When you ask someone what the best Bay Area grocery stores are, you will invariably hear about Berkeley Bowl. And they aren’t wrong- the produce at Berkeley Bowl is really extraordinary. I have never seen so many types of apples, potatoes, carrots. But a close second is a bit more unknown- Monterey Market in Berkeley.
I’d almost call Monterey Market “the insider’s Berkeley Bowl” and there are a few reasons why it’s one of the best Bay Area grocery stores.
Selection
The produce selection is very good- not quite at Berkeley Bowl levels- but very good nevertheless. You’ll find everything you could possibly need for your weekly grocery shopping.
And on top of great produce, there are several aisles of pasta, canned and jarred items, and lots of bread (you know I love that!) There’s even a small selection of wines, coffees, and bulk foods. All with a strong emphasis on local Bay Area producers. Love that!
Prices
Like Berkeley Bowl, Monterey Market prides itself on good prices, particularly in produce. Other than a farm stand here or there, I don’t think you could find better prices- even at a farmers market. Check out the prices of the greens below.
The prices are about half what I saw at Safeway in Moraga last week. And even better, there’s a section outside where “past the due date” produce is DIRT cheap. I got a bag of ~8 sweet potatoes for $1.98. And there’s not a thing wrong with them.
Location: a blessing and a curse
Monterey Market is not blessed with two things: a meat/seafood selection or great parking. But in some ways, these two things can be overcome. On the parking, you can find a spot in the neighborhood but you’re probably going to need to walk a bit. Not a bad thing! And honestly, I think the lack of super easy access makes it a bit less crowded.
And on the meat/seafood, well you are in lucky. On the block next to the market, there are a few small shops to round out your food shopping. There’s a seafood market, a bakery, a coffee shop and, best of all, Gioia Pizza. Which really sets the bar high for our ongoing East Bay pizza tour (more to come on that!)
And at the time of this article, there was even a very vocal Girl Scout troop selling cookies on the corner. You really can find everything you need 🙂
So give Monterey Market a try when you’re in Berkeley. It’s a lot less flashy than some of other best Bay Area grocery stores. But I think you will be very happy to have discovered it.
Monterey Market, 1550 Hopkins St #2711, Berkeley, CA 94707
