561559 Wed Oct 01 09:35:25 -0700 2008 70 12 Boston Area 0 4074414 Billerica has 3 supermarkets and they are all MB. One of them is in my food shopping rotation. I shop primarily for lunch meat and veggies, some fruits. The veggies/fruits are hit-and-miss but when they're good, the prices are unbeatable. The day-old baked goods have some great deals. It's very convenient. However, the post about the MB seafood prices and freshness prompted me to write this post. The MB nearest me is scruffy, down-at-the-heels dirty with staff that look beaten down and broken by sad life stories. Brown broccoli, bok coy with the leafy greens cut off, mottled squash, mushy cukes . . . not uncommon. Strips of plastic wrap in the lunch meats on occasion. Meat dept personnel that wheel those shelves/carts around liket they're hoping to hit someone. When I ask the staff where something is, I get a lank wave of the arm with a vague answer of "over there". I would no sooner buy seafood here than take it out of a dumpster. Am I in a MB twilight zone? Are there cleaner, fresher, peppier-staffed MBs out there? Wed Oct 01 09:35:25 -0700 2008 15131 three of us 1 4074478 i stopped buy shellfish at MB when the practice of keeping the tags on hand went south. i have 3 in my area and the Sketchiest one has the best produce. the others are fine for most things. i don't usually buy meat there as i have a couple of full service butchers close by. Wed Oct 01 09:57:09 -0700 2008 4074414 12603 ScubaSteve 1 4074481 The one in Somerville is hopping! Have never seen anything other than top-notch veggies and fruits. The staff is mostly kids from the neighborhood and they're generally great. It's a really lively place, always packed with shoppers, so probably lots of product turn-over that helps in the areas you mentioned. Wed Oct 01 09:59:05 -0700 2008 4074414 11172 Bob Dobalina 2 4074539 Second our Somerville MB -- any time I've asked one of the guys to help me, they are cheerful and happy to help. I buy my fish elsewhere but that's not because I'm worried about MB's quality, I just like going to the fishmongers on Cambridge Street. I'm most impressed with the quality of the produce and the fine butchering. I love my MB, sorry your mileage varies. Wed Oct 01 10:19:07 -0700 2008 4074481 10232 yumyum 2 4075691 I lhave to defend the Somerville MB too! I was just there on Sunday and when they had no ground pork out, the meat guy offered to take some in back and grind it for me. The workers often smile at me or ask if I need anything in the produce area. They don't all understand some of the things I'm looking for, but they always try. I never get the people in our area who shop at Shaw's in Porter Square. I think it's an attitude thing: I'm a white 30-something professional, I should get off the T and grab something in a package from Shaw's prepared food section. I mean, _I'm_ a white 30-something professional and I relish the conversation in broken English I had with someone in the checkout line about the Goya brand frozen 5 lb bag of sardines she had which were also labeled "mackeral." People denigrate the place and go "eew, I'd never shop there." But let me tell you, when every cart coming out of the store is full to the brim with kale, batatas, and peppers the produce stays a lot fresher than at Shaw's where people leave with one banana and a yogurt. Sorry-- I got a little fired up there. Wed Oct 01 18:26:32 -0700 2008 4074481 219666 Parsnipity 3 4075709 Word. As a Haitian friend once told me when I first started shopping there ... "all god's children shop at market basket." For a real trip -- go on new years's eve. you will see carts overflowing with all the necessary provisions and a lot of jolly neighbors to talk with while waiting online. Wed Oct 01 19:04:45 -0700 2008 4075691 10232 yumyum 4 4076284 That's a great quote! The corollary is all Nietzsche's children shop at the Porter Square Shaw's. :-b Thu Oct 02 05:09:30 -0700 2008 4075709 11172 Bob Dobalina 5 4076614 Hah...I will only be caught at Porter Square Shaws when I need to pick up something after midnight that only a 24-hr supermarket will have. Agree that it's otherwise useless. I don't live near that Somerville M.B. and haven't been there in years. Thu Oct 02 07:57:08 -0700 2008 4076284 152667 Ralphie_in_Boston 6 4079276 what's wrong the porter square shaws? their produce seems fine, they have iggy's bread, our favorite brand of yogurt, they're clean, the people are friendly, prices are more or less on par with