Sobeys

This review is for the bakery section only. They were very helpful in making a birthday cake for my son’s one year celebration. The cake designers were extremely friendly and helpful, the end product was great, with a picture of Barney, which my son loves!
It would have been a 5 star experience, except my husband had to go there three times with three different usbs to get the picture of Barney because the usbs just didn’t seem to work with their computer.
Overall a great experience though, and cake was cute and delicious!

This review is exclusively for the NUTELLA CAFE that’s all over the news.
We had nutella crêpe’s there, while it was pretty good, it’s nothing very unique or newsworthy.
You can get the same crêpe in any good crêpe shop without the huge line thats there on the nutella section. I’d personally go to such a place once to try it out (*bragging rights*), but it wasn’t anything unique to make me go again.

This Sobeys is becoming better than 4 years ago, I can’t complain much. However the options are still limited and the prices are still pretty high. They do have some sales time to time but not a great ones. The customer service is definitely improved but not great. I had some problems with expired products and jars that have been open before. Check the product carefully, only then place it in your cart.
They also just opened Nutella Café right next to the entrance. Selling coffee, latte, crepes, etc.

PROS
Very friendly, competent staff (meat section especially)
You’ll find the occasional good price on packaged items
Express check out works better than most other units I’ve seen
Convenient, long hours
Their party pizzas are delicious
Not very busy outside of noon and 3−6PM, can actually be a pleasant shopping experience
CONS
They need to do something about the filthy street kids that loiter in front, openly package and sell drugs, and use the public bathroom for a variety of purposes, including washing their clothes. They also yell and curse at customers if customers are using the washroom when they want to. I’d be furious if I owned property in that building. Where’s management? There were like 10 of them sleeping in the front this morning, blocking one of the paths to the front door off of Spadina.
Produce is overpriced (for some items, Rabba can be cheaper!)
Caters more towards singles, so there’s not really bulk discounts for packaged foods

Two stars for location alone. If you live in the City Place or Fort York condo city area of Toronto like myself, you know that your grocery store choices are limited. Bear in mind it’s an «Urban Sobeys».
This store caters to the yuppies who live in this area. Basically, bachelors and bachelorettes who don’t really cook and want something prepared and easy to reheat or just to throw in the microwave. Not a very good produce section. If you’re cooking from scratch, you’re much better off hitting St. Lawrence Market or the Loblaws on Lower Jarvis.

Pros: Big frozen food and ready meals section. Open till midnight everyday (bar holidays when they fully close), almost never out of stock for more than one day (unless there is a sale as is expected). Decent amount of brands (quality v. budget).
Cons: some items that are budget (compliments brand) are actually not that much cheaper than the regular quality brands. Do not expect to cash out quickly during rush hour (anywhere between 3 – 7) infact expect to wait. Also as mentioned they completely close during public holdays, if only they went the extra mile to offer limited store hours at least…
This sobeys has been my main grocery front for three years now. I can guarantee you that you will never ever see all cash registers being utilized at once. They always seem to be undertsaffed especially during peak hours, whats the point of having 12 cash registers if youre only gonna utilize half of ‘em if not less? they should consider adding a self checkout lane for faster turnover…

I’m not very picky when it comes to grocery shopping but I found my experience at this Sobeys was unsatisfactory, especially considering the products are not cheaper than other grocery stores downtown.
I only shop at this store if I happen to be in the area and if I am in desperate need of groceries and there are no other options available. In terms of cleanliness, I would say this store is kind of cluttered. I don’t think it is DIRTY just a bit messy. The signs above each aisle were very visible and it is easy to find items in their respective categories however there were things lying around on shelves in aisles that didn’t belong there (ie. warm sour cream next to the lays potato chips).
The space is kind of small so the lines sometimes go into the aisles which is a bit of an inconvenience for shoppers. There were abandoned shopping carts in front of the cashier lines that contributed to the traffic congestion and it was a mission to find baskets — which we eventually found piled up just below the conveyor belt of the cash (none by the entrance where you would expect them to be).
I did find that on more than two occasions they have been sold out of items that I need. For instance, I’ve been there a few times and they were all out of bananas! Or fresh croissants. Bread. Their chip/​snack aisle could also use a bit more organic and gluten free options as well. I also find that they never have enough cashiers. There were a few times when the store only had 2 cashiers open during what I would think is a peak time of the week (weekend afternoons). I think Sobeys can afford to have a 3^rd or 4^th cashier working that shift. Perhaps I just had the misfortune of coming in on days when they were short staffed or when stock just ran out unexpectedly but I would hope that in the future there would be a better back up plan for such occasions, especially for a big grocery store chain such as this one. Anyway, I’m not condemning the place, I’m just saying there could be some improvements made in terms of customer experience. 2 stars overall.

