AJ's Fine Foods — Local services in Phoenix

AJ’s Fine Foods definitely has exactly what the title implies: Fine Foods however their fine foods have ‘fine’ prices …..for AJ , whoever AJ is which is why I really haven’t shopped much there. However whenever I have had extra funds to treat myself to pricey stuff like at AJ’s I have done so which hasn’t been often but I have. I also have had some bad experiences with the way I have been treated by the staff at AJ’s Fine Foods in the past which has heavily influenced my decision on whether to spend my extra funds at AJ’s versus….Walmart or Target blah blah and the last time I went to AJ’s on Central here in Phoenix pretty much sealed it that I will never go there again. I had just received a large sum of money about a little over a year ago and I put most of it in the bank but kept a couple thousand in my pocket which I was excited about getting some goodies at AJ’s with especially since I was hungry at the moment. My excitement was swiftly squashed the moment I walked in the door though because I was instantly basically yelled at by two staff personnel to give them my shopping cart and backpack which I was in the process of doing but they didn’t give me a chance. Then I got one of their carts and started looking at some items as another employee, a woman jumped practically on top of me and started questioning me whether I was going to buy anything and if so to do so ‘NOW’ which I ignored her and moved on. However she followed me, was like my shadow and even started talking about me behind my back but in front of my face. She was insinuating that she was indeed watching me and that she and whoever she was talking to were going to get the police because she just knew that I was a thief. I tried to ignore her and move on, away from her but she was on me like white on rice even rallying up a gang of three or four more staff members who were now neglecting the other customers to get me. I finally confronted the gang and they started yelling at me, calling me a thief and threatening me with the police which I told them to go ahead and call. One of them grabbed my purse and spelled out the contents saying that they knew that I had put some of their stuff in my purse which was impossible because she was on top of me so much that I wouldn’t have been able to even if I wanted to. They all got angry at the fact that I didn’t have a single thing of their’s in my purse and they ordered me to pick up my stuff, get my own cart and backpack they were holding for ransom up in the front and to get out of their store. Unfortunately the bystanders, other customers who didn’t know a thing about me, didn’t know what was happening and were probably just like the majority of obedient followers in society just stood by and allowed me to be treated wrong like that. So I took the couple thousand dollars I had in my pocket and spent it at the Dollar Tree, Walmart and Family Dollar getting far more goodies that I would’ve got at AJ’s. NO RETREAT NO REGRETS NO REMORSE Just common sense that I can get more for my money as well as respect anywhere else than at AJ’s over priced house of the elite which I am grateful...

I love this store! It is the cleanest,most organized and absurdly stocked with the most beautiful fruits and vegetables I have ever seen. Seafood is gorgeous, and it's choice of stock is wide. I wholeheartedly recommend this store. Update on 2 yr review. Store still gorgeous and so is the inventory and produce. As you can see, I have been a huge fan of AJ's Fine Foods for years. The store is gorgeous! I have waited to post this update because I wanted to cool down a bit. I was going to wait until after the holidays for some reason. But I can't. My last experience in the store was disappointing and disgusting. I usually spend about an hour or less in the store and there is always something new to try/buy, so while I save choosing cold or frozen items for last, I stopped at the deli...waited in line social distancing from 3 others ahead of me until it was my time to be helped. My turn comes after about 20 mins and I step up to the counter. The gentleman who was assisting the previous customers acknowledged me and nodded his head. He provided service to the previous customers in order without having to leave the counter and what I wanted was at the same counter as well. So now it's my turn to get something else delicious to take home right? NOPE the guy's name is "Michael", I greeted him with-"How are you today?"...he looked me in my face and turned away from me quickly and yelled at a different customer who had just walked up to the far end of the counter away from me and says-"You need help? I'll be right there". I said "Sir? I am right here and I've been waiting for a while". The young lady who was actually standing in front of the new customer walked all the way over to where I was and said, "Ma'am I'm sorry about that-I was going to help the customer but I guess Michael knows that lady". Mr. Michael looks back and the customer says something looking in my direction and Michael fans his hand towards me as if he was brushing off a fly. He felt that was ok. It was not. I have experienced a lot of things shopping or doing business but to be treated like a fly, a pest, a nothing by someone who is paid to do a job that I am willing to pay for is disrespectful, condescending. What makes it worse and there were other things that Mr. Micheal did, the store staff and management knows that he chooses which customers he will wait on or not. Guess who he does not like to provide service? This was back in August. I used to shop there every week especially since their products include more choices for vegans and my teenager eats like a hoover. I can no longer recommend this store not just because of Michael who only works there but because management knows what he is doing and allow...

I like shopping periodically at this store and have always liked the deli sandwiches. However, yesterday, I got to the deli and it took five minutes to be waited on as a couple of female employees were busy talking to each other. A male employee was also working next to them making pizzas. There were other employees working other parts of the deli but they were busy. Finally, the guy making pizzas asked he could help me and took my order which a s chicken salad sandwich. I place the ticket with my order at the place where sandwiches are made. It's sitting there as the two female employees are still talking to each other. Finally, the pizza maker let the ladies know that my order was waiting for them and one of them proceeded to work on it. By now, 10 minutes has gone by and other deli staff ask me if I've been helped and I mentioned that I've been waiting for my sandwich order for a while now. One of the staff who I assumed was the supervisor checks on the lady making the sandwich and she tells him she's got this. As soon as he walk away, she comes up to me to let me know they are out of chicken salad! Had the deli staff stayed up on their game, everyone would have known they were out of chicken salad, even the pizza maker who took my order. I had to choose an alternative to chicken salad which I gave them, and it just seemed to drag on and on. It took me 20 minutes from the time I arrived to the deli to get food. This is the second time in the past month this has happened, with deli employees talking to each other and not minding the customer, thus delaying the turn around to provide service in a timely manner. Prior to these two incidents, I've never had to wait more than five minutes. It's disappointing and makes me leery...