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"I've had great experiences here. The staff is helpful and has never acted annoyed when I asked them to find each and every item off my…" read more »
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Wow. Now that I have to depend on the closest grocery store in my new neighborhood, I *have* to like it. Came here today for some last minute Thanksgiving stuff and I acutally didn't mind! It wasn't super crowded! And I stupidly forgot to get breakfast stuff for some friends coming over tomorrow and I actually don't mind going back early in the morning to get some muesli, bread and eggs! Parking is horrible but that's okay for me because I can WALK! YAY!
Whole Foods I heart you.
For now.
I was surprised I did not see more Benzos and Bimmers in the parking lot. What I did see were the Suburu Outback and Audi crowd jockeying for space in the limited parking lot. What is this world coming too. It appears the REI crowd likes the Whole Foodie Market which used to be the old Cadillac dealership.
I came here looking for fresh crab and I was surprised that it was not outrageously priced. At $5.99 a lb, it was within the Safeway & Nob Hill price range. BTW the crab was very fresh and tasted very delightful.
What do they offer?
Meats: HIgh end cuts, such as the Harris ranch, Niman and the Organic (what happened to the kosher). Plus you can buy a slab of prime rib for that special occasion.
Seafood: Fresh and large variety. From scallops, salmon, chilean sea bass, mussels and clams.
Produce: Organic and Non-Organic. Good looking, not bruised , fresh looking vegatables and fruits.
Canned goods: Kinda catch all but high end stuff that can dent your wallet heavily.
All of this plus the prepared foods. They offer a large assortment of pasta dishes, chicken and beef plus some good looking pizza.They have a roast chicken that was $9.99 so that is $2.00 above Safeway. I'll have to check it out.
Worth coming back to and spending some bucks.
Holy geez, what a beautiful store! They really did a great job with this place! I wasn't sure they would be able to pull it off and was sure it would be cumbersome and a parking nightmare, but but boy was I proved wrong!
Sure, it is pretty expensive. I can't afford to shop here as a staple type place, but it is my go to place for picking a healthy lunch and also for special occasions and dinner parties. Such a wide variety of items you can't easily get elsewhere. From wine to bread to fruit. Hell, you can even get incense and lotions and other last minute gift type stuff.
This Whole Foods is one I actually enjoy coming to a lot. It's always fun to see what they have in that's new.
This store rocks.
This particular location is HUGE square footage & beautiful architecture.
I can't imagine a person NOT being able to find what they were looking for here. Vegetarian. organic, seafood, health foods, etc.
Also tons of ready-made gourmet cuisine if you're on the go.
DEFINITELY a favorite store!
Whole Foods: I love you. You are a dream come true for "grocery store challenged" Oakland.
I love your produce and for taking me away from the hell experience known as Berkeley Brawl. I love your prepared foods section for when I'm feeling lazy on the cooking. I love that I can zoom up to the roof top parking lot and 9 out of 10 times get a spot super close to the door. (BTW, your other ground level pkg lot sucks - always full).
Like all true loves there is a flaw: the prices. My nickname for Whole Foods is Whole Paycheck. I know I'm not alone on this one and I didn't make it up. But we pay for the Whole Experience and frankly, you're worth it!
This place is a dream. I've been shopping here for a year and love the open and nicely lit space. The buffet is pricey, but delicious when you want something healthy and don't feel like cooking.
The meat selection is stellar and there is always something good on sale. They even put rubs on my steak for free.
Plenty of parking and open til 10!
I do like this place, though it can be a bit much on the wallet. Still, if you look at their everyday value line and compare the cost and quality of these products (Peanut Butter, Pasta Sauce) to the price of other grocery stores, you'll find the prices are about the same.
Where you pay more is in the items that other stores don't stock, and that's why you come here. If you're looking for something on the less common and more delectable side, you can probably find it here.
Of course, there's also the trade off that they don't carry some mundane items (like Velveeta) but I supplement that with shopping at other places where I can find those items along with other staples that get me through the month.
I have a new complaint. This Whole Foods has the worst parkers EVER. Ever. Makes it want to go to Safeway and get worse service just so I don't have to deal with the crappy parkers that partron the store.
