Vitality & Health Natural Market

Overpriced garbage. Produce is mostly rotten. Hot food bar and salad bar are disgusting. Very dirty, cramped and disorganized. Service is horrendous. Turnover is very high. Small wonder — the working conditions are deplorable. It has been as hot as an oven late at night recently. (Unsanitary much?) Earlier today, an old, black-​haired woman — perhaps an owner or a relative? — yelled at me for throwing my basket on top of the salad bar, which has lids on every item. She wagged her finger in my face. I yelled back at her, and she had the nerve to put her hands on me. I guess she didn’t appreciate all the money I’ve spent … no, wasted … there, and all the nonsense I’ve put up with from her ridiculous employees and incompetent, hotheaded managers. The hot bar has given me stomach problems several times. One night it stank to high heaven while the workers just stood around. I’ve seen lots of expired meat products there. Also I strongly suspect that some products I bought there carried tiny, brown, shelled insects into my apartment. I cleaned out my cupboards and stopped shopping there, and whaddya know, the insects disappeared. Oh, and I accidentally left expensive gifts from a museum shop in the bathroom there. An employee told me the items were found and placed behind the counter, but then they disappeared and were never recovered. They also take over the sidewalk in the summer, and the juice from the rotten produce just collects and festers in the street. Anyway, this is Loserville. Do yourself a favor and go to Food Bazaar instead!

For the most part, this is an OK store to shop at, the only one walking distance in this area. The fruits on sale in the front are usually about to expire and I purchased a few items that were rooted, like eggs. I usually only come here to get a smoothie (when it’s made right it’s good), most times it’s always something wrong with it.
This store has the potential to be great. If another store similar to this location opens up, Vitality will definitely go out of business ASAP.

Small but filled with lots of stuff. A bit pricey on non produce items, ESPECIALLY the meat. I’ve also had molded strawberries there twice. Overall, great staff, good food and lots of choices.

I go here a lot because it has fresh vegetables and is convenient. HOWEVER, the customer service usually leaves me irritated. For some reason they feel the need to card EVERYONE that purchases alcohol here. Everyone. And only the managers seem to be allowed to do the id check. I am in my mid-40’s. There is no reason I should have to prove that I am 21 when anyone can plainly see that I am well past the age where this is remotely necessary. I’ve stopped buying beer here for this reason alone. Also I have paid for items on several occasions only to arrive home and discover they never made it into the bag. Some of the managers are downright rude, as well.

I’ve been coming here for a few years now and I have many things that I love about it and very few things I dislike
Pros
— Open ²⁴⁄₇ (even most holidays)
— Largest variety of organic fruits and veggies
— Large variety of healthy food in the buffet
— Smoothie bar is the best in the neighborhood (large variety of produce, proteins and extras like flax or chia or b-​12, etc to add to smoothies)
— You can get your smoothies with coconut water, coconut milk, hemp milk, almond milk, soy milk, any type of liquid you can imagine!!!
— Super green smoothie with coconut water is my FAVORITE OF ALL TIME
— Juice bar is just as good and you have so many options
— They sell items made by local neighbors like homemade cookies and cakes)
— Super fast service
— They have an in house nutritionist who helps you with supps and vitamins
— They have all types of products from hair, skin, face, Insides, outsides, EVERYTHING!
— They hAve a loyal rewards card that gives you discounts as you gain points (100pts = $ 5 off)
Cons
— I spend way to much money in there
— I spend way to much money in there
— I spend way to much money in there
So if your looking for a bomb market with organic natural products. You will love this place! Just mKe sure you don’t spent all your money like I do LOL

I’ve been their customer since 2011 when they only had small store one cashier .
Overall I’m happy to see there is organic store in the neighborhood however some of items here are not organic and they’re not labeled properly.
Also if there’s any sale going on it is because of expiration date.
They change their employees very often, so throughout all these years I don’t feel like it’s a neighborhood store.
The reason for me giving them one star review is my experience today in which employee took almost 10 minutes to charge me for a soup and round spinach pie. I was by myself on the line the whole time .
I guess they lost another customer.

