Michael’s Fresh Market

Excellent fresh produce selection (not organic), great deli counter, clean store, wide variety of ethnic foods, several organic grocery and dairy items… If I lived in the area this would be my go to grocery store. Best of all, cheap prices!

So this place was bought by Cermak, and it has gone down hill from here. As a long time loyal customer, I’ve had the absolute displeasure of watching this place change from a great, customer-​focused, quality grocery store to just another sorta-​dirty grocery store on Route 59 (right up there with Meijer, that place ALWAYS has sticky floors!).
The last few times I’ve purchased chicken here, its been disgusting and now I no longer buy it from here. It makes me question all of my other meat purchases, honestly. I usually let my chicken sit in the fridge 3 – 5 days, sometimes even 6, before either cooking it, freezing it, or throwing it out. I’ve been doing this forever with zero problems. But their chicken, in my experience, starts to stink after 3 days. If you even decide to make it after that, it tastes slimy. I know you should cook meat within 5 days of purchasing it. But I’ve never had a problem with making it 5 – 6 days out until I bought it from here. Yuck. And the real salt in the wound: its more expensive than it used to be! Seriously, if you want cheap chicken, just go across the street to Aldi… they use Tyson brand chicken, at least (little known fact).
Their produce is still good and really inexpensive. However, be careful when buying strawberries. They have had several sitting out with mold on them. Same with green peppers. Just do a careful look before picking out some of the items (as with any produce section).
Soft/​hard cheese selection has gotten better. I’ll give them props for that.
Salsa bar is no more. You can’t try the salsas before you buy them. Why did they get rid of that? I liked it!
Lastly…can this place seriously think about fixing their entrance? There is ton of produce right in front of the entrance, and the «entrance» to the store is one tiny little sliding door that literally can only fit one person through it. So if someone stops to look at the mangos that are situated right by the front door, then the place bottlenecks and no one can get in. I’ve actually stood with a whole crowd of people outside the front entrance for a few minutes, while someone stood there and selected mangos. Its insanity, get bigger doors or put the darn mangos somewhere else!
I still shop here for meat (but no chicken, ew) and produce, and many other ethnic items like Asian sauces/​condiments, rices, noodles, etc. I dunno, this place may be the reason I started buying more organically, after a few failed chicken purchases.

You will get good Kingfish here. They also have good set of options for other variety of fish family. We even tried their Deli (oven roasted turkey). My two year mod enjoyed tasting it.
Good place to find all veggies. Economical than garden fresh and whole foods.

The name of this store is Cermak Market, first of all. You can’t Unilocal «Cermak Market» quite yet, perhaps when this gets updated that can happen. That being said, I only found this place by the address, which is correct. It reminds me of Pete’s Fresh Market in Evergreen Park and Chicago. The produce is plentiful and the prices are generally good, if not the best I’ve been able to find in the Naperville/​Aurora area. There is also a concerted effort to point out produce that is locally sourced, which is always a good thing. The seafood/​fish department I would pass up… if it were better I’d give it another star, but some Pompano and salmon I purchased was just a tad long in the tooth. I also had to return some chicken that was not so fresh, so they are not a source of meat and fish for me. Other reviewers swear by their meat, it has yet to be proven to me, but I’m just one opinion. I will shop there for produce. The selection of cheeses is good… I have seen better, but the prices are attractive. There are a lot of Mexican and Indian produce/​spice options and that is great to give your dishes some variety. The bakery is kind of lacking, bought some stale cannoli, but the baklava is a bargain. They carry artisan bakers though so you can buy good breads they don’t bake. I will return and do an update of this review at a future date, in the meantime, I would rate it 3.5, but I round down…

Like others, I was impressed with produce selection. Though I didn’t browse extensively it appears that one could buy most any type of meat for most any type of preparation. True that the cheese selection was minimal, but you can still get varieties of goat cheeses, hard cheeses, and semi soft cheeses. The Queso Fresco selection is quite extensive however. The cheeses are in differing locations in the store, some by the deli, and some over by the bakery. Overall it was clean, comfortable, and reasonable prices for great selection of goods. I plan on returning often.

