James Market

Sammy is a pleasant neighborhood store manager. Always nice to chat with and friendly. No complaints here!

Being that Crazy Andy has moved to bigger and better things, I’ll toss a few more stars back into the ring. I’ve not been back since, but feel as though it’s unfair to leave a bad review up, go which the business can do nothing about. That being said, it’s extremely convenient and easy on get to, on my way home. Looking forward to trying this place out again.

These guys are jerks. Rude, unfriendly, jerks. If you need a snickers, walk to the gas station or the JCC. DO NOT SUPPORT RUDE BUSINESS OWNERS.

Andy has left running this place. It’s now run by really nice guys. We use it a lot & they will order things for you as well.
The only reason I give it 4 stars instead of 5 stars is that we would like to have a few more healthy options.

I just read some of the review for this place… hilarious! I’m glad I never had to meet this «Andy» fool… sounds like a piece of work!
Anyways, I moved to the neighborhood 2 months ago and this is my go to convenient store. They seem to always have everything I need ranging from drinks to cold medicine to snacks.
I’ve met two guys working there, one I don’t know but really nice. The other, Jessie, super good guy! Glad they’re here!

The new owner is a great human being, he let me charge my motorcycle battery there for 2 hours when it died. He was completely welcoming and runs a top notch operation. Count it!

Convenient for an emergency run when out of milk etc. But ALWAYS check expiration dates. I’ve seen multiple items past their shelf life.

FYI: Andy is gone, and the new owner rocks. Super nice guy who loves to talk, sometimes a bit too much if you’re in a rush, but whatever, you’d be lonely too if you had to sit in a liquor store all day.
It’s a liquor store in pac heights, so obviously everything is overpriced, but if you need beer, or stamps, or a lime, and are in the area, stop by.

I’m writing this review because there is a NEW owner! Hafi (not sure if this is spelled right?) is completely the opposite of the previous owner. He is always smiling, hanging out on the corner, and is really helpful and nice. True, the selection is not the best, but being a local, this spot is great when I need milk, butter or paper towels and I don’t have time to go to the grocery store. They also have a pretty good selection of alcohol and beer for those late night runs. Give it a second chance!

I bumped into Andy at another corner store (on union and franklin) 5 years later and he still remembered me!
At first he asked why I never came into his store any more and I told him «because you swore at me and told me I wasn’t welcome because i didn’t want to hang out with you».
This made him very mad so he took a bag of chips and threw them at my head called me a «stupid little b***ch». He then started coming towards me like he wanted to hurt me with a crazy look in his eyes.
I ran out of the store and down union where there were more people. that man is NUTS. stay away from his store and hope that you never run into him in a dark alley.

I’m not sure why everyone has had such negative experiences with «Andy» (I didn’t know his name until now, but I’m guessing the same Palestinian guy I see every time I go in there is him.)
I’ve never had a bad experience. He doesn’t bother me when I go in there, and jokes around with me pleasantly when I pay. If I need help finding something, he is always helpful.
This is a nice place to have across the street for when you’re missing just one or two ingredients for something!

Unilocal really needs to have a negative star option available for places like this. The infamous «Andy» that everyone is talking about is exactly how he is being described. I moved to the area about two years ago and thought how convenient it was to have a liquor store so close. Andy is CREEPY beyond words! I would be walking by with my dogs and he would COME OUT OF THE STORE and tell me to come in and get some water for my walk. I declined, but he would get SO pushy I went in to shut him up.
Every other time that I would go in there, he would stare at me in this really creepy way that I just wanted to get out of there as soon as possible. One time he made a comment to me about my car (yes, apparently, he’d watch where I would park my car and knew the make and model I drove — gross)
I see a LOT of shady ‘friends’ of his coming in and out of the store and one time I guess a customer had called the cops on him because the police were there and he was YELLING at the cops that the woman was «crazy» lol. omg
I have not stepped foot in there in about a year and will never go back in there — not only that, I don’t park my car in front of or near his store, even if its the only spot — the thought of having to see or run into him makes me cringe. I WISH that place would be shut down.

Let’s think about why people go to corner stores. Personally, my top reasons include an urgent need for coffee beans, laundry detergent, or candy… but mostly just an urgent need for coffee beans.
James Market has just ONE type of coffee (a giant carton of pre-​ground Folgers) and then several instant coffee brands. I’m from Seattle — I don’t do «instant.» So James Market and me, we don’t get along so well.
If you’re in the area, I recommend Christa Wonderful — they understand the caffeine-addict’s dilemma. One good thing about James Market though, they are basically ALWAYS open… hard to beat that.

