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Categories: Grocery, Local Flavor, Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt, Bagels, Donuts [Edit]
99 Federal RdSome of these reviews, some of the remarks made in them, well, they make me want to say, get real.
One reviewer said, "...witnessed 2 employees ripping legs and tails off of live lobsters!" I assure you that if they were dead, you would not want to eat them. Do you know that on farms, they kill chickens?
Another said, "...the copious amounts of fresh veggies without any kind of misting system..." They don't have misting systems at farm stands. There's not one in your fridge, either. All the misting system does is give the product eye appeal. Put them in the sink and mist them yourself.
In fact, on the farm, the products have dirt all over them! Eeeewwww!
Stew Leonards is the 'best of breed' around here, as far as supermarkets are concerned. The pity of it is, we have so few of these stores. Fact is, Fairfield County, CT, has the highest per-capita income in the nation, with the occasional exception of Carmel County, Calif. What you can't find here, money can't buy.
Get real. Please.
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Before the visit that started this review, it had been close to 4 years since I've last been in Stew's. And yet, I could still tell every change that had happened. I really think this is the only store this has ever happened in.
I can't compare any other stores to Stew's, simply because it wouldn't be fair. I mean, when was the last time you saw a giant dairy product band singing while you shopped for groceries (and were not on some powerful drugs)?
Stew's differs from a lot of other groceries, in that there aren't aisles, but rather a gauntlet that must be run from the bakery all the way to the buffet at the end. Yes, there are shortcuts you can take if you know what you're doing, but that kind of defeats the purpose.
I can't even describe the food itself, because while good, it's not the reason you go to Stew's. It's an experience. From the Chiquita Carmen Miranda Banana to Twinkie the Kid to songs that will get stuck in your head for the rest of your natural born life (the S is for service song is the worst for this), Stew's is easily the most unique place you can get your daily groceries.
For added fun, try and convince the staff to sell you a shirt (or hats, but they're much easier).
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I've been on Yelp for about 8 or so months now and it has taken me this long to review Stew's. This isn't because I'm lazy - rather, STEWS IS SO AWESOME THAT NO DESCRIPTION CAN DO IT JUSTICE.
Driving to Stews was like the night before Christmas. You know it's coming and you KNOW it's going to be good, but you still can't help but pee on yourself just a little bit because the feeling is just so overwhelming. When you finally see it in the distance, angels start singing and spotlights illuminate the rest of your way.
Ok, I never really peed myself but, whatever.
I carried one of their plastic bags around in my car up until recently and, when I threw it out, I questioned my decision for weeks afterwards. If I had to pick the one place I miss more than anything on the East Coast, this would be it. Forget the warm nuts from the street vendors in NYC or the Boston Aquarium or the Bronx Zoo or the Upstate New York fall weather or the fact that you can drive like Batman on the Thruway and get away with it.
Stew Leonard's, in all of your maze-like, great food, mechanical chicken glory....I miss you, buddy.
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Yay. I get to be a rare voice dissing Stew Leonard's. Yes, I can see the appeal and think it is an ideal place to take the family for an afternoon of fun, but boy oh boy, the sensory overload and marketing madness just make me retch.
The rice cake machine spewing out its goods laden with extraneous additives (artificial vanilla) ... The Chinese buffet that had me clutching my heart as I breezed by... The ice cream. Oh my arteries are gettin' clogged just thinkin' about it! And the strangely husky voiced hen offering up her eggs for my dining enjoyment as the cooler next to her is filled with the carcasses of her brothers and sisters ... Lobsters twirling wearing a modesty cloth over where their lobster bits might be? Bizarro-world.
But most disappointing is the copious amounts of fresh veggies without any kind of misting system leaving them all limp and desiccated and the lack of organic produce. The broccoli crowns, artichokes, asparagi, etc. were all so wilted I could not buy them. It kills me to see so much fresh produce destined to be thrown out.
So what did I get? I do not really remember as I went to Trader Joe's afterwards and regret I did not just go to Joe's in the first place.
