Marinwood Market

Good news! The deli has had a personality make over! The folks behind the counter smile and actually act like it’s not an imposition to serve you. They seem to like their jobs! The grilled chicken sandwich with aioli is amazingly good served up with a side of thinly cut fries which they make themselves.
I would suggest to call in ahead of time to order this sandwich but for some reason I cannot get through to the deli and am cut off every time. I realize it’s not willful and I just attribute it to either human error or technical error. Also, the deli manager is not only a sweetheart, she is an amazing cook. Try her homemade stew. It’s heaven. In fact buy a several portions of it, put it in a pot and pretend you cooked it yourself. Your family will love you.
The staff is incredibly affable and courteous – be it Keon the jolly butcher, Dave, the helpful store manager, Christian the friendly produce man or Michael the gracious courtesy clerk, the collective efforts of the staff rises up to reach a crescendo of positivity. The other reviewer says she was offended when one courtesy clerk put the closed sign up when her brother walked up. I have had that happen to me and can only attribute that to just bad timing. I think it’s mistake to take it personally. I doubt the man did it on purpose because I know of whom she is speaking and he’s a very very friendly and helpful young man. The only time someone has been rude to me was a few weeks ago. It was a tall young lady who did not greet me, say thank you or tell me the total amount. In fact, she shoved all the groceries my way as I bagged as fast as I could. Instead of assisting me with bagging using the bags I left on the counter, she continued to shove the groceries my way as to suggest I need to hurry it up. Not only did she fail to thank me for bagging as is proper procedure, she treated me like her subordinate who was going way too slowly. She was rather uppity which I found to be oddly incongruent. Then as I was frantically trying to bag my own groceries, she starts ringing up the next customer mixing her grocery purchases with my own. I was going to complain to management but it looks like she is already gone. See? if you have a lousy bedside manner, you will not last at Marinwood Market. The employees are reflections of the managers – they’re good, helpful, courteous folks and if they lack people skills, they’re out.

If I could give this less than one star I could. Me and my brother go into the store to purchase a few snacks, seems pretty harmless. As we walk up to the registers to pay it appeared that they had two registers open so I walked to one and my brother walks to the other. The cashier that my brother walked up to was a bald man with brown eyes that slams a «Register Closed» sign down on the conveyer belt and said «I’m closed.» to my brother. I’m sitting in the parking lot making this review because that’s some of THE worst service I’ve seen in a long time.
Never coming here again.

It is a great to have a close grocery store. You do pay for convenience, but the staff is always so friendly. The produce is always fresh. The only downside is there is always a strange smell.

Love this place to get good grocery when I am in a bind and don’t want to drive all way to Safeway or something, as I live pretty close to it. It has a lot of unique items, and lot of great yummy things that you can’t get elsewhere. They have a great fish, wine and cheese select (highlights), and you can get sushi to go. On the weekends they do a bbq at a great price. It’s a little pricy, compared to mass markets, but it is still a must try market!

Update! 7÷17÷2015
GET THIS! Check the price on Antimo Caputo flour. It’s $ 4.99 at Whole Paycheck, $ 3.95 on Amazon when you buy 10 bags, and all of $ 2.99 at Marinwood Market. LOVE!!!
(back to original review)
This place has an amazing selection for its size and an incredible organic produce variety at farmer’s market prices. We moved to Lucas Valley last summer and I’ve been pleasantly surprised and delighted every time I come here – so it’s about time I wrote this review.
They have organic manila mangos, mamey (in season), organic tomatoes and organic most everything. This is now my go-​to produce market whenever a farmer’s market isn’t open, or for the things that don’t grow locally.
Example: Two days back I bought 2 organic manila mangos at Novato Whole Paycheck at $ 2 each. The same ones, and larger to boot, are $ 1.19 each at Marinwood Market. They are only 20 cents more than the non-​organic variety. Almost half of WP. Save for the fact that my son and I inhale mangos like air, I would have returned the smaller pricier ones to Whole Paycheck. :)
They had mamey (awesome exotic fruit from southern Mexico) a few weeks ago and I bought one and ripened it in a paper bag according to the instructions of the knowledgeable Mexican guy in the produce section. It was fabulous. It seemed pricey at first at $ 5 for a fruit the size of a small cantaloupe but that’s a THIRD of what you can get a mamey for on Amazon… where a box of 3 fruits sells for $ 45! And that’s the only other place I could find one, period.
I love the sign on one of the aisles that reads «Asian, Ethnic, Mexican… British.» That combination made me laugh out loud so I scanned the aisle to see what exotic British foods they might have. On the far end after the Thai food, matzo balls, Mexican rice, Japanese things and various and sundry other cultural foods, I found that they carry Yorkshire Gold tea! This is absolutely the best tea you can get in a bag. I’ve only ever bought this online and had no idea any Americans had good enough sense to stock it in a store. Huge points!
I was also shopping for Neapolitan pizza ingredients… you know, like Tony Tutto’s that you made at home. Before I scanned the aisles I thought I might end up going back to Whole Paycheck. But, they surprised and delighted me again! They carry Antimo Caputo 00 flour, cans of Italian tomatoes, and of course fresh basil, fresh mozz and plump organic tomatoes to make the real thing. Of course I didn’t need the tomatoes – it was my second trip over there that day and I’d gotten them at the farmer’s market.
My son and I biked over and ate a the deli once, and it was sort of blah. I wouldn’t say the deli is my big destination there. But that’s not what I go for… I go for the usual staples and the sorts of exotic things mentioned above.
Now it’s my go-​to market for good. I just have to make sure to check the milk supply before 7:30pm so I have time to bike over there before they close and don’t end up going to Safeway in Terra Linda. Safeway is usually out of my brand and type of milk anyway.
This market is a treasure… so glad to have it in the neighborhood!

