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Treasure Island
Rating Details »
Neighborhoods: Near North Side, River East
680 N Lake Shore Dr Apt 902
(between Erie St & Huron St)
Chicago, IL 60611
(312) 664-0400
680 N Lake Shore Dr Apt 902
(between Erie St & Huron St)
Chicago, IL 60611
(312) 664-0400
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
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20 reviews for Treasure Island
I also dig the mini-shopping carts.
I stop here every once in a while when I'm in the area for sandwich, cookie or even for their soft serve ice cream. Prices are usually cheaper here than at Whole Foods but Treasure Island does not compare to Whole Foods or even Trader Joe's as far as store ambience, variety, customer service or how well the store is organized and kept up.
It's got everything larger grocery stores have but just less, less choices, less variety and less locations throughout the city. Of course, it owes its success at being the only grocery store in a particular area. As a result, prices can be high but for downtown locations, like this one, it's all relative and reasonable.
But again, I come here mostly for the cheap soft-serve ice cream, cookies, muffins and fresh sandwiches.
My review is 98% based on the salad bar. Which I love.
It is reasonably priced, has spring mix, romaine, spinach, etc. Lots of regular veggies like cherry tomatoes, cucumber, olives, artichoke hearts, tofu... but also lots of stuff that I, with weird tastes, really enjoy, like beets, hearts of palm, corn, alfalfa sprouts, and marinated mushrooms. They also have some premixed stuff, like fruit salad and mixed bean salad, lots of dressings, oil and vinegar, pepper, etc. Don't forget to pick up a fork and napkins.
The rest of the store, however, is a just a conundrum to me.
Wish I could give this place more than three stars, but there are some issues that need to be addressed with this store. Categorically:
Location: 4 out of 5.
Since I worked in 680 N. Lake Shore Dr for four years, nothing was easier for lunch than just hopping downstairs on the elevator and getting something at TI to eat. I guess it's easy to get to if you live around the area or if you're close to Lake Shore Drive. Free 90 minute parking in the attached garage with 30$ purchase, I think.
Quality of food: 4 out of 5.
Pretty decent stuff here. As others have alluded to, the salad bar is consistently good and offers a healthy alternative to traditional lunch fare. HOWEVER, there is consistently a large selection of expired dairy items on the shelves which I think any grocery store should address. I mean, fine - you can leave eggs out past the sale date, but milk? ummm...not so much. More on this later. All other items are no better or worse than a non-discount grocery store.
Pricing: 3 out of 5.
Prices aren't exorbitant for some items, but for others - I really wonder how they come up with such curious schemes. The good: salad bar is 6 dollars a pound; sandwiches are 5 bucks; lox and cream cheese bagel is 7; and corn dogs are pretty cheap. The bad: some items in the hot bar are ridiculously expensive for what they are; dairy items are a little pricey for the generic brand (and as I've mentioned, are sometimes expired). On everything else, expect to pay 8 - 10% more than what you'd pay at Dominick's or Jewel. However, sometimes they'll have really good sales on items like Gatorade (88 cents) and GM cereals (4 for 10), commensurate with a club card discount. Also, beware of who you get at the hot deli to ring you up. Some of them will just slap a price tag on your box without ringing up the correct item. For example, there's a price difference between the lemon chicken and fried chicken, and the different types of pastas.
Customer Service: 3 out of 5.
I wish I could average out this number and have it be much higher. Some of the people who work at this location are 10 stars. Others, seriously, are like...2 star worthy. Gus in the deli has never been anything but attentive, polite, and courteous to me, as has the lady that works back there with him who may be some type of manager. The head dairy aisle restocker is really careful, but on more than one occasion I've seen him chew out an inept employee for, get this, putting an expired dairy item right back on the shelf, or just behind two other non-expired ones. The girls behind the cake counter are always nice; not the fastest and sometimes it'll take awhile for them to appear, but they're pleasant to talk to and very polite. The cashier that I adored when I was there worked in the middle: graying African American lady who would sing songly say, "have a nice day" or "enjoy your day" on the way out or say, "sorry for the delay, folks" if there was a long line. And of course there are some surly ones that work closest to the little seating area. I don't understand why they continue to work there if they're so annoyed by what they do.
