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Jen T. said: "Happy Hour has good portions but price is a little pricier for HH prices. Service was awesome. Get the clams/ mussel combo. So yummy. Everything that called out crab had huge chunks of crab meat in it. ( artichoke/crab dip & even the…" read more »
66 reviews for Ralph's Grocery Deli
Review Highlights
"try the Egg Salad with Bacon."
(in 3 reviews)
"Decent wine selection, and while I'd steer clear of the..."
(in 5 reviews)
"...oddity of a gourmet shop open until 2am during the week."
(in 5 reviews)
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66 reviews in English
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Review from Jana S.
7/3/2011
I think this place is so convenient for those who don't have a ton of $$$ to spend eating something while out and touring about the downtown area...
Besides, one can go as low brow or as high brow as one desires, and Deanna J. had a good call when sizing this place up as a hybrid Whole Foods/bodega type of joint.
I enjoyed getting some great food (upper scale) without having to pay through the nose for it.. here, you'll find your fancy, gourmet end items, as well as basic items. May not be doling out bargain basement prices, but hey.. the place is close-by to some hotels I've stayed in, and it's open late!
It'll do! -
Review from Kate S.
2/7/2012
Wow.
Things are pricey in here.
Sure, you have upscale items -- no doritos or smarties to be found here. This place is pretty much stocked only with fancy snacky foods. Which on one level, sure that is cool. I don't always feel like kettle chips, but I do like Theo chocolate. However if Im wanting to sneak food into the Cinerama around the corner I don't like spending $7 a chocolate bar.
Deli items are here as well for crazy high prices. No I don't want to spend $5 on a slice of pizza that looks like it has been sitting there since the dawn of time, or $6 do a lame ass turkey sandwich. Thanks for the samples on soup though guys!
So, good -- you have nice things here. Bad? You are going to be paying a lot for them.Listed in: Groceries
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Review from Andy F.
9/30/2011
Ralph's is very expensive, and the selection is more limited than you would expect given the square footage in this store. I think that this store sells the most expensive cheap beer in town.
The store is a welcome convenience for those who live in the neighborhood and can't be bothered to travel to Queen Anne or Capitol Hill to visit a proper grocery store.
As an alternative to Ralph's, I prefer the Kress IGA downtown (at Third & Pike) -
Review from Cat N.
1/12/2012 1 Check-in Here
This store doesnt appeal to me...It was just convenient because it was across from my hotel and I needed water. Everything was expensive and I wouldnt have gone if I didn't need water to drink. I was really thirsty!!!
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Review from Jerry M.
Kirkland, WA
12/14/2011 1 Check-in Here
Nice store although a little pricy. Really good chocolate selection too.
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Review from Beau S.
11/15/2011 7 Check-ins Here
mmmmm I should not trash this place since it is small and I shop here all the time but... Fuck it..The place is expensive and never has specials. I understand the high end stuff being being pricey but when normal stuff is double than normal price then nope. Also the staff here is very rude and either on the the phone, extremely slow, talking to someone else or just rude..The irony is that there is tip jar?? WTF ???
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Review from Matt G.
2/12/2011
The corner gourmet market is located across the street and crawling-distance from the Warwick Hotel, in which I stayed. That is great!
The entire store closes at 2am every night, even on Mondays and Tuesdays. The full-service deli makes fresh hot and cold sandwiches, pizza, and serve hot food until shutting the deli down at midnight. And a small bakery serves for folks with a sweet craving.
The store also has a great selection of beers (local and imported) and large selection of wine and liquor.
But the prices of most items are way too pricey. For example, a six-pack of Sierra Nevada Torpedo ale is $14.99, a bottle of Clos Du Bois Chardonnay is $19.99, and 3-pack of Trojans is $9.99.
Sex can be expensive for the desperate folks.
Where am I...at Andronico's or Draeger's?
But I'm in Seattle!!Listed in: Seattle in two days
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Review from Jasmine L.