expectations, etc.? we just moved to the area and have found it to be a VAST improvement over the markets in jp where we lived previously, which had terrible selection/brown produce, extremely surly/uninterested teenage staff, mice running around and general decrepitude/dirtiness. is the objection to a perception regarding the clientele, or something specific about the store? Fri Oct 03 08:44:28 -0700 2008 4076614 22634 autopi 7 4079304 The PS Shaw's is one of the favorite butts of local gallows humor. The way the management (used to?) guarantee long lines at the check was the stuff of Cambridge legend (in a bad way). And then that parking lot.... Fri Oct 03 08:55:17 -0700 2008 4079276 13819 Karl S 8 4079509 I think it's the parking lot that is the 8th level of hell, not the market itself. Although, back in the day the market was much worse. Fri Oct 03 10:14:11 -0700 2008 4079304 10232 yumyum 7 4079514 Based on my informal research, Porter Square Shaw's overprices nearly everything compared to competitors. A startling example - Newman's Own Lemonade/Limeade, etc. - Typically is $2.50 a carton at Shaw's - MB carries it for sometimes as low as $1.50 a carton. This is just the tip of the iceberg. The produce is usually not as good as MB's and much more expense (not to even mention comparison with Russo's). Bottom line - they have a captive market as it's the only major supermarket on the Red Line north of the Charles. The prices reflect what the market can bear. I have no problem with the folks who work there. Fri Oct 03 10:16:14 -0700 2008 4079276 11172 Bob Dobalina 8 4079721 fair enough about the parking lot--we usually walk or bike, so i don't really notice most times. (and now that i think about it, the brookline trader joe's is far, far worse in that respect--yikes!) i haven't yet been to the market basket, though the discussion here makes me think we should give it a shot. as you say, there's a premium i'm willing to pay for not having to spend extra time to get staples, though i haven't noticed it in particular at the porter square shaws vs. other area markets. unless it's really a lot, the difference it would make in cost per month (vs. e.g. driving to russo's) would likely be negligible at best. but i don't have a lot of experience with cambridgeville grocery stores, so there you go. i kind of imagine most grocery stores have a "captive market" not so much in what subway line they are on, but the immediate neighborhood (how long it takes to walk to that market vs. the next one over). this captive market happens to be a relatively affluent one. Fri Oct 03 11:37:18 -0700 2008 4079514 22634 autopi 9 4079737 The Somerville Market Basket parking lot is certainly pretty painful too and believe it or not Star used to be worse (they used to load groceries in the lot). Lines are a lot faster at MB, including for express/self-check out. For quick in and out, the Beacon Shaw's is a good bet for staples. Fri Oct 03 11:44:17 -0700 2008 4079721 12962 itaunas 10 4091081 The Beacon St. Shaw's is a ghost town! It's so weird. It's half a mile from the Porter Sq. shop and the Market Basket and I don't get how they stay in business. Wed Oct 08 12:17:36 -0700 2008 4079737 197286 dulce de leche 11 4957922 I go there for big shoppings of basic items (think brown sugar and paper towels), but in many years of shopping there, I have never, ever had to wait in line, a big plus, and I know right where to find what I am looking for without having to walk past ten aisles of stuff that doesn't even belong in a grocery store. And besides, it's so pleasantly close to Petsi's...... Tue Aug 18 20:28:36 -0700 2009 4091081 232078 fantundo 9 4079844 RE: Russo's - In terms of pure dollars to dollars cost, you are probably right that there is not a huge difference in price. But I personally put a very high premium on the quality / price ratio -and the quality of the chow at Russo's is far and away superior to Shaw's so that even if the price is a wash, the quality difference makes it worth it to me to shop there. As far as just dollars, it feels like Shaw's price-gouges because their population (of walkers) is literally more captive on the whole. Sure a few pennies here or there, no big difference. But that kind of thing just irks me as a consumer. Fri Oct 03 12:28:22 -0700 2008 4079721 11172 Bob Dobalina 10 4080138 bob, you're absolutely right about the unbelievable produce at russo's. i meant--i see that this was unreasonable--to convey by "staples" things like packaged goods, king