(Shopped 10/08/24 TU @ 1:00pm): The thing to marvel about this food store was the small-town country feel of it all! Mar-Val Food Stores' Escalon location was the closest to where I stayed with dear friends of mine while we were in town for a funeral of one of their family members. We needed some minor provisions (e.g. libations and snacks) just to tide us over for a few days, so this was the most convenient place to grab these items. Founded in 1952 by the brothers Mardee and Val Kidd (Mar-Val) in Lodi, this charming small family-owned country store was concentrated in this part of California's heartland farm country where they avoided the larger corporate supermarket chains and were able to become more integrated into the community. Was I marveled by their slower pace of grocery shopping and local produce!? PURCHASE Five Window Beer Co. Wango Mango Hazy IPA Beer 16floz Can 4pk ($16.99): Hazy amber color, mango tropical aroma, medium body, mango milky orange sweet tropical flavor, mouthfeel finish, and mango tropical creamy aftertaste. This was a truly odd beer that foamed with a lot of sediment and actual mango pieces. ​​https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?userid=8jVT2inwc8GIQ6sH2UG9Vw&start=24&select=mX33WX9GoFBgVFutevJzaw Grains Of Virtue Brewing Co. Bhad Bunny Cucumber Lime Kölsch Beer 16floz Can 4pk ($19.99): Dull amber color, citrusy cucumber lime aroma, light body, citrusy cucumber lime salty flavor, effervescent refreshing finish, and cucumber lime aftertaste. Paired perfectly with chips and salsa. https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?userid=8jVT2inwc8GIQ6sH2UG9Vw&start=24&select=JlHt9euAg_uxaNIA-cSH5Q SERVICE We were greeted by the friendly checkers once we entered the store, but after that we were all left to our own devices as we explored down each aisle and section as we picked up random things to feed us. Once we were done, the same checkers helped us and wished us a good day. All was easy and stressless - thank you! PARKING (FREE) They had their own sizable lot - 'nuff said! ATMOSPHERE, DÉCOR, AMBIENCE A medium-sized grocery store that basically had all of the same amenities and markings you're familiar with at other larger grocery chains. They carried many of the national brands, but there was a fair-share of I imagined more local brands. The one thing that stood out was just the relaxed feeling I had inside this place; there was no hustle or bustle which I loved. Plenty of natural lighting came through the front windows and doors while bright electric ceiling lights filled in the rest. I didn't notice any TVs while I believe music played in the background. https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?userid=8jVT2inwc8GIQ6sH2UG9Vw&start=24&select=SeqwzEOZv8uGGlXj3RJ02w ATTIRE Totally casual, so I would normally be in a t-shirt, boardshorts, and flip-flops. OVERALL I enjoyed the calming charm of Escalon's Mar-Val Food Stores location, and wouldn't have any reservations about shopping here again. Granted, I personally purchased only local craft beer while the rest of my party bought snacks and some premade items. However, everything you needed was sold here, but just at a slower pace and in less quantities. The prices were comparable, the ease of moving around the entire market was a plus (not many customers at this time), and the service was straightforward while I noticed several employees throughout stocking the shelves or working behind the deli counter. And, whenever possible I liked to support small local businesses. I found complete value based on the prices, service, and experience noted above (TOTAL paid experience was around $41.00 BEFORE any discounts and/or tip). And, they accepted my credit card of choice... AMEX! 5.0 STARS read more

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I am not a fan of Mar-Val, but went for a few items. I purchased a portion of a cake and opened it when we got home and it was moldy in the middle. I called to explain and the woman who answered the phone said I should call back the next day. No thanks! It's also super pricey! read more

Everything about this grocer is great! They have the BEST grocery sushi. Staff is nice. Produce and deli is great. Prices on some stuff is ridiculous but if you need something in a hurry, it's a nice little grocery store to go to. They also have a warm, country/farmhouse area with Knick knacks, stuffed animals, dishwater, gifts on the left of their store. read more

Great hometown local store! They have all the necessities at decent prices. Deli is delicious and the meat is fresh! Victor the manger is a great asset to the community. read more

