Hy-Vee

I’ve gotten into the grove of rating my grocery store experiences by how poor their produce selections are because it seems as though, Minnesota grocery stores can’t figure out how to provide produce that doesn’t spoil in 24 hours after leaving the store!
But, as far as the general appearance and such things as the butcher, seafood selections, bakery and standard selection of groceries, Hy-​Vee blows the competition out of the water! I would say that the Butcher and Seafood are very similar to Lunds & Byerly’s, but without the high price tag, while the traditional everyday groceries are more comparable to the Cub’s of the world.
Sadly though, my wife and I have had to become the multi-​location shopper because everything is hit and miss with produce and prices. Aldi destroys ALL grocery stores in the pricing department and we can get most of our things from there, but they’re still lacking in availability of some of the things we like and Cub’s sales are pretty good when it comes to other things we like to purchase.
All-​in-​all though, this place is a place you could turn into a «one stop shop» and thankfully, there is a new Hy-​Vee opening soon just a few miles from our home! :)

I wish I could give this store 10 stars!
–Very clean
–Friendly and helpful employees
–A wide variety of services all in one place: grocery, gas station, full-​service restaurant, fast casual dining, Starbucks, dry cleaning, pharmacy, healthcare clinic, liquor store, dietician, cooking classes, flower shop that offers delivery, charge stations for your electric car… I am sure there are things I have missed
–Amazing deli selections and everything is always fresh
–Sunday brunch! $ 20 and you have access to their Chinese, Italian, Sandwich, and Salad stations, as well as a full breakfast buffet, dessert station, cocktail shrimp, and prime rib. It’s kind of unreal.
–Quality meat
–A cheese selection that makes me excited just thinking about it
–A very large section of organic, vegetarian, and vegan items
I have always had terrible and gross experiences at Cub stores throughout the Twin Cities, and I cannot wait to see Hy Vee take over as a grocery staple here. It’s a wonderful company that seems to treat its employees well.

Good breakfast at a decent price. Service is always good and the restaurant is always clean

Very interesting… brand new Cub now across the street. Opening day at Cub on Tuesday was fun and very well managed. The place was packed around 5 p.m.
The two stores are similar, yet different. We like HyVee’s «The Market» full-​service restaurant versus the cafeteria style/​take-​out options. Looks like The Market Restaurant, however, needs to draw more customers to survive.
HyVee’s does have the best French Silk pie versus Cub, Kowalski’s, and Byerly’s!
We still «Love My Cub» in Woodbury for it’s smaller/​more-​convenient size, location, number of electric carts for those who need them, excellent customer service, weekly sales, and competitive price/​value.
Cub’s web site has improved making it the best around for generating a weekly shopping list… but there still is room for more improvements. HyVee’s doesn’t even come close to Cub’s user-​friendly web site.
We do like to know who makes our food products, where they originate from (USA? Mexco? Canada? Asia? Europe? Central & South America? Other?) versus just «distributed by» …and, yes, what’s in them (ingredients).
Even major Brands are now being imported much like many generics.
We take the time to read the labels & decide what is best for us and our family. We prefer locally-​produced or made/​grown & packaged in USA.
We stopped buying Oreo’s quite some time ago. BTW :-)

This place has everything. Restaurant, bar, lots of different deli options, plenty of fresh produce, dry cleaning, flowers, pharmacy, clinic, liquor department, health foods… Also some of the friendliest and helpful staff anywhere. Had lunch here and it was terrific! Then on to some shopping, where we were treated like the royalty. We’ll be back here — a lot!

This place is pretty cool. Its huge and seems to have almost anything you can think of. Also the salad bar, and Asian food stands are really good. Most of their meats have been really good. The prices are so so. When they do have a great price, it only seems to be on sale for 1 or 2 days.

Wonderful grocery store! Employees are always helpful and friendly. I love the variety and prices. The Fuel Savers card is definite worth it.

I’ve shopped here twice. I’ll be back here for some things, not for others.
High points:
1. To-​die-​for ciabatta bread. Best in town, I would come here for this alone.
2. Italian food section. I see stuff here that I’ve only seen in Italy. Amazing selection of pastas, sauces, sardines, olive oils, and canned tomatoes.
3. Bulk food section. Enormous, with items I rarely see elsewhere. Check out the bulk candies as well.
4. Fresh seafood. Mussels were fresher than what I’ve gotten at Cub.
Low points:
1. Produce was more expensive than Cub and generally not as nice.
2. Frozen food section. After the wide selection of ethnic food I found in the grocery aisle, I expected more in the way of Indian, Mexican, Chinese, Greek, etc. There was almost nothing.
3. General grocery section. Pricier than Cub but not as wide a selection as I’d guess for the size of the store.

