Tip: Sign up for a Big Carrot rewards card. It's free. You earn points towards a discount off your future bill at either of its two locations. After spending an afternoon with friends last Sunday, I decided to check out this The Big Carrot store. The first store still exists on the Danforth, which I enjoy frequenting when I'm in the neighbourhood. This location is the second one situated in the Beaches, which is where I grew up. I attended high school a few blocks away from this store. Back in the day, the southeast corner of Southwood Drive and Kingston Road had a donut shop called Dip 'n Sip. I would cut through the parking lot to head southbound on Southwood to head home. This donut shop was a hangout for bikers and students from my high school. It wasn't my thing, but it's weird that I couldn't cut through the parking lot. A six-story condo building occupies this corner, with this The Big Carrot on the main floor. My concern has always been where to park if you wanted to visit this store. I followed a sign that led me to underground parking in a laneway behind the building. Nice! I like that there's an automatic garage door. It keeps your car cool in the summertime and free of precipitation outside. I went through the door leading to the elevator. You can grab a cart before you head upstairs. I didn't know whether I needed a ton of groceries, so I simply went up the elevator to the main floor. I then walked through the door. The Big Carrot is the local version of Whole Foods Market. You can find everything from coffee beans with a grinder, to individual portions of a steak in the meat section. I loved looking at grab-and-go meals. The chicken pot pie looked so good. I was tempted to get one, but I had made a lot of food at home. Next time! I find this place fancy when you get the rotisserie chicken section and it has herbes de provence all over each whole chicken. Wow! I like frequenting grocery stores. They open my eyes and tastebuds. Lemony hummus? Sounds great! Organic red watermelon chunks? They were such a glowing red that it stopped me in my tracks. The produce looked exceptionally fresh. I was a happy camper looking at healthy basil plants. I nearly bought one! This place has food that caters to various dietary needs. I saw gluten-free wraps and Daiya cheeze, for instance. There's a smoothie bar. It was busy with a couple of folks in line waiting for their smoothies. I saw hair dyes with natural ingredients. I also saw face wash, cleaners, and more. This store carries the Andalou line of lotions, toners, and more that I like. The drinks section is incredible. I saw raspberry mojitos in a four-pack of cans that looked appealing. If you don't want to commit to a pack of drinks, you can get individual ones that are nicely chilled in the fridge. This place has comparable prices on individual cans of Zevia. A can goes for $1.69, which is the same price at Whole Foods. I picked up a can of Zevia root beer and a can of Crazy D's cherry cola. I headed to the checkout area. The woman who cashed me out was nice. She asked me if I had a rewards card. I didn't. She got me one and said that I simply needed to sign up for a free online account to activate it. Cool! I paid with a credit card. I tapped and was good. I thanked her and headed to the elevator to get to my car. I had the cherry cola as I headed home. I wasn't crazy about this Crazy D's flavour. It's a prebiotic cola. I don't mind it. It simply didn't taste like cherries, likely because it had lime and lemon mixed in. It tasted more like a subtle, watery fruit punch. I love Zevia root beer, which made up for the horrible cherry cola. It was creamy and tasted like good root beer, but without the sugar. I enjoyed my visit to this grocery store at long last. I hope to drop by more often when I'm in the neighbourhood, now that I know where to park! (206) read more

See all

We have shopped at the Big Carrot Danforth for decades and when they opened the Beaches location we regularly shopped there. It doesn't have the space to carry the variety but we were happy generally. Then last November rolled around and as my wife was attempting to order some take away food some employee decided a senior woman could be called names and verbally abused! Well, we attempted to complain and after weeks the basic response we have received is that we can shop elsewhere. We will and so should you! read more

Shopping in-store is ok, but ordering a delivery is terrible. The online site is not up to date and many items I ordered were unavailable. I asked for substitutions (there is a space) but these did not arrive. The Big Carrot charges for delivery and asks upfront to tip the driver. This driver left raw chicken and pork at my door without ringing--it was there for almost 45 minutes. When I called the Carrot I was told it was Instacart's fault. AVOID!!! read more

I have since tried BC again to my surprise...it's even worse! The store ma ager Chenga is the rudest man on the planet. Who is rude to a customer? This is not the first time there has been BAD customer service here! Chenga the so called manager cough cough...was so rude I complained to head office. Good luck to anyone who enters. It's too bad because the produce is good but the price of fruit is just over the top! read more

I have been shopping there for a while. I have been buying various items and thinking this entire time that I have been buying organic but I now have serous doubts. Who knows what Cumbraes Farms is? I know that Cumbrae's sources locally which could mean that they are buying from anyone in Ontario including Cargill or a purveyor who buys from a massive US or south american slaughter house. the purveyor is local and I pressume that meets their definition. What has me questioning their sourcing ethics is that Cumbraes Farms prices are at commodity levels. I'm no fool, the only way that can happen in this market is that there are short cuts on sourcing or buyer bullying. Neither are good. Can someone explain this to me? read more

