Berkeley Parents Network: Markets & Grocery Stores

Berkeley Parents Network

Markets & Grocery Stores

Berkeley Parents Network > Reviews > What/Where to Buy > Food Shopping & Purchase > Markets & Grocery Stores

Andronicos

From: Wendy (5/98)

Andronicos on Shattuck and Cedar sells organic strawberries, but not the Andronicos on Solano.

Berkeley Bowl

Re: Organic food store for family shopping (July 2002)
I can usually find everything organic that I need at Berkeley Bowl on Shattuck Ave in Berkeley. They have a large selection of organic produce, some organic breads, canned goods, snack foods, cereals, etc. I know they have certified organic chicken and I believe they have certified organic meats. If you get there on the earlier side of the morning parking and check out lines are not too bad. June

Re: Organic food store for family shopping (July 2002)
The place to shop for organic foods of all shapes, sizes and varieties is The Berkeley Bowl. It's located off Shattuck Ave. near Ashby. I have been going there for years. They have the best prices and most incredible variety of fruits and veggies as well as bulk/bin items like rice, pasta and honey all under one roof. They also offer the staples like toilet tissue, toothpaste, etc. but can be a bit more pricey than say Target. I do recommend, however, that you avoid ''The Bowl'' (as it is known to many) on the weekends. It is so incredibly crowded inside and the parking(or lack thereof) is quite limited. Make sure you write a list because there is so much to buy, it can be overwhelming. Have fun! anne

Re: Organic food store for family shopping (July 2002)
The biggest store with the most selection of organic produce, meat and all other food and household items is Berkeley Bowl. It seems always to be busy there no matter what time or day but, it has excellent selection and quality. If you have patience/are close by it is worth it. Nicole

Re: Organic food store for family shopping (July 2002)
My family and I buy organic as much as possible. We spend more but believe that the health benefits far outweigh the cost of organic foods. Organic meats can be found at Whole Foods and Berkeley Bowl. Organic produce can be found at the Farmers Market on Tuesdays and Saturdays in Berkeley, at Berkeley Bowl and for more money and less selection at Whole Foods. I recommend buying bulk organic pasta, rice, beans, etc at Berkeley Bowl to save money. I haven't noticed family size packages of organic food products. Good luck! Suzanna

Re: Organic food store for family shopping (July 2002)
You can't beat Berkeley Bowl for organic selection at reasonable prices all under one roof. The main problem is the crowds, which can be overwhelming. Elaine

From: Suzanne (5/98)

Re: organic strawberries
I've bought wonderful organic strawberries at the Berkeley Bowl.

Berkeley Natural Grocery

From: Melissa (5/98)

Re: organic strawberries: Berkeley Natural Grocery at Gilman carries them.

El Cerrito Natural Grocery

Re: Organic food store for family shopping (July 2002)
You didn't say where you live, but El Cerrito Natural Grocery on San Pablo ave and Stockton in EC has a meat counter called Armand's Meats. They have certified organic meat and poultry. Their prices are higher than Berkeley Bowl, but sometimes I'm willing to pay extra for convenience. June

Re: Organic food store for family shopping (July 2002)
[Besides Whole Foods,] El Cerrito Natural Grocery (San Pablo Ave at Stockton) or Berkeley Natural Grocery (Hopkins just above the BART tracks) also have quite a good selection of organic items and produce, and carry many of the staple items you mention. Gayle & Tim Re: Organic food store for family shopping (July 2002)
I have begun to drive out to El Cerrito Natural Grocery on San Pablo Ave. because it is small yet has great selection of org. produce and other items and seems to be a tiny bit cheaper. The meat dept. is small but if you want one-stop shopping it might work for you. I like it because it is never busy, small, and my daughter gets a balloon every time we check out! There is a sister store on Gilman St. in Berkeley which is much smaller/cramped and no meat dept. Nicole

Monterey Market

Re: Organic food store for family shopping (July 2002)
I found Monterey Market (Monterey/Hopkins)in Berkeley to have better prices than Berkeley Bowl on produce. Is that what others have found? Susan

From: Melissa (5/98)

Re: organic strawberries: Berkeley Natural Grocery at Gilman carries them, as does the Monterey Market, which is usually cheaper. I got some great ones there last week for just over 1 dollar a basket.

From: Suzanne (5/98)

I've bought wonderful organic strawberries lately at Monterey Market.

Trader Joe's

Re: Organic food store for family shopping (July 2002)
I find organic milk, cereals, eggs, and some nuts & snack foods at Trader Joe's to be cheaper. One will be coming to the El Cerrito Plaza within 6 months I believe they said. Susan

Whole Foods

Re: Organic food store for family shopping (July 2002)
I think also Whole Foods on Telegraph and Ashby has organic everything. Their prices are also high.I rarely go there but the times I have they seemed to have lots of organic. Good luck June

Re: Organic food store for family shopping (July 2002)
Have you tried Whole Foods, on the corner of Ashby and Telegraph? This a wonderful, huge natural grocery store with almost any organic item you could want. They have beautiful organic meats, poultry and produce, as well as a very extensive fresh, prepared foods counter and a very nice fish counter. Although the parking lot may seem crowded at times, I rarely have to wait much in line, since they have a lot of cash registers. The prices are also very reasonable, especially compared to some other stores. We drive from El Cerrito to Whole Foods to do almost all our grocery shopping. El Cerrito Natural Grocery (San Pablo Ave at Stockton) or Berkeley Natural Grocery (Hopkins just above the BART tracks) also have quite a good selection of organic items and produce, and carry many of the staple items you mention. Gayle & Tim

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