Elsa Lanchester ([info]elsa) wrote in [info]ballard,
2008-03-02 18:21:00
Okay people, let's take our minds off the murder that happened in our sweet little enclave last night.

Instead, let's blab about the grocery store situation. The Ballard Safeway is a hellhole! I've just about had it with the long checkout lines, poor restocking of sale items, and sometimes mean cashiers. Where do you shop? Is the Ballard Market really worth the extra cost? Is the Fred Meyer better? When's the Trader Joe's coming?

There's got to be a better way.

  • Post a new comment

    Error

    Anonymous comments are disabled in this journal

    switch

    Your IP address will be recorded 

     
    Help
  • 31 comments

[info]animimi

March 3 2008, 02:33:27 UTC 4 years ago

The Ballard Fred Meyer is where it's at.

Ballard Market is all right but as you said it's a little pricey and sometimes they don't have everything I need.

That said, I now live in Shoreline (although one of my kids is in preschool in Ballard so I still go there every day and sometimes shop there) so I have more choices at my disposal.

And, yeah, I avoid that Safeway like the plague.

[info]retardomantaban

March 3 2008, 02:38:20 UTC 4 years ago


Fred Meyer is really cheap and has a lot of stuff but good lord there are a lot of people there.
Cashiers are ok, but I usually use the self checkout because the cashiers are SO SLOW.
I suggest trader joes on queen Anne (or whenever Ballard's gets finished).

I highly recommend metropolitan market on queen Anne. It's super expensive, but their chili is the best, cashiers are friendly and they have cheese samples.

WIN.

[info]elsa

March 3 2008, 16:21:21 UTC 4 years ago

My experiences with the FM have been similar. Lots of people and slowness. I've been to the Metropolitan Market in QA. It's nice but it creeps me out a little. I can't really say why. If I lived closer I'd consider it.

[info]mikigarrison

March 3 2008, 02:50:55 UTC 4 years ago

With the Ballard QFC gone, I sometimes go to the interbay/magnolia QFC (or even the crown hill one, sometimes) in my efforts to avoid that Safeway. Fred Meyer isn't much better for me -- it's massive enough that it takes me forever to get through, and yet they don't usually have precisely what I'm looking for.

I do like Ballard Market, but it's just way too pricey for me, especially since they don't have the steep sales -- if I shopped there for all my routine stuff, I'd be paying at least 50% more than what I do.

They've been making pretty rapid progress on the Trader Joe's building, though. :D

[info]bbcaddict

March 3 2008, 05:20:23 UTC 4 years ago

the QFC a bit further down on Holman road is fantastic.
Even though I live within walking distance of the Crown Hill one I still use the Holman Road one more.

[info]elsa

4 years ago

  • Loading...

[info]voodoo_onion

4 years ago

  • Loading...

[info]elsa

4 years ago

  • Loading...

[info]ninaf

March 3 2008, 02:57:17 UTC 4 years ago

I would personally hit up QFC on crown hill or whole foods downtown. I can't wait until we get the new whole foods.

[info]elsa

March 3 2008, 16:25:25 UTC 4 years ago

I completely forgot about the new interbay Whole Foods!

[info]kijjohnson

March 3 2008, 03:02:08 UTC 4 years ago

I love Ballard Market.

[info]srcsmgrl

March 3 2008, 04:57:48 UTC 4 years ago

Me too, although I live in North Ballard, so usually hit the Greenwood Market on the way home. They can be spendy, but they always have what I want, the cashiers are friendly and the produce etc. is always soooo good.

[info]p0tat0es

March 3 2008, 03:05:14 UTC 4 years ago

I usually hit Whole Foods on the way back to Ballard from downtown (it seems like a lot of their in-house label stuff is cheaper than what you can get at QFC), or suck it up and go to Ballard Market. The QFC on Dravus is an option that I haven't tried yet.

[info]elsa

March 3 2008, 16:29:52 UTC 4 years ago

The Whole Foods brand is cheaper. It's rare that I shop there but when I do I always pick their brand. The QFC on Dravus is okay. It's pretty small but it's cleaner and not stinky like the one that was just torn down in Ballard.

[info]mad_eponine

March 3 2008, 03:47:22 UTC 4 years ago

The Ballard Market is great. I don't quite get the "expensive" allegation. It's certainly nowhere near as exorbitant as Whole Foods and they run all sorts of sales just like everybody else. Nowhere near the economic mortefaction that is involved with Whole Foods or PCC. Check the weekly sales flyers you get in the mail; if you rely on only one place to do all your grocery shopping then you're a chump.

The Ballard Fred Meyer is also well worth it. The Traitor Joe's will be very nice to have around but if it's anything like the U-District one, the produce will be horrible.

Also: say what you want about Safeway as a hellhole of a corporation but that Ballard Safeway is relatively decent, stocked, and even safe. Go shop at the U-District Safeway and get back to me about the alleged hellhole of the Ballard Safeway.

[info]elsa

March 3 2008, 16:32:39 UTC 4 years ago

I've been to the U-Distric Safeway and it truly does makes the Ballard Safeway look wonderful. I agree about the produce in Trader Joe's. I also don't like that some of it is all packaged up.

[info]herbaliser

March 3 2008, 03:48:39 UTC 4 years ago

Having just spent an eternity in the checkout line, I'm merely vowing to never return on a Sunday night. Howly Shite.

