I loathe being in any Market Basket. This one isn't as bad as some closer to Boston, but holy cow. Why does every shopper have to bring all fiftyeleven members of their family? Then they take up the entire aisle to make decisions. It's unnecessary, inefficient and incredibly annoying to those of us who just want to grab a few things and get out. Every single register is always staffed and the lines are always long. The people working the check stands are rarely friendly or even interact. Yes, the prices are somewhat better than the other grocers in the area, but I will gladly pay 20% more to have a better shopping experience. Plus I don't think their produce is even that great. Save yourself the headache and cross the parking lot to Shaw's. read more

I shop here. The prices are right it's a small little Market Basket but they seem to have everything I need at the time. Milk, bread, deli meat, soup, crackers, fruit. read more

From shoppers violently ramming their shopping carts into you to employees staring you down, this is one hell of a grocery store, that's for sure. Shaw's is in the same parking lot. Just go there instead. read more

This has been my go-to grocery store for years. I've noticed the quality of the produce and proteins has dropped recently. Strawberries are growing mold the day after being purchased even though I always make it a point to examine the container before placing it into my cart. This past week, I bought ground beef which smelled rancid upon opening it. I would also like to mention it was not specifically labeled as "on sale" or anything of the sort. Therefore, there should be no excuse to be selling rotten meat for full price. Nonetheless, I did not keep my receipt to return the beef or the strawberry but wanted to mention it here. Workers have always been friendly and patient as I prefer to use my reusable bags which I stuff with various produce in each. The bakery always makes fresh and delicious breads, donuts, cookies and more. Sushi department has better days than others. read more

So first off, the employees are awful. Beyond rude and act like you don't even exist. Second, I'm not sure where it's legal to sell rotten meat but I guess as long as you slap a reduced price sticker on it, then it's ok to sell grey beef that's about an hour away from having mold grow on it. but hey, who cares when you can save $4 in profits and not care that someone that may be down on their luck can't afford to buy the fresh meat so they have no choice but to get the rotten stuff. Glad the manager can sleep good at night knowing that. And ripping people off by cutting meat on an angle so half of it is paper thing is pretty shady too. The store is filthy. I never see anyone doing any kind of cleaning unless someone drops and breaks something, and even then it'll take them an hour to clean it up. Time to go back to Danvers where they actually care and aren't disgusting. read more

I love Market Basket, but between the Tik Toks showing mouse droppings, and the multiple people at the place where they make the fresh subs that are INCREDIBLY rude, I cant go to this MB anymore. I highly suggest driving the extra 10 minutes or so to Danvers read more

It's Sunday, 5/15/22 at Salem Market Basket. The shelves are well stocked. Things are moderately clean (not the best I've seen, but okay). The front end of the store is a NIGHTMARE: no less than 70-80 carriages + that many people, at least! All 20 registers are open, yet the lines are still 5 deep with most customers having full to 1/2 full carriages. Most registers also have baggers, too. They couldn't do anything more to make the lines less crowded. I've now waited 25 minutes to be able to load my groceries onto the register belt. Honestly, I don't see how they could improve the situation. I guess, with this store, the lesson is this: shop any day BUT Sunday!! read more

Great prices and always stocked. They don't rely on self checkout which I like as it means they have multiple lanes open at any given time.

(Salem Market Basket ) Carlos - Asst Manager Meat Dept: I love this store the management and its employees. When calling up over the past 2 months Carlos always takes care of and remembers my orders whether it's 4 or 5-pound orders of sliced London broil we use for beef jerky or something else. The level of customer service and care at the Salem location is ON THE LEVEL. I am talking detailed and focused like a small mom and pop small family-centric business. I never hear I can't or sorry just how much and when can you be here. If they don't have what I need they are willing to go above and beyond or find it at another store. Thank you Salem Market basket and thank you Carlos for making shopping easier for me and my family during the pandemic. Alex H read more

To the woman who swore through out her review, grow up. I am so glad that your are teaching your daughter that beautiful "F" word and to help her learn how to be rude, nasty, prejudice and learn how to hate everyone.First of all, if you don't like the people at the Market Basket go to Wholefoods. The shoppers there are white and happy. I am certain that they have the perfect manners for shoppers. Your daughter is the young lady that I hate seeing anywhere! Just remember that. There are more people that dislike you, and your words, thoughts and how your raise your child. Please shop elsewhere. read more

