Farmer Joe’s

I love this spot. Lots of locally made foods, like Ari’s almond milk ice cream. This is what a community business is all about, great food (especially hard to find produce items), great people and family owners that are involved in their neighborhood!

I love this place! Fresh produce, meats and seafood. A decent selection of groceries. Strauss family milk products. Mary’s chicken. Good stuff.

A few weeks ago I went to FARMER JOE“S on FRUITVALE and MACARTHUR to get creamer for coffee. I walked in, bought the creamer, and l went out to the parking lot. Before I could get to my car, I was confronted by two of the store’s employees who said I needed to go back into the store. I asked why and they said you didn’t pay for that creamer– you stole it! These two acted like it was going down unless I went back inside. I decided to go back in. when I got inside, all of the store’s customers where staring at me. The girl at the register looked around and said to the employees oh, he’s not the one. I was in total shock and I just stood there in disbelief. The guy who was going to beat me down in the parking lot suddenly says ohh i am sooo sorry. Here-​take this Odwalla juice– for free! In his mind he felt that a 8oz juice would make everything better or maybe he thought I was thirsty I’m not quite sure. Anyway a few customers came up to me and suggested I contact the store owners which I eventually did. THE OWNER said some crazy shit actually. For instance she said «I have lots of black friends.» We were not racially profiling you. She also said «I know how you must have felt.» Eventually she offered me a ham to show me how sorry she was. OAKLAND PLEASE DO NOT SHOP AT FARMER JOES. I urge each person especially if you live in OAKLAND to share this with ALL OF YOUR FRIENDS to let them know that FARMER JOES is pretending to be a place for the COMMUNITY but in actuality they are not in anyway. A couple of customers saw the entire initial interaction and they said they would never go there again. I encourage you all to do the same!!!

This is my #1 spot for produce! Seriously, during Satsuma mandarin season I make special trips to FJ’s to stock up. I’m always amazed at the variety and prices. On my most recent visit, they had (non-​Driscoll/​Sakuma) organic strawberries at dirt-​cheap prices, at least a dozen types of hot peppers, and conventional apples at $.70/​lb. Also a ton of bizarre fruits and veggies you’ll want to buy now and figure out how to use later.
The amazing selection doesn’t stop at the produce. Spend some time staring in awe at the bulk food bins, beer display, coffee aisle and even the tortillas. I was recently looking for breakfast sausage and it took me forever to decide between seven different kinds. Finally picked up some potato apple sausages from the meat counter and was not disappointed.
I recently moved a couple miles away from FJ’s (as opposed to a few blocks away) and am so sad that it’s no longer my closest grocery store. My wallet is thanking me, though, since I tend to go for the produce and end up with sixteen other things in my basket!
okay, a couple cons: if you’re driving, be ready to exert serious patience in getting in & out of the parking lot; most employees are super nice but I’ve noticed the older women working the cash registers could use some customer service training; packaged/​prepared foods can be pricey (though no more than Whole Foods)

I was walking the neighborhood looking for something decent to eat and found this place. The market has plenty of fresh foods as well as a decent deli and salad bar. I had a salad from the salad bar which had numerous goodies to choose from. funny part was they have all the salad dressings in squeeze bottles, well chunky bleu cheese doesn’t work very well in a squeeze bottle. I was resourceful and removed the top,

Farmer Joe’s is great for fresh and flavorful fruits and vegetables. Their meat section is much improved with the addition of several actual butchers.
However, the cheese selection at Farmer Joe’s is particularly pathetic for a state which has some amazing artisanal cheeses. Love Cowgirl Creamery cheeses? Not here you won’t.
Here at Farmer Joe’s you’ll have the best of cheeses from your typical 1970’s era Lucky store: American, cheddar, gouda, grated parmesan, and more.
Why bother living in Northern California at all when we’ve got the cheeses of Toledo, Ohio circa 1972 right here on Fruitvale.
Tell Joe’s you want some interesting cheeses? Nah. Don’t bother. They’ll tell you their distributors cannot get them.
Best hypothesis I’ve heard to explain Joe’s disinterest in cheese? One of Joe’s managers suggests the person responsible for ordering cjeeses for Farmer Joe’s does not herself like cheese.