Worst deli. I should have known what to expect when the guy didn’t know which one was the chicken. Made me a sandwich as if a 3 year old had put it together. Yuck. Thanks for ruining my lunch.
Would be nice if they fixed their horrible parking lot, heaves of cement just sticking up waiting to ruin your car. And the rest of the shopping center is gross, rundown, abandoned. Go elsewhere.

This store is an easy place to shop. Parking is right in front. I don’t get exhausted walking and trying to find stuff. It is not crowded at all. It carries my favorite two things: Upper Crust pies and Strauss milk. The amount of organic produce has increased over time though I would like to see more and local. The clerks are pleasant.

Posting an update to my earlier review. I have noticed a huge improvement with the deli staff at MWM. Not only is the coffee more of a priority, the workers in the deli are much more personable and friendly. I have updated my review to 5 stars. Keep up the good work MWM, I appreciate it!

An amazing market with a fantastic range of English food, wonderful staff and amazing sandwiches ! Blessed to have you in the hood. Huge thank you for all your incredible support of local sports and schools

Easter Sunday. A day where I count my blessings.
Blessed with good health. Blessed with good friends. Blessed with a great family.
Then there’s the fact that I am blessed with having Marinwood Market as an alternative, local option instead of having to go to Safeway in Terra Linda when I need to get my groceries.
Why is this place a blessing? Do you remember what was here before? A crusty, dusty Cala Foods that somehow held on for nearly three decades. Those of us in Lucas Valley, Smith Ranch and Marinwood were begging for this place to be here.
Yeah, certain items like paper towels are priced higher than Target — so you don’t get that here unless you really need it. What you do get here are the deli sandwiches (never had a service problem here — and being in Marin I have gotten major ‘tude from many different deli’s even though I am the most easy-​going customer around!).
Aisle #1 on the far left has tons of *real local beers and an awesome selection of home-​cooked meals including sides like bacon mashed potatoes. Yum. They often have specials on juice (2 for 1 on cartons of OJ) and the produce section always has a guy that is stocking things, smiling and making sure you find what you want.
The checkers are often the same faces every time too. Admittedly, I might be looking dumpy and just want to grab a bottle of beer from aisle #1. A couple of them sometimes **seriously ask — «are you over 21?». Haha — you just scored DOUBLE points because I am nearly DOUBLE that age. LOL!
Tables inside and outside to enjoy your sandwich too.
They were open today, Easter, until 4pm. I have been blessed yet again!

I wish I could separate the marketplace from the deli in this instance, but since I cannot this place gets two stars.
Let’s start with the good. On the market end of things, the staff is incredibly friendly and accommodating, shelves are well-​maintained and stocked, and the market supports a lot of locally grown or produced products that you probably will not find at your regular Safeway or Trader Joe’s. Prices are a little bit on the higher end compared to some supermarkets, but that can be expected from a smaller market selling local goods.
The deli is what drags this place down. To preface, though, this is me documenting my one and only time ordering from the deli (and I have no intent to try again). The staff at the deli seemed irritated to serve me and took a while to even begin helping me (there was no line). The «Old Luke» sandwich I ordered was one of the worst roast beef sandwiches I have eaten. It’s hard to mess up a sandwich, but there was way too much jack cheese, which overpowered the flavor of the rest of the sandwich. The sandwich also lacked condiments like mayo, or ketchup, or even mustard, and only had a hint of horseradish. Worst of all, though, the roast beef did not taste like roast beef at all. While they did load the sandwich with a lot of beef, there was absolutely no flavor in the meat. I may as well have been eating a medium-​cooked steak with no seasoning on it. The only redeeming factor was the Dutch Crunch bread, and I guess also it was nice of them to include an Andes chocolate with the sandwich. Considering the sandwich’s size and price, it would have been well worth it if it tasted at all like a roast beef sandwich.
To sum it up, great market, terrible deli.

Went to the deli today to pick up a sandwich for lunch. Used to safeways deli and customer service, I wasn’t expecting much. But the service was fantastic! Lots of small talk and niceties with the guy behind the counter. He was very courteous and attentive. New favorite lunch spot! Will be back often with friends! :)

This is a great place for organic fruits and vegetables at reasonable prices!