I could spend hours in this place just perusing... strolling around the aisles getting lost in the… Read more »
This place is hyuuuuuuuuuge
Banana nut bread + Afghan pita's with spinach/pesto spread + whole foods cheesy puffs + BBQ pop chips + organic bananas + Izze's = BIG SMILES (minus the costs... it's def. more expensive than ur avg grocery store...)
Can't wait for lunch
OMG a place I can go to and feel some what in the norm with all my holes in my face, fastened with spikes, and my smooth rugged looks...oh the women here just love it!!! I cant sign enough autographs in this store... keep flocking loveys!!
This is of course a joke because I give two girls and a cupcake what you all would think of my looks in the first place. But really lets get down to the meat of this review already.
What a great store to check out the local hipsters, goths, punks, ravers, and everything in between from that to the 60yr old hippies at heart. Oh and everything is ORGANIC so you know you are eating healthy!
Right?
Yes, this is a great store however it is known as "Whole Paycheck" to a lot of people; it probably was not the best of ideas to spend my EDD check here today on some BBQ delights; wait I'm still waiting on that check........
Anyhow..
Produce: Fresh and lots of it. Yeah you can say they have it stocked up in here. Very good choices meets a whole lot of em.
Cheese: Cheesy People will love this place and not only because they are all smiles and did not brush their teeth; I still see that cheese up in them grillz yo... But they have a very impressive collection of cheese. YOU MEAN TO TELL ME THERE ARE OTHER CHEESES OUT THERE??? WTF.... Dude I thought it was all about Government Blocks of cheese!!! Schooled..
Meats: Well I gotta say, I have yet to spring for that old moldy dry aged steaks they have hanging; PETA ppl stand clear... However there selections is pretty good.
Fish: Eh... its fresh to a point but I've had a few items that were a tad bit fishy... oh wait... thats because they were indeed fish..
BOOOOZE!!!!!!
SELL SOME FUCKING VODKA!!! It amazes me you can have 3 million selections of wine, sake, and beer. Yet you will not sell "hard" alcohol such as vodka? Do not get...but what ever works... there are plenty of brown bag locations near this place.
OVERALL:
Go, be hip and spend your whole paycheck here!!!!
...............
( = 0 _ 0 = ) ----- Straight Broke Now.......
o
I have shopped at numerous Whole Foods locations. This is by far my favorite. They have a huge knowledgeable staff. There are always plenty of check stands open with fast polite cashiers. This also has the best selections of everything compared to other whole foods; wine, produce, cheese, deli & to go foods, breads, and household items. I like the layout too, with parking above. Gosh, reading this thing you'd think I work for the damn place. Needless to say, this is my favorite grocery store, and I can ride my bike there.
I've always been much too poor to shop at Whole Foods and I'm certainly not getting wealthy anytime soon. Nevertheless, the free wi-fi and large outdoor seating area at this store make it a great place to hang out and read or study. Plus, with the giant salad bar/hot food section, plus pre-cut fruit and veggies and every dip you could imagine, it's easy to put together a delicious, but still cheap, snack or lunch to eat while you're there.
Maybe some day I will make an actual salary and Whole Foods can become a bigger part of my life. Until then, at least they don't wrap every produce item in plastic wrap (like Trader Joes) and you can buy more than just chips and candy for a snack (unlike every other grocery store).
Whole Foods, I love you.
You carry an entire section of gluten-free goodies for me to pork out on.
Whole Foods, I hate you.
Your bulk bins are heinously overpriced compared to the Berkeley Bowl.
Whole Foods, I love you.
You boast a seriously kickass selection of ice cream.
Whole Foods, I hate you.
Your produce is astronomically marked up, and it's insulting.
Whole Foods, I love you.
Your half-size shopping carts are the best.
Whole Foods, I hate you.
You had Celine Dion CDs for sale in your checkout line yesterday.
Whole Foods, I love you.
One word: Cheese.
There is no secret to what a Whole Foods is, we all shop here. You need seafood, come here. Quality cheese, come here. Organic free range, here. Lavender honey soap by the pound, here.
However, for all you peeps who are bitter it costs 27 dollars for some bananas and a spaghetti squash, I have a secret weapon.
A to go box and a shameless mentality...
It brings me great pleasure knowing Whole Foods can't charge me for the samosa I just ate in the spice aisle. And I'm goin back for an egg roll. Can't stop me now. Teriyaki chicken? You know it. BBQ pork? Absolutely. Mac & Cheese? I got my spoon ready.
