Real Food Company
Categories: Grocery, Health Markets [Edit]
Neighborhood: Marina/Cow Hollow3060 Fillmore Street
(between Filbert St & Union St)
San Francisco, CA 94123 (415) 567-6900
We are now selling fresh sushi next to our deli…
Announced 12 days ago
- Hours:
Mon-Sun 8:00 a.m.-9:00 p.m. - Price Range: $$$
- Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
- Parking: Street
- Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
69 Reviews for Real Food Company
One of Real Food Company's Favorite Reviews
Aside from the Chestnut St. bakery, the deli here was my other main source of nourishment. Huge selection, yummy sandwiches, and decent prepared sushi. Oh, and defnintely try the couscous salad.
At first this all-organic market was refreshing and cool. Their organic sushi is not bad and they have my favorite ginger-beer. Its gotten really old though. Its hard having it be a main source for all your grocery needs because its ridiculously expensive and they aren't kidding....everrrryyyything is organic. Even their tampons and toothpaste. They dont sell hard-liquor...so I had to dock a star for that. Call me lazy but I just dont have the time to get my whisky at one store, my produce at another, and my soap at another.
If you want organic...this is your dream market.
They have some cute scruffy guys working here, but they get old fast, just like this market.
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Great products.
When I need Quinoa or a refill on my homeopathic remedies or a grilled chicken breast for lunch, this is my stop.
The service is kind of crappy though.
Most of the people behind the counter are slow and too busy talking amongst themselves.
Some days you get good service, some days you get ignored, its a toss up.
I still go there though, what is the alternative in the area? Safeway???? Fu*k No!
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This market is overpriced as hell! I've been duped into buying some food here a few times, because my hair salon is across the street and there are not any other "fast" food options in the area besides Pizza Orgasmica.
Everything is overpriced. But, the main reason I'm giving 1 star is for that absolutely disgusting sandwich they made me at the deli a few months ago. It was horrible!! And, it was like 8 dollars! It was a thanksgiving type turkey sandwich with cranberry sauce and such. I asked the guy which turkey sandwich is better on their menu-the regular old turkey with lettuce, tomato ect or the one I ended up getting, and he recommended the latter. Here is my description of the recommended sandwich: the dry ass "multigrain" bread was falling apart excessively-which made it almost impossible to eat it without making a huge mess and in addition the bread tasted heavily of peanuts as well...weird. The turkey was also dry as hell and very cold-not tender or juicy...and the cranberry sauce was pungently sour. Fucking nasty ass sandwich all-around. I only ate half...threw the other half in the trash.
This in combination with prices worse than Whole Paycheck, I'll NEVER be coming back.
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I've recently been doing some work in the area and a friend dragged me in for lunch the other day. I can't speak to what others say they've experienced in the past, but our visit was outstanding. The deli selection is right up there with some of the best I've seen - beautiful prepared foods (you just want to try everything) - and I had a wonderful, freshly prepared turkey sandwich. Although I don't go for it, my friend assures me the sushi here is superb. Service was fast, friendly and polite.
While we were there we browsed a bit and I was surprised to find that many vitamins and supplements were priced competitively with the lower-end grocery store I shop at at home - not to mention that the selection was comprehensive and I picked up a couple of items I have a hard time finding at my usual haunts. Over-all, a little pricey, but no more so than you usually find at grocery stores that carry all natural and organic, and if you shop carefully you can find some real bargains.
The place has a fresh, funky vibe and a happy atmosphere - I really enjoyed lunching on the front patio and watching the world go by. When I'm in the area, I'll definitely make this a regular stop.
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hey .. guess what
you dont have to fucking shop here if you dont want to
nobody is forcing you to walk inside & pay for over priced goods
remember that!
This place is cool. It's aiight. It's expensive.
I don't know why but most of the places around my apartment, "the" Marina that you yelpers despise so much, I can't feel neighborhoody. It's kinda... too pretty and too stuck up and way too expensive.
