I love Wheatsfield, as it provides terrific food and lifestyle options without compromising my overall experience. The overall vibe of the place is calming, which helps me in these hectic times. Private parking lot, great layout, helpful staff who know their store. Excellent produce. Terrific deli and meat market. Numerous options that you cannot obtain in most store. Located just West of downtown Ames. I try to stop here every time that I am in Ames, as I find items that I cannot get elsewhere, and they add to my quality of life. Some interesting food options always intrigue me too! read more

What i really love so much about here is that even on their hot bar there is always something available for the vegetarian or vegans!!! I also love their juice bar and always get a juice to go. It is their hot bar that I love the most but especially their soups! It is hard to find any vegetarian soups but they always have at least one! So far every soup I have tried, I have enjoyed a lot! A few times after getting a small bowl for there, I get a big bowl to go. I also enjoy their deli too. I love how they even have vegan options there too! I don't do much grocery shopping there but usually go for the food lol. It really is a little hidden gem! Ended up becoming a member a few years ago because of how much I love their hot bar! Other part I love, they have some of the most amazing bread made in shop, not always lucky enough to get some but when I do, it has to be best bread around! read more

Great selection of natural foods. Pricey, but not more so than other natursl foods groceties. A membership helps. Good downtown location with plenty of parking. The employees are always helpful and very friendly. read more

Like that they have vegan options. Service is good and people are friendly. Nice size store and always clean.

Located just west of Main Street, I had driven past many times but never stopped by. My roommate wanted to check it out so I tagged along. The store is well maintained, clean, and looks modern. It's not huge and there are maybe about 10 aisles of products and then places to order food around the perimeter. The products they carry are typical of a health market- lots of organic, gluten free, and vegan options available. They had many samples out in different varieties which was a great surprise. They had lots of local products. My friend especially likes the wine selection and appreciates that they carry local varieties. All the produce was nicely arranged and looked fresh. The employees are knowledgeable and willing to help you if you have any questions. I didn't have to wait in line to check out even though it was a busy Saturday. read more

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Buy a membership! I found out they had Student Memberships for $20 per year. I jumped on it and bought one for my daughter. Why? We love the prepared foods. Organic, sustainably sourced ingredients made the soups refreshing and pastas super delicious. One of my favorite items was their sandwiches. The groceries were fresh and pretty. The best item at the store was their Kombucha on draft. The strawberry and cumin flavor was amazing. They have refillable Growlers just for Kombucha. read more

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The food is so good I love it I think that the people in there are very friendly it is a good place to have a good lunch with your friends are you boyfriend or girlfriend read more

The people who work there aren't super friendly. I always feel out of place just trying to find some healthier options for my family. I got chicken already cooked today and it was hard and over cooked. The basil Parmesan pasta was really good. read more

Great cooperative/grocery store. I mainly go here to grab a lunch. Good vegetarian sandwiches, both hot and cold.

One of the only places in Ames where I can find allergen friendly options. They have a great selection and fresh hot food as well. It is a bit pricey but you are supporting a local business. Will definitely continue shopping there. read more

Desperately needs more vegan food options in the deli. Overall a good store but very predictable and basic. I like the outdoor seating but the only decent vegan option is the smoked tempeh Reuben. Yawn. read more

I've been here a handful of times since I've lived in Ames, and I must honestly admit that I've been treated amazingly. The staff has always been extremely helpful - even if my questions were dumb - and no one ever gave me a "holier than thou" attitude or anything. This co-op is open to the public for shopping as well, but members will enjoy a discount off their purchases. I'd shop here more often (honestly), but the prices are higher than "non-organic" versions, so this is a store I only tend to come to when I specifically am seeking out a good selection of REAL and organic items. For example, this latest time, I was looking for a shampoo that would have minimal toxins instead of my current mainstream shampoo. They had an entire little section that must have had at least 30/40 varieties to choose from. Not all of them were toxin-free (being organic doesn't guarentee that), but using information from the Cosmetic Database and comparing to the available items, I found one that was minimally problematic. They also carry a lot of stuff that you can't get anywhere else in town. By a lot, I mean A LOT. When it comes to beauty products, they carry the "standard" Burt's Bees that you'd find anywhere else all over town, but they also carry 10-15 other brands. It gives you a very nice selection. Also, while the health-food section at Hy-Vee carries about 5 essential oils, this Co-Op has an INSANE amount. I didn't count, but it has to be 60+. So, basically, while I don't come here for my regular grocery run, I love knowing that it's in town and buying from there when I can or want to see a full, natural selection. It's more expensive than I'd like, but I really love the atmosphere and the "small business" feel that it has going on, so I really prefer to support them when I can. The employees actually seem happy and like they enjoy themselves, the store is clean, simple, and easy to navigate, and everything is honestly so peaceful. Love this place. read more