Call me cheap, call me gordo, I don't care. When I check out and punch in my pin, I rest easy knowing Whole Foods didn't bend me over as a consumer. And if they know what's best they will keep the curry chicken salad behind the glass deli case.
Dear Mssr. Foods,
You are clean and well-lit, your produce is generally more eye-catching than that of any Safeway and your location cannot be beat for my current digs. Some of your checkers are total sweethearts, and I actually make a point of waiting in their lines. Some of your checkers are, however, total jerks. I'm not trying to infringe on your flirting with the dude behind me in line, checker in aisle 9. Quit rolling your eyes at me and ring up my leeks.
I know working retail is hard, Mssr. Foods, but perhaps you could gently suggest a new career path to your checkers who have a hard time dealing with, you know, the public.
love,
Mme. T.
ps) Your stocking policies baffle me. I can't be the only person in Oakland who wants to make manicotti.
Even if I walk around for 45 minutes & end up not buying a single thing, it's all worth it! Anywhere you turn, you're surrounded by healthy, organic everything. I come here for lunch on occasion w/ work buddies & hit up their deli, salad & hot food bar. The first time I came here, I was warned about how much I might end up spending if I wasn't careful, & they were right. I spent a little over $20 after they weighed my shiz at the register! Guess what? I bought that sh!t anyways!
Anyways, I love Whole Foods, pretty much a one stop shop for anything you need.. they even host cooking classes, health seminars, some free.. they're desserts (gelato, cakes, etc.) always look so sinfully mouth watering, & they're vast selection of anythingness will blow your mind. Organic, healthy, but expensive.. All worth it though if you can afford it on the regular.
Dear hot guy who bought coconut today,
I couldn't tell if you were trying to pick me up or if you really were just proud of yourself for buying a coconut with a straw. You see, I'm surrounded by socially inept scientists and engineers whose way of telling me that they find me attractive and want to see me naked is by saying that if I were in a pack of skinny bitches, the cannibals would eat me first*....
So....um....if you were trying to pick me up, I'll....like...just wait for you by the coconuts again. I actually wasn't looking to buy coconuts. I really wanted to buy the grapefruit juice that was located on top of the coconuts. But, you know, we don't have to share a coconut. Believe it or not, the sushi made at the aisle right behind the coconuts is pretty good. They even make some with brown rice....in case you're watching your glycemic index levels.
Perhaps you're, like, vegan or something....we could walk around the aisle and try something at Cafe Gratitude. I'm a bit chary about trying that stuff. I mean, the raw and vegan and gluten-free key lime pie sounded interesting and all...but I thought $8 was kinda steep. But, you're kinda hot and I would brave eating it with you. In case I don't like it, I'll make sure to get a back up source of protein my making my own peanut butter.
But if you eat real dessert, we could walk around the aisle some more and have real key lime pie. It's not the best I've had (believe it or not, I've had a few slices to write home about in Jack London Square...but let's save that for date two), but it's at least kinda legit.
Should the thought of consuming refined sugars bother you (it bothers me...not the skinny bitch I used to be...hence being told that cannibals would eat me first), I tried soda with stevia in it shortly after we "met."
OR we could try some of their delicious, organic, co-op, sustainable wines....mind you, we couldn't consume that in the store. We'd have to take that elsewhere. Before we do that, we should be sure to stock up on a few bottles of Urban Detox before we leave...just in case we have a few too many.
BUT if you don't drink, we should just get a few bottles of the Crystal Geyser sparkling water for $0.89 a liter. Believe it or not, that is why I went to Whole Foods in the first place.
Please don't be vegan. If you are, please don't expect me to drink soy milk in front of you. It is in your best interest that you don't....
But you were probably just talking about the coconuts. :( But you never know, "even the losers get lucky sometimes."-Tom Petty
*copies and pastes to "Missed Connections" on Craigslist.
WHAT!?!?!?!??!?! You needed something USEFUL?!?!?!?!?!?!?! An hypothetical awkward first date at Whole Foods is not a lurid enough of a description for you!?!?!?!?!?!?
*For real, that happened recently.
Whiskey. Tango. Foxtrot.*
Um....I'm not the rockstar I used to be. It's been a long time since I…
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Hey, Earth Goddess!
Yeah, you.
