francisco, CA
3/1/2011
Evey time I come home on vacation this is one of my first stops. Not only do they have a huge selection of all the yummy imported food I grew up on at Grandma's house, but they actually make their own Greek yogurt that is most likely the best thing I have ever had on this earth.
Produce world has just about anything you need from deli items, fresh (and reasonable) produce as well as imported beers and liquors. Well worth the trip, now all I wish is they would open a Produce World in San Francisco! -
Review from Kevin H.
4/21/2009 2 Check-ins Here
Good source of all sorts of items not found in your chain grocery stores. With the focus on produce they offer a wide variety of seasonal fruits and veggies as well as a full deli, butcher shop, and fish counter.
Have sampled many of the meats here and have found the quality to be just fine. Prices are right as well. Only place around here where you can score rabbit, goat etc; cheese's and such that you will not fine in the nearby chains.
They carry many local bakery products from Italian breads to pastry, Mediterranean and eastern European specialties. D'Amato's one of my all time faves in terms of bread and focaccia is available here, score!
Mom and pop shop, and I have had a chance to chat with one of the owners. Very nice personable guy. -
Review from Patrick W.
Chicago, IL
4/27/2007
When I need anything that's outside the apple/orange/tomato/onion realm, this is the place to go. Great selection and great prices on all kinds of fresh produce. It's normally very fresh, too.
The meat selection varies but is usually pretty good. Free tip from your Uncle Patrick: start with the stuff in the butcher's case, then look on the shelves. The butcher's case has the best and freshest cuts.
The rest of the store tends to specialize toward European products, with a few American brands mixed in, but only in some sections. For instance, the cookie aisle is totally made up of Italian, Polish, German, and a few Russian brands. No Keebler here, baby!
The deli alone is worth the trip. Unbelievable prices on a great variety of domestic and international lunchmeats and cheeses. -
Review from Ben O.
Morton Grove, IL
7/25/2011
I love to experimentally cook, and when I need something I'm not so sure Dominick's would have.. Produce World has it , and at a decent price!
The deli is probably my most frequented section- huge selection of meats!
Awesome place to go for the health and budget conscious! -
Review from Yoyo M.
Chicago, IL
11/13/2010
Produce World, will you please move to my neighborhood? Please? I make the best guacamole (my grandma's recipe) and my friends ask me to bring it to every backyard party, birthday party, house party, etc. What costs me $30 at Jewel or Trader Joe's, costs only $11 at Produce World.
You guys are located on the ourskirts of the NW side and we inner city, health concious people are dying for cheap, super-fresh produce. If you built a Produce World here, people would come! My best friend and I would be there 3x per week, guaranteed.
At least think about it. And let me know what you decide.
Thanks Produce World, You Rock! -
Review from Rosa de C.
Chicago, IL
9/12/2008
When I walked in the door and saw a table stacked high with trays of black figs (not the little pint baskets I get at Pete's, but trays), I got the feeling that I was going to dig Produce World. Their produce section is indeed impressive. Everything looked very fresh, with great prices, and outstanding variety for a store that isn't all that big (six or seven varieties of apples, white, red, and rainbow swiss chard, for those who like to color-coordinate, as well as organic dandelion greens, which I don't think I've ever seen at Whole Foods). Places like this make me wish I was a better cook.
Full-service butchers shouldn't be as scarce as they are. A banner advising customers to place orders for lambs and goats is always a good sign. The offerings at both the butcher and fish counters looked (and smelled) very fresh and appetizing.
The imported groceries make this place the most fun, though. Greek, Polish, Arabic, Filipino... so many interesting things to take home and try. I picked up some tea, my favorite Sicilian olive oil (that's becoming harder and harder to find), almond syrup for when I want to pretend I'm a barista, a lime squeezer that cost $5 less than the ones at Whole Foods, sour cherry and hazelnut jams from Italy, wildflower honey from Wisconsin, chocolate-covered dried strawberries and blueberries from the bulk section... they even carry Kalona Organics milk. Basically, I went a little crazy, rationalizing my purchases by telling myself, "when am I going to be back up this way?"Listed in: Essentials...
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Review from Anna S.
Chicago, IL
7/6/2008
They should really call this place "antipasto" world. The star at this store is the deli. It is huge with a great selection of imported and domestic meats, olives, feta cheeses, etc. An antipasto platter headquarters. Right next to the deli is a great selection of fresh rolls that I haven't found elsewhere.
Yes, their produce section is big. And usually pretty good and well priced, with the occasional sorry looking broccoli and old green horned garlic.
Good selection of european groceries too. Hard to find semolina flours next to the Lavazza coffee and Nutella spreads.
The owners were brilliant in setting up 2 aisles of bulk packaged goods. You can find virtually any kind of nut, dried fruit or candy here. -
Review from Victoria B.
Des Plaines, IL
4/9/2008
I gave up on major supermarket chains a while ago. I only shop at two or three area independent places now, one being Produce World.