If I could give this place a zero, I would. My wife went there to get some steaks. We paid $60 apiece for two tomahawk steaks when we got them home they were rotten and smelled horrible. We called them and they told us to bring them back. My wife brought them back and they refunded us our money and then charged us for the new steaks full price. I figured they would at least just exchange the steaks for new ones. I can't believe they charged us the difference, considering the fact that we had to drive 20 minutes each way to return these steaks and then again to get the new ones. read more

I feel like there's a lot of greed by the owners almost everything is between $2 and $4 more for each item . They know that there the only store within 10 miles and a lot of older residents can't go that far. So they price everything REALLY HIGH !!! Once the other store goes in I will never step foot in there again. Plus their meat is really bad . They must buy super old cows or something . I've never bought a good piece of meat there. JUST REALLY BAD !!!! read more

I shop frequently at this store but I have become increasingly annoyed by the the management policy which allows panhandlers to approach customers as they leave the store. If these people truly need money there are many other acceptable ways to get it, but harassing customers as they leave the store is not one of them. If management does not change their policy there are many other places I can shop. read more

I highly recommend the store, it feels like a market. The prices are so very reasonable and they carry great quality produce and meat. Not to mention the store manager Victor is wonderful! I drive from Riverbank to shop here read more

I have only been in here a couple of times and it is a very nice store. But my favorite part about this store is Michelle. She is hard working and is always there to help. Not only is she kind but she is also patient, after spending 5-10 minutes with me trying to find everything on my list she took me up to check out and was fast and friendly. Michelle made my whole shopping experience 10 times better. If you like a clean, nice store with an amazing and friendly staff, I recommend going to the mar-Val in Escalon (and if you need any help ask for Michelle she is the absolute best!) read more

Again, I pick up a few items. Clover milk was on sale. They were out again. Had to get McColl's milk. Got home and it expires in 3 days. (2 gallons). Not the first time I have got products at Marvel's that was either expired or close to it. Nothing seems very fresh there and the prices are high. Check your receipts and dates on fresh products. Sales items sometimes won't be there. That's probably why they ask you if you want your receipt. read more

Rocky in produce is great, the store is clean.... That's the two stars..... however I opened a package of pricey steaks.... Two tiny flies came out!!!! The meat dept did replace... the way they package the meat now is gross. Sitting in its blood and juice. Yikes! The food is over priced! They changed the fried chicken recipe or supplier in deli it's greasy and salty. Be sure to look at best by or sell date on items, things are not always rotated correctly. read more

For the past 6 months the quality of food has gone down. I bought milk that had turned more than once, I bought a $20.00 piece of salmon and it was spoiled, I bought poultry twice and it was spoiled and hamburger just recently that was full of gristle and it ruined my cook out. After calling a manager he just acted like it wasn't his problem and blamed the vendors. I don't recommend anyone shopping here unless you keep your receipts and love driving back and forth. They would get ZERO stars if it was possible. read more

I love Mar-Val's and especially the people!! The fact I work there absolutely has nothing to do with it, I'm not biased lol!

I would give a lower rating if I could, prices are wrong, people are rude, stock is always low or items out of stock,....

The food is over priced and customers/employees do NOT wear masks. I don't know what part of pandemic people don't get. Management doesn't even enforce it or ask customers to wear a mask. read more

This is a good place to go for that item that you need but don't want to burn the gas to go to town. They are fairly pricey and have a somewhat limited stock compared to a large grocery store. That said, they have a good selection of high quality meat including specialty sausages and some other specialty items that you will not find in a larger grocery store. They have sushi that is made fresh which as far as grocery store sushi goes is pretty good. I've been eating it for years and never had a problem with it. Their deli is decent as well. You can get your standard deli cuts, potato wedges, fried chicken, potato salad, and all that good stuff along with made to order sandwiches. The staff is always friendly and willing to help. If it were not for the higher prices and The limited selection on some items, I would give it five stars. I cannot complain too much about the prices as it is a small business and I do like to support small businesses. read more

I get it. The prices are high for the convenience of shopping in a small town. But dang bro, employees are about as friendly as a DMV attendant. Counting down until the other two stores open up. read more