I don't know if I'll go to the store again or not. It was a good walk there thou. I feel that my bun buns are tighter with all that up hill walk.
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So I've been into Real Foods many many times since I moved 2 blocks from here but today was the first day I was compelled to review. Why? Because i finally found my long-sought after favorite Tazo tea flavor...HoneyBush!!! I have never seen it in a store and it is the BEST. Yay Real Foods!
So Real Foods isn't cheap, but the goods are quality and much of it is local. They have a small selection too sometimes, but for my mid-week shopping it's perfect. I've been forced to try weird things like vegan worsterschire sauce and the like but it's still worth it!
Also...best prepared food and sandwiches ever!
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okay so this place has a whole lotta organic veggies/fruits and huge selection of teas which is a HUGEE plus in my book....but damn
the EMPLOYEES there are fucking assholes. just cuz i dont' have huge fake titties and bleached blond hair...
the food counter/deli guy is cold and unfriendly...
the cashiers are VERY unknowledgeable about the products they carry.
"do you guys have any tylenol in the 2 paks?"
*scofs* " we don't carry tylenol here"
"um...i just saw it on the shelf"
"you must be mistaken. we don't carry that kinda stuff."
*hands in pocket sitting/leaning against the table*
"but ...i only ask because you had the 30pk tylenol on the shelf"
"no"
...............okay..........?? mayb i was just imagining the red box sitting on the shelf that said "tylenol"
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I called the phone number listed for Polk street Real Food on yelp. The lady answered and said
Lady: "Real Food on Fillmore"
Me: "Oh this number is for the store on Fillmore?"
Lady: "Yeap!"
Me: "Could you give me the phone number for the Polk street location?"
Lady: It's in the phone book. You can look it up.
Me: ?.............?............?............. Ok.....
What a customer service. Who uses phone book these days anyway...
FYI the correct number for Polk street location is (415) 673-7420 - I edited on the yelp as well
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This place has the best prepared foods in the hood, and maybe in the city. Every salad I've tried, from wild rice and cranberry to chicken and roasted pepper, has been spot on. Their soups are good too.
Nothing better after a long bike ride in the presidio than some good grub from real foods, a kombucha, and a sunny table on their patio.
I wish my local branch, on polk street, would take their cues from this one!
Listen, I am all about Whole Foods and the like... but this store is just far too limited in selection (no egg substitute?) and some of the prices are simply laughable ($10+ for a small carton of strawberries?!). I tried to do some of my midweek shopping here but failed miserably, plus the completely silent and unfriendly checker and bagger didn't help the situation. I will stick to Mollie's, Whole Foods and TJs.
When this Real Food Co used to USED TO used to carry fresh sushi (ah-fucking-mazing avocado rolls for this glutton of a vegan and from what I've heard, pretty good fish rolls) it was a four-star place. Then they stopped carrying the fresh sushi and my heart died a little inside. This Real Food Co has an ok selection of vegan-specific products (Yves, Tofurky, etc) but not even CLOSE to as good as the Russian Hill Real Food Co.
I still come here for the olive bar and occasional produce buy.
Super expensive and really poor selection. The sandwiches are terrible, the bread is waaay to hard. Every time I try to go here, I can only find half my list. If your going to spend the money and want organic, I would choose Whole Foods over this place.
As a frequenter of Whole Foods, you become somewhat immune to the high prices. Living in SF, in general, you come to terms with the fact that things are just going to be more expensive here. While Real Food's prices are higher than Whole Foods, it isn't by much. And the store isn't that large, emphasizing on the grab-and-go end. Treat it as a health food convenience store, and the prices justify themselves.
Their selection is more on the Rainbow Grocery side, as I noticed many of the same vegan packaged goods being sold here. I enjoy browsing the deli section, but I didn't feel their made-to-order sandwiches were worth the price.
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I wished this was a Co-op. They have special days where you can get a certain % off certain items. A lot of people come here for the deli. They have a good selection of everything they also carry SAFE personal care products, but I wish they would carry mychelle.
