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Categories: Grocery, Health Markets [Edit]
Neighborhood: Pacific HeightsNeighborhood: Russian Hill
"I have been in the hood for a while now. When I lived off of Laguna I would switch between the Fillmore store and this one. After moving a…" read more »
... can I move in here? All it needs is a bed, shower, and internet access. I'd be set for life!
Don't forget to try the vegan chocolate cake. Sex in a plastic chamber.
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Wow the food they cater rocks!!! My co-worker won us a free lunch from Star 101.3 catered by Whole Foods. She's just one of those lucky gals that wins everything. Well anyways....101.3 came to our office with a lot and I mean a lot of food. LOL there is only 2 of us in the office on Fridays.
Anyways..we had the veggie enchilada....omg it was so good. That container is like a mexican lasagna. We also had the chicken enchilada....I wasn't too big on it. It was kinda mushy and no veggies in there...ya know we do need our fiber. We also had a container of the chicken cesar salad...can't go wrong with it. And last but not least there was a platter of baked goods. I'm looking at it right now and feel like eating another cooking....which might not be a good idea. But they do look so good.
Overall I am impressed with the food catered by Whole Foods.
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I so love Whole Foods, and it's not just as a grocery. I love it as a restaurant, a liquor store, and as a hangout.
In this particular store, aside from the traffic accident that will undoubtedly happen between your cart and 547 others as soon as you enter and try to turn into the produce section - - everything is dandy. I personally prefer the one on 4th St but there is something to be said about convenience as this is only half a mile from my place.
But get a load of this.
Last night, I had reason to cook a celebratory dinner. It would be dinner for a total of 6 people... so I headed to Whole Foods.
Well - - I bought enough food to generously feed 6 people, but I had to begin the dinner by saying this:
"This entire dinner, down to the freakin' parsley, is so unintentionally but oh so totally organic from top to bottom, thanks to Whole Foods."
And, it cost a fortune to buy it.
Yeah, even the broccoli and arugula were organic - great. It cost more, but not enough to put me into shock and almost scream out the unthinkable.
The honey? $10. Still didn't scream out the unthinkable.
Heading to the meat section, my eyes were overwhelmed with all the fresh meat, but wanting to cook steaks - - I veered over to that portion of the display. $19.99/lb for "regular" ribeye.
$19.99/lb gor REGULAR RIBEYE?
$21.99 for AGED RIBEYE?
Are my eyes deceiving me?
When it was my turn, I told the guy I wanted to 6 steaks and pointed to the AGED ribeye. I mean, hell -- what is two extra dollars to an already ludicrous price per pound?
He wraps it up and hands it to me and that is when I did scream the unthinkable:
"I MISS COSTCO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
Seriously. $92.89 for 6 steaks. That's Whole Foods for you.
$93 gets you a huge chunk of prime rib at Costco. $93 gets two huge family packs of ribeye, like 18 pieces of large steaks!
Breathe in, breathe out.
It's AGED. So it's gotta be great. My friends will be impressed.
Went home.
Cooked it.
It was fabulous.
Just exactly like my Costco ribeyes would be.
(sigh)
There is an upside to this story.
Some 8 bottles of wine out of my beautiful cellar, and one big poker game later that lasted into the wee hours of the night - - I, the gracious host, won in poker and took my totally drunken guests' money.
Bigtime.
$160, to be exact.
Ribeyes - - PAID FOR and then some!
Where there's a will, there's a way.
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I hate to love this place. But I really can't help it. Can I give a place 2 stars if I go there 3-4 times a week? Well I suppose not. Whole Foods is a simple one stop shop for all your eating needs if you're a busy, on the go type of person. Everyone knows that the store as a whole is expensive, so grocery shopping here is not the smartest thing... unless you're loaded. On a side note, I want to get so rich one day that I can do all my grocery shopping at Whole Foods and never step in a Costco again. Anyhow, I digress.
