Urban Fare — Local services in Vancouver

Consistent offerings in a convenient area where there aren't many grocery stores

It's nice to be able to pop out and quickly get a few things. I don't buy the majority of my groceries here as they are posh

Urban Fare has a number of ready made and heat and serve meals. There's a hot and cold bar. They have salads, sandwiches, pizza stand where you select the size you want to buy and a sushi and poke bowl area.

The store has a bakery, cheese section, charcuterie, fresh meats fish and seafood. It carries the staples, milk, butter, eggs, yogurt , produce, rotisserie chicken, frozen foods, natural supplements, snacks and drinks

There are marinated meats and seafood, premade burgers that are flavored eg Tuscan burgers.

They serve complete meals with daily specials like roast pork, beef, steak etc served with 2 sides eg mashed potatoes, steamed vegetables. Meals are generously proportioned and around $20.

They are particular about their carts and sometimes will not allow you to wheel your cart outside the store to load your car and bring it back.

As far as I know, there is no in store parking.

If you are disabled this is not the store for a big shop. Their paper bags don't have handles and the only bags with handles are $10.

I was lucky enough to get a bag with handles from a compassionate cashier.

Some cashiers go out of their way to assist you but there is an angry one that seems to want to provoke you. I have been shopping here since it opened. I'm not sure when this cashier started but I have had the same experience from the cashier each time. I try to avoid this cashier.

There are happy hour specials between 3and 5pm.

The atmosphere is laid back. Paying during peak hours will be a wait.

Food you purchased can be consumed in an eating area that overlooks the sidewalk and during the summer, there are tables and chairs in front...

Last night at approximately 9:30 pm at this location an incredibly rude cashier named Joseph accused me of stealing because I put a cilantro and a broccoli in the same plastic bag at checkout. When I told him I put as many vegetables into one bag so I can save on plastic (you know, cause it's a real issue in the world today), he told me I cant do this, took out the broccoli and shoved it into a different plastic bag and then put the new plastic bag back into the old one that had the cilantro in it. All the while telling me that he had to weigh them separately. Both of these items are not by weight, but priced by unit. I used to be a cashier so I know how it works. I said to check the screen, the price says the weight in the line of the item. He interrupted me repeatedly saying that I am wrong. He didn't know any of the produce codes so I guess he was new. Checkout took forever and he was the only one on at night. After I paid he told me in a fake voice to have a great day. Here's a thought: In Canada, we are civilized people who consider the environment. If we are getting a garlic, a cilantro, a broccoli, and a few other veggies/fruits we are not going to be putting them into 10 different plastic bags. Nor will I be putting my produce on the same counter without a bag where people plop their runny meat packages and touch everything with dirty hands (especially during flu season). I know you probably never clean that counter Joseph. Just wait until you get someone a lot less pleasant than me who will really rip you a new one. This is why everyone is installing robot self checkouts. You are rude, unprofessional, unhelpful and you will be replaced...

Urban Fare prices are through the roof but this is a premium grocery store with maximum downtown pricing in a prime location (situated next to Rolex and Burberry to be exact) on Alberni. There’s always delicious cooked meals during lunch and dinner for a surprisingly good price and they also serve wine and beers (with happy hour specials too!). There’s also a Starbucks, a bakery, deli, salad bar and florist section and several high end gift baskets which has helped me in so many last minute gift giving and birthday situations. Unlike the other Urban Fares, this one doesn’t sell burrata so I hope this changes soon because both the Yaletown and Coal Harbour location sell burrata!

The other problem and why this only gets three stars is that oftentimes people pay for their groceries at the hot food counter and the staff here are not used to ringing up groceries at all so they need to refer to the price sheet constantly, which takes a long time to clear the long lineups. I applaud the cashiers for not being rushed but also wished that they were more trained on ringing up groceries and could act with a bit more sense of urgency when there’s a lineup, or hire more staff please. The last time I was there, I waited 17 minutes in line as the lady in front of me had one item of each vegetable/fruit possible and the poor cashier checked and weighed each one dutifully, during which the hot food counter grew to 10+ people in line. Eventually everyone went to the grocery line which was even longer (although cleared faster due to the...