I would love to see Stew Leonard's make itself a more healthful destination for shoppers and their families. Too many house products and national brands with HFCS, hydrogenated soybean oil and artificial colors and/or flavors. I cannot imagine wheeling through the labyrinth with cranky hungry kids. They place the candy at the end I guess so parents can reward their kids for putting up with the shopping. It is a little slimy tactic.
The produce at Stew's is enough to make me think twice about returning back but I am willing to give them another shot once the growing season comes around. Stew Leonard's is not a destination trip for me but perhaps if in the neighborhood...
As if Stew Leonard needed any more lovin' from this Yelper, but this update is for their gift basket service.
For Christmas, I wound up getting gift baskets for several out-of-town family members. Not only did Stew knock $10 off the price, but the baskets also had free shipping. Stew's made me look like a frickin' hero - everyone who received them said they liked them so much I wound up ordering one for myself just to see what the fuss was about...
How on earth has nobody yet reviewed this place?
Tip #1- don't go on weekends.
Stew's is difficult to…
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I have to leave a review for their floral department. They are spectacular!! I used Stew's for my wedding and for several other special occassions where I need nice flower arrangements. Prices are great, and if you're buying a lot (such as a wedding) there can be a bit of discussion regarding prices.
Otherwise, Stew's is just fun to visit. I wouldn't shop here for everyday grocery needs, but on occassion or for their sales it's an adventure. Try their soft serve, they always have the most interesting flavors and the quality is top notch.
Incredible place to shop. Great fresh produce and dairy products. I love the animatronics that are through-out the store. especially the ones that do little shows every few minutes. as a child this amused me to no end and I'm sure made my mom all the more able to actually get her shopping done. They have Twinkie the Kid and the Chiquita Banana lady!! And they talk/sing and are interactive!! Also the cow that moo's when you push the button. To this day I push that button.
I also love Mrs. Leonards kitchen. This is a good place to hit up for dinner if you're hungry already and don't feel like cooking. I actually really like their sweet and sour chicken (or is it sesame chicken?), it's no where near traditional chinese food, but its got this sweet tangy sauce on it that's pretty damn good.
Also they have a rotisserie and do fantastic ribs! I love their Chinese babyback ribs (and their duck-sauce is awesome).
Also definitely worth checking out their ice-cream in the entrance. I *love love love* their pistachio icecream (soft-serve). The only thing about their ice-creams is that you wind up with a film of fat clinging to the roof of your mouth. But it's so fresh and delicious that it is 100% worth it.
This location also has a garden center, and they do all sorts of cool stuff for Halloween (they have a haunted house/hayride) and always have a great selection of pumpkins.
I love you Stew Leonards!
My god, you insane, overpriced animatronic circus of a supermarket, how I miss you. A bizarre, unforgettable, and unmatchable shopping experience that's so surreal and compelling that buses of marketing students are shuttled in to observe the technique in which the tortilla chips are stacked by the chili.
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Mrs. Lindsay Leonard.
Mrs. Steward Leonard.
Ms. Leonard.
Mrs. Lindsay K-Leonard.
Oh, I would so totally marry Stew Leonard. Plan a road trip. It's so much more than a grocery store. There's a petting zoo, free samples galore, and huge robotic animals that sing songs while you shop.
The food is delicious. You can come for the standard dry goods, but don't miss the fine selection of meat and fish. I've had many a good filet mignon grilled by my grandmother bought fresh from Stew's butcher. The buffet is great, as is the sushi. Outdoor picnic tables are perfect for feasting on your finds.
Yes, I adore the milk carton robot band. But I'm telling you, the food is worth the trip.
I love you Stew!!
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Free samples everywhere! And not sample-samples either -- they've got boxes of whole cookies lying out by the bakery section, and there's loads more to be had... you won't go hungry for sure as you're shopping. The prepared food is good too, if you wanna grab a meal to go or eat it on the picnic benches outside. (Or you know, sneak it in with you to the movie theater nearby...)