My expectations were hella-​low, but I’ve gotta say, this place is The Bomb. In spite of my 5-​starness, it is not perfect, but riddle me this, Batman: Where else ya gonna find some excellent-​ly sourced fresh fish, a good meat counter, lots of organic produce at reasonable prices, gluten-​free and dairy-​free options, UK imports, good wines, and food that’s «generally good for ya»? I cannot think of a better local joint than this one. I like Scotty’s in Terra Linda too, and Paradise Market for certain things, but man… this one just has the best vibe and reasonable-​ish prices to boot. Service is «uneven» only in that it is either good or outstanding. If you want something, pipe up — they’ll see if they can get it. The dude who works in produce is super-​helpful, and the meat counter clowns are swell and know a thing or two. I’ve had their deli sandwiches and they’re pretty decent IMO… not sure what’s bummin’ out the haters; but quite honestly, there’s so much other good stuff to gorge oneself on in this place, why limit yo’self to a mere sangwich? Nice to have this as a local fixture!

Great market. Very fresh produce. Helpful guys at the meat counter. I have eaten at least thirty sandwiches here and all good (but I always request that they don’t give me the last piece of bread in the loaf… at any deli). Prepared food much better than Paradise. Killer mashed potatoes. Delicious chicken pot pie (when you want comfort food). And staff helpful and friendly enough (I don’t expect social hour at the registers). Let’s hope they stay in business for a very long time… so convenient.
Oh, better sushi than WFoods. Fab roast beef in the deli-​nice and rare.

I love this local market! I used to shop at Scotty’s Market in Terra Linda because I can’t stand Safeway. The produce is fresh and the staff there offer to pick out the freshest fruit. They also point out specials, such as asparagus this week is $ 1.99/lb.
The meat counter is very nice too. The staff is always cheerful and able to make recommendations/​suggestions.
Now for the deli (which is why I only gave 4 stars). It is hit or miss based on who makes your sandwich.

I was thrilled when this market opened a few years ago, right between my work and home. I have an affinity for locally owned businesses and believe in supporting them whenever possible.
The staff here had always been friendly. Especially the produce guy; he’s always greeting me and offering his help.
At the meat department I get raw marrow bones for my dog. The staff will cut them to size if I ask.
I worry about this place. They rarely seem busy and sometimes the shelves seem bare or picked over. I’ve never gotten anything bad from here but not 100 percent confident that their meats and seafood, for example, are as fresh as they can be. This is the only reason for the lack of the 5 th star.

My favorite grocery store! I love this market. I get my produce here and meats, too are great! I love that I have this market down the street from me. Staple items I usually get from Target/​Costco but meats, fresh prepared foods and produce I get from here because the quality is good. They always have what I need in the organic selection, too. The staff are all so helpful and very friendly.

I’ve given Marinwood Mart, specifically their deli counter, a shot for lunch least 3 – 5 times in the last year and each time I leave thinking and wishing «maybe the next time it’ll be better???»
Nothing is more depressing to me than a deli sandwich done wrong. Soggy tomatoes or limp greens, dry bread, «off» lunch meat, lack of a certain condiment or an excess of another all kill a good sammy. Somehow each and every Marinwood Mart sandwich I’ve had has suffered some sort of major malfunction and has had stale bread, skimpy portions of lunch meat or tomatoes that should have been tossed out a day before due to being watery and mealy.
Since Marinwood Mart is one of the only games in town near where I work, I’ve given them a number of tries out of cuisine-​boredom and lack-​of-​options-​desperation but this is going to be my the last visit unless a new chef or kitchen manager overhauls the deli.
I tried the «Old Luke» sandwich yesterday (house roasted beef, horseradish, caramelized onions, Jack cheese and mayo + red onions on Dutch crunch) and it was so devoid of overall flavor that I resorted to adding salt, pepper and I had to bust out the bottle of Sriracha I keep in my desk at work for seasoning emergencies when I got back to the office. The roast beef on the Old Luke was very thinly sliced and tasteless (no salt, no herbs, no roasty flavor) other than a kind of gamey-​twang of an aftertaste that stuck in the back of my throat. My co-​worker tried a bite of the other half of the Old Luke and agreed that other than the Dutch Crunch roll being fresh, it had zero redeeming taste qualities.
Third (or fourth) time is a charm for this kid and I’ve had my last $ 6.99 disappoint-​wich from Marinwood. Yes, it’s location is lazily convenient but their price point is high, prepared foods are bland and the gentleman who rang my coworker and me up for our sandwiches and other lunch goodies was so surly that we had to greet him, ask him how *his* day was going and thank him without him saying anything other than «hello» and «fine» to me in response while avoiding eye contact which sort of put the nail in the coffin for me. I’m sticking to Good Earth, United Market or Comforts for my deli offerings from now on.

Love the Marin wood mart! They have a great selection and lots to choose from. The staff couldn’t be nicer! It’s a great local mart to get the things you need quickly. A little on the pricy side at times but worth it!