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Although I don't live in Ames so am not a member, I have stopped by Wheatsfield several times when in town. They have a great smoothie bar, and, although a small store, they have everything one would need. The organic produce selection is stellar, the baked goods I have tried are delicious (get the cardamom raisin bread if they have a loaf!), a great variety of smoothies, friendly staff, a polished store, and plenty of free wi-fi and seating to work, talk, or just relax with your treats. This is a grocery store, so you can enjoy a snack or deli meal and make sure you have everything you need to take home for your own creations! read more

I stopped in at the Wheatsfield Coop this afternoon. I had previously shopped at the previous smaller location that was next to the Octagon in the centre of Downtown Ames. And as it turns out, my parents are members! By Bay Area or Portland Standards, Wheatsfield is still a modest (albeit roomier) enterprise. The store is on the West end of Main Street and offers generous parking. I was impressed with its selection, in addition to a separate Deli and seating areas. It appears to serve its Ames clientele well and is definitely worth your grocery store business consideration. read more

Love Wheatsfield with all my heart! This is the place in Ames that you are guaranteed to be welcomed with a huge smile! The knowledge of the staff is 2nd to none and the selection of great quality food and supplements is 2nd to none! I have been a member here since 2006 and have had the opportunity to see the store grow over the last few years into one of the finest Co-Op's I have ever been too! They have a great salad bar, hot bar, bakery goods, deli goods if you are looking for meals on the run! They have a huge produce department, and huge bulk section. Lots of Coffee's and tea's, meats, and beers, and all the packaged Vegan goodies one would want! They have Wi-Fi so you can grab a coffee and meal and sit here and work! They also do great classes and are so community oriented! This is the place I will be a member at till I'm gone, even though I live in Des Moines now I love and support this store! read more

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I love Wheatsfield! They have a great selection of organic items at good prices. Their new location on Northwestern is far better than the previous downtown location and that has allowed them to become bigger and offer a wider selection for co-op members and the general public. They have a small cafe/deli on site and they serve up some good sandwiches and fresh salads. Most importantly, the selection of organic and local items is what sets them apart from places like Fresh Thyme market. The staff are knowledgeable, friendly and can offer good recommendations. My only complaint is their soap and shampoo selection. I feel it's pretty slim. They also could offer more bulk foods. Otherwise Wheatsfield is a great local food source. read more

It's a pretty good health food store. I'm not 100% certain but I think they also participate in fair trade. There's also little items like wooden travel utensils, books, scarves, and so on, but primarily it's a health food store selling groceries and prepared foods in a little deli section. The food is pretty awesome and there's a ton of local produce and product. The in store made hummus is seriously fantastic, I could eat buckets of it. It is on the pricey side but these types of stores are. They frequently have sales and specials so instead of spending $18 on a 4 oz jar of something you're only spending $10. read more

Wheatsfield is like the Target of food: you go in for one thing and come put $120 poorer. I'm not saying that it's expensive, it is, I mean I go in and get dazzled by all the great looking produce and chocolates and breads and beer and cheese and deli options and say "why yes, I can eat this all for lunch today"and then leave having to carry things in my hands because I didn't bring enough canvas bags. Wheatsfield is kryptonite to my wallet, but I love it. Staff are so friendly, laid back and helpful. They're always in a good mood and they love food. Don't you love people who love food as much as you do? Let's be friends and talk about carrots, wheatsfield employees. Aside from having great staff, wheatsfield has an awesome selection of local, organic and ethically sourced items. Plus, the deli, butcher and bakery are fantastic. I'm a big fan of their Italian sandwich, their freshly made juices, their chorizo, the stuffed pork chops, ciabatta bread, and their delicious salads. Oh, the hot bar is also quite good. As is their chocolate cake. And the sourdough bread. And their muffins. You get the idea. Now I'm hungry. read more