Yeah, you, the one wearing the "Free Tibet" tee shirt accessorized by the pallid baby in the natural fiber sling. You, the one with the cart full of spelt flour and spirulina powder and reusable cotton maxi pads.
Yeah. You.
See that apple right there?
Yeah, that apple, the one your older demon spawn just took from the display of $2.99/lb organic fujis and is now gnawing upon like a bloodhound upon a soiled dildo. That apple. See it?
THAT'S FUCKING STEALING!!!!
Namaste. Your karma smells like my cat's ass.
This Whole Foods is the biggest I've been to so far compared to the SF locations. I LOVE Whole Foods! It's like an adult food carnival/fair, where I want to browse every food station and section of the store. This one is amazingly large and includes a Cafe Gratitude inside too. Coming here for lunch was tougher than I expected (Grill, cafe, hot food buffet, deli/sandwich section, brown rice sushi bar, etc...). I ended up buying way more than my share of lunch including an absurd amount of desserts (it IS healthy and good for me, right?! That's what I kept on telling myself to justify my dessert rampage). I came here expecting to the try the famous curry chicken sandwich that my BF talks about, but they were not serving it the day I came.
Grill/Salad
- Grilled chicken burger w/ an order of garlic fries: Very flavorful, a bit on the salty side, but generous portions. I tried the turkey burger before and it's a better alternative (tender and flavored superbly with herbs/seasoning in the meat patty). Garlic fries, alright. Too soggy b/c I let it sit out for too long. It also comes with a side salad: greens, carrots, blue cheese, tomatoes, and cucumbers.
- Broccoli Raisin salad: peanuts, onions, raisins, broccoli, bacon pieces, and cashews. On the sweet side and the onions were too overpowering.
Dessert
- Fruit tart/mini fruit tarts: My all time favorite at this bakery. Small: $5.99 Mini: 2 for $4.
- Carrot cupcake w/cream cheese frosting: The best I've had so far with plump raisins and evident carrot shreds. This one beats Kara's and Sprinkles any day in my book.
- Chocolate cupcake w/chocolate frosting: Too chocolaty, but I loved the fresh raspberries and blackberry on top.
- Raspberry mousse mini: Pretty good. It was so mini, I gobbled it up in seconds.
- Key lime pie mini tart: Alright, a bit on the sweet side. I don't remember it being tart enough.
Super busy at lunch, but also a great time to get hot food from the buffet since you know it will be fresh. On the pricy side, quality is there, and worth every penny for yummy healthier food.
P.S. I found a new addiction: Luna & Larry's Coconut Bliss Ice Cream. Tons of flavors, organic, soy, dairy, and gluten free. Best of all, it tastes just like normal ice cream!
I never really go there planning to get anything. I just kinda like being there. It's the biggest Whole Foods I've ever seen--they've got an apparel section for some heavenly person's sake.
Watch out for the hot food though. It's so good, but your eyes become bigger than your stomach, which usually always ends up smaller than the box you've packed all your food into.
Probably the most stunning grocery store that I have ever laid eyes on in my life! I can only hope that our two new Whole Foods that are coming to our area have even HALF the offerings that this location has!
Picture 3 huge different "Salad Bar" style layouts with, obviously, Salad offerings. But then also hot things like fresh Chinese food (mmmmm Eggrolls!), Mexican Food, Pastas...you name it! The center of the store has an array of other different food choices, such as sushi, Thai...even a Cafe Gratitude! That is all laid out in sort of a "food court" style. There is too much going on in this place to fully absorb everything that it has to offer!
I would have given it 5 stars even though the sit-down eating area was pretty messy. I'm not sure I like what I hear about the Yelper that was assaulted by security for no good reason. I'm sure there are two sides to this story, but it just didn't sound right at all.
Two levels of parking makes things much easier here than other Whole Foods I have been to. Having lunch at this store and then walking over to the new Cathedral a block away are enough to fill a fun afternoon in the area.
Big store, so much to choose from. Some of the produce on sale is actually cheaper than the pesticide-infested stuff they sell at Safeway. Weird location though. Across the street from a 7-11 and Acura dealership. Would shop here more often if I lived closer.
