Marlene’s Market and Deli Natural Foods

I’m not a huge health nut, not at all, but I took the kids here on a whim and have been back a couple times. I had a salad from the salad bar today. They have a TON of GF options, organic, everything you could possibly want and a lot of those specialty items that the other stores don’t have.
The salad was great (because I made it) and probably not that healthy because I did…
If you are a health guru or organic lover than this is a spot for you.

Its got great products and there arent many other natural stores around. If there were, i would probably not go to Marlenes so much. Their food is great but its awkwardly slow service. Don’t ever go here in a hurry. You stand there waiting for your food for a long time. Its also very crowded and inconvenient to fill out your order on a piece of paper rather than tell the person what you want. It would be helpful to have a cash register at the deli. so people dont have to walk back and forth. Oh and parking? Forget about it.

I got a little bit of a upset stomach after consuming one of these green juice drinks.
I think it was because my body wasn’t totally used to them in that way ! Lol :/

Confusing set-​up to write down your order, go back to the front to pay a surley checkout clerk, the go back to the prep place to wait interminably long. Watched a server change a huge water bottle with his bare hands over the spout! My friend & I were shocked. Yuck.
Appeared to be no organization to the food preparation area at all. Friend’s order was wrong. Mine was a chicken salad sandwich with very little chicken salad on it.
Not going back. It’s really declined from its prior days. Sad to see.

One of the few stores I could find earwax candles at! (the hollow tubes covered in wax that you stick in your ear) Glad I was able to use them when I had an earache :)

You won’t get a fresher or more local source for food than dining here in this natural market! This is a great little place with pretty descent prices as well as descent sized portions. If you like fresh and natural then this is a must try.

I walked into Marlene’s as a first time customer shortly, and I like how employee’s spoke to me. I love the positive energy from the customers and the employee’s. It was great to be in a business establishment, and you could tell that you are wanted there. Although some items are a little pricey I have to commend them for their hard to find wines in their wine selection. Will be going back there again sooner or later.

Really love the food selection here. You can bet that your getting top quality organic food. It’s not as expensive as Whole Foods either. I can always find something new here that I haven’t bought before. I always feel like I’m doing my body a service when I shop here.

My incredibly better half had a meeting on this side of T-​town today, and we decided to head to the deli here for lunch. This review is mainly just for the deli.
The ordering process was filling out the order on a slip of paper, and handing it to someone behind the counter. They then give you a receipt, which you take to the cashiers at the front and pay. None of this was spelled out, but we were able to figure it out eventually.
After waiting for what seemed like a lot longer than necessary, our sandwiches were finally ready. They were quite good. I got the special which was turkey meatloaf on grilled sourdough, and my partner in crime got the grilled cheese. Both sandwiches were well made using fresh high quality ingredients. We also got the bell pepper and tomato soup, but it wasn’t tomato-​ey enough for me.
Overall the sandwiches were very good, I’m not sure if I’d come here often and deal with the slow wait for the prep time, but if you aren’t in a hurry (and are more patient than me) definitely come here.

I adore Marlene’s. Their pay by the pound salad bar is always stocked with delicious organic greens and veggies, and comes in handy when you want lunch on the fly but want to eat something good and good for you. I love that they have Rainbow kombucha on tap and a juice bar. The store looks great since their recent remodel, with a huge eating area towards the front. They carry all types of quality food, but be prepared to pay the price that comes with eating well.

This review is mostly on the deli at Marlene’s since I mostly visit Marlene’s for their deli, but have picked up groceries on occasion. The store is clean, well organized and well stocked, however too expensive for my budget and I couldn’t afford to purchase groceries regularly there. That’s why I stick to the deli for a healthier choice when meeting for lunch or dinner.
At the deli you can pick items to purchase by weight, pick from the salad bar (by weight) or get sandwhiches (made to order) and soups. You can also pick up a chilled drink, a coffee or tea or a dessert to finish off your meal.
I gave it 5 starts because I’ve never had a bad experience there and the staff are always friendly. For me, the groceries are too expensive but it’s nice that they have specialty items that can be hard to find elsewhere.

