Fresh Thyme Farmers Market

Maybe my expectations were just too high…
I grow tired of the same, mediocre quality meats, produce, selection, etc., at the typical Schnucks. I had hoped this place was going to be a ray of sunshine in the desert of quality grocery stores. Nope.
We shopped here hoping to find a nice cut of meat (hoping for quality brisket) to smoke for our Christmas Eve dinner. We also expected to find some fresh veggies to add to the grill. We found neither. The butcher case was disappointingly small. When I asked where I might find the briskets, the person behind the counter said «no, we don’t have those.» Hmmm… That seemed odd to me, but oh well, we’ll pick out something else. There were two beautiful-​looking bacon-​wrapped filets in the front of the case. I said we’d take them. The person behind the counter (not calling him a butcher because I’d be shocked if he was a trained, experienced meat cutter) replied «um, those are just for display, we don’t have them for sale.» What???
We glanced at the fresh veggies, but at that point we were essentially done with Fresh Thyme Farmers Market. We saw nothing enticing in the veggie section, so we left.
We won’t be back.
On the bright side: I stopped at the Dierberg’s in Arnold on the way home and found two BEAUTIFUL bacon wrapped filets that were out of this freakin’ world!

It is great having an organic focused store on the metro east side. Fresh Thyme has a nice layout, and everything is always bright and clean. They have a nice deli and cheese section as well as salad bar. I love that you can get a variety of foods by the pound so you don’t have to commit to a full size bag. They have great deals throughout the week, and overlapping ads on Wednesday. I recently got blackberries for 88 cents! Can’t beat that! They were tasty and not old either. They have fresh juice at a juice bar in the back, and the orange juice is delicious. I go here if they have a great deal in produce or just need some organic foods. Pretty good selection of food!

I love this market. Never understood why people have to pay more for food at traditional markets for food with pesticides added to them. Here, you get organic food for about the same or for less than regular (pesticide) food at supermarkets. The produce is organic, cheap, and fresh. My produce is healthier and half the price it was before! My kids love the little shopping carts so they can help out and the samples they give. I like the variety and prices. Many items are hard to find elsewhere. The only things more expensive here than at the grocery store are the dairy and frozen foods. Coming from California, this is like a slice of back home right here in Fairview Heights.

If you’re looking for fresh & natural food you’ll find it here. Every time I shop here I find something new to try & I’ve always loved it. There’s so much vegan/​vegetarian products! A deli & salad bar is located inside too. I’m going to try it out next time I come in.

It’s ok. While it is nice to have this type of store in the metro east, it is too pricey. It is kind of a cross between Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods, and there are values to be had. But they are too few and far between. If you are looking for good quality and value wine and cheese, for instance, believe you are better off going to Aldi.
Just think what the area really desires is Trader Joe’s and this does not fulfill that need.

Best prices on the best lunch meat (Boar’s Head Brand). Typically $ 2 – 3 cheaper per lb than Schnucks. They also have a fantastic variety of amazing deli salads! Curry chicken is one of my favorites. Produce deals that can’t be beat anywhere.
Also– you will never wait in line here…
There is a rumor that they’re opening a store in Chesterfield. I really wish they would open one in/​around north county/​st. Charles, mo area!

Used to think highly of this place. But just had a terrible customer service experience. Sign said, «Green Tomatoes $ 1.99/lb.» At the register they came up as 2.99/lb. I walked back, took a picture of the tomatoes in front of the sign and showed the clerk the picture. She said, «no, we don’t have those.» Seriously?
I suggested they take the sign down. She said, «that’s above my pay grade.»
No one at the customer service counter to speak with — on a busy Saturday afternoon.
Clerk said her name was Maria, but her name tag said something else.
Sorry, Fresh Thyme. I will stick with Straubs and Whole Foods.

It’s crowded I won’t lie on that fact but it’s one of the best places in town to get fresh produce that isn’t a week old unlike what you get at the grocery stores. It doesn’t go bad in two days either!
Their fresh juices are AMAZING! The organic eggs are huge and taste better then any other egg I’ve gotten. And their store is clean and inviting.
It will probably take a year to see the hubbub die down but even though it’s crowded you won’t break the bank stocking up on goodies!