Overall: 3 out of 5. If you know the right people, it can be a great shopping experience. If you get stuck with Murphy's Law of inept and surly employees, good luck to you.
I went to Treasure Island because a friend said it was cheaper than Trader Joe's and Whole Foods. He was half right. Trader Joe's is still cheaper, but it doesn't have the amazing deli that TI has. They carry Boar's Head, which is the only brand outside of anything at Whole Foods that I will buy. The selection is fantastic, they carry Dean and Deluca spices and such, which completely blew my mind. Granted, asking $10 for a package of Barefoot Contessa brownies is a bit much.
So instead of driving here, a bit out of my way, I will stick to Trader Joe's for dry goods, Devon Market for produce, and Whole Foods for deli meat.
Normally friendly staff and a decent selection of grub. Prices are too high for what you get, though.
The baked goods counter needs to be more regularly staffed and a buzzer/bell should be installed to summons help when no-one is there.
The little bistro table area needs much more attention. No-one ever seems to tidy up that corner of the store. I find myself picking up trash left behind by other patrons every time I eat there. Additionally, why isn't there a full selection of basic condiments like hot sauce, salt, pepper, etc. (essentially, anything in a packet that will not spoil) and cutlery for people who want to eat their hot deli items in this area?
i always spend at least 30 min looking for just one thing...and yes i should ask for help at the 15 min mark but shouldn't they just organize the store a little bit better? they still get 4 stars from me b/c the salad bar is running a close second to Whole Foods on options and quality but it's def cheaper which for me is the most imp thing as a broke ass student.....the deli hot food is pretty good too, i've tried the chicken and a few of the hot sides and no complaints...everyone is always super friendly even when they're busy and the wine selection ain't too shabby.....it's closer to school than dominicks so i'll be back for sure.
I have only shopped at this Treasure Island. I like the produce a lot and the variety of different ethnic food sections. It's a solid store and closer to shopping in a small supermarket than a corner market. A little higher priced on some goods then I would like but it has it's charms.
I shop at several Treasure Island stores on the North Side (680 LSD, Old Town, Elm Street and Clybourn). I like how they don't need to bother with a shopper rewards card... everyone gets the same prices. And while the prices can be slightly higher (especially at Clybourn), on average I don't think you'll pay much more than Dominick's or Jewel.
Some TI stores carry items the others don't, which can be annoying but, I think that they know what their neighborhood shoppers want, so not every product is stocked in every store.
But I find the Elm store my least favorite. Their deli area looks like it could be cleaner and the fresh produce is not as good as the others. And I wish they'd put a "packed on" date on the cut fresh fruit at all the stores. I've bought several cut melons or similar fruit that turn bad a bit too quickly.
Overall, I prefer Treasure Island because they are well located in this area and I like the idea that it's family-owned, not part of a nationwide conglomerate.
TI keeps food in my belly on a daily basis. (Unfortunately, it also probably adds a little excess to the hips too). A self-proclaimed European market in Chicago, this grocery store surpasses the products of your local Jewel. The wine, cheese and chocolate selections are quite the treat for the person looking to enjoy specialty items. They do carry the traditional canned or frozen goods but the real treats are in their array of European and ethnic offerings from spices to sauces and every mouth-watering goody in between.
The deli in back is where a majority of my dollars are spent. The occasional item is unidentifiable (think high school cafeteria) but overall their hot selections offer something yummy & different on a day to day basis.
I love Treasure Island! And if I can support a Chicago-based grocery over the national conglomerantes, thats what I do.
TI has one of the best selections of imported cheeses in Chicago, a terrific deli of meats and TI made salads, and a huge selection of imported froods from around the world - olive oils, spices, preserves, pastas. If youre looking for a hard-to-find ingredient, I suggest first stopping at TI.
