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Rainbow Grocery
Categories: Food Grocery Food Specialty Food Health Markets Grocery, Health Markets [Edit]
1745 Folsom St(between 14th St & Erie St)
San Francisco, CA 94103
Neighborhood: Mission
(415) 863-0621
- Hours:
Mon-Sun 9 am - 9 pm
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street, Private Lot
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
1119 reviews for Rainbow Grocery
Review Highlights
"A very different and wonderful co-op."
(in 111 reviews)
"Yay for Worker Owned Coops."
(in 44 reviews)
"It makes it really easy to shop for produce."
(in 321 reviews)
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1119 reviews in English
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Review from Evelyn M.
2/8/2012 1 Check-in Here
I love my neighborhood (and probably all of the other) New Seasons. And I feel great and at home at the People's Food Coop. But Rainbow Grocery in SF...
The jars in the bulk food section were so shiny clean. There were so many of them filled with varieties of delicious and healthful yummies. The bins were fascinating. The produce: FRESH and COLORFUL! Home goods and personal items seemed less chi-chi than those found at Whole(Paycheck)Foods.
This store seemed to have everything I would ever want and need. And the staff was nice! -
Review from Julio A.
2/5/2012 1 Check-in Here
Rainbow's different from any other grocery store I've ever been to. There are things on the shelves I've never heard of, but want to try, better versions of the things I've heard of or have tried, and an army of well-informed, helpful staff to help me tell the difference. For us omnivores, sure it'd be more convenient to have meat available in the same place you pick up your fruits and veggies, but part of me appreciates keeping the worlds separate.
If you're about to go to Rainbow for the first time, there are a few things you should know:
- Rainbow likes to operate in bulk. It's better for the environment and helps keep costs down. Though they do have pre-packaged spices and foods, the good stuff is kept in large, taxonomic-style glass jars. From tea to cardamom to yeast to pasta to chocolates, it's all there in bulk, waiting for you and your bag. Just don't forget to write down the SKU.
- You bag your own groceries. They'll bag them for you if you ask for help, but the expectation is that you're just as equipped as they are to determine whether or not you should be stacking heavy glasses of kimchi on top of your free-range eggs.
- Bring your own bag. I think they have bags, but might charge for them (Euro style). You can also ask for a box, if that's easier.
- It's vegetarian. As mentioned above, there's no meat on premises.
- They're a co-op. Read up on Wikipedia if you're interested in the specifics, but it's worthwhile supporting your local anarcho-syndicalist-esque businesses. -
Review from David P.
San Francisco, CA
1/30/2012
Thought I'd share my thoughts and experiences at Rainbow grocery from a "Newbie's" perspective, this also happens to be my 99th Yelp review! Yay!!
Not sure why but I never even considered shopping at Rainbow, maybe it wasn't that convenient, maybe a bit too "earthy" for my taste? I usually shop at Costco and Trader Joe's and a couple local corner stores in my neighborhood emphasis being on quality and price, I would never buy organic because it costs too much and I didn't feel it was worth the extra money.
In October 2011 my doctor wanted to increase my meds for my T2 Diabetes, that did it for me. I started doing some research on Vegetable juicing, bought an Omega Juicer and increased my exercise of choice; walking.
The thing is, if you are going to juice, make sure the produce is quality and if you can afford it, buy organic and this is how I discovered Rainbow. All their produce is organic. The first time I shopped at Rainbow I was impressed by the quality but the costs made my eyebrows stay raised for two days! Really? Asparagus costs that much?? I shop here once a week and spend about $50 a visit for all organic produce. I've compared pricing with Whole Foods but when you compare organic produce they are about the same. I read an earlier comment about Whole Foods brussel sprouts being cheaper, theirs are not organic! My problem with whole foods is if I can't find organic at their store then I have to go to Rainbow anyways so why not just do all my shopping at Rainbow in the first place?
I'm giving it 4 stars vs 5 just because I feel it is a bit pricey. I get that organic food costs more to bring to the market but should it cost that much more? Guess I want my cake (or brussel sprouts) and eat it too!
The Vegetable juicing is coming along great, lost 21lbs since Thanksgiving, I use all green vegetables or any veggie that is low on the glycemic index. I use a little ginger or a wedge of lemon or lime or half of a small apple to sweeten it up.
