Fresh Garden

Definitely keep an eye out! No one likes to get home only to realize an item that’s been paid for wasn’t packed into the shopping bag. By the cashier. And then go back to retrieve it. And have them say only ‘Ok’, rather than admit fault and apologize for the inconvenience.

Love this little market! Sooo incredibly happy I found this gem so near our new apartment! It has everything you need and more. The only thing missing from making this store a one stop shop is a meat/​fish department; otherwise, the selection is unreal! Very fresh fruits and veggies and a crazy selection on deli meats and cheeses. Also, the flower selection is beautiful. This place should definitely have more than just 3 stars.

Since they opened they have been overcharging Fort Greene residents any way they can with little concern for their customers wellbeing. One night my dog was sick and the vet said I needed Pepcid-​AC. An eight pill pack was over $ 8 which is about a 400% markup. Another time they sold my neighbor recalled Children’s Tylenol that had just been in the news. The neighbor even asked beforehand if the Children’s Tylenol was part of the recall. When she got home she went online and sure enough they should have been removed from the shelves. She brought them back for a refund and they showed no interest in doing the right thing. A day later they were still selling the recalled meds. Their prices on milk and ice cream are the highest in the area (go to Ralph’s to compare). The other day I bought an overpriced piece of watermelon. There was no «prepared on» or «sell by» date on the printed Fresh Garden price sticker. When I got home and unwrapped the watermelon it was spoiled; slimy, rancid and inedible. It tasted pickled. I was so mad I took the pieces and the undated price sticker back and asked to speak to the manager. Big surprise: «Manager is not here.» I explained the situation to the checkout clerk who after a few words back and forth told me to take a new piece of watermelon in exchange. I said: «None of the fresh produce has a „sell by“ date, so how do I know this is edible?» «It was just cut and wrapped today» was the response. «Then why doesn’t it have a date on the label?!!» Isn’t this illegal? They are ripping people off and risking their health with spoiled produce and expired, recalled meds. If I did not live a few blocks away I would have been out $ 5 for the spoiled watermelon. They also charge a fee to use a credit card, which IS totally illegal. They do whatever they can to scam a few cents off you however they can. Once they charged me sales tax on unprepared foods and then claimed it was a mistake. I will never even step foot in that greedy establishment again if I can help it.

They charge a convenience fee to use a credit card (and also have a credit card minimum of $ 10). When I realized there was an extra fee and asked to pay cash, they claimed they couldn’t reverse the transaction or give me a reimbursement for the fee. Obviously the fee is very small but this is bad business.

The store is pleasant and well-​lighted. Prices are decent for this neighborhood, in my opinion.
Unfortunately, after buying two bags full of groceries, I found some of the items were not edible: two blocks of Gruyère cheese and a bottle of lemon juice. The cheese was rubbery: I had to throw it out. The lemon juice was cloyingly sweet.
The cheese was from good producers so it may not have been stored properly.
One of the items in the condiments section had an accumulation of dust on it.
When I go to a city grocery I expect everything to be of decent quality but I didn’t find that in this store, unfortunately.

I love these guys. They opened when the grocery options in my neighborhood weren’t crash-​hot, so for that, I will be forever grateful. It’s amazing how much stuff they carry — and it’s good stuff, too. Great fresh produce, as well as fantastic pantry items, cruelty-​free household and personal grooming products, and lots of non-​meat and non-​dairy products, which I love. It’s clean, well-​organized, and they’re open ²⁴⁄₇. They’re not as cheap as Pathmark, obviously, but I am willing to pay a little more for the pleasure of shopping there. I also want them to stay in the neighborhood, even in the face of rising rents — and they can’t do that without customers.

There’s a bodega/​gourmet grocery on most corners in this part of Fort Greene, but this is my go-​to. Why? It’s shocking how much they pack into this tiny place. The produce is great, but they also have a lot of other natural/​organic/​artisan items that you’d find at Whole Foods or the Greene Grape. Yeah, you could probably find cheaper at Pathmark but that would require battling the lines and crowds, and Fresh Garden is always quick. The employees are also super helpful and can always pinpoint exactly where I need to go for the most random items.

