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15th & Market Safeway

(31 posts)

Started 2 weeks ago by maitland
Latest reply from coolbeans

maitland

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I've never really liked this Safeway, but it's now my local so I'm trying to get used to it. Why is this place always SO crowded? It doesn't matter when I go, the parking lot is a mess and the lines stretch into the aisles. Is it smaller than it looks? Do they have the world's slowest checkers? I'm afraid I'm going to see a fist fight break out from the lines, and I can't imagine trying to do my Thanksgiving shopping here!

Posted 2 weeks ago #
Silver

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I know it's more expensive, but the Ballard Market is lovely!

Posted 2 weeks ago #
Jules

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Why is it so crowded? Because the QFC on 24th is not open yet, and the QFC on 85th is now closed. Very simple.I suspect that once the 24th St. QFC opens again it will ease up.Hint: the busiest shopping day of the year for grocery stores is the day before Thanksgiving. Try to go earlier. Worst time of day is between 5-6:40, when everyone gets off work.

The manager, Jeff, is the grandson of my 5th grade teacher and librarian, Mrs. Davis, beloved of generations of Ballard kids, still alive and kicking (and cooking!) at 95. BTW, kudos to the 15th St. Safeway for hiring extra security and working diligently to try and keep panhandlers out of the parking lot.

Posted 2 weeks ago #
maitland

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Silver - I like Ballard Market too, but I've always prefered Safeway in general. I've shopped at the 85th ST Safeway for close to 20 years. Just trying to get used to the new 'hood!

Jules - I always do my Thanksgiving shopping the Friday night before the holiday. Late, like 10 or 11. Quiet store, and they are always in the middle of restocking so you can get everything you need.

Posted 2 weeks ago #
bmvaughn

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Money's tight and the price is right. Some folks prefer the deal over the service (although I've always found the service at Safeway to be good).

Posted 2 weeks ago #
Nora Bell

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Much as I love the Ballard Market there seems to be more people shopping there who don't look where they're walking. Easily distracted folks. But it is easier to get somebody to help me get the cat's favorite treats off of the top shelf there.
I find the Safeway on 85th to be a little less frantic than the one on Market, ad no I don't know why.
But for calmer Holiday shopping I second Silver, Ballard Market. Just watch out for distracted yuppies. ;-)

Posted 2 weeks ago #
Silver

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You must have been there on Singles Night! ;-)

Posted 2 weeks ago #
Jules

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No joke, every uear the grocery stores get people coming in buying 25 lb frozen turkeys at 10 PM Wednesday before Thanksgiving (because all the fresh ones are gone by then) and expecting them to thaw magically in time.

Posted 2 weeks ago #
Reba

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Maybe I just go at different times than everyone else. I think the longest line for a check stand I had was 3 people, I also dont drive so that helps in the parking situation. Sure I have to buy less groceries cause I need to walk them all home.. but it works for me. Even when the qfc opens (1 block away from me) I will still go to the safeway cause its less expensive in the stuff I buy regularly. PLus I can use the exercise. :)

Posted 2 weeks ago #
blite

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I shop during the day at Safeway & never have more than one person in front of me at he checkout. I imagine it's more crowded in the evenings & weekdays.

Posted 2 weeks ago #
Nora Bell

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That would explain the strange things that happen in the produce section, Silver.
I also don't drive so Ballard Market is more convenient for me anyway. Much as I need the exercise there is only so far I'm willing to walk carrying cat litter. And I only have to find pie to bring to Thanksgiving. Somebody else has to deal with the turkey.
It all depends on your needs and preferences, really.

Posted 2 weeks ago #
HL

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The Ballard Safeway is the lowest rated one in the city on Yelp. I don't go there any more after telling the Manager about the piss & vomit smell in the elevator and him just shrugging it off.

http://www.yelp.com/biz/safeway-seattle-14?rpp=40&sort_by=rating_asc

Posted 2 weeks ago #
stopthebuzz

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I won't go anywhere near that store! Sunday Market, Ballard Market and Amazon Fresh all the way!!!

