Gristedes

Ok, well I have to hand it to the manager at this store — he is amazing! I actually go in there now more than once a week. Asian dude, I don’t know his name but he is the most professional and nicest guy you can imagine. This guy has this store completely organized — clean — really great. He hires really nice staff and he is always the first one to open a register should ANY kind of line form. He recognizes you when you come in and says «hello»…so pleasant. I worked in the A&P when I was in HS and I know running a supermarket is not an easy thing to do. I still think their prices are high and the produce could be better — but it’s a complete 180 from say 10 years. I’ve lived in BPC for 22 years and I completely stopped shopping in Gristedes in 2002 and switched to Fresh Direct and then Whole Foods. I go in for basics, grapes, apples, frozen, dairy, etc. This guy deserves a MASSIVE bonus.

You should try them now they have a new store manager and new employees.
First thing they tell there new employees that they need to have an A+ in customer service.
And he is trying his best to turn around the store.
Give him a chances, any problem you see let him now so he could fix it.
Thank you for your attention
Please try us one more time.

Convenient supermarket that has most things you would expect a supermarket to have.
They have a fresh produce, bakery, and cold cut section.
Probably won’t find too large of an organic produce section in here though.

Everyone knows gristedes is a shit hole in general but the location on south end is the worst thanks to its employees. I’ve had innumerable negative experiences I should really stop going there but sometimes I need something name brand that whole foods doesn’t carry. The employees are so rude. Twice I’ve waited in a long line to have the cashier offer or allow someone to cut in line in front of me because it’s their friend or someone they deem a regular. How is this ok? This place always ruins my day!!!

Not sure how the government allows for this grocery store chain to remain open. This particular location has provided me: 1) fruit that has rotted within 24 hours of purchase 2) stale cereal (and NOT mildly stale either) 3) BEST OF ALL– the meat is CONTAMINATED. My boyfriend currently has food poisoning after purchasing beef from gristedes and cooking it well done!
Sure Whole Foods cost a little more for groceries, but it sure costs a lot less than having to keep buying items every other day from spoiling AND a lot less than your potential hospital and doctor visits. Disgusting.

The timings online show store opens at 6am (weekday). I went there around 6.30 and the guy there (maybe the owner) stoped me stating in a rude way «we are closed». They should update the timings and not be so rude. I am not goingbthere again!

Disgusting and I only go in an emergency. Shocking that such a dump could operate as long as it has

This place is just nasty.
I’ve discovered alot meat that was past expiration date.
I just wonder how they manage the rest of the store.
Just stick to canned foods or condiments you’ll be fine.

Not the best grocery store, but it’s all the neighborhood really has aside from a handful of more expensive bodegas. They have the basics but I tend to stay away from the seafood/​meat section as I’m not too confident on the freshness of these items. The produce is generally ok as well as the cured meat and refrigerated pasta items in the cheese section. The bakery is strategically located upon entering the store. I have not bought many baked goods but they have cakes and a variety of desserts and breads. There’s never crazy lines and the hours are convenient so it has some positives but I would recommend Whole Foods less than a 10 min walk away.

Not a fan of the baked items.

Get to the Chase:
Pros:
1) Ok despite all the negative reviews I see posted, I have to disagree with some points… because this grocery, albeit no Whole Foods, has all the essentials and is conveniently located
2) Prices are not exorbitant, but neither are they cheap… being located near FiDi, or Battery Park… you can’t expect anything less
3) Whatever you need, it’s got the basics (quick needs i.e. cereal, toiletries, snacks, sweets, milk, eggs… etc.)
Cons:
1) It is a bit dirty, and not well managed in terms of organization (I saw a whole stack of boxes just left in an aisle (leaving only 2 ft of room) …they didn’t even bother to re-​shelve the items
2) The cashier clerks can be very moody and express some attitude (however, I have noticed recently Feb 2013… they seem to be quite polite and generally more amiable)
3) The place is so small… you can’t even bring your cart or basket through since the cashier aisle is so small (unload everything and then leave them things at the front like a stacked mess)
For what it achieves (convenience in terms of items and location), it hits it on the money, but I would agree that the quality of products, the level of service, and the prices are not the best.

I only shop here when I’m desperate and it is midnight and I need processed crap I can’t get at whole foods, i.e. Diet Coke (and that I didn’t have the foresight to purchase on FreshDirect). Not to mention that the staff is RUDE. I can’t get a «hello» out of any of them. Ridiculous.

Not only is this grocery store heinously overpriced, but when you arrive at the checkout, you will find that 100% OF THE TIME, the prices the cashier rings up will not match the prices listed in the aisles (they will ring up as MORE expensive). My boyfriend and I encounter this problem every single time we go there, often on multiple items. Every time an incorrect price comes up, the cashier has to go look at the price listed in the aisles, so eventually you just get so fed up that it’s taking so long to check out, that you just pay the price that comes up. This is probably their business model. It’s a horrible place.