Thanks to the double dip on aeroplan I have become a fan of Sobeys and try to shop there whenever I can. However this location surprised me as it was all haphazard here. Things were kinda messy and there was a steady flow of customers. They do open till late so I am sure they serve this area well.
Other than that there is your regulars variety of knick knacks, somewhat decent supply of produce and meats.
The checkouts were slammed when I visited but I am not sure its a regular occurrence.
I don’t venture into this area much but I guess this place fills the void of your regular grocery stores nicely.

It is the centre of this little community. Friendly and hard working staff. Some good weekly specials. Nice little area to sitt and eat and very clean.

Great selection of different foods and I love the fact that they pick up a lot small companies products (Holy Crap Cereal, etc) Hours are great but my one complaint is that their pricing too high. I only shop here if I need a quick meal or a specialty item.
Service at the cashier level is just average. You never get the feeling they appreciate your business here. If prices were lower and the cashiers smiled a little more, I would give the place 4 stars

If it wasn’t the only freakin’ grocery store in decent walking distance, there is no way I’d shop here.
Fruit/​veg: meh. Not much to get excited over. Finding anything local is pretty much nil.
The «bakery»: everything is processed. I never even walk into this section, as an economy bag of mini croissants doesn’t interest me.
Meats/​deli: Most of it is branded with the «Our Compliments» logo.
They have a big selection of premade food. I’ve never tried it, so I’m unable to comment on it. But the construction workers seem to love it. They all pile into the store front café, eating a cornucopia of «hot food».
I probably have so much hostility over this store, because I’m always shocked at the ridiculous prices. It’s so disappointing.
I always feel lazy when I resort to shopping here.
No parking.

I hate this place with a burning passion deep within my soul. I hate that a head of lettuce at No Frills costs $ 1, but it costs $ 3 here. That the regular price for Soy Milk is about $ 4.50, and the exact same brand at No Frills for $ 3. While other grocery stores sell thick deluxe oven pizzas for $ 5, you will only find the Compliments super-​ultra-​paper-​thin pizzas at that price here.
That slogan «worth switching supermarkets for» from Loblaws is definitely applicable in this situation. The cost difference from other supermarkets adds up extremely quickly, especially if you live in the area and have to constantly come here just because it’s so close. But even a single visit can end up costing you a lot more here.
Other sneaky moves include advertising a sale price as something like «2 for $ 5» or «3 for $ 10». Although this may imply that you need to buy 2 or 3 of the item to get the discounted price, that is not the case. You can usually buy a single item and get the discounted price, but the phrase it this way to try and make you buy more. You need to keep your eye on the checkout screen to catch these, but also because the advertised sale prices often aren’t even registered in their system.
If you’re not buying overpriced groceries here, then perhaps you have no cooking abilities, and you may be here to buy an overpriced pre-​cooked meal, something that half of the entire «grocery store» is devoted to. Don’t feel bad, I’m not the best cook either, but why people buy their meals here I’ll never understand. The majority of the meals are at least $ 6-​$ 8, but the meals are extremely simple and small portioned. The $ 3 6-​inch subs at Subway are larger than the $ 6 sandwiches here. $ 8 could get you something a lot nicer anywhere else.
Surely COUPONS could at least ease the pain a bit and save you some cash here, right? That was my old strategy, keeping a stash of coupons for soy milk for example, but the strategy has been destroyed. Nowadays coupons are distributed from companies via e-​mail, Facebook, Twitter, etc. and Sobey’s has now conveniently decided that they will not accept «copied» coupons, which includes print at home coupons. So scour your flyers and magazines, this is your only option.
Sobey’s has done everything in their power to squeeze every last penny out of you, which unfortunately doesn’t seem to faze most of the residents in this area, so it probably won’t change any time soon. Oh yeah, and I guess the produce is decent.

Since I am in the Cityplace area often, this Sobeys location is convenient. They are open till midnight most nights so if I am in the need for milk or other food emergencies (ice cream) travelling for food is not far.
The grocery shopping footprint is super small though, with focus on prepared foods. I would not recommend shopping here on a regular basis as prices are steep.
The condos in the area keep this place thriving. It is a good place to grab take-​out or missed items on your weekly grocery list.

