VIP market has been around a long time. They were known for an awesome buffet, I think as far back as the 90's. Since the pandemic this establishment which is the size of 2 businesses. Has revamped the buffet side to beer, wine and spirits. The other side is fully stocked with groceries, which includes plant based items. What was once just a deli now has cooked food items. I had the butterfly shrimp with fries just the other day. VIP Market offers "One Stop Shopping " after a long day at work or just because. read more

VIP Market - Butterfly shrimp and fries - Beer, Wine & Spirits Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Our office moved from South Street up north to Walnut. I will miss my easy access to Acme and Whole Foods...sigh. For now, if we need any emergency, I don't know, Oreo cookies or a sandwich, this is within spitting distance. On my first day in our new office, I picked up a coffee to go. It was horrible, not going to lie. That's a no from me. Second day in our new office, I got a turkey sandwich to go for lunch. It was OK. Nothing special, but for a $10 sandwich, it was a good reminder that I better keep emergency frozen meal in our office fridge for next time I forget my lunch. On the plus side, it does carry the basic groceries and the people who work there were jovial and kind and all the regulars joked around with them, which was nice. read more

These fuckers closed early and laughed at me when I pointed to my watch that it was before closing time. The business next door said they are awful and do what they want because they are the only game in town. If you do one thing in your life, boycott this place and preserve work ethic. read more

Trying to find a spot to buy some beer while down town, holy moly $28 for 12 pack of corona. Just stuck with my Budweiser. Thanks for the snacks. read more

Closed early and refused business to paying customers who tried to come in and make purchases. Change your hours on the door if you don't want to be open! read more

This place is a local favorite , open till midnight and a colorful staff and patrons. They have everything you need anytime of day. They also make hot and cold sandwiches and platters that have big portions that are delicious . I'm grateful there's a place like this around the corner from me. The cashiers are almost like family! read more

I eat lunch there almost every day. The food is perfect. They are always fast and the store is clean and they take care of it.

Cool semi-hidden market! I had no idea this place even existed, but my local friend suggested it to pick up craft beer bottles on the go. The selection is seasonal and up to date. I didn't see any expired bottles, so that's always a plus! They offer a refrigerated section or room temp options. I was surprised by their large selection of Almanac bottles. Picked up a couple! They were going for $12/each, which isn't terrible but you could probably find cheaper elsewhere. For a quick snack or beer, this is a good spot in Midtown Village. read more

VIP Market - Beer, Wine & Spirits Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

This at 1st look seems to just be a run of the meal convenient store/deli. But when you go inside, you see that it is a big ass operation. I first went in on my last visit to Philly to get a Dr Pepper since I was staying cross the street at the Holiday Inn. I was shocked at the size. They had a big "hot bar" of ethnic foods, a deli, a decent grocery selection and a HUGE craft beer selection. The amount of single bottles was astounding for a place like this. All of bottles were in the refrigerated area so they are ready to drink now although that's probably frowned upon on the premises. So on my latest trip to Philly, I was aware of this place so I picked up a pack of 6 local beers for my beer cap map. It was nice to get 6 beers that I don't see in bottle back in my area. The only issue is this place is a little pricey. I spent 21.00 for a 6 pack of beer. I know it's 6 different individuals but still a little much. At least my map is a little fuller. read more

Continues to have terrific, homemade kimchi and a wide variety of frozen desserts/"ice creams" by the pint (noticed a bunch of Oat-Lys my last visit). Plus, VIP Market now takes Apple Pay! read more

I havent written a review yet? Thought I did. This place is amazing. Probably the best variety and selection of beers in downtown Philly. They used to have an awesome little buffet but y'all know how buffets got done this year, so now its just beers and a mini grocery store. You cannot beat their beer selection. Close to impossible. Super cool peeps, five solid star status. read more

Heckuv an egg sandwich + one star. Chopped melon always fresh, be it watermelon, cantaloupe or honeydew + one star. Owner lady never triggered my PTSD by screaming at hapless employee in Korean, unlike her counterpart at Jay's Deli + two stars. Lime icepops sold individually + one star. read more

