Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage

I like this supermarket. But do I do all my shopping here? No. However, they do have some unique offerings. First, let me explain a bit about this store.
It has a large vitamins department — maybe half of the store is focused on selling vitamins. The other half focuses on grocery products that hold to their strict standards for healthy eating. How strict? Stricter than Whole Foods and Sprouts — which is why they don’t offer that much food to begin with since even in Whole Foods and Sprouts, you’d find ingredients that are simply not good for the health, and even ingredients that are banned in other countries (like some artificial colorings).
So here are the things that they won’t sell. Anything with:
— Artificial colors
— Artificial flavors
— Artificial sweeteners (acesulfame K, aspartame, sucralose)
— Bleached flours
— Cloned animals/​cloned animal dairy products
— Fresh dairy products from confinement dairies
— Fresh dairy products from cows given rBGH (recombinant BGH)
— GMO (Genetically Modified Organism) salmon or any other GMO animal/​seafood product
— Hydrogenated and/​or partially hydrogenated oils (AMEN!)
— Irradiated food
— MSG (Monosodium glutamate)
— Non-​organic produce
— Olestra (a combination of soybean oil and sucrose)
And with regards to meats, cows have to have grazed on pasture a minimum of 120 days during grazing season, and not be fed any GMO product. Chicken and other poultry are also required to have access to the outdoors and ample space. Same with pork.
So basically, I like this place for two reasons: 1) better stringent standards of produce and grocery items than any other grocery store chain, and 2) takes a lot of the guess-​working out in choosing grocery items when looking for something to eat without compromising health
Does it mean that this place is perfect? No. They still have some items that contains carrageenan, a known carcinogen found in a lot of American grocery items. The limited produce here are ridiculously expensive.
Price-​wise though, they do have good deals on stuff that you’d go to Whole Foods (which also has overpriced produce) and Sprouts when it comes to refrigerated, frozen, and over the shelf items. Also, coupons can be had from the internet and in-​store coupon books. And there’s a loyalty program with kickbacks.
And lastly, customer service here is top-​notch. But if you’re not a first-​time customer, do remember to bring your own grocery bags. First-​timers get a complimentary one, which I thought was a nice touch.

A grocery store selling true nutrition. What an idea! Cheaper and smaller (which I love) than Whole Foods, and yet they sell all the essentials. Easy to get in and out. For me, they are worth the extra 15– minute drive.

I have to start off saying that Natural Grocers is hands down much better than Whole Foods when it comes to the standards of products they sell in their stores. They stopped selling a specific yogurt brand because the cows were not free range and they only sell organic produce! It’s great that they keep on top of that and the consumers get to benefit from it. I love the staff, all great and very helpful, particularly nice when my little two year old is acting like a crazy psycho ! I love their body & bath department as well as their book selection. Only down side is that it’s not close to our new home and sometimes their produce isn’t the freshest

I’ve always been a big fan of Natural Grocers, you guys are my go to when I’m further south. Please put one up in Frisco! All we have up here right now is Sprouts…(enter sad trombone: whooomp whoooooomp). Natural Grocers doesn’t sell non-​organic produce, when you pull fruit and veggies off the shelves you don’t even have to look for organic, you can trust them. Trust is rare with businesses these days. Great prices too!

I shop here weekly to get things I can’t find at other stores (and it is cheaper than Whole Foods or Central Market). I like that they screen all the products they sell (no artificial/​unhealthy ingredients) so I don’t have to check the labels to see what I will and won’t buy. The staff is always friendly and helpful. They also have actual sales on certain items — where it’s worth buying in bulk because it is so cheap. The only downside is that I cannot get all of my groceries there.

Excellent service very knowledgeable staff. If they don’t have what you want, they will get it for you. Love the multiple choices of free range meats.

I love this store and everything it represents.
Organic — if it’s not organic, it’s not there. That means if the fruit and veg aren’t in season, it’s not for sale.
Knowledgeable staff — if you have a question, there’s someone available to help who knows the products inside and out. They can give you detailed recommendations, and are also happy to let you shop if that’s what you prefer.
Price — affordable, much more so than Whole Foods.
Selection — the store isn’t large, but the selection is great.
BYOB — bring your own BAGS. Talk about living what they preach for sustainable lifestyles.
My only complaint? I used to work nearby and could stop after work or on my lunch hour. Now I have to make a special trip. Please, please, please build a store in Plano!

This place is going down. I used them since the opening few years ago — first Natural Grocers store in Dallas and they used to be great. Not anymore, a lot of items are out of stock, sales are disappearing, item selection doesn’t get better, and prices go up. They have still few original employees working there but quite a bit of turnover too. Not that the store is outright bad yet, but the trend is very clear now… I hope their management reads this reviews, because if they don’t then they are doomed for sure.

Great place to «add to» your grocery shopping, but for me it cannot be a one stop shop.

We love this place! My husband and I shop here each week and love it! The staff is always helpful in finding just what you need. The selection is really nice and you can’t beat their prices on natrual & organic products — believe me, I’ve looked! I am so grateful to have this store so close to me so I can buy safe, clean foods for us to eat. I would recommend this store to anyone looking to find great deals on organic foods. Try them out — you won’t be sorry! :-)

Very good selection of Organics and nutritional supplements. Knowledgeable and helpful staff. Excellent produce prices.

It feels more vitaminy than grocery although they have some of each.
I went looking for a specific kind of yeast. They didn’t have it but the young man who was working went above and beyond to try to find what we needed.
We ended up with some organic hot dogs and buns and some aluminum-​free deodorant.
Looks to be a well-​kept store.