So a couple times a week I stroll into the prepared foods area to box up a quick, healthy lunch. During the week I'll be quite healthy with some lean protein, a salad, and/or quinoa. Yeah man, I said quinoa. The soups are always good. On occasion I'll head over to the hot entrees and get a Guinness Braised Lamb Shank and come mac 'n cheese. I have to admit some of the food here is a shade on the bland side, but you have to feel good about eating the freshly prepared, healthy food.
Yeah yeah, I know the mac 'n cheese isn't completely healthy. But it's from Whole Foods so it's all good yeah? Anyhow, I've got to hand it to them, they make a mean mac 'n cheese. Although it's not topped with breadcrumbs, it does have a slightly singed top of cheddar, jack, and Parmesan cheeses. You have to love the kick the jack gives. And I just found out the creaminess of the sauce is achieved by combining all those cheeses with Alfredo sauce. And me being the fat kid I am, I walk by the mac 'n cheese everytime I go in Whole Foods. But for the most part I do hold back...
Whole Foods is a place where breakfast, lunch, and dinner is an easy spoon, scoop, or shovel away. And if you're loaded, great place for groceries!
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Damn!
OK so being from NY I've been spoiled for years with quick access to Wegmans grocery stores everywhere(God I still really miss Wegmans).
However, the meat and cheese departments plus general customer service everywhere at Whole Foods has won me over.
I felt the need to yelp them after this weekends fine experience. I made a nice Dinosaur BBQ Chicken Highbrow dish whch required all sorts of good stuff from Whole Foods. The guy who helped me in the meat department took all the chicken breast i needed, removed the tenders for me, slit them open into 'notebook form' and even pounded them down to 1/4" thickness. And he did that just by me asking him about the recipe. Too good.
Also they have the most fantastic gargonzola blue cheese that I've ever had(i forget the brand, i'll check later) which goes nicely with a moscato d'Asti(which you can get a great one at TJ's for like $4) Good times, good times!!!
I'll still make my weekly run to TJ's for some of the cheaper things I can spare quality with, but Whole Foods is proving a little too good to pass up on most of my fridge essentials
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Oh Whole Foods, what started out as a love affair has become an annoyance. I think my standards have gone up and yours have gone down, my friend.
In the last year or so, I've noticed a dramatic increase in conventional produce (not organic) at Whole Foods. I don't know if they're having trouble sourcing the stuff or have just found that people will pay "organic prices" at Whole Foods, regardless of whether or not it's organic.
Either way, it's a troubling trend, which is why I'm dropping my review to three stars.
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07/08/2006
To be honest, I really don't think Whole Foods is that expensive. You just have to know how to shop… Read more »
******** WHOLE FOODS PARKING LOT REVIEW***************
If you want to test how strong your relationship is with your significant other, or at least give your self-controlling ways a test (esp. if your significant other has told you that you have issues)... grab him/her and head over to Whole Foods on Cali and attempt parking!
Whether you're the driver or the passenger (oooh, but try both!), you will have just put yourself through a wonderful exercise: Will you curse? Will you yell at your honey b/c they didn't see the red Mini pulling out? Or will you tell your honey to "Just pull around her! So what if you bump her!"
The parking lot is enough to drive you batty, cause a break-up or could perhaps be just the cure for someone who's feeling comatose or plain out of it. Seriously, this place could potentially wake up the dead.
I actually applaud the architects and marketing peeps who were in on this insane project (for sure they were conjoined in brainpower) because by the time you make it upstairs to shop for all the beautiful produce, flowers, cheeses and meats (hence, 5 stars), sky's the limit! You're barely thinking of how much money you've just spent when your brain feels like a pinball machine!
Brilllllllllllllllliant!
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Kind of an awkward (but really convenient) location, parking is not really good but I'll waive that objection given the location, and a pretty straight-forward Whole Foods on the inside. Lots of ready-made stuff. I have to say though, the community involvement part of Whole Foods really seems to be prominent in this one. Will consider making this a 5-star review when Whole Foods stops charging me a daily wage for half an organic apple.
