Supermarket ratings and rankings (Cary, Apex: how much, neighborhood, buying)
Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill, CaryThe Triangle Area
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To buy meat. I can't afford the meat at the Farmer's Market or Whole Foods or TJ's - and don't give a damn if it's organic, grass fed, free range, massaged with beer, or given chocolates before bedtime.
I find that Costco meat is excellent, but I can still do better by purchasing meat at the grocery when on sale (except the lamb.)
I wish I could do that. I want to limit the risk of cancer, becoming antibiotic resistant and abnormal hormone levels. But, I digress from the OP's question.
Trader Joes and Aldi are owned by brothers, but they're separate companies. CarolinaKnight got it right on the money on post #17. I don't think they do any business with each other.
FUN FACT: I was in TJs in Chapel Hill the other day and I overheard an employee telling another customer that the Chapel Hill store is the busiest TJs in the whole of the Southeast. It is always packed in there, but everybody who works there is always in a pretty good mood.
Went to Aldi's out by Southpoint Mall the other day for the first time and was not at all impressed. Probably won't be going back there.
I'm surprised to see Fresh Market that high up. I've been to the one in Chapel Hill and one or two in Charlotte and they're okay, but definitely did not make my regular shopping rounds. Whole Foods has a lot more and certainly more organic/health food. Fresh Market seems to be in this in niche in between specialty and high end, with some "natural" foods focus, but not that much really.
I'm also aware of the Aldi/Trader Joe's connection and can't help but wonder if much of their merchandise is from the same suppliers but just packaged differently. I don't believe everything in TJ' s is as gourmet as it appears They do a great job of making me feel like it though. I also can't afford TJ' s meats(no red stickers).
I second the pork at FL , the only meat I don't like getting there is chicken. It taste old or improperly refrigerated often. I use FL for my basics if I'm not near a Kroger. Fortunately my last 2 residences have been close to one. I actually prefer the Garner store over Six Forks. That store looks dirtier and the employees have radically shifted into a less friendly and helpful demographic. I've had many communication problems when shopping for things there and the bakery area is just nasty. Won't buy doughnuts there ever since I saw a roach infestation in the bakery case. Not just one and I'm a customer not an employee.
Best deal on Chicken is HT. If you are a VIC member, they ALWAYS have $1.99/lb breasts at the butcher window. They are fresh, get rotated frequently, and you can buy one or as many as you need. One thing, they are HUGE (no extra charge for the hormones, I'm sure...), so I usually use a fillet knife to butterfly them, or cut them fully in half so they cook more evenly.
Kroger has the same deal, but I find HT's to be fresher and better. (and I usually grill them to put on a salad, so I'll buy a few goodies off the salad bar to enhance what I make at home. Maybe some Garbanzo's, bacon bits, eggs, or mozz-balls...)
I wish I could do that. I want to limit the risk of cancer, becoming antibiotic resistant and abnormal hormone levels. But, I digress from the OP's question.
I'm 58 years old. Husband is 72. We worry more about continuing to finance a happy retirement than abnormal hormone levels.
HOWEVER, I openly admit that if I were regularly cooking for kids and teenagers (especially girls), I'd be more worried about them eating some of this stuff - specifically the hormone added meats.
Personally, I don't eat a lot of meat, so don't mind paying extra for the good stuff when I do. Definitely don't need to have it at every meal or every day.
Location: Sodo Sopa at The Villas above Kenny' s House.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jaiho
Amazon. When in emergency, I go to Lowes. Employees there seem to be a lot happier.
I second the comment about Lowe's customer service. They are very friendly,helpful without overdoing it. I rarely see an employee moping around or looking dishelved. It's like the Chick fi la of supermarkets without all the religious undertones. Different thread but I'm a little irked by their need to say have a blessed day at the drive thru
Being Chinese and having previously lived in the middle of nowhere South Carolina for 5 years, having a Grand Asia Market here is way better than nothing
Went to Aldi's out by Southpoint Mall the other day for the first time and was not at all impressed. Probably won't be going back there.
Aldi's is a hard discounter. People shop there for the price, not the selection. In fact, they usually have no selection. If you want ketchup, they usually have a house brand in one size and that is it.
The folks that own Aldi's and TJs are very secretive, going back to when one of the brothers was kidnapped. I read that he tried to deduct part of the ransom payment as a business expense!
Fresh Market has the best produce as well as Whole Foods. I am a vegan, and I buy organic whenever possible. Sometimes HT has decent prices on organic apples, but their range of organics is small.
TJ has frozen organic wild blueberries, the best organic OO ( their own brand Buy the one from Italy). I like their frozen roasted corn, haricot verts, Brussel sprouts, and their sponges from France.
WF has organic dry French lentils and others, organic Indian brown rice, and a large selection of organic canned beans.
Location: Sodo Sopa at The Villas above Kenny' s House.
2,492 posts, read 3,027,395 times
Reputation: 3911
Quote:
Originally Posted by poppydog
Trader Joes and Aldi are owned by brothers, but they're separate companies. CarolinaKnight got it right on the money on post #17. I don't think they do any business with each other.
FUN FACT: I was in TJs in Chapel Hill the other day and I overheard an employee telling another customer that the Chapel Hill store is the busiest TJs in the whole of the Southeast. It is always packed in there, but everybody who works there is always in a pretty good mood.
Went to Aldi's out by Southpoint Mall the other day for the first time and was not at all impressed. Probably won't be going back there.
I'm surprised to see Fresh Market that high up. I've been to the one in Chapel Hill and one or two in Charlotte and they're okay, but definitely did not make my regular shopping rounds. Whole Foods has a lot more and certainly more organic/health food. Fresh Market seems to be in this in niche in between specialty and high end, with some "natural" foods focus, but not that much really.
Fresh Market is a gourmet specializing market. Former employee
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They do a great job of making me feel like it though. I also can't afford TJ' s meats(no red stickers). 