Los Angeles, CA
7/9/2011
Not much of a grocery store if you ask me - it's more like a high-end convenient store with really high prices!
I'd skip this spot if your a local or a visitor looking to grab some snacks. -
Review from Marie S.
Puyallup, WA
10/10/2011
I go here way too much, but because I work right across the street and there are not that many options. The best things here are the sandwiches which they make. Don't buy the pre-made ones. Their hot food is hit/miss. They are way way over priced and I have bought food on more than one occasion that was bad/spoiled. Like I said, I usually go here, because I do not have much option-plan ahead and bring a lunch!
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Review from Joshua J.
3/24/2011
Yes, the prices here for groceries are absurd. Like crazy, not-payable-by-any-normal-person absurd. However, I still go to Ralph's almost daily.
Why? The sandwiches. Oh, heck, yes. They are stupendous and actually not too bad of a deal, especially considering how jacked up the rest of it is.
I usually go with the egg salad with bacon (brilliant), especially if I missed breakfast... I'm not kidding. Now that I realize that I have crazy high cholesterol, I decided to go for the Gobbler, the classic after Thanksgiving combo of fresh turkey (not turkey roll, I hate the turkey roll stuff.. anyone? Anyone?), cream cheese, cranberry sauce, all the fixins. Best, if you ask me, to add havarti (no charge!) and a little horseradish on the marble rye. I think the total is $7.55 or within a dime. It's like enough for two meals, seriously a huge sandwich. The egg salad is $6.34 with tax, and still enough to feed two (or me).
Try and sandwich at Ralph's. do the egg salad, tell Adam I sent you, and he'll make it huge.
Ralph's has a great selection of food, but at exorbitant prices. Sandwiches!
Thanks for listening! -
Review from Rachel M.
Seattle, WA
12/16/2010
Serious crack prices.
But when you live in Belltown, your grocery options are limited, especially late at night (open until 2am). Ralph's is the only place in the neighborhood open during my walk home from work, so I often find myself sucking it up and paying triple price for snacks and drinks.
My advice (to myself): Plan ahead, stock the kitchen, and walk on by Ralph's from now on...Listed in: Dirty Downtown Bodegas
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Review from Deanna J.
4/18/2011 2 Check-ins Here
An interesting grocery store that's a mix between Whole Foods and a convenience store.
Aside from groceries and a good beer selection they also offer on-site prepared food. You can order a sandwich to-go or enjoy it in the seating area (look for the pekinesge!) Their tuna melt was yummie and they also offered a few veg options that I can't wait to try-the Wizard and meat free Reuben.
You won't find everything here but you will find some cool food. And after the other stores close, Ralph's is still open. -
Review from Jackie R.
11/11/2010
I'm sure this is a great place for locals to get some nice items but for out of towners looking for some common items it sure wasn't a good fit.
We needed some items before we left on our cruise and they didn't have the medicine we needed or affordable wine. We also needed juice and soda but the selection wasn't great and over priced. We ended up going to Walgreens and Cost Plus to fulfill our needs.Listed in: Cruisin' for a Good Time
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Review from Catherine R.
Seattle, WA
11/11/2010
A stupidly expensive store.
Only good in a pinch unless you have money to throw away.
One night the cashier wouldn't let a woman with a newborn use the phone. Couldn't believe it.
The sandwhiches are good and a good price but this isa THE most expensive store in Washington state.
They take advantage of the out-of-towners. -
Review from Meghan P.
6/3/2009
It's great that Ralph's is open late (2 AM?) but not-so-great that their wine is SO over-priced! We had just arrived in Seattle and really wanted a cheap bottle of wine and even the $10 bottles (that should have been $5) were no good. Bummer! At least this led us to explore a fun bar instead :)
I bought a little salad from the salad bar even though it was about 10:30 PM at night... I though they might give me some sort of deal because the veggies were a bit wilted by this time but they still charged full price...
