ALDI

I utilize the Homestead Aldi store, and I absolutely LOVE the cashiers there. They are ALWAYS extremely courteous, patient and friendly. They like their jobs they enjoy working for Aldi’s. I have been to stores where the cashiers are rude and throw the groceries into bags… but your cashiers… place the items in the cart… making sure my bread doesn’t get squished. I have had all different cashiers but ALWAYS the same wonderful experience of a friendly caring cashier. So thanks to your Homestead cashiers I will continue shopping there. Love you guys and keep up the GREAT work…

This Aldi is GREAT! For some reason, a lot of my friends have a very negative impression of these stores, but this one is great! Sure, you aren’t going to find a lot of name brand stuff, but «Clancy’s» is just fine for me!
You can still get organic eggs, milk, meat and veggies if that’s your thing and not spend the money you would at Giant Eagle. Also, I LOVE their cheese selection! They have SO MANY!!! They have a good selection of spices as well, which are usually very pricey at a typical grocery store. I buy all of my paper products here, as well as foil, baggies and other kitchen accessories. They have a small amount of housewares which changes pretty regularly, but you can get a great deal on some appliances and organizational items.
Now, this isn’t a huge store, so if you are looking for certain specialty items, you may not find them here. But I do all of my basic grocery shopping here and have never been disappointed!
Also — Don’t forget to bring your own bags (or you’ll have to buy them) and a quarter for your cart! :-)

I was originally hesitant to visit Aldi because so many reviews talked about a limited selection, bad produce, and pre-​packaged/​processed foods. Eventually, though, the outrageous GE bills sent me this way.
I’ve been pleasantly surprised by Aldi. No, they probably won’t have everything you’re looking for. But, they usually have a majority. I find it best to walk in without a list, and rather shop by what I see they do have. Also, if you’re picky about brand names, this may not be your place.
I haven’t found the produce to be as bad as a lot of reviews state. Yes, the selection is somewhat limited, but not too limited that I can’t get something I like. Also, you just have to use some common sense: if it looks wilty, don’t buy it. Most of it usually looks okay and has lasted perfectly fine for up to a week or until I ate it. I don’t find this any different than any other grocery store.
As to having mostly packaged foods: I’m not sure I agree here. Of course, there is a fair amount of packaged foods. But this is true at GE too. I think your opinion on this will vary by what your normal grocery list. Every week I buy basic things like milk, eggs, bread, cheese, yogurt, fruits, veggies. Aldi has all of this at what seems to be no more pre-​packaged than you can buy it anywhere else. I’m not looking for natural, organic, farm-​made yogurt — I just want something not sugar-​packed to get me through a morning. Aldi has that. At 39 cents a cup.

In ALDI you always get the best prices for the same quality (if not even better)! Besides it saves me so much time not to loop in those giant stores (e.g. giant eagle) and compare ten different labels of bbq sauces whose price vary from 2 to 10 $ (although you pretty much buy the same thing?).

I love Aldi.
Honestly I cannot believe I have been shopping at GE for so long without knowing I can cut down the costs of fresh vegetable and fruits by almost 50% by just switching to Aldi. Sure, they don’t have the great variety as GE or some other stores, but I can find most of my weekly veggies and fruits here.
For those who complain about the quality of produce here — maybe you’ve never visited the GE in Squirrel Hill before. Sure there are some stuff that look less than perfect in the store, but it all comes down to timing. I tried to avoid grocery store rush hour and shop there on week days instead of weekends — usually when the produce is re-​stocked, they look just as good as the ones in GE, just wo the fancy lighting and packaging.