Thank you Rainbow for making my shopping easy! -
Review from Kelly K.
San Francisco, CA
2/4/2012
Cheese is my drug of choice and rainbow has the finest. Neal's yard stilton, Robiola, italian braesola aquavite and others totalling 11 varieties. The variety is fabulous but even better the cheesemongers at rainbow are cheese curators. Whatever variety the ripeness is perfection. 11 cheeses today, all packed within a day or two, and all perfectly ripe. Other cheese shops will sell u an over-or-underripe cheese to get it off the shelves. Never experienced that at rainbow. Kudos to the cheese meisters. Please, please, keep it up!
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Review from AverageCustomer A.
San Francisco, CA
2/4/2012
After shopping here for over ten years, I am hanging it up. Every once in awhile, I am helped by a really awesome member of this co-op, but they are few and far between. For the most part, the members are dour and rude, act put-upon to be in the check stand, and complain openly in front of customers about other customers. I just don't get it. I really wanted to believe in this store for a variety of reasons. The negative energy of this place eclipses its strengths, which sucks because this is a remarkable store in many ways.
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Review from Gyöngyi G.
San Francisco, CA
1/13/2012
I have been going to Rainbow about twice a month for the past year. This is the place to go to if you care about the environment and/or your health, or if your recipe calls for unusual ingredients. The vast majority of food items are organic and many are local as well.
They have an amazing selection of bulk products: nut butters, oils, at least a dozen different kinds of flour (including tipo 00 that many pizza recipes call for), coffee, dried fruits, spices, soaps etc.
You can find any kind of cheese you want and the staff is really nice and helpful.
They even have sustainable cupcake liners, organic cotton kitchen towels, and importantly enough a business model that I want to support.
If you can't find something make sure you ask a staff member because it's almost guaranteed that they have it somewhere. -
Review from Kevin F.
Mill Valley, CA
Updated - 2/2/2012
Where else? Nope, I thought so. I love everything about this place, but esp the bulk foods.
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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9/2/2011
I'm a convert to this place after a tiny place in Sausalito closed, leaving me w/o bulk items.… Read more »
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Review from Leila R.
San Francisco, CA
12/13/2011
Today I dropped by Rainbow to see if I could exchange 4 packets of rice cakes, brand new, purchased two days ago, never opened. I had a 5th at home that I HAD opened and, like what tends to be the case with your rice cakes, it was stale. I cannot for the life of me find my receipt but before I could even get my story in the attending Rainbow worker/owner was belligerent, rude and immediately dismissed me and with a raised voice told me NO RETURNS.
I tried to talk to another one (a dirty looking guy, red hair, frizzy with a long 'stache) and he was ruder still. I can understand your policy but then STICK TO IT and do so WITH RESPECT! Just two months ago a similar situation with another item arose and I was allowed to make an exchange. I've been a Rainbow customer for over 15 years and I am disappointed beyond words, angry and enraged to see how entitled, rude and downright horrible some of your worker/owners are. This second one was louder still, mean, out of line and started asking many other workers "Do we ever accept returns without receipts?" as they walked by, drawing attention to me, as though to shame me for wanting to talk about it. Seriously? Over fucking RICE CAKES???
SHAME ON YOU at Rainbow and to hell with you all. If 15 years of being a loyal customer comes down to this to hell with the lot of you. There is something called respect, allowing a customer to explain what they have to say whether you already know what the verdict is going to be and then letting them know kindly and with tact. Your being owners doesn't mean you get to treat me like shit. It means that after putting up with your fucking attitude I am going to take my business elsewhere. Whole Foods Market has NEVER been so out of line.
And anyone with a half decent business model would understand how important customer service is and how keeping your loyal customers happy is key to continued success... Let's see how you reply to this email. You can either assuage the situation or further aggravate it and seeing how you are running your business I am not holding my breath. And don't think this is all you're gonna get. I am going to be calling my complaint in, yelping it and writing it in as well and adding a decent dose of stress to your fucking day...
And ANYONE who knows me knows that it had to be pretty bad for me to be this enraged. Rainbow has always been my grocery haven. No more. You've lost my business. Thanks for respecting the thousands and thousands and thousands of dollars I've spent there throughout the years. Really happy to see that my business is shit to you. Great going Rainbow! -
Review from Ms. A.
