Mariano’s Fresh Market

I like Marianos overall. I definitely bypass Jewel and will drive an extra 5 minutes to go to Marianos. The deli can be a little annoying at time, and I’ve had some customer service issues with the deli dept, but the management is fantastic having resolved a few issues I’ve had.

Have always been impressed with the Arlington Heights location, but this one in Buffalo Grove, not so much. The quality of food is ok but the customer service is dismal. On at least three different occasions I have wandered the store looking for help in finding an item, with no luck. The last time I was there, I found a young man in produce and when asked if they had fennel, he looked at me, said «I don’t know» — he said he didn’t know where it would be located either and went back to whatever he was doing. Also seems like they never have enough lines open. Contrast this with Sunset Foods, where there is always staff to help and they actually escort you to where your item is located! I even had the store manager go behind the deli counter and help out when there was a line at the deli! Sad that this Mariano’s can’t step it up as the store has potential!

Love this store. Everything is very fresh and great prices. I love their hot bar selections. Great customer service. I am very happy I have one closer to me. Tried their juice bar its amazing.

Its not just the location in BG I have a problem with it’s most locations.
While some of the food items and selections are nice, the poor customer service, the fact that most of the employees are high school kids with little experience, or the poor training just kills it for me.
I have seen the management talking down to some young staffers as well in front of us customers.
I only go there now for soups and salads, and an occasional pastry.
Otherwise, its Sunset Foods or Fresh Market where the customer service is vastly superior.

This location was not bad. I got two $ 6 meals. Very good chicken Milanese and great potato cakes. I won’t be getting the veggies again. Way too much onion.
The cashier was nice but the deli was very stressed I know they were busy but we go to a place like this to experience food not be a number.

I never really had a problem here, I actually like shopping here but I was completely turned off by one of the manager/​supervisor this past Sunday.
My husband and I were there this past Sunday night, when it was slow. We were at the check out line and the kid who was checking us out had asked the older manager/​supervisor lady if he can use the bathroom when he’s done, she tells him to wait. So when he’s done, he asks one more time and she completely loses it. She starts screaming at him across the store, clearly annoyed/​mad that he asked her twice. I feel as though, that was completely unprofessional to be yelling at an employee in front of customers like that. I don’t understand, did she want him to pee his pants??? Granny was completely power tripping and needs to retake the training course in management on how to deal with with employees.

Awesome salad bar and gelato stand. Great produce. Most dry goods are same or a tiny bit higher than Walmart. Nice looking store

If I know what I want, shopping here is a pleasant experience. The store is clean, the cashiers are pleasant and relatively quick, and the selection is what I would expect from any top-​tier grocery store. However, I feel like the staff could use a little training in customer service. The other night I was trying to get a sandwich made at the deli counter. There were at least a half dozen people busy working behind the counter, and it was 10 minutes before I could get the attention of one of them. None stopped what they were doing to ask «Can I help you?» I practically had to jump up and down and wave my arms. It was frustrating, since it was a nice evening and I wasn’t looking to spend the bulk of it in a grocery store. Also, I get the impression that the lady who runs the smoothie stand doesn’t really want to be there.

Okay, I now see what the reviewers are talking about regarding customer service. I can confirm now that their complaints are quite sound.
I finally needed help today looking for truffles and bitters. Two staff members I asked had no idea where anything was and told me to ask customer service. One of them was wearing deli service attire and one of them was new, so I guess they get a pass, although I expect all the staff to be familiar with where general food items are… And if anything, I expected the truffles to be in the deli area with the cheeses and pates.
I go to customer service after searching on my own for a LONG time. It’s 6:30pm. This is where it goes downhill. Jill Smith and Jane Doe are there. Jill has no idea what I’m talking about. Jane tells me to go look again where I told them I had already been looking (I had gone back to the same place 4 or 5 times and had searched a very long time). Jane kept insisting it was there because she had personally sold them. I was specifically looking for bitters and she just kept telling me it was in the alcohol mixers section… really? Earth-​shattering– I didn’t even think to look for bitters in the alcohol mixers section.
Okay. Fine. So I go back one more time, thinking I must not be looking hard enough. Can’t find it. I go back to customer service, Jane is gone, and I apologize (which I deeply regret now since they’re being paid to help me) and ask if Jill could assist me in finding it. Jill ROLLS HER EYES up to the ceiling (I shit you not. I couldn’t believe that she actually did that. It was like watching a unicorn.), snorts, says nothing and starts dragging her feet towards the alcohol section. I guess that’s fine– I know overweight people want to avoid the walking thing.
We’re at the alcohol section. Jill paces. And paces. And paces. And paces. She can’t find it either so I ask for Jane, since Jane said she’s sold them before. She won’t call her. She keeps looking. And looking. And it’s getting ridiculous at this point. She’s looking and searching and pacing. And pacing. She finally concedes. She’s going to call the manager.
Manager finally gets here. Manager is super nice and knowledgeable. He finds the bitters.
I go to check out. Jill is the cashier, standing in for the teenage cashier who can’t check out alcohol. Oh god. Jill asks me how much this bottle of cordial is. What? LOL… uh, about $ 0 then. Do you want me to name a price? I will take it for free lol. She tries to figure out the price of the cordial– which involves a long phone call rather than a short walk to the alcohol section. Seems like the person on the other end has no idea what they’re doing either because she has to describe the bottle three times. Finally, she finishes. This is also when I figured out she does, in fact, speak English. I had taken her stunted, awkward speech to mean she wasn’t fluent. Oh, she was fluent, all right.
The teenage cashier takes over and asks me what kind of produce I’m buying. I gave Mariano’s a pass about this in my last review– didn’t even mention it but now I will because it’s happened every time I’ve been here, it’s aggravating, and I see now that it’s part of a deeper problem with training rather than a small hiccup– none of the cashiers know what any of the fruits or vegetables are. Like, I know you’re high schoolers and you live off of a diet of questionable vodka and Chipotle, but seriously? Have you never seen a Roma tomato or some garlic??? This, Exhibit A, is a CUCUMBER. And this, is an onion– they are NOT the same thing. This has happened every time I’ve checked out and it’s a phenomenon I’ve never before experienced at any other grocery store. The cashier has to ask me what every single item of produce is. What the heck? Are you not trained? Wait, I already know the answer to that. The kids are nice and mostly hide their severe boredom, but they are straight up clueless.
7pm. I walk out. 30 minutes of hassle. Of waiting. Of lackadaisical employees. 30 minutes. Dude. Time is money. And now I’ll be taking my money to The Fresh Market, which is infinitely better in terms of store design, customer service, and food quality, and so should you.
Ugh. I’m over you Mariano’s. I can’t believe Jill literally got paid a half-​hour wage to do this crap.