Love this store! There’s so many organic foods. Food may go bad quickly, but prices are definitely lower than giant Eagle

I love to come here to pick and choose what I want because it saves me a lot of money. Giant Eagle became the death of me with close to $ 100 dollars for generic food items I regularly use. I can get similar items at Aldi’s for half that! Just yesterday I came in for a few items such as three large avocados, two medium-​sized zucchinis, one packages of three chicken breasts, and a three pound bag of sweet potatoes all for $ 11. I brought my own shopping bag to load up as I was shopping (or you can get a cart with a quarter) and then to carry out my purchase. They have reusable bags up front by the checkout you can purchase. I’ve always encountered friendly employees, which is definitely a plus for me. There’s free parking in the garage or on the side of the store. I’d say if you’re looking for very specific items then this is probably not the store for you. If you need basics like chicken, fish, meat, eggs, dairy, and some fruit/​veggies then I would check Aldi’s out. The selection is somewhat limited on the fruit and veggies, but I have always come across fresh items and that’s what matters to me. Be sure to use cash or a debit card. No credit cards!

We’ve all been to an Aldi’s one time or another so I’m going to hit the key things that I was concerned about when coming here:
–Free parking. This Aldi used to be a car dealership many moons ago, and so the garage is not set up like a normal garage. The ramp can only be used in one direction at a time, and it’s on a timer. So you can sit for about four minutes to get in or out sometimes. It is narrow so don’t take the ramp too fast. But it’s free indoor parking!
–The store set up is odd because there is the garage entrance and street entrance. Entering from the street is the «right» way. I usually end up walking through backwards.
–This Aldi tends to be pretty cramped. There is not as much stock as most stores. They were out of pepper last time I went.
–The produce looks pretty bad at this Aldi. It’s usually severely picked over as well.
–The lines are much shorter than most Aldi stores. They prioritize having people on the registers more.

I do love Aldi and I shop at this store every week. Great stuff for really decent prices. For the most part, majority of the time I’ve had good experience.
My real annoyed experience was a few months ago. I came in with my grocery bag like I always do. I was enjoying their fine selection of canned vegetable when I notice a dark figure bolting towards me. I look over and noticed the security guard. I turn back and kept shopping and noticed he was following me around the store. He also pretended like he was shopping the frozen food aisle right next to me. You’re on duty, you really think it’s believable that you are interested in frozen salmon while on the job? I decided to take my time in the spot I was shopping. He stood at the very end of the aisle leaning up against the sandwiches, watching me like a hawk. After a while, he ran over to a coworker and back to the front of the store. When I got in line, he watched me to make sure I emptied everything out of my bag. After I checked out, I asked the cashier if he can be less noticeable next time. I understand it’s his job but making me feel like a crook is pretty crooked. So I emailed them to let them know and got a generic response about how my opinion matters.
Today, I went shopping again and another guard started following me around. I had a messenger bag on me since I walked to Aldi right after work. I was putting food in my grocery bag again. Every time I turned around, he’s hoovering nearby. When I got to the check out, he stood at the end of the line to watch me empty my bag.
So, I am a groomed, 32, male. I don’t look like a thug off the streets. But every time I come here, I am watched like I just peed on someone’s baby.
I think I might try to wear a suit and tie next time to see if they follow me. I think i’d stuff my bag with grocery in a very quick manner while looking over my shoulders next time. I would love to play hide and seek or dodge between the aisles really quick but I think that will give them a heart attack if they follow me.
So if I’m going to be watched like a crook for bringing my own bag, can Aldi give me a cart to use without me digging the couch for a quarter and give me free bags please? All I want is food, man. I’m not going to steal a .59 cent can of beans.