[info]elsa

March 3 2008, 16:35:04 UTC 4 years ago

And how! I was there around 4pm and I the lines were into the aisles. It just felt bad to be there. I've had very similar experiences on other days of the week too. I often stop after work, like everyone else and that's probably where I'm going wrong.

[info]wayitgoes

March 3 2008, 04:06:02 UTC 4 years ago

The 15th & Market Safeway is so spotty. There's a few cashiers I love (Samantha), but there are a few that I avoid like the plague. (Anyone remember Helooooooo Have a nice daaaaaaay man?)

I like the 85th & 15th Safeway, but I just started wandering up there. It's usually dead empty and is a bit larger than the Market one.

Fred Meyer is wonderful, but it's like Costco in that I can never leave without at least 3 items I didn't plan to purchase.

Week to week - the big shopping trips are at FM and the odds and ends are at 15th & Market Safeway.

Can't wait until the QFC is back. I miss walking to the store.

[info]elsa

March 3 2008, 16:42:17 UTC 4 years ago

They do have a few nice cashiers. There's this one nice younger gal with long hair who has a pretty good attitude. I always say "hi, how are you?" and "thank you" to every cashier, even those who don't respond to it. I know that job is tough and they take a lot of crap from people.

I've tried out the Safeway on 85th recently too. It isn't as busy but it seems to be in the midst of some remodeling. Maybe that's all done now.

I almost always walk to the Fred Meyer. Even knowing that I have to carry everything back doesn't stop me from buying 20 heavy things. Sheesh.

[info]4hour_ramona

March 3 2008, 06:12:24 UTC 4 years ago

i multi-shop. the ballard market is worth it for the salad bar, cheese, wine, and the produce i don't have delivered (but i get the organic delivery veggies, and they do me mostly up right). i hate fred meyer, but it has the best prices on organic foods and soup-in-a-box. great harvest and/or the sunday market are best for breads. safeway can go die.

[info]elsa

March 3 2008, 16:42:57 UTC 4 years ago

Who delivers your veggies?

[info]4hour_ramona

4 years ago

  • Loading...

[info]raevnos

March 3 2008, 15:49:19 UTC 4 years ago

The Ballard Market is one of the best groceries in the city. I don't even live in Seattle any more and I still make trips just to go there.

[info]friendless1

March 3 2008, 18:02:46 UTC 4 years ago

I haven't noticed outrageously high prices at Ballard Market, but there are always a lot more cashiers per shopper than at any other store. I'd be willing to wait in line for a few minutes if it meant they could lower their prices.

No one's mentioned Cash & Carry, which is like Costco except that you don't need a memebership card or a car (though a shopping cart helps). They have a pretty decent selection of produce, plus all the usual institutional-size goods like gallon jugs of chocolate syrup and 5-pound bags of frozen peas.

[info]elsa

March 3 2008, 22:05:49 UTC 4 years ago

I've never investigated the Cash & Carry. It looked pretty bare bones from the outside.

[info]lookngglassgirl

March 3 2008, 18:08:35 UTC 4 years ago

Freddie's is the shit for Ballard groceries. Now that I don't live right up the street from it tho, I go to Safeway on 85th and 15th, or the Qfc right across the street if I'm in a hurry, as it is almost always dead empty.

I can't wait for the new TJ's either, tho.

[info]kittenroyale

March 3 2008, 18:22:51 UTC 4 years ago

I used to work at the Fred Meyer in Ballard..I transfered to another location...I still miss working and shopping there. Fred Meyer is pretty great since it has everything you could need.

[info]fuzzirella

March 3 2008, 19:45:42 UTC 4 years ago

I don't like the Fred Meyer. They don't carry 50 percent of the items I love (favorite cereal, yogurt, etc.) And it's always crazy there.

Safeway is getting frustrating. The lines are ridiculous! But they have some really good deals. Yesterday my boyfriend and I purchased over $30 worth of frozen food items and got two free movie tickets. As we both love going to the movies, this was really awesome.

I really like the Ballard Market but find it a little more expensive. We go there when we want to have some nice cheeses, veggies, etc. for a nice dinner.

[info]crankyisgood

March 4 2008, 05:12:41 UTC 4 years ago

Yes, the Ballard Market is worth the money. You are putting money back into your community by shopping local. You are dealing with cashiers, stock people, etc. who are paid decent wages and treated with respect -- so you get respect back. Try to maintain a shopping list and don't "accidentally" buy stuff that's not on the list and you should be okay. They do have good markdowns on products every week so it's worth it to stock up on those products you like when they come on sale.

The PCC isn't far either -- it's not walkable, though -- but it's excellent and the prepared foods are very affordable and so much better than the stuff from Whole Paycheck. And yeah, you can shop okay at WF, get better stuff than from the other mega-chains, but your money doesn't stay in your community.

[info]its_crabapple

March 4 2008, 06:29:09 UTC 4 years ago

I disagree with the whole train of thought that Ballard Market is "expensive" I shop there more than anywhere else, and I don't really spend "more" money than I should have.

It's a matter of perspective really. To me, Fred Meyers, Safeway, and QFC are all messed up places. Yes, you can save some money with some of the "sales" they have, but the reality of the matter is, the stuff isn't on sale because of anything more than they need to get rid of it before it goes out of code.
Create an Account
Forgot your login or password?
Facebook Twitter More login options
English • Español • Deutsch • Русский…