Menlo Park, CA
1/2/2012
Earlier in my life I used to say that one could not leave Target without spending a surprising amount of money (50, 75, 100, or more!). Today was my first visit to Rainbow Grocery and I now think that this place will cause people that same problem.
I had a basket (not a cart) with very little actual food in it and when the cashier told me my total was over $85 I was rather startled. I was thrilled to find all the veg goodies this place has to offer, along with high quality pet food and lovely toiletries, however, I wish it was a true coop (customer owned) and that their prices were more reasonable, esp. in produce. I chose not to buy broccoli because of how expensive it was! I will probably return here for a few select items I can't get elsewhere, but will not be buying produce or other readily available items. -
Review from Dupa B.
San Francisco, CA
1/3/2012 2 Check-ins Here
I like it.
All the good healthy stuff...if only parking was available...;-P -
Review from Heather J.
Bay Area
1/3/2012
I'm surprised it took me so long to check this place out. I have heard so much and I was very, very impressed with Rainbow Grocery.
Such a huge selection of looseleaf teas. Like twenty different types of yerba mate. Score!
The staff was very helpful and they were able to show me around the store and they knew a bunch the teas they had. So cool.
And they had lots of organic and local food. And everything is vegetarian in Rainbow Grocery? That's rad. -
Review from Claire W.
12/15/2011
I love their bulk food sections for grains, beans, seeds, nuts and flours and the prices are very good as they are not a for-profit corporation, but a worker-owned cooperative. You can pretty much find anything here at the bulk food section that you cannot find elsewhere. When I was making a lot of gluten-free bread I would come here to get the grains and flours as it comes down less costly than buying the pre-packaged flour from Whole Foods. Love their fresh nut butter here.
The only complaint about this place is it is pretty much vegetarian. I cannot get my animal proteins/products here. So that makes it a little inconvenient to come all the way here to the city to get only the vegetarian ingredients, and I still have to go elsewhere to find my animal proteins. Maybe when I become a vegetarian some day, this can become my one-stop shopping place.Listed in: Best local grocery stores
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Review from JEANNE M.
Redwood City, CA
1/27/2012
Excellent bulk Coco Date Rolls. Cheapest I've ever seen, less then $5 a pound. Stock up.
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Review from Lidia N.
San Francisco, CA
1/4/2012
I just got back from shopping at Rainbow. I always do since I like how they carry variety of local produces. You see, I cater variety Eritrean Vegan Organic Home made food as well that is all I eat at home. This morning was a good morning for me to go shopping at Rainbow, I live in Civic Center, where there is farmer's market every Wednesday and Sunday, I used to shop down stairs but they have very little organic venders.
I know it this story might be getting boring to read but I will get to the point in a minute. I tried to write this review in Rainbow's comment page but I can not find one, I do not believe they have one. Today I was shopping for little things to keep in the house, but I picked a vegan mint chocolate chip from the bins and puts it in my mouth, I used the thong to grab it of course. When I shop, I normally have ear phones on, I love music. I am an Eritrean, immigrant who has a permanent resident in the U.S. I have a big fro, which always gets me in trouble with my Mom since she believes women should have smooth straight hair, like Asian women's hair.
While I was enjoying the chocolate chip in my mouth, I notice people starring at me. I normally get starred at for variety of reason, mostly, I presume, my hair might be too wild looking for some people and I have black and olive skin color. This poke by this lady woke me up from the enjoyment of the chocolate chip in my mouth and the music in my ears, I looked to find a caucasian, tattooed woman with angry face saying staff.
I said to her, "excuse me?
She said "YOU ATE THAT CHOCOLATE CHIP" (Very loud)
I was like "So?"
She said "YOU DIDN'T PAY FOR IT AND I SAW YOU HAD ONE"
I sad" I am sorry, but I actually had two (I still did not understand the situation)
Then I said, "can't I tell the teller that ?
She said, "NO, IT IS BY THE POUND" (Still loud)
In My head I was thinking I have a basket full of food, about $50 worth in my left hand and this lady is screaming about the chocolate chip I tried which is less than two cents. Infact she had it wrong, I had one earlier that she didn't even see, which makes it, Ok, three cents worth.
She screamed, "IT IS BY THE POUND" again
I said, "Calm down, I will grad a few from the bin.