I first visited this Aldi soon after it opened a few years ago, and was a bit put off by the lack of selection and some of their practices (see below). Recently, when my grocery bill doubled due to purchasing more fresh produce at Giant Eagle, I needed to find a way to cut some corners, so I decided to give Aldi a second chance. I’m glad I did, since it’s grown on me, and my wallet is thanking me.
If you’re new to Aldi, there are a few things you should know going in that will make your experience smoother and more pleasant. First, to get a shopping cart, put a quarter in the slot to the upper right of the handle, and when you return it and rehook it, it’ll be returned to you. Second, make sure to bring your own bags (great for those of you who, like me, prefer reusable bags). Third, make sure to bring cash or a debit card, since they don’t take regular credit cards. And fourth, know that their selection is somewhat limited (esp. for certain product types) and mostly consists of private label items – though I have purchased a few discounted national brand items here (Goldfish crackers, Jiffy cornbread mix, Mini Reese’s cups, Jarritos soda).
The items that I prefer to pick up here are staples, such as milk, eggs, butter, flour, sugar, cooking oils, cheese, basic spices (check out the $ 1.99 vanilla extract!), all of which consistently sell for less than their counterparts (even for GE/​Valu Time generic brands) at GE. There are also some off-​brand imported items here that have been surprisingly good (in particular, I’d recommend the Austrian chocolate bars, the Torino cookies from the Netherlands, and the German whole grain mustard). In general, I’ve been pleased with the quality of the private label items I’ve bought at Aldi, with very few exceptions (the ice cream being one, due to its similarity to Breyer’s – though the gelato is good). I’ve also been pleased with the quality of the chicken I’ve gotten from here (it’s Tyson – I saw the boxes), including a broiler I picked up yesterday for $ 5 to make chicken stock. In terms of produce, the selection is indeed much more limited than GE, but they have a produce deal every week (e.g., $ 0.99/lb strawberries on Valentine’s Day week), and even their normal prices are cheaper than GE’s in most cases (e.g., $ 0.99 bag of spinach selling for $ 2.50 on sale at GE). I’ve generally been happy with the quality of the produce so far, despite that it takes me a week to consume produce since I live alone – though some items (e.g., yellow onions) have looked sketchy to the point that I abstained from buying them. If you’re looking for a more extensive selection of inexpensive produce, try Stan’s in the Strip District.
Because this store is a block away from the Market District, I like to hit both in one trip, which is very doable even without a car, and much more convenient than getting to Target, Trader Joe’s, or Whole Foods. I typically stop at Aldi first, and then hit GE for things that I can’t get there or for which I’m dissatisfied with the selection (produce, Greek yogurt, cereal, random items I need for recipes). Despite having fewer employees than the MD, the employees I’ve dealt with have been friendly and helpful, unlike most of the MD employees – esp. the checkers. I also hit the Dollar General, which I live a block away from, in a separate trip for specific items that sell for even cheaper there than at Aldi ($ 1 salad croutons, salad dressing, crackers, cookies, etc.). By shopping in this way, I’ve saved quite a lot of money, even without coupons.
If you’re leery of Aldi, like I was at first, I’d encourage you to just try it out a few times and learn what products you like. Despite the preponderance of processed foods (which I try to minimize my consumption of), you can get many staple ingredients, as well as some decent fresh foods, here. Even by being selective concerning what you buy here, you’ll save a significant amount of money.

This review is not only for this ALDI store but for ALDI stores in general. The Shadyside store is clean and easy to navigate and the employees are generally very friendly and even though you must bring your own bags and bag your own groceries the checkout line process is much quicker than expected — I’ve had to wait longer at Giant Eagle or Whole Foods in lines that had baggers so that part is nice. The prices are unbelievably low but that is for a reason. As another person pointed out the majority of the food sold at ALDI stores is mostly packaged, processed food with a lot of unhealthy ingredients like salt, sugar (high fructose corn syrup), and most likely loaded with GMOs. ALDI indeed is marketing to those with low income and even the «fresh» produce isn’t very fresh and the few things that I have purchased there that are organic such as the cherry tomatoes spoiled rather quickly which means that they were most likely sitting around for quite a while. I work near this particular ALDI so in a pinch, I will run down and try to find something that isn’t too unhealthy but it’s not ideal. Occasionally you will find organic baby kale, organic baby spinach, and organic spring mix but the cost at $ 2.49 might seem like a deal for the small package, yet if you go to Whole Foods and buy the same product in the larger package for $ 5 it’s basically the same price, soooo, I like fresh produce and as much as I hate to spend so much money at Whole Foods, IF you want high-​quality produce during the farmers markets off-​season then I’d go to Whole Foods, the East End Food Co-​Op or Giant Eagle Market District — even Trader Joe’s has some great organic options for packaged produce that are reasonably priced. So, it’s a good deal for people that need to be frugal with their money however it saddens me that only those «who can afford it» have options for healthier foods. Fresh produce and healthy food options should be affordable for everyone, not just a select portion of the population, but that’s not the fault of ALDI so they do a decent job within the parameters that they are working.