arthur flour, milk, cat litter, that sort of thing. not produce or meat, which i also go out of my way for. i'd drive to russo's too, except our CSA and community garden plot are still going strong, plus i'm deterred by reports of peak time crowds & madness, which tends to make me daft. one more off-topic question to those who find the prices at the porter shaws high: is this true of all shaws, or just this one? Fri Oct 03 14:30:30 -0700 2008 4079844 22634 autopi 9 4080060 In my experience, MB is roughly 20-30% cheaper than the Porter Square Shaw's. It's very rare to find something at MB that is not cheaper than Shaw's. MB's normal prices are in line with Shaw's sale prices. If you're currently spending $60 a week for groceries at Shaw's, you'd save $50-70 a month by shopping at MB. Fri Oct 03 13:54:21 -0700 2008 4079721 12854 afty698 10 4081672 Exactly why I put up with the parking lot and craziness at MB -- it really is cheaper in the end for stuff you use every day. I still shop at TJs, Wholefoods, Shaws and various butchers, fishmongers and cheese shops too. But staples all come from Market Basket. Sat Oct 04 11:59:13 -0700 2008 4080060 10232 yumyum 7 4090637 My experience at Porter square shaws has been different from yours, autopi. They don't have my particular favorite brand of yogurt, but Stonyfield at a dollar a holler. I like Stonyfield, but that's too high of a price. The produce is not to my satisfaction. Once in a while some okay stuff but in general...low quality, picked through and/ or spoiled. At least during the odd hours of the morning that I shop there. Deli counter closed overnight, and pre-packaged deli meats and cheeses are more expensive than that at Whole Foods No problem with the staff. Wed Oct 08 09:48:33 -0700 2008 4079276 152667 Ralphie_in_Boston 8 4091003 duly noted; i'm not trying to defend the shaw's. i'm just curious what the complaint is, and it sounds like it's (a) prices, and (b) complaints re: produce. as to (a) i don't actually shop there that much, so i don't have a lot of data myself on prices etc.. prices for the non-produce things we get there seem about par for the course, with the probable exception of market basket--though then you apparently have to put up with the psychological trauma of the maddening crowds. but i defer to those who have more experience. as to (b) i will say the dozen or so times i've been, the produce has *looked* just fine, and much better than the harvest coop and stop & shop in JP we were used to before. but i didn't look very closely, since i stopped buying produce months ago, once our csa got going. Wed Oct 08 11:52:47 -0700 2008 4090637 22634 autopi 9 4881833 now that this post has bubbled back up to the surface, let me report that i now agree that prices are a bit higher at the porter square shaws. not tremendously so, but 10-20% or so sounds like it's in the ballpark. the produce is definitely Not Great. but for those of you who think it is the worst thing ever, i invite you to spend a few years shopping at the stop & shop, hilo and harvest coop in jp. you might come to appreciate the porter square shaws' cleanliness, selection and yes, even produce after that. Wed Jul 22 14:13:34 -0700 2009 4091003 22634 autopi 3 4075739 No defense required. I wish I had a store like that near me. Wed Oct 01 19:20:44 -0700 2008 4075691 15131 three of us 4 4075833 I agree with all the above pro-Somerville posters - I find everything fresh excluding seafood. I have had a couple of bad fish experiences there so I do not buy seafood, except for the cheap lobsters which are generally shedders, but still a good deal and seem to be lively. Last Saturday I bought 6 chickens for $30. Wed Oct 01 20:04:27 -0700 2008 4075739 26019 SmokeDawg 2 4075989 One more pro-Somerville MB story. This week I was doing my grocery shopping, and I was trying to find Wing It Buffalo wing sauce. I asked a guy who was stocking the shelves in the hot sauce area, and he said he didn't think they carried it. I went on my way. I found my wing sauce in the next aisle with the foreign foods (no idea why). Continued shopping and 20 minutes later ended up back in the hot sauce area, looking for something else. The same guy noticed me and asked if I had found my wing sauce. I was just really impressed that the guy remembered that I had asked about the wing sauce and seemed to actually care whether I found it. Wed Oct 01 21:45:59 -0700 2008 4074481 12854 afty698 1 4074521 The Tewksbury (On rte 38 near 495) location is the