Unexpectedly insane selection of packaged organic foodie foods (Balthazar Bakery, and fresh produce. They carry brands similar to those found in Whole Foods or other «fine retailers» and their prices aren’t far off.
You should keep your eyes peeled for the sale items advertised on hand written neon signs. You can save a lot of $ on products they are trying to move.
My experience with the produce has been very good (I’ve tried potatoes, onions, herbs and greens).
Perfect place to run out for a random special ingredient – say, capers for instance – or to put together a snack plate for out of town guests.
This morning, I discovered that the coffee brewed here is surprisingly delicious.

This is a great addition to the neighborhood. It might be a little pricey, but what worries me more is that I get overcharged like once a week. You have to watch the register and ask for the receipt.

Yes, Fresh Garden is pricey BUT it’s super convenient and the produce is always really fresh. They also have a nice juice bar. I don’t think I would purchase groceries or specialty items here. There are other, relatively close, and cheaper places for that (Brooklyn Fare, Sahadi’s), but It’s a good place to stop in and grab some kale, spinach or some fruit. Definitely the best produce on this strip of Fulton and FAR better than anything I could get in my own neighborhood (Bed Stuy).

Good selection, if a little pricey like any semi-​fancy bodega. My go-​to market in the neighborhood for most things non-​Goya.

Not a bad little market, I can here for one thing fruit, and they had what I wanted. Not a bad price under 4 bucks for a pound of pineapple.

I haven’t cooked in over 10 months. And honestly, it doesn’t make sense for me. Cooking is labor intensive and the results at the end are never predictable. And besides, who wants to eat couscous for 5 days straight?
I am not a big eater, but whatever I put in my mouth should be of high quality. And so naturally, this place fits the bill for my foodie tendencies.
It is a small grocery store which is stocked with fresh vegetables, dairy case, cheese case, beer case, frozen case. I am always able to find something here that satiates my appetite.
Tonight I picked up cottage cheese, some sort of pineapple jam, a box of grape tomatoes, Amy’s frozen veggie loaf, some pita chips, and ak mak sesame crackers. They also have a very good selection of cereals, and veggie selections.
I only gripe that the prices are a bit steep compared to TJs, but for the convenience, I’ll take it.
They don’t take American Express or $ 100 bills. $ 15 minimum for credit card purchase.

A great little bodega/​grocery store. Just the right size so you can quickly find what you need and get out of there. Nice location is close to Atlantic Center so you can go to Target and whatever and stop here for groceries on the way home. Stocks a separate fridge of macrobiotic/​organic products which is great when I need my Tokyo Soba fix. Prices tend to be a bit high. 5 lb bag of Kokuho Sushi Rice is 8.99 which isn’t bad but Lundberg Farm’s Organic Sushi Rice is 5.99 for 2 lbs which is way over priced. Nice selection of cheese for not being a cheese monger. And a small but decent selection of produce/​staple items. Also nice but very expensive selection of tinned fish.