Hours:
Monday - Friday 7AM - 9PM
Saturday 7AM - 8PM
Sunday 8AM - 7PM
I went here for lunch on the suggestion of a co-worker. The novelty of it being in the Playboy Building was fun. The store itself seems a bit out of place, but it's great!
The produce looked diverse and fresh.
There are olive bars! YAY!!
There's a salad bar, which was really quite good and not as expensive as other grocery store type food bars.
They also have a great selection of other unexpected items like fancy bars of soap, gourmet spices, and fresh artisan breads. Hoorah!
love, love, love the fact that this place is located in the building I work. I don't really go here for full on grocery shopping (a few odds and ends here and there) but I mostly come for 1. lunch 2. wine/beer 3. their baked goods 4. imported cheeses, olives and oils.
Lunch: wide array of items to choose, from their expansive deli, to prepared hot foods such as lasagna, chicken pot pie, etc all the way to made-fresh-daily sushi and of course several choices of soups & salads.
Wine/Beer: they always have the mini Beaujolais bottles which are great when you don't want to crack open a full on bottle of red. Additionally a solid selection of wine (including several cotes du rhone's, my personal fav) at reasonable prices, this is very convenient for when heading home and wine is on the menu.
Baked goods: two of my favorite bakers' breads can be had here; D'amatos (best french baguette on the planet) and Cuisine de France (best croissants on the planet). Plus a ton of (again, made fresh daily) sweet items such as pies, cakes, tarts and the like.
Cheeses, olives and oils: this is becoming a little less of a draw now that regular grocer's like Dominick's are entering this market...T.I. still has many things that are clearly unique to them and them alone.
This is a great place to grab lunch is you work in the area. The freshly made hot foods are yummy (they're mashed sweet potatoes are fabulous, and not even too sweet), and the guys who work there are very nice.
This is a great grocery store if you live downtown and walk everywhere. I've lived in the area awhile and have found this to be the most affordable with the best selection. It has a huge selection of European foods, from German to Dutch to Italian....Also has a lot of Asian cuisine. The first aisle has discount prices with great deals, so make sure not to miss that.
The best produce prices in Streeterville - often half the price of Dominick's. We buy all our produce here. The cashiers seem to have gotten friendlier; there actually are now a few who are truly friendly. The young guy on Sunday's fun to talk with. Good beer selection, although a limited cooler. A lot of weird looking customers, but this is downtown.
I just found this place recently by chance, and I love it! They have a great selection of items, and a marvelous produce section. Probably not the place you want to go for everyday items, but for spices, produce, and imported foods, this place is great. The staff is wonderful, too. The manager helped me find an item I couldn't locate, and was so friendly and helpful. One other big plus is the complete lack of "granola-ier than thou" attitude that is so prevalent in Trader Joe and Whole Foods type stores. This place is what it is, and doesn't feel the need to put on airs.
I love this grocery store! It has that old-school charm, always has oldies playing, and is a relaxing shopping environment. Not the largest selection of food (that's why I gave it the 4 stars) but the quality and uniqueness of the foods make it worth while. PLEASE try the cinnamon muffins that they make- AMAZZZINGGG!!
ok so i was in here for a total of 5 minutes and only saw the bakery and carbonated beverages but i really liked it! clean! and i wanted to buy everything they were baking aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaand they have nice prices...well the things i bought to get my parking validated were nicely priced on sale. 3 cases of carbonated water for $9. yes please!!! the staff was really nice too!
While convenient, this place tends to be a bit overpriced. Without a savings club card like Jewel or Dominick's things rarely go on sale and even when they are, it's more like breaking even. That being said, it's a great place to find unique or higher end items - a step up from Jewel but not quite Fox & Obel. The staff are generally very helpful as well. My personal pet peeve is that they charge an extra 39 cents for bags with handles.
it's kind of expensive, but has most of what you need. great deli, okay wine/liquor section. sometimes, they're out of stuff, but it's still the best if you live downtown.
