Virgil's Hardware Home & Garden
Category: Hardware Stores [Edit]
Neighborhood: Glendale520 N Glendale Ave
Glendale, CA 91206 (323) 245-2366
- Hours:
Mon-Fri 8:00 a.m.-7:00 p.m.
Sat 8:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m.
Sun 9:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. - Price Range: $$$
- Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
- Parking: Private Lot
- Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
19 Reviews for Virgil's Hardware Home & Garden
One of Virgil's Hardware Home & Garden's Favorite Reviews
This is a builder's boutique.
Not the kinda place you go to for your basic construction stuff it's a bit pricey in that department. But, this IS where you go when you need great service for specific items.
para ejemplo...I needed piano screws to fix a broken door on an antique, custom made armoire. So instead of searching through aisles and aisles of hardware in the black hole that is Home Depot, I went to Virgil's.
Walked in.....asked a guy where I could find them....he walked me over, got them for me and then suggested a way to install them so that they would last longer and do minimal damage to my prized piece of furniture.
They also have this cool little kitchen section with some interesting and yummy salsas. Random? Yes. That's why I like Virgil's.
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I often drive here from Beverly Hills
because of the staff
ONLY
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Want an expert who cares and actually knows something.
GO HERE
SERVICE IS GREAT
If you need tools ask for Gary!!
He knows everything there!
Costs more but it is worth it.
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I just stumbled in here this afternoon and had a great experience. I was repeating "1/2 and 3/8" on the phone to my husband as I walked through the door. One of the employees heard me and asked "Drill bits?" "No, staples." "For what?" "Arrow T-50." He was off to the right aisle, handed me what I needed, and passed me to check-out. How is it that a trip to Home Depot inevitably takes three hours but Virgil's had all my needs filled in under two minutes? I was even a little sad that I didn't have an excuse to wander around, because it looked like they had some goodies in there. To Home Depot I say Never Again.
Nods to all the reviews I've read about Virgil's. Even though sometimes the parking lot gets busy (small wonder, since they're such a great place!), it's worth braving the craziness of Glendale Avenue. I smiled at Mitzi's comment about Virgil's even smelling like a hardware store! And I thought I was alone in this....kind of when there used to be dime stores (remember them, any of you?), and they had a distinctive scent....Everyone at Virgil's actually (gasp!) acknowledges your presence, and not just when you're shelling out your money at the cashier. I took my elderly mom in Virgil's recently. She walks with great difficulty with a walker, and the staff was very patient and solicitous of her. A far cry from our local Lowe's, where you can be given up for missing in action in the aisles on a Saturday
So, in this day of chains and big box enterprises, it warms my heart to see an independent store thrive throughout the decades.
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Some of the best years of my life were spent in a small town in Southeastern Alaska. Because of its remote location (only reachable by boat or plane), the businesses in town tended to be privately owned. Because of this, I can appreciate the value of locally owned and operated businesses. While the prices may be slightly more expensive than large chain corporations, the quality of service is usually better. A shining example of this is Virgil's.
It's always a pleasure to visit Virgil's, even if you have no actual hardware or garden needs. The wide selection of household odd-ball items, such as the "bake-in-a-plant-pot" cake kit (cake mix and clay pot included) are dispersed throughout the store.
Speaking of which... Fans of Alton Brown's 'Good Eats' show will be pleased to know that many "uni-tasker" replacements can be purchased at Virgil's, at a surprisingly reasonable prices.
Now let's talk about the staff for a moment, keeping in mind the old adage, "Do not judge a book by its cover." There's no denying the fact that many of the employees look as if they are in a gang or just got out of prison. Don't let superficial judgments deter you from speaking to these individuals. You'll be pleasantly surprised to find they are a goldmine of knowledge regarding the products, usage, and most "how-to" questions, if you want to do it yourself (and you really should). Plus they are just plain nice people.
Let's not forget, Virgil's is a home and hardware store. Aside from the items you expect to find (paint, tools, etc, etc), they also carry a wide selection of hard-to-find items- everything from water filters for an ancient water cooler, to wall fuses for a fuse box that went obsolete eighty years ago.
So let's recap the reasons you should give them your business: locally-owned, community-oriented, friendly knowledgeable service and staff, competitive prices, and generally a fun experience. Let's see anyone get all that at Home Depot!
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It's much smaller than Home Depot/Lowe's, but to me that is a plus. You can typically find what you are looking for, and if not - there is always a friendly employee more than willing to help you (no more wandering up & down the aisles of Home Depot looking for a freakin person wearing an orange vest). Also, even if all you are buying is an 11cent bolt, the cashiers are still nice to you.
It does cost a little more, but for your small home improvement projects this place is great.
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I remember coming to this charming small town-y hardware store as a wee child.
The people here are usually helpful and friendly (although there are a couple of idiots), and you will likely find that hard-to-find part here. Of course they have normal parts as well, but you'll find it in a fraction of the time that it would take you at a Home Depot. One major plus for me is that this place is allergy-free.
If you don't feel like wandering aimlessly through cavernous dusty aisles of the bigger competitors, if you want to talk to someone about your home improvement problems, if you've looked everywhere but couldn't find that thingymajiggy that you have no idea what it's called, Virgil's is the place to go.