ALDI is good for when you’ve got a lot of empty space in your pantry/​freezer, but no at lot of cash in your wallet.
You would be amazed at the amount of stuff you can get for $ 20. I purchase mostly dry goods here, like pastas or cereal. The produce and fridge items look good but I’m freaked out by a $ 3 block of cheese.
I dont think you could do all of your grocery shopping here, but you can save a lot of money by supplementing your Giant Eagle trips to Aldi.
The frozen pizzas are good for a late night post pub snack.
Oh, and they dont bag your groceries for you and you need to bring your own bags, and its .25 to use a cart. Just be warned!

I really like this place. Sure you wont be finding all of your favorite name brands, but you will definitely get a deal with their seasonal produce. You can do most of your grocery shopping if you are not a big label whore. I tend to go to giant eagle for Mt Dew and muscle milk. But other than that this place is great. I recommend coming in during the weekday because weekends are a zoo here. Also bring your own bags and a quarter for your cart!

The store is clean, well-​light, and features the usual Aldi fare: lots of pre-​packaged food from Aldi’s «house brands.» Produce selection is limited, though I’ve been generally satisfied with the quality for the price. If you just want the basics: apples, bananas, lettuce, onions, potatoes, carrots, etc., Aldi has you covered. They have a limited selection of meats, though I’ve been somewhat disappointed in the quality of those. No fresh seafood at all. Most of the Aldi house brands are good enough, and some are exceptional. (The Aldi canned pumpkin beats Libby’s by a mile!) The store seems to be minimally staffed, so waiting to check-​out can sometimes take 5 – 15 minutes.
I don’t rely on Aldi exclusively for my grocery needs, but for basic items, it’s a nice low-​cost supplement to Giant Eagle, Costco, and the others.

My parents got an Aldi’s store in their community about 4 years ago and my mom has raved about it and how much they’ve saved since shopping there. So I was excited about one opening about a mile from my house.
As other reviewers have mentioned, Aldi’s is heavy on the pre-​processed food — lots of salty/​sugary snack foods. They have a limited selection of most everything, except, surprisingly pizza. Want frozen vegetables? I think they have four kinds.
It’s a great place to stock up on things like rice, pasta, canned goods, and snacks. I also like their bagels and their block cheese and tubs of lunch meat are comparable to what you’d get elsewhere.
Like Trader Joe’s (also owned by the same conglomerate), a lot of the items are private label. But it’s very likely the Aldi’s snack crackers are actually made at a Nabisco factory — just like a lot of TJ’s food is made by the same people who make Amy’s brand food. So you don’t sacrifice quality for an «off» brand.
However, I’ve not had good luck with their produce. With the exception of apples and potatoes, the shelf life once you get it home is a day, maybe two if you’re lucky. So buy your pre-​packaged salads and fresh fruit/​veggies elsewhere.
But the prices are appreciably lower than what you’d pay at Giant Eagle and even Wal-​Mart. Yes, they don’t accept credit cards and you have to bag your own groceries, but for the money you save I think it’s worth it.
After this store has been open about 6 months, I find I go here about every two-​three weeks, with a trip to Giant Eagle to help fill in the gaps. I’ve saved about 30% on my groceries compared to last year when I didn’t shop at Aldi’s, so that to me is worth going to 2 stores rather than solely Giant Eagle.