Very cheerful place, at least in my experience, I generally find everything I need. I like both the one in the Beaches, and the one on the Danforth, especially the roof patio! And yes they have carrots :) read more

Great store..... ... except that you will need your Canada goose or a winter coat to shop in there.... The temperature is freezing: are they trying to keep customers out? or are they trying to give them a cold? Next time I go in there I will bring a coat. Its more needed than a mask in that store. read more

I am writing this review because I think this store is failing. I am very happy to have this big carrot location open in my neighbourhood and have been to the store several times so far. Unfortunately, there is some disappointment every time I go. What I notice the most is: Organic "rotten" strawberries Organic "spoiled" produce The store doesn't seem to be attracting a lot of customers, and maybe that's why the produce go bad? But how are we supposed to buy the good organic fruit and vegetables (that the Big Carrot is known for) if they are rotten or looking spoiled or just not fresh? I think there are a lot of potential customers in the area, but I really wish you would up your game on what you sell. It would be too sad to see this store close. Also, this is a minor suggestion, but it would be great if you can at least have one shopping cart with seat a small child can sit on. There are a lot of families with young children in the area. Thank you for reading this, and I hope this store will be as successful as the one on Danforth. read more

I've been shopping at the new store in the Beaches since it opened. It has definitely been convenient! My favourite thing about this store is the people that work there. From the woman at the customer service desk to the staff in the kitchen each and everyone is patient and fully takes care of my needs. The selection of produce surpasses anywhere else locally! A special shout out to the project manager for the store. She was so nice to take care of some of my pre opening questions while she was having coffee at Starbucks! read more

Love the big carrot and happy this location is close to me but I wish you had produce like the bigger store on the Danforth. Danforth is soooo far but worth the travel for veggies! I get that spacing is an issue, any chances of expanding? read more

I am so glad that the Big Carrot has their new location in my neighborhood. This is my favorite place to shop! They have a great selection of local, sustainable and organic products. They also have a kitchen and juice/coffee bar on site where they have a great menu of delicious items. The staff is very nice and very knowledgeable. read more

Great store, convenient and plentiful underground parking, lots of organic, plant based and gluten free options. Though I understand their space limitations, they often don't have the supplements or personal care items I am looking for. I have called ahead to save a trip but the phone has never been answered. I have left messages that are returned many hours later. read more

Love both stores. The original on the Danforth and Summerhill in the Beaches. Unique products always fresh.

I had shopped at the original big carrot on the danforth and was looking forward to the new location pros parking is pretty good cons. the store is small and has very little vegan /vegetarian merchandise. the premade deli section is tiny, has little vegan options and the ones i tried were very bland , nothing like the great food that was available at the original place prices are high. I would rather drive farther and go to happy planet or whole foods. read more

I have been going to the Big Carrot since it was a tiny store on Danforth. I was happy to have a closer store but am not thrilled with it overall. There is a small vegetable selection and sometimes they are not as fresh as should be. They bake their own muffins etc., but all of them have sugar. I asked staff several times to label their goods and consider sugar-free baked products. If I can make them, so can they, even with maple syrup! Still no labels or sugar-free. Also there are few vegan selections in the prepared foods. Today I ate a tempeh and rice meal and it was covered in gooey sweet bottled sauce and not good. This is a HEALTH food store. Show some more effort. read more

I started going to The Big Carrot back in the olden days, when it was tiny, and when you couldn't get organic produce or vegetarian food easily. I appreciated the affordable produce and wholesome, whole ingredients I could get there. It was humble and unglamourous, totally a birkenstock wearing, crunchy-granola haven. Over the years, the Carrot evolved and became pretty darn fancy, into what you see today. The new Carrot opened, and it's understandably petite. Unfortunately, instead of harkening back to the humble roots of the original grassroots Big Carrot, it's got the same feel as any glossy glamorous supermarket, with extremely high prices, and the kind of fanciness that makes trying to eat nutritiously and eco-consciously seem pretentious and embarrassing. I know prices are what they are, but I can't afford to buy food here, and it's all super duper shiny. So, it's no longer a place for me. Peace. read more

I've been shopping at the Big Carrot for eighteen years now. When this new location opened, I was thrilled. I must say that customer service is often disappointing. I'm very upset after the insults I received from the security guard today December 27th 2021 at 16:25 while I was standing in the entrance for a few seconds waiting for the bus. It was very cold outside this evening. I didn't see any harm to warm up until the bus arrives. The security guard told me to leave because I was scaring customers while standing there. I was so upset. "Do you know how much money I spend here?" I replied. She said "yes, I know, I'm just doing my job." Meanwhile they leave all the panhandlers standing in front of their entrance who harass customers. They never do anything about that. I'm so upset, I don't think I want to go back there for a while. It just shows disrespect and lack of humanity on the part of management. I haven't forgotten how they deprived us from using the washrooms during the lock down. That's another sign of inhumane treatment. I will take my business elsewhere now. It's too bad as it's so close. read more