This place is amazing… except for one thing: it drives me nuts that they can’t manage to print any credit card digits on the receipt. I can never tell what card I used! It only says MasterCard/​Visa! Well, some people have a few more than two…

Like a lot of other reviewers, I’ve noticed that a lot of the produce spoils within a day or two of purchase. It’s nice to get produce direct from producers at the local farmer’s markets instead. I’ve also encountered (twice), cheese products (pre-​packaged with Farmer Joe’s labels) that were moldy even though the expiration date was okay. I’m learning what to purchase and what not to purchase and mainly sticking to canned goods, some milk and yogurt, dried goods/​spices and wine. They do have a really decent wine selection as well as a good variety of more ‘earth-​friendly’ cleaning products. Great location-​parking lot is very-​often full.

Ive only came to this location a few times but so far I like it. Came to just pick up a few items.
Pros:
–lots of vegan/​vegetarian options
–food to go
–great bulk section
–pricing is pretty average for these types of grocery stores.
Cons:
–really dark inside
–staff seem pretty careless about you.
Picked up some avo sushi which was really good and some vegan ice cream which was aweesoommmee!
Will give an update from future experiences

Was so shocked at the deli inside. We bought three sandwiches. and brought them home. They were written on the board as to what was going in them the guy even repeated the order to us when we opened them they were all wrong. Not again will I go to this deli. The store is fine but the deli is disappointing. When your looking forward to corned beef and get salami and cheese that’s disappointing.

After years of shopping at Farmer Joe’s — I have finally had it with them. I usually spend $ 400 per month in this store, and I bring my neighbor to shop here every weekend as well. However, due to some nasty customer service and too many rotten vegetables in the past nine months, I have decided to go back to Berkeley Bowl and Whole Foods. Twice I was told that I could return a package of boneless, skinless chicken breasts that were NOT MINE but got into my cart… I paid for them, brought them home, and put them in the freezer. I never purchase boneless, skinless chicken breasts! I buy only organic, bone-​in meat for medical reasons (grass-​fed, grass-​finished, organic beef as well — Rockridge Market Hall has FAR superior grass-​fed beef for the same price, believe it or not!). When I returned the chicken breasts, they refused to exchange them despite twice telling me they would. For years I have put up with their overripe vegetables, the lack of parking, the numerous panhandlers in the trash-​filled parking lot in a dangerous part of town, the lack of decent lighting so you can see what the heck you are buying, their refusal to order a few food items I desperately need, the crowded aisles, and lack of English-​speaking employees who are always in the way (and will not move) when I’m trying to select vegetables, and being overcharged at the register almost every time I shop. I wish I had a dime for every rotten avocado or rotten lemon or rotten apple I have purchased here. I’m sick of spending $ 3.69 for an artichoke that looks fine in the store, but clearly is rotten the very next day in my kitchen. I probably would have continued to put up with this crap. But telling me to bring the chicken back for an exchange and then refusing to take it back was the very last straw. To the people who own Farmer Joe’s — I hope it was worth the $ 10 you saved from not exchanging the chicken I got by mistake. In addition, when I had a question about the grass-​fed, organic meat I was buying (which was very expensive), about half the time I get someone who just said «I don’t know.» No offer or attempt to get an answer for me. And the ribeye steaks have gotten to under ⁵⁄₈^th of an inch thick! You have lost my business and my neighbor’s business for good. I really wanted this store to succeed — but the quality they used to have is not there any longer.

