*** First, overall, I have had good experiences at this store. But what made me write only 3 stars has everything to do with a Dairy guy. About 2 weeks ago, I was TRYING to get into the egg section while this same guy was loading up the eggs. He was absolutely oblivious that I was even there, but he had to have seen me, because I was within 1 to 2 feet of him. Then I dove in when there was a gap from him reaching for the rest of the eggs. Then he still crowded my space and put eggs into the area where I was. I couldn't believe it! I said, "I hope I am not in your way." He said nothing. THEN, 2 afternoons ago, I had a question for an employee. Sure enough, it's the same guy filling the yogurt section. First, NO greeting or Hello or anything. I felt like I was inconveniencing him. While he went and got the answer to my question, I thanked him for his time & he said absolutely nothing. I know people have bad days, but this guy seems generally unfriendly as a whole. He's probably not happy. At the same time, if you're going to work in a public setting, it HELPS to be NICE & COURTEOUS to people (all of which he isn't). He needs COACHING and MORE TRAINING on HOW to be pleasant & friendly to others. Thank you. *** read more

A bit pricey. Nice staff. Clean and organized. Good selection of merchandise. Good for seniors.

Items from the deli are over salted especially the fried potatoes "Sidewinders". It is easy to add salt if an item needs more but difficult to remove. read more

Whoever decides your bourbon pricing needs to get off the internet and actually know how much retail is. Not triple the price.

Best quality food on all of WHIDBEY. Veggies are fresh, the stuff out of the freezer section doesn't have freezer burn...ha think that means it's fresher. Meat is quality, real quality. The staff is efficient. They have a nice selection of just about everything. They keep the store really clean, something super important to me when I consider where to buy food. Good place to shop. I would have gave a five star, if I didn't end up waiting in line a bit longer than I want to when I am hangry and want to get home to cook dinner. read more

Nicely well maintained grocery store. We stopped by on the way from Langley to Fort Casey. We grabbed a few things to have a picnic. We grabbed some chicken strips and jojos, a sandwich, and fresh cut fruit. Their deli is awesome! Great selection. Glad we stopped by! read more

I enjoy shopping at Payless, but I'm really missing the salad bar. I was getting a salad almost every day until the bar was closed. When will it be back? read more

Wow, the snickerdoodle cookies are A++!!! This store usually jam packed with people. It is the only grocery store in that region of the island. Huge selection of everything. The sweatpants are amazing as well. read more

I have never written a review of a grocery store but was compelled to. Payless is a very good looking, well organized store. They have a great bakery, deli, and organic products isle. My sister and I shop there at least twice a week. We always try to get in Lhasa's line. She has such a bubbly, positive and personable personality. Payless is a great place to shop! read more

Beautifully run with uniformly friendly & competent staff. A great place the see friends & get most everything we need. read more

A beautiful fresh fruit and vegetable produce department, a good selection of frozen foods, a nice selection of seafood, and a nice deli department are the highlights of this store. I have experienced some intermittent, less than ideal customer service over the past several years which compels me to give this grocery store only three stars. read more

Came here a few times during our visit to Freeland. This place is great for groceries and they had a few rare gems that we couldn't find in other super markets. My friend got a pasta sauce that she loved and I found a seaweed snack that I had found once and could never find again. They also have a movie rental kiosk which was nice. read more

The only reason I give it a 4 because the price are crazy high as hell. Like why? But I get it we live on a island and lot of people moved to the island it's crazy high. But friendly employees for sure and very helpful read more

I called from a different county 4 days ago to order a birthday cake for my BFF. They offered several options. I wanted something decorative like the beach or something. They had that. I came to the island. The cake was ready, plus when I saw that cake, I was crying in happy tears. It was the most beautiful cake ever!!! read more

Payless Foods - Best decorative cake ever! - Grocery Near Me - Freeland, Washington

Day three on Whidbey...needed to stock up on supplies in preparation of the Seahawks game. We decided to check out the Payless Food Store in Freeland and wow were we impressed. The store is spacious, well lit, fully stocked and immaculately clean. The fresh produce department rivals anything you'd see at any high end grocery in Seattle and the wine and spirits department features a great assortment of everything one might need. The store features a great bakery and its products are made fresh each day. The cinnamon rolls and donuts we purchased where delicious. The prices are on the expensive side although to be fair we weren't shopping the Sunday sales, but rather specific items for the game, so it's hard to gauge how the day-in, day-out prices compare to my local QFC. Still, my gut says that the prices are higher than in the city. The staff was very friendly and welcoming and the location is great, sharing a mall area with an Ace Hardware, a drugstore and a few other shops. I love the fact that--according to their website--Payless Food Store has been locally owned for 73 years. I can't think of any store that I frequent in Seattle that can claim that lineage. One gets the sense that the management of the store really has the interest of the community in mind in fact the website states that "Payless and their team members provide support to more than 20 local charities and service groups in the community." Very nice. read more

