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

Yeah no. Back in the mid 2000s, til about 2012, I regularly shopped in this small local, employee-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. read more

This is a small local market that is convenient and is stocked with a good variety of products. The problem is the produce is mediocre, even sometimes rotten, (especially bad when compared to Monterey Market up the street) and the owner/manager is rude. I swing by often but after recent visits I wonder why I spend so much money on overpriced bad produce from a nasty person. YMMV read more

Really cool market. Lots of health food type products plus eateries inside to eat at after you shop.

Best kept secret in N. Berkeley for very fresh organic fruit , veg, eggs diary. select meats. Walkable; bikeable; near bus routes; excelent staff. A selection of homegoods and takeaway prepared foods. And speciality breads without having to wait in the ACME or others long lines. Well maintained and the staff are eager and helpful. Another neighborhood gem on this stretch. Although no designated handicapped parking in 30 years I have always found an good street spot. read more

Great little neighborhood market, the little brother of the bigger El Cerrito Natural Foods.

This is honestly one of my favorite small grocers in the area, and not just because they carry Mr Dewies ice cream. The service was always incredibly friendly every one of our visits, and they generally carry a nice amount of woven grocery bags for sale if you forget your reusable bag. I did always wish they carried Obour hummus (Kensington Farmer's market carries it), but beyond that, I loved that they did carry Berkeley Bites and Mr Dewies in cold brew and cool mint chip flavors. We'll miss this place now that we're not local any longer, but definitely loved having them so close! read more

i want to love this store bc it is small and local, however I have one big issue. They sell Judy's eggs, which have sketchy animal welfare standards. They only get one egg on the organic egg scorecard https://www.cornucopia.org/scorecard/eggs/ and do not provide their data. in the past they have been called out by animal rights organizations. Please don't support this company unless they change and can be transparent about their practices. There are other small local farmers who are a much better choice. Other than that, a quaint little store in the hood that is far better than a giant whole foods or otherwise, love the community vibe. read more

I'm fresh to the area and my friend told shop there if I need to get anything. I went in and thought it would be the same quality as Whole Foods. It's not. They didn't have specialty anything. It was like if Walgreens and sprouts had a baby. This grocery store sucks. read more

Great source for organic goods and brands better than standard commercial offerings. The staff answers the phone fairly quickly, and will check if the items I want are in stock, before I drive the 28 miles to get there. Parking can be a bit of a challenge but it's worth it. read more

Smaller healthier version of nearby Berkeley Bowl. Heavy focus on natural and organic food. Everything is very reasonably priced especially their sale items. You Earth Muffins can unite here. read more

Love the Rigid Virus Protections! Always a pleasure here. Thanks = Grateful family us. read more

A wonderful neighborhood upscale, organic, healthy, and unfortunately spendy place that I patronize because of convenience. Plus, i just love small neighborhood places. Across the street from LaLimes, this grocery store (in terms of inventory, think ultra mini Whole foods) sports hours of 9-8, which I loooove. read more

Pretty good products/prices. The store is actually hilarious in how carricaturish it is: the customers who shop there are sort of a south park stereotype of your typical Berkeleyan. I suspect UCB is doing human cloning! read more

Perfect local grocery store! Has the super fresh produce you'd expect of a green grocer, plus my hard-to-find favorites -- Beber almond milk, Coracao chocolates, Applegate deli meats, Hodu tofu. During the craziness of these shelter in place times, this place has been my go-to. (SIP = when it's more likely that a Martian will land on your doorstep with a 12-pack of toilet paper than you actually getting a home grocery delivery...) Very well organized, safe shopping, all with a smile. Bravo, Berkeley Natural Grocery, and thank you! read more

Just enough good stuff that you'll leave satisfied, and not too much that it's overwhelming. Oh and that cute guy over in the produce department? That's my hubby. Be sure and tell him Tashi Delek. read more