Was assisting a disabled friend with his shopping today and he ended up choosing this same Market Basket location that I reviewed almost 6yrs ago. It's actually been the first time I've been in this store since that review and things seem to have dramatically improved. Yes, it was heavy traffic and crowded, but the store was impeccable and no problems or crazyness like I dealt with so long ago. IMO, they're much better now than they were back then. read more

Today I have to say things are looking back to normal at MB, very quick service , all products are available. I'm very pleased thanks

They are so ruid at this store you ask them not to put everything in one bag and they dont listen to you

THIS MARKET BASKET IS HELL ON EARTH. I love me some Market Basket prices and fresh produce, but this is ridiculous. I only go if I'm in the mood for an anxiety attack and feel like spending a few hours trapped in a never ending rush hour traffic of carts. It is always PACKED no matter what time you go. You are trapped between carts and crates that employees are trying to stock during it's busiest hours. NO ONE speaks English...that goes for the employees and the patrons. Can you say WELFARE CENTRAL?! The lines literally go from the register down the isles because you're waiting for coupon clippers and people who are arguing about food stamps. (No lie. I once witnessed a woman hit the cashier with a banana for not accepting her food stamps for a Lindt chocolate bunny.) ...just no. Don't ever go here. Save yourselves. The pennies saved aren't worth your life, limbs, and sanity. read more

I rarely get panic attacks. When I do they're generally brought on by things like my food touching on my dinner plate, butterflies, fish and when my feet accidently touch the floor of a locker room. My first ever Market Basket experience had me in a full-blown, where's my mom I need a horse tranquilizer panic attack. Not only was I ready to start crying while clutching my $.99 string cheese, I thought I may eventually be escorted off the premises or perhaps even arrested for assault with a weapon known as my shopping cart. I went to Market Basket on Highland Ave in Salem knowing that the prices were good but I may have to do battle in order to get what I wanted. What I wasn't informed of was that "battle" meant knowing at least three languages, the best way in which to manuever around a family of fifteen and that "12 items or less" really meant 25 or more. The aisles were crowded, the "clientele" were hungry and my brain was about to explode. I guess I saved money but, to be honest, I tried to haul ass out of there because my track record doesn't include any prior arrests and I wasn't about to lose it in the Goya, excuse me, "ethnic" aisle. I did go back a second time this past weekend and these are the things that I found helpful: *I made a list. The first time I went I only had a vague idea of what I needed which meant lots of running back and forth. The list ended up being invaluable. *Instead of seeking out the items on my list, I instead just started at one end of the store and cross-checked that way, going up and down each aisle, grabbing what I had marked down. *I wore headphones and therefore drowned out any background noise. This actually seemed to work much better than I would have thought. Overall: Market Basket is not for the faint of heart. I don't know if shopping during the week/weeknights is much better, but I am only to go on Sunday afternoons so I don't think that helps me case. Yes, I did save money, but a little piece of me died those days as well. read more

I love shopping at Market Basket for the savings but this location just isn't worth it unless you get up early to do your shopping before 8am. This store is small, unkept, not stocked very well, rude employees, some employees that don't speak English, tight aisles, crowds of people, long lines, and parking is bad. Mostly I blame the customers that shop here for my bad experiences. It starts off in the parking lot. Just trying to find a parking spot is a major headache. You have idiots that park in the fire lane because they are too lazy to park in a spot and walk 25 feet to the store so you are dodging them just to get into the parking lot. At this location finding a close parking spot is like winning the lottery. Once inside life doesn't get much better. I've actually had a full-blown anxiety attack in the middle of this store. It's almost always wall-to-wall people. If you have a carriage you're going to be hating life trying to navigate through that store. People are constantly bumping into you or slamming into you with their carriages. It can be a nightmare. The selection is bad, especially in the evening. Most items are picked over, I couldn't even find chicken breasts and this was around dinner time. BTW, don't even bother shopping at this location between 4 and 7, it's BAD. Don't say I didn't warn you if you do. Shopping in the early morning helps but then you have to deal with pallets in the middle of the narrow aisles because they stock shelves during the day. By the time you are done shopping you will notice the long lines. Be prepared to spend some time waiting. I've actually walked out of this store and headed over to Shaw's in the next plaza over. It's really bad enough that paying a little extra for my groceries is better than dealing with the aggravation of shopping here. I only give this place 2 stars because the prices are decent. Other than that I would recommend avoiding this location if you can. read more