I think of Farmer Joe’s on Fruitvale as the Whole Foods of East Oakland, with all that implies, good and maybe could be improved.
That said, this review is mostly for the meat department.
I had a less than wonderful experience two months ago with a youngish male butcher. I took a number, then left to chase a wandering grandchild, found the grandchild, and returned to find that the numbers called were three ahead of mine. I told the butcher that I had an earlier number. He accused me of taking a number from the discard basket. I never thought of doing that, was pretty insulted. Told him so, no apology.
A week ago I ordered a Thanksgiving turkey. Yesterday went to pick it up. Waited while being ignored, finally got an employee’s attention, gave him my slip. He said nothing, just disappeared. I assumed he went to look for my turkey, wait, wait, wait. A bit later he came back out, conferred with another butcher. They both disappeared. Wait, wait, wait. They both came back. Wait some more.
I flagged down a butcher, explained what had happened. He said, «Oh, the turkey you ordered is not available in the size you ordered» !! O.K., I still need a 25 lb turkey. So, we start from scratch.
To make a long story short, this butcher was not helpful either. I finally asked Asia, still another butcher for help. She was soooooo helpful, got me an appropriate turkey, got me $ 5 off for their error. And she apologized and was nice. To Farmer Joe’s: keep her on and get rid of the insulting, mistake-​prone guy.
This all took 40 minutes.
Oh, and the butcher who sold me the non-​existent turkey was the same one who accused me to cheating to get waited on faster. Your review helps others learn about great local businesses.
Please don’t review this business if you received a freebie for writing this review, or if you’re connected in any way to the owner or employees.

I came here yesterday with my sister to buy some organic veggies. This place looked really nice and offered a lot of vegetable selections. We usually like to shop at the Asian markets compared to American ones because we use a lot of specific vegetables for our meals. When we came here I was surprised to see they carried a lot of Asian vegetables such as wintermelon, japanese sweet potato, etc. They also carried things like miso soup paste and tofu which is awesome. In one of their aisles they carry a crap load of spices, and again a lot of asian spices like five-​spice, etc.
The bakery section is a bit small so I was kind of disappointed. I love going to markets for the baked goods, so I didn’t really see anything I liked here.
The only downside to this place is that it seemed a little messy. I can imagine parents going crazy in here grabbing a ton of vegetables and leaving a lot of mess on the grounds. I ended up buying some of the japanese sweet potatos too, but it was very hard to find one that seemed fresh. Most of them looked kinda grimey and not very clean. I’m not sure how Farmer Joe’s works but maybe they should fix that.

if i could give them zero stars i would! i have found out that they are very unsanitary and put old produce back on the shelves after it has been returned or taken to the back. I am also extremely offended by ALL of the male workers STALKING and STARING at all of the women customers throughout the store! Everytime i have been in there i have gotten followed around by a number of workers just watching me like a peice of meat!
As for the managers and owners it seems like they dont care about their employees. SMH i heard they dont offer any benefits and its like a revolving door of new people that dont know to properly do their job correctly. On multiple occasions i have been told they dont have the product i was looking for only to find it right in front of the the employee!
The last straw is when i saw a older looking man walking around shopping in his bare feet and no employees nor managers cared, NOT EVEN THE OWNER cared! It turns out that his is a regular and does this all the time! Needless to say
I WOULD NOT GO BACK.

I feel the need to update my last review from a few years ago.
I adore Farmer Joe’s! Always will! They have revamped their entire fruit and veggie area and it is awesome!!! Such a wonderful selection of organic and non organic produce. The best part are the prices! It always amazes me that I can get something so fresh and beautiful here at FJ’s for so much less than the big grocery store chains. I always tell my friends that FJ’s is the poor man’s Whole Foods!
Here’s my only problem… and I really need to get over it too! I have been shopping at this Farmer Joe’s location since the day they opened. This store has become so incredibly popular and busy that it’s frustrating to me. This used to be our little neighborhood secret gem. Now it’s this Grocery store Mecca! Now don’t get me wrong, I’m so happy for Joe and his wonderful employees, but at times I just drive out of the parking lot and go to the smaller/​original FJ’s on MacArthur and 35^th which is a little less hectic.
Farmer Joe’s, thank you for being the greatest place to buy food!