Thank goodness for Real Foods; it's the closest thing to a local market in the Marina area, and Marina Supermarket doesn't count as it overcharges like whoa. Real Foods has a great, but small, meat selection. I'm a bit hippie, so I appreciate a nice cut of grass-fed, free range meat. I wish it were bigger. I wish they had a larget mushroom selection. I love that you get a discount for have a MUNI pass, and for bringing your own bag. The staff is super nice, and I feel they really appreciate the people that come in to shop for local food.
Hooray for Real Food! Next best thing to Rainbow, and TJs, minus the long, long lines.
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My beloved Real Food always there when I need you. For sure one of the great benefits of city living!! I heard there were lines at Safeway, no parking at Whole Foods and nothing left at Mollie Stones while I was walking to and fro my beloved Real Food the day before Turkey day. Everything I needed was there...yes organic....yes more money...but sheeesh its 2 blocks away and I think I get a discount for bringing my own empty supermarket satchel.
These jokers saved me a couple of years back on Thanksgiving.
I waited till the last minute to get some produce and they were open....nice place. Got a Whole foods vibe to it so be prepared to drop some cashola. I liked it since it was the only place in the marina where the employees didn't follow me around to make sure I wasn't shoplifting. Got to love this "diverse" city.
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This is a really nice market. Good produce, good prepared foods (on the left), and nice selection of bulk bins (in the back). The store gets great light, and it really makes for a pleasant shopping experience. The Real Food on Polk http://www.yelp.com/bi... seems dank and cramped by comparison (especially in the back meat/fish dept.).
Tip: Excellent prepared foods section makes for a great lunch spot (and they have tables outside).
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OK, so positives first:
1. Convenient Location
2. Generally good quality stuff
3. Good choice for a small market
4. Nice people
Now the Negatives:
1. Pricey
2. Pricey
3. Pricey
4. Boxed Berries are sometimes crappy once you get them home
I know you should expect it to be a higher price because it is a local market, it isnt Safeway with all their billions in economies of scale. And of course you pay more for good fresh produce, mainly local and mainly organic. But after realising our monthly grocery bill went up by about 40% last month, because we started going here more often, we are going to have to revert to using this as a more 'urgent items' basis.
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THEY HAVE UNCLE EDDIE'S VEGAN COOKIES!!!!
They guy serving the pre-made foods was hot.
Okay, the workers I encountered were really nice.
They have a good selection of bottled water.
Nice produce.
Did I mention the vegan cookies?
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How judgemental for someone to say that b/c they live in the Marina that the "Mission-hipster" employees aren't so friendly to their customers. It's people like that that give Marina people a bad name. Who cares that they don't say hello when you walk in? It's not a GAP people- it's a food market for pete's sake!
I don't know OR care where the Real Food Filbert street staff live but what I do know is that I have been shopping here for 3 years (when I can afford it) and as a whole they're very helpful. They're great at answering questions about produce, supplements, etc. The place is small; it's not like you need help finding the beverage aisle. The meat guys in the back are very friendly.
Thumbs up. This place is great when the wallet is full.
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Fantastic market. I love that they write little "LOCAL" stickers next to items that are locally grown. It's definitely pricey but I'd rather spend my moolah on some Niman Ranch beef rather than Grade E beef at Safeway. Really nice and helpful staff!
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A nice yuppie-hippie organic high-end supermarket. Looks like a Whole Foods, but with more aisle space and fewer customers. We dropped in to pick up some scented soaps, but a look over the produce and the meat section showed high quality. Yes, high price as well.
They also have a pretty good deli.
Bottom line: Will I come back? Yes, when I'm in the neighborhood.
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** no more sushi everyday ** Bringing it down to 4 stars for that :(
I love their prepared food WAY better than Whole Foods. They have delicious garlicky hummus, vegetarian cesar salad, homeade tamales, bean salads, dolmas and fresh rolled sushi from wild fish every morning. The produce, although pricey, is really good quality. Everyone is pretty laid back and crunchy which is odd for the neighborhood. They also have a great selection of eco-friendly beauty products and vitamins. check it out.