I used to do my grocery shopping here, but now I refuse to. When I go grocery shopping, I expect to be able to walk around a clean store that has helpful employees and a decent stock of merchandise. Unfortunately, this Market Basket doesn't cover any of those. Let me start by saying that it is a Market Basket. They are a cheaper chain and can generally get away with less quality. However, I don't think that cheap prices necessarily have to mean a cluttered store with lazy help. I now go to the Danvers Market Basket and I am much happier with that store. Side note- I know that the store can't help this, but they are almost always overcrowded. I can't stand not being able to even walk down an aisle (without a basket!!). read more

Cheap prices are better, right? Sure, I love paying less than everyone else. I dont love how Market Basket will turn you into a basket case. The place is always crowded. I'm pretty sure they're violating some sort of maximum limit, because forty bazillion people in one space is nuts. The store itself is dirty and looks like it hasn't switched from the 1970s yet, Again, it's just too crowded to waste my time in. I've spent two hours at a time here, just trying to push through the aisles through the sea of people. Many shoppers like to leave their carts in the middle of the aisle, making it hard for you to simply breeze through. They get angry if you try to move their stuff aside. You can't win. Checking out is the next nightmare. You will most likely be in a line for half an hour, if not longer. Seriously, it's nuts. Getting to your car is like playing Frogger: the people outside are so desperate to get to the deals inside that they will run you over. I'm not kidding, I'm not being funny. I'm serious. If you have to go there, the best time is an hour before closing. No one is there. The best alternatives are the almost always empty Shaws next door, or the cheap Hannaford's in Peabody. Good luck. read more

Hell no. I went to this place on Superbowl Sunday hoping that everyone would be home watching the game. It didn't make any difference. The place was packed. After I got all of items I stood in line and waaaaaiiiiiiited while a low income individual paid for every item with a separate welfare check. Her pineapple juice was not the correct brand and the cashier had to go back to the juice aisle to find the correct pineapple juice that the government will subsidize. About this time I was seething and walked out with all of my groceries on the belt. I have been into the Market Basket in Danvers and it's no comparison to this one. Definitely worth driving an extra mile or two. read more

I'd never heard of Market Basket grocery stores, most likely because I live in the south. Talk about a blast from the past! It felt like I was teleported back to the late 80's/early 90's! I don't think this store has ever been renovated. The decor wasn't bad; reminded me a lot of our grocery stores growing up as a child. The store was clean, and extremely busy! At the time of my visit to Salem, masks were required indoors although I wasn't sure why since the rest of the country had pretty much gone back to normal. I observed several customers completely disregarding this rule and the staff did not confident them. Only suggestion I could make is that there should be public restrooms for your customers, otherwise the store served its purpose! read more

I first moved to the area and said" oh! A market basket!" I go inside for first time, COMPLETE CHAOS!" I only go If I absolutely positively have to go!! Always crazy when I go inside. I like that their produce is fresh. But other than that.... I'll go somewhere else. read more

Prices are great and that's about it. Crowded, which b is expected. Staff is horrible, very rude, not attentive at all, and can really turn your mood sour..FAST!! food is bagged terribly slow, people do have better things to do than watch you take ur time and chat with the person scanning your items. As for the bakery staff, they make you want to throw whatever desert you wanted to buy right at them.. Taylor was the bitch of my visit today. She was on the wrong side of the counter texting right next to me as I waited about 5 mins for someone to attend to me..I hot annoyed and asked if anyone was working the bakery.. she slowly said yeah looked at me as if I inconvenienced her and made her way around to help me. She then proceeded to ask me " what do you want" I was placing a larger order and wanted a variety and the reply after every item was "that it". Mind you she looked like a slob. No have a nice day or nothing..got my box slid over to me and called it a day. read more