See all

You know it's a great place, because the staff are friendly, well-informed, and generally happy. I love going to buy my food from smiling people. I've been a customer for over 20 years, and it's been a pleasure to see some people last there that long, although because of Covid-19, many of the older workers have retired or gone on extended leave. The only reason it's not 5 stars is that the cheese and fish prices are getting so high that I can't afford to buy there, and have learned to shop at Trader Joe's for most of those items when I can get to America and stock up. Otherwise, they have nearly everything I ever want, except Vietnamese, Thai, and other ethnic foods, but there isn't enough demand here for that, so I can't really complain. It's not an Asian grocery store. They DO have an expanded bulk grocery department since last year that I really appreciate, and use whenever I'm shopping. Now, I'm usually only in twice a month, for a big shop, and maybe once or twice to run in for milk, bread, and a fresh donut and coffee. (The best coffee on the rock, and only 84¢ for a large cup with as much half and half as I like. Great bakery, deli, produce, their own house-made sausage that is my favorite, and fantastic ice cream selection. What more could anyone want? Delivery? Yes, that too. ikr? read more

This is the best grocery store to shop. Where the locals shop. It is in a strip mall. They have everything. Fresh seafood, deli, fresh breads, good looking produce. Always stock up here during my visits to Whidbey. read more

Love coming to Payless... we learned through years of visiting the island that we don't have to pack groceries since we can find everything at Payless! Staff are always helpful and friendly. The bakery is awesome! No large eclairs the day we went, but they had mini ones in packages of threes. I also tried their Napoleons and OMG... those were delicious! read more

See all

On a recent trip to Payless Foods I was shocked by the number of shoppers and employees not wearing masks. I asked the staff about masks and they replied that "masks are only a guideline". I was shocked by this response. I feel that it is each persons social responsibility to wear masks. I wear a mask to protect you, and you should wear a mask to protect me. It is time for store ownership to step up and exercise social responsibility so we can all feel safe when we shop in a great store. read more

The service has gone way downhill. Cashiers are often snippy and rude. I wait in a longer line just to check out with the nice ones. The checkout lines are consistently long. The deli counter is almost always backed up. They don't hire enough help. They have many do it yourself check outs but if you get stuck and ask for help you are told you should not be there if you need help. The prices are much higher than off island so I am going to plan a monthly ferry trip for the savings and improved service. This past year they have had continued problems with getting products maybe because they are not part of a big chain. I usually leave the store with items remaining on the list they don't have. Very disappointing since they use to be a pleasant and convenient place to shop.No read more

The reason I shop here is because of ( AMY ) her voice...laugh and hilarious sense of humor makes everyone's day. I watch how her kindness touches everyone who comes into contact with her. She's an amazing read more

Starch-boy and another soccer teammate came here after their game on Saturday, the place was PACKED! Including the parking lot and the check out lines. But I will say, while the staff was very busy, they never showed it, even when a local customer would try to start up the same old story about their aches and pains they listened all the while packing and scanning the groceries. It was nice to see a staff that was caring, yet still speedy enough to handle the afternoon rush. Heck, even the locals are nice, the guy in front of me had 11 items, we were standing in the 10 items or less line, he jumped out of line as soon as he realized he had too many items! You don't see that in the big-city!! Single ice cream novelties were about 99 cents, sucha deal! And we'll be back, as that bakery section had some seriously tasty looking delights that I must try the next time we visit! Cheery staff and a nice selections of items, which seemed priced about right, you can't beat that! read more

Customer Service means a lot to me. I don't normally write reviews for places (though I should), but I'm usually provoked to when I can remember what happend (either good or bad). The parking lot was overcrowded yesterday (Sunday) when we went, not anything out of the ordinary for a weekend but decided to do shopping somewhere new. I was impressed by the selection of produce, but that's about the most I can say good about the place. They have what you need for a decent price (though some items are way overpriced and I can get better prices at Safeway). The food selection is the only reason I gave 3 stars. Now the "cons": My husband and I are obviously in an interracial marriage, the stares (even in 2014) never go away. Not something I expected from workers. I know south whidbey doesn't see much diversity but the gawking isn't nessesary. The check out lady was an older teenage, maybe in young 20's. Not very curteous, and though I said thank you, no you're welcome or thank you for shopping "payless foods". Thought it was out of ordinary. On our way out was the best part, I almost walked in front of someone pushing in carts, I hurried to walk back in to the side, thinking he'd let me and my family go ahead. He just hurried up, and pushed them even faster no thank you, excuse me, or acknowledging me. No common curteousy what-so-ever in these employees. If customer service doesn't matter, by all means...go here. read more