If I were to review with one word, Wow!, then my effort would end in the grey zone at the bottom. Once upon a time while visiting Iowa or even Mankato I thought it would be great if we could get Hy-​Vee in the Twin Cities. When my near by Rainbow closed it was taken over by Cub. Speaking of Cub they have an existing store across the frontage roads and towards the back of a parking lot, so they are building a giant store right across from this complex. Should be an interesting war in Oakdale with all the choices so close, as there are other large stores within a few miles. Hy-​Vee corporate said they want a minimum of 90,000 sq ft. Looking at this store it obvious why. What doesn’t this store have? I found brands and products Cub either dropped or never had. I had a slight customer service issue and it was taken care of fast and efficiently.
To help us navigate the store the aisle signs are placed high enough and color coded in away that’s easy to read from across the store.
For general grocery shopping this location is well out of my way but I will more than likely visit again for those items I have a hard time getting elsewhere or special shopping.

For an OK, quick meal, Hy-​Vee Oakdale is a good place to go. The waitress was a bit unsure of salad dressing choices and how the Philadelphia roll was prepared. The sushi roll was just OK — not real fresh. The crab dip was lukewarm with bagged pita chips. I can still taste it a couple hours later… The nice thing was that there was plenty of seating available, the service was quick, and the waitress was attentive.

This was my first trip to the store. I was excited to check out the newest grocery store in the area, hoping they give Cub a run for their money. By the amount of people I’d have to say they do.
However my nostrils were assaulted by the stench of rotten fish throughout the entire store. It was disgusting and I couldn’t get out of there fast enough.
I was impressed by the organization of everything including the fruit (hand stacked row by row), which explains the prices. Not as expensive as Byerly’s or Kowalski’s, but not as cheap as Cub. The fruit selection didn’t appear to be as good as Byerly’s or even Cub.
I was also impressed by the selection of brand names. The variety of each was impressive, something Cub greatly lacks and one of the main reasons I hate Cub. I just hope Hy Vee maintains that variety, that it’s not just for show as people check them out, because the last thing we need in MN is another Cub.
Overall, I just wasn’t as impressed as I was hoping. I doubt I’ll make them my go to store. I don’t want to chance that nasty smell.

MARKET GRILL
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We just got back from Sunday Brunch at Hy-​Vee which we decided to try out with our $ 10 off coupon in the mail. At first, we were price shocked by the $ 19.99 per person. However, the waiting staff explained that we are not just limited to breakfast items in the buffet but also the Asian, Italian, and Salad areas outside of the Grill. Well, we took a look at what was inside the Grill which included a Carving section with meat and cold seafood (not exactly, my thing– prefer my shrimps and salmon hot). However, the spread of fruit, berries, yogurt, granola were by the bar and very good. There were some pastries which I avoided it like the eclairs which my wife said was okay. Plus, the omelet plus eggs benedicts made-​to-​order bar just outside with a long table of breakfast items from scrambled eggs, egg casserole, to hash brown potatoes and cinnamon rolls (okay by me). Asian had the typical fare of fried rice, kung pow chicken, chicken cashew, and schezewan beef plus two soups (hot and sour and egg drop). I tried the egg drop which was very spicy but good. Salad bar was huge and at first was a little misleading since my wife said the station guy had two managers check if it was included into the Grand Buffet. Well, I went there later and by then, this was fixed and was allowed to get a large platter of mixed salad. The only thing which the Grand Buffet does not include is the Sushi and the Chef Creations. So, I think for $ 15 per person it is pretty much a no brainer. Come just before lunch and you get a smathering of everything since Asian opens at 10AM.
WINE AND SPIRITS
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We visited here last night since we needed to pick up a gift for pumpkin carving party the next day. Well, there is an actual tasting room here inside this store next to Hy-​Vee supermarket. It was not open late Saturday night so the guy pour some wine they had laying out. Oh well, red wine unfridgerated will do as well. Anyways, you can sign up at the desk with your email and they will give you announcements of upcoming events. Very cool. Plus, we found the grapefruit beer that we were looking for after our Stillwater dinner boat cruise earlier in the year:)
SUPERMARKET
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Overall, this supermarket is very large probably on the range of the Lunds & Byerlys in Woodbury. However, this one has a lot of traffic probably since it just opened. One advantage is having a gas station right next door so you can earn points for discount in future fill-​ups. Overall, I have no complaints and plenty of nice additions to your standard grocery store. The cheese section is pretty extensive and also nice samples to try out. This is not near where we live but we will make the trek out here for future wine tastings.