Going to Whole Foods is like going to a candy store for adults- you want everything in sight! I walked out in a dreamy bliss with my bunch of Dahlias, Terra Arribiata Chips, Santa Cruz Organic Raspberry Lemonade, Israeli Couscous, and Tomato Basil Risotto. I also left w/ a big smile on my face since Freddie, a Whole Foods employee, took my sliced ham order and swung back by me to pass off a sample of ham wrapped in a leaf of lettuce, only to say "Quality control!!". Freddie, You. Rock. I wish more deli employees were like you!
Granted, their location is a bit awkward & not as sparkling as the SOMA location, hence the 1 knocked off star, but their friendly service from the floral dept. to the register, gives me reason to return asap.
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Whole Foods now sell "grass fed" beef.
This is all it takes to get five stars.
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01/21/2008
I had to to downtown this morning, and thought that I would save myself some time by shopping at… Read more »
Mmmm, cold air dried breasts :)
How much do I love the overpriced world that is Whole Foods. You go in, you spend a fortune and you feel better about yourself for doing it. Genius I tell ya...and I want the recipe for that mind-manipulating Kool-Aid, while you're at it.
Yesterday, after spending a few hours at Rainbow Grocery and getting my arsenal of deelish stocked and ready to roll, we needed some animals. Hey, I am going healthier, but you won't see me eating fake meat. Ya gotta draw the line somewhere. Anyhoo, since we had decided to make a pesto lasagna, we needed some chicken sausage and some turkey to make the dish complete and that is where I was introduced to Air Dried Breasts (insert 12 year old boy giggle here).
For those who don't know, Air Drying is a better way to experience the bird. Normally they pluck 'em and put 'em in cold water, which tends to soak up the moisture and you end up paying for water in your dinner. Eff that I say, which is why the Air Dried process makes much more sense. The only downfall is that you have to be really careful about how long you cook it as it has a tendency to dry out a tad, but if you know what you are doing in the kitchen, then no worries there.
Other than my new found knowledge of chilly breasts thanks to the awesome butcher, I can also tell you that this is the land of hot menz. Holy crap. I now remember why my Dad has always told me that I will probably meet my dream guy in the ice cream aisle of the supermarket. Yeah, I'm talkin to you hot guy in the blue sweatshirt and baseball cap. Mmmmhmmmm.
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I like this Whole Foods Market. I came here the other day with my girlfriend since we decided to cook for a change. I think some of the prices for things here are outrageous. It's hard to swallow a fruit that costs more than a dollar each, unless you're talking about a big fruit like a watermelon. But a small fruit like a pear, shouldn't cost a dollar fifty. That's my only quip about this place. That said, service was alright, parking was a breeze (though we did get here at around 8:30 or so), and the roast we cooked was freaking delicious. The pear was good too, but I'm still not sure it was worth a dollar fifty.
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I have to say... after watching Top Chef... I had to come to this place! No wonder all the top chefs shop here, its all natural or organic foods! Which I LOVE. This is the best supermarkets I have ever been to... Being a health freak and all, this is where to be when you want to get groceries for your house. I have to replace everything in my house with organic stuff now. The cashiers are also really nice, they like to stir up a conversation with you while ringing you out. Also this place has a parking lot which makes coming here even more easier!
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The produce here is not as fresh as planet organics, and more expensive too. On the other hand, the fresh and deli meats are not bad.
I shopped here for a barbecue I threw recently and spent over $200, including a variety of meats and vegetables for grilling.
The good: flavored pre-made hamburgers and brioche style mini-buns, organic deboned chicken thighs. and a very tasty melon.
The bad: they didn't even have cherry tomatoes, the corn was mealy, and produce generally tasteless.
In a head-to-head comparison against produce I'd ordered from planet organics for the same event, the planet organics produce was much tastier and fresher (including some spectacular corn).
This place is great. Of course you get all the great produce and selection that come with all whole foods locations, but you get a bonus of great eye candy. If you want to see a beautiful woman, forget going to bars or gyms, go here! They are literally everywhere. I would give 5 stars but whole foods in general is overpriced. I only go here for fresh meat and seafood. People who come here to buy sandwich bags just make me laugh.