Love these guys! The moment you walk in the door and take your first breath you can feel the difference! They have availability on a unique bulk product that is a gift for type 2 diabetics (Hummingbird Farms Cocoa Dusted Almonds, Eugene, OR). Hard to find. A decadent treat that doesn't spike the glycemic readings! The almonds have brought me here but now I'm smitten! Once inside, it's clear that this place is the epitome of the healthy grocery of days gone by. Check them out and decide for yourself! read more

Berkeley Natural Grocery - the exterior of the store - Health Markets Near Me - Berkeley, California

The Natural Grocery Company is where a fish market and chinese eatery was a decade or 2 ago. (shows u how often i shop here). actually looking for a restroom cuz i didn't see one at Kiku Sushi. inventory is packed tight. noticed Amy's classic mac & cheese(4). little chance i would get around to eating it before it gets tossed by my SO, so passed, buys: brown cow yogurt (.89) on sale -definitely will go thru these this weekend. coffee flavor too. notes to follow. take outs: -elderly shopper complaining loudly she was dissed when younger cashier told her she was not open yet. *in her defense, she said she didn't get cash yet. -have experienced this often in grocery lines. cashier hasn't counted monies yet so can't open. *reassured cashier she wasn't at fault, just old lady's having a bad luck streak. read more

I'm tired of B Nat's over the top rigidity re COVID restrictions. One would think that such a store would be educated as to what comprises healthful practices as compared to compliance practices. The staff seem entirely committed to the credo that masks are 'a health issue' rather than a control issue. I know they didn't make the rules, but they choose to what degree they want to enforce them. In my experience they are in the top percentile of COVID OCD'ers. They're bought and sold. A shame. read more

Amazing place ! Love the quality of food and will continue to come here. Employees and service is great:)

The Berkeley Natural Grocery Company is an easy walk from the house and is a good place to buy Omega 3 and other related vitamins and minerals. The folks are nice here too. BNG also has an extensive selection of natural body care products and they're good for a tasty organic snack as I continue to walk on down the Road. At the same time, I'm not a bulk item type of guy, and although the produce is much better than Safeway (albeit a bit more expensive), my personal preference is to continue onwards toward the Monterrey Market. read more

The Berkeley Natural Grocery was there for me when I needed them. I don't shop there often since I have the El Cerrito Natural Grocery just down the hill from me and William's Natural Foods a few miles away. But neither William's nor the El Cerrito Natural Grocery had the nonfat dry milk I needed. I made my second fruitless trip to William's today after striking out there a couple of weeks ago. The employees there told me they were having supply issues w/ the manufacturer, not receiving other products too. After finding nothing at El Cerrito, I came home and was about to buy some from Amazon, which I prefer not to do. Before doing that I called The Berkeley Natural Grocery to ask whether they had it and the man I spoke w/ told me they did. I was very pleased and said I would be right over. I parked and went in and then looked. When I didn't see it I asked an employee who was stocking the shelves. Though he said he was new and was going to ask, he saw it on a bottom shelf right near where we were standing. Bottom shelves are where I never see things, like top shelves. They're just out of my field of vision. Once he pointed it out to me, I got three packages, then 4. I will be set for a while. I had seen some kumquats when I came in and decided to pick some up. My friend Nancy had given me some from her tree several months ago and the organic ones at the El Cerrito Natural Grocery, and presumably here, are the only ones that are equal to her homegrown ones. read more

My go to grocer. Great products and great staff! Visit the wine shop next door for an amazing wine selection.

Wonderful grocery that has everything i need: high-quality organic fruits and veggies, goat milk butter, healthy popcorn and grains, Amy's soups, gluten free products. Friendly staff and pleasant shopping experience. And safety first. read more

Excellent products, item no other store carries, helpful staff. Line is typically short. Great fruits.