There are persimmons for sale and it’s only $ 5.99 for a large container of pitted dates. And — queso fantastico! There’s an entire fridge case devoted to Hispanic/​Mexican cheeses. I’ll head back here when I want to do a tapas night or splurge on cheese for no apparent reason.
I wasn’t on a specific grocery mission. I needed 2 items: potatoes and some kind of beef. Undecided about tomorrow’s dinner menu, I figured I’d find something at Cermak that wouldn’t disappoint. While I did notice that there wasn’t any flank steak on the shelf, prices on skirt steak and pork ribs were impressively low. I ended up purchasing 2 round steaks for $ 3 and my potatoes.
There were a lot of posters in the windows advertising sales: coconut milk, chickpeas, potatoes, etc. Definitely recommend this place for stocking up on produce.
The deli area is smaller than Caputo’s, but a lot less busy. Other notables include the imported chocolate bars in the checkout line. It was kind of neat to see Polska chocolate next to all-​American Hershey’s.

Michael’s has some of the freshest fruits you will find in Naperville. The price is quite decent and affordable as well for the freshness. Definitely check out the watermelons here during summer as they have the freshest and sweetest watermelons.

Go once, twice a week for fruits and veggies. Also buy there meats, there beef is always lean, and there pork chops are cut on the thick side which is the way I like them. Doesn’t hurt it’s about 5 minutes from my house.

Yuck. I walked in and the fruit looked like it was almost rotten. The shelves had alot of empty spaces. The store was not well put together. I’m sad to say I spend three dollars. When I was in the check our line there was a man in the customer service office pulling his shirt up and dancing at customers. This is the most unprofessional place I have ever been to. I will never return.

I’ve never met a Michael in my life that’s as cool as this Michael’s.
They’ve got a great selection of produce. Their prices on produce will destroy the competition. Seriously, it’s absurd how much lower they.
Very happy to have this place so close.

I totes mcgotes love Michael’s. The produce is fresh and much more fun to look at/​peruse than your standard Jewel/Dominick’s fare. Also, where else can you find «fresh» crackling next to the rotisserie chickens? What! If you don’t love fried pork fat, don’t talk to me.
I love the pre-​made pork taco meat. I fantasize about having a huge dinner party, serving the pork tacos from Michaels, cold beer, and massive mounds of guacamole. All I need is more than 2 friends and this dream will come a reality.
I also feel like their oxtail is a decent price, much cheaper than H Mart.
Downfalls: limited frozen food section, and I don’t think this place would replace Jewel for the staples, although in my heart of hearts, I wish it could.

I love the produce section at this place. Lots of ingredients (especially veggies) that you just can’t find at the chain supermarkets. I also find that I’m forking over less money in the checkout line when I go to Michaels. Win!
Overall, a pretty good little market with a stellar produce section and fairly low prices.

With the dozens of grocery stores in the area, Michael’s Fresh Market on Rt.59 is a win. The produce selection is a hit or miss. More specifically, eat your fruits and veggies within a few days ’cause you’re buying them pretty ripe. You’re supposed to eat your fruits and veggies everyday anyway, right? If you plan your shopping out, you’ll definitely cut your grocery bill by stocking up on fresh foods alone. The bill adds up when you wander through the store. But it’s still worth the trip.
Some highlights of Michael’s include their selection of Today’s Temptations bread, ever-​changing selection on Indo-​Pak frozen vegetarian delights and the spicy veggie burgers near the hot food section of the store. These veggie «Sloppy-Joe’s» are amazing. Just go to the front counter where you can buy samosas and chips and ask for the veggie burger. The bun is a common white bread bun, but the magic is in the filling. Enjoy!