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i love wholefood i live really close so just walk. but i buy all my grocery's here. the hot bar is my favorite thing about wholefoods there's so many options i love the grilled lemon Chicken. i had the turkey for thanksgiving it tasted so good. oh and try there traditional lasagna even the veggie is good.
so basically sure wholefoods is not the cheapest place to shop but in pac heights there not the most expensive and there friendly helpful staff rocks
Date & Time: Thursday May 22, 2008 @ 5:30 pm Various Times when I Need to Get a Special Treat for Gifting
Location: In Whole Foods- pass the registers and to the left
Company: Michael
Crowd: Upscale Pac Heights Crowd in Lululemon or Tory Burch
Atmosphere: Comfortable
Decor: Rustic. Huge Counters filled with Yummy Decadent Treats
Service: Thoughtful. Helpful. Efficient.
Devour: The 15-Plus Mini-Desserts that includes Bite-Size Cupcakes, Cream Puffs, Eclairs, All Types of Pies(banana, key lime, whatevers in season) Fruit Tarts, Fruit Muffins, Brownies, Chocolate Mousse and Cheesecakes. These miniature treats are occupy the whole first row of the counter.
Notes: You can get any amount and they'll box it up really nice for you in gold boxes with clear tops. I usually get a dozen for $20 as a Hostess Gift.
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They are open on holidays.
Love that.
I've had pretty good experiences at this market. I've figured out good times to go so the parking lot isn't a nightmare. I've become a really good shopper and utilizing the 365 brand and specials. The staff is really nice and helpful. (oh there's an odd duck or two, I'll give you that)
I don't find it any more or less expensive than some of the options out there. I live right by Cal-Mart and Bryan's and they make Whole Foods look reasonable. Sure, I could go to Safeway but I loathe that place plus they don't have a lot of organic options. Whole Foods has plenty of organic options which I love. It's worth it to me.
Let's get the obvious out of the way: Whole Foods sells good quality food at hair-raising prices. Beyond that, I'll just throw out some other thoughts, none especially unique:
* This particular branch is cramped and tough to negotiate; you can best maneuver with the smaller green carts rather than the full size ones.
* The prepared food looks delicious, but is utterly tasteless. No matter how many times I try, I get the same result every time.
* Get the La Brea baguettes. I used to think Acme had the baguette nailed. They don't. La Brea does.
* You need a special ingredient? Nope, this isn't the place. Try Berkeley Bowl instead if you're looking for 7 different varieties of eggplant. Whole Foods only has one: pricey.
* The butcher is good. Do spend your money on organic meat, not only 'cause it's healthier, but it tastes way better too. Don't waste your time on the sausages at Whole Foods. I did a blind tasting against other sausages out there and they didn't hold a candle.
* Brought your own grocery bag? Great, but 4 out of 5 times the checkout person will fail to give you the credit or charity chip. I feel weird demanding my 5 cents from the checkout person, but I always muster up the courage once I see the final tab and the anger subsides.
What are your other options? I dunno... nothing else springs to mind other than some combination of farmers' markets and TJs, but there are problems there too... Good luck!
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Why, oh why did I not find you sooner?
Oh yeah, I was busy eating BK for dinner every night, and not getting my couch potato ass off the sofa to get to the store.
My bad!
Well, that was then - this is now! Instead of stuffing my face with BK or some other such greasy crap for dinner, I drag my exhausted self to Whole Foods and throw together a yummy, colorful salad from the organic salad bar!
If I'm feeling adventurous, I might also grab a small container of Chicken Salsa Verde, or Lemon Quinoa, or something else truly divine that I'd never be able to cook myself.
So yeah, I'm still not a cook...nor, frankly, am I a particularly good planner! I'm honestly here getting dinner about 3 nights a week, and I always forget to grab some fresh produce! Bad Maddie...
Oh, they also carry Bolthouse drinks (love the Perfectly Protein in Vanilla Chai) and Naked Juice (Superfood rocks my socks, and is waaaaaay better than Odwalla).