This place has a great produce section (hence the name), lots of dried pastas, and an impressive imported/domestic fresh cheese selection (like Parmigiano Reggiano). I also like this place because they have both a butcher and sea food counter. When I don't have time to go to my regular butcher (review coming soon) they slice or ground meats at my request. Once I needed some catfish for dinner and the fish guy helped with the figuring out the weight and filleted it too.
Although I rarely buy deli meats but Produce World has a great a wonderful deli counter that includes fresh olives and feta cheeses along with the usual meats and yellow/white cheeses. They recently rearranged the layout and now have an area with pastries; while I haven't tried any of them they do look tasty.
I love this place for the little things they have that other places don't. I often need stock and they carry 8 oz. boxes of beef, chicken, and vegetable stock. Need anchovy paste or Greek olive oil? They have them. Looking for butter from Poland? They have it and some from Ireland too. I only wish I could read Polish so I could enjoy all of the things this store has to offer from candy and juices, to yogurt and desserts. This is a one stop shop. They even sell wine and beer. Just make sure to bring your ID. -
Review from Julia H.
Chicago, IL
6/2/2009
I came here with my close pal KS, and I love it. The prices are great -- they have a great fresh produce section with the regular fruits and veggies, and some more unusual ones.
My favorite aisle is the bagged bulk section -- I got dried kiwi, organic oats, cornmeal, yellow raisins and a bag of walnut meat. The nuts are cheap here~!! (and I need them for protein and omegas.)
I would come back here again definitely but the drive and traffic is a bummer. -
Review from Tom M.
Chicago, IL
3/23/2008
Nothing says "Come on, Tom, you can make it thru the rest of Easter Sunday after having played your mean slide trombone on two early masses better than stopping at Produce World and buying yourself some delicious ham!" better than, well, Produce World!
Excellent selection of international flavors - meats, dairy, produce, etc.
Think Lincolnwood Produce - very similar vibe. Just further west. But just as cool!
Why is it places with 'produce' in the name always have not only great produce, but amazing selections of meats?
This place rocks! -
Review from Tony G.
Chicago, IL
5/21/2008
Produce World is essentially a small grocery store with a large produce selection and a great deal of imported food products.
There is soooo much I like about this place. The freshness of the produce is second to none. You won't find a pile of shriveled up peppers or flea-ridden onions like at some places (i.e. Butera). They make the best guacamole around. The deli is okay with some nice Greek dishes that you don't normally see elsewhere. There is a nice selection of imported juices, olive oil, pasta, chocolate, cookies, and all sorts of funky stuff from Eastern Europe.
The Meat Department is stellar with healthy-looking steaks at affordable prices. There is a nice array of sausages as well. I was checking out some Romanian sausages last weekend. I'm not sure if these are breakfast sausages but I am going to give them a try. They also carry my favorite type of sausage, barese, an Italian style sausage that is amazing.
Though the best item in the meat department are shish kabobs. They have Greek-style marinated kabobs in lamb, chicken and steak. Also, in the dairy section you can pick up the Greek cucumber sauce for dipping.
Produce world also has a nice selection of bulk foods. I recently picked up a tasty nut, raisin, M&M medley that my kids loved. I also bought a pile of assorted chocolates both domestic and imported (I think my wife hid them for herself because they disappeared soon after I brought them home).
Produce World is just a great place. If you're tired of over-priced large chain stores or the cheapie places with lousy products, then I recommend checking out Produce World. -
Review from Mark B.
Chicago, IL
12/21/2009
As a resident of the area, we have Aldi's, Jewel, Butera and a handful of small ethnic places worth digging for (and, YELPers, we should do a tour of them around here this summer).
PRODUCE WORLD has a great, great deli, tons of foreign (Polish) foods and the feel of a large, crowded village store. always find something good to eat at the deli and they do have a good sale paper, so get it or not, but honest, every time I go for a haircut across the street at Rocky's, the day becomes a trip to Ace, Produce World, comics from Atlas Comics (john, the owner, not only sells comics but drew them for many years) in the same mall, and brunching at the Phoenix (very fast service and very big breakfasts). PRODUCE WORLD is a gem: butchers, decent fresh veggies and fruits, and a lot of nice surprises.
Mark B, Associate Publisher, Food Industry News -
Review from Renato P.
Grayslake, IL
9/9/2007
A great ethnic produce store and deli , it's imported deli selection is second to none. It has a great butcher , but it's presliced meat leaves a bit to be desired. The fresh fish selection is a hidden gem , I got a some huge tuna steaks that were the best I've ever had. The produce here is very good , good selection and quality. The import grocery is fascinating as well as good. I am not European , so I have no clue about a large chunk of the goods here , but what I have tried definitely expanded my horizons. They did have a kickass desert bakery , but it's now gone. they do get some really good baked deserts brought in, but it's not quite the same. Some people come here for the imported chocolates alone , which are great. Personally I love the little fruit bon bon hard candies way better , and they have a good selection of them.
Listed in: Decent Produce Markets ...
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Review from John F.
