Associated Supermarket

DO NOT GO HERE!!!
Worst customer service of all time. SUPER Rude workers.
I finally stopped going there cause for the second time I found mold on my food.
DO NOT GO HERE!!!

I personally love the selection and the fact that they haven’t completely given over to gentrification. I could, however, due without the total fuck you attitude from the lovely cashiers.

The isles are tight, the employees are not friendly, but they have a fair stock of groceries and don’t smell like rotten meat (like Liberato). I go here when I need something quick and don’t want to make the trek to Trader Joes.

AWESOME fruit selection! Y para nuestro vecindario hispano la ubicación es perfecta. Me encanta!

Store is essentially stocked for Hispanic customers. Like many other supermarkets in the area, they have dug in their heels in regard to changing their offerings to appeal to the influx of non-​Spanish speaking residents. This is why there are so many Trader Joes bags on the subway.

There are pretty great sales here!
I would suggest if you shop here to shop dry foods, and of course, double check their expiration dates.
Fruit’s and vegetables: I suggest getting if it looks fresh, or if you know what days they get shipments.
Dairy: Do NOT shop for their organic (fancy) milks. If you get milk, get the stuff everyone else gets. Because it is their popular milk, and they get shipments very frequently. If you’re lactose intolerant, then I’m sorry, but this is not your supermarket. Or have any eating restrictions really, don’t bother coming here. Also, with eggs, get the popular brand too. You’ll know what the popular stuff is, when you see locals grabbing it.
Meats: Be weary of steaks. I’ve bought steaks where they look fresh and beautiful, but when I open the package, the hidden parts of the steak are brown and rotting. They know how to deceivingly package steaks. They’re pork chops are normally pretty great, due to the Dominican culture eating lots of it (and it being a very Dominican neighborhood), I believe they put out fresher packages more frequently. And just be careful with chicken, they love putting out chicken with lots of fat, and it’s supposedly «on sale», but in reality you pay the difference in fat.
Customer Service: If you don’t speak Spanish, then good luck! I would suggest designating a day to go after you moved into the area to look around the supermarket and see what they have, and where everything is (if this is your local supermarket). Also, cashiers are rude typically if you don’t speak Spanish, or look «Latino» enough for them. They’ll just slightly grill you, and dismiss you after you paid. I just think they’re upset the area is becoming gentrified, so don’t take it personal. Get your goods, and GO!
BONUS TIP: As much as I dislike C-​Town which is down the block for personal reasons (on 161 street and Amsterdam), they have stepped up their meat’s game (because they used to sell basically rotten meat), so I recommend going here if you’re a carnivore like myself!

This place has boxes everywhere, nothing ever seems to be unpacked, it is disorganized, and the clientele and employees have no sense of urgency. The isles are tiny and it’s nearly impossible to shop any other way than in a single file line. I bought some yellow, good looking bananas here once and every one of them was rotten on the inside. Do you need frozen food? Good luck. That isle is a nightmare and a half. One person at a time can shop there and it’s made worse by the fact that, again, no one has any regard for people around them. You may be farting around talking to your buddies, but I am here to shop. Do that on your own time. Please do yourself a favor and stay out of this mess.

I try to avoid this place at all cost, unless I absolutely have to go here. This place has the rudest people working here. Everyone from the cashiers to the Management. I can never go here without getting knocked into, by the STAFF! I was on crutches over the summer, and the Manager, the MANAGER of this sorry excuse for a store, purposely stood in my way in the Exit, and would NOT let me through, until I made a concerted effort to move out of the way. And the cashiers, cannot believe they even have a job here. Never say anything, and just shove the change in your hand. Really awful here. And no matter what day, time of day, or night I go here, they’re ALWAYS unloading groceries, and trying to run you over w/​the hand truck. It’s just disgusting, this awful treatment of their customers, to which no longer am.

Haagen daaz pints often on sale. Store stinks. Produce sucks, meat is horrific, bread is sometimes not stale & on sale, cashiers are nasty, tons of canned food. Basically, I never come here anymore. Used to only come for one type of HD ice cream they no longer carry.