Will NOT go back! Had mask on, I have a medical condition & exemption card to not put mask around my nose, only on mouth. Rude ladies yelled & told me to get out. Sad ppl doesn't know a mandate from a ADA/disability federal law. read more

A very clean store and the staff are very friendly and helpful. Most days there are samples almost in every aisle. A nice selection of foods for all dietary needs in the cafe/deli. The classes are fun and very educational. read more

First, it smells great right when you walk in the door! The produce is fresh and beautiful. They offer a wide variety of bulk items (such as flours, oats, nuts, etc..) a wonderful selection of hard to find cheeses and their bread is to die for! Did I mention their wine selection? A very good wine selection for a small store and very reasonably priced. Only reason I didn't give it 5 stars is that it can be pricey. I couldn't imagine shopping for a large family at Wheatsfield but then it depends on your lifestyle. read more

We visited the new Wheatsfield Grocery location recently after an extended break of several years between visits. The larger size has allowed Wheatsfield to break out of it's traditional market of organic and sensitive eaters in to a much broader and full service grocery. There's a lot more to enjoy at the new store and we found it very entertaining to walk down the aisles to see a lot of specialty products that appeal to just about everyone. I am eagerly awaiting the possibility of eating at their full service deli. I thought it was particularly of note that there was a meat department with clearly labeled country of origin. Hands down the coolest feature of this place is the nut-butter bar located at the back of the building where you can purchase freshly prepared peanut, almond and cashew butter by the pound! They also give you a token discount of a nickel for bringing your own bags. So cool, we're planning on joining the co-op. read more

Not quite Whole Foods, but thank the gods they opened up a bigger store with prepared food. Not that the other store was lacking, but this store has more room, better produce, a HUGE bulk items area, and a larger meat and seafood selection. The ginger tempeh salad in the pre-made area is a must. Their soups are phenomenal and their wraps are pretty darn amazing. read more

Great place to stop. The staff keeps the food nice and fresh.

I became a member here a few years ago when some life-changing health issues meant I needed to change my diet to things I could not find much of in my local small town grocery. Eventually I moved to Ames, and continued to shop here. I don't shop my entire grocery list here, due to the expense, but do what I can to support a local store. The food selection is wonderful, and I'm crazy about the essential oil selection and Zum soaps. I frequent the deli and food bar on my lunch hour quite often and really enjoy the variety. So why just an A-OK rating? As has been mentioned more than a few times by previous reviewers, the staff are just not all that friendly or welcoming. I can count on one hand the number of times I've been greeted, smiled at, or even just been acknowledged. Not that the store can control this, but even fellow shoppers there seem a bit aloof or more-hipster-than-thou. I'll continue to shop there, but it's not generally a pleasant or comfortable experience. It's more of a get in, get what I need, and get out of there activity. Sad. read more

DO NOT SHOP HERE. THE EMPLOYEES WILL HARASS YOU! I have been shopping here for a long time and will never be going back. I had an incident where I was paying for my mom's groceries because she did not get paid until the next day. A few months earlier my mom's check bounced there when her bank account got hacked into and wiped. Wheatsfield knew this because she had called them and told them it was going to bounce and why. We were buying the groceries under her member account. I was paying with a check because my husband had my debit card. The woman proceeded to say you can't write a check here you are barred. I said that was not my check it was my mom's and there were extenuating circumstances that the manager was aware of so there should be no bar in the first place. After saying that she proceeded to ask me if I was sure I had money in my bank account to cover the check. I was appalled that this store is ok with letting cashiers speak to customers this way. I asked to speak to a manager who told me that she was so sorry and I would be contacted about remedying the situation, which I never was. When I went back the next time, the woman who had harassed me was almost following me like she thought I was going to steal something. read more

This store is pretty awesome. It's an alternative to your Whole Foods and Trader Joe's. It is a bit small though, but it is a co-op so you're not going to get everything you'd get at a WF here. However, its small, intimate feel makes up for that, especially if you're just popping in for a few things. One thing I did notice is - pricey! My, my... very pricey. But if you're going to eat healthy, this would be the place to head to. My favorite part was the peanut butters and almond butters you can get - you can even grind the nuts right there - now that's fresh! There is also a small serve-yourself food area, and a place to eat in the front of the store. I did not partake, but the soups looked delicious. The other foods looked so-so. I am assuming you can join the co-op, but I did not ask... um, mostly because I do not live in Iowa! Haha, but anyway, this is a cute little grocery store. read more