An evening with my adopted mother friend to prepare a home cook meal where our food finds took our travels to Gristedes in Battery Park. This supermarket actually serves Ciao Bella gelato by the pint without the extreme hefty price… whoa, SWEETS to replenish the sweetness within me!
Brand name of authentic ethnic spices and ingredients are readily available. Gristedes is pricey yet contains attentive staff to assist customers who are able to hone their interpersonal skills. Shopping carts are three tier without the traditional long bulky and space cumbersome. Four stars as Gristedes do not stock wine for consumption which they do have beer and cooking wine but no drinking wine.

Ugh, in an effort to save a few bucks, I chose Gristedes over Whole Foods for my quick run during lunch for some produce needs for that night’s dinner.
NEVER EVER AGAIN. This place is freakin dirty and had about 3 onions for me to choose from.
And the cherry on top, the store manager (or at least I think he was since he was in a button down and a tie), and some other produce shelver, was yelling condescendingly at another produce shelver to rotate the vegetables. «Put the bad ones in the back», they said. Well to me, it seemed like all the produce was bad so no matter how much you rotate them, it wouldn’t matter!!! I normally wouldn’t care too much except the other shelver was an older Asian man. So no, you don’t get to mess with my people.
After I gave him a death stare, he looked at my feet which were blocked by a whole bunch of boxes. He quickly apologized and moved the boxes out of my way. I felt like screaming at him that the boxes are the least of your store’s problems.
I’m hopping my way over to their website to file a complaint, but from the looks of the reviews over here, I doubt they will do anything about it. WAH.

Unfortunately Gristedes does not carry a vast selection of fresh produce or variety of products, but then most NYC markets do not stock the freshest produce, etc. It is what is for city groceries, not as expensive as specialty stores, and definitely not the same level of customer service.
Check product freshness and expiration dates.

after my self-​imposed 3-​month ban on this awful establishment, i returned today to find the same horrid service, ineptitude and feeling of general disgust that this place elicits. The cashier looked at me waiting for someone to show like i was bothering her, and when i requested $ 20 in cash back using my debit card, she, within a matter of 2 seconds, forgot to enter it. She then suggested that I buy something else, or use their ATM which has a surcharge.
This grocery store represents everything wrong and stereotypical with low-​class society — laziness, an overwhelming eagerness to complain, no visible skills, poor communication (lots of profanities), and unkemptness.
I literally walked out of here appalled and mystified that this place exists and someone actually hired the cashiers here. Beyond words. Placing a lifetime ban on this place. So should you.

If you like paying $ 9 for a box of cereal, eating moldy cheese and drinking spoiled milk, then this is definitely the place for you!
Unfortunately for me, I don’t like those things, and Gristedes is the only supermarket in my neighborhood… so I still buy from them If I’m in a pinch. After countless experiences with rotten food and bad service at Gristedes, I now rent car and go somewhere uptown to shop just to avoid this place. Paying $ 20 for spoiled chicken breast puts me in a foul mood (no pun intended), so I recommend avoiding this place like the plague.

Living in the Financial District does not present a lot of convenient grocery options.
Never shop here. Gristedes is overpriced, nothing is fresh, all their produce comes from pesticide laden farms in other countries or distant states. Not very sustainable.
Usually I hit a farmer’s market on the weekend, or stop at Whole Foods or Trader Joe’s on my way home from work, but there are days when I don’t plan ahead enough, or I forgot something essential, and then I’m forced to go to Gristedes or the mini market around the corner, which is insanely expensive.
Last night I cooked a meal with Gristedes chicken breast– bought and cooked well before the sell buy date. It looked… grainy before we cut it up. I shouldn’t have cooked it at all because once I mixed it in with the rest of the dish I ruined beans and vegetables as well. My boyfriend and I took one bite and knew it was spoiled.
I called the manager, who said he would give us our money back if we brought the chicken back. I told him I’d already cooked it, and he said to bring it back anyway. He was nice, but once I hung up I realized the manager’s request sort of ridiculous. What was I supposed to do? Pack the pounds of spoiled food up in tupperware? I get that they need to see the meat, but it was 8pm (we’re late eaters) and we had to order take out or make a new dish and I was just too irritated (and hungry) to walk over there with three pounds of spoiled food.
I plan to go in at some point and tell them they need to make a change because their food (including produce) is overpriced, crappy, and never fresh. I may not get my money back, but at the very least I can say something.
From now on I’m using Fresh Direct.

Gristedes is the worst I have ever seen. The success of Fresh Diect and WholeFoods is a clear indication that people are looking for selection, quality, and sanitation IS important. Just look at the number of WholeFoods bags you see making their way back to Battery Park City. John Castimatidis the CEO should be embarassed by the condition of his stores… they should be
1) closed
2) remoddled and upgraded
3) if they cannot or will not then someone should be brought in that can do so.
Battery Park City residents deserve much better than Gristedes!