This compact specialty market has been open for over a year, and I really like how the merchandise…read morereflects local purveyors with no corporate brands. Starting with an arresting blow-up of Italian movie star Monica Vitti behind the checkout, it's a visually pleasing emporium because it's not overcrowded with idiosyncratic products. The wine collection is particularly interesting with labels unknown to me. I've been tempted by the delectables in the Grab & Go section, but I've demurred for the sake of discretion. In fact, having almost no knowledge of any of these products, I only recently bought something here because I want to support them. I got a box of Rooibos tea and a jar of Hawaiian masala (Photo 10). I look forward to buying more in the future, though one thought I had was that this store would benefit from samples. On a previous visit, there was a bakery pop-up in front (Photo 8), and I think more of that activity could encourage more in-store traffic. It'll be interesting to see how this business evolves. RELATED - Exploring Solano Avenue? Here's a collection of places I've visited and reviewed: https://yelp.to/eyjAJU1VZv

I LOVE THIS STORE SO MUCH!!!…read more It's so lovingly & carefully curated with yummy items. I come in every week or so to check out new items. Great selection of gourmet goodies-- I regular go in for snacks, cooking sauces from around the world, ice cream, canned drinks, honey & condiments. Appreciate they have plenty of vegan options. They also have a good selection of wines. The owners & staff are super friendly. They love to chat & answer any questions you have. It's a small but mighty space. Very clean & cheerful (not sure how else to describe it? I always smile when I enter!) SHOP LOCAL AND SUPPORT OUR WONDERFUL SMALL BUSINESSES

I've been passing by this place for years and finally decided to go inside. This place is a…read morebeautiful family owned neighborhood corner grocery store just above San Pablo Ave and a block from the Bart tracks going up Potero Ave. it has some of the most beautiful and fresh looking produce i've seen in a corner store market in a very long time! They also have specialty items like European cookies, a great selection of micro brewery, beers, and commonly use canned goods, etc.! I would highly recommend you support your local mom & pop business and give this place a visit! The people working there are very nice and "happy" and they have lots of parking available in their lot adjacent to the store. No more over priced Safeway for me!

Giovanni's is a very cute, yet surprisingly comprehensive, neighborhood store. It's amazing that…read moreit's still in business and seems to be thriving. When I was growing up in El Cerrito (home of the Fogerty brothers) this used to be Poloni's. The perfect spot to go after school and buy candy. Today it's got gourmet mini pies, a wine section, lots of fresh produce plus some household items in case of emergency. Very friendly staff. I like their handwritten signs, but unfortunately there's no spellcheck when you're writing freehand. Support your local mom and pop business!

Watching salt intake? With a prior day order, they made us a rotisserie chicken with no salt. I…read morewas notified when it was ready and picked it up hot out of the oven. Excellent, friendly service.

I live near this market and had been shopping there for years. Over the last six months or so the…read moreservice has become unfriendly and with their remarkably high prices I just can't justify supporting this local market anymore. I used to know all the team there on a first name basis and now they don't even look the customer in the eye, let alone smile. Hope they figure it out and improve a lot.

Very expensive, I get they're trying to cater to all the rich people who live on Arlington but some…read moreof us need groceries and have bills we have to pay. Prices out of control but good quality stuff. Still much more affordable at a chain though.

Sadly, greedy pricing is appears to be a new policy. $9.49 for a half gallon of milk?read more

Alcatraz Market is clean, organized, has many 6 paks microbrews, few 22 oz ones. only the paks…read morepriced., 22 ouncers mostly aren't. rule goes for mainstream and generic brews too. brew: Iron FIst brewing "velvet glove imperial oatmeal" 9.0 % abv. -the hops overpowered the oatmeal, not a smooth brew. lots of hoops=bitter brew. imperial stout was also in the house, same price on draught: -few 22 oz.microbrews to choose from....

I've checked out several food marts in the neighborhood and this is definitely one of the better…read moreand friendlier marts in the area, hence why I'm giving them 5 stars. The staff has always been polite and pleasant and care about regular customer's preferences and needs. The prices are lower on some items than in some other marts I've visited, for example, their price on beer bottles is $2 per bottle and they let you mix and match if you and your friends/family don't like the same type of beer. The entrance faces a major street, is well lit and non-spooky. The selection of foods & wines has been good. I've found a few good wines here for reasonable prices and the dry noodles I've purchased here have been fine. They also have an ATM machine standing at the entrance. The guy at the register said that they are open until 11:00pm every day if you need to purchase something after 8-10p when most of the regular grocery stores close down. Though on some non-busy days like Mondays I've seen them close around 10:45pm.

