Grade Fair Supermarket

Yikes. Went here twice in a week out of desperation. The first time, I noticed that a can of Goya beans is over $ 1.05– that’s over .25 more than most stores. When checking out, the guy working was talking loudly on his phone– this continued throughout the interaction. He rang up one item twice; when I pointed it out and had to argue with him to start over and re-​ring in the 3 items. But I was right! He tried to charge me $ 10+, when the actual total was $ 6! So lame.
Just went back in, just for a soda and small bag of chips– when I got home, I noticed the chips were +3 weeks expired.
F that. I’m taking them back.

This is a great little store. The staff is really nice. They let me «borrow» some crates for the house. Nice veggie selection

Tofu Nofu.
Really?
This place has been Trade Fair, Grade Fare, mixed versions of those two, Tofu Fair and now Tofu Nofu. Who comes up with this? Are they trying to say that no tofu is good tofu? Their tofu selection isn’t even good. I don’t get it at all. This is one of the most perplexing grocery stores if only because of it’s history of names.
Please start carrying a decent supply of fresh vegetables.

The «Tofu Food» sign unartfully pasted over the old «Grade Fair» one is totally a lure to get the gentrifiers of South Slope to come in – there’s not a damn thing made of soy in that place except for a 10 year old box of veggie burgers at the back of the freezer.
Awful selection – the fruit is always rotting and abounding in flies, all foods are very overpriced compared with the C-​Town down the street, no vegetarian food (snicker snicker). A few times I’ve bought things from them that are a week past the expiration date. They are slow to restock, and not friendly to customer suggestions. They’re good in a pinch. That’s about it.

Friendly Staff, lots to choose from, okay deli, organics and non. Good variety. 2 blocks away from the train station. right around the corner from me. I refuse to go to the other store on 13^th street where the staff aren’t as friendly. Keep up the good work Tofu-​Food (Hahahaha)love that name.

A handy store to have up the block, that’s for sure. There’s a pretty decent selection of goods, especially when compared to other stores their size.
The produce is usually in pretty good shape, but sometimes not so much. Good in a pinch.
Very friendly staff. Seems really well run, despite the wacky name changes.

it’s close to home and handy, but it’s like they only have ONE of everything. one kind of soup, one kind of salad dressing etc.
but…get this. it has a NEW NAME. it’s called, after seeing the expertly applied decals on the awning… TOFU FOOD.
hehe. i can’t say that without laughing. i don’t even thing grade fair sells tofu. it’s a whole new business model.

Yeah, what gives with the crazy «TOFU FOOD» decals? Is there even tofu in there? I have no clue!

I call it the Trade Grade because, for the longest time, the awning said Trade Fair but the receipt said Grade Fair. What I like about this little market (it’s neither a supermarket nor a bodega) is that, like so many stores/​services in this neighborhood there’s a balance. You’ll find organics and higher end products next to almost generics.
I adore the staff as they’re always friendly. It’s definitely a neighborhood store as they recognize me when I come in and always stop for some small talk.

One star off cause the Deli Meats are on the expensive side. But, they are Boar’s Head meats; one item of many that makes this innocuous grocery store better than «fair.»
The staff has changed a lot over the past few years, but they have always been helpful and friendly. Looking for something that’s not on the shelves… they’ll put in a request for it, and most likely it will be there the next time you stop by.
Grade Fair is a great place to get the one or two items you’re missing at a given time. For full-​out grocery replenishment, I’d drive over to Fairway or walk to C-​Town. Regardless, it’s an asset to the neighborhood and I hope it doesn’t disappear with the current onslaught of gentrification.

This is a really useful little spot. While they don’t have some of the things I consider an essential (Skinny Cow Ice Cream Sandwiches, for instance), they have a good vegetable selection and are open late (until 11 p.m.).
In fact, they’ve recently started adding more types of foods including the Baked Lays potato chips and this is still the only place in the area that I can find Dr. Brauner’s organic soaps.
And their Diet Coke is cheap, too, lest you think all I’m looking for is faux-​healthy stuff.