I read a lot of negative reviews about Market Basket, and most seem to be due to the crowds. Well, duh. This family-owned supermarket chain has THE lowest prices around, and the Salem, Mass. store is on a major bus route and is near the city of Lynn, which has many low income people. Of course the place is going to be pretty busy. It's where we masses buy our food. But here's a little secret: Instead of going on, say, the weekend - which is when the vast majority of working people go grocery shopping, go in the early evening in the middle of the week. A Wednesday or Thursday during supper hours. Or go just before or after school gets out -- around 1:30pm to 3:30 or 4pm on a weekday. All of the soccer moms will have finished shopping and scurried off to pick up the kiddies. The only people shopping will be senior citizens, and they are pretty mellow and slow-moving, so you can easily work around them. Problem solved. Since scoping out the place at various times of day, and various days, and seeing when business is slowest, I have never had to battle crowds at this Market Basket. The employees are helpful and courteous, and when it looks like there are getting to be too many shoppers for the number of available checkout lanes, they open up more of them. Market Basket beats Shaw's, Stop & Shop, Crosby's and Hannaford's for price, quality, selection and freshness in my experience. If you're in Lynn, Swampscott, Salem, or east Peabody, it's definitely a good choice for groceries. read more

Stop & Shop and Shaws are for posers. this regional grocery chain is where it's at - MB is where the locals shop. If you enjoy driving in Boston then Market Basket is for you. Shoppers here push their shopping carts, er, um, carriages, like they drive -with complete disregard for their surroundings. read more

I've been to this MB twice now. Once, it was packed on a weekend. On a weeknight, it was perfectly fine. The crowds only confirm that it's a bargain to shop here. We had a cart full last night in preparation for a dinner party we are hosting and I was pretty sure the total would come to over $200. The total was a lot less than that and we had a lot of meat and produce. I mean this place is no fancy Whole Foods, but you can pretty much find everything you need at affordable prices. I encountered pleasant staff and I love that they have lots of ethnic products at this location. All Market Baskets also print their receipts double-sided, which gets bonus points from me! This location is nice as it is in the same plaza as a Target. Two of my favorite stores in one shopping trip! A definite win. read more

A scientific experiment revealed that they have the best type of cookie dough ice cream (based on cookie dough) five stars, very nice

I'm so mixed on Market Basket. With lobsters that go from Alive 'N Kickin' to cooked in front of you for $3.99/ lb I feel like I really shouldn't complain. But then there's the 30 minutes you have to wait for said lobsters to croak, er cook. I don't mind waiting, but waiting in MB is like slow painful torture. I sped around the store with my shopping cart avoiding poorly stacked merchandise and stray children in what felt like a century getting my weekly groceries. Then when I finally made my way back to the seafood counter the guy said, "You still have 15 minutes." So I just stopped there with my full shopping cart, opened my bag of veggie chips and tried to tune out the crying babies, yelling moms and loud baseball coaches discussing that night's practice. Yes, my weekly grocery run was about $20 less than I usually pay at Stop & Shop, but I don't know if saving $20 is worth enduring the task of shopping at MB. And don't even get me started on the parking lot... I usually park at Target and walk over just to avoid a few near-accidents. read more

For all of you who love to cook, want a variety of vegetable and fruit, and want it all fresh, this is the place for you. Forget Stop and Shop which was always expensive and limited in selection -- it's going down quickly. I can hardly even find an onion that's worth cooking with. Whole Foods has some good produce -- but it's wicked expensive. Amazingly, they don't even bag. Market Basket is crowded at many times on weekends. However, the high turnover seems to meet the freshest produce, a huge selection, and a wide international flavor. Yes, they sometimes run out of some "basics," but it's worth it. They're prices can't be beat. They may have long lines, but their checkers and baggers work at lightening speed. I honestly think that people who are complaining are really giving the wrong advice to the rest of you! read more

I love the prices at Market Basket and that is ONLY reason it gets 3 stars. In this economic climate saving money is priority number one. Now for the reasons I can't give additional stars... 1. Selection: MB does not have some of my staples so I have to hit up Trader Joes or Stop & Shop. Most of these things are organic so I get it and I deal with it. 2. Service: The people who work here are just not friendly. I have overheard conversations between employees about buying drugs, hooking up with hoes, and vomiting after too much Friday night fun. Not cool, people. Not cool. 3. Difficulty of shopping: Several other reviewers mentioned the trouble navigating the aisles and blamed it on the "overweight white trash" or "beasts" blocking their way. Since I happen to be a zaftig woman myself, I would like to think that sometimes it has to do with the employees who insist on wheeling entire pallets onto the sales floor to stock the shelves. Overall, I would rather shop elsewhere but I will continue to go to Market Basket - unless I hit the lottery. Then I will send my housekeeper to Stop & Shop. read more