Yes, it's more expensive that your average supermarket, but that's a pretty universally known fact about this chain. At least they put in some real effort to earn it. The building's facade could use a bit of polish, but otherwise it's a very nice, upscale atmosphere in which to browse and shop. Selection is enormous and the prepared food stations near the front made a wonderful, if potentially diet-busting, option for lunch. Even better, there was extensive seating outside in the sun.
Still, it felt rather strange to have an armed security guard in front of a grocery store...
I recently started working in Oakland. Correct. I LEFT downtown San Francisco to work in Oakland.
That sound you hear is my stomach grumbling because so far there isn't much in the way of acceptable food around my office.
Enter Whole Foods. I never go to places like Whole Foods because I am easily overwhelmed and when presented with lunch time options as diverse as a sandwich, mexican lasagne, fried chicken, or sushi I FREAK OUT.
I made my way over to the Asian rice/noodle bowl section and ordered a white meat chicken terriyaki bowl with brown rice. Easy. Simple. FREAKING DELICIOUS.
I've had that for lunch for the past week. Save me. Recommend other places nearby for me to eat. STOP THE INSANITY.
And I have a crush on half the staff here. I need to get out of this "dirty hipster is love" phase.
While I can't say I've ever had exceptional service at WF, I've also not received poor service. Ask me about why I shop there and I'll reference the food quality and the way its presented.
I work in the residential industry at the largest development within the immediate downtown area. I can't even tell you how many folks I've referred to this particular WF, but it must be in the hundreds by now... with many hundreds to come... at least until my Monday, when I became a "situation", rather than recognized with any degree of value.
I just moved into a new condo four blocks from this location and stopped in Sunday evening for a late lunch. All went as usual with the security guard even nodding at me...
Know where this is going?
Monday afternoon, I stop by for a quick bite... Feeling a bit more on the hungry side, I go big and spend about $12 on a heaping plate. Aww man, it looked so good. I walk back over to the cafe area and sit right in front of the cafe to view its offerings for the first time.
1st Bite: "Mmm.... This pasta is pretty good. THIS is why I eat here, because its almost restaurant quality."
2nd Bite: "Mmmmm... Love this Everette and Jones barbecue. Maybe I'll order a beverage from the cafe once I'm done... Who is this man approaching me to my right pushing that cart directly towards me? Ahhh... He wants to talk. Ignore...its been a long week and I don't want to discuss work right now. He's still talking. Just tell him I'm not interested. He's still talking. Is he...? 'What did you say to me'"
Strange Man leaning in my ear, WAY too close for my comfort: "I don't want to embarass you. Just put your receipt on the table in front of you."
Me: "Are you asking me for proof that I paid???"
Strange Man leaning in my ear, WAY too close for my comfort: "Yes, but there's no need for you to be embarassed, if you'll just put your receipt on the table. Thats why I'm talking quietly."
Me: "I'm already humiliated. I'm going to tell you this one time, 'Get the #$%@ out of my face." I try to continue eating, trying to act normal and collect myself. I'm so himiliated as folks are looking at me that I can't even keep food on my fork... my hands are shaking so badly. I sound angry, yet I'm trembling with humiliation and hurt within.
Strange Man walks away and now the old blond security guard with a gun approaches me with a knowing look.
Old blond security guard with a gun leaning in my ear, WAY too close for my comfort: "Show me your receipt now."
Me: "I'm going to tell you one time as well to get the #$%@ out of my face."
She threatens to call the store manager. I ask her to... She reports me as a situation. I stand up, she reports that the suspect is trying to leave. I tell her I'm looking for the manager. She says she's speaking to him. I ask for his location. She tells me to wait. I tell her that I'm insulted and I needn't wait for anything. I've spent MY money. I am the guest.
This woman with a gun at my neighborhood overpriced (at this point) shopping destination that I've literally referred hundreds to... personally. Professionally. Where two months prior my office facilitated a tour for a number of our residents. Where I have a pantry jam packed with groceries from... Where a good friend just called me yesterday to ask if I wanted to go shopping again from...
This woman with a gun in my face tells me she can throw me out of the store.
Ugly. Ugly. Ugly.
This goes on. All the while, the receipt is in my back pocket. I shouldn't need to prove anything to a woman with a gun with that attitude and those presumptions.
She ends up stating that she's never seen me before to the humble manager. I tell him I've seen her countless times and know well enough that she's used to ward off those who are deemed less favorable for WF. The only time I've ever seen her interact with customers is when the middle school kids try to enter after school. She's charged with kicking them out.