This is the spot, and I’ll tell you why. It’s not the groceries (don’t know much about those). The sandwiches, though! You can get a sandwich with any kind of Boar’s Head meat & cheese for $ 4 on a roll, $ 5 on a big one. It also comes with a free soda. Come on, that’s unreal!
The cashiers are nice and funny too.

This is another «if I’m passing by and see a sale on something I need… or that I just can’t resist» store. You have to be careful with what you pick up, especially in regard to fresh items and cans (check fo’ them dents, y’all!). But you can get some good deals, and the staff have never been overwhelmingly rude.

i HATE this place. I hate I live near it and sometimes am forced to shop here.
Do not buy meat, vegetables or fruit here. Oh or milk. my fruit always has mold the NEXT day, and milk goes bad within 2 days.
I slid on stuff that had split on the floor one day, and the cleaner guy LAUGHED at me.
All the canned goods taste really old.
It smells bad.
It’s way to crowded and the aisles are tiny.
People are always incredibly rude.
If I could rate o stars I would. I seriously, HATE this store.
DONT GO HERE

This is my emergency/can’t make it to TJ or WH/​crapshoot grocery store.
The cashiers never speak (except to say «credit or debit») and the aisles by the juice/​milk/​frozen food and that whole back corner smells so randomly funky allll the time! It’s really unfortunate for them because it makes you wanna hightail it outta there asap/​powershop. I try to avoid going that way for anything because… ugh, just NO.
The produce is actually pretty decent and will do in a pinch; they also have soy/​almond milk and tofu (believe me – this is a big deal). If you are looking for any mainstays in Latin American cooking in hurry – this is your spot.
Just avoid that back corner!

This is the best I can find in the area. Frank’s has good stuff but I just can’t be paying out of my a** for food all the time. Here I can get the basics. Like another Unilocaler mentioned, it is a very «localized» store and caters to many of the Latin residents in the area but I grew up in Miami so I’m used to that. My qualm is that the selection is pretty basic and nothing more. You won’t find anything special here but I have to deal with what I’ve got, right?

This store blows. Total bait and switch tactics, unfriendly cashiers and, apparently no owner!
Every time I shop at this location I’ll find a product with a semi descent price and at checkout the price is at least 20 cent higher. Always, their excuse is «they (the workers) put the wrong sign out» or «old price.» Then, instead of checking the price, they’ll proceed to argue.
Like every other reviewer states, the selection is limited, the meat and milk stink, the place is filthy, the customer service sucks, the place is crowded… IT“S A MESS, A HOT MESS!
BTW the neighborhood C-​Town is worse — same crap just a bit more pricier. You’d definitely do better shopping at the neighborhood Gristedes.

While most of Manhattan insists on making you bleed money in order to eat (or do anything, really), Washington Heights seemed to be an exception with grocery stores like Associated. A week’s worth of food for two people who eat simple and get take-​out occasionally will set you back a measly $ 25. I was pleasantly surprised with the variety of their products (breads, tofu, fairly fresh veggies, and every cereal known to man). The cashiers operate at the speed of light, so be ready with your money… otherwise you might be «that guy» in those check card commercials who ruins everyone’s day.

This local Associated is a very well localized supermarket. If you are into central American and some Caribbean food, then this is your spot. Living around the corner makes this place awfully convenient for a quick stop over and getting some items i need. Veggies are generally fresh, with a couple of exceptions at times. They have what u would find any where… your standard issue greens, mushrooms (limited to portobella and white), potatoes, lettuce and so on… A nicely stocked canned section, baking goods, you name it. The place is clean no problems there either…
But… If you want to cook that something special, get some nice seafood or an outstanding piece of meat… sigh… just go downtown somewhere else… or maybe i will have to check that Fairway CJ talks so much about, because u wont find those here in good selection, or best quality. When i say this supermarket is very well «localized» i mean it. It caters only to the north Caribbean population of this part of Washington Heights. Now while that works for them not to stock items that wont move… well it fails the few of us who have a bit of a different taste. I suppose i will keep hauling those specialty items from somewhere else downtown… care to give me a hand?