cleanest I have seen in the area. The fish there is hit or miss. You really have to get the stuff that looks and smells the freshest. Can't beat them for Lobsters though. Wed Oct 01 10:13:10 -0700 2008 4074414 14385 mjg0725 1 4074704 The fish in the Danvers market looks spectacular. I would only buy fish from a specific place but went in for other things and remarked to the fish monger how great the fish looked. He said they move more fish than any other MB?! I have bought fish occasionally from the Reading MB because they do a very high volume and it has always been good, steamers over the summer were EXCELLENT. Wed Oct 01 11:24:58 -0700 2008 4074414 10776 4chowpups 2 4075601 We've been augmenting our trips to Tendercrop and Conners farms with weekly trips to the Reading MB and everything so far has been wonderful....you really cannot beat their prices for all the necesary non-produce grocery items. The staff in the aisles are very helpful and we are very satisfied with the over-all appearance of the store. Plus, the in house specials for fish have been excellent. We've been buying their wild caught fish and have been pleased with everything.... Wed Oct 01 17:43:33 -0700 2008 4074704 75332 Gio 2 4075608 My dad was a lobsterman for 50 years and he knew his fish. He swore by the seafood at the Danvers Market Basket, even when he was selling lobsters to other area markets. The Middleton and Rowley stores are clean and well staffed too, but I haven't bought seafood there. Wed Oct 01 17:46:33 -0700 2008 4074704 15882 PrincessBakesALot 1 4075160 Funny you should mention it. We were at Sichuan Gourmet last Sat and decided to do grocery shopping while in the area. There are 3 all on rt3a as you mention. One was right next to S.G. one was south towards burlington and one was north.. We opted to go to the southern most one, (left out of the S.G. parking lot).. Seemed ok to us.. The northern most one (right out of the S.G. parking lot) looked ancient from the outside. We thought the one right next to S.G. looked like an older market from the outside too which is why we drove to see what the other one was like. Wed Oct 01 14:27:25 -0700 2008 4074414 10597 hargau 2 4075202 Actually, the one next to SG is the newest - because the one that was there burned and was rebuilt (maybe a decade ago? Time flies so it's a guess). But that mall is a chronic problem. The interior stores don't last - I live in town and haven't been inside in this century. For whatever reason, that MB is never busy. A good thing if there's a sale on something non-perishable and the other MBs have run out. I shop there on occasion - the Wilmington and Tewksbury MBs are closer to my side of Billerica - but am not surprised if some of the "fresh" stuff isn't up to snuff. Three of us, to which one were you referring? Wed Oct 01 14:44:31 -0700 2008 4075160 159317 greygarious 3 4075571 Treble Cove Plaza. A rIght out of Sichaun Gourmet and keep going towards Chelmsford. Wed Oct 01 17:28:16 -0700 2008 4075202 15131 three of us 4 4075667 That one looked really old from the outside. Im not suprised. The older MB seem ghetto Wed Oct 01 18:15:16 -0700 2008 4075571 10597 hargau 1 4075561 The Market Basket in Burlington is where I do a lot of shopping (where the linens and things is closing anf the Korean mart may go in). I never but their fish because its all prepacked. But everything is fine. Its my go to especially for veggies and fruit because its plentiful and fresh. Meats are good too. Its a smaller store but good. The one at the Woburn Mall is good too. I'll go there for fish - always fresh. Much bigger, has their own bakery, more selection overall- except surprisingly for fruit and veggies - they're better at the one in Burlington. Then there's a new one in Reading near Home Depot. Haven't been there though. Wed Oct 01 17:24:32 -0700 2008 4074414 13429 chowmel 2 5164471 I'm not a fan of prepackaged fish, but don't discount frozen (filets, etc., not processed) fish out of hand. Much of the industry freezes at the processor, before even shipping. Much of the "fresh" fish at any fish counter is defrosted from original flash freezing. Sat Nov 07 21:55:16 -0800 2009 4075561 156939 nomadgirl 1 4075975 The Woburn MB was remodeled a year or two ago. It's very nice. Wed Oct 01 21:36:39 -0700 2008 4074414 229023 robertlf 2 4076196 The Woburn MB is always packed with shoppers. And their seafood selection is always fresh, with a line of people on Saturdays. Can't beat their prices for seafood. Thu Oct 02 