Andy has no customer service/​social/​human skills whatsoever. He is unashamedly rude and yells at whoever he feels like yelling at. Being middle-​eastern, I was happy to give some business to someone of similar regional background, but he has turned out to be an absolute embarrassment to his own people, culture, family, society and to himself.
I am sad to see how many people took the time out to log onto Unilocal and write reviews to passionately display their dislike for Andy – the local corner store guy. That really says something about how much negative energy this individual gives off to the world.

If I could give negative stars I would. A filthy, unfriendly little rat-​trap that should be bulldozed sooner rather than later. Like it or not, YOU ARE WORKING WITH THE PUBLIC. If you have a lousy attitude towards humanity, then do something else with your miserable hide.

I really don’t see why people have had such bad reviews for James Market. It’s a corner store people! Nothing more, nothing less. I stop here at least three times a week (I live across the street) and have never had a negative experience.
The prices are standard for a corner store. This place is about convenience, not price. The chilled beer selection here is pretty good, with decent craft and import offerings. Their wine selection is average, yet good enough for those times you need to grab a bottle at the last minute. They have all of the grocery staples you could need (even soy milk!), a large liquor selection and a lot of single serve ice cream. I have come here on more than one occasion to pick up last minute party supplies (ice, crackers, cheese, chips and salsa, etc.). You’re not always greeted with a smile and friendly banter, but WHO CARES! Just give me my change for the Lagunitas and Kettle Chips and I’ll be on my merry way.
If you’re near California and Lyon and need something last minute or don’t want to go far for cold beer or wine, James Market is your place.

I have never been banned from a liquor store, UNTIL NOW!
Actually, I’m only banned from James Market during the night time when ‘Andy’ is there. When his elderly parents are working during the day, it’s all rainbows & unicorns… but when the sun sets at Lyon & California an evil gremlin-​like man takes the reins at this place.
My first experience with the night clerk & rumoured bookie, was when I stopped to purchase H2O on the way to someones place. I had rode my bike from my flat, and didn’t have a lock with me. When I brought the bike in & leaned it against the door, the following exchange ensued…
—
Andy: «No. No. No bike, Don’t lean it on my door»
Me: «It will be okay, just want to grab water don’t have a lock…»
Andy: «NO! GET OUT! I SAID NO BIKE INSIDE! YOU STUPID IDIOT!»
Me: «DUDE, MY BIKE COST ME LIKE…»
(comes from behind counter towards me)
Andy: «I DUN CARE GET OUT OF MY STORE NO WATER YOU’RE NOT WELCOME HERE»
Me: «Why are you being such an a**hole? Your parents wouldn’t approve of you treating people this way…»
Andy: «THAT’S IT! I’M CALLING POLICE!
Me: «Go ahead, I haven’t done anything wrong… I just want a bottle of water.»
(standing eye to eye staring at each other, he grabs my chucks which are slung over my shoulder & throws them outside on the sidewalk, I then grab the hat off his head and throw it on the sidewalk as well)
Andy (fire in eyes): «OH THATS IT YOU BETTER LEAVE NOW NOW NOW!!!»
(starts heading behind counter and reaching for something)
Me (thinking to myself): «This dude is totally going to murder me right now, I should probably leave…»
(comes from behind counter towards me with a baseball bat as I am picking up my shoes on the sidewalk)
Me: «WHOA! DUDE! SETTLE DOWN! I’M LEAVING!»
(turn my back on him thinking i am going to get my head cracked open by crazy man and left for dead)
Andy: «I CALL THE COPS! I CALL THE COPS!!!»
(end of story)
—-
Not quite sure what this guy’s problem is, but he needs some serious attitude adjustment. Or maybe a good therapist. Or at least a Thai Massage.
Don’t go here.
And don’t ever be seen with me around this place because he will probably want to smash your skull with a baseball bat like he dreams of doing to me.

The only reason you would go to James Market is that you’ve never been there before or you have some subliminal urge to be ignored, stymied, insulted, and abused by your local corner store guy (Andy in this case). He’ll only treat you well if you’re a cute girl or a Laker fan.
I now walk an extra block past to go to the next corner store to get my Doritos and Vitamin Water.
Oh yeah, my first first!