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The Real Food Company in my neighborhood closed down (insert sad face here.)
So on occasion, I stop by this Real Foods after doing a little window shopping on Union Street. I usually pick up produce, and mostly fruit for the ankle-biters in my class. They love tangerines and apples, which are usually all I can afford to buy in bulk.
(FYI: Five year olds eat like lumberjacks. Keep your fingers away from their mouths when they are feeding, or you may pull back a nub...serious.)
So I saw these gorgeous organic grapes, and I grabbed two big piles of 'em and took them up to the register to pay...$10.00?! I looked incredulously at the checkout gal, and she pointed to the label and said with a smirk, "Organic."
Ah, I see. Well, Hell, my kids are worth the extra money for the "organic" stuff. Less pesticides and crap that will make them grow a second head and three eyeballs? Their parents will kiss the ground I walk on and say, "OH, THANK YOU, THANK YOU, for being so generous and buying our children the nutritious snacks they so deserve!"
I got the fruit to school, washed the grapes thoroughly, and passed them out in little bunches to the kids as they finished their work.
(chomp, chomp, chomp)
BARRY: Teacher...what's this word?
ME: Oh, that's the word "ORGANIC." It means it's nice and clean with no gross chemicals. It's extra good for you.
SUZY: Orrrr-gammm-ez-ic?
ME: No, no...OR-GA-NIC...
BARRY: Orrrr-gammm-ezzzz-ent?
ME: No, listen...(pursing lips and pronouncing) OR...GA...NIC. Say that.
(chomp, chomp, chomp)
JULIE: Orrr...gaz...nent?
ME: NO! LISTEN, RUG RATS! OR...GA...NIC...that (C) sound like a CAT.
MARION: You guys are sayin' it all wrong, you guys are. It's like this...(pursing lips, pronouncing) OR...GAS...MIC. Like in church. ORGA...
ME: STOP! STOP! STOP! STOP! WAIT! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! AAAAAAHHH!
Christ almighty. It's a miracle I haven't been fired already.
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I really like this place. I usually get the meat for my holiday dinners here because, though small, I really like their meats department. They have sushi grade fish, and organic meats and the cuts are beautiful (and so is one of the butchers).
The prices are way too high so I can't give more than 3 stars. But boy was my Christmas dinner delicious because of the meat.
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I love this store! I go shopping here all the time...
Today I was looking for something and I had three staff members helping me...now that is good service.
Great produce, great meat, lots of organic options!
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Real Food Co on Fillmore and Filbert....Witness the clash of civilizations in which Mission hipsters serve Cow Hollow/Marina clients with aloof disdain. Thank god I was wearing a SLINT sweatshirt when i went in there last time. The cashier actually talked to me.
Good selection of products. Very good produce and fish/meat/poultry. Prices on a par with whole paycheck.
[According to Polk's 1953 San Francisco Directory, Golden Gate Garage was located here.]
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One thing that struck me when I walked through here yesterday is that there is an aisle of nothing but PILLS. Pills to increase/reduce your metabolism/sex life/memory/hope, oils of obscure animals to cure what ails you, and I think I even saw eye of newt here too.
The juxtaposition of the pill aisle and the name "Real Food" makes my brain hurt. Maybe there's a pill for that too.
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You mean, Feel Rude, don't you?
I don't know how it is going lately, but I stopped shopping at all the locations a while ago because of a snobby attitude problem. I often felt like I was bothering the help when asking for something or when paying for my food. You know, that palpable condenscension that one feels at certain pretentious specialty stores.
And it wasn't only me, but friends also felt as if their purchasing choices were being scrutinized and judged by the staff. God forbid that you buy something non- PC or items with ingredients that included corn syrup or white sugar.
I got soooo sick of it that one day I walked into the Stanyan Street location and asked the counter person with complete seriousness, "where is the nearest McDonalds?", just to see the reaction. He looked at me like I was filth and said that he "didn't know", even though we ALL knew that there was one just down the street on Haight.