Posted 2 weeks ago #
jj

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So you like Amazon Fresh over picking your items yourself? I can see the convenience but I still wonder if it's more trouble than it's worth. How do they handle sales, fruit and such?

BTW - you can thaw frozen items using a metal plate or cookie sheet. They do a good job dissipating the cold from the frozen item. You might have seen those old commercials showing a special plate that magically thaws frozen items. Turns out it was just a metal plate.

When I first heard about it, I remember reading that a copper plate works best, but we just use a cookie sheet. Seems to work pretty well on frozen chickens, but never tried it on an entire turkey before :)

Posted 2 weeks ago #
gordy

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Safeway is good for canned goods, their produce sometimes looks a bit iffy. The Ballard Market has a much better produce and meat department and a much better selection in the bakery/bread department. We get the Thanksgiving Day groceries the Monday before and avoid the crowds.

Posted 2 weeks ago #
shallow.end

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You didn't ask me, but I'll answer about Amazon Fresh. Their produce is great. Take a spin around the website to see how it's offered, but everything we've ordered has been great. They take requests and recommendations. You can ask for a specific location (washington apples).

I subscribe to regular items and get discounts that way also.

I also get all manner of things delivered with my food order. I've ordered games, books, camera items and a slew of other (selected) items to be delivered with my groceries.

I still shop at the Farmer's Market and Ballard Market as well, because I still like to browse.

Posted 2 weeks ago #
twintown

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It's not a bad place as far as grocery stores go. We shop there on occasion when they have great sales on wine as they have nice selection of local PNW wine (much better than the one on 85th). Comparing the 15th/Market store to the 15th/85th Safeway, the 15th/Market has a better selection. Because it's at a major crossroads it tends to draw quite a crowd, some can be a bit down/out but they need to shop somewhere too.

Ballard Market is nice too and we shop there for produce and seafood sometimes, can be hit and miss. Trader Joes surprisingly has great meat, produce is v expensive though. Our favorite is Central Market on 120th/Aurora (?) as they've got it all - good produce, meat counter, dry goods, cheese selection, wine/beer selection, etc.

Posted 2 weeks ago #
edibleballard

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Another vote for AmazonFresh produce. I stopped doing Safeway/Albertsons delivery years ago for the very reason I got crappy produce that I'd never have picked out myself. AmazonFresh, not so. Everything is always great quality.

On a side note, anyone know for sure what the old QFC on 85th and 15th is going to be - is it really another Value Village?

Posted 2 weeks ago #
Nora Bell

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Value Village (as I recall) was moving in there and a Grocery Outlet was going in where Value Village is now. I think My Ballard had a thing on it.

Posted 2 weeks ago #
Jonathan Pryce

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The Ballard Market is pricier, but watch their red tag sale items--typically good buys on basic and some more exotic items. Even long lines there go quickly, staff is union, efficient, but in a very relaxed way. They always seem to be joking around with each other, I like that, all the while being very attentive to customer needs--including helping me reach items on their very high shelves! :)

Posted 2 weeks ago #
SunriseSunset

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Go to AmazonFresh.com and click on deals. Lots of sale items. We have purchased all our groceries from them since March and everything--everything--has been pristine clean, top quality and delivered in clean bins. Love the fact I can update as I remember items and up to three-four hours before delivery. Great delivery people and if you want something they don't have listed just give them a call--a real person in real Seattle answers a real phone. They are customer-oriented.

No dirty carts, no picking produce that has been squeezed, pinched or sneezed on--I love AmazonFresh. Quality tops QFC all the way around.

Posted 2 weeks ago #
XL

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I do not shop at Safeway for a couple of reasons. One is that they do not tend to stock much locally produced stuff. I used to live in Tacoma and I remember one spring that Puyallup had a bumper crop of gorgeous strawberries. All of strawberries in the local Safeways had come from California when less than a mile away were lots of yummy local fruit. Second I despise the "club" card. Maybe I am just more private than most but as a customer I do not think my shopping in their stores gives them a right to all that information.