So they're overpriced - deal with it! The eye candy really is worth it.
Oh, and hate parking here? THEN WALK!!
Whole Foods and I have a very special relationship - I walk in and give my paycheck up to them and it keeps me well fed.
Whole Foods prepared food department is the only reason I am not curled up in my apartment dead from hunger. This relationship started as soon as I left my mom's cooking and went to college. However, lately I feel that Whole Foods is turning its back on our relationship.
Back when we were dating it dressed up sexy and pleased me at anytime and now it wears a muumuu and watches soaps all day long. Time to renew your selection and get some new flavors out there.
The prepared foods may have gotten predictable but the rest of the store is still top notch. The fruit is expensive ($3.00/lb +) and so is the meat ($15 steaks) but well worth it. The wine selection is great and since I know jack about wine, the wine staff has always been helpful in picking out the right stuff. In fact, everyone at Whole Foods is always helpful and friendly (and very tattooed).
+1 Star for the addictive Creme Brulee ($4.99) you sell. Seriously people if you have not tried it you are definitely missing out. I have already had two today. Its like crack - one time I walked in and they had run out and I started twitching and scratching myself.
-1 Star for the Range Rover driving Pacific Heights douchebags parking in the Compact Car spot. That large scratch across the door of your douchebag mobile is me keying your car - oh so therapeutic.
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Yes, Whole Foods is overpriced. And full of annoying yuppies. But there are random items I get here that are cheaper than Trader Joes and Rainbow. And I am Chinese and therefore, cheap, and therefore willing to make the extra trip. And they have a coupon book which I like to stockpile in my car so I can save freakin 50 cents on a clif bars and boca burgers (which you can also stockpile at home!). And they have their own 365 brand which is also quite inexpensive.
Plus, it was here that I discovered that they have chlorine and nasty chemical free baby wipes- which has become an item I now cannot live without. I am so down with Terrence Howard on this one and having a clean booty. Esp if you get busy a lot, like I do, and are too lazy to take 3, 4 showers a day. Your significant other will appreciate it.
OMG So EXPENSIVE! However the produce is good quality. But $3 for a single grapefruit... Oh, my god.
But the deli is goooood! That chicken salad... but $12.99 a pound???? for Chicken Salad? But... it's good.
I'm so torn.
I wish I had a lot of money. I'd have their chicken salad and giant grapefruits every day.
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Very briefly- they've come a long way from their hippie-chow roots. I like the butcher shop and produce sections (bargains are to be had there-- I did a little price comparison between them and Lucky on organic stuff and WF came out ahead by a few pennies.) Cheese counter is best in the land.
After work crowd (really, anybody who can afford to buy their baguettes here must be otherwise indisposed until at least 5 p.m. M-F) can be thick, but I don't really mind that. Kinda nice to run into neighbors and rub elbows in the marketplace like we did in days of old.
Generally poor attitude of hirelings (cashiers and baggers- not so much the counter people who are largely helpful and well- informed) reminds me of the United States Postal Service where many of them are encouraged to seek employment in future if they want a taste of what it's like to REALLY have to work for a teeming public.
Your one stop shot for every day living..
Need fresh veggies - you got it!
Need fresh meats - got it!
Delicious salad bar - got it!
Plump and flavorful fruit - got it!
Cookbooks - got it!
Cooking Utensils - got it!
Soap- got it!
Cheese - got it!
etc,etc,etc - got it!
PARKING - sucks! I bet you drive off with a fresh dent after parking your car in this atrocious garage.
other than that.. i love Whole Foods!
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Some people call this place "Whole Paycheck," which makes me wonder what they are doing living in San Francisco. Shrimp for $9.99 per lbs. is cheaper than Safeway.
Personally, I call this place "Ho Foods" because there are many women here that would like to share some of my "organic animal protein."
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Awesome! This Whole Foods is only 3 blocks from me and always has everything I could want. The deli has great sandwiches, and the salad bar is fresh and has a diverse selection. While it can get pretty crowded around 6, it keeps a great selection of fruits and vegetables that are always replenished.