I do not know if she was trying to embarrasse me, or she had a bad morning or if Rainbow Grocery is built on these magic vegan chocolate chips, whatever the case, I felt I did not deserve to be treated that way. I went to the bin where the mint chocolate chip were, I grabbed $ 3:00 worth of mint vegan chocolate chips (I have the receipt, I was checked out at 09:41AM, 151721, Cashier # 21, I never use to keep the receipt, but this tattooed caucasian lady scared the shit out of me, I wasn't sure what else I can be accused off doing. After the I checkout a $50:00 worth of food and this is just me and my man. I normally shop for my catering, I cook for up to 60 people some times, which comes to $100s at times, aren't I a customer worth keeping? I went to find the sales lady and she was having her breakfast, I handed her the bag of mint chocolate chips (about 12 chips) and
I said to her."I am sorry for the scene, here are 12 chocolate chips that I paid for, I only had two before and I am sorry.
She said "Thank you" . I can't read what she was thinking though.
I said "No, thank you, what is your name again?
She said "$^%*%^$%" (sorry, but I do not remember her name at all)
I said, "Thank you $&%%^&%^.
I was thinking as I was leaving Rainbow, I was having a wonderful morning until this incident with this sales lady at Rainbow. Then I thought, I shouldn't let this incident affect my day. I was trying to figure out what her intentions were though, to embarasse me? because she did for a little bit because I can't stop to think about the people staring at me, even though I didn't have any bad intentions, what must these people be thinking? I try not to care about what people think, but I can't help it some times, let's face it we are people who live among people so we should at least respect.
Or was she trying to get her three cents. No way. You see I use to like shopping at Rainbow because it is positive atmosphere. I believe in Organic local food, the sales and teller are friendly, always smiling at least, but if what they are thinking is, let's see if this black African girl puts the chocolate chip in her mouth with out paying, then I do not want to shop at Rainbow anymore.
My name is Lidia Habtetsion, I am a Vegan Eritrean, who lives in down town San Francisco and I believe in sharing your stories with your community. Thank you for allowing me to share. -
Review from Lindsey W.
Minneapolis, MN
1/23/2012 1 Check-in Here
Tons of bulk produce, spices & teas which is pretty cool. I also really loved the bulk pasta area. It is a little difficult to shop as everything is really cramped and in very close quarters. Its not the type of place that you can linger around and look.
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Review from Venu N.
11/18/2011 1 Check-in Here
Simply stated, this is the pinnacle of vegetarian grocery. Accept no substitute.
You walk into the store and on your right there is container after container of fresh spices that will undoubtedly add flavor to your cooking. There is a handy sign located above the containers detailing all the different spices you can purchase here (unfortunately, I was looking for fresh morel powder for a mac-n-cheese I was baking... essentially, I was too lazy to crush the FRESH MORELS you can find in the store). Continue down the first row and you'll find a number of healthy pastas for your Italian meal of choice.
As I briefly mentioned in the previous paragraph, you can find an assortment of high end mushrooms in this store. Golden chanterelles, tree mushrooms, oyster mushrooms, and other variations could be found here. Maybe you are in the mood for high end olives? You will find a number of different kinds in this store. Cheese? This place might as well be their own Cowgirl Creamery. Milk? There are a number of different types of organic milk. Milk substitutes? Rainbow has you covered.
Basically, if you have any interest in cooking (vegetarian or otherwise... you can always buy your meat from Prather Ranch or any other nearby meat vendor), you will adore this store. I never thought I would ever find a grocery store more epic than the flagship Whole Foods in Austin, Texas, but tiny little Rainbow exceeds it. If I lived in San Francisco, I would shop here every single day. Five stars without even a hint of reservation. -
Review from Bruce P.
San Francisco, CA
12/11/2011
National shrine.
Don't like Rainbow? That is fine stay at Safeway/ -
Review from D A.
Oakland, CA
12/10/2011
My all-time favorite co-op in the WORLD. You can find everything here - vitamins, fresh produce, tasty selection of cheese and wine, books, cookware, cleaning products, free boxes, plants, grains, teas, you name it!
I shop here even if I moved out of San Francisco years ago simply because I cannot find anyplace like it.
