Sobeys Urban Fresh

A solid choice for a downtown, everyday lunch. This isn’t your typical Sobeys; Urban Fresh caters to the downtown crowd, meaning a lot of great lunch options (salad bar, baked pasta, soups and hot meals) as well as smaller portions of chicken, fish, etc. for the young professional living on their own. If you purchase a meal here, there is pretty comfortable bistro seating for you to use as you eat. Or, in the summertime, step next door to Beaver Hills park; there are tons of picnic tables on the sidewalk.
Be sure to come by on Thursdays for the Wicked Thai soup — it’s delicious, featuring mushrooms, rice, and chicken. Yum.
Urban Fresh’s pricing is competitive with other Sobeys. Lunch options range from $ 4 (soup and a bun) to $ 10 (hot meal). Grocery products perhaps slightly more expensive than average.
The lines can get really long between 12:00 — 1:00pm, so try to get in before the mad rush; you’ll have more selection this way, too!
Customer service has always been friendly here, and I’m happy to stop by once or twice a week.

Good service at this location, I can always count on friendly faces and service here. This Sobey’s is best for a quick stop though, when you need to pick up some last minute ingredients for dinner or didn’t pack a lunch that day. For these reasons, this location is insane come lunch time! Go in the morning on weekdays, no later than 11:30am if you want to beat the afternoon rush.
Prices are generally a bit higher at Sobey’s compared to say Superstore, but the quality is generally higher too. Some items are a really good deal when they do go on sale, like eggs and some produce. And their sushi is delicious for a quick lunch.
But you might not find everything you need here. I found it hard to find cold medicine and lozenges. Also there’s no guarantee for deals you see in the flyer, it depends on whether they carry it at all at that location. Like I said, good for a few things needed here and there, but don’t plan your whole grocery trip here.

I’ve probably shopped here since they’ve opened.
Actually, I was there for the grand opening.
I’ve seen them change throughout the years.
I remember they started out targeting Foodies, rich yuppies, hipsters, etc.
Now they’ve realized that it’s more profitable to sell shaving supplies and deoderant than truffle oil.
Keep trying, Edmonton.
Actually, I would be suffering if it weren’t for Sobeys. Keep it up guys.

We were in Edmonton for four days on a business trip, and the hour we spent browsing Sobeys ranked as one of the best things we did. That rating is relative to the fact that we were working the whole time and sleeping in a hotel room inside the mall (?!?), but still!
Myles at the deli counter is wonderful. He is now my favorite person to go to for meat and cheese advice, which is sad because I don’t live in Edmonton, I live in Seattle, so he’s now very far away. He was delightful and helpful and kind and funny and we kind of just wanted to hang out with him later. Ditto for the charming checker guy whose name I can’t remember. Canadians are so nice! Everyone knows that. But they are also, judging by these two people, really funny and people we want to be friends with.
So long, Edmonton, and thanks for all the cheese (and fruit and crackers and …). Our hotel room picnic was a delicious success thanks to Sobeys and Myles and the guy whose name I can’t remember.

This smaller Sobey’s store seems to specialize in gourmet pick up and go lunch options for the downtown work crowd as well as gourmet meat, cheese, and seafood. Overall however you obviously won’t find as much as you would in a normal Sobey’s store or any major grocery store for that matter. All Sobey’s store’s including this one offer dollar days which is a great opportunity to fill up your fridge and cupboards. I went in today for one item and left with three bags including waffles, frozen pizza, juice, and salad for all of $ 21.00. With that being said however the store looked pretty picked over and it didn’t look like the staff were planning to fill up the shelves anytime soon. Infact there isn’t really a strong staff presence in this store in general. The people up front at the tills have always been lovely but I find it difficult to locate people out on the sales floor and when I do see somebody they rush past me too quickly for me to try and stop them to ask a question. This is a great place to get supplies to cook up a special meal for a loved one or to take advantage of dollar days but I would have a hard time if I had to rely on this store for all my weekly grocery needs.

This Sobey’s is convenient downtown and ideal for those looking for a hot lunch during the workday. That is when it’s busiest and when I stay away so I don’t have to face the long lines. What I do like is if I need to pick up a few things, it’s close to work and a good break to walk over.
It’s a small store though, and you might not find everything you need. Likely due to limited space and items not selling, they would have clearance items marked for cheap. I was able to get bbq sauce, tea bags, pasta, and juice for about 40−70% off regular price. I’m not sure if they do this regularly but it’s something to look for when I’m there.
The staff are friendly and good thing they got rid of the one cashier that wasn’t.

