Maruichi Japanese Food & Deli — Local services in Providence

This was my third and last visit. The first two times, I thought the food was slightly below average but palatable and the products were overpriced. It's the only place within walking distance to buy some of the things I was running low on, so I returned today. I was immediately greeted by an entryway blocked by a pallet of products on one side, and an employee who moved her cart in front of the other. She accidentally knocked a display over, which happens, but she chose to block the remaining area of access to the food court during her clean up. When I made my way around and tried to get in line to order, that same employee shoved past me.

All the menus were piled up next to the register. There was nothing available to review in line. I took two seconds to look and was almost ready to order when a group of three made their way to the line behind me. I'd patiently waited for my turn when others were in front of me, this group hadn't even joined the queue when the employee working the register told me to go sit down. I'd understand if they'd been waiting, but that wasn't the case.

Now, they wanted me to relinquish my place in line for three others.

I walked out at that point. It may seem small, but their staff are rude and inattentive. I'll just hold off until I'm in another city where I can visit a proper asian store, have more variety, eat better food and spend 1/3 of what I planned to spend here.

If you have other options, go there. Especially if they have a proper food court, the difference...

Wanted to give a 1 star due to his behavior but I still love this place.

If you have a temper, take it out and don’t ruin the place.

I’ve always loved this place — the staff are usually so kind, and it’s felt like a comforting spot I could count on. But today, around 6 PM, I had a really upsetting experience with a staff member who had a buzz cut. I was simply trying to order a gyudon and asked if they had a cheese version. He snapped back, saying he didn’t know what I was talking about. I clarified by pointing to the pictures on the third row, and he rudely replied, “No beef, no gyudon.” His tone and attitude were so aggressive that even other diners started looking over, clearly uncomfortable.

I’ve since spoken to others who frequent Maruichi, and several mentioned they’ve also experienced rudeness from him. This place used to bring me joy — today, he completely ruined that experience. I sincerely hope management addresses this behavior, because it doesn’t reflect the warm, welcoming atmosphere Maruichi is known for.

Please do something before people start feeling uncomfortable...

It's wonderful to have a Japanese supermarket in Providence! The selection is impressive, especially given the relatively limited size of the store, and it seems like the prices are a bit less than they are in the Boston location. From frozen natto, udon, and abura-age to miso, different kinds tofu, and vinegar, they have what we need and can't find in the markets. Great store!

On a side-note, I cannot recommend the food on offer at the cafe portion. It's horribly overpriced and, compared to convenience stores in Japan (let alone actual restaurants or homemade), not enjoyable. At the very least, I wish they used better rice -- I would have been embarrassed to serve the rice that I got in my katsu-curry to anyone. That said, I'm only offering this as a constructive (though harsh) critique because I'm so excited to have this store in the area, and I hope they can improve on this. Overall, this truly is a wonderful market, and we'll be...