The Kitchen Table — Local services in Toronto

"Upscale?" - Prices maybe.

You've really got to be on your toes when you shop here.

They're not big on checking expiry dates, and I've seen dairy and meats with expiry dates as much as 2 weeks past.

They also regularly over charge on items "by mistake." When in doubt about products with similar appearance, they will always charge the higher price. Spanish Onions and cooking onions are always rung up as Vidalia (a more expensive, squat shaped, sweet onion). Sale items are often rung up as regular price or as higher priced "comparable" items. When it's done once in a while, it's a mistake. When it's done 9 out of 10 times, it's store policy to rip people off.

Just today, the cashier did it to me 3 times. Tomatoes? Rung up as a more expensive variety $1 more than posted price. Cherries? Rung up as a type this store hasn't even stocked in over a month -- $3 more per pound than posted. Lettuce? $1 over posted price. The store does not subscribe to the scanning code. Then to top it off, he short changed me -- I had to walk him through the math and even get him to use a calculator before he corrected it. sigh

More than once, I've left the store only to find out I'd been ripped off. Always ask for a receipt and always count your change.

It's a convenient place to shop, but it's not a very good place to shop.

More milk, it's worth it to walk a block and buy it from the Shopper's Drugmart. Much cheaper...

Ready to eat food is horrible and things are not only overpriced, they repackage items that didnt sell and actually sell it for more expensive! For example, they sell this one low quality macaroni salad that costs around $3, and its not even that great, but even crazier is they will the same macaroni salad, in various small containers when it doesnt sell, and each one costs around $5! I live in the attached condo, and the only things worth buying are commercial products not made by them, like say heinz ketchup, because its generally the standard price and better quality than any of the food they make. Seriously, avoid any food that appears repackaged. Its actually the expired food they couldnt sell, and have the audacity to charge more for it than the price on the...

Not sure how local or affordable the produce is. Didn't see a single piece of fruit or veg from Ontario, where many similar bodegas are offering these great local items. It's attached to a condo, which ensures their convience price is over priced. Best to skip this spot and find somewhere selling actually affordably priced food items. Was good to pick up a noodle bowl - over priced - when I forgot my lunch the one day I went to my...