It has an amazing variety of cheeses and many other gourmet foods. Their bakery alone was worth the trip. All there goods are beautifully presented with clean and well lit aisles. Would definitely recommend read more

There is a reason that this is one of the highest rated large supermarkets in our area. The selection and variety is mind blowing. They have exotic brands from around the world along with rare and older brands that the big box grocery stores don't carry. I don't know how they do it, but the quality and freshness of the vegetables and perishables are top notch given such variety. We used to shop at Whole Foods in Monterey, and we like the small specialty shops like Elroy's in Monterey and Jerome's Carmel Valley Market, but Star Market is a combination of both worlds. Whole Foods has gotten corporate with an overemphasis on their own brands. Star Market doesn't really have their brand so they are extremely loyal to local brands which makes the shopping experience feel like a tour of Monterey County highlights. I also like the very practical way they're running their business. Few frills, very clean, and high quality. In fact, it feels very nostalgic to walk in, like a movie set from the 1970's which makes me feel that this is still a family owned and run business. If you're looking for a truly unique experience that is different from the Albertsons/Lucky/Safeway/Nob Hill sameness, then you have to do yourself a favor and visit Star Market. It has a Salinas/Monterey old fashioned charm coupled with unrivaled variety and quality. read more

As soon as I walked in I got this convalescent hospital asylum feeling. Very sterilized and creepy. It's similar to the movie The Shining. The employees have this Stepford Wives and Hanmaids's Tale vibe. Very zombie feeling. The butchers pick and choose who they help based on social status or return customers. Going down each aisle was an eerie experience not to mention how expensive everything is. The only exception was the Produce department's employee. I decided to goto Lucky across the street. I bought an apple and got the heck out of there before I was placed in a straight jacket. No thank you. read more

People great. Well stocked little market. $9.39 for a 4-pack of Pure Leaf Tea? RIP-OFF. Stopped in to bring a few drinks to a friend's house for a party. Was I surprised at the prices. read more

I usually go here to get persian ice cream after eating from darya restaurant. The store has a lot of stuff (mostly persian things) but they have a lot of snacks and other stuff that you can buy from there. Its hard to spot in a sketchy parking lot. The cashier inside speaks farsi but im not sure if she speaks English. She is very kind and nice to kids. This is a pretty good store. read more

The family has been shopping at Star Market for so many years. it is the grocery store of choice, not being one of a corporate chain. We like to keep our money local. Their meats and produce are mostly local, and fresh; they have a wide selection of wines and cheeses; in addition to items you may find at the chain shops they carry some specialty items not to be found elsewhere unless you go to Carmel. If they don't have something you want, it could be special ordered. The employees there know their stuff. The shop itself is very well organized and clean, floors shine. They don't perpetually move things around so if you are in a hurry you will know where to find it. They put out weekly specials, but you will need to look. Since I seldom shop elsewhere I don't know about their prices but suspect may not be too different from the chains. The typical customer there could be different from the chain shops. In sum, Star Market is like a fancy country general store. read more

I really love the goat cheese selection. The gentleman who was helping me last time I was there was so nice. He had me try many different kinds of cheese and crackers. Now that's great customer service. The isles are big and the store is clean and well organized. It's like a family home read more

Thank you for the excellent service. Your staff is the "bees knees." That means you are awesome, kind, and courteous. . I'm very happy with everything that I got there. Please, please, stay open and available, during the multiple pandemics. It helps. I was to find everything on my "everyday/staples" list and some items that were on my "specialty items" list that I have not found anywhere except all the way at Whole Foods in Monterey or up north, San Jose, which is way out of my way home. In the words of the Terminator, "I'll be back." read more

Great variety and lots of specialty as well as local items. Love that they have European bread items. Clean and well organized. Beautiful produce displays and very fresh. read more

When in the Salinas region, star market is a must stop for unique, local and quality groceries. Their prices are reasonable, and customer service is always took notch. Victor in the wine isle spent time educating us on the history of the different vineyards and helped us pick out two bottles of Cab. He greeted us with a smile on his face and seemed to love what he does. They even had print outs on the history of different wines for you to take with you! Be sure to browse the isles because you never know what unique finds you'll stumble across. This is my go-to stop in the area! read more

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This is a great grocery store that we are lucky to have in Salinas. Still family owned and run with great unique local ingredients you can't find elsewhere. Staff is friendly and helpful and the meat counter is the best in town. We come from prunedale to ship here weekly and have noticed a huge difference in our meals since switching from Safeway food!!!!!! read more

The best market in town. Great deli and cheeses. Good lunch spot. Must stop in salinas.