Gee, I have never had an issue with this market! Great produce prices, great bulk food and spice choices, and my children always request some olives. Their deli has great sliced meat options & it is the same price with less hassle than Safeway.

Have been a loyalist for over 15 years, shopping at their original store before this was opened, but this store gets worse as time goes by.
Prices get higher regularly.
Deli personnel often rude and not accommodating. They’re the only salad bar I know that doesn’t have straight oil and vinegar offered and when asked they tell me it’s too expensive! Meanwhile they serve Mary’s chicken in the salad bar… go figure. If I’m eating Mary’s chicken I don’t want some gmo laden soybean oil based garbage on top of my salad.
And the woman’s bathroom is always dirty, even in the morning. Last time there was blood on the floor. There’s no hook to keep your belongings clean and off the gross floor and they never have a paper towel holder which is super non-​hygienic.
Clean up your store, teach your employees some interpersonal skills, manage your produce better so we’re not paying a premium for old stuff and watch your prices. And maybe you won’t lose all your long time shoppers.

We just moved back to the area and cannot get enough of the produce. Years and years ago the older Farmer Joe’s was a goto grocery.
The new place on Fruitvale, to the eyes of someone exiled to New England (and its bad produce) for a decade, is absolutely amazing.
I had to leave after ten minutes because I quite actually wanted everything.
Been back four times this week.

While I want to love and support this local store, it’s becoming harder. As previous reviews mention, a lot of issues with freshness. Just today returned a loaf of bread that was ½ green (bought it yesterday!). Ok, I should check for freshness too, but no apology or refund from staff. Fruit lasts a day or too, but they’re charging Whole Foods prices.
Between that and the terrible customer service each time, it’s not worth it in the end. I’d rather go to other independents who have some pride in their store and produce.

Short walking distance to this supermarket but so not worth it. In the past, I’ve returned molded produce and bread on multiple occasions and let me tell you, I hate returning stuff! How hard is it to check for freshness? Could have been a deal breaker for me but they took care of the problem each time without any hassles, although still an inconvenience.
What I’m really pissed about is an incident with my Mom slipping on a puddle of water and no one around to help. What happened to all the workers? I wanted to raise hell but Mom was fine but embarrassed so I had to let it go.
Then i get outside and a panhandler cusses me out because I ignored him. Again, no employees nearby or security.
So close to the house and would love to support local businesses, but not worth my aggravation.
One star because i like the name of the supermarket.

It is so easy to have a love hate relationship with Farmer Joe’s as there are so many things to love about this place once you get over the things that are not so loveable about this place
So when you have good news and bad news, you usually start with the bad first.
Cons:
1. The area is definitely not the best so better to go during the day and do not leave valuables in the car as it will be broken into it even during the day.
2. Parking is a pain as there is never enough parking for the # of shoppers they have so you may have to park beyond CVS and deal with the pan handlers and window washers on the way back.
3. They do not accept internet coupons which seems a bit outdated especially for those trying to save a little money
4. I stay away from the baked goods they sell in the bin now as my cousin told them there was a fly in there once and instead of discarding the items in there, they just let it out.
So why a 4 star? It’s more of a 3 ½ but the pros do outweigh the cons.
Pros:
1. They carry a lot of products at decent prices (non Whole Food prices) like Clover and Straus Dairy, Mary or Rocky Free Range chicken (whole, legs, breast, thighs) at the butcher, the same whole chickens used for their roti chickens.
2. They have huge selection of bulk items (grains, dried fruit, nuts, etc.)
3. Carries Boars Head and Saag meats at the deli
4. Recently discovered an amazingly diverse line of flour including coconut, garbanzo bean, almond, and even hazelnut flour
5. Carries a lot of local items and goods