I go here for a few reasons: 1) taking the LRT limits my time outside, and in the dead of winter I’m willing to pay more for my groceries if it means I don’t suffer frostbite, 2) they have an excellent selection of deli meats and cheeses so I can gorge myself on Tuscan ham and Edam cheese to my heart’s content and 3) they sell things in small portions which is perfect for singles and couples who often are the neglected demographic at big grocery stores that cater to families of four or more. The downsides are yes, the prices, but moreso the lack of fresh produce. I know I’m a spoiled citizen of the western world and I feel guilty that I even have the audacity to complain about this, but there is slim pickings when it comes to fresh vegetables, fruits and herbs. I feel like no matter what day or time of day I go, everything has been picked over and all that’s left is bruised and overripe-​starting-​to-​go-​bad. On the upside, you can get hot french bread daily for 99-​cents, and who can say no to that?

Let me begin by saying, This is a great location. I have never been to another Sobey’s so I have nothing to compare it to.
However, others say this one is smaller than most. It is centrally located downtown, which I find to be quite lovely when I am in Edmonton.
Easy to walk to from the hotel where our company puts us for business.
They have a lot of choices, you can even get Salad bar by the pound. Or kilo I guess.
I find their selection to be really good. Very nice food items and very fresh.
The one thing I do not love is the prices, SO HIGH!
But, this is Canada. At least there is no GMO in anything here.
I have been in here about 10 times total. Sometimes the checkers are really nice and you can ask them questions
Other times, the nasty ones are here. But, hey everyone is fighting their own battle right. That what I always try to think.
Anyway, if you are close to the lovely downtown Edmonton area and you need some food items, i would highly recommend this Sobeys!

I have mixed feelings about this Sobeys. It’s smaller than most, but it’s location is prime. I feel they don’t have the selection that all grocery stores do, but I did go here on a Sunday night which is the worst possible time to grocery shop — do not do this, there is nothing fresh left. This Sobeys however does have it’s redeeming qualities there is definitely more organic and local food, but there isn’t a bulk section for flour or spices. Over all, I would have to agree with previous Unilocalers that the prices are higher. Maybe I should give this location a bit more of a chance.

There is too much to dislike about this location, I beg Gordon Ramsey to do a ‘Hotel Hell’ — like makeover here. I am certain that if there was a Ramsey redo then he would start with getting rid of 75% staff because they are not into their jobs, display a really bad representation for the company and are just darn complacent: sobey’s really needs a good manager at this store. They need a manager that oversees employee’s customer service attitudes and corrects bad or ignorant behaviour. As well, the manager needs oversight into the sanitation and hygiene of the employee’s personal habits, work habits and structure of the store. Check out the disgusting nicotine habit on full display outside the store on 104 street, employees smoking while wearing their food service aprons… this is just plain gross.
As well, management needs to educate staff that gloves in the food service and preparation areas are meant to function as single use as the staff at subway sandwich clearly understand. Gloves are not meant to wear for the employee’s protection! Gloves are only supposed to be used for a single procedure: in other words, deli staff when you put on a pair after washing you hands thoroughly with soap and water, you are only meant to use those gloves for instance handling and cutting deli meats. You must then throw the gloves away, not walk around touching everything in sight such as the labeling machine, cupboards, etc. — ever heard of cross contamination people?
Food borne illness can be extremely serious (from little symptoms of illness to downright severe as in death!): which is why I get so excited and revile the really bad habits that seem rampant in this store.
Basically, there appears to be little guidance in this store for ordering and stocking realistic and useable items. I had a good laugh when i came across the septic tank cleaner when everybody within the city limits is on a community sewer system, why on earth would they take up valuable shelf space trying to sell an item that nobody has use for… if this sobey’s was located rurally then no problem, stock septic tank cleaner where people are on individual sewage systems.
It annoys me that the ordering department is so complacent particularly when they will not stock the garbage bags that are advertised in their sale flyers due to lack of space as told to me yet they stock a ridiculous item like the outhouse cleaner.
Next, the long hot holding of the bbq chicken. They will place their cooked chickens in the hot holding unit at about 2:45 and leave the chickens in there for well over 4.5 hours. Problem with this is: if the chicken is sitting at a temperature of less than 60 C degrees then the left-​over and unsold chicken must be discarded (garbage, not recycled into their salad bar) at the 2 hour sitting mark. There is no way for the customer to determine the temperature of the chicken since there are no thermometers in plain view to see that the chicken is resting at what should be at least 60 degrees Celsius (and if it is indeed at least 60 degree C then the chicken can sit drying out for as much as 4 hours). Btw, 60 degrees is the magical temperature in food safety because pathogens will not proliferate at Temps above 60 degreesC. However, if the foods reside at a temperature of less than 60 C, then the food is sitting a great incubation zone for micro-​organism growth and that means that you would be buying a product that is quite likely highly contaminated!
I could go on and on but nobody wants to read a book on food sanitation and hygiene — just be aware and observe whether you want to shop at a high risk establishment.

