Brooks Grocery — Attraction in Tupelo

1/1/2025 - Paying at the register is usually the last interaction a business will have with their customer and the final chance to leave them with a great and lasting impression in the hopes of repeat business. So I'm not sure why Brooks would hire some of the most immature teenagers to work the register who simply do not know how to provide basic customer service.

I go in tonight to pick up a few items and when I get to the register and empty my plastic basket, I first get bumped in the back as one lady pushes her way by me to get the basket I just emptied. As I turn back to the cashier, all I hear is her and the bagboy going back and forth, him telling her to check her phone and her telling him that he is so stupid. No one greets me, the customer. In fact no one says anything to me during the entire transaction. Even when the receipt prints, the cashier just holds it out and drops it in my bag. I'm sure that my $50.00 purchase isn't going to break Brook's Grocery if I didn't come in, but a business builds their reputation one transaction at a time. As you can see from my initial one star review a year ago, nothing has changed..

Just like the last time, I won't embarrass the cashier by naming her on this review but for the Brooks management staff who may want to look into this further, my receipt shows my transaction occurred on 1/1/2025 at 5:54pm Inv#00130158 Trs# 455882.

Previous Review: 8/8/2023 - My wife and I were checking out at the register tonight when the cashier said something like 60 for 10. This caught me off guard and I told her that I didn't quite understand what she said. Then she said I can give you 10% off for being over 60 years old. I looked at my wife and we were both puzzled that she said that. I smiled and said maybe in a few years I might qualify for that discount (we are in our early 50s). The cashier didn't say anything back or even apologize to us. I can only hope that it wasn't intentional nevertheless it's not something anyone expects to encounter as a patron to a business. Brooks grocery is an exceptional store that is always clean and well stocked, but it's incidents like that which cause people not to come back as often or at all. Brooks is better than this (I think).

I won't embarrass the cashier by naming her on this review but for the Brooks management staff who may want to look into this further my receipt shows our transaction occurred on 8/8/2023 at 7:27pm Inv#00283971...

I went when they first opened in tupelo. It was fantastic! People were friendly and the food was amazing (except the chicken salad I picked. It tasted like straight up mayo, chicken, and salt.) My dad lives in Iuka, so I was familiar with Brooks before it came to Tupelo. Everytime we go out on the boat, my stepmom would buy a chicken salad from them that was amazing, so I was confused when the one I got was nasty. Turns out they have 2 different kinds. I should have gotten Lucy's chicken salad, not Alan's chicken salad. Ok.. so fast forward to Easter Sunday 2022, I went back (2nd time) for the cornbread salad and Lucy's chicken salad and my daughter wanted sushi. The staff did not speak to me except for to tell me the total of my items, but they did speak to the next customer. Not really sure about that because I smiled and said hello when I walked to the register. Also, I noticed the cornbread salad looked watery, but I bought it anyways, hoping it was still as good. It was not. It's like it lacked the mayo/ranch/sour cream mixture. It was dry, despite the water at the bottom. I mixed it really good and my cornbread got really soggy. The date was good, but it was not. NOW... The Lucy's chicken salad. I was extremely let down by this. I absolutely love the one they make in Iuka, but I don't think they have the same recipes because this one wasn't any better than Alan's chicken salad I bought before. The only difference was that it had small pieces of celery in it. The one in Iuka has grapes in it and I believe some kind of nuts. It's much sweeter. But the one in tupelo tasted like salt and pepper with celery. My daughter loved her...

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED dec 2021 a grocery store trip that is enjoyable? is there even such a thing?? YES, at Brooks Grocery, a resounding YES. the 'Made Right Here' offerings are delicious and the selection is incredible. they offer so many things i didn't even know i wanted! the strawberry cheese dip available this christmas season? OH MY BABY LORD JESUS. served with Ava's Grilled Flatbread Crisps--YAS, GIRL. their meats are beautiful, and they have a nice fresh seafood selection (think: grouper--yes, fresh grouper, 300 miles from the coast). Just a few of my favorites from Brooks: honey fruit wraps, million dollar dip, keto dip, broccoli salad, smoked chicken, seasoned cream cheese stuffed bell pepper slices, strawberry cheese dip (obviously)...their offerings for charcuterie are out of this world. NOW, let's address the elephant in the room: their prices. OK, peeps, this is a specialty grocery. This ain't Dolla Make You Holla grocery store. this is not where i do my everyday, household essentials shopping. Brooks is where i go for quality, freshly made food and meat. i drive from the far reaches of eastern Lee county about every 2 weeks to stock up on their yummy offerings and receive friendly, neighborhood service. do you get that at the big box store? nope. so i will gladly pay a moderate price for exceptional hometown quality...