Terrible customer service, the women are very rude & unhelpful in this store. Love the products, dislike the customer service &, the cleanliness of the help/ppl working is also not good. read more

Not a member, so I cannot speak to the advantages of that, but a great place to find ingredients that we were used to having access to, like Tahini to make hummus. As others have mentioned, it is more expensive than regular grocery shopping but that's been the case for every Wheatsfield-like store I have been too (and you probably know what you are looking for if you go there). The food there is good, based on the one time we ate there, but we will be back. Great organic-market option to have in Ames and worth checking out. read more

What a wonderful experience delicious food fresh from local farms mindful of the environment very friendly people my new place to shop for good healthy fresh food thank you read more

Amazing selection. Grabbed a smoothie and sandwich for lunch and it was DELISH! I would highly recommend this store!

Wide bulk section. Delicious buffet (most people swoon over their soup). Large array of cheeses. Samples throughout the store! Decent prices for a co-op, and I appreciated the non-member specials--they kept me coming back and buying. Classes are well-organized, too. Went there for some kombucha scoby once and they weren't selling any, but one of the employees went out of her way to help me out (Thanks!!!). I still use that scoby today. read more

This place makes your shopping feel uncomfortable by acting like we were going to still from them. This will 1st and last. No star I prefer.

I was VERY disappointed when I visited today. The selection was pretty good, and the prices were decent considering it's mostly organic and a lot of it was local. My issue was less with the stock and the prices, and is based on the customer service. It was so terrible! I passed SIX workers and never got a greeting. Not only that, but no one smiled, said hello, asked me if I was finding everything alright, etc. I wanted to love the store, but the workers were very standoffish and frankly rude. Even the cashier pretty much ignored me! She didn't even take the time to tell me the total cost of my purchase. The whole transaction was silent. I left very disheartened and as of right now will not be returning. read more

This is a small community-owned health food store. It has a nice selection of items for a store so small and produce looked nice and fresh. Prices were reasonable for the items they carry. Checkout was fast and friendly. read more

This coop made my stay in Iowa much easier. They had everything I needed, the employees were friendly/helpful and the store is clean and organized. I wish their avocado oil was a little less expensive (I'm used to the huge costco one which was cheaper than the teenie one they're selling) but some of their organic fruit was cheaper & better looking than what we saw at Hyvee. Great frozen and fresh meat options and they even have very helpful posted placards talking about the farmers/ranchers. Next time I make it back to this area, Wheatsfield will be my first stop. read more

They have good sandwiches and cold salads. The hot bar has less (no) vegetarian option, at least the day when I went.

Once upon a time, I really craved sushi but the sushi places I wanted to go to weren't within a reasonable walking distance from my house (think very short). As I was snapchatting my sad, sad story, a friend told me to check out the sushi at Wheatsfield and low and behold, they had my California and spicy tuna rolls. The place, I've since then determined, was like a slice of heaven, a ray of sunshine, an ibuprofen after a crazy night drinking, all those things and more. Maybe I'm exaggerating. Maybe I just convinced myself to go get more sushi. Maybe I convinced you to check it out. Who knows? The staff is friendly, the organic selection is wonderful, and the location is ideal. Classy, convenient, and affordable! What a great business! read more

On the one hand this store is small, limited, and pricey, but that's in comparison to Whole Foods in Chicago where I just moved from and price is because it is organic, so it's just the name of the game. Although they're a coop and members pay a fee to join, the discounts are limited and hard to earn. It is a good place, if nothing else to find a variety of bulk foods and local beers and wines. The staff is young, hipster and friendly. The parking is generous and the hours are decent. I stopped by on a Sunday evening when most things nearby are closed but they were open, thank goodness. read more

This is pretty much the best place to buy groceries in Iowa. Pioneer Coop in Iowa City is a rival, but you won't be disappointed with Wheatsfield! You can trust that everything you buy here was selected by a staff that is almost sure to be more demanding than you. Awesome staff, always super nice. Plus they have classes and loads of deals for members, so become one! Oh and I love the signs telling you how many miles between the store and the source of each product. read more