The staff here is really friendly and knowledgeable about their food. If I ever have a question about a certain dish I'm creating, they seem to point me in the right direction with ingredient recommendations and such.
Great whole foods, clean, and everything you would expect.
I wish this location was easier for me to get to back when I was living in the city because I don't think any place has more hot guys per capita than this store has working there. I already reviewed Potrero Hill but I'm going to give this one five stars just for the employees. I've been to five other Whole Foods location (both of the other SF locations, Oakland, Berkeley, and San Ramon), and none of them measure up to the Franklin Street store.
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Hate it.
The place is crammed with people, especially if you are, like me, employed and go grocery shopping after 5 pm. A line of literally twenty people at each cash register. Each holding one or two items.
My claustrophobia starts in the parking lot and doesn't end until I am back on Van Ness again.
Yesterday, someone scratched the bumper on my new car when I was parked in this garage.
The employees are an arrogant and unhelpful bunch.
As for the produce, you can get same thing in many different places in the Bay Area - with less people elbowing you, for less price, and without getting your car damaged in the parking lot.
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Another love/hate relationship in my life. You can find pretty much everything here, and there is so much to like: high quality produce, organic brands, great salad bar, pre-made food that is good for you (everything I buy here seems to taste healthier than food from other grocery stores. could be psychological), awesome floral department, and a wide selection of items in general. What I hate is how freakin expensive this place is. It cost me $23 for a salad, kombucha, and dessert from the bakery. The same salad at Pluto's would've been $6, not $14. Parking is HELLISH. The checkout lines move pretty quickly for the most part but sometimes you wait around for a while. I guess I'm a glutton for punishment because I keep going back.
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Now, before y'all get your panties in a twist- "OMG- Katie thinks Whole Foods is worth 5 stars? Pffftt"
This review is for you guys, fearless Whole Foods employees. Each day, you toil in the most overwhelming, crowded, obnoxious place in the entire city. And you happily tune it all out, arranging your free- range carrots in artful sculptures, taking the time to make a little joke with me as I pick out my seafood, not even rolling your eyes at all of the despicable behavior displayed by your customers. Seriously, I have never once even seen an eye roll.
It's like you have all mastered zen and the art of working in a grocery store. I could never do this, as I am far too unstable, temperamental and moody. So, hats off to you guys, California Street Whole Foods employees!
Oh, and some of you also have VERY impressive mustaches.
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Fruits and veggies? Pro: fresh and delicious-looking. Con: you will buy more than you will eat, and $7.50 worth of food will go bad in your fridge.
Meat? Pro: not chemically-enhanced. Con: flavorless, textureless, and waaaaayyyyyy too expensive. Also, located near extremely pungent seafood case.
Selection? Pro: many organic choices. Con: why can't they carry Cinnamon Toast Crunch? Is Cinnamon Toast Crunch somehow single-handedly ruining the environment? Does it produce toxic cinnamon by-products that kill aquatic birds? WTF? Why can't I find the standard products I'm used to buying? Ann-OY-ing!
Customers? Pro: not stabby, not high. Con: heads planted firmly up asses and generally enjoying the view. I'm from Wyoming, so I know what it means to mosey. Do not mosey in a grocery store. Do not mosey your way down the aisle in front of me, or so help me God I will implant my cart in your uptight, mid-40s ass.
The place is clean and well-stocked (at least with the things they deign to stock), the employees are generally friendly. But it is a major source of toxic smug, and steps need to be taken to reduce these emissions.
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So I watched that documentary "Earthlings" about a month ago... didn't touch an animal product for 3 weeks after seeing it. I decided to go to Whole Foods and see what I could find to make myself feel better. Ended up going with a bottle of water, some egg-less pasta and a substitute meat BBQ sandwich. It was a pretty miserable lunch, pretty expensive too, but what resulted was the perfect storm of self satisfaction.
Thanks Whole Foods!! You gave me just what I and everyone else who shops there was looking for.