So WF has a security guard and LP in plain clothes who've determined that I'm an ask risk shopper when I'm dressed in regular jeans and a t-shirt. I ask repeatedly what it is about me that makes me look "at risk" and nobody can answer my Q.
In the end, the humble manager does his best to repair my weakened sense of self, I rant... and the following day I set a goal to go back for lunch. To stand UP.
Yet today, I'm bewildered as to how such a sustainable driven destination... such a luxury as WF is... as unnecessary as it is... How are they able to pay folks with guns to treat regular customers in this fashion? Was it worth it? I was quietly eating.
I've been told they are going to examine whether they need to retrain the offenders, even after they both refused to apologize to me, maintaining their knowing looks and tones with me.
Even more troubling, a friend told me she witnessed the same, only a day before.......
Shame.
Great store but the produce is weak. I can't believe they do not have experienced people handling this important part of the store.
I have complained a few times and have not seen any improvement. Sad to see. The people are very nice but not responsive????
Alright, goddamnit.
The ONLY reason I'm doing this, is because I've finally had a decent experience, and I unfortunately cannot remain a bitterball. I have to update with some positivity.
With recent vehicular troubles, I found myself needing to pick up some items from my local "convenience store", which would be Whole Foods.
On my second to last visit there, I found some pretty good deals. Nothing was rotten, which is always a plus. The cashier was SO friendly and sweet. I may have seemed a little flustered, because she asked me if I wanted chocolate; then came back with free little chocolate eggs for me. Look, I know it seems like I can be bribed and you're thinking, "Well, give this chick some chocolates and she turns on ya!" While that's about 80% true, it was the fact that the cashier was actually attentive and friendly that was the shocker.
I'm sure most people have had a friendly, positive experience here. But for some reason, when I go I get nothing but the really young employees who completely ignore me and talk to each other.
Yes, I know you want me to know how much above this job you are and just how minuscule and unimportant I am, but please pay fucking attention to my transaction. It's obviously on purpose, it's immature and getting old.
Okay, anyway.
Nice, attentive employee gal for the first time ever, free chocolates, and non-rotten food. I thought that deserved and update.
We'll see where this goes.
To be continued..
Either I'm cursed or this happens all the damn time and no one's confessing.
Yet ANOTHER moldy item…
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No more grill, and instead Cafe Gratitude? Like I keep saying, raw ain't the same as fresh. Please. I'll pass on the "I Am Mealy" and the "I am a cult member."
I'll miss the burger and frites. At least they used the space for more wine.
Welcome to the 'hood!
I thought I'd spend more time at the new TJ's, but having this within walking…
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Ok I know people complain about prices, and their false image they send out to the public...but guess what WHO CARES!
I don't buy everything here, only the stuff I need that other stores typically dont have.
They've got EVERYTHING at this Whole Foods, and It's a beautiful store I must admit.
Fav Things about this particular location:
*Their Deli is awesome and packed with plenty of Veggie/Vegan items too!
*They have a GREAT selection of Cheeses
*Also their frozen section has a ton of Veggie/Vegan items, including Vegan Ice Cream, Pie, and Cookies as well as Quorn products, and much much more
*About 80% of the employees are good-looking trendy art students...and give me good eye candy while perusing the products.
*Olive Bar!
*Awesome to-go section.
Everything from Netti Pots to Chemical Free Tampons to Pirate's Booty to Ciao Bella Sorbet to Hemp Baby Clothes!
I never get a cart, only a hand basket so it prevents me from buying stuff i don't need like the items listed above. But for fruit/veggies and my veggie meats I come here!
I still have major beef with Whole Foods (prices, quality, public image) but i've got a few (read: three) positive things to add. Being the only place a vegan can get any food around my work, I just can't help myself.
1. Jerk seitan in the deli, sliced in a meat slicer. seitanic heaven!
2. The service is great. Every employee is so nice in that way that you can tell they actually enjoy shooting the shit with you.
3. The other day, I had some extra time for lunch so i ordered the sandwich. it was unreal. and probably the second best sandwich i've ever had (next only to Ike's Place). It was made with such genuine care by a man i can tell was a real sandwich enthusiast, whose name i cannot remember. I kept looking inside after each bite to see if something naughty and forbidden was snuck inside, like kittens or bush meat. but it was only avocado, gooey vegan mayo, seitan, dijan, peppers, leafy things, and it was grilled and loved and handed to me very, very warm.