The only drawback is the price - I wish it was cheaper, and I wish they would bring back their 20% off coupons from the yellow pages (which is the only reason for the 4 stars).
If they bring back the coupon, then I will change it to 5 stars! -
Review from nabil s.
San Francisco, CA
1/21/2012 1 Check-in Here
i have been hearing about this place from my co-workers for a while!! So I decided to go check out. This place is like whole foods, tradr joes and Real foods market combined! But even better! The prices are a little steep but EVERYTHING is organic and there's a section in the store where you "do it yourself" meaning you pour your own honey, olive oil, peanut butter, pasta, cereal, shampoo, detergent...etc into their containers or you can bring your own and buy it!! Its awesome! I love their gluten free products! go check this place out!!
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Review from Suzanne K.
San Francisco, CA
1/21/2012
Best grocery store ever.
Seriously.
They have the biggest bulk section I've ever seen, which includes spices. All of their produce is organic, as is much of what they stock. Prices are reasonable, especially when you consider the quality -- yes, you can find cheaper produce at the little stands in the Mission, but that stuff certainly isn't organic, and won't last as long. Rainbow has tons of hard-to-find items, like weird spices, whole-grain (or gluten-free) pastas, and macrobiotic & raw food items (e.g., agar agar, barley malt, chia seeds, flax seeds). Their health supplements section is *huge*, so if you need flower extracts or any other type of herb this is the place. And, the staff is super-helpful.
As I said, best grocery store ever. -
Review from Erica H.
San Francisco, CA
11/5/2011
Rainbow, I know we shared something special for a while there, but people change... they grow... their paths diverge. I still have some feelings for you, but we need to talk about an open relationship.
After having just compared receipts from recent forays to Berkeley Bowl West and Rainbow, I see that organic produce of equal quality and variety averages about 1/2 as much per lb at BB. Dairy averages about $1 less per item for the same brands, and same brand eggs were about 1/3 less. Even factoring in gas and toll, I saved about $50 by making the 15 minute drive across the bridge. That's $200/month I can reallocate to the entertainment budget!
BB's employees frightened me at first, with that strange baring of teeth greeting they gave me, lips curling upward at the corners in a way I'd become very unaccustomed to, but every new relationship has its quirks. And I'm sure there must be hidden catches to the seemingly easy and plentiful parking, and the suspiciously pleasant simplicity of redeeming my glass milk bottles - after all, don't we all put our best face forward in the initial courtship?
But Rainbow, your dried spice section soundly thumps the offerings of BB and your cheese section has a couple additional offerings of interest, so let's not entirely dissolve our relationship... let's try out FWBs, or actually... A(cquaintances)WBs. -
Review from Lauren T.
San Francisco, CA
1/14/2012 9 Check-ins Here
I really love rainbows produce. I think it is the best in the city. I wish sometimes the staff was a little friendlier. I also wish that they had a very small section of local organic meat. I love the idea of the store being vegetarian and I respect that. But sometimes my body needs meat and it would be super convenient if I could get it here during my weekly shopping trips.
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Review from kim w.
San Francisco, CA
11/18/2011 1 Check-in Here
You know how in Final Fantasy, you go into different shops, and sometimes you find rare items or stronger potions? Well this is one of those shops. If you thought you found rare items at trader joes, you havent seen anything yet.
Minus one star because they need more pre-made food. :] -
Review from Zoey S.
11/3/2011 1 Check-in Here
No more grabbing half your groceries at the local market and then racing around the city in search of the rest. Rainbow has it all! [Insert corny joke relating produce and colors of the rainbow here].
Crunchy apples, soft peaches, non wilted spinach, what's not to love?!(Besides the exceptionally B.O. producing produce employee...).
Sure, if you wear heals or any shirt with more hue than the barfiest of grays you'll be stared at as though you're a purple giraffe, and yeah, you have to bag your own groceries, but the place is still awesome. No way around that; but no worries, there IS a way around all the other shoppers! (*cough cough, Whole Foods, cough).
Bulk: I love bulk. Oatmeal, nuts, dried fruit (Bartlett pear anyone?), brown rice flour, ANYTHING...
They seem to have gone a bit over the top with the "fill your own shampoo and conditioner" thing... I mean maybe not. I just haven't quite gotten to that color of the rainbow yet... -
Review from Lisa Q.