At least they are open late!Listed in: A Great May Weekend in…
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Review from Ian M.
Seattle, WA
6/27/2007
To me, Ralph's is a Grocery store that should be closer to the higher-end hotels a half dozen blocks south on 4th avenue.
Not necessarily because Ralph's itself is particularly "high-end", though it does stock some fancy meats and cheeses next to the indoor seating/dining/homeless people nap time zone. No, Ralph's is a store that, ideally would be patronized by those tourists that are in town for a week or so and just need to pick up some things to stock their mini-bar with and can afford a $4 chocolate bar(because it's cheaper than the $6 dollar Mounds in the hotel) and will happily fork over $15 - $20 for a six pack of some fancy microbrew.
For those who live in Belltown and have no car it is the closest "real" grocery store in walking distance. However, Ralph's is just barely a "real" grocery store. They do try to stock one item in each category of items found at a grocery store, but if you are looking for an even "moderate" selection of say, bread, sandwich meat, or frozen dinners, you will probably be disappointed(it is better than the shell station on 1st and Denny). However, if you already have the sammich basics and you are really dying to find a 2 oz, $15 bottle of Belgian mustard, you'll probably find it about knee height on the 2nd aisle from the left on the right hand side.
The bright spot, for me, is the Deli. For instance, last night, I had $6 to my name and I was lazy and out of sammich fixins. I thought about Subway but the hunger within me would have required a 12 inch and I figured that, what with Subway raising the prices to cash in on Jared's success, it would push me past my funding limit.
So I go to Ralph's and I get a Whole Tuna Salad Sandwich on wheat, with lettuce, sprouts onion, a bit of dijon, for $4.75. And none of the veggies had that 'i'm grey and wilting because i was placed in a small black bucket 8 and a half days ago' look to them. This sandwich weighed at least 4 lbs 75% of which was a 3 inch layer of tuna salad.
That's the way to make a sandwich. However, that is not the way to provide excellent prices for normal crap like cat food or milk or a bag of cookies. -
Review from Katie S.
San Francisco, CA
7/6/2008
For many years, this was the only grocery store in the heart of Seattle.
Now, I'm not talking about Queen Anne or Madison.. I'm talkin' Belltown.
I should know. Back in 1998 when KTown was attending the Art Institute of Seattle, all of my friends resided in student housing in Belltown. They were always complaining about the lack of grocery stores in the city and that Ralph's was the only go to.
Their complaints weren't because Ralph's was a bad place to shop. Their gripes were that it was a bit pricey. Pros are that It's got a great inner city salad bar (hey, it ain't Whole Foods, okay?) and their hot food and sandwiches are pretty dang good too. Decent wine selection, and while I'd steer clear of the fruits and veggies, their chips and cookies selection rivals your local grocers.
Like I said, prices here are a bit more than your standard store, but it's smaller than your average grocer AND it's in the middle of the city. Perfect for when you need a pick me up, or a movie snack..
Also perfect if you're an AIS student and aren't looking to travel far.Listed in: Sammies in Seattle!
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Review from Victoria T.
Seattle, WA
10/2/2008
Small and minimally stocked.
The produce section was sparse and seemed less than fresh.
The wine selection was pretty abundant and there seemed to be a lot of candy, chips, and convenience items available.
Overpriced.Listed in: Stock The Fridge
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Review from samantha k. s.
Seattle, WA
4/2/2007 3 photos
Ralph's tries so hard! They stock fresh flowers, a good selection of wines, yummy chocolates and treats, TAB!, fancy cheeses and crackers, and then all the usual corner market stuff. In the spring and summer they have an outdoor display of fruits and drinks. How cute is that?
Ralph's sandwiches are prepared to order on really yummy, thick slabs of bread. There's uninspired but hit's-the-spot hot food like soups and pasta and roast chicken. It's open late and it's open early, and there's free wifi in the roomy seat-yourself cafe area.