I’ve been to fresh thyme multiple times since it opened. For the first month, I was here literally 1 – 2 times a week. Lately I’ve been here every other week… reasoning because…
yes, their fruits and veggies are super cheap, but there’s a reason for it. they literally go bad after a couple days. yes, 3 for $ 5 strawberries is an awesome deal, but for it to get all white and moldy 2 days later, deff. not worth it at all. Their tomatoes are 2 for $ 4. again, sounds like a great deal but a few days later, they’re disgusting. usually tomatoes would last forever. Also, their french twisted bread… i don’t know what it is, it’s good, but it goes bad literally the next day. also, the bread needs more packaging, they only cover 70% of the bread that means anyone can touch it with their bare hands. yuck!
another reason for another star off would be the staff. every staff i have encountered here or ask questions. they’re so rude. you would there they’re knowledgable about their stuff. I should say the staff behind the deli or butcher area. it’s like they don’t want to help you or answer your questions. the friendliest people here surprisingly would be the cashiers! they’re always happy and cheerful.
what i like about this place is the bulk section!!! i absolutely love everything from this section! they have so much stuff and for great deals! i also love their in-​house breads and muffins.

Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods really missed the boat as was evidenced the very first day this place was open. The parking lot was packed at 7:30 in the morning and pretty much stayed that way for at least two weeks any time I went. It’s still pretty packed on weekends and evenings but daytime during the week is not quite so bad.
One big disappointment was how water soaked the fresh produce is. One of the best kept Grocery secrets is that they over water the fresh vegetables so they rot in your refrigerator faster. It was disappointing to see the store following that path.
Their sales are really good. I tried out a fantastic whole food supplement that was on sale for 25% off. I loved it and will be going back to stock up before the sale ends on April 1.
You do have to watch some of the pricing, however. I noticed in the bulk section the white yogurt covered pretzels were $ 2.99 a pound while the prepackaged white yogurt pretzels were $ 3.99 a pound. The prepackaged flavored yogurt pretzels were $ 3.99 pound while the bulk ones were $ 3.49.
I love that there is a place like this now on the Illinois side of the river but will continue to patronize Trader Joe’s in Brentwood. A lot of the things that I buy like butter and toilet paper are cheaper at TJ’s. Also I like TJ’s soy cream a lot better than what I found at Fresh Thyme.
Having said that, I will say emphatically this place is great and it’s long overdue for Illinois!

Fresh Thyme Farmers Market describes itself as «a NEW healthy, fresh, and organic way to grocery shop [that] is taking root in the Midwest.» CEO Chris Sherrell says the store «is bringing a natural option to the Midwest with incredible values.» From what I’ve read, the store aims to be a smaller, cheaper version of Whole Foods with a large produce department.
I live in St. Louis and have only visited the store once, but here are my first impressions:
1. Some things were reasonably priced, and some were not. That is the case with almost any store, but I did not find too many «incredible values.» If I were a local, I’m sure I’d take advantage of their sales.
2. The produce section was pretty decent, and that is where I saw some good deals.
3. The store reminded me more of The Fresh Market in Creve Coeur than of a Whole Foods or Trader Joe’s. However, Fresh Thyme had a much larger frozen section. I saw many things I eat, including Amy’s frozen dinners and Fudgy Peanut Butter Chip VitaTops. The Fresh Thyme salad bar also looked better than the one at The Fresh Market.
4. It was really crowded on a Saturday afternoon, but shopping there was not as painful as shopping at Whole Foods in Brentwood. Every single time I go to Whole Foods, I just want to get in and out as quickly as I can. I just went last night, and I swear the aisles get narrower and narrower each time I visit. Despite all of the people shopping at Fresh Thyme, I didn’t feel quite as claustrophobic as I do at Whole Foods. The store seemed more open and easier to navigate.
5. Fresh Thyme seems to pride itself in having a large selection of natural and organic bulk foods. Honestly, those open bins and barrels kind of gross me out. They had a barrel of beautiful rainbow gummy bears, but when I see that kind of thing, all I can think about is an unsupervised child sneaking a fistful of gummy bears with his or her snotty little hand. :p However, if that isn’t a concern for you, they indeed had a large selection of bulk goods.
6. Among their bulk products were pour-​your-​own oils and liquids. I believe I saw soy sauce, maple syrup, and extra virgin olive oil among the choices.
7. The health and beauty section was pretty large, but I didn’t see anything I just had to have.
8. The bakery section featured a variety of goodies that were begging to come home with me. I purchased one lemon poppyseed muffin, and that was a bit of a disaster. It was a pretty average muffin, but the problem was that I had not realized it was in a liner. When it was baked, the batter must have overflowed. The liner had been cooked into the muffin and was well-​concealed. Mmm, paper.
–Rating–
I had fun visiting Fresh Thyme, and I’d probably be somewhat of a regular if I lived in Fairview Heights. I imagine it would beat driving to Whole Foods in Brentwood. Heck, I currently live fairly close to Whole Foods, and most of the time, even I don’t want to bother with it.
If you’re looking for one-​stop grocery shopping, this probably is not it. If you’re into the healthy lifestyle, you’ll probably dig it. Fresh Thyme gets four stars from me.

Contradictory to other reviewers, I think that now that it has been open for a while, the crowd has really died down. It’s not empty, but definitely not crowded. The food is really, really good! Some of it is over expensive, while there are some really, really good deals occasionally. This is what the metro east and O’Fallon area really needs!