10/17/2011 1 Check-in Here
Mecca.
I belong to the cult of Rainbow Grocery.
Why haven't all the Whole Foods in Frisco closed down? Rainbow is to Whole Foods as Martha Stewart is to Gallagher.
Have you ever had a dream that you'd one day be able to buy all of your expensive spices and shampoos in bulk? I have--- and Rainbow has made them come true.
I don't even need to have a recipe or shopping list when I go here. I just look at the shelves, get inspired, spend all of my money, and I have a beautiful dinner! Seriously, this place is better than any inspirational cook's magazine.
Oh, oops, one thing though... they don't carry meats or fish.
I definitely make multiple weekly trips here and anybody close by should too! -
Review from Michael A.
Livermore, CA
11/14/2011
Best Health Food store in the Nation. Has evolved from co-op to employee owned. I say the best because they have inventory beyond other stores, local, organic, fresh, variety, bulk sales, and they know about the products they sell, regular encyclopedia.
Amazingly, their prices are usually better than other stores. On site parking lots get full, but managable.
Can't say enough about this place.
Love this place. -
Review from Anna G.
San Francisco, CA
Updated - 10/13/2011
Okay, so, this is pretty much one of my favorite places in the world.
Rainbow Grocery has EVERYTHING in bulk. No, I'm serious. Everything. You need olive oil? Shampoo? Miso? Any kind of flour, grain, legume? Spices? Raw coffee beans? Catnip? Yep, they have all of that.
They also have reusable bags and jars for sale (cheap!) for using over and over, both for purchasing goods and storing at home. If you have your own reusable stuff, all you have to do is use their scale, stickers, and pens to mark the weight of your items before filling them with goods.
Everything else in the store is just gravy. And if gravy isn't enough, their cheese section is totally bomb.Listed in: I live in the Mission
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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11/22/2010
This place is like Disneyland for people who love hippie food.
And I freaking love hippie food.
So… Read more »
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Review from Rapunzel L.
Simi Valley, CA
12/29/2011
I love this store, If you ever go back up north make sure you go to this store...This store carry some things that Wholefoods does not have....I also love all the organic pastries....pricy but worth it!
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Review from francis b.
San Francisco, CA
Updated - 9/30/2011
I guess this has been building for a while but I gotta unload. I feel a real air of indifference, impatience & we HATE you from some of the floor staff at this store. my last couple of visits here have felt like this: have as little contact with customers as you can, just spend your money & go away because some of us are very self satisfied over here & we really dislike customers. well, well I am very unhappy with the way I was treated here today.
my shopping pal & I got separated & she went to the vitamen section & inquired about a remedy for a skin issue I'm having. well the lady was very curt to my friend & really didn't offer up any significant info on this product she was claiming could help me. she went to a standard reference book & told her I should use something called "graphites" but gave no reason why. when I came over to find my friend I said show me where the person is because I want more info & clarification about this stuff. it was a little tube of pellets & I wanted to know what this stuff was about. really it isn't asking that much for a little info here.
so the floor person was clearly annoyed when I came over & busted up a conversation she was having with a cohort. she proceeded to dispense her air of indifference, curtness & please leave now because YOU ARE butting into a conversation I'm having/enjoying with a fellow worker. this person wasn't gonna budge, lift a finger or tell me anything except "read the instructions & take 3 times a day."
please forgive me for intruding on your conversation as I guess it's more important than a tiny bit of customer service. wow you hit hard with your just go away routine, vibe & tone of voice. can you excuse me for being a little uniformed? christ you couldn't even tell me a thing about this concoction that you're even to LAZY to hawk. I guess because if it's on Rainbow's shelf it must be the gospel.
where do they get these people over here? well it wouldn't be politically correct to answer that but this I'll say: you need to be nicer to people when they are confused & paying top dollar for stuff you can't even make an effort to sell. ABSURD !!!1 Previous Review: Show all »
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8/19/2011
good selection of produce, nice snack type stuff & decent loose tea. tons & tons of bulk which is a… Read more »
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Review from Bry B.
San Francisco, CA
10/21/2011
PROS
- NICE staff!
CONS
- Prices are way too pricey. I found all the items I got at competitors for half the price. -
Review from Kate D.
