I came to Riverwards in Old City Philadelphia and ordered a banana tahini smoothie. I was excited…read moreto try this place after seeing it all over TikTok, and wanted to experience the hype. I get to the counter and pulled answers out of the girl at the counter when I inquired about the smoothie. I didn't think anything of her behavior and ordered anyway, until I noticed how different I was treated from the other customers in the store-- white people. Being born and raised in an inclusive city like Philadelphia, I was shocked, but not surprised by the behavior I experienced. Seemingly, those that ordered their smoothies ahead of me were greeted politely, whereas it felt like an inconvenience for me to be in the store, as a black woman. I had already paid for the drink and waited around for it, I waited a while, which was fine... I took time to walk around the store, and look around. The store itself is beautiful. The drink orders were called out loud, and I had been waiting for mine to be called. After about ten minutes, I went to retrieve my drink that had been sitting on the counter. The woman at the counter gestured to my drink, but didn't acknowledge me, and again, made me feel like an inconvenience. I left the store uncomfortable, and still drank the smoothie. I made a video on this matter and two days later, on Monday, the manager at this location reached out to me after there were several comments on their social media about what happened. Likewise, a few other staff who worked at the smoothie counter reached out and have been supportive and sweet. From the manager, Robert, I was promised compensation from Riverwards for this experience and the manager was extremely apologetic. I did not care about the compensation, I just wanted to be heard and understood about the issue of racism that happened. During our conversation, I let the manager know about more comments that I have seen online concerning the same problem with their team and how they treat people of color in their establishment. It's been almost a month, I have filed a complaint with my credit card company to dispute the charge... I have not received the promised compensation, either. I believe that I was promised that as "hush money" to prevent me from speaking my truth. The store is beautiful, don't get me wrong, but why the racism? I went for the experience of saying that I've finally tried Riverwards, but never again. There are other beautiful places in Philly to try, that don't come with a side of disrespect.

DRINKS We had their seasonal fig smoothie and sassy lassi--…read moreboth of which were fantastic. The fig smoothie was sweet but not too sweet, and the strawberries complimented the fig well. The mangoes in the sassy lassi, however, were a bit sour (expected given they're out of season), but still overall a great smoothie. I would definitely come back for their fig smoothie before it's off the menu! SHOPPING They list their deals on social media and can occasionally be cheaper than ACME/other grocers. They have a wide variety of niche and local brands (i.e. Milk Jawn for ice cream!). AMBIANCE The smoothie line can get quite long, and wait times can be 20+ minutes. SERVICE The staff are kind and friendly! PARKING Paid street parking is available at a limited capacity nearby.

Fresh produce Large variety…read more Seeded grapes Soursop Seamoss Large bags of spinach Exceptional Service Beautiful display Great Hours Only closed on Monday's

Man, Charlie and his crew are the absolute best. They have the the widest variety of vegetables out…read moreof all the stands and are the friendliest ones hands down. Their prices are so reasonable, and they have the best location - nestled between a few of my other Italian market favs (talluto's and the tortilleria and fante's). Can't lose - supporting a local business, getting fresh produce and paying way under what you would at giant!

I just moved into this area and was so happy to find that this market has everything you could…read morepossibly ever want need or desire the staff is friendly and a ton of they sell everything from beer and liquor to grocery and snacks. This place is an absolute inspiration and come on down and experience what a wonderful neighborhood grocery store is like

Awesome family owned / operated corner grocery store. They have a good variety of local staples…read more They also have good quality grocery items from Europe. Such as spreads, cheeses, coffee, pastas, sauces, olives and so much more. Shop here before going to big box stores. You will be surprised by how much quality grocery items they have.

Food and services are both great. Just wish the took more methods of payment. Also needs more day…read moreto day products to be considered a market.

This place is the classic bodega in the barrio. I love that I can enter a whole new context by just…read morestepping from the curb into the store. Latin rhythms abound and make me want to salsa as I pick my snack of choice, all the while making sure to pay attention to the expiration date on the package. I am always served in a courteous manner but I can't be in a rush as the conversation of the day between brothers, cousins, fathers and sons takes precedence. I actually try to listen and brush up on my high school Spanish. In this store the shelves are full to the brim with grocery items, snacks, treats, deli items and incidentals. They actually just expanded the the deli this year to include breakfast and different types of sandwiches. Every time I step out of the store I can't help but feel like I am missing something....not the items I purchased but the rich family and community that emanates from this magical place.