Expensive and not good for a full grocery shop. Low level of available parking.

I need to give the Downtown Sobey’s props due to its sheer convenience. If you need to pick up something last minute for an office pot luck, or if you need to grab some veggies before heading home from work, it works well. Produce prices are not cheap, but surprisingly reasonable considering the location, but this may be due to Sobey’s’ recent initiative to lower prices.

Downtown Edmonton is kind of a bore — i guess a bit different than what i am used too! So looking for something fast and semi-​healthy there is nothing around — and then i saw Sobeys! It basically is just a grocery store, but at least this one is in a good area, and is open late! When i was in edmonton for a few days last month — i frequented there.

this place is terrible! the line ups are soooo long and the veggies are often out of stock or old looking. i am not impressed. OVERPRICED!!!

This seems like a fancier version of your typical grocery store. Prices are higher, but they have more organic and specialty items. Hot food is available to eat in or take with you. Sushi bar is a nice touch, though didn’t try any.

Im just going to speak to the lunch experience. I used to drive to the Whyte ave/​U/​A location for lunch, and me thinks I will continue to do this after coming here. All I can say is that, if you experienced the other place for lunch, then you wont be pleased with this place. Soup and sandwiches were not located together so you had to fuss with the crowds. Unmarked sandwiches in Hot press make for confusing times. Where is the home stye cooked food selection like Whyte ave? Pasta and thats all? really? Go to the other place and you will never tire of the selections, including wrapped meatloaf or dinners. The counters etc today were dirty with messes. If management was a can of nuts, this place would have a corn nut mixed in it.

I’ve got mixed feelings about this shop — hence the mediocre rating.
It’s demographically apt. That neighbourhood, the 104^th Street area from Jasper Ave to about 103 Ave has gone totally high-​end. Lots of lofts and la-​ti-​da condos. I have a friend who lives there, I’m just being honest! Yay for downtown revitalization. I mean that most sincerely.
So, if you’re going to this particular Sobeys expecting it to be an ordinary Sobeys that’s just located downtown, you’ll be disappointed. It isn’t your standard, big box grocery store. Think more grocery boutique. Not exactly the place to go when you run out of toilet paper.
I’m not going to tear the place apart completely, I just thought I’d get the critique out of the way first.
As mentioned, it’s a small space but I must say that the space is very well used. I’m very impressed with the layout. You walk in and see the deli, sushi counter, and produce sections as well as the checkouts. They don’t have self-​checkouts (in case you were wondering) but I’ve never had to wait long. If I were rating layout alone, this store would get 5 stars because unlike conventional grocery outlets, you don’t need to shop the perimeter of the store to be healthy. The few, short aisles of packaged foods they do offer are sort of toward the back of the store.
Being on a prime corner of Jasper Avenue, they make it convenient to go in, order from the deli or sushi bar, and leave in no time flat. It’s very practical if you work in the neighbourhood and have a limited amount of time for lunch. Deli offerings are awesome, too. Today I saw some asparagus, chicken breasts that were boneless, skinless, and grilled with a variety of flavours to choose from. Lots of great, healthy choices. They do warn that some items contain or may come in contact with soy (my allergy) and sesame but at least it’s where you can see it and I’m sure you could ask for more info. Convenience comes at a cost of course but as far as healthy choices go I’d say it’s worth it.
Anyhow, today I was a good girl and stuck to my list. I’m preparing a Shepherds Pie and was happy that I could purchase a couple of sticks of celery and two big carrots on their own without needing to buy a full stalk or bag of them. The carrots are already cleaned and ready to go. The only canned item I got was corn and it was reasonable (under $ 1 for a can). I had to buy some beef stock which I found hidden way behind the chicken stock (sorry Sobeys but I misplaced about a dozen of the chicken stock and didn’t return them since I had to reach so far back for the beef). I got the store brand olive oil at a reasonable price, too.
I simply can’t rave enough about the layout. So, at the risk of redundancy, I must say that I enjoyed the selection of cheese available and the packaged meat looked fresh. The frozen food is also toward the back of the store near the aisles. Easy to avoid if you’re trying to stay healthy.
If you know what to expect, it’s a great store. I got to try out my new Sobeys card. I noticed they carry locally roasted coffee beans (St. City Roasters of St. Albert).
I just gave it another star for the layout and the fact that I was able to overcome temptation. Worth a browse for sure.