Closest grocery store to where I live. It’s convenient, but certainly not cheap. Prices are high, but it is Cityplace and let’s be honest, most people who shop here are single with little to no cooking skills, so you’re paying for the convenience as you are certainly not paying for freshness. Veggies are slightly wilted, which is great if your’e making a salade fatigue, however, if you’re not, you’re better off hitting St. Lawrence Market of making your way to Loblaw at Queens Quay. I should also mention that their fruit and veggie selection is rather limited so if you’re looking for something beyond berries, apples, oranges and bananas, lettuce, tomatoes, potatoes or onions, skip this place
They have plenty of packaged meals to go, salad bar options, pizzas baked on site, sandwiches, whole roasted chickens… you get the picture.
I only shop here when St. Lawrence Market is closed, or I’m too lazy to walk to the market. For basic pantry items such as sugar, flour, etc… you’re better to hit up you’re nearest Rabba, it’ll be cheaper.

This place does have a good selection of organic food. Of course, organic means pricey but this market has a good selection of ethnic food. The alcohol is separate in a booth that has independent hours than the market itself. I love the little mini-​baskets that they have to wheel around versus carrying them all over the store.

I do most of grocery shopping in the weekend at the farmers market and local butchers, but there are times when you just need a baguette or spices — regardless if it’s stale or wilted. I agree, this place over charges on everything. Lots of ppl are giving this place 4 star for convenience. Come on! No star for convenience. And the parking garage is ridiculous unless you have change! Try using your credit card and you would have to pay $ 15 for 15 minutes of shopping!
Most of their produce are wilting and disorganized. Bakery is poor. And the cook staff are a joke. They’ve hired some new staff recently and they’re doing nothing but chit chatting while customers are waiting and the quality of the food has dropped. They do have some good deals happening at times but who drinks all that vitamin water? Hate shopping here but it’s the closest and convenient to home. Okay 1 star for convenience and cleanliness.

Hey Sobeys — since when did «urban fresh» mean «rip-​off»?
Seriously jacked up prices at this location, and a fairly limited selection of real food, i.e. not pre-​made garbage. Although, to be fair, you can find what you need here. The staff are friendly and helpful, and the store is also clean.
This location has a coffee bar, sandwich/​hot food counter, a deli, and a small bakery. There is also a wine store attached. I’m not a wine-​snob or anything, but the wine they sell is crap. The few reds I have tried from here either tasted like pepper or vinegar. And those were the ones recommended to me. Not good…
I kind of want to give this 2 stars, but because it’s so close to where I live (and I always seem to be in a hurry), I end up frequenting it. Only a moron would frequent a place he/​she only gives 2 out of 5 stars, right? So 3 stars it is.
This is pretty much what it boils down to: unless you’re willing to journey up to Chinatown/​Kensington (or drive to another grocery store), Sobeys has a monopoly on the thousands of people who live around it.

So I’ve moved to Condo-​land and this is the closest place for groceries.
I’m giving it 3 stars simply because it’s CLOSE and there’s nothing else around. If there were other options, I likely would not spend too much time here.
I like to cook. This Sobeys caters to bachelor dudes living in condos who do not cook. Fair enough, it IS in CityPlace so it makes sense. Lots and lots of «ready meals» available. Big frozen food section too. The meat/​fish section was adequate but I wasn’t overly impressed with the produce (expensive, limited selection given overall size of the grocery store)
It’s quite big and clean, very trendy looking. I can’t complain. I also liked that the staff seemed to be mostly university students (ie they have brains, more or less). No need to deal with douche-​bags (like the kind they hire at Metro).

A trendy little Sobeys tucked away in the bottom of a condo-​tower forest. (A nearly complete condo-​forest).
They are definitely catering to the urban professional crowd who are either too lazy, too tired, or simply too unskilled in the culinary arts to cook for themselves.
What does this mean to me you ask?
They have a bountiful selection of frozen, ready to nuke-​n-​serve stuff as well as stuff you just open and then cram into your gaping maw.
The layout is good, the store is clean and the prices are not great. But if you live in any of the nearby buildings and are a car-​less urbanite then this place will fill your needs.
There are of course items that require cookery, but that department leaves much to be desired.
On the upside, the cheese selection is quite good, but again, too upscale in price for my starving artist income.
For both it’s proximity to my humble abode and the a couple items I really like they get a 3-​star rating.

Once upon a time, there was a grocery store monopoly in my neighbourhood. Rabba was King. Not because it was voted to be, but because it had no competitors. Everyone appreciated Rabba due to its convenience, but it was expensive and missing many items. Many, many items. Deep down, everyone in the neighbourhood was crossing their fingers for something better to come along. One day, the finger crossing was answered, Sobeys came to challenge Rabba’s reign…
…and began providing everyone with almost everything they need. Best of all, it only charged an arm for most products (the people were allowed to keep their leg). Its ready made section was well stocked (the Chicken, Briee & Apple Foccacia sandwich wowed most), and if anyone felt like preparing a meal from scratch, it was now ok to do so.
Long live the neighbourhood Sobeys!