This store and it's owner seriously care about global warming and climate change. Not only do they sell non GMO organic foods, they understand issues of air quality and how certain toxins can hurt kids with asthma, and adults who are suffering post fires this past month, and more. I spend a lot of hard earned cash there monthly and for good reason! if you want the BEST customer service, the nicest folks to help you out, and a conscionable owner who will actually listen to your concerns this is the place to shop. I sincerely hope it never closes! read more

I mainly buy my vitamins/supplements here since it's in my 'hood, but occasionally I'll get some granola from the bins for the darling daughters at home. Once years ago, I worked in a health food store, (yup, I was a hippie) and I know how iffy it can be to buy bulk items, but they really seem to keep things looking clean and fresh. Plus, I got some quasi medical advice about arnica gel there...which does work! I'm outta Co-Q-10..so off I go! read more

I'm certainly biased by the fact that they are 1 mile away, but they have a great selection for such a small store. I really enjoy not having to pick past conventional produce to get my organic stuff and while their selection is a little small, it provides all your basic needs. Sick of those 20 minutes lines at Berkeley Bowl & Whole foods? I never have to wait more than 2 here. Being small certainly has it's benefits here. My only complaint is that their meat is really bad. It's wrapped in paper so you can't see what you are getting, and I've only had 1 steak that was passable. read more

I love BNG! I live down the street from this place and I go in twice a day on average. I can find anything there, including all the yummy smelling soaps and lotions that I have only been able to find in specialty stores before this. The staff is so friendly, and I feel so happy going in there. Also, the produce is always fresh, lots of organic stuff, etc. It's expensive but sooooo worth it. read more

I LOVE my neighborhood organic store. It's in walking distance, and I love it! This place carries all organic, chemical free everything. For a small store, it packs a lot of inventory. If you care about what you put in your body, the best part is that you don't even have to look at a label. All food is organic with lots of non GMO options, mostly produced from local love companies. I know organic food is expensive, but getting sick is even more expensive. I believe the price for quality food is worth it. This is definitely cheaper than Whole Foods and with better quality. If you need supplements, lotions, and other care items, this place has a great selection of these types of products too! I love supporting local businesses. I enjoy the people who work there. I enjoy great food. I love chemical free products and food! Thanks Berkeley Natural! read more

Great local grocery store. Staff have always been very helpful and they carry most of the things that we need! If they carried the pure buffalo milk mozzarella (lactose free) we'd be set! We especially enjoy the peanut butter grinder! read more

I've only gone to this store once and I'll never go back. This grocery store is pretty close to home so I went there to pick up some stuff for dinner. I needed canned tomatoes and salad stuff. I was shocked at the prices. When I was looking for a cucumber I checked the price and was shocked to see that they were 5$. 5$ for a freakin' cucumber! It just got worse; tomatoes (canned and fresh) were almost double the price at other stores (tj's, Monterey Market) for the same ones. Lettuce was outrageous and carrots as well. Carrots of all things should have been cheaper! When I was standing there in shock at talking to myself about the prices, the fellow that was stocking the veggies agreed with me. Ok, when an employee agrees with you, it's a bad sign. So I bought the stupid over priced produce and when I was checking out I was again, aghast at the almost 50$ total for some salad stuff and a can of tomatoes. When I mentioned something to the clerk, he gave me a rude look and made a snide comment about "good" food being worth the price. So the test was, would it actually be "good". My conclusion: not great and REALLY overpriced. Will not come here again. read more

Three cheers for my neighborhood grocery store! I appreciate all of it's products, and particularly how many non-gmo things they have. Of course there missing a few things here and there because of their space issue, but all in all they have a great selection of all the organic products you need. Their produce is certainly better than Whole Foods & Berkeley Bowl, but on occasion, if something is out of season, it may not be the best. But again, it's out of season, so what are you gonna do? Highly recommend this place - works perfectly in conjunction with farmer's markets! read more

It is not often that you find a quiet, no-line grocery store in the Bay Area. It's pretty much impossible. People who live here love food, and there are so many amazing stores to find specialty items in. But, unlike Whole Foods and Berkeley Bowl, The Gilman Grocery store is that perfect place you've dreamed of when in a killer line at the check stand, or circling the parking lot. They feature the best selection of fresh, organic produce that I can find short of weekly farmers markets and almost everything that they carry is organic. The staff is friendly, always helpful and actually recognize you when you come in. Even though the prices can be high, I find that I spend a little more and get a little more, which seems to be a great trade off. read more