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Virgil's Hardware is part of the great dying breed of stores where service is #1. Unlike Home Depot where you search for hours to find a salesperson to help you, at Virgils, you are warmly greated by a handful of salespeople who actually know the store (it's amazing how many times you get the "uh, well, um, I am not sure" at Home Depot), and they also know their jobs. If you need plumbing, you ask, they will take you to the right item, answer questions, bring in another sales person to double check that they are getting you what you need. If you need a particular nut, bolt or screw, they will find you exactly what you need rather than pointing you to an aisle. If you want to get in and out, and make your shoppping experience an ease... skip the Depot and head to Virgils. They are exceptional with older plumbing, and electrical as they have the old parts that you need and the info to make your DYI jobs that much easier. You may pay a bit more If you need 20 gals of paint, or lumber, suffer and hit the Depot, but if you have a tricky plumbing,electrical, hardware problem, this is definatly the place to go. If you are in the Pasadena area, also check out Crown City Hardware.
Virgil's is a GEM!
I have been here many times and they always have what I need. I am not very hardware store savvy so I usually come in with some small piece of hardware in my purse I need a replacement for. It usually takes me about 15 seconds to find a knowledgeable employee to guide me to the proper section and locate the item for me. Sometimes I just describe what I need to the employee and somehow, they know just what I am talking about and again, guide me there. Even answer questions if I have them. Just like the neighborhood hardware stores I have seen on TV shows.
It is not huge so you don't have to walk a mile from light bulbs to extension cords.
The staff is so helpful and so EASY to find.
The clerks always keep the check-out lines short.
They have a great section in the middle with neat kitchen gadgets and gizmos
The best part is they do not have a very loud and annoying PA system in there so you do not have to hear the paint dept. being paged over and over while you shop!!
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another place in Glendale with 5 Stars... its amaz-ZA-ing! every time i go here i find exactly what i need, or the employees direct me exactly where in want. and the prices kick ass! none of that "i just work here" Home Depot attitude.
I initially went into Virgil's thinking I would just pick up some paint samples - really just because I had seen it near my work, and because I didn't want to bother finding a Home Depot. I intended to eventually buy all my project supplies from Home Depot though. After my initial visit, that all changed. Every time a clerk walked by, they asked if I was finding everything ok. Since it was my first time in the store and I didn't know my way around, the help was much appreciated. Not only did they lead me to the product, but the person who assisted me happened to be a painter (my project was painting) and he gave me a couple invaluable tips and helped me save money by telling me what I could by that was cheaper than the standard brands. I've had to return a couple of things; never a problem. There is the occasional curse word between employees, which I can't stand, but unfortunately seems to be the wave of the future (far too reminiscent of Idiocracy), but I'd rather deal with this bunch of sailors then the crew at Home Depot any day. I also like their message - NO CHAIN STORES! DAMN the MAN!!
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Skip Lowes. Skip Home Depot. Go directly to Virgil's and save yourself the time and headache of the other giant stores. Virgil's has been around in Glendale for a long time and you can see why when you go into the store.
Here's what impressed me when I went there (and it's sad that this is impressive) ... There's actually people working there to help you out! They don't run away from you like you have the plague when you're trying to get their attention. They actually know where things are in the store and are happy to help you find what you need, even if it's not in their section.
They always have multiple checkers open so the line to get out of the store is never long either. Their tool section isn't as stocked as say a giant box store, but it's about the same size as the one at OSH.
I've looked for simple parts at Lowes and funny enough they don't have it, but one quick trip to Virgil's and 95% of the time I get what I need and get out of there quick. If you're looking for the weird / odd part, they probably have that too. This place always surprises me.
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Virgils is a little pricier than most hardware stores, but on the upside there are A LOT of people working so someone is always there to help you out, which is key when you go into a store like that. You go somewhere like Home Depot or something and spend 15 minutes just trying to get someone to help you find some dumb tiny little screw.
Also, they do have a very wide selection, and you can find almost anything there. My house is like ALL windows, and I couldn't for the life of me find curtain rods that work in corners, and I finally found them at Virgils.
Stupid me for not going there first. Now, I go there first for mostly all my hardware needs.
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Amen. Skip Depot. Ditch Lowes. Virgil's has it all and more, much more, than Depot and Lowes combined. Plus they've got guys who can custom make that thingamajig you can't find anywhere else, usually for about $15!
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I wanted to buy a garage door clicker. I went to Osh, Home Depot, Sears, Rite-Aid, Best Buy, and Radio Shack. Not one of these m-f'ers carries the programmable Multicode garage door openers that EVERY APARTMENT BUILDING ON EARTH uses.
Virgil's has them. And the staff are friendly and knowledgeable. Good to Home Depot for undocumented labor, go to Virgil's for products.
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Virgil's has some serious old-school charm, super-helpful staff and lots of fun extras you don't expect in a hardware store. Price-wise though - ouch. I bought paint here for our new house, and (silly me) didn't do research on other options .... paid $30/can!!! I eventually came to my senses and found it for $10/can at OSH, who don't exactly have service to rave about, but for painting a whole house, it was really more about the money at that point. I still love Virgil's and dream about buying one of their beautiful outdoor fountains one day....
Have you ever looked for the widget that no one has? This is your first and last stop. You'll pay a little more than at the "Big Box" retailers but you'll find what you want.
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Virgil's even SMELLS like a good hardware store. You know what I mean.
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