03:19:30 -0700 2008 4075975 15691 mcel215 1 4076290 Reading is wonderful and is now my default supermarket. Woburn is good. I often (not always) find MB fish in those stores is in better condition than Whole Wallet, and at much less cost. MB locations are not uniform - unlike most chains, which try to present a completely uniform sense to customers, MB locations are much more individual. I actually like that. Can't wait for the MB to open on US1 in Saugus in the coming years. Thu Oct 02 05:14:49 -0700 2008 4074414 13819 Karl S 2 4076308 where will it be in Saugus? That is the most convenient location for me. The one in Reading is good, buti have to find the right time to go- has always been crazy the few times I have gone there. My usuals are Wilson Farms, TJ and Johnnies. Thu Oct 02 05:28:32 -0700 2008 4076290 11057 macca 3 4076324 I believe it's going to be across from Bernie & Phyls, in what is currently a mound of rock that is being pulverized into gravel.... Thu Oct 02 05:41:15 -0700 2008 4076308 13819 Karl S 4 4076351 thanks- wish it were in the same strip mall as TJ- one stop shopping- but that location is more convenient than Reading. My office just moved to Wakefield, so I will have to find the back roas from here to the REading store! Thu Oct 02 05:59:12 -0700 2008 4076324 11057 macca 5 4076415 It's not a back road - just take North Ave (which runs along the Haverhill Line RR tracks) under Rte 128, at which point it becomes Walkers Brook Rd in Reading. Go up a few lights, past the Jordan's megaplex on the right, and the S&S on the left - its the next left after S&S. You can also go to the rear to exit to Rte 28. Thu Oct 02 06:25:20 -0700 2008 4076351 13819 Karl S 6 4076568 thanks- easy enough. I am on Lowell street near fout corners. Thu Oct 02 07:36:51 -0700 2008 4076415 11057 macca 1 4076338 The one in Chelmsford is pretty good. I usually don't buy much fish there. The Hannaford's is better for that. Meat and produce are decent and, because it's next to Lowell, there's a fair amount of Asian goods. I can always pick up my Sriracha sauce there in a pinch. Thu Oct 02 05:51:46 -0700 2008 4074414 23030 Dinsdale45 1 4076646 I used to get dragged to the Market Basket in Westford MA as a kid. I feel like the floors were ALWAYS covered in sand and dirt. I remember never trusting their deli, even as a kid. Thu Oct 02 08:08:57 -0700 2008 4074414 218457 Jonny509 1 4077501 As someone who worked at the Westgate Haverhill store for years while in HS & college, I can tell you there are definitely good stores & bad stores. All the MBs/DeMoulas' are especially reflective of the community in which they reside. I go there now & see many of the same albeit older, faces that I knew 20 years ago. That said, most people seem to feel that the fish, meat & deli is sub par at MB. My experience recently is that, at least at the Westgate store, the quality of the fish has been excellent. I got a beautiful piece of tuna a few weeks ago, unbeatable price of $4.99/lb! It was better than some I've gotten at 'fish' markets in the past. I've heard their haddock has recently been excellent & again, the prices unbeatable. Personally I love MB for the community feel, a selection of ethnic & uniquely New England foods you just don't find at Shaw's or S&S & store brands & prices that are great. I recently moved back to the Merrimack Valley from Boston & have seen my food bill fall sharply! I feel fortunate to have a family run, community centric market that's held out all these years from selliing out the the Big Guys. Thu Oct 02 13:14:50 -0700 2008 4074414 25089 kparke30 2 4077527 I agree. I save gobs of $$ at MB (so many items are $1.5-$2 less per unit), and the quality of their meat and fish selection generally excels any other competitor (I prefer the pork, lamb and veal from J Pace & Sons in Saugus), but. I can't believe I've finally found a market that almost always carries fresh kielbasa, for example. I can get many odd cuts at MB that are not virtually never available at WF, S&S or Shaw's (mind you, I'd love even more choice - when on earth will fresh ham become as easy to find in the Boston area as in other areas like greater NY?) The main thing is that they save money by stocking during shopping hours, leading to a bit of an obstacle course. But the checkouts are faster and more efficient than S&S and Shaw's. Thu Oct 02 13:23:18 -0700 2008 4077501 13819 Karl S 3 4077605 They are the only markets where i can find Boston Butt or Pork Shoulder (picnic) for making