This place is like a grocery theme park. Animatronics spewing songs and chickens laying eggs and cows mooing and milk cartons dancing... supermarket happy land! They make you follow a set path (although there are "shortcuts" you can take to get around that) and it's not like your traditional grocery store. Don't expect to be in and out in 15 minutes, you WILL find something to be distracted by.
My favorite grocery store on the planet. Their produce is fresh, their baked goods are fresh, the animatronics are fun (look for the big red buttons around the store) and they have great milkshakes too. It can get crowded here but the serpentine one-way aisle makes this manageable.
Oh, the donuts are excellent and they also make boiled bagels.
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Two things in life are true: death and taxes.
I have many reasons for loving this grocery store, but chief among them is the fact that both Stew and Stew Jr. went to prison for trying to avoid the latter. Stew's is consistently on the Fortune Top 100 Companies to Work For, so you know I support companies that value their people.
As for the grocery store itself, conjure up images of The Ringling Bros. & Barnum and Bailey's circus in the form of a maze of Disneyland like attractions. Stew is a marketing genius. He's taken the normal grocery store commodity and fashioned a complete shopping/entertainment experience, while exploiting the shopper. Did I mention they sell groceries?
Why shop at Stew Leonard's? When milk goes up to $4 per gallon on the rest of the planet, you can bet your last dollar that Stew will have it for noticeably less. When filet mignon and other steaks go up to $15.99/lb. in the local grocery store, Stew will sell it for $7.99/lb and it beats the pants off of the generic grocery store's filet. Stew makes and sells his own potato chips and as the hicks in Danbury would say, "These chips are the balls." Stew has every department imaginable where they have the freshest products and produce. Fresh sushi? No problem. Best fish in Danbury, Stew's got it. Breads and pastries made daily? You got it, Stews. The list goes on and on about what makes Stews remarkable. Stew Leonard's is not the type of place for one stop shopping, because they are felons for things that aren't food related, e.g. paper towels and things that aren't under the Stew brand label.
*Another reason Stew's is such a treat: you are forced to walk around the store in a maze (no aisles) but throughout there are delightful employees handing out samples. How many grocery stores exist that give you the equivalent of a three course meal while shopping?
Stew Leonard's is one of a kind. My family and I don't shop here regularly, but when people come to Danbury there isn't much to show them other than the Danbury Fair Mail, and Stew's.
Avoid Stew's on the weekend.
That is all.
Apologies for being so verbose.
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This review is just for their buffet. Hey, it isn't gourmet food but it's functionally good. Excellent salad bar, hot foods, and dessert selection. They've got the "old reliables" of all the major ethnic foods and soups. Chefs-in-learning make the food and it's quality stuff for the price. It's weighed by the pound so go easy on the lasagna and heavy foods. If you eat healthy you can walk out of there with a mound of food for 5 bucks. Sushi girl makes fresh sushi each day and she's sweet but very quiet. She's Japanese so I'd trust her to make my sushi though I rarely eat sushi since I don't trust most American establishments with raw fish serving.
Downside is it's usually crowded during lunch hour and just after work so you'll fight suburbanites and New Yorkers loading up on groceries. Go after 8 p.m. and the buffet price plumments. Not recommended though since by that time buffet isn't primo and you shouldn't be eating so late! ;)
The only time we go to Stews is when they have a great deal on something. When the boneless chicken is $1.99 a pound, we stock up. I really can't be bothered with the crowds the dancing twinkies and having to traverse the single aisle through the whole store. We won't go near the place on weekends or around the holidays unless it's very early in the morning or very late at night. Stews is a good store, but it's not a destination. There is no denying their marketing prowess.
they have never responded to my emails.
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I would give Stew Leonard's a glowing review except I was treated rather rudely the last time I was… Read more »
Norwalk, CT
Category: Grocery
Danbury, CT
Category: Steakhouses
Our food supply isn't what it used to be. I seek…
My wife is originally from Long Island, I'm from…
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