Love this amazing market i happened upon. lots of old school items and healthy as well. I noticed they carried super fresh fruits outside like farmers market style & 100% Raw Milk also so i'll definitely be back read more

I was looking for a berry pie and this place popped up. It reeked of fish in the store so I hurried to where they have the baked goods. Not much of a selection. They had a strawberry mixed mini pie. It was tasty but definitely not worth anywhere near $16 for this baby pie. I will stick with Gizdich. read more

Hidden gem in Salinas. One of the best grocery stores around. Great prices on wines. Sometimes lower than at the tasting rooms. Victor will always steer you in the right direction with his wine knowledge. Deep selection that has been super curated. Some of the best cheese choices...small but, delicious. Great finds all around, French butter, local olive oils, delicious pies!!! read more

I went to pick up some groceries after work. The same usual protesters on the corner of Blanco and S. Main but a little louder than usual. As I am driving, the protesters are harrasing cars that pass by (luckily, I had a green light, no need to stop). I park pretty far from the protesters, get down to grocery shop, only to come down to my car having been spray painted by these aggressive protesters (protesters no longer there when I come out). I asked a local st vendor if he saw anything, only to confirm he did infact see the protesters walking around the parking lot area cursing at people and walking up to my car. I proceeded to walk in to tell the "manager" only to be told they aren't responsible, their camera's only cover the front entrance of their store (his tone and demeanor show zero empathy). I filed a police report in which they told me that Macdonalds (right next to Star) had called earlier because the protester had been taunting people out there. Pathetic that STAR could not have reported them if they were actively harrasing people outside and vandalizing in their store parking lot. I will no longer be shopping here, nor will my family. read more

Star Market - My sisters helping me remove the spray paint. - Grocery Near Me - Salinas, California

All I want to know is who is in charge of this store? What happened to customer service? It is very sad when you pay their pay check, and get disrespected for them not doing their job. Please train your staff regarding customer service skills. We live in a time where it is not existing any longer. What is going on with the rudeness? When it comes to asking questions to what is in their job description, do your job!!! read more

After going here for the last 2 months I agree the people working here are Not friendly. I drive here just to get the vegetables and Smart chicken. Joy is joyless.... Poor thing needs to retire. Butchers are grumpy and if they do not recognize you....you wait. Young Produce man was nice. That's it. read more

We don't go to Star Market often but we like selection of unique, local items, but we have noticed the lack of customer service. Before we entered the store I made a $10 bet with my friend that the cashier would not thanks us. Thanks to Joy I won $10! Not only did Joy not thanks us, she didn't acknowledge us as we stood in front of her. Then she did't tell us the total, she did point to atm and said something about a button. And of course Joy handed me the receipt without saying a word. The bagger did say have a good day. read more

No waiting in line. Staff are friendly and courteous . The veggies and fruits are nice and fresh

Sad to say i was disappointed about many parts of my experience here at Star Market. 1) the butchers completely ignored its customers in line. The man in front of me walked off upset that we were not helped at all. 2) That put me first in line. There was a line and they asked the lady behind me if she was next! She took the opportunity and did not acknowledge i was next! 3) they tried ignoring i was next yet again! I spoke up sternly i was next!! They charged me at prime cost for a primerib roast that was only choice grade! I know meat prices! 4) i had a gift card of $100 with many store names on it. Star market being one of them. They said they would not honor the gift card because they are independently owned! I was ready to walk out but i didnt have time to waste to go looking elsewhere. I was beyond disappointed and will never return here again! I hope they learn better customer service! read more

Some of the best groceries and a store that is family. Can't beat it. I pay a bit more for the meat dept but it's top quality and fresh.. I support small local business all the time. Quality counts.. read more

I've always liked this store because I like to support local businesses. I'm familiar with local food products such as Jeffrey's spiced nuts from Carmel Valley and Pepper Plant Sauce from Gilroy and they can be found here, as well as Lula's chocolates. So they've had my support. But during the Covid-19 crisis, I really appreciate their home delivery service. I was able to get some groceries to my mother, who is 73 and her health is not bad but just not as mobile as she once was. I don't want her shopping during a shelter in place order. Star Market delivers and gives priority to the elderly. They have products I believe in and support local producers. Thanks for delivering and making the elderly a priority. Their delivery service seems to be in-house. Cindy knows my mom by name now. I was able to give my mom a little Mom's day gift straight to her door even though retail stores are closed. She's getting Lula's chocolates, martinellis sparkling apple juice and lavendar lotion. That's cool to me, as I can't drive. I'm in a wheelchair. I'll be patronizing this store more often. read more

As we wandered the aisles of Star Market and kept coming across interesting and unusual (often local) goods, I kept wondering: how had I not heard about this place earlier? So many unique and reasonably priced products from cheeses to honey to garlic-flavored anything to an outstanding collection of local wine. I'd often wondered why there only seemed to be a tiny number of local wines available at the grocery stores, but Star Market has basically everything from Monterey County and some interesting selections from beyond. Would I come here for regular groceries? Probably not, though their meats are competitive with other places, but I will regularly come here as a supplement to the more staid and boring chains. They have a better local selection than Whole Foods and excellent service to boot. read more

best selection of produce and quality products. wonderful wine and whisky selection. Markets like this are a dying breed, support local and family business. read more

Great grocery with the best, freshest produce section in the valley. Everyone is always helpful here. And they stock unusual items which makes it a fun place to wander through as you shop. This store is clean & light. I drive all the way from north salinas to south salinas for their fresh produce, cheese stand, & healthy bread selection it's so worth it! read more

