ALDI — Local services in Lincoln

I love Aldi! Great food and great prices. Doesn't have every single thing you might want, but does a have great variety for it's size and more than makes up for it with prices that are much lower than comparable items at your typical supermarket. The $3 Winking Owl wine is hard to beat for the price and some of the $5 sparkling wine is better than other brands that sell for $10... Mimosas anyone? 🍾🍊

Sometimes I see people complain about the produce quality, but I've shopped at a lot of different Aldis and many, many other grocery stores in multiple parts of the country and I would say that generally speaking Aldi's is at least comparable to if not better than most typical/major grocery stores in that department (yes, fewer options, but again Aldi consistently has much better prices, so for me it's a no-brainer). I buy bags of Cara Cara oranges, pink lady apples, whole pineapples, mushrooms, heads of broccoli and more typically cheaper than other stores with the exception of a few sales.

The cheese section is one of my favorite parts of the store. 🤤 Good selection and great prices, especially for the Happy Farms brand for common block/shredded cheeses like cheddar, Monterey jack, etc. You may not or may not find Parmigiano Reggiano (they do have a 10-month domestic parmesan that is inexpensive and not bad at all), but you can often score some other unusual and delicious options like manchego, feta, halloumi, specialty cheddars, etc. Selection varies and sometimes they sell out, but there's almost always something new too!

Also, the 'aisle of shame' (AKA the aisle of non-food rotating specialty items AKA Aldi Finds) often has great products for cheaper than you can find elsewhere. I got an inflatable stand-up paddle board for cheaper than Amazon, plus it has a 2-ywar warranty! I've bought tents, rain boots, kitchen items (hotel-style waffle maker, vacuum sealer, ) a potting bench, sometimes for half what similar items would cost. The only downside is that these things often sell out and it's hit or miss from one store to another, so don't show up with your heart set on that one thing you saw in the flyer.

I think that's probably...

The concept, products, prices and quality (except produce which is iffy but getting better) are above average. I would rate 5 stars, but there is one woman (she was working today) who knows her job TOO WELL. She knows her business, but she is definitely lacking people skills. Example, she and another checker were working. Both were checking but both had closed signs on their respective registers, his was hidden until he adjusted it. She informed to the shoppers in a firm voice that "he's trying to close, his green light is off, mine is on", while moving about the other registers, and it seemed to be a shift change as other employees were appearing. Like were suppose to always pay attention to that. It's simply human nature, we want to go and as quickly as possible. Though her line was shorter, I chose his line. Again not seeing his closed sign. And you'll find later why I did't go to her line. It wasn't really a big deal but she is ALWAYS ALWAYS gruff. I have tried numerous times to engage her in light conversation but no she just responds with negative comments. NEVER smiles. It's obvious to me that she must despise her job. Well we all know the answer to that problem. Find something you enjoy. I don't recall her name, but I know she's been there a long time. I would think she was the manager today. I think she needs some awareness of her poisonous attitude. A real downer and I avoid dealing with her at all times. And since Aldi's only has about 3 employees per shift,...

Like most of the reviewers for this location, this is my "go-to" place for cheap staple groceries (e.g. bread, eggs, meats, etc.); in the last 1-2 years however, this Aldi has improved their selection by a lot including having more organic foods, wines/spirits, regional items (Mexican, German, etc.) and seasonal items. They also have an expanding selection of cookware (bought my last ceramic pan there and it works great) and other household items that makes it more and more like a traditional grocery store like Hy-Vee.

As for the store staff and other factors, the store is clean for the most part and food/other items are in logical locations. The staff are minimal (due to how Aldis are staffed in general) with 4-5 staff members at any time, but they help keep the shelves stocked and are generally knowledgeable about their inventory; I personally never had an issue with any staff members in terms of their friendliness or helpfulness. They can have lines for checkout during busy hours but the staff members are quick in their duties and have you out of the store in a reasonable time frame.

As other reviewers have noted, bring your own bags or use their cardboard boxes to carry goods out of the store, and also have a quarter for the carts (it's how they save you money so don't knock it).

Overall, great place to go to first for most items and and I save the specialty items for...