I just started shopping at this market and and I am happy that I found it. I have been passing by this place for years and never stepped in, and now I see that I have been missing out. They have organic food with the lowest price. The place it’s a little tight, but if you know what you’re getting you will be fine, you wont experience much the squeezing to get thru the walkways.

Cool place & decent prices.

Great prices and very good selection for the size of the store. I come from LIC to shop here and it’s worth the short train ride.

This place is great to have in the neighborhood.
All the food — packaged and from the ready-​made area, is great and top quality.
Staff is always super helpful and its open ²⁴⁄₇!

I’m glad to see this very well stocked market in a sleepier part of town. They have red AND lacinato (tuscan/​Dino) kale! And sometimes sales on small coconut water. The produce is very fresh. I’m a fan of the stuffed tomato (ground beef & rice) on their Buffet, Lentil soup, & pre-​made Olive loaf turkey Sandwiches.
HOWEVER– the shopping experience isn’t want you’d like from an Organic Market. It does seem like they like there’s been a change in Ownership– with employees now wearing all black, baseball caps, & ‘Muscle Crew’ TShirts for sale. Employees seem overall happier & slightly calmer.
PLEASE! Turn off the techno electro music near the check-​out & buffet dining area. The times I’ve sat & ate, I wore ear plugs.
I usually try to keep my visits as short as possible. Oh– and there’s tons of tiny dead flies stuck to the stucco wall also. Last Holiday 2014, there was an Opera Singer with a cassette player singing– loudly! In the dining area. And employees barking, «Next In Line! Next!» So Sad. The aisles are SO narrow also.
There were 2 blonde managers, not sure if they’re there anyone: 1 really nice, 1 not. I bought kale once & couldn’t clean off all the bugs after many times soaking it. Called & they said No problem, bring it in for exchange or they’ll wash it, organic doesn’t spray so you at find bugs.
Go in after a long day at work, 2 different cashiers argue with me that the product «as is.» I plead saying I called, or I wouldn’t have come back. They ask the moody manager, he barks No! I go and talk to him & said that I spoke to a manager. He is the Manager– Bark! THEN the nice manager comes & calmly says Yes I can exchange it. Afterwards I leave the store looking shell shocked, the moody manager apologizes to me & hands me a bottle of $ 6 juice & apologizes again. Me: blank stare.
This is the same back-​and-​forth when I go to the juice counter to buy a few scoops of protein powder. First times they were so nice, when I go back. All memory is lost & Bark Bark Bark!

I’ve been going to this natural market for the past few years, but will not be returning, and I say this as a female customer who feels harassed and violated by a Vitality & Health employee.
I went there tonight to get a few snacks for a small movie night I’m having with friends and was bulldozed by a guy on my way to the sweets section past the buffet. And I wish «bulldoze» was hyperbole. He apologized and I chocked it off as a lack of peripheral vision, something very common in this city.
No more than two minutes later, I’m browsing the chips and salsa situation and another guy brushes against me without saying «excuse me,» body on body, to return a bag of chips to the shelf. Then I see that it’s the very SAME guy! I’m feeling violated and not interested in snacks at this point, so I make way for the door, to discover this guy works there! What’s up with that, Vitality & Health? We live in a city where you can be arrested for touching someone inappropriately on the subway. This guy touched me twice: once in a violent way (which I hope was unintentional); the second time in a totally avoidable, inappropriate manner. I would hope that a normal person would be a little more sensitive and respectful towards a customer, especially after nearly knocking one over, but not here!
Ladies, beware. I’m not the first person to perceive the creepy way that the employees at Vitality & Health interact with female customers here (see above commenter).
This market is inhospitable. The produce is rarely fresh. I dig the spinach rolls and the buffet has been a decent dinner every now and then, but seriously, from now on I’ll be getting «natural» food from a different place.

Open 24 hours and has everything you need. I do wish it looked cleaner from the outside, I came in due to desperation once, and it changed my view of Astoria supermarkets. I love it, but it needs to be more organized and cleaned up.