As my down-​the-​block neighborhood bodega/​grocery shop, Fresh Garden gets five stars. It’s not a go-​out-​of-​your-​way-​to-​come-​here five stars, but who goes out of their way to go to a bodega anyway, right?
I’m always amazed at just how many different items Fresh Garden offers. There’s always something that I remember I need when I’m in there and think that they won’t have. .. and every time they’ve actually had it (crystallized ginger, AOC butter, eco-​friendly dish soap, organic tahini, etc…)! They’re certainly not cheap, but then again neither is Fort Greene. It sucks but it’s just a fact of life at this point. At least the store is clean and bright and well-​stocked, and lets me avoid the overcrowded insanity that is Pathmark (don’t get me wrong – a reasonably priced large grocery store in the neighborhood is nice, but GOOD GOD that place is packed).
I think Fresh Garden is a great store for someone like me, who likes to cook and looks for fresh & healthy ingredients. As others have mentioned, the quality of their produce is quite good and they have all the staples you need to whip up a nice breakfast (organic yogurts & eggs, very delicious fresh-​squeezed oj, applegate farms bacon), a fantastic dinner (specialty oils & vinegars, a nice selection of «international» ingredients, etc) or a batch of yummy baked goods, even if they’re the gluten-​free variety (great selection of Bob’s Red Mill flours, grains & meals, plenty of organic options for sugar & other ingredients, high-​quality chocolate chips, etc). I sometimes wish they had a few more prepared food options for the nights I come home late and am looking for an easy snack (especially since NOTHING in this neighborhood stays open late… oh, how I miss Astoria’s glorious 24-​hour diners), but that’s a minor complaint. They do have a pretty extensive selection of ice creams and frozen desserts (including gourmet ice cream sandwiches and the whole gamut of non-​dairy options … soy, rice, coconut, etc), which is good. And bad :)
I just started getting fresh juice from the juice bar and have been very happy with the taste/​quality of the juice. I haven’t tried any of the blends on the menu, but my go-​to drink of kale, celery, cucumber, apple, lemon & ginger has been delicious every time (if a bit varied on how much of each ingredient goes in each time, but I don’t mind that).
Also, maybe it’s because I’m always in there, but I find the staff to be very pleasant. A number of them know me by name now and always say hello, ask how I’m doing, etc.
I will say that the flowers die pretty quickly. I think that’s a problem with most bodega flowers, and I still buy them because it’s convenient and they’re not super pricey, but just know that your flowers could be dropping petals in a day or two. The selection is also pretty up & down. Sometimes they have some really interesting and unique flowers and sometimes I’ve spent fifteen minutes staring at the selection, trying to figure out how to put together a respectable bouquet from whatever sad and droopy little things they have hanging around. But in the end I’ve always been able to find something passable, even on the worst day.

I love this place for all of the reasons that everyone else gave including the fact that I am a vegetarian and it’s easy to find hard-​to-​find items here. I only wish that they sold essential oils (e.g. lavender, tea tree, etc.) There was a health food/​remedy store maybe about a block away (towards Flatbush) that sold oils that’s no longer in business.
Just FYI… you have to spend at least $ 15 to use a credit card.

It almost pains me to say this, but this is one establishment that the Fort Greene Asian Power Couple (a stout, be-​track-​suited man and a prim, pompadoured lady who apparently will die if they don’t open at least one thoroughly mediocre business a year here) got right. Sure, it has their signature lack of personality and uninspired name, but it’s bright, clean and well organized, which actually, for a bodega, may be personality enough. It’s also not nearly so overpriced as their other businesses – or at least it seems less obvious about it, since every small grocer gouges a bit. You should still probably buy your snacks and nonperishables at larger stores if you want to save money, but the produce is the best in the neighborhood so I never mind paying a little extra for it.
Of course, the main selling point is that it’s open 24 hours, which is exactly what the neighborhood needed. Before Fresh Garden, there was nothing open past 10 around here other than bars. So now at least there’s someplace to buy some microwaveable shumai or something subsequent to getting totally obliterated.

This is my go-​to spot after a late night at the gym for fresh produce when all other places in my neighborhood are closed. The store is a little tight and some of the prices are a little steep, but for your odds and ends, its ideal. I wouldnt count on it for all of your grocery needs.

I was shocked to see some of the negative reviews here, I love this place, and I come at least once a week.
Head and shoulders the best fruit and vegetable selection in Ft. Greene. Everything is fresh and delicious and they have just about everything. (Belgian Kumatos anyone?)
Also, a pretty amazing selection of grocery stuff, wen you consider the size of the store — particularly on the Asian and healthy/​organic side of things. Their stock boys must be great at Tetris, they use every inch of space without it seeming cluttered or messy.
Lovely flowers, too.

It’s a fine addition to the neighborhood with organic fruits, veggies and groceries, as well as regular deli fare. It’s got deli prices, which are higher than standard grocery stores, but that’s expected.
The quality on the produce is often quite good, and the prices for fruits and veggies is about the same as the local green market.
I find the staff to be very sweet and helpful. And its 24 hours, which is a big plus for me.