Mainstay Markets

The staff here are some of the nicest I've ever encountered in this city - truly lovely, always excited to help you out. It's clear they put a lot of effort into the overall vibe of this place and it shows. The produce is high quality and fresh, the specialty products also quite good. The produce is a major draw here - it's regularly restocked, and there's a huge diversity of options. They also have a huge vat of soup several days a week (often clam chowder, chicken noodle) that is very reasonably priced and tasty. It will only be available until a couple hours after lunch. When the stars align and soup is leftover it's occasionally free at end of day. The only downside here is the prices - It seems like a dice roll is made every restocking to see if the prices will be normal or very high. * For fruits and veggies, stick to things that are in season, don't forget to sacrifice a goat to the deity of your choice for luck before making a large purchase. Off season the prices can be quite high. * Their "grab and go" meals are priced fairly and are of good quality. Spaghetti and meatballs, and the salmon salad are favorites of mine. * Seriously, don't sleep on the soups. The clam chowder + the discounted sourdough or French bread is a winning combination. * Lots of organic, healthy niche products. * The mushrooms aren't cheap but they're really fantastic, and of varieties that are hard to find. * Cheese is surprisingly fairly priced. * For meat, just avoid it. They don't have a lot of it, and it's very expensive. There's a butcher down the street that provides a lot more value if you're going to spend that kind of money on meat.

It seems quite presumptuous to name your business Mainstay Markets when you have only one market. Is--I mean are your markets nonbinary markets? Are there secret markets we don't know about? Are your markets here to stay; or are you, in the main, just another little guy going against all odds to make a little bit of money in a gentrifying neighborhood by charging people ridiculous amounts of money for fresh organic produce, a large percentage of which they'll probably end up dutifully throwing in the compost bin or allowing to wilt in their gorgeous Sub-Zero refrigerators in their beautiful new exclusive apartments in a neighborhood that's named Dogpatch--for now--because they're busy flying around the country (and the world) for their luxury-green-travel marketing jobs?Yes, I like some other overpriced independent markets in San Francisco. Yes, your workers are friendly.But I'm sorry, you charge way too much for simple store-made snacks like hummus with carrot and celery sticks. The hummus was sour and gross, and the celery sticks weren't fresh.I thought about returning, but why? You're too tiny to offer me anything that I can't get cheaper elsewhere, and if I want to overpay for something, I might as well overpay for everything on my shopping list in one place.Cute logo, though.

This small gorcery store is pretty pricey, but they have some good stuff. it's clean and well lit.

I want to come here more often, but the prices have become absolutely outrageous. This place always was a little pricey, in return for a convenient location and great produce. It's no longer convenient to stop in for a couple things, because the Gus' or Good Life (which are not bargain grocery stores!) just up the street are *so* much cheaper. The last couple times we've stopped in, we were looking at our receipt after and face-palming for spending over $100 on a single bag of groceries. For one example, extra virgin olive oil was "on sale" for $20. The same exact product/brand at the Gus' up the street is $15 at full retail price. When marking down your products still puts you almost 30% over the same item at full-cost at a nearby store, it's a problem - at least for me. I don't remember this store ever marking stuff "on sale" before at all, and this is like a hilarious farce. The people here are very nice. I hope they get great pay and benefits because the cost of groceries here has become absolutely ridiculous.

I had a question about where a product was. A worker who was stocking goods sensed my curiosity, asked if I had any questions and then pointed me in the right direction. He did so with a smile and a very positive attitude!The jumbo blueberries from here are spectacular! Some of the freshest that I have found in supermarkets!For a neighborhood market, paying the higher price isn't too bad. Just keep in mind that everything is significantly marked up.$18 total for orange juice and blueberries.

Stopped by Mainstay Market in San Francisco for lunch and got Musashi's sushi boxes!! I've already tried their sushi at their Berkeley location so I was really happy to see that they were selling at Mainstay Market. It's super convenient to just pick up when you're on your lunch break or don't feel like cooking at home. Of course, I was blown away by the quality of their sushi. The fish was incredibly fresh and flavorful, and the rice was perfectly cooked. Fish to rice ratio was always on point. Would definitely come back to get these yummy boxes on the go!

They're super friendly, have some food from local vendors, fresh produce, vegan options. Prices are high- that's the reality of a small specialty store in SF. But at least they're super helpful and community oriented. Been in maybe Ten times now. Always pleasant.

This little store is just gorgeous and the staff is always super nice and friendly. It's the best little grocery store I've seen. They're a tad pricey but so is Lucky's. People don't ever consider prices from the business point of view. Their prices reflect the cost of operating in that location and the quality of the food, which is outstanding. The whole store is also very well kept, clean and they value their good customers (hence the pictures on the door- I really don't want to be around people who are stealing openly, eating food brazenly with no intention to pay, and/or trashing the store). Great store, quality food and friendly folks, They deserve our support!!

NEW - they now sell alcohol!! Awesome selection of local microbrews and wines. Definitely check out this new section in their store for some refreshing drinks and to find something nice to pair with lunch and dinner :)Absolutely love Mainstay and every organic and healthy product that this market offers. They have so many products that are super healthy and absolutely delightful, particularly their desserts. Lots of plant-based choices! Besides their produce and fruits which are phenomenal quality, they have a lovely variety of snacks, drinks and sweets -- everything you could possibly need to whip up a delicious and wholesome meal.They also have a great selection for lunch if you want to drop in during your lunch break for a quick grab and go! Yummy Sushi, salad, fresh homemade sandwiches, freshly squeezed juices, etc. And don't forget to stop in for the soup! Every day of the week they'll offer a different type of soup - my favorite are the clam chowder, broccoli cheddar and cream of mushroom soup.As a Dogpatch resident myself I've always appreciated their kind and helpful service. The owners and staff are quite knowledgeable about their products in terms of nutrition and ingredients, so if you have a dietary preference they'll point you in the right direction.Be sure to treat yourself and check out this cute little market for your local groceries, they have everything you need.

There's no sign on the door saying they don't take EBT, which causes really embarrassing problems for those that depend on food assistance. They also have weird mugshots on the door of people no longer allowed in. In my experience in grocery stores we have those behind the register because having them out front looks unprofessional / sketchy. Everything here is also super marked up but I guess that's convenience. They do have a lot of expensive vegan speciality items which is nice if you're looking for that. It was pretty gross that the lady dropped my muffin twice on the bare counter when I was trying to check out as well.