Very mixed feelings… I think it’s 3.5 stars, and I would like it to go up because it’s exactly what Fairview Heights needs.
If this is the only sentence you read: Try the juice bar orange juice. Holy crap. That stuff is amazing and makes you think, WTH have I been drinking for years?
What I really like:
*Wednesdays=Double Days where the ad that is currently ending and the ad that is coming up are both valid. You don’t have to come back weekly.
*The theme of the store. It’s cheaper than Whole Foods, and it has more variety than Trader Joe’s. I like that it does try to source locally and has a very impressive organic and gluten-​free selection, along with an encompassing homeopathic section.
*The small grocery carts, which are a lot easier to maneuver.
*The produce: Lots of turnover and really good prices. Separated by nonorganic and organic. And the employees will offer you a sample if you ask them about it.
*The juice bar. I thought this was really stupid at first because it’s in the back, and it’s not made to order. The girl makes a bunch, bottles them, and puts them out. There’s carrot, a green one, berry, and the oh-​so-​amazing OJ. It blows any other orange juice out of the water. Makes me want to go out, buy a $ 300 juicer and see if I can re-​create it. It’s like that ginger ale ad… only in oranges. The only sad part about it is that the prices are pretty um… high. $ 6.99 for 64 oz of OJ. $ 3 for a little bottle of green fluids.
*The beer and wine department: The guy who works the aisles knows his stuff. Hit him up for recommendations and he will happily give them to you. If they would have wine/​beer tastings once in awhile, that would be the cherry on top.
*The homeopathic aisles. I don’t know how good they are, but there are remedies for every ailment. Some have guides, but most do not. A info kiosk would be great.
*The spices. This is self serve and it’s pretty much hidden. Works like the bulk center. You can buy how much you need at a time, and the prices are fairly reasonable too. I did notice that someone left red pepper flakes uncapped last time I was there; that’s so… considerate.
The Undecided:
*The convenience: I like that they have quick meal options. They have a salad and antipasto bar, self-​serve, reasonably priced. They have cooler cases with quick meal and salad options; also reasonably priced. They have a pizza bar, which looks to be reasonable. They also have a sandwich bar, $ 4.99, which is okay. It honestly was like a half sandwich to me, and while it was good (not amazing), I was still hungry afterwards. Small coffee counter.
*The bakery: Really nice selection, but do you really have to display your breads out in the open like that? All I can think about is people sneezing and coughing over them and touching them. Because you know that’s happening… because it’s happening everywhere else in the store. Plexiglass can be shiny too, you know.
*The meat and seafood counter: I really like their options. They have some stuff already marinated and/​or stuffed and all you have to do is cook it. There’s a really thoughtful curation of sausages too; not particularly unique, but it hits all the highlights. Really good variety of seafood too. But the shrimp on special looked grossly frozen and dried out behind the counter, much to my surprise.
*Prices: Like anywhere else, you’re going to have to do your homework. It’s not exactly the cheapest prices around, but it’s not the most expensive. For example, they were promoting their salmon for $ 5.99, but Schnucks had the same for $ 4.99 the same week. Coconut milk is like $ 2 a can, which costs more than Global or on Olive, but where else are you going to get coconut milk on the East side? Also see above for the OJ price. Does it sh! t gold? Apparently so!
*The bulk aisles with granola, oats, grains, make your own peanut butter, and dispense your own oils and vinegars: This is comprehensive. It’s awesome. But I think it would be a lot more hygienic if it was behind the counter and they had associates dispensing the stuff… you just ask for how much you need and they measure it out for you.
No thanks:
*The people who come here. I can’t figure the best time to come yet. It’s been packed whenever I come, although during the weekday seems to be better than at night and the weekends. People chat in the middle of the aisles without any clue that there are people behind them wanting to go through. Or the woman who parked herself and her big cart in front of the 3 foot long beef section to peruse her ad while other people were trying to get some beef. Or the mom who let her kid slam into carts with his little shopping cart while doing nothing about it. Or the other mom who used her hands to get peanut butter samples for her kids, sucked her fingers, and then WIPED HER FINGERS on the bulk barrel top behind her. YEAH, I WAS THE ONE GIVING YOU THE DIRTY LOOK.
It’s a new kind of grocery store in the Metro East; one that definitely deserves to succeed.

Great options and a decent price. The salad bar is great and even though it’s packed every time I go in there I feel I can get in and out still. Very friendly staff and helpful.

