The staff at the Chemainus 49th parallel grocery are awesome. They have steeped up their awesome…read moregame to stupendous through this pandemic. I really can not say enough about their front line work. Going above and beyond for our community. The shelves are stocked and ready every day. The staff tirelessly putting together delivery orders and getting them out to our community members.

We love this place. It is our go-to grocery store with really high-end products and produce at a…read morereasonable price. It is super clean, and everyone who works there is over the top friendly and helpful. Plus, they give a LOT back to the community in charity support and employment. The 49th Parallel is an absolute gem in Chemainus, and an important player in making Chemainus a great place to live.

I would give Eat Fresh 5 stars were it not for the salads. I LOVE the salads and that's my…read moredownfall. I live a 20 minute drive away from the store but I drive there 3-4 times a week to grab a salad. 2-3 times there either are no salads at all made that day or they have the one kind (chef salad) which I don't care for. It's a waste of an hour for me to drive there only to find..... nada. I guess I'm going to have to start making my own salads because I'm tired of the disappointment. Sigh.

If you like your carrot cake with a side of gaslighting…read more.. EatFresh came highly recommended, and I was genuinely looking forward to supporting a local business with a 'good reputation'. But I ended up in what I can only describe as a full-blown carrot cake standoff. I purchased a slice of carrot cake, only to discover, once home, that it contained shredded coconut. I loathe coconut. The texture is unmistakable to anyone who's ever had it (and hates it). So I drove back the next day and politely asked if I could swap it for something else, not a refund, just a coconut-free treat. What followed was like something out of a sitcom. The staff convened a mini tribunal. The cake was taken behind closed doors and inspected. I was assured that the recipe ONLY contained walnuts (and was not to believe my own eyes - and taste buds). I was even handed a new slice and told, confidently, "No coconut here." I opened the box and pointed right at the flecks of the offending ingredient. Still - the manager insisted: "That's walnut." Spoiler alert: it wasn't. The level of denial was surreal. What could've been a simple, friendly interaction instead turned defensive and weirdly authoritarian. No accountability. No flexibility. Just "take it or leave it" and I left with less respect for a business I truly wanted to support. This isn't just about taste. It's about trust. If staff don't know what's in their own products (or worse, deny what's clearly there), it raises concerns for anyone with dietary sensitivities or allergies. I've attached photos of the cake slices for reference. If you love coconut and confrontation, this might be your jam. If not....well, you've been warned.

Save on foods is the worst grocery store for prices and deals in town. Anything you can get here…read moreyou can get anywhere else cheaper.

Sav-on Foods is the best! My hubs and I were staying in Nanaimo for a 4-day vacation from Seattle…read moreand taking day trips to seaside towns on the island's east coast. Since we like to eat out once or twice a day and make our own sandwiches for the other meal, we stopped by Sav-on Foods early on to get some provisions. The folks that work at the deli counter are so nice. We tried several different cold cuts before we found the one we liked. One trip it was roasted turkey breast and another time it was the Montreal-style smoked beef. Both were great and made tasty sandwiches. When we checked out in the self-serve line, the friendly cashier let us use his Sav-on Card so we could take advantage of any store discounts. Including our receipt from our shopping trip so you can see the prices. $55.56 CAD turned out to be $40.85 USD. Great deal for us! This store has super nice staff and good prices. I highly recommend Sav-on Foods!

I purchased an Ipad Air 11 for my daughter and did so at Costco because of their excellent…read morereputation for great price and return policy. Two days after purchase I needed to make an exchange. Dori at customer service was so helpful! She went above and beyond helping me. She is truly an asset to the Company and I am grateful for her outstanding customer service. I would highly recommend this Nanaimo Costco to everyone.

Every time we go to Costco we are pleased with our purchases and savings…read more Staff is always happy and very helpful when they are asked questions. Checkout is speedy considering the number of people in the lines.

The perfect provisioning stop if you're a boater. Easy walking from the marina to this store with…read morefresh produce, a great whole foods section, and some delights for chocolate lovers. We've been here several times and enjoy the variety of offerings, service, and clean, bright vibe of the store.

Love this store, don't know how people can say its more expensive than Country grocer or Quality…read morefoods. I know my prices! using your Airmails money is a bonus, good savings. Staff is great in this store.

This place is absolutely a tourist trap, and that's okay, because if you are here, and you know…read morethat it is, and yes, there are Goats on the Roof, then you are going to love this place. Firstly, if you come here "late" like after 10am, then it might be a messy bit to find parking, but there is both parking behind and down along the drive into the property, or across the street also. Once you park, I recommend just heading to the Old Country Market itself, find a space a few meters back, and look on the roof, The roof has a rotating set of goats, which live up top. They are the attraction, and that is it. You got a place with Goats... on... the... roof. Once you have accomplished that, time to head inside and check out the offerings. First, if you are just rushing through, it's just going to feel like some random grocery market. Yes, lots of things are mass market, but when you SLOW down, and look around, you may start to find some lesser known, and okay, still Made in China, but local flair nevertheless. I recommend heading to the meat counter (assuming you like meat) and getting some Jerky, or other items.. because those are made locally. Then as you meander through the trinkets, you are going to find a mix between local and imported things. As you wonder back toward the baked products, you are going to see piles of loves of bread. I didn't try them, so can't recommend, however head past that, and you will find delicious case of based goods, including their house made Sausage Rolls, which are darn tasty. Go with their original one, then branch out. Again, meat lovers here. As you slowly, go around the store, being bumped by everyone around you, because there are too many people here, in this little shop, take in the fact that ABOVE YOUR HEAD, on the roof, are up there. So look, it's a trap, to be sure, and don't doubt it's going to be a mass of people, but honestly, you came here because it was a tourist trap, so go early, and take your time. Also, highly recommend the used book store nearby, once you free yourself of the money you are going to spend here in the market.

I did not see any Goats on the Roof. It may be too hot. The shop has plenty of goodies from…read morepastries to sandwiches. There were also home goods and kids toys that were sold here. It was super busy inside and there is back area for parking. Protip - buy some cheese and sandwiches and eat on the grassy area by the parking area.

Always an exceptional experience when I go into either location, they always have amazing food and…read moregood prices. Supporting local is my priority and they are just overall great people everyone who works there

We had the marinated kabobs (chicken and beef) for dinner tonight, with guests. The meat was…read moretender and delicious. The big chunks bbqued beautifully. We'll have these again, as they are as convenient as, but better than steaks.

ever since country grocer acquired the 49th parallel grocery store the quality of produce has…read moredeteriorated and the prices have skyrocketed. This is pure greedflation. I will no longer shop there.

Nice grocery without having to slog out to Nanaimo or down to Ladysmith. Decent stock of most…read morethings. A nice deli and great fresh breads. Prices good too. You want top meat I'd go elsewhere but for most things including staples and fresh vegetables pretty decent I must say.