Any solid farmers market is better than no farmers market, am I right? The North Berkeley Farmers'…read moreMarket is a medium sized farmers market. I was there on the early side, so not all stands were fully set up but seems as if there is a few bakeries with fruit forward desserts and baguettes, lots of fruit, flowers, rotisserie chicken, tamales, empanadas and a fish vendor. Parking is seemingly mostly in the CVS parking lot and some street parking. Overall, Thursdays, if you need some local NorCal fruits and veggies and eats, this is a great little farmers' market.

How and why would this fabulous all-organic farmers market in the heart of Berkeley's historic…read morefoodie district be anything but 5 stars across the board? What's not to love about this petite farmers' market every Thursday from 3-7pm? It's compact yet still packed with abundance & variety, especially when I visited at the tail end of summer/early fall produce season. I made a beeline directly to the famed Frog Hollow Farms stand that was overflowing with assorted stone fruit (their specialty) and berry tarts, hand pies, and galettes. But right next door you can buy the actual fruit or local honey from other vendors and head home to make your own pastry. Or maybe you want veggies? They've got stall after stall of the season's best. I picked up a ton of basil for pesto. Need to rest? There are shaded tables and chairs for kids to seniors to disabled folks to catch a break while listening to live music. Don't feel like cooking dinner? There's always a vendor, like Roadside Rotisserie, where you can pickup a juicy rotisserie chicken, or pork loin, with sides like red potatoes or broccoli roasted in chicken fat. And if the plethora of organic goodies and vendors galore aren't enough, just turn around and realize that you're surrounded by some of the best food destinations IN THE WORLD: Cheese Board Collective & Cheese Board Pizza, Saul's Deli, Andronico's Grocery, the ORIGINAL Peets Coffee & Tea, and of course Chez Panisse is just 8 doors down! And if you need to wipe the tears of foodie joy and happiness from your eyes, there's a CVS just behind the farmers market with tissues galore. Again, solid 5 stars every time!

Cedar Market is an unusual indepedent grocery. it's clean, fully stocked with various niche…read moreproducts that are unrelated: -newman's finest cookies & other artisan pastries -large selection of wines, craft beers, energy drinks, bottled coffee -peet's coffee from a machine -indian grocery section. -pre made indian foods (samosa, etc.) pre-covid. didn't see it. -didn't see pricing, but my beer priced fairly. -artisan breads, chips, snacks, et al. brew: sierra nevada "hop bullet" double ipa, 19.2 oz, 8% (3 ish) -boozy, fab value, didn't know sierra make serious brews. great brew.

Please post prices! almost nothing is priced and it's a crap shoot as to what a customer is…read morecharged. NOT LEGAL

I suggest this grocery for vegetarians and vegans. Berkeley Natural Grocery has less meats than…read moreanyone as far as I know.

Yeah no. Back in the mid 2000s, til about 2012, I regularly shopped in this small local,…read moreemployee-owned grocers because it was close to where I lived, I prefer small, neighborhood markets, and I liked that everything was organic. I liked the long-time manager Michael (now many years retired). I was out of state for about 10 years, and returned a few years ago. I have dropped in here now and then for an item or two (or just to use the restroom, which is always very clean), and left empty-handed each time because the prices are laughably exorbitant. You can tell a lot about a business - grocers or other - by the mood or attitude when you walk in. I don't know if employees have been burned by bad customers or if it is just more post-pandemic 'Weltschmerz,' but whenever I stopped in here I never felt welcomed, or as though the staff actually enjoy working here. I hear no customer-staff friendly banter, see hardly any smiles. It is just stony-faced, entitled (mostly white) people getting what they need, not interacting with or making eye contact with others, much less exchanging smiles or friendly "hellos." It is one more example of the bratty coldness that has taken over most of Berkeley, which breaks my heart. This used to be a lovely market to call my "neighborhood market," but absolutely no longer is. Before any employees or the manager chime in with a response to defend their laughably exorbitant prices by reminding me of how small a market they are - whoa there, little kitties - your prices are still higher than Monterey Market up the road or another employee-owned market, Berkeley Bowl. I can't even afford to puchase a bottle of mustard here, and must get it at Trader Joes. Be honest: This market is for VERY WEALTHY PEOPLE ONLY or for people who DON'T MIND MAXXING OUT THEIR CREDIT CARDS HERE so that they can feel like one of the "cool kids" for shopping here. Your produce is beautiful, your shop very spic 'n span clean, I appreciate that you offer non-GMO and Fair Trade groceries, but you could do better, truly, by making the less-than-ridiculously wealthy people feel more welcome here. You'd have to care about us first though.