I was curious to see what this place was all about so I stopped in a few days after their opening. Just your typical Whole Foods knock off. Except at Whole Foods you can expect great customer service and higher quality goods.
I’ll let the fact that they use plastic bags slide but I did encounter one problem that will leave me to never return. I did the whole ‘scoop your own’ trail mix from the bulk section and after getting home and consuming ¾ of it, I noticed it had maggots in it. Yep, you read right. Not exactly what I like to find in my trail mix. And especially not something I’d expect to find in a store that hasn’t even been open a week. I wrote to them about it on Facebook and they removed my post so I guess it’s not an issue to them.
Overall, I find Fresh Thyme to be underwhelming and lacking in many areas. I think once the newness dies down it’ll just become another hole in the wall grocery store.

Prices are extremely high now. No more trader joes. More like whole foods whole paycheck store now. Their customer service has went down. I always see new people whenever I shop so obviously no one wants to stay as a employee there. I don’t ever see the store director helping out as a manager. I see him walking past customers not speaking and going start to what looks like his office. I have talked to employees and asked them if they liked working there and the response was unbelievable. Everyone says it has changed and not for the better either!

A local and organic goods market on the other side of the river. You know the side of the river most people in STL try to say they don’t know about.
I like the fresh salad and sushi bar. I saw the hot food but did not try any. Unlike, Whole foods the hot food is not just sitting out. Right know the prices are good. I am sure after the grand opening the prices will be comparable to Whole Foods.
I found the employees friendly and to be pretty nice and helpful.
i don’t see it being a place i will go for regular grocery shopping. I think I do like Whole foods better still. Fresh Thyme is a comparable alternative.

I stopped in on opening weekend and I was shocked at how packed this place was, at first I thought it was full of people just browsing until I say the long lines at the register. I had fully intended on stopping here to grab a few items for dinner, while checking out the selection, however after seeing the lines my plan quickly changed and I shifted into browse mode instead.
The layout of this store is pretty simple, its actually larger than the typical Aldi’s & Trader Joe’s yet much smaller than a Schnucks or Dierbergs. The focus here is mostly organic or mostly healthier options. You can manage to do all your shopping here, however some items might be cheaper elsewhere. I noticed some pretty good deals on the sale items, and plan on making a return trip when it isn’t so crowded.
In addition to the usual grocery store selection, Fresh Thyme offered a wide variety of vitamins, protein powders, gluten free, and organic items. The staff seemed friendly and there was always someone nearby if you needed any assistance. I liked what I saw, but I will recommend visiting during off peak hours to avoid the crowds.

Freshen time is really a disappointment. They are still new so the staff has some areas for improvement. The place is packed with people and no one knows where anything is, so it’s really like navigating a human maze. Not like the people of Walmart, more like the entitled, mouth breathing soccer moms and their charming progeny. If your agoraphobic it would probably be your vision of Dante’s ninth circle of hell.
The location is small. If you have been to Lucky’s in west county, this is «Unlucky’s». At Lucky’s you can enjoy a craft beer while shopping in a calm environment. Or conversely enjoy a fresh brewed cup of coffee while shopping. At Unlucky’s you get neither! But you do get the sensation of being a chicken crammed in an overpopulated chicken coop. Don’t believe look at the eyes of your fellow patrons. Think how close you are to living the lord of the flies!?!
They were out of a chicken special And people were waiting for it. When they brought out the trays. It was a mad house. With people just grabbing them off the trays. No order at all. At the safer more convenient Lucky’s they dispense items from the butcher shop by number.
They have specials. They appear reasonably priced but if it’s not on special seems like it’s a little bit higher than Dierbergs. Although I think it’s probably cheaper than whole foods. Also Dierberg’s tapes fruit clam shells closed. Always wondered why until I had one of Unlucky’s blueberry boxes open in my bag. Even aldis does better than this.
The seafood department really appears to be the only area where I seen the store having a distinct advantage. Although the rest of the store makes it unlikely I will go there again.
Did I mention that the store is small and crowded? Be prepared to a 20 minute wait to check out. The line runs the length of the store. As I approached the Potteresque sorting hat ceremony to determine the checkout aisle for me to pay my money. I was asked if I got everything. I told the young lady I got all I could take. I believe my humor was lost on the lass. Another lady tried to cut in line to check out and was directed to the end of the check out line somewhere in Swansea. The patron says that «will take forever», the sorter ceremony docent replied «the line moves very quickly», the mom countered with «I don’t believe you.» I know from experience that quickly is relative term.
Instead of coming to Unlucky’s save your time and go to Dierbergs. If you want destination grocery shopping save your time and drive to Lucky’s. You will be done faster than waiting in this Dantes purgatory, and you can have a beer while you shop.

So crowded on opening day. Hope it settles down so I can actually shop! I really would have liked to see this great place in a larger space.
Just a heads up, the deli doesn’t seem to want to help customers. I waited for 10 minutes, tried to get someone to take my order, and never got service. Hope they get it together. I love Boars Head.