I'd totally throw down five stars if this place wasn't so terrible.
the thing i hate about whole foods is that, after putting together a rather simple salad at their… Read more »
Sometimes you feel like a nut.
Sometimes you dont.
Sometimes you want to use organically proper expensive detergent
Sometimes you dont.
This is now my corner store.
I love it, it suits my needs.
Its not terribly expensive, though its nickname is Whole Paycheck...you just have to be careful.
Its not going to get 5 stars however, because honestly, I like Tide, and Lean Cuisine. Neither of which my new corner store carry.
i finally visited this place about two weeks ago, and I must say I'm impressed. Firstly, the place has a parking lot!!!! kudos for that.
I also like how it's not too big, nor not too small, sort of a like Trader Joes on steroids.
What actually brought me here was the food, we were looking for a place to eat before seeing a movie in Emeryville. Going to whack-ass California Pizza or Fuddruckers in EmeryBay was totally out of the question. After arguing between Denny's (not so Whack-ass on some occacions) or Whole Foods, we decided to go with the latter.
After perusing through the tables of prepared dishes, we decided to settle with the sandwiches. Wow, although a little pricey, my Tuna Melt was delicous. Flavorful and generous, I was not disappointed.
Overall a good experience, prices in general are a little above average, but I'm assuming the quality and freshness they claim to have over other grocery stores makes up for it. Customers are usually well above the poverty line, with college degrees and hybrid cars ........
Trader Joe's and I aren't doing so well. It's fair to say I'm sick of him...I mean, he was always around, making me feel comfortable, scripting the errand of shopping so that I didn't have to think about it. It's time to move on.
You know what they say, if you're going to trade in, trade up.
Whole foods is giant and sleek, a big public market without the chaos. Perversely pristine. The prices are about 30% higher than Joe's on identical items, but for selection, there' s no comparison.
Find me short-circuiting over which cheese to try, scooping up bright green olives, manhandling avocados, and spending basically unreasonable sums for bolani and dip because I saw it at the farmer's market last week and it has brought new meaning to lunchtime.
And since this place is nearby to the gym, where I've been sweating for endorphin's sake because...well even if you know you need more, breaking up is hard to do...I'll be seeing plenty of my rebound market in days to come.
Until I can't afford him anymore.
On a mission to find St. George/Jorge cheese. According to the lovely people at the cheese counter, I missed a pack of this stuff by 2 weeks. They were very helpful and saved me 10 minutes of searching through the mountain of cheese. But despite their advice, I'm certain that more than 1 place in this entire state produces this cheese. So, I thank these lovely and helpful Whole Foods Cheese people, but I WILL find this cheese. I will.
And HOT DAMN their granola is yummy.
Because of our excellent farmers-market and local shops I generally only come here for:
Eggs, dairy,…
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The good: (see above), salad-bar, coffee-bar, gelato-bar, beautiful building, great cafe area with lots of light, nice outdoor eating spot, decent prices for organic in-season produce.
The bad: extremely dried-out or extremely greasy hot food buffet, robocops, and-- finally-- if you're a young, attractive female who regularly studies in the cafe, be prepared to regularly face divorced, male customers who think they can pick you up along with their frozen food items.
I was there the first day they opened. I live a few blocks away so I'm there often. Most of the staff knows my son and treats us like family so yea, I like this location. Compared to other Whole Foods I've visited, this one is less crowded, a lot more floor space (WAY more than nearby ones like Berkeley), better staff at the meat department and much better Take Out section than most (hard to compete with the Ft Collins WF on that). It's also one of the best selection of beer and sake for miles -- I still don't understand why Oaktown seems to adore Belgian beer. It lacks that last star mainly because their plan-o-gram rotates in such a way that they routinely discontinue products I buy -- I mean, I'm buying them so I expect for them to be restocked. If I wanted to invest in new products only to have them disappear next week, I'd go to TJs.
Snacking on grapes and asking employees a gazillion questions about everything imaginable...I make sure I get the bang for my buck, and folks they can assure you...I do.