Michael’s is great for most everything. The fish counter always makes me a little nervous as it smells more fishy than it should, although it seems to have gotten better as of late. They offer halal certified chicken (raw as well as rotisserie). Also, the loukaniko (Greek sausage) is the best I’ve had between here and Athens. Not to mention, tongue, smoked turkey parts, ham hocks, etc…
Michael’s is a grocery store that has a wide selection foods/​spices for all different ethnic backgrounds. It’s fun to wander the aisles looking at all the different foods. It makes me wish I knew what they all were.
Certain things you can get here that you won’t find just anywhere else:
Loukaniko
Halal chicken
Barbacoa (Sundays only)
Homemade salsas (try before you buy — when they say HOT! HOT! HOT! they mean it)
Rotisserie chickens ($ 4)
Spices (cheap)
Loads of dried peppers
Jimini Chips

Look. how much are we going to review a grocery store.
GREAT PRODUCE! AMAZING PRICES! My family is vegetarian, and my mom could feed all four of us for $ 15 a week. I’m seriously no kidding. This is a must if you live in the area.

I love this store, it has a great selection of produce you don’t find at Jewel and Dominicks. Fresh food, and great prices. The employee behind the fish counter is very helpful with giving recipes for everything they have behind the counter
Also, my weekly bill at jewel/​dominicks is usually around 100 – 110, Michaels its about 50 – 60

Man oh man, if I knew how to cook well — this would be a great place to go shopping. But the fact is, I don’t cook all that often — someone else liked to — and this is where we went! It’s not wholefoods pricey — nor is it Walmart cheap, but it’s definately a value for what you get.
Amazing selection of fresh fruit, veg., nuts, seafood, meat, etc. (I say etc. because I couldn’t think of anything else that’s fresh…)
The last time I was here I bought some SUGAR CANE, and man how I love me some sweets!
Great place if you like to cook, not so good if your going to buy movies =)

I finally checked this place out… since I think it may be my closest grocery store. It looks deceptively small-​time from the outside, with the big old-​school hand-​written sale posters in the windows, but inside it’s nice, new-​looking, and spacious, with wide aisles (no cart-​jostling here!)
Pluses were:
— a good range of well-​priced produce, almost anything you could be looking for
— a spotlight on ethnic goods (including Hispanic, Greek, and Indian foods)
— nice meat, including things you don’t see everywhere — for example lamb patties and ground chicken (usually it’s just turkey)
— nice bakery, including the biggest variety of flatbreads I have ever seen in one place (naan, roti, southwestern flatbread, pita, tortillas… the list goes on!)
— the prepared food area was more interesting than at your usual grocery store, including sushi, fresh salsas, and multiple varieties of homemade potato chips (with flavors including ranch, sea salt, masala and mustard)
Some areas that clearly aren’t their focus included the dairy section (there were like 2 options of soft margarine, for example; Jewel has about 10) and cleaning supplies (pretty sparse choices). But if you’re looking for sauces, vinegars, or pop from almost any nation, this is your place! And of course the produce. I don’t know if it beats Caputo’s, but it’s certainly no slouch.
Since it’s nearby for me, I’ll definitely be back. If you’re anywhere in Naperville you should stop in and get Fresh too.

I’d actually rate this closer to 3.5 stars than 4, but as I was always taught to round up.
Michael’s Fresh Market carries some of the best produce selection around, and why I keep relying on my local Dominick’s is really beyond me. Why purchase an uninspiring plum with a watery, unsatisfying taste when I could drive for 5 or 10 minutes and get a bag full for the same price and enjoy the fresh quality? I don’t know where my head is on that. The supermarket’s strong point is definitely its produce section, where things are fresh, organized, and well priced (always look out for their sales, where you can get ten lemons for a dollar or something like that). It’s the first place I stop when I have a weird recipe requirement, though the atmosphere is always hectic and flagging someone down for help can be a challenge sometimes.
The deli and bakery are quite extensive but I don’t often use them. For the rest of the store, there’s a good variety of ethnic foods but I usually shop elsewhere (like Asia Supermarket, Mitsuwa, or Super H soon to open on Ogden and Naper Boulevard area).

Good and cheap supermarket. Exceptionally busy on Sundays.
Mediocre to bad frozen food section. Expensive for dairy and eggs (would prefer nearby Wal-​Mart for these staples).
The produce is not as fresh as it used to be, which seems odd in the middle of summer, particularly…
Excellent ethnic food, and customers make it for a very fun and lively experience. Delicious baked goods and pre-​cooked specials near the checkouts.