Whenever we haul ourselves over to the Island to stay, we stop here first to stock up on food & drink supplies. And - it's open till 9 or 10, which is later than most everything else in Freeland. This place definitely carries everything the big chain store does, yet still manages to feel like a small, local grocery store. They even started giving bag credits - I can't tell you how much that thrills me. My only complaint: I don't get carded here anymore. *sob* read more

Our wonderful local store has everything, even the strange little odd-off items I use for unusual recipes. Beautiful produce. Bakery birthday cakes are delicious. Coffee by the door and a tv to watch when you sit down to drink it. Looks like a big city store. But not. read more

As recent visitors to the area, I had occasion to stop in Payless Foods. What a nice surprise! I expected a small selection and high prices, but I found neither. The deli was especially tempting looking. I wished I was hungry so I could have tried some of those delicious looking salads. They have the normal selection of fried foods, and some less usual things. LOTS of salads. The produce selection was beautiful. They had avocados bigger than any I'd ever seen. It was fun wandering up and down the aisles just to see what was there. It was a nice selection and there were some unusual items. The prices were more than fair. We paid $3.99 for 12 packs of name brand soda. The humongous avocados were (I think) $2. A 2lb bag of mini peppers was $4.99. Ice was less than $2. It was a very pleasant store to shop in as well. It was clean, well lit, nice upbeat music, and nicely organized. read more

DELI DELI (not dilly dilly) around 430 we decided to do a Payless Deli run. 2 south of the border Hot sandwiches and one toasted roast beef!! True deli 5 star GOLD! Payless is the main attraction with a drug store and ace in the same center. The entire crew are neighbors (Really!!) Premium Experience! ok the rest of the story,,, they are busy open until close so now you know, people talk in line catching up on Dennis & Mr. Wilson so the line moves right along. THE DESSERT COUNTER IS THE HIDDEN TREASURE :-) read more

Very nice grocery store, but a bit over-priced. I have a place in Seattle and Whidbey and am always surprised at the high prices at Payless compared to my regular Fred Meyer. A lot of times I'll stop at the Red Apple Market by the ferry for essentials, instead of going to Payless. (I'm suddenly seeing the irony in the name of the store!) The parking lot can also become a little bit of a nightmare on busy days. That said, Payless is nice and clean, the staff is super friendly, and the selection is excellent. This is the place to go on Whidbey for organic foods and specialty items as well as the regular fare. It's also conveniently located close to Ace Hardware, a drugstore, and a coffee stand. read more

My wife and I both have some dietary issues, so moving to Whidbey had me nervous, but I need not have fretted. Payless has a good selection of Gluten free, Diary free, and goat diary based products. Have always been happy with the meat selection and pricing. Fruits and vegetable selection and quality have always been good. Staff has always been friendly and helpful. I come from a fairly large city and I've been unloading my cart for decades until I got to Payless. The deli has a nice selection of meats, cheeses, and prepared foods, and the bakery makes nice desserts. read more

I call it Pay more foods lol, convenient store for where we live. Best for emergency "forgot one ingredient" stop. But we usually just drive down to the goose. Payless is just way over priced. read more

Just an ordinary grocery store, a little more on the expensive side. I rated it 2 star because of the refusal of service. Working around 12 hours a day I find it hard to fix a decent healthy meal, so a called the deli for catering and ordered $60 worth of food which was great for 4 days; however it wasn't enough for six days. I called to up the order for the following week to double the order $120, but instead I was told it was to much work to do on top of their daily tasks(lazy). read more

I've been to this Payless a handful of times. I live on the Island, but not so close that it's a regular stop for me, but when I'm on the south end I do like to stop there. The deli has amazing options, the prices aren't over inflated, the staff is wonderfully helpful. In fact, when I found out that one of my cats was most likely allergic to chicken, they were the only store on the entire island that carried the brand of food that might have helped ... And when I called the store to see if they had a specific flavor of a specific brand I needed to find, she couldn't have been friendlier. I was so grateful, since I knew I was taking time out of her day and she may have been busy. I just really appreciated the attentive service and positive attitude. I'll be back. read more