Overcharging and produce that molds in a day. Or in the bin at the market.
Forget about onions or garlic.
And don’t get anything pre-​bagged.
Not occasionally, not only in organic, not only on warm days (as much produce is outside) but almost every trip.
I’m running out of reasons to support this place.
Walkability isn’t enough.
Then let’s talk about the panhandlers. The people who stand between the carts and the start of the produce under the store awning. Under the sign that instructs customers to ignore them. While the security officer stands inside.
Again, why am I supporting a market with a cleanliness/​sanitation issue when there are options? Even locally owned ones?
Habits can be broken.
And FJ’s produce set up is broken.

Cool local supermarket. But don’t visit on a Sunday afternoon — it’s so busy they ran out of carts. We were able to get parking easily though.
They do have a huge range of produce — it’s not Berkeley Bowl, but they do have a lot of stuff. On the downside, the aisles are pretty narrow, and they could clearly use better lighting in the produce section. Perhaps we’ve been spolied by the shiny new Safeway stores, but it’s a bit clautrophobic.
I probably won’t go back in a hurry, since it’s not an area of town I normally go near, although it’s actually not that much further than going to the big Whole Foods on Harrison.

A bit cramped. It reminds me of their competitor; which also has a Joes in their name :) Outside of space and pricing, I loved this store. This was my first time there and also in the neighborhood and I found all that I needed, from Sadaf spices, organic non pork cased flavored chicken sausages to their delectable bakery and pastry department. I was not disappointed with anything I picked up from there.
On a Sunday afternoon, I would expect crowds at the grocery store, but some of the aisles were just ill conceived. I don’t know if it was just me but the store was really dark too. A little light goes a long way. All the employees were friendly and knowledgeable. This is definitely a spot to pick up a few items not your whole grocery list as it can be pricey. Prices are comparable to whole foods. But, for those of you willing to whittle your money away and not be financially smart, I’d go here also. Hence, the four stars.

They have mostly everything I need that’s natural and organic! I love the sushi trays which are fresh and tasty and the organic products that I can get in a pinch like Naturtint Hair Color, Kiss My Face, Sambucus, EO products. Sure some of the items might be alittle pricier but sometimes time and convenience matter more. There’s a deli for my Saag’s nitrate free golden classic turkey and all kinds of salads and cooked food. The produce session is great with organic as well as nonorganic produce. Also the meat and seafood session is good with grass fed meat and wild seafood. In a pinch I can get some ground pork to make wontons, or boneless skinless organic chicken.

Officially have done my last shopping here. I wanted to get some simple bulk items, and they didn’t have what I needed which was pretty basic. As long as I was there I figured I’d pick up some veggies. Most of what I saw was not very fresh, and in some cases practically rotten. I bought some fingerling potatoes and when I sliced them up a few days later, they were indeed rotted out.
Save your money and go to the Food Mill for bulk food and get your produce at the farmer’s market or at Berkeley Bowl.

I really like this place. Though not the closest grocery to my domicile, worth the effort to drive here.
We went for sushi nearby and decided to run in and grab a few things from the grocer after dinner. What a surprise this turned out to be!
They have many local brands as well as items shipped in to this location. There are so many fresh produce items. My love of Whole Foods has always been their fresh produce, and it is my ONLY complaint with Trader Joes… but WOW! Fresh, fresh, fresh produce here at Farmer Joe’s.
The wine selection is above par as well. I had to buy a gift for someone, and they are a wine lover, so Farmer Joe’s really came in handy. I was looking to pair some cheeses as well, and a truly helpful service professional came to assist me in my buying. Thank you!
It’s a bit pricey, but worth it. From the cleanliness of the store, the well organized aisles, the tremendous customer service, to the massive selection – WORTH IT!!!
Just a note:
Stephani Smiles for Farmer Joe’s ;)