Nonetheless, I got such a kick outa that.
I certianly hope things have changed, but there are better natural food stores around town than having to put up with the disdainful hired help at Feel Rude.
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I will get a few odds and ends here when I don't want to drive to the Dateway. It's in a very convenient location compared to the Safeway.
Their meats are wonderful and actually pretty reasonably priced. I love the home made sausages that they make fresh everyday.
The produce is also very fresh and I think all organic. It is a little pricey though.
I also love the selection of breads they have and always seem to be getting my sourdoughs and ciabattas there.
The prepared stuff is pretty good too for those quick put together kind of meals.
OK so here's a secret: this is the new marina safeway. By that I mean if you are looking to people watch and/or feeling inspired enough to strike up a convo with a potential beau or lass about food or things supermarket related, then boys & girls you may want to spend that extra quarter on produce for some better scenery - just don't be "that" person.
Oh, so you want to know about the food and prices? I think its been summed up that is on par with Whole Foods, to which I agree.
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39.03 for several small containers from the deli? I stared at the cash register in disbelief. However, half of the containers belonged to my sister. What if she wanted to splurge on a really expensive cut of meat?
Yeah, right. We found the best table outside and looked up the price for all our purchases. The Real Food overcharged us for almost 20 dollars!
We went back to the store and produced our half-eaten containers and a receipt (note, that they didn't give me a detailed receipt in the first place). The girl at a cash register, who ringed us before, kept her cool. She really took her time. She looked for the original receipt, she ringed our purchases again, she said that there actually had been a mistake, that we were overcharged, but that it was too complicated to explain what had happened. Oh really? Finally, the other guy came to the rescue. He had the nerve to ask, if we really wanted our money back. Yes, I said. And we also want an apology.
Somehow they did not hear the apology part.
I am really angry. I am OK with people making mistakes, as soon as they admit and apologize. But folks in Real Food were way out of line.
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Matt was here to buy some healthy food to cure his post workout hunger later on. This is the only healthfood store in the Cow Hollow/ Marina District, so every item at this store is slightly overpriced.
Matt brought a couple of protein bars, bananas,and a bottle water. This health food store carries just about everything: Deli, fresh meat and seafood and a health and beauty section. Not that Matt cares about the Health and Beauty section. Matt might come back to buy some healthier foods for an alternative.
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I work in the area and was sick of the same overpriced cafes everyday for lunch. I started going to the deli and love the light selection, the people that work there are always so pleasant and eager to help as well. i just wish they would have a better selection of beverages, I crave junk food drinks like diet coke...oh well maybe this will help ween me off of that!
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I tend to get 2/3rds of my (weekday) daily meals not to mention snacks here. I work in the neighborhood and live for the deli. I love their different salads and grubbin vegan sandwiches.
Only downside are stupid marina people who don't know how to read "line starts here" sign or the ones who forget something while being rung up, go to get that item and take minutes to get them(inconsiderate). But hey, it's not real foods fault for the few clueless.
This is a small grocery store, but they have some great merchandise, for sure. The only reason I dock a star is because it's even more expensive than Whole Foods (which is pretty audacious, if you ask me).
The prepared foods section is pretty sweet - I love their corn salad and some of their pasta salads - and they also have sushi and other goodies to grab-n-go. They have a meat counter, and a small "body" section too. Some of the cashiers can be a little snooty - maybe they need to grab some of those high-fiber crackers and loosen up a bit.
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I sure do love my instant noodles! I didn't think I'd actually find something tasty that didn't have MSG in it. I buy their Thai Kitchen instant bowls for lunch and they kick Top Ramen's ass! They're individually packaged carrot cakes are pretty tasty too and so are their brownies. I'll be sure to buy out all their roasted garlic, spring onion, and mushroom flavored noodles the next time I go back. You can be sure that you can't just have one.
You do end up paying more here than you would at Safeway, but of course you're also getting quality goods.
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