Always liked stopping here on the way to Big Sur stocking up on goods! Yesterday my wife was with me and Wow, she really enjoyed it! So friendly, helpful with all the food stuff displayed so artfully and the prices fair. We live in Hawaii and nice to not have to pay so much for everything! read more

Stupendous customer service, eclectic array of cheese and LuLu's Chocolate! What more could you want? Well, whatever it is, it's probably right here at Star Market. Star has been around for decades and they continue to provide a wide variety of items you're probably not going to find at your chain grocery store. Try Star Market, you'll be glad you did! read more

A few days after we moved Dad came across Star Market while in search of finding last minute Thanksgiving items and what a hidden gem this store is because I have a feeling that Star Market is truly one of the most underrated grocery stores in Salinas that deserves to be more known. Because what sets Star Market apart from any other supermarket in Salinas is the fact that you can get items you can't find anywhere else and my father was impressed by Star Market a lot. Though pricey Star Market continues it's promise of giving customers what they wish for because after all for a market named Star it can really make your shopping wishes fulfilled read more

Great wine selection. And cheese. And make sure you try the star special marinated steaks. Art does a great job with them and provide great customer service! Definitely prefer supporting small business vs big box stores. read more

This store is clean, the Owner,(Victor, part-owner), is friendly and helpful to get you what you need, Pronto! The prices are a little on the higher side, but where can I find my favorite tea from Bigelow; Raspberry Tea? Only at Star Market. I have to buy two boxes at one time because I live on the Northside of town. As soon as you walk into the side of the front of the store closer to HWY 68; you are met by a display of all kinds of lovely cheeses that are so hard to resist. The gentlemen in the back meat counter will serve you with such willingness and will get the meat you need with a smile on their face. The vegetables are so fresh and look so beautiful and the lovely organic veggies are hard to pass up. All in all, if I lived closer to the south side of town, this would definitely be my choice of grocery stores. read more

Quality everything, unbeatable service. The cheese counter is beyond compare. Ask about wines and you'll get excellent advice. Star Market is iconic and a beloved landmark in Monterey County. read more

Coming from the Bay Area this place kind of reminded me a little of Trader Joe's and Whole Foods. Definitely my new go-to market.

What some of the other reviewers haven't mentioned yet is the cheese section which was a new addition to the line of foods there. These are some of the best tasting cheeses I have ever had. You can buy all of this in Europe but not unless you spend a lot of money. The manager of the cheese shop is also really good at picking wines as well. Tell him your meal and he can help you out. The meat department is one of the last full service butchers in the area. We have had a lot of experience there and have been very pleased with all of the results. When you get that special recipe which asks for 2 In thick shanks you can just tell them and they will do it for you. There are also a lot of organic and locally raised options as well. When you see a lot of the people in the produce business shopping there, you get an idea that it is a great place to shop. The local wine knowledge is extensive and always ready to recommend something good. I can usually get a case discount when I restock my cellar and that makes it as economical as World Market or some of the other biggies. Leaving your money locally is also a good feeling. They are really service oriented and remember my name and my kid too. They like to visit with her about school and 4H. read more

Star Market - Grocery Near Me - Salinas, California

Still love Star Market. All the comments from my previous review still stand. They have more organic options now and they always attempt to keep up with trends. Beyond that, so impressed with their local items and their ability and willingness to order what they don't have in stock. Love that they have Acme Coffee & Carmel Valley Coffee. Love the unique items that I used to order online - harissa & preserved lemons. Love the La Brea bread & Beckman pies & Amor strawberries. And so many fun beers, wines, and spirits. Best service...everyone is nice, helpful, and they open a checkout lane if too many people are in line. I appreciate their willingness to go the extra mile to please a customer. read more

Excellent wine inventory! Wonderful olde world markets should be supported when ever possible. I love the ambiance and staff of this place. Prices are a bit higher, but small businesses need your Love. Happy Holidays! read more

Star Market - Recycle! - Grocery Near Me - Salinas, California

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The absolute best local grocery store. Superior meat, produce, cheese and spirits if all manner. And now they carry Omission Beer. I'm so happy read more

Star Market - Grocery Near Me - Salinas, California

I love the personal service. I asked Art in the meat department if he could teach my 18 year old daughter how to cut and trim up lamb chops before she headed off to college. He was more than happy to teach her or anybody how to anything. Thank you Art and the entire Star Market Family. read more

I've been shopping here for 3 years. Nice butcher section, and they'll happily prepare your meats any way that you like. I only wish they sold more free-range meats (like Whole Foods), but they don't.  If I am looking for a gourmet grocery item, I can usually find it here.  Great selection of wine and beer, too.  Love their produce section, too. I haven't tried their cheeses, but that's a nice new addition to the store. read more

I went to this little gem of a grocery store and found wonderful foods that were locally sourced in the surrounding area. What a treat that is! I love local and this is the place to go for wonderful cheeses, breads, produce, milk, and more that did not have to travel very far to get on the shelves! read more