Fine Fare Supermarket

The people complaining about Fine Fare are obviously not familiar with small grocery stores. First, by no means is this place a Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods or Westside Market, but it is definitely better than every bodega around and Gristedes, which is ungodly types of expensive for sub par products. At least at Fine Fare you can get your weekly groceries and meat requirements at decent prices. However, I would recommend getting your produce from a fresh market or stand, although I would recommend that regardless of the grocery store.

A step up from gristedes, but also a completely horrible place to go grocery shopping. The prices are a little better, but it is always a hit or miss with what is available. Plus the store is arranged a little weird because the snacks are in the corner near the front of the store but it’s not clearly labeled.

I don’t have anything good to say about the grocers in Washington Heights. There is such a severe lack of quality grocery stores. Fine Fare is no exception.
My issue with this place is that its not exactly cheap, and its extremely inconsistent. Some days it seems clean-​ish and well organized. Most days, however, there is a completely disgusting smell (particularly when you head to the dairy aisle) and the produce section contains barely any fresh produce. The selection is so hit/​miss. Some items are extremely well-​priced while others are extremely over-​priced.
It gets two stars because its a convenient location, and its not as expensive as Gristedes. Clean the place up a little and stock meats/​produce that aren’t so sketchy, and this place could be a decent neighborhood grocery store. But its not right now :(

Decent, good selection compared with some other places.

only shop here for little things when i find good deals in the weekly ad. of course gotta check expiration dates. most of the time the shelves are fully stocked. i guess cause i go in the mornings. a lot cheaper than gristedes and bigger than bravo. when i feel lazy, i come here to shop. otherwise, take the subway down to trader joe.

Very overpriced. Unsavory crowd. It’s Washington Heights though… expectations can’t be set too high.

I wrote a scathing review, but it turns out this is the OTHER Fine Fare on St. Nick in Washington Heights. Sorry.
OK it turns out the Fine Fare I wrote about doesn’t show up on any searches, except for a locator in which this review turns up. So I’m putting up the original review with the understanding that I’m talking about the Fine Fare @ 1617 St. Nicholas Ave, NY, NY 10 040 right by the 1 train 191^st st. stop.
I have been an unfortunate customer at this store for the past 3 years because it’s only a block and a half from where I live. There is a HUGE problem if you don’t speak Spanish because nobody who works there, except for 1 manager & 1 checkout girl, speaks even remedial English. Then they use that as an excuse not to do their job. I can understand if the stockboys or checkout girls didn’t speak English, but the managers should @ the very least be bi-​lingual.
Recent examples of problems: last week on the last day of their weekly sale (a Saturday) they had every flavor of the product on sale except the one I wanted. I asked the manager if they had more of that flavor in stock & she replied, «no, no. Every thing is on shelf.» So when I came back the next day (a Sunday) & saw the shelf fully stocked w/​the flavor I wanted, now no longer on sale, I knew she had been lying the day before because she just didn’t want to deal with it. They don’t get deliveries on Sunday.
They are also really bad at honoring their sales. Even if a product meets all the requirements of the sales parameter they will still arbitrarally honor 1 thing but not another. Another language related problem: when you call, it rings in the managers loft. So many times I have called to see if they have the 1 thing I want to purchase is in stock only to hear, «I no understand you.» «I no know» «I no see from here» & «You call back later», followed by the ubiquitous dial tone. They just hang up as if they can’t be bothered to do their jobs. They accept food stamps in any amount, but to use a debit or credit card u need a $ 5 minimum. And don’t even THINK about getting cash back.
There are other astonishingly bad things about the store (another being their increasing prices, which had been the biggest thing they had going for them), but I’ve typed as much as I can stand today. I’ll put the rest in another review when I’m incensed about something else awful they’ve done.

I hate walking into this place, but I do anyways. You have to watch for the expired goods on the shelf, and when they ring you up at the register. I honestly feel as if they are always trying to get over on people.

It’s a ghetto, discount grocery store in the heights. Whadda ya expect?
I’m a regular there since I live 1.5 blocks down the street. If I have the time, patience and money I haul my stuff from midtown. But this FF is like the grocery store version of the bar from CHEERS; they know my face… plus there are multiple cashiers and a manager who like and are nice to me.
It’s not the cleanest place. The produce is often sketchy (you have to be SUPER careful with any of the stuff they cut up and package in-​store. Same with the fresh breads sold in paper. I’ve found flies and mold). You have to check the expiration dates. Half the things you want in the circular won’t be on the shelves. It’s small, cramped and like shopping in the islands. The stock boys are rude and in the way, but they will help you if you ask for assistance… and most of them are SOOO hot :-)
But the price is half that of Gristede’s and you can get everything you need in one stop. In general, you get what you pay for in this world. I’ve been in worse grocery stores. Not many, but it’s what it is.

Pros:
— Lower Prices than other places in the neighborhood
— Convenient location
Cons:
— Expired or mis-​handled items (Ice Cream defrosted and re-​frozen, Cereal Boxes damaged, Dated products)
— Not the most friendly place (mainly teenagers who seem more interested in talking to each other than assisting clients)
— Not very neat and clean (They haven’t stepped UP with the neighborhood)