It's a wonderful thing store wonderful day to food it's a little bit expensive for my taste they also take Ebt/snap they have wonderful help everyone is very kind there they do you need to teach their baggers how to bag besides price and the baggers not knowing how to bag The place is wonderful it is a small store the prices are a bit much but the food is good probably read more

I love this store I am here almost every day all staff is nice and the store is very organized and easy to find what you want.. one downside is prices. read more

Food is way over priced here. Management is rude and doesn't care if customers are happy or not. Nothing towards me, but I have seen him towards other customers. Wish there was another store in Escalon. read more

This store is clean and well stocked but I'm giving 2 stars because of the pricing and attitude. In my past 5 visits the price at the register have not matched the sign/label price. It gets frustrating if over and over you have to speak up to get a price adjustment. I understand it's not the cashiers job to do price changes but I get major attitude when I bring it to their attention. I'm extremely polite when addressing the issue as well. I hope management gets control of this issue because it keeps me from shopping there, I would rather take the extra 15 minutes to go into Modesto. read more

I only go to this grocery store if I absolutely have to because it's the only grocery store in town. Maybe that's why they take advantage and make all their products expensive and to top that off their products are always old. read more

This business as well as many others aren't enforcing. The mask mandate I have asthma and wear a mask where ever I have seen employees not wearing mask and like I said not enforcing the mask mandates putting my health and others health at risk cuz people can have the virus and have no fever or any symptoms so until the deem my health as a customer as a priority I will no longer spend my money at this business and wouldn't encourage others to either. read more

There is always a thought in my head as I leave for work and I need a few items for home - 'Do I deal with the crowds and save $, or deal with the passing glances of the entitled workforce attitudes and pay a bit more?' Now, there are a few people that work in the store that are respectful & polite; the managers, Rocky in produce, Tom and the crew in the meat dept. But some of the newer crew, like the kid who, when asked the whereabouts of a particular item by an elderly lady, just pointed to an isle & mumbled his best, 'I think.' Then he picked up his phone, instead of walking her to the item. (and he wasn't going on break, or helping anyone else, he was in the check stand w/o anyone in his line) Or some of the crew in the Bakery Deli, that keep their backs to us (customers). That make us feel like they would rather have us walk away. Not all of em, but the young kids know what's up. We're not asking to be pampered, but at least teach some of the good old fashioned customer service that one would appreciate in a small town supermarket. People are creatures of habit. I work in a bigger town where there are Winco's and Costco's, Foodmaxx's and Save Marts. Prices are a lot cheaper and it would be a simple as starting a new routine to bypass the small town business. That's not what I would like to do. But some people talk about it, and many feel the same, sadly. read more

Customer service is very important to me. The girls at the checkout counter need to stop their personal conversations in the presence of customers! I stop in here several times and this is the case 90% of the time! They make me feel so unimportant. All conversation should stop and a focus put on the customer. We are the reason they have jobs. The rest of the store is great, nice selection, great deli and meat dept. Deli/bakery and meat dept DO put the customer first but they need to share their skills with the front counter! I would like to give 5 stars, I love shopping local, but things need to improve upfront. read more

Help me understand this, there are 3 packs of Pepsi per carton as per picture ... management was trying to explain that that tag was for a 3 pack ( 3 units on a pack kind of ridiculous since there's not such thing ) read more

Mar-Val Food Stores - Grocery Near Me - Escalon, California

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Was at the store in Escalon tonight. I shop there often regardless of higher prices. I try to keep my purchases local when possible. Tonight was not a great experience. Artichokes were on sale awesome right!! Well it was just ok. The sign said 2 for 5.00 as well as 1.00 each. When at the register I asked the cashier about the sign and wanted the 1.00 each price. I was told it was an error on the sign and the price was 2 for 5.00. When did it become my responsibility to pay the higher price on a posted sign. This error was not mine. As a consumer I felt cheated. read more

