Very demeaning and condescending. I went in for staples for a staple gun, went with the size they recommended I buy, and ended up returning them (the staples originally purchased were for "grocery checkout, restaurant take out, shopping bags" and I needed them for attaching fabric to wood). When I went to return the staples the same day I bought them, the owner told me heavy duty staples wouldn't fit in that gun (even though it WAS indeed a heavy duty staple gun) and ended with a scoff, turning way from me as I'm still there, and saying "I don't even know why I bother." What is that?? read more

My lord, This paint and hardware store looks older then Joe Bidens memory but I feel the need to support local businesses and I really don't feel like driving to home Depot .For a small hardware store they sure has everything you need all crammed together inside and the one on one advice for painting and patching up small wall holes was greatly needed and appreciated. Prices are fair compared to the big chain stores and they had everything I needed for the paint job which I will have absolutely no part of. While I was here I also picked up a wall clock that I can hang on my hall bathroom wall. Got all my paint and supplies and now the easy part is over. Good neighborhood hardware for us locals . read more

Overall, it's a pretty decent hardware store. There are usually 1-2 employees there, who are knowledgeable and can help you find what you need. It doesn't have the most flexible selection, and there is a $10 minimum purchase limit, but it does the job. read more

Fantastic store that is a huge benefit to many in the community. They have been very helpful to me for over 40 years.

A++++++++ This place is just the best. No question. I'm not mechanically inclined in any capacity so going into a hardware store is not familiar territory for me. Not only do they almost always have what you need but they're always incredibly friendly, knowledgeable and ready to help out. Chances are, they can fix your problem and, if they can't, they'll know who to recommend you to. Don't bother going to any of the big box stores. This is the best you could hope to find and they deserve your business. read more

This is a clutch place to have if you have basic hardware needs. They're also open until 8pm on the weekdays. Staff is super friendly and helpful. read more

When you live in an 80 year-old building, and one day you blow a fuse. You open the breaker box just to find out it has fuses instead of a breaker. Thank god Straus Hardware store carries this Cooper Bussmann's SL Style 15 Amp Plug Fuse (4-Pack) for $8. Thank you for saving me a trip to Home Depot, and I get to support local business. read more

Key copy is $2.25 Most expensive hardware store that I have been. Normally it's $1 or most $1.50 The owner's behavior was not polite at all . As a service provider he should be think about customer's happiness. NEVER GO BACK Think about before you go read more

Busted drain pipe, went to Home Depot, literally no one to talk to about my issue. Walked in to Straus with the parts in hand, and they gave me the replacement parts, washers, and cut the pipes to size. Saved me on Halloween night. read more

Great location, however prices have gone up on everything here, will stop shopping there and get to home depot going forward

Loved supporting this store over the years. They have a very friendly and knowledgeable staff and anything you would ever need in your local hardware store. Their prices are good. Also hard to put a price on service and experience/knowledge. read more

Very helpful and nice to work with. FounD what we needed and they gave local directions.

The owner went out of his way to refuse service and was extremely rude. After shopping there for 8 years, I won't be back. Each year I have gone there to have vinyl blinds cut to my window size because they rip easily. I understand they don't do with regularity, but they have done it for me many times, at least 5. I've not purchased them anywhere else, and I can say that with 100% certainty. The last time was six months ago, and the owner himself (white man, white hair, short), was the one who cut them. The owner told me that I was crazy and that he's never ever cut vinyl blinds. He wouldn't even bother to see if they have extras, or if anyone else on staff could help. A simple "let me check in the basement, but I don't think we have them in stock" would have been preferable, but he was nasty and essentially told me to get out of his store. No excuse for that level of rudeness and attitude, especially after being a loyal customer from the neighborhood for many years. read more

This is a great local hardware store. Perfect for when you need to grab one or two basic things. The best part though is that the staff is genuinely knowledgeable and happy to help. When I came in clueless about what type of anchor I needed for my walls the young man working helped me find exactly the right item. This sort of friendly and knowledgeable personal attention is something big stores like Home Depot just don't offer. read more

This is an awesome hardware store, and it's a fixture in this neighbor. The Straus family and their employees care about their customers and their community. I'm amazed by how much they have, and I love being able to speak with such knowledgeable folks. read more

Straus Paint & Hardware Store - Astoria....store was much better 1 year ago as far as customer service...I went back recently and was looking for a few items and customer service is not really into assisting people with what they need and they need the people that are being hired are very much into looking at their cell phones and social media than wanting to help the customers....and they went up in their prices but the store has gone done with customer service and now they should be a little more helpful an take the extra mile this is not the case at Straus Paint & Hardware Co. read more