6/16/2006
This produce store has a huge selection of not only produce, but fresh meat, fish and packaged groceries. Prices on produce, meat and fish are terrific and quality is first rate. I have bought fresh ahi here for as little at $7 per pound. Nice ethnic food selection, geared toward Italian and Polish for the local clientele. You could not ask for a lot more in a produce market.
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Review from Diana C.
Chicago, IL
11/8/2009
they have great meat that costs less than most other food stores.i loveeeeee the cheese ( FETA) :P
and the tasty lamb. :) -
Review from Adam M.
Norridge, IL
5/31/2007
If you need to get fresh produce PRODUCE WORLD is definately the place to go. There are tons of people who come from out of town to shop here. People from Shaumburg often drive up here and I've heard of other places as well. Everything here is always fresh and a great place to shop.
Listed in: My Neighborhood
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Review from Brian C.
Chicago, IL
1/3/2010
This is a great grocer for good fruits and vegetables at a low price! The deli also has everything you want and for less money. The store is always clean and well kept. And the staff is friendly most of the time. The only downfall to this store is no paper bag option. I shop here and save money all the time, and eat healthy without spending a lot of cash!
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Review from Matt M.
5/10/2009
This place is inredible for fresh fruits, vegetables, and meats. The dry goods are overpriced to compensate for the insanely low produce prices. If you like to eat clean and fresh and you are on a budget - this is your place. Just go across the street to Jewel for the dry goods which are way overpriced here.
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Review from Dorotka K.
Franklin Park, IL
11/30/2010
My husband called this place "a store without a heart" after our first visit there. This pretty much summed up our experience. It looks like it would be big from the outside, but as soon as you enter, you are greeted by some random stuff placed upfront. You then turn to go to their produce section, which certainly beats Jewel's wrinkled veggies, but is just okay. The aisles are confusing and the store lacks the sights and smells of a nice grocery store. You know, that fresh baked bread smell. Oh, it's because they don't bake their own bread. I walked around the store for a while and wondered, what entices people to shop here? The ambiance is like a cloudy day - raw gray floors, dim lighting, a need for a jacket. The prices are low, sure, but I would rather hop over to Caputo's to get a real grocery store experience. I ended up buying some apples and a Kinder Bueno to split with my husband. Sadly, even the Kinder Bueno tasted bland...
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Review from Robert L.
Los Angeles, CA
9/12/2005 1 photo
There are so many fantastic deals here on first rate produce, grocery items etc.. They have a great meat dept. One of the things that also impressed me was how clean and nice looking this store is. This store also has some great authentic Greek foods that I appreciate. First rate all the way.
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Review from steve c.
Chicago, IL
2/12/2007
Good prices on meat, veggies and fruit. Ethnic but mostly polish. I do like coming here.
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Review from Julie B.
Des Plaines, IL
8/14/2007
most of the time their produce prices are amazing. I can usually leave the store w/ 3-4 bags of fresh produce and some sort of meat(chicken, beef) for $25-30.
This place is never super busy. Sometimes there can be a wait at the deli counter.
Oh and another thing, this place is CLEAN. I'm so sick of going to other grocery stores and seeing bugs on the floor and flies all over the produce section. -
Review from Jonathan F.
Chicago, IL
10/22/2007
I tried this place (over Jewel) for the first time this weekend. Very nice place, clean, nice flow and feel. Found everything i needed, and since i had some time to kill, i immediatley went to Jewel to compare prices. Spent $33 at Produce world and would have spent $41 at Jewel. (Biggest saving in olive oil $10 v. $6 and and Broccoli $1.79/lb v. $.89/lb). $7 bucks is worth the extra 2 mile drive.
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Review from Stacy W.
Chicago, IL
1/11/2009
Mountains of brightly colored healthy looking fruit and veg at low low prices? CHECK
CHEESE CASE full of interesting cheeses and a plethora of delights from around the meditteranean and eastern europe? CHECK
Awesome deals on deli, meats, poulty? CHECK
A great olive oil selection (a lot of Greek choices) CHECK
My favorite part of the produce world experience however is by far the little packages of goodies - chocolate covered filberts, almonds, raisins, walnuts, pecans, as well as non chocolate covered nuts, salted, roasted, honey roasted, the list goes on and on! In addition to the nut selection (heh, nut selection) they have dried and candied fruits of all varities, peanut butter cups, jelly candies, etc.
They also stock some name-brand pastas, miracle whip, salad dressings, ketchup, etc. so you really can do all your shopping here, although "processed" foods are more expensive (LET THAT BE A LESSON TO YA, THEN!)
Here's another little tip- I was able to get really cool looking Christmas gift baskets I made myself - of wine, olive oil, individual dried turkish apricots, interesting pastas, cheeses, and smoked meats that looked really expensive and exotic - all from Produce World, the real deal, for about 1/3 of the price if I got it from a gourmet store! Great for in-laws, bosses, etc.
Another charming aspect is that they sell wine-making grapes in the summers. -
Review from I Q.
Chicago, IL
9/14/2005
Wow, a produce store that actually is nice and organized. This produce store is like any other with all the fresh fruits, vegies, and meats, but the only exception is that it is nice and clean!! It's not liek the many others I have been too.