Everything is relative, right? Well, it costs a lot to bring huge trucks to the island! SO: If you're visiting Whidbey Island, come to Payless for your food (when you're not eating at Gordon's!). Compared to the other food stores here, Payless is cheap, and also has a much wider selection, which includes organics, etc. Employees are great, it's clean, bright, and pretty spacious. And Tami S.: There's a reason there are no Fred Meyer stores here! For one, they couldn't BE a FM here. There's not enough people here. We would all love to have a Trader Joe's (in Coupeville, maybe!), but TJ isn't interested - too expensive to transport! So give Payless the credit it's due. It does a GREAT job of supplying we south enders with great groceries. I often find $1 difference between this store and the the one you mentioned (and the difference is in Pay Less' favor). For those who've just moved to the island: It's a great place to run into people. So if you're bored, come on down - buy a latte or a salad or a bowl of soup - or merely stroll the isles and see what happens! read more

Very convenient location. Right in Freeland proper. Great selection and really good pricing. They carry everything and love the idea its so close to where we stay when on Whidbey Island. read more

Great grocery store, very clean and modern. Yummy deli, lots to choose from. Excellent wine selection, too. You will pay higher prices here, but that's just the case since you are not on the mainland. Also, weekends and late afternoon can be very busy, expect to wait in long lines. read more

It's not Burger King, but this is where I head to on Whidbey Island for a burger. Even despite the 20-25 minute drive from Coupeville to get here. The fresh ingredients to customize my burger has been fantastic. There's been more than one time that I've just let my wife shop the natural and organic selections while I stop for a bite. read more

Folks can complain about the "high prices" of Payless Foods, but this Independently Owned grocery store is consistently competitive and offers the very best in each department, including a stellar meat and fresh seafood department that is unrivaled, and a produce department that shines, even carrying local, organic produce when in season! The deli offers handmade sandwiches, beautiful salads and side dishes, as well as ready to cook items. There's also a wonderful hot-section for quick items if you're in a hurry. They also make beautiful food trays and party platters on short notice. The bakery is first-class and our first choice for special order cakes and desserts. The best thing about this store is how clean and friendly it is. The employees are helpful, there are baggers at the check stands to help you with your groceries, and there is an obvious respect for the customer here from the management down to those young people stocking shelves. The aisles are wide and clean, the employees are kempt and courteous, there's almost everything you could ask for in each department, and if you have a special request, they do everything they can to get it for you. Most of the employees have been with the store for years, and even decades! So you'll enjoy being recognized by the clerks and given a friendly smile if you are a 'regular'. We appreciate Payless very much here on the South End, and encourage you to save the frustration of other 'local' stores that claim to be more economical! Shopping at Payless is a pleasure! read more

I think 3 stars is fair for Payless Foods. They have a clean, friendly store with a wide selection of both general, run-of-the-mill items; the staples. They also have a pretty good selection of specialty items as well. Yes, they tend to be a bit more expensive, so if you are on a budget, shop the items on their flyer, as some of them are MUCH cheaper than anywhere else on the Rock. Case in point; Bob Marley "Stir It Up" coffee was 6.99 regular price, but is 9.99 at Safeway in Oak Harbor (I bought 3). Checkers are friendly, though be patient if you get stuck behind the south-end socialites, as they LOOOOVE to gab for up to 15 minutes at a time with the staff while you wait to get rung up. Also, the parking situation is downright silly. Most of the time, the lot is packed, and one has to negotiate a wonky horseshoe path to try and find a spot close by. Sure, you can park at Ace Hardware, but that makes for a long walk on a cold afternoon. So yeah, Payless is 3 stars. If you are looking for a grocer that leans more to the local and organic side of things, I recommend going to The Goose instead. read more

Although this establishment has a name that many people associate with a shoe store, Payless Foods was an invaluable place of business on our recent Whidbey Island stay. It was a quick 5 minute drive away from our rental house and it had everything you could need. From fresh deli foods to frozen items for a quick and easy dinner this place had everything we needed and more. The prices were albeit a tad high but I guess if you keep in mind that everything they get has to be shipped to them I can understand why things would be more expensive than your Albertsons or Safeway. All in all it was a great store and anytime we come back to Whidbey Island we can rest assured that Payless Foods will cover all of our needs. read more

Main grocery store in Freeland, WA. They have just about everything including alcohol beverages. At deli you can get all kinds of salads including made to order sandwiches and subs. Prices are reasonable for a small town. I would say busy place and people in and out frequently. Expect everything to be fresh. read more