Morton Williams

It is a surprise that this site that I stepped in by a whim happens to carry some of items that I never found in other stores so I might want to come back but somehow the outside store environment needs a bit of security job and inside the store are isles so narrowly designed that shoppers practically cannot walk around without squeezing themselves in them AND brushing with each other. This might be a discouraging factor for my future come back to the premise. The price is, just as any store in the area goes, pricey. Still, when I have enough energy and a small luggage to carry on top of bustling with strangers, sure, I am game.

I like this place! Though overpriced, they have some cool specialty items and the managers and employees are nice. If you ever can’t find something, ask them. They will be more than happy to help you locate it. Sriracha sauce? Check. Brooklyn Lager? Check. I’m all set Mr. Williams.

When I walked into the market I noticed the conveniently placed tomatoes: $ 4.99 per pound. I bought 3 for $ 6.74 and walked away a happy man, eating my tomatoes whole and unwashed. Little did I know these delicious scrumptious morsels were covered in a thick layer of pesticides, giving me a violent strain of anal e.coli. However, the bagels and Philly cheesesteaks my grandmother purchased there while I was defecating out my small intestines were quite good. Overall, 3 stars. Please wash your fruits. If you go there, tell ‘em Paco sent you!

Every so often, you can stumble upon an amazing deal here (e.g; 69 cents per Snapple… my favorite deal of all time). Everything else is a bit more expensive than you’d find n a standard supermarket chain like Shop Rite or Stop & Shop, but I find that Morton Williams is best used as a place to go if you run out of something unexpectedly or need to pick up a couple of ingredients last-​minute.
The hot food section is pretty cheap. After trying just about every dish there this summer (rotisserie chicken, BBQ Ribs, wontons, turkey… and everything else), I have finally accepted that there are no hidden gems. It’s all so downright mediocre that it hurts… but that’s to to be expected at that price. Very salty as well, so watch out for that.
Don’t bother with the sushi, M2M is a couple of steps down the block and offers much cheaper, better quality rolls.

This Morton Williams is right across the street from Columbia University’s college walk on 116^th, thus it is prime location for both Barnard and Columbia students. When you enter, you will most certainly see a multitude of college students shopping.
The prices are kind of high, but it should be expected as it is a grocery store in Manhattan near a college campus. That being said, there are always deals going on. My occasional favorites include «5 for $ 5.00 for Chobani greek yogurt,» and «2 for $ 6.00» for Tropicana orange juice.
They have an expansive collection of frozen yogurt and ice creams. Their produce section is a bit lacking but it is expected due to the size of the store. Their workers are definitely friendly– they have on many occasions ran downstairs to look for an item that wasn’t on the shelf (they usually get it).
They have a great selection of grab-​and-​go items like pre-​packaged sandwiches, Chinese food, and more.
Definitely a favorite when I need something quick!

OMG the sushi is horrible and my tastebuds are so mad at me. I bought 2 rolls– eel & avocado and salmon roll. I didn’t finish either of them. I’m never going back here. First and last time. Now I’m trying to rid the disgusting taste out of my mouth. *sigh*

Not sure why some of these reviews are so harsh. It’s a small grocery store in Manhattan – of course it’s cramped, and there’s a limit to what can be stocked. That being said, the selection is decent for the size, the prices are pretty standard for Manhattan (plus it’s near Columbia), their sales are good, and they have a lot of prepared food options. Not a bad place to stop in if you forgot an ingredient or two for dinner or need a snack.

Great variety but very pricey. If you lived in the city only, you can say that it is a normal price range but actually it is not. Very pricey. But at the same time, quality of fruits and vegetables is very high. If you would like to buy packages like tea, cereal, cans, etc. it is better to go to Amsterdam and find a local store. Once again, vegetables and fruits are delicious.

All I can say is I bought chicken noodle soup from here and found a feather in my soup…

Another supermarket just trying to exploit college kids in the area that don’t care about money. You can get much better quality for much cheaper prices if you just go down a few blocks to westside market, or garden of eden, or pretty much any other supermarket in the area.

Wondering why the average star is so low… Well aisle is narrow, one star down, service is only OK, one star down, and that’s it. what else do you expect for a supermarket ?? Plus they have great and affordable hot platters !! (recommend) they really try to make their goods as variously as they can given limited space. Anyway I do think Morton worthy more than 2 stars.

the place takes flex, and has the best location for columbia students, but their lacking in qualitity in comparison to fairway or westside without cheaper prices. their prepared food is particularly underwhelming. I am also unsure of how they treat their workers, because morale does not seem high. The rating is particularly low because Morton decided to boycott Turkish goods for political reasons.