Being a financial dependant, and self-made thousand-aire, the occasional shopping at Whole Foods prices aint no thang. Especially for the quality value.
The meat and fish are on target (though I prefer to buy my fish closer to the sea), the produce is nice (nice as nice can be), and the deli and hot foods section is ALWAYS on the top of my list when I'm hungry or in need of a pick me up (vegan chocolate moooooossee, oooooh yummers).
Their wine and cheese selection needs a bit of work, but that fine since I go to more wine-or-cheese specific stores anyway. They do carry black currant Lambic, though, and for that I am thankful.
The parking situation is horrendous, but not much below average for San Francisco, so for that I will less a star.
4 stars for quality.
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This is a great market to take your overbearing (bless her heart) mother so she can freak out about you buying cancer causing sugar alternative Splenda. She'll then proceed to purchase you a bag of an alternative to sugar alternative Splenda. Oh, and vegan mayo. Guys, vegan mayo is the best.
Basically I have never bought anything from Whole Foods that wasn't an alternative.
Hey these corndogs look delicious and would you look at that they don't use real meat or batter.
Oh man check out those chocolate truffles hey what do you know they're actually carob.
Gosh I'd really love to purchase that ice cream but whoa jogging up and down Taylor street is already hard enough say hey hey it's actually frozen tofu.
I'd really love to sink my teeth into that strawberry oh wait it's a RAWberry because it has crystal meth in it.
Minus one star because how do I get my cart down to the parking lot?
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Every time I visit this Whole Foods I come away amazed that it got planning approval for this location. Both the indoor and outdoor parking areas are dysfunctionally crampt and cause traffic to back up onto Franklin at peak times, creating unneeded congestion on that street. The shop itself is also crampt with narrow aisles etc. Other than that, this is pretty muich a standard Whole Foods with the normal high quality of stuff.
Now that I can look forward to living above the poverty level for the first time in years, I've decided I should stop treating myself like a piece of crap. (Baby-girl deserves some Odwalla juice, and food that has not been sitting for 14 weeks on the shelves of the Lick-a-sto!)
I thought I felt a solo tear gathering in the corner of my eye as I walked the shiny, clean isles filled with overpriced yoga mats and cuts of happy meat and cheeses. I said "hello, old friends.." to the row of yogurt-covered nuts and wholesome snack foods.
I lolly-gaged in the fruit and vegetable arena. Afraid to upset the delicate balance of apples. I visited the strawberries, and hope to save enough money to actually be able to take a precious basket home at some point.
I felt a twinge of excitement. This is what food should look like!
One day soon I might buy more than two items. Dare to dream. On this day, I selected a small tray of shrimp rolls to enjoy for lunch. And some juice.
The fine, young gentleperson at the registered asked how I was doing. We exchanged pleasantries while I made my Whole Foods Maiden Purchase. I triumphantly tucked my fancy food in my scooter and headed home, so pleased with myself for making a somewhat intelligent food decision. I was on a cloud. I planned to even work out later, to solidify my new commitment to excellent.
I did work out that day. 27 swings of the broom trying to smack the fire alarm silent. I put the shrimp rolls in my toaster oven. And forgot about them.
Well...the OJ was good. sigh.
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The Whole Foods on Cal/Franklin is categorically a "necessary evil". I shop here a ton, and most times I'm dissapointed. Now don't get me wrong, I LOVE me some Whole Foods Markets. But the douche bags who work here get on my nerves like no other. At least 9 out of 10 times there's this very heavy vibe that you're getting in the way of the employees' chitter chatter amongst themselves, or in the way of their need to stock shelves & wheel carts down the aisles at a slow pace. It's infuriating. If you're too cool for school (read: working at whole foods) go f*#*&()ing be the artist you're so intent on being, and let us spend WAY too much on really good groceries in peace. It really gets under my skin, if you can't tell.
So DEFINITELY 1 star for the Cal/Franklin Whole Foods, but I bumped it up to 2 since at the end of the day it still is a Whole Foods....which is tight!