Mar-Val Food Stores - Sale sign. - Grocery Near Me - Escalon, California

MAR-Val is kind of a small supermarket chain located in the Modesto area. The grocery part of it looks pretty interesting, nice produce section, good looking meats, niche food items you don't see every day. But the reason to keep coming back to MAR-Val are the sandwiches. MAR-Val has a deli section that doesn't look all that impressive on the surface. But if you look closely, they will make sandwiches to order. You get a choice of meat, cheese, bread and trimmings. I ordered a black forest ham and swiss on a french roll yesterday and a roast beef and cheddar on sour dough today. Both sandwiches were to die for, fresh bread, plenty of cheese and meat and custom toppings. Beats the crap out of Subway I'll tell you that. Sandwiches were so big I could only eat half. Recommend jalapeno kettle chips to go with them. A lunch fit for kings. read more

They charge more for everything - and I'd pay it because its convenient & I like to support businesses here in town. BUT - I can't stand the fact you can't get your shopping cart up to the check out stand for all the trinkets & trash displays they pile up at the end of the conveyer belt. It's like shopping in some 3rd world country gas station. BIG-Boy market is closer to my house, they unload the shopping cart which is the way it should be and I'm not left elbowing my way around the check out isle. After today - never again! read more

@ Kevin H. I'm pretty sure the manager handled the situation very well considering you were a complete asshole to the cashier as you threw cash at her like she was like a damn stripper and then you proceeded to call the manager a bitch, even though despite the afternoon rush she ran to check the price on your item that you were fussing over. As a customer that was right behind you, you were absolutely disrespectful and rude in the situation. Props to the cashier and Assistant store manager for handling the situation so good! read more

Good store, poor customer service. If i want bad customer service i would shop in Stockton or Modesto maybe that's were they live the managers need to take care of this problem. Went today and they over charged me, no big deal things happen. I didn't notice it until I got out to my car. When I returned and told the girl, she just says oh ya ok. Grabs the receipt from me and had me swipe my card again. I started to ask her if it was going to return the other money, she then puts her hand up to stop me talking and said ya its fine. Just so rude and this is certainly not the first time. Its kind of a running joke in our family on the rudeness a this store. Sad really, should be small town feel not big town rudenes read more

@Kevin H. Imagine being so petty and stupid that you read the wrong price tag, pay a couple extra dollars, and proceed to blame the store. I thought I was the 17 year old I was also a customer in line read more

Excellent priced local market in Escalon. Great small town feel. Love the fact that the staff is conversational with the customers and each other. The staff is always friendly and both the Manager and Assistant Manager are awesome!! To those who are critical of this place.....I have one simple comment: Maybe Escalon is the wrong town for you to live in. GET OUT!!! Go live in Modesto or Stockton!! I like our small town market just the way it is. The staff is awesome!!! read more

Manager is terrible. Clearly need training on how to properly manage a store. In addition, clearly over priced food. And teenagers work the store while ignoring customers because they are to busy with their own conversation. read more

I think this store is wonderful :) Deli, meat department and produce are all great! Manager and assistant managers are very kind and good at what they do, the store is clean and organized! No problems with customer service, the beautiful young ladies who check and bag are all very sweet and helpful. I love Mar-Val. read more

Manager has been rude to me and members of my family on different occasions. Some cashiers are nice, but others like to act like they are so bothered to help. It's your job in customer service to be nice! The only reason I shop at mar val is because it's right next to my house. Customer service should be number one. read more

I would give them a zero if I could.Manager and employees seem to not care about customers. Store is overpriced

My family likes this neighborhood grocery store. They keep the store tidy and stocked well. The Manager is super friendly, and after talking with him a couple times he brought back two different food items they used to have per my request. They had a couple of days when I've been there that they are doing a BBQ event for their customers. When we first moved here, they gave my daughter a free balloon. They definitely take care of their customers! read more

This grocery store is the worst. The help is rude and its sucks. The girl workers are more concerned about how much cakey make-up they have on than customer service. The credit card machine was down and decline my card with over 4k on it. Had to go to the atm and pay a service fee just to go back to get my groceries and the worker was so incompetant that she couldnt save our checkout and had to rescan everything. Two full lines with only 2 girls working. Worst over priced, with rude workers, store in escalon!!! Think about new management and workers with customers service...not these teens!!!!! read more

Wonderful store ! Store is very clean , organized and has very friendly staff . Everything is fresh and delicious .