This is just a great neighborhood market that's going to have it's hands full with Whole Foods a few blocks away. I say support them when you can. The guys who work there are nice like your cousin or your uncle. They want to know how you're doing. They want you to tell them how much you like the new display of Mediterranean snacks. They hand you a fresh bagel on the spot if you let them know yours wasn't the greatest.
Do not stop at the Subway a block away. Take a few extra steps and support good old Ralph's. -
Review from Lissa G.
9/23/2009
Super convenient for those staying in hotels nearby. Friendly service and good hours.
Great place for water, juice, snacks, and some wine. Wish they had liquor though. If i'm always told to "just drink vodka," then I need a place that has some! -
Review from Sonia B.
Seattle, WA
2/9/2009
I just stopped in here while I was down town to grab a snack.
Got a banana , sting cheese and and Italian Nougat (Im naming my first born Nougat) candy bar.
I bite into it when I get home and discover it is not the yummyness I remember. I look on that packagle and see that Its "Best By Date"
Is March of 2007. I call and let them know, go in two days later to get my money back and that shit is STILL on the shelves.
Wow. -
Review from Susan M.
Seattle, WA
8/24/2007
What a TRULY excellent little grocery! It's not very big, and certainly not the place to do your "staples" shopping, but they've got an excellent deli, a great selection of wines, some nice flowers, and an eclectic collection of other non-staple groceries. I drop by there frequently after the gym in the morning (they open at 6am) on the way to w-k to pick up a bagle or something. They have great breakfast and lunch sandwiches, juices, fruit, etc.
The staff is GREAT. They are very friendly and helpful -- very "un-Seattle-like". Really cordial and nice.
Great place. I try to go there as often as I can. -
Review from Quinn R.
6/2/2009
Ok its my own damn fault expecting the food to be great (to be fair I didn't expect it to be great just edible). Got some pasta and it was terrible.
The most "awesome" (read: terrible) part of the whole thing. Gentlemen in front of me in line was waiting for the check out person to ring up his food. Check out guy was busy texting (or something).
Gentlemen in front of me "Excuse me could you check me out?" (said politely mind you..he should have said "Excuse me *#$#& would you mind taking a moment to DO your F-ing job?).
Check out guy: "Just a moment" (said rudely and snootily).
After he finally did get it together and DID HIS JOB the gentleman in front of me left. Check out guy needed to have the last word?!?! Or something so decided to yell "Nice Matrix outfit!" (yes he was wearing black) looking expectantly..for what? a high 5 or something?!?! Instead I stared blankly, checked out as quickly as possible and left vowing never to return. -
Review from Denise N.
Lake Stevens, WA
5/29/2008
I love Ralph's.. I work in the middle of Belltown & though it's AMAZING for late night drinks & lounging with friends, when talking about groceries stores - there's a lot to be desired. I'll admit the prices are a bit high but honestly - its so quiant & unique - I LOVE IT. I prob get lunch on the go there twice if not 3 times a week. They have everything & I always find little exciting treasures for dinner parties!!
Defintely try the farmers sandwich on a half a pita. I swear - half is all you need to fill you up and its so amazing. I get light mayo cause some guy who works there likes to pile it on so be cautious!!!
Anyhow - try the edamade snacks right stocked right next to the sandwich & salad bar areas!
PEACE & enjoy your pita! -
Review from kelly b.
Seattle, WA
2/8/2009
I live on the same block as Ralph's. I was so excited when I saw how close it was. How convenient!
WRONG
unless I am absolutely desperate, I won't go there.
It is horribly overpriced.. horribly.
Most of the employees are really really nice but there is this one guy, who works a lot of nights.. he is so so so rude. He barely looks at you, says nothing, just tries to get you the heck out as fast as possible... I'm always nervous when I go in there if he is working.
On the plus side, they have a lot of specialty items and I enjoy that, if it's pay day and I'm feelin rich. -
Review from Johanna D.