Don't like Market Basket. To crowded , to many employees in each isle with pallets and carts. The prices are lower but they are also creeping up. Oh yeah and I'm a manager at Stop & Shop. read more

Not impressed at all. I understand that Market Basket is one of the cheapest grocery chains around here but there are certain things they definitely have to improve if they want my attention. Fist the store is more than dirty. They should definitely pay more attention to that and hire some more people to take care of it. It is always overcrowded and it is very hard to shop in there with your basket as you bump into people all the time. The personnel look really unhappy and not so friendly and it becomes a not so good experience and I generally love shopping.. And last but not least the quality of food is not the best one, but I think this is naturally because of the low prices. I've been to other Market Basket locations that are a lot better than this particular one. I guess the problem is with the local management. read more

I understand that market basket is overcrowded and outdated/dingy as a facility, but the quality and diversity of items is wonderful. The prices are the lowest around and they have very quick and helpful service at the registers and on the floor. The only regret: I do not like how I have to buy a bulk amount of some items. I just want 1-2 habanero chiles....not a package of 15. Also, if you go on Sunday evening to avoid some of the crowds, you also risk items being depleted, especially in the produce department. It took me years to get the courage to go into Market Basket mostly because of the horror stories and its facade, but I'm happy to say they carry great brands and local products too! read more

This was where I had my first experience with good ol' Market Basket. This one isn't wonderful, it's in a horrible spot and the parking is even worse. The people who work there do not seem happy AT ALL. But like Market Basket should be it's cheap and they always have good deals. We still stop by here when we are in the area. The prices are great but I am happy that there are other Market Baskets closer to home because I would not drive out of my way for this store, or well any store. Usually. read more

I'm torn. I put off this review because I love Market Basket as a whole. Honestly, I would avoid this Salem location if it weren't for their rotiserie chickens. I don't know what it is about the chickens at this Salem store but others don't compare. Me and my mother asked Robert (the young man who cooks them) what his secret was and all he would say was: "they're cooked every 2 hours with love." Which warms our hearts until I'm being insulted 5 minutes later by one of the other employees. Management at this store is always very helpful but the way the employees conduct themselves shows a lack of firm leadership. The staff attitude and general lack of organization at this location puts it behind Lynn, Revere, Chelsea, and Danvers. Go for the chickens and pre-packaged goods but don't expect to receive much in the way of customer service read more

Great prices, almost always cheapest in the area. The issue? Always packed. You can go when they open, mid day, noon, 2pm, 7pm, 9pm, whenever PM and it will be packed. I have never come here and it has been quiet. I have gone to shaws and paid a little bit more so I wouldn't be sitting in line for 30 mins. If Market Basket were to increase the cashiers and employees, and lower the shelve stockers........it would be a much nicer experience. The employees themselves are alright. Can't expect much from older folks and high school kids. read more

I went to the grocery store to get my regular shopping done and some hand sanitizers and antibacterial wipes. I was stunned at the empty shelves and of course no wipes or sanitizers. I was impressed by how the management managed the crowd: one line and each person directed to the shortest line. The line went quickly as a result. The shoppers were in 2 camps. Half very helpful directing me to the aisles I needed to go to, making sure other shoppers could get around them in the crowded aisles and half totally blocking the aisles with their carts, bodies and families totally unaware of their impact in others. Just like the works I guess. But the staff managed to make a chaotic situation less so. Good job!!!! read more

Sure, it's crowded and cramped at times and the navigation with your carriage can be treacherous but you can't beat the prices. They're sometimes out of my favorite items but that's about my only critique. Way less expensive than Shaw's or Stop and Shop. read more

I can't sing high enough praises for this Market Basket. While shopping during the coronavirus scare the place was PACKED beyond belief. Every employee there was on top of things, they organized two lines that snaked to the meat section enabling shopping to continue unimpeded. They kept the shelves stocked to the best of their ability, they kept all lines open and moving and were AMAZING. Thank you, thank you, thank you! It's times of crisis that bring out the true nature of places and people and Market Basket has shown time and again that it is there for our community. Stay safe. read more

Don't bother going early to beat the crowds the registers aren't staffed even though employees are walking around everywhere (not the stockers.) read more

Just went there Wednesday September 26 and all of the product i bought was moldy. I bought a package of finger cucumbers, moldy, a whole coconut, when split open, moldy, and a package of sting beans, moldy. I'm so done with this store!!! read more