Apparently people have nothing to do but swarm this place on a Saturday evening. I could not get over the parking lot and how many people were there~! This is a huge grocery store and I got exhausted trying to cover the entire thing. They do have some good meat prices and really nice looking produce. I just would not have the stamina or energy to shop here often. Gonna cross it off my list and stick to a smaller place where I can zip in and zip out.

I love this store. I grew up in mankato where it’s just another grocery store. When i heard they were opening a location by me up in the cities i was so excited.
They have an amazing meat department. The bakery makes beautiful cakes. They stepped it up on this location. It’s bigger more classy then the mankato locations. I think the employees are very nice. They always greet me with a smile. It feels like i stepped into Pleasantville when i go in there… at least when it comes to the employees.
The guests on the other hand… wow! Rude, pushy, feel very self entitled;what I come to expect from a lot of minnesotans. They detract from my experience. I hope the usual lemmings-​following-​one-​another-​to-​the new-​place-​that-​opens, dies soon. I would love to go shopping there and not deal with so many customers at all times of the day.

Brand new location. I love the presentation of this place. Everything is so clean and spacious. I love how nice everything looks and you feel like youre in a high class grocery store with alot of things. Very impressed with their individual bathroom rooms and presentation of everything here.
Something that was mispriced and my mother went to complain they ended up giving her it for free. I apologize for how demanding my mom can be. But appreciate their patience and being very helpful.
Now my customer service here wasnt very nice. I came here because my mom wanted to try it out. She wanted to see the new store. I wasnt dressed my best. Zip up hoodie, tank and jeans. My hair down and slightly messy because of the static from dry weather. I prefer a fashionable backpack over a purse. And maybe its all that makes every weary of me. We decided on breakfast here because they have a huge selection. I dont mind the prices they seem normal for an establishment like this.
I had decided on crab cakes. I waited at the deli and a man in a white dress shirt and tie greeted me and asked if i needed help. I asked if it could be heated up here to eat. He said they could but he needed to find someone to help me. The female chef helped me and was a bit stand offish. First she said i had to pay first at the pay station. It gave me the impression that she felt like i couldny pay for the food i was ordering. But i walked all the way down to the pay station tobpay. When i got back my brother had ordered a steak from the same chef. She made his steak right away before telling him to go pay. Though she didnt smile and haf a grim look on her face i wasa little upset. She then said she would bring us our food. I relaxed and thought thats not bad maybe its too early in the morning.
I was at the rest room when my crab came arrived but trust me it was not a crab cake worth waiting for. The outside was burnt and there was nothing to enhance the taste. No lemon. No sauce. Nothing. I asked if anything was offered since my brother got a cup of sauce with his steak. Nope.
I will say though the ladies at the pay station were very pleasant with a lovely smileon their face. I hope that i can have that same pleasant smile when i come back. They made my experience better than it couldve been.

I love the bar!!! Excellent happy hour food, great prices.
Ceiling lights over the bar could be a bit dimmer and warmer.
One problem-​the bartender is taking my order while she is eating and drinking, talking to me with her mouth full. Not cool.
Seems to also be the employe meeting room, 6 right now employees meeting in the bar area counting money and discussing staff and scheduling and locker issues.
Employees talking across the room to other employees, kitchen door seems to be a loud meeting area also.
Otherwise 5 stars.

Look out Lunds and Cub Foods. Your time is ending as the local grocery stores of choice. Picture a Lunds inside and experience with Cub Foods prices. They even have live lobsters! I’m sold.

Oy Vee. The new center of Oakdale. A friend outside of Unilocal told me about how awesome this place is. I needed a few items. I was actually bumping into displays with my cart. I needed the toilet scrubber refills that go on the wand. The most impressive display is the cheese. That’s where my impulse shopping went. At the break of an aisle potatoes were right out in the open, in their own display. It’s time to start making soup, so I grab a nice 5 pounder. I love the no nonsense deli counter. Everything is pre-​sliced. They just grab it by the fistful. Some poor soul in the background slices all day. Really friendly folks in general. Saturday is not the time to comb the isles. The parking lot is so cool, next to the handicapped parking are some spots for expectant and new moms and the wee one. Brings a tear to your eye, that kind of thoughtfulness. Then I treated myself to a movie next door. It’s a bit nuts like Costco without the hostility.

Beautiful store! They have everything you’d ever need, and then some. Huge butcher shop, bakery and take-​and-​bake meals.
The Market Grille restaurant is excellent. Six of us tried a variety of food: burgers, crab legs, halibut, chinese. We can’t wait to go back and try some of their chicken and flatbread. Highly recommend.

Grand Opening was today! NICE HUGE Store! Love the bakery, there a Starbucks as well!