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Having just had the greatest grocery ever in California: Henrys/Windmill Farms Its been tough going to more "corporate" markets in NJ. The A&P by me in Montclair is just atrociously overpriced and fairly run down. The Shoprite on Broad St. was insanely packed at 12 noon on a Sunday. We have a Kings up the road but I assume its expensive as well.
I use the Stop N Shop in Clifton near the targhetto. Its easy to navigate at least. I wish there was a palce with cheap produce and decent meats. I dont eat the prepared food so it doesnt matter.
Having just had the greatest grocery ever in California: Henrys/Windmill Farms Its been tough going to more "corporate" markets in NJ. The A&P by me in Montclair is just atrociously overpriced and fairly run down. The Shoprite on Broad St. was insanely packed at 12 noon on a Sunday. We have a Kings up the road but I assume its expensive as well.
I use the Stop N Shop in Clifton near the targhetto. Its easy to navigate at least. I wish there was a palce with cheap produce and decent meats. I dont eat the prepared food so it doesnt matter.
You need to drive ten minutes to Corrado's in Wayne or twenty minutes to Fairway in Paramus. Both have cheap produce and decent meats. The A&P in Montclair is ancient. There are nicer updated A&Ps around (the one closest to you might be the West Paterson store on Rt. 46). While Kings sometimes has nice stuff, they are insanely overpriced on most items. (You'll get better quality stuff at half the price when it's on sale at Fairway.) The Shop Rite in Little Falls on Browertown Road/Rt. 46 isn't bad, but Shop-Rites here are ALWAYS busy.
You may also want to check out the Foodtown on Rt. 23 in Cedar Grove. I've never been in there (I've driven past it zillions of times though), but they're owned by the same family that owns the Foodtown in North Haledon, which I do go to on occasion. It was updated about two years ago and it's gorgeous, and I believe the Ceder Grove store was updated too. The Real Housewives of NJ shop at the North Haledon too! (I recognized the store the first time I saw it on the show, and they have a couple of videos up on Youtube showing the wives promoting the North Haledon store.)
As for Stop & Shop? Well, I've gone on the record as saying I can't stand them. I think their prices are insane, their prepared foods are awful, and they have inadequate help in most of their stores.
The Shoprite stores near me in Monmouth County vary incredibly in size and quality
Shoprite -Old Bridge: Cramped, old, "ghetto" as a previous poster mentioned, small produce section, etc.
Shoprite -Marlboro: Highly congested, not huge, OK selection of produce, meats.
Shoprite -Aberdeen: Awesome...huge, renovated store; does not feel claustrophobic, great selection of produce, decent selection of organic and natural foods. An added bonus: a free childcare area where kids can color, play computer games, or watch movies while mom shops.
I usually do most of my shopping at the A&P on Milltown Rd here in North Brunswick, or Aldi's out on 27. I like Stop & Shop too, and go to the one on 27 & Veronica Ave every now and then. And Acme is good too in Milltown.
Pathmark is so/so. It used to be better than it is now. When I was a kid that was my mother's store. Now she does lots of shopping at Wegmans, I've gone to the one in Woodbridge a few times and products there are cheap till you get to the specialty stuff.
I can't stand Shoprite. I hate it. HATE. LOL can I be any more clear? Every single one I've been to is crowded, cramped and claustrophobic with rude, nasty customers and clerks speaking like robots, trained and programmed to say the most ridiculous things. The only one I've been to that I could deal with is the one in Spotswood, and the reason for that is that it is open 24 hrs.
I split my time between Acme, which has better quality, but more expensive food and Shoprite, which has the opposite. Since Acme is closer, I try to shop there when there's a sale.
I usually go to the Stop and Shop in Clifton right next to where I work for lunch or if I'm staying late at work dinner too. Its great because I can just walk outside my gate at work and walkover. But I usually do my shopping at Shop-rite...I've been to the ones in Lyndhurst, Hoboken and Union City. They've all been very clean and yes crowds can get annoying but its never been to the point where I can't maneuver anywhere. I'm even surprised the one in Union City is pretty good and not extremely ghetto. The Pathmark in Weehawken is very ghetto and even though its closer to me, if I have the time I'll drive a bit further to the Union City Shoprite for its better selection, prices, and service.
I usually do most of my shopping at the A&P on Milltown Rd here in North Brunswick, or Aldi's out on 27. I like Stop & Shop too, and go to the one on 27 & Veronica Ave every now and then. And Acme is good too in Milltown.
Pathmark is so/so. It used to be better than it is now. When I was a kid that was my mother's store. Now she does lots of shopping at Wegmans, I've gone to the one in Woodbridge a few times and products there are cheap till you get to the specialty stuff.
I can't stand Shoprite. I hate it. HATE. LOL can I be any more clear? Every single one I've been to is crowded, cramped and claustrophobic with rude, nasty customers and clerks speaking like robots, trained and programmed to say the most ridiculous things. The only one I've been to that I could deal with is the one in Spotswood, and the reason for that is that it is open 24 hrs.
What about the shop rite in NB? I think that one is clean, great selection and not too crowded;certainly less crowded than A&P.
Last edited by lov403; 07-13-2010 at 08:35 AM..
Reason: typo
The only downside is their butchers can't cut meat to save their lives. And for a place in Princeton to not carry Prime beef is crazy.
I have yet to find a real butcher shop anywhere in New Jersey that is like the one that had been at O'Connor's in Watchung. I'm dating myself, but back in the late '70's and '80s, there were several butchers there, starting with a guy named, oddly enough, Chuck, then Jack and his son Tom, who really understood meats, how to cut them and dress them properly.
Sadly, most of the butchers hack at the meat and ruin it with bias cuts on steaks and lop-sided roast cuts the make even cooking almost impossible.
have you tried the butchers in the Amish Market on rt.27? I hear they're good but i have yet to go there. Interested in going to get info for a pig roast. Would love to have it for labor day party.
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And for a place in Princeton to not carry Prime beef is crazy.
Sadly, most of the butchers hack at the meat and ruin it with bias cuts on steaks and lop-sided roast cuts the make even cooking almost impossible.