Berkeley Natural Grocery - the natural grocery company logo - Health Markets Near Me - Berkeley, California

One Word: SAMPLES! they always are featuring some delicious organic snack. I agree with the other reviewers: Quite expensive, but hence the "Natural Grocery store" part of the deal. I don't know if I'd shop there if it weren't within walking distance from my home. They do have an AWESOME selection of natural body care products from Oils and Salves, Cosmetics and toiletries, to organic (unbleached) Tampons and important nutritional supplements. They also have a good bulk section with bio-degradable plastic bags (made of corn starch!), which are just super cool, as well as ready-made breakfast burritos and sandwiches (pricey). ************ All in all, though: I SUGGEST GOING INSTEAD TO LOCAL FARMERS MARKETS: OPEN ALL YEAR ROUND, RAIN OR SHINE BERKELEY: Saturdays 10 a.m. - 3 p.m. (Center Street @ M. L. King, Jr. Way) Tuesdays 2 p.m. - 6 p.m. (Derby Street @ M. L. King, Jr. Way) Thursdays 3 p.m. - 7 p.m. : ALL-ORGANIC! (Shattuck Avenue @ Rose Street) OAKLAND: Saturdays 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. (Grand Ave @ Park Ave., featuring farm fresh produce and fish, prepared foods, arts/crafts, live entertainment). read more

Berkeley Natural is my first choice grocery store. Staff is amenable, product available, variety exceptional for a small store. read more

It's a small store, so you can't expect them to have everything. I like that they have a section for reusable dining goods and bulk toiletries. My strawberries were moldy and the lettuce was sad. Will have to come on days they get shipments. read more

First off, I love this store, and the El Cerrito location is amazing as well. The products are wonderful and often, things I wouldn't find at a larger scale store, and it's in the neighborhood! Of course, the prices are a tad steep and a turn off, but if you can't appreciate good, organic foods, don't shop here. It's a nice place to shop when you're around this part of town and need to make a quick run. 3 stars are for the reasons I've just listed. Why not 4 or 5 stars? Because I have found that the last several times I've gone in, I've either been looked up and down or simply stared at by almost every employee here. I can walk in to a section and know what I want and STILL have someone come up to me in a NOT polite manner. 2 days ago, an employee literally, stared at me as I walked by; no hello or anything. I can honestly say, the only person who was pleasant is Amanda. That being said, the next time this happens to me, I will absolutely say something. Not sure if I'm being stared at because I'm not an older retired person like many people in the neighborhood, the color of my skin, or simply because I like to browse and take my time in this store. Hoping my next experience will be different. read more

Berkeley Natural Grocery is really a one-stop shop - it's one of the best neighborhood organic groceries I have seen, with loads of excellent produce and a great selection of locally produced packaged foods as well as national brands. They also have a very extensive vitamins/supplements area. The prices are reasonable - somewhere between Whole Foods and Berkeley Bowl - again, it just depends on what you pick. The staff is always friendly and helpful and I swear - they have the fastest, most competent cashiers on the planet. The customers are all cordial and it's a fairly enjoyable place to do shopping if you are in the area. read more

I've been shopping here for almost nine years. But lately I've had to take stock of my experiences there, and have made the decision not to return. Besides the fact that their prices are very steep on many items, their check out staff are the rudest in all of Berkeley, by far; Zero concept of customer service, courtesy, or appreciation on the part of the staff as a whole. They know that they provide a convenience to the community based upon the fact that they do sell many good items, and that they are neighborhood small business, which is all good and well. But it seems they use those facts to their advantage, and feel like they can get away with being rude, because many people don't have the option of going elsewhere. They act like they are doing you a favor just by doing their jobs. Never a smile. Never a greeting. Never a thank you. Ever... in nine years. Not my idea of how a small neighborhood business should be run. I wish them good luck. I'm sure they won't miss the money I might have spent there in the coming years. But they might want to take note; In these trying times, and in all times, really, a little kindness, courtesy, and interest in your customers, the people who pay your bills, just might be worth considering. read more