Sobey’s Urban Fresh is a fancier version of Save-​On and Safeway. Somehow, everything in the store looks fresher, juicier and extremely appetizing. The prices are high due to this store’s downtown location. I assume that lots of downtown office workers come here for lunch, and buy groceries after work. Prices at regular Sobeys, without the «Urban Fresh» part are much more democratic.
I have to admit that this grocery store looks very inviting and rather posh. On any given day, there are quite a few shoppers inside, so I guess people are not deterred by high prices. Everything, from meat, fish and bread to sauces, fruits and vegetables is sold at elevated prices. On the shelves there are lots of imported foods such as jams and sauces. The deli section, where you will find an array of meats, cheeses and seafood, is rather good. But in all honesty, Sobey’s Urban Fresh is not all that. I just can’t make my peace with the fact that due to this grocery store’s fabulous downtown location, everything is more expensive than it ought to be.
I don’t shop at Sobey’s Urban Fresh very often. I mostly do so when I am downtown, and need to grab a couple items for the dinner. I would never make a conscious effort to drive to this store, spend who knows how much time finding parking, and then spending my hard earned money on the products that cost less at all other stores across the city. Shopping at Urban Fresh is like a treat that should be enjoyed in moderation.

When I heard they were building a Sobeys on Jasper, I was happy just because of how close and convenient it would be. But now that it’s been here for a while, I find myself walking right by it on my way to Save on Foods.
Sobeys is great for convenience, and good for a couple rarities they have once and a while. The prices are higher, and there’s nothing that really justifies it, considering their competition, with lower prices, are only a few blocks away.
When they first opened, they sold things like Kangaroo tail and other completely foreign products that had no real reason to be there other than for the «wow thats’ different» factor. I have’nt seen any Roo for a while.
They do have some decent sales in the meat department at times though. I find some pretty great deals on chicken sometimes, and I like the fact that they have bison and other game. The game isn’t always consistant, but I like that it’s there.
They do have a café area, and a large section of the store is a dedicated kitchen, where they make salads, sandwiches and all kinds of dishes. For this reason, it’s a pretty popular place for lunch. I work downtown, and I’ve went in quite a few times for their wrap sandwiches (a nice healthy alternative to mallfood or subway) and other things. Everything I’ve had was really fresh, and though the lines were long, they move fast.
I know in their café area they also serve beers/​drinks, but I’ve never sat down, simply for the fact that I’d feel kinda weird doing that in a grocery store. They also have live jazz some nights, I think weekends, but can’t tell you exactly on what nights.
On a random note, I saw Akon shopping in here one day :/​
I think if your going to get your big order of groceries, go down the road to Save on or Safeway. if you just need a few things, and your nearby, Sobey’s is really handy.

My visit to Sobeys Urban Fresh yesterday made me not care about their high prices and just love the whole place in general. I found some amazing Edmonton-​made chocolate – expensive, but good!
Also, I didn’t notice before, but there are so many organic items here and even some gluten-​free! The sushi bar has vegan sushi too!
I also got the Havarti cheese from the deli again. It was so good; I ate all 7 slices in one night. My somewhat lactose-​intolerant stomach paid the price.