I'm not usually a DIY kind of girl, but lately that seems to be my thing. This store drew me in during the first days I lived in Astoria, and it has supplied me with an assortment of home repair and craft items since then! They have a good assortment of tools, in my opinion, from banging to screwing to cutting. (hah!) Additionally, they have all sorts of pipe-y bits, nails, screws and other oddments you need to fix that leak or repair that cabinet. (or build, perhaps!) The clerks/owners have always been helpful when I'm there, and never treated me like a dumb girl who wandered in lost, probably searching for shoes. read more

I was on the fence of whether or not to post this story, but I was reading some of this businesses other reviews and it seems to be a pattern of behavior by the owner. My girlfriend and I came in to buy a few small items and there was a man talking to the owner about returning a ladder he had just purchased. From what I gathered the customer had only minutes before left the store with the ladder, before changing his mind and wanting to return it. The ladder was still wrapped in plastic, however the owner would not allow him to return it. He insisted that once an item left the store it could not be returned. Even going so far as to say there was a law against selling returned items. The return policy is one thing, but watching this owner raise his voice at a customer making a pretty reasonable request was uncomfortable and very rude. read more

I will never shop here again. This was my go to place when I first moved in to my apartment. They have a wide selection of items and they've obviously been around forever. But... Prices are sky high. About $7 for one of those new energy saver light-bulbs. The employees are nice enough, but the owner is not. I had a problem with a door lock that I purchased and the owner was not helpful and basically called me a liar right to my face. I vow to never go there again. Only thing that sucks is there isn't much alternative unless you want to deal with the numerous dollar stores for crappy hardware items. I will take the effort and travel farther for my nails, screws and stuff like that. read more

The workers here have been extremely accommodating every time I come in and have a stupid request like which nails would be best for hanging a picture, or what I can buy to help insulate my AC. Make sure you have cash if you're looking for something small - they have a credit card minimum. read more

I am such a geek when it comes to hardware stores. Must have been growing up with a do-it-yourself dad, but I'm like a kid in a candy store in these places.. I always get inspired to make something or start some random (and most times not all that necessary) home improvement job. Straus is my new go-to place since I moved away from my old favorite (Nunez Hardware on 181st Street - same owners as the bigger one on Broadway and 175th). Straus has pretty much everything you'd need from tools to hardware to paint to basic housewares. I was looking for wheels for a cabinet (and they needed to be sturdy) and I found several options to choose from.. a pretty random request to say the least. read more

I love this place. They make your keys right the first time, which is a slightly magical thing in itself. They also have everything, meaning I've never left here without the random household thing I came for, which seems improbable with their relatively small footprint, but here we are: magic is real. I think the prices are solidly in line with the service and selection. I feel super lucky this is the closest hardware store to my house because it's great and screw Home Depot. There's a $10 minimum to use a credit card and I'm not even mad, long live Straus hardware. read more

I've shopped here several times, more often than not to have keys made. Do NOT go to Home Depot for keys. Save yourself the time, money, and aggravation and just go to Straus Paint & Hardware. They've done a good job on every key I've had made, even the tougher ones to match. As far as hardware and housewares are concerned, I've purchased a few things over the years. The prices are ok - I appreciate the convenience of this store, so I'm willing to pay a tiny bit more when something is needed in a hurry. As for customer service, I have yet to have a bad experience. I always knew what I was looking for/needed when shopping here though, so my interaction with employees has been limited. All in all, not too shabby for a local hardware/paint/key place. Great for most needs! read more

I like this place a lot. The staff are very attentive, helpful, and friendly. I was about to buy a wrench and upon chatting with the owner (about what I needed it for) he actually recommended a different (much cheaper) wrench. I really appreciate his honesty. read more

Place is a bit overpriced but you have to expect that at a mom and pop place. The quality of their products is mediocre as well. The staff are pretty friendly BUT the owner/manager/old guy there is terrible. He has no customer service skills. Do not try and return anything there - he is not accommodating at all. For being a neighborhood hardware store they are not very good with customer service, mainly the owner. Read more reviews below...it is a reoccurring complaint with this place. read more

Useful but pricey.