San Francisco, CA
10/4/2011 1 Check-in Here
I love this place. Their bulk foods section alone is worth the trip. I live pretty far from any whole foods and wanted a more organic food store to go to. On the end of the mission is this gem. More of a co-op market that has tons of great local foods and items to buy.
Some stuff is more expensive than whole foods, but most of it is way cheaper. I highly recommend shopping here. -
Review from Saint S.
San Francisco, CA
12/6/2011 1 Check-in Here
It's a great place.....but extremely expensive.
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Review from Lissette A.
Chicago, IL
11/14/2011
I love the idea of what this place stands for but umm for people who own this place these workers kinda suck. They're rude, not helpful, and give you not the brightest of answers for questions. They may or may not know this but customer service is important for coops. I give them one star for quality and variety of food/products but honestly I've had better experiences at Whole Foods, Safeway, etc. Learn to be better business people.
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Review from Jeremy S.
7/26/2011 5 Check-ins Here
I've been a Whole Foods refugee for a while, but finally I've found a new permanent home. Sure it's a little farther of a drive, but their produce is excellent (I had the most ridiculously juicy mango last night) and you can get just about anything on earth in bulk. 5lbs of dried mango? Check. 2lbs oatmeal? Check. 1lbs cracked wheat? What the *&$# is cracked wheat!?!
I've never tried their (smallish) parking garage, instead I swing around towards the Best Buy and always find convenient street parking. Even at 4 or 5pm on a Sunday, though it's busy, it's not a complete zoo (like WFs). Aisles are reasonably wide and they also have those mini-shopping carts which are much better for a bustling urban grocery store.
You have to do your own bagging which threw me off the first time, but it's actually a semi-amusing part of the Rainbow experience. Paper or plastic? Actually only paper or byob and watch out, their bags don't have the most sturdy handles! -
Review from Sf Momm Y.
San Francisco, CA
9/3/2011
My years as a pseudo hippie are in the distant past........ birkenstocks, tie dye shirts, hangin out with guitar-playing, hackeysack-kicking boys and girls in flannel shirts and discovering acoustic versions of songs by the Eagles...
Rainbow grocery lets you release your inner hippie.
I recently decided that I was going to rid my home of harsh chemicals like bleaches like clorox & comet powder to clean. I became tired of spending so much money on things that just get poured down the drain.
Here's the recipe that I found from an old magazine for a natural, all purpose cleanser:
1 Tablespoon borax
1 teaspoon baking powder
mixed in 2 cups warm water and disolved
add
3 ml of tea tree oil
3 ml of castille soap
IT WORKS FABULOUSLY.
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I needed to get all of these ingredients together in a short amount of time, and realised that Walgreens wouldn't have the castille soap or borax.... Trader joe's doesn't carry tea tree oil or borax.... Target doesn't carry the tea tree oil or castille soap..... so Rainbow Grocery was the answer! They had it all. And, at a decent price!
Yes, the parking lot is freaking ridiculous and the musky smell of some of the fellow customers walking the aisles can remind you of being at the gym, but it's an amazing place.
They carry castille soap in bulk and many other 'greenie' items in bulk, including an amazing tea, herb, and grains section that brings you back to how they did it when Caroline Ingalls went shopping at the Olson mercantile (if you get this reference I heart you very much.)
Check it out. The workers are super helpful, they know their products, and I always feel welcome here, birkenstocks or not.
And, they also carry the "ECO" laundry detergent (dioxane free, phosphate free, and biodegradable.. my favorite laundry detergent ever!) -
Review from Ivan L.
8/26/2011 3 Check-ins Here
This is where the hippies come to get their groceries (and to space out in front of you at the checkout line). The produce is fresh and organic (no need to panic). They have so much bulk grains, nuts, dried fruits, etc. that I expect to one day find a meta aisle of bulk bulk-bins. The cheese section is also something to behold. I believe it covers an acre and has its own camp at Burning Man.
Parking can be a pain when their lot is full or Ol' Smokey driving the Prius in front of you has a flashback behind the wheel. I live dangerously and park in the Office Depot lot. -
Review from Julia K.