Aldi’s seems to have changed its operation since my childhood in Indiana. Back in the day Aldi was a small store with only 2 employees (deliberately) working in the store. One ran the register while the other stocked the floor and the line was always suuuuuuuuuper long.
Anyhow I noticed newish Aldi’s when I moved to Pittsburgh and people’s excitement about this store that I remembered as not being so awesome as a kid.
The stores are larger and a few more employees actually work there, but its nothing to write home about. The produce was bruised and unremarkable… The oranges that I bought molded within a week and I could not find staples like rice, dry beans or plain pasta. There was however organic milk and a few other nice products. And just as one other reviewer mentioned there is a lot of processed sugar crap here. Fake juices, soda, cereal, snacks. It felt like the grocery store was missing its groceries a little.
As for me and my money I will continue to go to other BYOBs like Good Cents and Bottom Dollar.

I have been wanting to go to Aldi for some time. So much hype over this little store. So many excited people talking. So much propaganda concerning pricing. My first, and only trip, was rather anticlimactic. The first thing I noticed was that this market carried larger sizes of everything versus the smaller sizes I purchase, example: only gallons of milk or large bunches of bananas that cannot be broken up. The second thing I noticed was that nothing really appeared fresh. Fresh food was very much an afterthought in the marketing plan of this store and I purchase mainly fresh food.
The third thing I noticed was the preponderance of food that Aldi did carry: prepackaged, caffeinated, and sugary foods. It would appear to me that Aldi was created to sell grocery items to poorer families that are addicted to caffeine and sugar while maximizing their profit with the remaining boxed items at the expense of those families.
My disdain for packaged foods, caffeine and sugar is obvious in this review and there is really no reason for me to return to Aldi.

Everyone knows I love Aldi, and have been anticipating the opening of the Baum Blvd. Aldi for over a year.
I have to admit the parking situation is a bit scary, but once you get over the initial shock of cars going up and down sharing the same ramp, you’ll be fine. Parking in that area of town is a must, so I can deal with the slightly-​scary parking garage. It is well-​monitored by staff.
You don’t have to take a cart from the garage if you don’t want to; there are carts available at the front of the store (Baum Blvd. entrance). This Aldi is laid out like the rest of them; however, if you’re coming off the elevator or steps from the parking garage, walk past the registers to start at the «beginning» of the store. Or you can start at the «end» and be a rebel.
Aldi has a much easier interior to navigate than it’s more expensive counter-​part one block away. Having that counter-​part close is a bonus, though, b/​c try as I might, I just can’t get everything I need at Aldi. I usually spend the same amount at both places, and get twice as many goodies at Aldi!
Remember that Aldi doesn’t take credit cards, it’s cash, EBT, or debit cards, only.

I’m all for Aldi’s no matter where the location may be, but I’m super excited that they finally are breaking into the city limits with this store as well as the one on the SouthSide. This isn’t really a typical Aldi when you come to merchandise and set up.
The merchandise is actually a little bit better. There appears to be more national brands here than at most other locations. I’m thinking it has something to do with nearby competition. Which is great, why buy the store brand when you can get the national brand for cheap? Also the layout of the store is a bit more flowing than most. Doesn’t matter which way you enter the store; whether it be at the main entrance by the sidewalks or if you take the elevator from the parking garage. The store just flows and makes it easy to pick up the items you want.
Reminders: $.25 to use a cart, so take a quarter with you. Take a reusable bag, if not you will need to buy a bag at the store or take a box off the shelf. And last but not least, you have to bag your own groceries.
The whole reason I cannot give this place five stars is because of parking. I’m starting to believe that in order for you to have any type of establishment in Shadyside you have to have a horribly set up parking system. Yes, it is great that there is parking indoors, but you have to wait for the gate to rise if a car is exiting. And it’s a narrow one lane up to the parking decks. What’s worse, they may think you do not know how to read signs as they have parking attendants to tell you to wait, redundant is what it is.

I visited the first day as well as another time after. The store is well lit and the aisles are wide meaning they put into thought the hundreds of college students nearby. The selection was well stocked both times and the staff was helpful when I could not find something. There is also a parking garage and security. One star off because there are times you may need to head over to GE for hard-​to-​find items, but if you shop mostly at Aldi, you’re already ahead of your budget and the quality is very similar. Don’t forget your quarter to rent your cart as well as your heavy duty grocery bags :) I love the entire Aldi experience and the savings! :)