Natural Grocers tries to sell itself as a supplement store with a small organic grocery store attached. I come to this place any time I need something in the way of natural supplements that I cannot get at a normal grocery store. Between Natural Grocers and the Sprouts store that’s at the same intersection I can get just about anything that Whole Foods offers without the ridiculous Whole Foods markup.
Their primary focus seems to be supplements, as almost half the store is stocked with supplements. Another 30% of the store is prepackaged goods. Like Whole Foods they adhere strictly to the «no artificial ingredients» mantra.
They have prepackaged meats, bread, and dairy products. There is also a small fresh produce section. It’s alright for basic stuff, but it can’t really replace the fully-​staffed deli and bakery at a large grocery store.
The store is kept clean, and the atmosphere has that familiar health food store smell to it, except on the spice isle where there’s an overwhelming scent of pepper, curries, and anything else that’ll make you nose itch. They don’t have any decorations on the wall, instead focusing on the products.
They don’t give you free bags, but they will get some leftover cardboard boxes to put your groceries in. They also have reusable cloth bags they can sell you, or you can bring your own. If you’re not prepared beforehand this can be a little bit of a hassle. I usually keep a few reusable bags in my car just in case. The employees are always helpful, and will take product requests for special items.

After searching multiple stores in the area, my co-​worker could not find anyone who carried the not-​from-​concentrate unsweeted grapefruit juice that she had found on her last trip home. So she came here and they gladly ordered it for her {extra star for this, sprouts & whole foods refused to order the product}. One day, she brought one of the bottles to me. Now she has me hooked on the stuff.
So, one night after work I came by here to buy some… only to find out they had been closed for nearly an hour. Seriously? it wasn’t even dark outside yet. Then I read the sign. Open 9:56am Close 8:04pm. Um, WHAT?
I finally made it there one day when they were open. Is it just me or does this place SMELL? I walked around, didn’t see much of anything but the grapefruit juice I wanted and then got out of there.
Think I might just give my co-​worker the cash and have her bring me a few jars when she goes shopping.

I don’t know where these guys have been all my life! The Coit and Campbell is the first Dallas location of this family-​owned, been-​in-​business for 55-​years store. It is the original natural grocery store! A new location is at Preston Forest and is also a joy for shopping. i also just learned that this spring, Natural Grocers will be opening in the movie theater at Casa Linda.
All organic produce, natural and organic groceries and body products (including wonderful cosmetics) and a huge supplement and vitamin department. And… they know what they are talking about! They also have fab gluten-​free selection– maybe the biggest I have seen. I also discovered this delicious drinkable yogurt called Three Happy Cows– locally made in Dallas.
Natural Grocers is the real thing.

Natural Grocers is hands down the best store in North Dallas. They have all the best products and are truly a natural store unlike others (Central Market, etc). They have an awesome bulk section with amazing prices on whole grain flours, nuts. etc. All the produce is completely organic and everything that is in season is typically on sale.
The staff is so nice and knowledgeable. Especially in the vitamin department, they know which supplements are best and will spend as much time as needed explaining the benefits. Also, their prices on vitamins are less than anywhere.
All around, Natural Grocers is a fantastic store and I highly recommend you check it out. If you currently shop at Whole Foods, your wallet will thank you!

I love this place. I had to check this place out after reading the Unilocal reviews. I went there and they have everything a health nut like me would want — bison meat, organic free range chicken w/​o anti-​biotics at reasonable prices, etc.
They also protein mixes with no soy or sugars which is really nice since most of the mixes I have tried are a bit sugary.
The people I inquired with seem to be unknowledgeable about the inventory they carry. One lady did not use milk products and others never used the protein supplements. They have information on seminars for living a healthier life in fliers.
This place has a good policy of no plastic bags too, none. The prices are not too high like Whloecheck and do not have the tasty free samples, but if I want Wholecheck I can go down there any time.
Support locally owned and locally grown please.

If you like all-​natural grocery shopping, live close by, and dislike the prices of Whole Foods, this is your place. My co-​worker absolutely loves the place and is afraid it will close, so she took 10 women from my office to see it during lunch yesterday. I felt like I was on a jr. high field trip. :)
Natural Grocers is pretty small, which is great if you like to shop quickly and know your options inside and out. Their sale prices are awesome, and you kind find affordable versions of acai juice, free-​range meat and eggs, organic cereal, chips, and cookies… etc.etc.
All in all, a pretty fun place. I didn’t even venture into the vitamin section… I’m not interested.

I really don’t like this place. I’ve been 2x and do not plan on going back.
I am not claiming this is the case, but it feels like a shabby, greedy, soulless ripoff of WF. The interior looks and feels temporary, like one of those «rent it for a month» strip mall closeout book leases.
I hate the «we open at 9:04am» shtick, too.

Brand new hippy food store in my neighborhood in Richardson.
Great alternative to Whole Foods. Some items 10−20% cheaper. Some 10−20% more expensive. I will have to watch the prices in order to figure out which products to purchase at which store.
This Natural Grocer is more heavily weighted towards vitamins and supplements. I’d estimate that the vitamin section takes up 40% of the store’s floorplan vs. 2 aisles at Whole Foods.
Good selection of wheat free/​gluten free products. No butcher’s counter, but good selection of prepackaged meats including exotics such as buffalo hotdogs and ostrich steaks.