With all the traffic this establishment gets on weekends, I'm surprised there haven't been any reviews yet. This particular Basha's was built in 2004 and was the first true supermarket in Western Pinal County. It held the market until the Fry's Supermarket opened across the street a year later.
One thing that distinguished this Basha's over other stores was its inclusion in a test-program the company held in 2007 to put covered parking over most of its spaces. This was the second store to receive them, and it seemed to make a big difference in the summer.
The store itself resembles every other Basha's, with the full-service deli and pizza shop on one end, fruits and vegetables on the other. The pharmacy never seems to have a long line, the wine section is fairly good for a supermarket, and the meat department is the best in its town. The store also seems to be "just the right size." You're not walking a mile to get any individual grocery item, but the store is large enough to have anything you need. Prices do seem slightly higher than the Fry's Market across the street, but this will likely depend on the items you purchase.
Are there things I wish I could change? You bet. They put those "Self-service checkout" things in a few years back, and those things are neither for use yourself, nor provide decent service. After seemingly every item is scanned, a prompt comes up asking you to find a customer service rep to review the scan and override a warning message. While you sit there tapping your feet, the lone clerk whose job it is to oversee the "Self-service checkout" area is helping a cashier count money, or pointing a customer in the direction of the dairy section, or selling someone lottery tickets at the service desk. You're not only not going to save any time using these things, you're just going to annoy everyone around you with your foot-tapping. Stick to the checkstands staffed by human beings.
Another issue that may or may not crop up is the issue of expired products still being on store shelves. This seemed to be an issue in the dairy/deli section of the store. On three or four occasions I have observed foods for sale which were past their expiration date. I mentioned this to the manager, and I have not had the same experience lately. Even still, be aware that this was once an issue.
The staff here is always helpful, always cheerful. They will walk you right to what you need and will help you to your car even on the hottest days of the year. Of special note is the meat department, which happily cuts your meat to your specification and has a wider selection than any other place in town. If you're barbecuing and you live in town, this is your place to prep.
The reason this store is so busy on weekends is that it is the last bastion of humanity between Phoenix and either Rocky Point or The Dunes. It is not unusual to see the lot filled with RV's and toy haulers on Friday afternoons as people take off for points unknown. For any of you considering stopping here on your way out of Dodge, RV and oversize-vehicle parking is available at the North and West portions of the parking lot. (No, your RV won't fit under the covered parking. No, I won't tell you how I know this.) read more