San Francisco, CA
11/5/2011
(EDIT: I've been back, and there are warning labels on some of the jars that say "for topical use only" or which advise you shouldn't take the herb during pregnancy or if you have certain conditions. Rainbow deserves credit for doing that. HOWEVER, pennyroyal, celandine, pleurisy root and wormwood did not have these labels and they are blatantly dangerous. I am still disappointed that Rainbow sells these herbs at all without indicating how much is safe to use. I suggest you check out http://ods.od.nih.gov/... , search for the herb at http://www.consumerrep... for a good listing of what drugs may interact with it, or just do an educated Google search for information about what is safe and how to use it.)
I've never seen so much quackery under one roof.
I'm disturbed that they sell, in bulk, herbs like pennyroyal with absolutely NO warning that consuming these things in excess, or in conjunction with certain medications, can KILL YOU. No mention that pennyroyal can cause miscarriage, pleurisy root poses the risk of heart problems, comfrey can mess up your liver and the FDA says it is very dangerous, cherry bark shouldn't be taken in excess, that St John's Wort interacts with antidepressants and AIDS drugs...Not the slightest indication on the labels or jars how to use, or not use, these herbs. All the jars say is whether it's organic and what country it comes from. It's extremely irresponsible.
Even worse, they have shelves and shelves full of books on topics like how to treat cancer with natural "medicine." This is ridiculous, dangerous, fake pseudoscience, taking advantage of people's fears.
Of course, it's someone's choice if they want to believe in all this alternative medicine stuff, but I don't know how Rainbow can sell aisles and aisles of useless supplements and BS with a clear conscience. I don't know how they're allowed to do business like this.
So it's a co-op. That's great. But that doesn't make it OK for them to sell dangerous or useless goods so irresponsibly. Of course the buyer should beware, but consumers have the right to believe that what's being sold in a supermarket is safe to eat in the first place. -
Review from Tysen C.
9/25/2011
Rainbow Grocery is by far the best store I have ever been to. It is a foodie's dream.
I can't believe it took us so long to make it over here! Our friends have been raving about Rainbow for years and we finally came. Walked in and didn't want to leave!
The bulk section is amazing. We got several different kinds of flour and spices. We're planning to stock up on jars for some miso, peanut butter, various cooking oils...etc. So exciting! Also, Straus Family Creamery organic milk in a glass bottle FTW. Our mouths were hanging open with all the awesome finds. This is food worth budgeting for.
Can't wait to come back! -
Review from Linda M.
Alameda, CA
9/5/2011
Rainbow grocery could have a sign that said 'Welcome to cloud Nine' and it wouldn't be false advertising!
I don't even know where to start - this place is HEAVEN!
Easy to get to location by car (free parking) or public transport. The selection in all departments is endless!!! Love the selection of Meats, Veggies, Fruits, Raw Food, Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Breads, Pastas, Pre-prepared Food, Sauces, every type of Nut butter you could want, Oils, Syrups, Grains, Powders (Live Yeast, Protein powder etc.), Granolas, Teas and Coffee, Breads, Drinks, Frozen Foods, Beauty Products, Vitamins, Kitchen supplies, and Pet Foods! The list goes on and on they have anything you need!! Prepackaged or the ingredients to make it! This place has the selection most people would they can only find online (especially in vitamins) right here in our city!!!
The staff is friendly and knowledgeable!
I LOVE LOVE LOVE that everything is in bulk so I bring my reusable baggies and jars (they have both available if you don't yet have your own) and get only what I need.
It makes eating healthy for a single girl cheap and easy! No waste - or storage worries. It's hard to cook healthy for just one person on a budget not with Rainbow Grocery! Yes it can get expensive if you are like me and want to buy everything but if you are a smart shopper it's really reasonable for the quality.
Oh and if you go YOU MUST TRY THE CHOCOLATE CHIP PUMPKIN POUND CAKE IN THE BAKED GOOD SECTION.... DROOL!!!!!!
I can't say enough about the endless love I have for this place! Go and experience it! That's the only way!! :D
Enjoy!
P.S. If you are in the mission and don't want to go to the grocery hungry it's a short walk to the Mission Café Gratitude location !!! YUM !! -
Review from Eva Y.
Oakland, CA
11/8/2011
I called today to inquire on their availability on a specific product. Not only was I on hold, transferred twice without notification, but the product was not available. Also, the service attitude was poor. While I love what they stand for, improvement on service is truly needed. Since this is a coop, I expected more from them than a corporate chain store.