Seattle, WA
10/20/2010
My favorite place for a sandwich at lunch!
The tuna salad they use does not have too much mayo and they have pepperonchinis to add an extra kick.
Half a sandwich is just the right amount, a whole leaves me in a food coma for the day.
The ladies and gentlemen who work the sandwich counter are always a delight. -
Review from Sylvia I.
Cary, NC
2/9/2009
I was staying at the Hotel Andra and asked the concierge for recommendations for a quick bite to eat. They recommended Ralph's. I'm not usually a huge fan of eating at grocery delis, but went anyway since I was starving and didn't feel like wandering the streets. I was pleasantly surprised. You can't go wrong with the Darth Vader sandwich. I actually went back the following day to get another one!
HInt - don't get the coffee though. It was bad and after one or two sips,I had to throw it away. Probably should have asked for a refund but was too hungry to bother. -
Review from Damon C.
Seattle, WA
7/6/2007
This place is two blocks from my office and I only just discovered it a couple of weeks ago. I've been here for lunch at least three times since then. Their sandwiches are great, although the whole sandwich is a little hefty - I ordered a tuna sandwich and it felt like they put the whole fish in there!
I also stopped in for a lovely delicioius breakfast sandwich this morning. Bacon, biscuit, the works. For my veggie friend, they replaced the meat with a tomato! How perfect.
Beware the mislabeled Newman's lemonade, though! Just because it says no HFC on a little sticker on the front...doesn't mean you should trust it! ;-) -
Review from Daren D.
11/24/2009 3 photos
Time to kill... where to go... Whose Live Anyway started in an hour, I didn't want no busy, dim, crowded Tom Douglas joint... some place low-key....
Hey what's this corner store---nice! R-a-l-p-h-'s grocery deli? *walks in*
Hey this is nice. I expected certain things already; I mean, it IS in downtown, it IS near Belltown, and it is MUCH fancier than most groceries & delis. Great design, 'appreciate that. Nice accents, touches, wood floor, cool dining area for anything from the deli or grocery shoppin' and it's not bland. Bathroom not bad. I'm digging the variety they have. Props there..
I did notice some tables(?) just outside so maybe those are avail when it's okay outside. I'd come here should my dwelling be nearby. -
Review from Nader A.
Portland, OR
3/23/2009
I don't know if Ralph's does a lot of business with locals - many items in this "gourmet" grocery and deli were almost comically over priced - but they really do fit a a nice niche for travelers.
Located just a couple blocks from our hotel (Mayflower Park), and open quite late (like 2am on weekends), it was a great place to stop for some late-night snacks and sweeties to take back to our room after dinner and a stroll.
Their deli looked pretty good and I could easily imagine getting some sandwiches, cheeses, or a bottle of wine for a picnic. But if you have a car or the time to head over to one of the other larger, cheaper grocery stores (IGA, QFC, etc) it's probably worth your while.
For the nice selection of gourmet items, and convenience of location and hours, Ralph's is definitely worthy of 3*s in my book!Listed in: More than a stone's throw away
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Review from Amanda C.
Seattle, WA
4/30/2011
Ralph's is hand's down Belltown's best Kwik-E-Mart. You can go to any corner convenience store/bodega/hell hole and pay the same prices amidst some shady characters. However, if you want to pay the jacked up convenience store prices, go here-it's cleaner.
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Review from Stella C.
Oakland, CA
5/6/2009
Downtown Seattle shuts down pretty early, minus bars. So if you NEED a bottle of water, you are *almost* out of luck. Thankfully, there is Ralph's which is open until 2AM!
This is not to be confused with the Ralph's in LA, this is a specialty grocery store and lucky for us it was on the opposite corner of our hotel. We came to buy bottled water, candy, and snacks. I am a bottled water snob and LOVE SmartWater, which is only $1 at Whole Foods, but it is SO expensive here! In fact, everything here is ridiculously expensive. I was really shocked. A lot of their items in the deli section looked delicious and nice to have, but were severely overpriced. I spent about $15 on 1 bottle of SmartWater, 1 little bag of raisinets, 1 bag of plain potato chips, and a little muffintop thing that I never ate (i'm a sucker for sweets apparently). Outrageous!