Long story, short — once you come here, you’ll probably switch supermarkets. It’s also open 24 hours!
After coming here for the first time, it’s kind of hard to live without it.
They’re an organize supermarket that sells non-​organic produce as well. They’ve also got a deli and buffet section that had amazing choices for breakfast, lunch and dinner!
Prices are reasonable, markets like these are often located in the city w/​the same quality products but are a lot higher in pricing.
Vitamins and supplements are also sold here! They have everything!
For the deli, I recommend any of the paninis but especially the BBQ chicken panini w/​a side of vegan mayo. The chicken bacon ranch and chicken spinach feta wrap w/​chipotle sauce & vegan mayo on the side is also to die for!
The buffet selection speaks for itself, they all look and smell great!

This place has some good stuff but price-​wise it’s a miss or hit. I always avoid their ‘organic’ products as most of them seem to have hyper inflated prices. And I’m a little dubious of their procedence. One day I saw a worker with a bunch of «Organic» labels, so I’m not sure if I can fully trust this establishment.
I still go there to get bread, yogurt, and some of their conventional produce.
Update 11÷11÷15;
Overall I would say this place has gone from nice to good to now barely being average .
Unfortunately, a lot of their product quality has been going down lately.
It’s been at least a few times since I go to this place that I get bad or half spoiled avocados, mangoes and berries. My wife also bought bread that had some type of mold or fungus and realized it when she opened the bag, so had to go back and request a refund.
I don’t think they have any type of quality control at this point.
You need to be extra careful and inspect each item throughly before buying, as some of it could be spoiled and you could be wasting your time or money.

The store is way too cluttered! Less is more greedy owners! You can’t even move in this store, so don’t bother! They need to re-​merchandise! Every time I give this store a chance I find MORE merchandise or fixtures in the way. Do you really need the «RedBox» DVD rental machine? My friends won’t shop here either. They call the over priced packed store «greedy hell». Oh and the Gluten Free frozen items are ALL covered in freezer burn (see photo).

I’m in love with the buffet. Although it’s a small selection it’s very tasty and organic. Aside from the buffet they also have what looks like a deli and custom meal section (I have no clue what it is. I’m an instant gratification person. I’m not sitting there ordering AND waiting for food when theres a nice fresh ALL READY MADE selection right behind me).
If you’re a self proclaimed health /​organic nut such as myself then this is a very resourceful place. You can find almost anything here and trust me you are going to pay a hefty price for it to. Which brings me to my next point… the pricing. Yes I know healthy, organic food cost more but I can find some of the same products in my neighborhood cheaper (minus 1 star).
Also try to come after 1 to bet the lunchtime crowd.
Overall: I am very pleased with this place and plan on returning whenever I am in the neighborhood.

I went to store to purchase grocery and the someone followed me and spy on me as if I was stealing. Bad experience.

I wouldn’t know what to do without them.
They have affordable fruits along with organic /​local produce as well.
For few weeks i thought it was only the half side of the store that had stuff, but the other half has alot more stuff as well!
They also serve juices and sandwiches & hot food. Really enjoy this place alot.
Definitely recommend to check this place out!

First time i was here, i came to meet a French friend that lived in the area. She was from Provence and knows about food so when she recommended to meet here, we had their delicious sandwiches in either foccacia or ciabatta bread.
Came a few times more that same year in 2008 and simply forgot about the tiny place as she went back to France.
Then one day on my foot explorations as usual in big arse Astoria, i stumbled upon this place and all seemed familiar but not quite. Because that tiny place in 08 is now expanded and attached to a corner health foods supermarket. Basically a one stop shop.
It goes on further, staff and manager are super and genuinely helpful and friendly. They love the café/​deli/​juice bar/​salad bar/​supermarket just like everyone so it is a win win.
Desserts, prepped salads, prepped sandwiches, salad bar are all delish and quite a bang for your buck. Recently I got a raw already holed up coconut for $ 4 and a large organic combo drink for $ 5 (see my pix).
Vitality is a treasured place that is close to my heart as it is open 24 hours!!! No hipsters here so please stay away.