I LOVE the Ballard Market. The staff is friendly and informed. The beer and wine selection is still good even though they lost Ule to Wild Ginger. (Of course an Ule would work at the Ballard Market). While he was there we jokingly called the Ballard Market Beertopia because the beer selection was so incredibly good. It is still extremely good for a grocery store. The plants are really nice and little cafe is a favorite of my son's. (There is a little table and nice toys for kids to entertain themselves). I second that Jonathan Pryce's observation that the sales tend to be very good and worth watching. I also shop at the Farmer's market and a Trader Joe's.

Posted 2 weeks ago #
thatgirl

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I have another vote for Amazon Fresh. They have really great produce and meat. And if you get something that isn't up to par, e-mail them and they credit your account. I have been using it for 2 years now and have never had a problem. I also like the fact that I can grocery shop when ever I want.

I also am a sucker for Ballard Market. The people who work there are very nice and friendly.

Posted 2 weeks ago #
biker_girl

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I also love the Ballard Market. I hope that with TJ's and Whole Foods going in, as well as the QFC opening back up, they won't have any trouble staying in business. I'm more a "shop around the edge" type person, so the BM is great for that.

Posted 2 weeks ago #
Jonathan Pryce

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Trader Joes. Sigh. I gotta admit, as a Ballard Market shopper since '93, the new Ballard Trader Joes has created a Traitor Jonathan out of me. I had never set foot in one before until last Spring. Purcahse selected items there, usually little luxuries like wine, chocolate and snacky goodies, objects of culinary desire that are a might pricely elsewhere.

Posted 2 weeks ago #
aballardgirl

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What I hate about Safeway is the bathroom, among other things. It's unisex and I only go in there if my bladder is bursting. And then I put down like five toilet seat covers (if they have them in there - usually empty). It smells in there and I know transients go in there - the nasty ones that hang out by Sunset Bowling Alley, etc. Toilet paper not always in stock. It's just nasty.
I actually go to Freddie's for a lot of my grocery shopping. I'm also a Trader Joe's person.
One thing about Safeway I have noticed an increase in security there. They need it as you can't go to your car without being hasseled. And I never park in the undercover garage.

Posted 2 weeks ago #
coolbeans

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Safeway on Market is a scary place. I avoid it the best I can and will not take m 7 y.o. in there ever again. The bathroom is not clean enough plus there was adult solicitations going on in the back of the store, I think that is when they got their own security guard. I use the pharmacy but that's about it. Sad state of affairs when the bathroom at the library is not safe due to transient copulation (witnessed 1st hand) and the back of Safeway is not much better. Makes me want to take my kid to the burbs.

Posted 2 weeks ago #
SPG

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The thing that sucks about Safeway needing security is that is one less checker they can afford, and they could use another one in there.
I wind up at Fred Meyer, Ballard Market, or Uwajimaya.

Posted 2 weeks ago #
Jules

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What the hell? In the bathroom AT the library? And at Safeway??? Did you call the cops?? At the library..well, the Seattle PD has a desk NEXT DOOR and they are there a lot... DID you call the cops? Squeaky wheel gets the grease, you know. This is unacceptable. See something sketchy going on at Safeway? The place is crawling with employees, go get one, and then call the cops. Geez.

Good God. The library has turned into some sort of homeless flop house complete with porn on the computer, the homeless bathing in the drinking fountains and having sex in the bathrooms.

I would have to be in serious danger of losing a kidney before I used a public bathroom, anywhere.

Posted 2 weeks ago #
IStream

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On the subject of bathroom cleanliness, Freddies down by the water not only has transients galore in the bathroom, these guys bring their dogs to the lunch counter. Why FM tolerates it, I have no idea.

Posted 2 weeks ago #
coolbeans

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The problem at the library is known. That is why the front bathroom doors have to be left open. They recommend you ask for a key and use the family bathroom. The staff is well aware and a male staff was shouting at us to get pictures of the culprits on our cell phone as they exited. I can't imagine what my kid made of all this. Police can't do much as they didn't get there until the people were gone. A month or so later I saw the guy sitting in the library, notified the librarian. It seems people can get barred from the library for 3 months for such behavior but not permanently.

Posted 2 weeks ago #