An Orange here will run you 50 gazillion dollars, but it will provide the perfect amount of sweetness, it will be stacked perfectly amongst other perfect oranges in a perfect orange pyramid in between every possible type of orange pyramid imaginable. The aisles are spaced apart so beautifully, not only can you easily fit a cart and a stroller side by side, but you can leap up and click your heels after sampling an amazingly sweet cherry, following that with a happy dance without bumping into a single patron. You can casually peruse each and every aisle, studying the labels of each product without feeling hassled, rushed or as though you are about to be stampeded by a mob of angry European soccer fans trying to buy Organic Prunes.
Besides maybe their fresh made pizza (its gross), there is not a single flaw with this store. As a matter of fact, everything is perfect. The floors even sparkle, and that's not a joke, they really do sparkle. This is how I would imagine the other half lives, only this is in Oakland and while most can't afford it every day...it sure is nice every now and again.
I've lived by this Whole Foods for over a year now and never stepped in it once since I was over WF back in college when that was the only grocery store I could access in San Rafael. Since it is en route to my Citycarshare vehicle I finally stumbled in one day after the 30th pass up. I always laughed at the people sitting in the cafe because it always reminded me of the meat market environment cafes at Borders and Barnes and Nobles offers back home. "Yes Jane you look fly, I see you Looking at your reflection in the glass window!" ... "Yes Joe, I see you checking me out through the window as I pass you up!" ... lol...
Other than the singles looking especially hawt sitting in front of their Macbooks, I love watching the lunch goers attack the free samples between noon and 2pm. I once watched this woman place 2 chicken wings per sampler cup over and over again.. by the time she walked out I think she ate an entire meal's worth of samples.
I've learned to come here with a grocery list or game plan in hand... if not, I will most likely spend my grocery money for the entire month in one visit just to make one meal... Goat cheese, pasta, broccoli, Italian bread, and a drink threw me back $40.00 once and it was a dinner just good for two. I come here for a few staples just in case I missed out on the Lake Meritt farmer's market for veggies and they happen to sell one of my favorite goat cheese brands when I am feenin' for it. I like that it is clean, well kept, and organized. I noticed on my morning walks with my dog that they constantly have shopping carts full of breads and foods that they donate to organizations in the morning; so it definitely lets me feel a lot better spending an outrageous amount of money here for basic things.
They get 5 stars for quality. They lose the 5th star overall because
1) the are NOT cheap, and
2) when they are crowded, it makes me want to scream and kill hippies
The food is outstanding, the produce fresh, the butcher's selection amazing. You can taste the difference in the food, it really is better quality. I'm a little leery of sharing this, but it seems that if you go on Thursdays they aren't as crowded and haven't sold out of anything yet - the shelves are all uber-stocked.
Peeps are nice, especially the meat dudes and the fish chicks. A couple of hot checker/bagger combos keep me and the bf entertained while waiting in line, as does a killer mocha.
I knew Oakland had a bright future ahead of it when I heard Whole Foods was coming. I think however, I heard it was coming in 2003 and it didn't finally arrive til late 2007 but hey that's just how things are sometimes.
As something of a Whole Foods and particularly a prepared foods fan, I can say with some confidence that this is one of the nicest Whole Foods around. It gives me great pleasure that it is here in Oakland.
I don't go so much anymore because:
1-my boyfriend with one of my staff had an unofficial intervention with me about 5 months after it opened that I was there every single day for lunch and sometimes twice a day.
2-I had to increase my credit card limit to continue going after the intervention.
3-my credit card limit increase was rejected.
I also had a falling out with the prepared foods manager. I gave them what I thought was ample amount of time to get the breakfast thing going but then they wiped out the indian foods out of the prepared foods section in the afternoon and night. They replaced it with Italian foods. There was plenty of that food already. I had to place phone calls to management and who has time for that and belabor the line staff who are like "cracker, I barely earn enough" and I got that but still. It's back now. Send me thank you notes kids, send 'em to me here.
All that aside, I still love the joint. And I just adore how cheese, wine and chocolate are like stretches from each other. Samples!
Now if I could just get a Raw Foods Bar.....
Neighborhood: South Berkeley
Category: Grocery
Neighborhood: Lake Merritt
Category: Grocery
Neighborhood: Lower Hills
Category: Grocery
Neighborhood: Lower Hills
Category: Grocery
Neighborhood: North Oakland
Category: Grocery
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