I’m not sure why its 2 stars as an overall. I’ve been coming here for 2 years and I like this place. I often stop by for lunch as a grab & go to take back to my office. I’ve tried their prepared foods, sandwiches, sushi, and hot meals and they are all good.
Here some options for some grab & go food:
1. They have a good selection of small meal containers that cost between $ 2-​$ 4, which will serve you will as a small meal or side. Some are (off the top of my head) — Pesto tortellini, quinoa salad, bean salad, flat noodle pasta.
2. The sushi. The sushi isn’t that expensive and compared to other sushi restaurants that’re around the area (i think there are like 4 or 5 within a 2 block radius), is comparable.
3. The rotisserie chicken — Probably my favorite choice. You can get a ½ chicken with potatoes or rice for $ 6, you cant beat that. If you are not in the mood for carbs, you can just get the ½ chicken for $ 5…again, a price that cant be beat. If I’m really hungry, I sometimes get the ½ chicken and a small side container that I mentioned earlier.

Blergh. Don’t get any of the prepared foods i.e. sushi from the back– I’ve heard too many scary things. Expensive but convenient. You know it’s bad when Whole Foods is a steal (think box of crackers for seven dollars). Down the street Westside Market seems to offer a nicer experience but is also pricey. The layout here confuses me and I’m always backing into people in the narrow aisles. The checkout people don’t always enter the right prices. But… it’s the closest grocery store to Columbia.

I bought mozzarella cheese here once… It was spoiled. The place is narrow, staff is unhelpful and the prices and lines are insane. I see spoiled food is a trend here. Luckily, there are tons of stores in the area. Avoid.

I am also surprised by the low ratings from others. Maybe I have not frequented this place enough yet?
I normally just come and grab whatever I need and go. I don’t wander around for hours and nor do I make that much contact with its cashiers.
I mostly come here for its sale items. Every week, they have several items on sale that I am interested in. I normally only buy stuff that are on sale here. Because as noted by others, their items are priced pretty high — obviously because of its location.
I give this place 3 stars. Plus 1 star because they offer cash back option if you use a debit card.

Tonight I went to my local Mo-​Wills to pick up some ice cream and get cash back, honestly that second part was the main purpose of my trip.
1^st cashier: quite rudely notified me her register is closed and to «Move down!»
2^nd cashier: Half way through ringing me up gets into a verbal fight with a coworker. Over the furry of «Best check your estrogen levels!» and «Don’t you talk to me like that!» I tried to tell her I need $ 10 cash back… which ultimately fell on deaf ears. When she was finished ringing me up and I notified her I still needed $ 10 cash back she told me they «Don’t do that.» Only they do… cause I’ve been shopping there for the past six months.
If you want to feel uneasy at best, and occasionally homicidal, then make this Morton Williams your neighborhood stop for marked up groceries.

I’m starting to wonder about the condition they store their food. I have bought three spoiled products from there in the last month. To be more specific, two jars of jelly COVERED in mold, and a package of cookie dough that had BUGS in it.
Seriously?
Also, their staff is not friendly at all. I’ve twice seen the check out staff yelling at each other while they were checking me out. I’m sorry — got a problem? How about you NOT scream at each other about how it’s «not your damn fault» in front of a line of customers. Thanks.

Woah, low reviews from others… I wonder why?
I would have to assume that clearly, MWS has come a very long way because my visit to the supermarket was very pleasant today! I stopped in to pick up some snacks and check out their food selection for possible lunches.
My observations:
The aisles are incredibly narrow, one person narrow. They carry many of the essentials including produce and meats. Very clean store. While their prices seem pretty high, I’d have to imagine it is the cost of being so convenient to Columbia, Bank Street, Barnard and Manhattan School of Music. The fresh produce section seems small but everything is very fresh! On the far left side of the store, a hot food selection is available. Order your meal and pay at the register. The cashier I met was friendly and closed the transaction quickly! I approve.
RANDOM: I saw the tiniest little sign at the register that says MWS-​wine store offer a 10% off wine purchases. I’d be interested in learning more about that!

I nearly had a breakdown in this Morton Williams, and I still couldn’t find Panko breadcrumbs.
This store’s tiny aisles give me a serious case of claustrophobia. To further compound this, the store always seems full of people when I go. As a result, I feel rushed, cramped, and generally unhappy when I’m in here. If it were socially acceptable, I would probably scream every time I entered this store.
It gets bonus points for being clean, but I generally go anywhere instead of here.
Also, seriously, where do they keep the Panko?