5 Stars based solely on the beer bottle / can selections. I think VIP has the best beer selection of any beer store I ever visited. They always carry all the annual limited releases and rare or specialty items. You will find the best American craft beers, many excellent European beers and the best Canadian craft beers offerings in Philadelphia. If your a beer fan, give VIP a try. The place looks more like a deli / convenience store from the street - I walked by it daily for 2.5 years before I realized it was a beer goldmine. BK read more

Great place to stop in and get some drinks to take to the various BYOB restaurants in Rittenhouse square or down Walnut street. They have a great variety of local beer and wine. They also have prepared foods, the guy there saw me looking at the sign for Kimchi French fries and quickly offered to make me some fresh but we were already going to Sahara Grill which is why we stopped to buy drinks, but great service and good prices. read more

VIP Market - Local craft beers 2.50 each - Beer, Wine & Spirits Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

I've recently started coming here more often for pantry items, they have a great selection of Triscuits, frozen entrees, soups, cookies, great selection of Halo Top, which is a little expensive. They also have some produce such as bananas, I think I saw grapes, apples, etc. They have a good cold beverage selection, I got my Vitamin Water Zero! I also like the snack, lots of Quest bars, Mrs. Fields' individual cookies, plenty of candy, etc. I do miss little bite size candy by the register which another market offers. I think that a $5 minimum on a debit/credit card is very reasonable! I have been to other markets where the minimum was $10. The location is great for me because I live close by. I do think that the workers could be a little friendlier, I do miss that about the other market I used to go to which is further away. They have a better selection of some items, some of which can be a little expensive but everything looks fresh. I'll be back! read more

The owners and managers have no customer service, no heart, no kindness, and are rude. I have spent over $50 dollars here, brought my friends to buy beers and they spent over $50 bucks; the front desk people refused to let us use the restroom. The sign clearly says for customers and we are customers! They said for "hot food" customers only at the front desk and thats the owners policy. There is no hot food at that time of night! I literally begged them, then relieved myself outside by their door. Well good policy none of us will be returning and I will use their front door often. read more

Let me tell you what, VIP is -it- when it comes to mochi ice cream. Did I not run in hair rollers and a robe to Whole Foods last night in order to make it minutes before close to buy mochi ice cream? Did Whole Food -not- deliver? Yes, no mochi. Because I don't live within walking distance of Trader Joe's, there's literally nowhere for me to find mochi ice cream. Whilst in Miami, I even paid $10 for a pack of 8 (or 10?) at the corporate eco-friendly-organic megaplex (Whole Foods). Obscene! Now that I've been drinking and feeling careless with my words, I'm willing to say that the mochi god (God) shines all his mighty light upon the venerable VIP Food & Produce. I have no idea what Very Important People have to do with Food & Produce, but this place is delivering way more than it promises. Perhaps VIP stands for Very Important Products...mochi ice cream sells for a mere $4. Go buy it, but if you see there's only one box left, I call dibs. read more

In NYC, there are a million-billion little deli/bodegas that also feature a hot|cold|salad bar. They are great. I see what looks fresh, what looks well-made, what looks intriguing, and what looks like...well, I'll pass on that. Here in Illadelph, my new home, I've had trouble finding these kinds of places. It's terrible and I am sad. Or _was_ sad, rather. Why? Because I have a hard time making decisions because I'm wishy-washy neurotic who agonizes over simple choices and then hate myself forever. It's terrible and it can only be ameliorated by *BUFFET*. Buffet salad bar is best (partly because it helps with my dietary restrictions). No one loves, cares for, cherishes, treasures, understands, sympathizes, empathizes, and generally lives-and-dies by buffet like me. Trust me, homes. Sure VIP is mostly a convenience store with typical stuff. Wevs. For me, buffet is tha King. And at VIP, it. is. AWESOME. Reminds me of NYC (at 2/3 the price). 'Nuff said. read more

This is a great lunch spot for those living or working in Center City! It's right by my office so I frequent the salad bar. I'm always pleased by the level of cleanliness. The flow of the ingredients doesn't make a ton of sense, but the variety is good. I've eaten at their hot bar less but everything looks pretty yummy. I can definitely vouch for the egg rolls. Not the best I've ever had but if you're craving they will definitely do the trick. A small salad container (pay per weight though) and an egg roll will run you around $6 which I think it pretty reasonable. The cashiers are always fairly nice and fast. They never give me grief for using a credit card when only spending a few bucks, which is lovely. read more