This is my local corner store that I buy wayyyyy too much diet coke (it's only 60 cents a can!)…read morefrom. It's really nothing to get overwhelmed about, but considering there are several other corner markets near me and I go to this one every time should be a testament of sorts. They lean towards the Mexican end of the spectrum and have a lot of Goya products (their cans of chick peas are only a dollar or something - I get all my chick peas for my hummus here), but really they have loads of everything (from food to cleaning to beauty products) priced on the fairly cheap end of the spectrum. They also have random DVDs and appliances for sale here. It's open fairly late, too. I believe it's open 10am-10pm 7-days a week. Don't go out of your way to seek this place out but if you live in the neighborhood it's definitely better than most.

I mainly buy produce, dairy products, bread, and dry goods here. My assessment would be that it's…read morenot the best place to buy processed items because they tend to be niche organic labels that are expensive, but the produce, dry goods, etc., that I mentioned are actually priced really well. During the height of the #TrumpTakeEgg crisis, I found eggs here that were a really reasonable price. They've also got really good bread. A lot of big boxes stores don't have any decent bread. There's a couple other reasons I shop here: As a non-driver, I actually find the coop is a great price option for me. It's true that if I had a car and wanted to drive way out of town to a big box store I could find things cheaper, but for me it's never made sense to invest all that money in car upkeep, parking, gas, insurance, etc. The coop is important to me because I really believe in the idea of being able to live without a car, and in that way they're doing way better than a lot of bodegas are capable of. Also, if you're complaining about prices, go look at how much your taxes subsidize those big boxes! That's an institutional problem! I also like that the coop is unionized. It's not perfect, but I started shopping here after Trader Joe's joined Whole Foods and Starbucks in trying to get the NLRB declared unconstitutional. It makes me feel happy knowing I'm not putting my money to that. And I also feel like over time, you get to know the workers, and they know you and are friendlier, and in a much deeper and more sincere way than at other stores. It is true that there can be grumpiness too. I much prefer the real conversations I have with workers who actually recognize me than the weird, forced banter I used to experience at Trader Joe's, that felt like something the worker was probably doing because a manager was looking over their shoulder.

Everything is overpriced! The shelves are often empty or the items I'm looking for aren't in stock…read more Rotten produce is a regular occurrence.

Ms. Mary and her husband are very welcoming, truly pleasant owners, and their food - homemade…read morekimchi, Korean beef, chicken tenders, soup, chilly, egg omelette all taste delicious! Excellent food, service and ambience!

Aside from having the essentials in stock at Overbrook Food Market, they serve hot food. The first…read morething I've tried is an egg and cheese sandwich on a round roll. I'm from New York and hold a high standard for these kinds of sandwiches. I have to tell you, the ones they make here are quite possibly the best...EVER. Super buttery, the cheese and eggs are nice and soft and mixed well together, and the roll tastes very fresh. I can't wait to try some home fries or grits or something with the sandwich next time! I included a photo of the gorgeous sandwich here so you could see it in all of its glory. :)

I love it here, they treat me like family deliver my groceries to my home when my cars is down. The…read morestaff are very friendly and they look love to see me smile.

This is the best place in West Philly. The staff is very helpful, they all are very nice, and the…read morebig man even hits his eyebrows waxed! I don't think he has a girlfriend, so I guess he's just a very sensitive guy. Make sure to note this because you don't want to accidentally make him sad because behind those perfectly manicured eyebrows is a very nice man. The customers are all very nice, helpful, and gracious. Unlike some places, there are NEVER any panhandlers, beggars, or drug dealers waiting outside. They don't allow any of that nonsense. The meat and dairy are ALWAYS FRESH, best quality at very reasonable prices. But the best thing about this place is how they give back to the community. They deliver food free of charge, to anyone that requires personal assistance. It's like one big happy family in there, a small slice of heaven in West Philadelphia!