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!

Stopped by Shattuck Market and overall it was an okay experience, but the customer service felt a…read morebit unprofessional. One interaction with an employee came across unnecessarily blunt and made the environment feel a little uncomfortable. The store itself is fine and has what you need, but a more polite and consistent approach to customers would improve the experience a lot. Not terrible, just room for improvement on the service side.

This is a reliable market super close to where I live and the owner is incredibly friendly and…read morehelpful. Such a neighborhood gem compact with helpful essentials!

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.

I didn't realize there was a Japanese market in the area! I wanted to make poke nachos, but didn't…read morewant to drive to the fish market in Albany. I was able to find almost everything I needed at this market. They have sashimi, seaweed salad, imitation crab sticks, packaged and prepared food, meat, snacks, etc. It's a nice little store with a lot to offer. I'd come back again.

This is a small, what looks like a family-run spot, that I really enjoy visiting. The staff are…read moreconsistently polite, welcoming, and always happy to help, which makes a big difference every time I stop by. I usually come here to pick up snacks, and it's become a favorite for my little one, they absolutely love the Meiji chocolate, and this is the closest place where I can reliably find it. Even though the store is on the smaller side, it should meet your daily needs. You'll find essentials like dairy and fresh fruit, along with more specialty items like miso paste and a variety of Japanese seasonings. It's compact, but thoughtfully organized, and has most things you will need without feeling overwhelming.

We were picking up various groceries for my FIL and he gave us the most esoteric directions to this…read moreplace - he couldn't remember the name, so we were going off of "second shop down across from Monterey Market, grab the pate from the case in the back right of the store." And let me tell you, that pate was as incredible as you would hope would result from scavenger hunt directions. It's now a necessary stop when we're in the neighborhood. Five stars for the pate alone.

If I could give this store less than one star I would. Nothing in their store is dated so my mother…read moreate some rotten cheese and got sick from it. Normally I wouldn't write a review but when I went to complain and ask for a refund they were super rude and dismissive about it. Gave me a refund & kicked me out. I wouldn't recommend buying anything from this store. None of the cheeses are dated so beware. You'll be playing bacteria roulette and might buy a blue cheese not intending to.

Raxakoul Coffee & Cheese has been a Kensington favorite for decades, run by siblings Pete and Marie…read moreafter their parents first built the shop into a community hub. They roast their own coffee, cut massive cheese blocks into affordable portions, and stock everything from Parisian cheeses to local favorites like Judy's Breadsticks and Yvonne's cookies. It's a one-stop spot for gourmet snacks, wine, and even the best boba tea in town. Beyond the shelves, the Raxakoul family is deeply community-minded, supporting schools, seniors, and local events--making every visit feel like you're part of their story.

Great mom and pop store in a small community. They have so many types of cheese there! Always…read moreparking in the area which makes it easier. They also have boba, coffee, vietnamese iced cofee and other drinks. Service is great, owner there is so friendly and sweet. Highly recommend if you're in the area.

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.