I'm giving them that elusive 5th star! I've been going here for the past 2 years it looks like, and today they earned that 5th star. There was a billing problem with my credit card in that a simple accident resulted in my getting charged $110.78 instead of $10.78. Shit happens, so why do they get the 5th star for making the mistake? Because they solved the problem quickly, with respect, and a sincere apology. I didn't get any perk/extra in the process, I would have refused (hey it's a small business, be nice). I felt good walking out of there, need I say more? Good people here. read more

This is a very good market, and once again, this is one of those cases where I wish that Yelp allowed rating businesses in one-half star (i.e., 0.5 star) increments, because this place, in my estimation, really rates around 3.5 stars! They have a good selection of groceries and staple items, but best of all, they have, a very extensive self-serve take-out buffet section consisting of both cold and hot foods, and, while there are a few American foods among the selections, most of the foods are Korean or Chinese. They offer a very good selection, and the foods are always very good. Whenever I am staying in Philly, I frequently purchase take-out Asian foods from the buffet section of this shop, because the quality of all of their selections is uniformly very good, and, best of all, they do NOT use any MSG in preparing their foods. This latter fact is very important to me, because I happen to be among the many people in the world (including many Chinese) whose body, due to genetic inheritance, reacts to the ingestion of anything more than a trace of MSG with massive headaches. I very much appreciate that they do not use MSG in their buffet take-out foods! I also want to mention that I always find all of the employees, staff and managment (most of them seem to be Korean) of this shop to be unfailingly, kind, helpful and polite! read more

I will never go back to this place, buyers beware of their cooked food, the last two times I went here their food was cold not warm cold, then the lady had the nerve to tell me that its cold because they cut the food warmers off. Not sanitary at all. Not only that but my real turn off was a kid that literally put something back after it being on his plate. Never will I be back to this place. If i could leave no starts they would get no stars read more

VIP Market - Buffet - Beer, Wine & Spirits Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

I love this place! They sell the most comprehensive selection of Japanese condiments and pantry items in Center City (outside of ChinaTown and Washington Avenue).I love popping in for interesting cooking ingredients and almost ready to eat Japanese convenience (just add hot water) foods. I can't wait to visit again!!! read more

This is a convenient corner store that does stock a wide selection. And as usual with corner stores, you pay a premium for the convenience. But to me, the prices at VIP Market are high even for a corner store. I should also mention they strictly enforce a credit card minimum of $7. They will turn away a sale instead of taking a credit card when you don't have enough cash to cover a purchase. And they also don't accept $100 bills. When you factor the two together, it seems like a cash register squeeze play. I treat this store as a last resort option. And when I do have to pick up an item or two there, it feels like an epic fail. Unfortunately, it's been months since I had to do the walk of shame into the VIP Market to make a purchase. read more

Always friendly, great selection of everything; beer, snacks, drinks, and hot food. They have a lot of vegetarian options at their deli which is awesome. I stop in often for breakfast and lunch, try the kimchi fries, sounds weird but tastes so good! They do take credit cards, but it's a $5 minimum. read more

This is basically a standard corner store with a mediocre salad bar and no bullet proof cage for the cashiers. The "chinese and american food" offerings are sub par to down right bad. Meatloaf and meatballs in the same lukewarm metal serving platter floating in what I can only assume is canned brown gravy. It reminded me of tires and other car parts I once saw half-submerged in a muddy swamp. The general tso's chicken looked like medical waste no high ranking military official would serve his troops. I garauntee your salad/meal by the pound will end up being more expensive than you anticipated. read more

Charged $6 for a small container of white rice. Never coming here again

What an awesome little market. They have an entire salad bar to make whatever you please. Their beer selection is absolutely insane. They have so many different breweries represented. If I had to guess, 200 different beers in their fridge. The best part, the prices are really good for this type of store. They also carry a wide selection of cigarettes, which is nice because my brand is usually difficult to find in smaller stores. If you're in the neighborhood, check it out. I thought it was surprisingly good. read more

I love this place! Herbert is the best! They have the best beer selection around. You can get top beers from top breweries all over the country. I definitely recommend this place. read more

Good managing store a lot of different beers and the hot food is always fresh I go there almost everyday!