This is a nice market and the man working there was VERY nice to us. He chatted with us about where we were from, said he lived in the Bay Area for awhile, and was a genuinely friendly man.
A nice store with a great variety of items (I even recognized candy from the UK!), but unfortunately, way too pricey! -
Review from Eliza J.
Seattle, WA
1/30/2009
Horrible customer service. Really over priced. They take total advantage of the fact that they are the only grocery store within walking distance in a five block radius.
Their sandwiches are really good, but be prepared for them to be out of an item for weeks on end without any effort to replace it...hey Ralph go to Safeway and buy some sprouts...
I will go back, but not for a while, and only out of necessity. -
Review from Steve D.
Seattle, WA
9/20/2009
OMG I had the best egg salad sandwich I have had outside my own kitchen--with bacon even! I know heart attack waiting to happen. It was so huge I could not finish it.
Outside of the sandwich I will admit that Ralph's is really just a glorified convenience store that lucked out being across from the Cinerama...but so what the sandwich made up for all that. I probably would not come here for anything else. and maybe I should knock a star or two off for the pizza I had once, but to be fair I don't think they have had it offered that long. -
Review from Jim G.
9/23/2009
Convenient for the tourist, but I would imagine overpriced for the locals.
We were staying in Seattle at Hotel Andra and needed to pick up a few things from the market. Ralphs was right down the street. The market was very clean, well organized, and had a bit of everything you need.
The cons were it is a bit pricey. -
Review from AmBrigity W.
Seattle, WA
4/21/2011
I went here on advice of a co-worker for a sandwich and soup combo. Worth every penny. Their half BLT was HUGE, came with a pickle, and got me full. The bacon was good quality, and all ingredients put other deli's in the area to shame! Added some of the Italian Wedding for a few bucks more... lunch was about $7 but well worth it!
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Review from Landon Y.
Foothill Ranch, CA
7/5/2008
During my first night in Seattle, we got in late, and needed to find a snack. I checked YELP! and found some positive reviews for Ralphs...and that it was open late. No, this is not the same chain from SoCal, but instead an independent grocer that caters to the business and late night crowd, since they are open until at least 1AM, 2AM on weekends I believe. They carry the essentials, even with produce and a nice wine section...and refrigerated case in the back for beer, sodas, milk, cheeses, etc.
Their strength is their deli, which prepares fresh sandwiches until 1AM. The bread is very fresh and tastes amazing...nice and soft too...and full size slices, not those cheap squares. Oh, and they are sliced thick too...
I just went back for their PB and J. I'll post a photo...it was slathered with PB and oozed jelly. Good thing I picked up a carton of milk with it too. :)
Definitely a great resource to have in downtown. -
Review from Diego S.
3/14/2010
I loved the cleanliness and style of this grocery store.
Deli was clean and the fresh food bar had a nice selection of foods.
Alcohol selection was great! -
Review from Jesse R.
Seattle, WA
12/19/2007
I eat lunch here probably twice a week, staggering between a sandwich and a salad. It's always good and the people that work there are nice. I can also pick up a bottle of wine for home, and they have a great selection.
They also carry this innocuous habenero hot sauce with a nice looking lady on the label. It's ridiculously hot.
Down side, I have walked out with a $12 salad before. -
Review from Justin M.
Seattle, WA
1/2/2011
Ralph's tries to be a real supermarket, but falls short everywhere. The selection is lacking and the prices are ludicrous. I was forced to walk the extra distance to Ralph's the other day because Kress closed early for the holiday and was shocked at how overpriced everything at Ralph's was. Definitely only a place I'd go if I had absolutely no other choice.