It is the place to find organic food and supplements. I also like the juice and sandwiches bar and new dinning room. It is a couple dollar more than fast food around the area but it’s much healthier. If you order sandwich, expect long wait even nobody else is ahead of you. I usually order my sandwich first than shopping around. Sometimes, the sandwiches are still not done by the time I check out.
I give ok review because customer service. They don’t have staff that know about the supplement, check out is slow, and they are not kind to my kids.

Love Marlene’s! Some say Federal Way location is best but I disagree wholeheartedly. Had the best little lunch on a dreary December day of organic salad bar with African Peanut Rice soup and found myself in heaven. Perhaps it’s because I’ve always shopped this location that I feel at home here?! Real food prepared with love. Come nourish your spirit and body at the same time and peace and health be with you.

Stock up and make your own teas at home! I love their bulk sections from spices to honey, grains and honey! Go bulk here and know that it’s reputable. If there’s something I would want sy this site to be better would definitely be the meat and produce section. The produce sections is very small and the meats almost nil but I believe that’s a section that’s undergo right now. Love the new remodeled look! Sometimes parking can be a little difficult but an extra walk never did anyone harm.

Be still my little Paleo heart!!! I’m in absolute heaven.
I used to order Paleo Chef sauces and dressings but the shipping was always so pricey. I’m so glad to see such a variety of my favorite brand of Paleo-​friendly sauces.
Marrow bones? They’ve got them! They also carry a great brand of pre-​made bone broth. Yes please!
Kombucha heaven! Pre-​filled growlers, to-​go cups, or fill your own growler options.
They also have a great selection of non-​food items. I found a cute card for a co-​worker and print to give as a gift for a friend. Yoga mat spray? Yes, they have it and it smells awwwwwwwesome.
Download the app for coupons… There’s also a Unilocal check-​in discount.
Great location with easy access to the freeway.
I have a feeling I could be happier shopping here than Whole Foods. Really, it’s that great!

Found this place on our honeymoon while searching for hemp milk & raw honey. They have all the good stuff, chia seeds too & their Vegan Caesar Salad Dressing is omg Delicious!!!
XOxo~A

Pretty awesome place! Big lounge, prices are better than W.F. And great selection of quality foods dry and wet and raw. Oh plus, they have a salad bar and small deli with fresh juice!!! Staff is personal and friendly and always prioritizing the customer!

I come here to grab lunch few times a month because not much other healthy option in the area. I love their salad bar, and soup & sandwich special.
However, I can only order my sandwich when I have time to wait 15 to 20 minutes. Even I don’t ask my sandwich to be grilled, it is still takes long time. It has been this way for past 5+ years, they need to improve efficiency.

Having had a corporate clients very special request for raw cream I called well in advance to place my order. I spoke to at least 4 different individuals before cementing the order. I was given two options of product and made my selection. I gave them ny name and number and said I would be in to pick up the order. When we arrived to pick up the order we were told, «sorry», we don’t have it. I asked why I had not been called, and the response was, «Oh, sorry. I can have it for you next week.» I spoke to her at length about how we could solve the problem and secure the product. She said she would call the Federal Way store, which she did, but of course they did not have any either.
Bottom line: If you take an order with a promise of product, you should stand by your promise and make SURE it’s available. I am not at all happy with the lack of service by Marlene’s.

Absolutely awesome experience. Can’t wait to go back. We were in the area doing some shopping (yes, to be completely cliché, we were thrift shopping) and decided we should check out Marlene’s. I’m so pleased that we did!
After discovering the lunch counter in the back, we decided to order lunch. There are so many options for all different dietary needs: meat-​eaters, vegetarians, vegans, and gluten free people like me.
We both ordered half sandwiches (mine on gf bread) and cups of soup. The gf bread was heavenly and soooo soft. It fell apart a little, but that’s because it was so loaded with toppings! Our soups were delicious too. The half sandwiches were HUGE.
The thing I am most likely to come back for is the juice bar. I ordered the English tea party: lemon, cucumber, and apple juice. So refreshing!
They lost a star because of how they handled the lunch rush. The wait got pretty long and the staff was acting very over-​whelmed and frantic. It was a Saturday afternoon, wouldn’t you plan to be busy? They also started running out of items.
Be aware of that if you’re there for the deli when it’s busy. But don’t let it keep you away. This place is a Tacoma gem.