Defiant a great place to go when you're in a hurry and want to pick up a quick, but hearty bite! Try out the buffet or get a sandwich from the deli. Prices are also reasonable. read more

Excellent value and one of the most interesting assortment of food items I've ever seen. Its mostly Korean but some dishes include avocado and / or mango, and they also have Dolmas (rice wrapped with grape leaves = Greek). Outstanding beer selection and very well priced, but you can't drink it in the store - take out only. read more

VIP is an okay place to pick up sodas & some groceries. Not amazing, not bad, maybe ready for a good cleaning but I was there at the end of a long day. All the other customers were kids buying beer and munchies, I'll assume that they were older than they looked. This market was okay but I liked the one next door better. read more

VIP Market - Beer, Wine & Spirits Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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I'm a person who likes convenience and reduced regulation, so it's not surprising that I get annoyed with Pennsylvania's draconian liquor/beer laws. Knowing how this state works, I kept an eye out for a beer store all the way back from the art museum to our hotel on 12th street. I think we might have made it all the way back before we had to turn around and cover a few more streets to finally find this place. A place that easily sells beer in Pennsylvania without having to go into a bar or be fooled by a place that only sells liquor and wine?!? Ho my! read more

I haven't been to VIP market since i moved to south philly and have Hung Vuong right around the corner, but i used to go here all the time to grab Japanese ingredients for cooking. They had products that i just couldnt get in West Philly. They even have fresh produce. I've bought Japanese eggplants and yams here. I also like the beer selection. Everything is reasonably priced. I haven't tried the salad bar but it always looks and smells tempting. I'm almost positive i've had an American hoagie from here (i get them wherever i go) and i believe it was perfectly acceptable. Yes, the newer, flashier Citi Marketplace opened right next door, but VIP has things that Citi simply does not. Namely Japanese ingredients and beer. read more

It's not often that there is an issue with a deli but I had one with this one. We currently travel to Philly about once a month and go here for take out beer and food. With the weather being too cold to eat outside, we have bought beer here every night of our stay. When we opened one of the beers last night, the top of the bottle cracked and glass fell in. I went back the following morning with the bottle and they wouldn't give store credit. Very short sighted- there are Walgreens, CVS and Wawa all in the same area and plenty of other choices for take out beer. I won't be returning. read more

My name is Oggie. I work on Chancellor St, a block away from the VIP Market, so i go there often for lunch. I am a vegetarian, so my favorite meal there is the vegetarian chicken VIP sandwich. I also do the salad bar and buffet there. The ingredients for everything i have tried there are always fresh and well prepared if cooked. The products, the market offers are reasonably priced for its location in CC. The staff is really friendly and helpful. All and all, this market in particular represents an excellent place to stop by and enjoy a good culinary experience on the go. read more

Excellent and affordable salad bar in a convenient spot. Blows sweetgreen out of the fricking theatre. They accept cash here, as any free market business would. Huge beer selection though I'd trade half of the "craft" beers for racks of real beer like Rolling Rock, Hi Life and Narragansett read more

VIP used to be the only show in town across the street from my office in terms of lunch and convenience items. The salad bar has a range of choices from hot entrees to cold dishes and fruits and vegetables. It's pretty good with lots of healthy options. Vegetarian and non-veg. They sell beer, 'nuff said. Tea, milk, cookies, etc. I've never gotten a sandwich here before; it's not obvious that one can buy a sandwich here. Therein is the start of my discussion on a major problem. Being in the store feels unpleasant, sickly. It is poorly-designed and laid out. It's often overlooked, but there actually is a dine-in section in the back that's about as well-lit as a cave. Who wants to sit down and eat there (although I have seen some people brave the elements)? As soon as Citi-Marketplace opened next door, that's where I go every day. Citi-Marketplace does interior design right. VIP really needs an interior and exterior overhaul if they indeed want to draw more customers. read more

Cheap bastards. We bought a beer and when we opened the bottle, the glass around the rim shattered. We went in to return the $3 beer and they would absolutely not let us return it or even buy a different beer. Horrible customer service! Don't go there. Businesses like this one are run by scheisters! read more