Food Basics

It’s still the least expensive of all the stores in the neighbourhood which includes Loblaws, FreshCo & No Frills. I don’t know what’s happened to all the great staff here in the last year or so. Maybe they’ve gone on to better things but it’s not the fun, chatty little place it was.

The meat selection is poor so I don’t usually bother with that at this supermarket. But it’s fine for day-​to-​day things and the prices are cheap as you’d expect.
The checkout ops are really nice and friendly but I always feel like they’re overworked due to the place being understaffed. So you can expect bit of a wait in line.
Always have to hunt for a shopping basket, often found by the checkouts rather than where you enter the store.
And the trolley situation outside makes it awkward to even leave the place sometimes. Not entirely their fault, just people being lazy and blocking every path. But a designated area to park trolleys could go a long way.

The selection is actually okay, to be perfectly honest. The produce is no worse in terms of freshness than a typical Loblaws, by way of example (which isn’t saying much, mind you). I actually think the prices are pretty decent, actually, at least for the sale items.
Where this place falls on its face, and I mean flat on its face, is the service. Even on a Saturday morning before 10:00 the lineups can be 10 minutes or more. On a Saturday afternoon? Bring a book to read.
I went there yesterday afternoon to buy a bag of carrots. There was what looked like a 30 minute lineup. I think the so-​called «express» checkout was the longest line of them all. Hint: Express is NEVER express.
Nuts to this, I said, and walked over two blocks to the No Frills, which is in the adjacent complex. No lineups at all. Walked right to the express checkout and paid and was in-​out in under 3 minutes.
To those who say the service is poor because it’s a discount chain? No, the service is just poor. You can do better. Alot better. The sad thing is, I’m such a lazy guy I’ll keep shopping there because it’s a block closer to me than No Frills. Sigh…

This is a neighbourhood no frills. I’m not a fan of shopping here. But it’s ok for non-​perishable food items. From an experience perspective. There’s only so much that can be expected. It’s not my favourite, either way.

A no frills type of store where people shop mainly for their low prices, go for the sales items which represents good value for money. Everything stacked and orderly, however, the challenge is when you go to check-​out your items for purchase, staff slow and inconsistent with a slight touch of «I don’t give a F“ck» attitude.
Would I shop here again, sure, would I expect a friendly smile, no

The worst grocery store in the area. Staff are rude and it’s dirty. It’s in the Gerrard Scare Mall. Walking in the store on two occasions saw blood on the floor near the meat section, like don’t clean it up? On my second visit I saw a mouse running on a shelf. This place is gross, third world.

It is what it is. Wouldn’t tag it as the worst — far be it. It’s clean enough and generally well-​stocked. Nothing to complain about this serviceable grocery store.

I think people need to realize that there is an inverse relationship between grocery store prices and grocery store opulence. If you want to go somewhere that has glistening clean floors and perfectly manicured isles go to Longo’s or Pusateri’s and pay $ 7 for a box of Corn Flakes. If you want to go to a discount grocer, accept that it is what it is when it comes to cleanliness and clientele.
Food Basics on Gerrard is very good for a discount grocer, they have cheap groceries, but not the expansive stock more pricey grocery stores will have. Having said that, they actually have a very comprehensive international isle, which includes some things I can’t get at Loblaws on Leslie. I do agree with Paul S. that they could use a few more cashiers though, but also agree that the ones they have tend to be quite friendly.
I use Food Basics when I need to pick up a couple of things. When I’m there I will look for good deals because when things are on sale, they are really on sale. When I am doing a big grocery shop I go to Loblaws, but I am keenly aware that I am paying a pretty penny for the privilege of such a trip.
The Food Basics at Gerrard Square is considerably nicer than the No Frills on Carlaw, any suggestion to the contrary is crazy in my mind.

I agree with the person that said «Worst Grocery Store Ever!»
A REMINDER for you all shopping at Food Basic! Check THE DUE DATE because most likely all their stuff are past the due date!
Go elsewhere like No frills, Loblaws, and T&T!

Worst Grocery Store Ever. Is this even Toronto?
Nope. I will never ever set foot in there again. I don’t know whats worse, the fact that everything comes in heavily processed «Value pack» or the fact that the people in line with you are always murmuring to themselves and getting in actual physical fights with the cashiers over loose change.
so bad. Agree with the «avoid at all costs» comment.
There is a No Frills very close by, a Loblaws and a Price Chopper South at Lakeshore and then Chinatown. You can buy things elsewhere.

This is the worst grocery store I have been to in Toronto. In summary, you should not go here, ever. You need nothing badly enough to set foot in here. Maybe if you were out of toilet paper and were having a particularly terrible case of intestinal irritability, and you didn’t have a car, and you only had 4 minutes to get the TP, and you lived across the street, that COULD possibly be an excuse to go here. If that is not your current situation, you should avoid this store at ALL COSTS.
The good:
— The people who shop here aren’t at the No Frills around the corner
— They actually have okay produce
— It’s DIRT cheap
The bad:
— It’s DIRTy
— It’s loud and children run amuck unsupervised
— I don’t like the eQuality brand
— Terrible store
— Even though there is a parking lot it’s full of cabs and cars that would never ever pass a safety so there is really no where for you to park, so don’t be fooled by the ‘private lot’ indicator below, it’s full, I promise.
Would I ever shop here again?
No. In fact, i have only ever shopped here once, where I bought only items in sealed packages and kept my headphones in, even while I paid (super rude, I know) and I learned my lesson about this Food Basics in that one brief visit.