pulled pork. Never see it at Roche Brothers, Shaws, etc... Thu Oct 02 13:47:08 -0700 2008 4077527 10597 hargau 4 4077709 Foodmaster usually has picnic shoulder, less frequently Boston butt. Thu Oct 02 14:22:20 -0700 2008 4077605 13819 Karl S 5 5164960 Costco is a good source for these as well. Sun Nov 08 08:52:43 -0800 2009 4077709 51849 okra 3 4078914 I have ALWAYS wondered about the stocking obstacle course. How many times have I muttered 'these guys are always restocking' while trying to avoid getting run over by a pallet. It makes sense now that this saves money. duh. Thanks Karl -- I learned something new today! Fri Oct 03 06:29:29 -0700 2008 4077527 10232 yumyum 1 4078388 AND STARTING THIS SUNDAY...SOFT SHELL LOBSTERS $4.99 lb.!!!! Thu Oct 02 20:07:22 -0700 2008 4074414 10776 4chowpups 2 4078773 Careful, those softshells usually have very mushy meat. Fri Oct 03 05:07:20 -0700 2008 4078388 147961 treb 3 4078783 mushy? I eat softshells every summer in maine and have never found them mushy. They tend to have more water in the shell then hardshells but if cooked properly i dont find the meat mushy. You get less meat per lobster but you also pay less per pound. Fri Oct 03 05:15:39 -0700 2008 4078773 10597 hargau 4 4078859 Right. I agree. The Reading store had 4.99ers last week as an in-store special. Perfect for a lobster roll and now the shells are in the freezer waiting to go into a pasta sauce. I'm liking Market Basket more and more. Thanks for the heads up for this week-end! Fri Oct 03 06:00:44 -0700 2008 4078783 75332 Gio 5 4080178 Ashland and Bellingham also had them last week AND this week for $4.99/lb. Personally, I'd reather pay $6.99/lb for hard shells--the price is more than justified by the higher meat/non-meat ratio, IMHO. Fri Oct 03 14:50:15 -0700 2008 4078859 22725 AHan 3 4078868 i actually prefer shedders to hard shells. especially when i bag-up diving. parting out 15 lobsters at a time is a huge p.i.a. when they're hardshells, the shedders, not so much. and i don't think the quality of meat varies as much as some people think. Fri Oct 03 06:07:06 -0700 2008 4078773 12603 ScubaSteve 2 4079140 Usually the hardshells are a $1/lb more, so even if they don't list a special you can get them for less (and believe it or not, I have seen the soft shells a $1/lb more once!!). Some of the larger Market Baskets separate the soft and hard shells into different tanks, to make it easier for the deli clerks (which vary). And supermarket lobsters are almost always chickens, but the better deli clerks will try to find larger ones for you. ScubaSteve -- do you still see find the frozen nz rack of lambs (used to be two to a pack) in Merrimack GBs? I haven't seen them for a good 5 years in Burlington and since (I think it was) you confirmed seeing them a year ago I have also scoped out Woburn, Reading, Salibury (?), Lowell.... and never found them again. Very small, but perfect to put in the freezer. Their cornish hens are also a nice freezer thing and the duck if you have the space, although I more often buy Quail to eat fried. Fri Oct 03 07:58:02 -0700 2008 4078388 12962 itaunas 3 4079610 NO! and i wish they'd come back. i used to always have a few in my freezer, now, not so much. Fri Oct 03 10:49:15 -0700 2008 4079140 12603 ScubaSteve 4 4079674 That's a bummer. Somewhere like Costco carries them, but unfortunately pre-seasoned with some kind of breaded coating and cut in half. Restaurant Depot non-seasoned (if you can get a card) currently on sale for $6.79 (their usual price isn't much more). And maybe watch the flyers for McKinnon's in Salem, NH (or call them about the frozen) for a special. Fri Oct 03 11:14:57 -0700 2008 4079610 12962 itaunas 5 4081026 Costco always carries unseasoned racks of lamb, that are frenched and cryovaced. The freeze very well, I think they're aprox. $10. pp. Sat Oct 04 05:17:58 -0700 2008 4079674 147961 treb 1 4079252 we have 4 MBs here in nashua...2 are literally 1/4 mile apart on the same road. of those two, one is fantastic, the other is dreadful. but they are both busy. i buy all of my non-perishables there and a lot of produce. I occasionally buy meat....i never buy fish there....hannaford for fish. Fri Oct 03 08:36:54 -0700 2008 4074414 63634 rizzo0904 1 4079308 Since having to tighten up my budget, I am shopping exclusively at MB for grocery. As stated a billion times, the fish has been great...and their produce excellent, too. I had a really, really, bad seafood experience in Hannaford's, up north, last