Staff is very helpful and knowledgeable. They have a great selection of tools and materials for such a small store. The reason I only gave this place a 3 star rating is I went in to have some wooden dowels cut for a project. Most places that cut wood to size for you have an electric saw for accurate, straight cuts. They used a jig saw which gave a far less then straight cut. In the end I had bought wood that was hard to work with because of the cut job. TIP: don't get your wood cut here. read more

They close on the weekend before closing time. I rushed today to buy something important before they closed at 6. I got there 10 minutes before 6 PM and it was closed and they were inside giving me the work closed sign. I showed them the time on my phone and they just ignored me. I'm not shopping there anymore. read more

I don't understand some of the negativity for this place. I've been using Strauss for well over a decade as an Astoria transplant and it is the most helpful local hardware store around for the usual hardware store stuff... and a little more. If you have a serious question about a job ask the older gentleman - presumably the owner - and he will explain what the best product is and the job itself. He also knows some of the B.S. work typical (old) Astoria landlords have done to places and how to mitigate it. Strauss Paint and Hardware has helped me correctly re seat a toilet; change out shower stem valves; re-grout and seal tile; replace outlets and light switches; re-screen windows, paint and stain numerous surfaces... and the list goes on. I'm going back today. read more

The Strauss family has been at this location 85 years They have provided the best in service and selection Thousands of small items that are rare or impossible to get at the big improvement stores You can not beat the convince and knowledge the staff has ,,, Nobody will sell you a handful of screws or nuts to finish a project (not the big guy) Overall the Steinway and Astoria community need to support this local landmark . The "old fashioned" hardware store is a lost business ,,,,, preserve history .. read more

DO NOT USE THIS BUSINESS! First things first, this store is WAY overpriced. You can go to home depot and get any item that is sold by this store for 25% less, or more. But that is not why I am writing this review. I am writing this review because the owner of this store refused to fix a mistake made by his employee. I went in for a very simple, routine purchase and since I am not that familiar with this store I asked for help locating the product I needed. In defense of the employee, he did know exactly where to go but he gave me the wrong product which I subsequently purchased. When I got home to my apartment 15 minutes later and realized that the item I purchased was too short for my needs, I immediately called the store to inform them of the error. The mistake was simple and was easily solved with a simple solution. Since it was their mistake and I live in the neighborhood I asked them if they would walk down the street to my apartment and bring me the correct product. As I do not live far from this store, I thought this was a very reasonable request. The owner said that there was absolutely no way he would that and hung up on me. I've had other negative experiences with this store and with this owner but this time was too much. If you have the means, take your business elsewhere. At this store uou will only be met with rude and unprofessional staff which I believe comes from the top (the owner). read more

Amazing service. Paul is great. Helped me pick great paint to solve tricky problems with my new apartment. This is my new neighborhood hardware store! read more

Love supporting local businesses. Straus has all your household repair and cleaning supply needs. Owner is a nice guy and will not sell you something you don't need!! read more

I have been coming here for over a decade. Staff are always helpful and polite even when I come in 10 min. before closing to grab something. Helped us cut and drill together some wood slats to make displays. Old neighborhood hardware store, convenient for getting small housewares, bulbs, a bike lock, Velcro, wall hanging solutions, small selection of paint and DIY shelving. read more

I confused Straus with another hardware store and ended up here looking for paint to spruce up my apartment. The name of the store is deceiving. Their paint selection is *extremely* limited and lacking in quality. They do not mix the paint there, so you're stuck with whatever is pre-mixed. I bought the grey paint they had and it took approximately three coats to cover the walls. Otherwise, they seem to have a good selection of anything else you may need and I don't want to give a poor review to an ol' neighborhood hardware store. It's rare in 2014, but Astoria is teeming with them and that makes me feel happy. read more

This is an old school hardware store with the wooden floors and molded ceilings. I go here for small purchases when I don't feel like going to Home Depot on Northern Boulevard. It's a great place to pick up one off items that you might need. Staff is friendly and helpful and not at all pushy trying to get sales. If you don't feel like spending 20 minutes or more in Home Depot to get a light bulb, a wrench and a roll of electrical tape, this is your place. read more

Reliable local hardware store that I have been visiting as needed for as long as I have lived in Astoria. I have never had a rude interaction with the owner so I can't speak to others reviews but I can say that out of the dozens of times I have visited that I have never had a bad experience or interaction with anyone working there. read more

As others have said, this is a great neighborhood store with fair prices and a deceptively wide selection. They're good with making keys, too. However, I'm writing this review because I want everyone to know that this is a store where a woman can go in with questions and get friendly, respectful advice. I wish in 2015 this wasn't such a relief to find. The guys who work here are really helpful, not pushy, and don't give me side-eye for being inexperienced with fixing things. I've been coming here for three years and will continue to. It warms the cockles of my feminist heart. read more

A really great hardware store if youre too lazy to go to Home Depot, BUT convenience comes at a premium. 50% of the things you get here can be bought at the neighboring dollar store for half price. read more

Good neighborhood hardware store, great service, decent prices. This is no homedepot, it's a hardware store. They have a suprising amount of products for a small location. I would recommend this store to anyone who has a question. read more