week. I have a theory that unlike the bigger chains - S&S, Shaw's, Hannaford's - MB has very little marketing $ in their budget and they don't create superfluous bells and whistles to keep their customers. They send out their flyers and other than that, I believe they watch their product mix closely. They stock based on what we are buying and they do it on an individual unit basis - making each store distinct to its customers. I don't think they spend a lot of time trying to bring in new items to see if they will move - they stock what moves. Like their strategy of day time stocking...the simple approach to product mix probably keeps costs down, as well. Some stores don't have fish counters because they don't sell much fish. Others have a great and diverse selection of ethnic foods....others, not so much. I also love the really inexpensive pork shoulders I can't find anywhere else. Fri Oct 03 08:57:25 -0700 2008 4074414 84674 merrvally 1 4079351 Has anyone had experience with the Salem MA store? We had a weird experience the first and only time we went, 3+ years ago, but I am wondering if it is worth giving it another try. Especially in the face of a layoff in the household... :( Fri Oct 03 09:11:17 -0700 2008 4074414 218487 noradeirdre 1 4079409 I occasionally go to the Salem store. I think the produce there is fresher and more varied than any of the other supermarkets in the area, and the prices are the best. I live closer to the Whole Foods and Stop and Shop in Vinin Square, but Whole Foods? Wonderful store, but try having friends over or feeding a family on a budget! I am within walking distance of Crosby's in Marblehead, but their prices are outrageous. Back to MB in Salem...there are less BMW's in the parking lot, and I like the diversity. One can learn a lot by looking in the carts of others and trying to figure out what the Russian family is eating, or what the Latin American family has for Sunday dinner. Moreover, I have found the staff helpful there. See you there! Fri Oct 03 09:35:03 -0700 2008 4074414 229288 KitchenHack 1 4096420 Thank you to all of the hounds who replied to this post. Today I went to the Woburn MB, which I had not visited in a good number of years. Yes! It is definitely much better than before as regards to what they stock, and the prices are amazingly better than Shaws, S&S, Roche Brothers, and even Hannaford. Heck, even my favorite Greek yogurt (Fage) was at least 50 cents cheaper than at Trader Joe's or Russo's. I also enjoyed the atmosphere. You can tell it is a local chain that is focused on local people. It's just too bad that this MB (or even the one in Burlington, which is closer to me but not as nice IMHO) is so out of the way. Otherwise I would definitely be shopping there every week. Fri Oct 10 14:56:18 -0700 2008 4074414 177209 PinchOfSalt 1 4958584 gotta say, feeding a family of 4 is about 50% cheaper at MB. but as others have mentioned, it is a "madhouse" most of the time. One of my fave finds: the rotisserie chicken! You can get a package of just breasts (2 or 3 in a package) hot and ready to eat for 2 bux, but what I do with it is make chicken salad. It ends up being twice as much meat as in a can (yuk) for the same price and sooooo much better! Wed Aug 19 06:49:51 -0700 2009 4074414 1100410 momoftwo 2 4958592 Now that's a good idea, momoftwo! Hadn't thought about stopping there to pick up rotisserie chicken for chicken salad - what a great price! Wed Aug 19 06:53:15 -0700 2009 4958584 10532 LindaWhit 1 4959324 I live in Billerica too and shop at the Treble Cove MB. It is a dump but it's SO CHEAP. We get our staples there and go to Stop N Shop in Bedford for deli meat, fish and produce and to a local butcher (Meat Again) for our meat . It works out; we get the savings of MB and the quality on the natural products. I also do single-meal shopping at Russo's and it never disappoints. Wed Aug 19 10:23:41 -0700 2009 4074414 189965 MenuPorn 1 4964060 Thanks to the CHers who recommended the MB on DWH in Nashua. I live in Billerica, the heart of MBland but wow, Nashua's selection is vastly better. Particularly impressive was the seafood counter, offering not just the usual suspects but fish heads (I asked if these are usually available, and was told yes) and whole butterfish. I saw the manager near the registers so I made a point of complimenting him on the store - think I made his day, especially when I told him how many MBs (5) are in my area. Thu Aug 20 17:41:47 -0700 2009 4074414 159317 greygarious