This is the first place I ever tried sushi. I loved it. I found it pretty surprising that they had a certified sushi chef there (even given that it’s Marianos. those fancy bastards) and I was not let down. I got the spicy salmon maki and it was really great. The spicy mayo sauce was yummy, the salmon tasted pretty fresh, and the rice (the most important part) was awesome. They do a great job ensuring that what you buy is fresh, only allowing the packaged sushi to remain on the shelf for a few hours until it’s thrown away. My heart hurts for all the wasted sushi, but it’s for the best I suppose. Would buy again!

Great store good prices, great variety. I really enjoy the cheese department. The have wonderful smoothies made with mix of different vegetables and fruits for cleansing, energizing and other things
Located near the produce aisle and the freshly squeezed juices.
They have a lot of prepared dinners in the deli. 6.99 for two sides and an entrée. Salmon is average in taste but rather skimpy. The turkey breast is dry and very salty.
The service is generally excellent with the exception of the juice bar. Wonderful fresh carrot juice if your tired better boost then coffee.
If you like you can pick out meats at the butcher and have it made to order, they will also make to order at the seafood department.
In the produce selection they offer organic fruits and vegetables with a few out of the ordinary exotic fruits. You will also find a decent selection of mixed nuts and candies.

Mariano’s, the first time I fell in love with you was when I was a giddy visitor to Greektown. I was fascinated by the grandeur of an escalator for shopping carts, and the fresh and wide array of displayed produce. You seemed like a whole foods or Fresh Market, but at a much more reasonable price.
Tell me, what other grocery store has complimentary cucumber infused water waiting for you, for the times when you get thirsty while you shopped? A gelato shop and a hot bar? Bring a wine tasting booth and you shall be heaven.
This location is definitely better than the libertyville location. I have been to the libertyville and lake zurick locations nearby as well, and the buffalo grove location is the best. For one, items are much more well stocked. Everytime I wanted baby bok choy at the livertyville location, they run out. Seems like an inventory logistics issue if they are not forecasting inventory well.
Ample parking here, and you don’t have to compete with everybody’s mama for a space. Courteous and eager to assist store clerks. Fresh veggies and fruits. You get your usual piano man who will serenade you with sweet tunes while you shop. Very friendly staff at the bakery section. Fresh baked bread trumps pre-​packaged any day. Did I mention the neat little cupcakes at $ 2.25 each? Ok they are not quite little, but definitely cute enough to bring home for a loved one to cheer them on.
Basically, shopping at this location makes me happier. It’s actually an enjoyable experience, rather than Garden Fresh. The only complaints, limited bathroom, single stall per gender. Also, smelly bathroom. Please get some bathroom attention and you will be off the chain.

Love this location! The layout, options, and service are perfect. Extras like fresh food, juices, coffees help this grocery store to stand out.

Truly disappointed every time I have had to stop in. The customer service there is the worst of any Mariano’s I have ever shopped at. For example, two high school aged cashiers are chatting, neither one looking or noticing that there are customers waiting to check out in their lanes. Where is the management?

Meh. First off, they didn’t come by me (Lake Cook and Arlington Heights Road) so that kind of dampened my spirits on them. It’s too much of a hike — I’ll just stick with Sunset and if I want to travel will go to Trader’s in Arlington Heights. And now they don’t circulate the flyers in the Wednesday paper, so there’s no enticement at all.

Thank God. A company that cares about the food we eat!
Keep it up Mr Mariano! You Rock

I am so happy that Mariano’s Fresh Market came to my town, BG was definitely missing out in this store, but I have to say that this particular Mariano’s is one of the better one’s that I’ve been to since I’ve been to one in Hoffman Estates, one on Rand Road, one in Vernon Hills and this is definitely my favorite location. Besides the grand opening, which was super crowded but that is expected for such an exciting store to come to Buffalo Grove so it was flocked with people and I was literally overwhelmed. But a few weeks after the grand opening, I can honestly say that I literally enjoy coming here on Sunday afternoons and getting some groceries for the week.
Usually when I come, it’s not overwhelming with people everywhere so I can actually stroll down the aisles and not feel like a tornado is about to get me. I like that they have an organic section with a great variety of always fresh produce and it’s always so neat and everything is labeled so finding my organic cherry tomatoes has never been easier. I also shop non organic for certain produce and I’m able to find those at ease as well. They have great produce, a wonderful meat section where I always get my meat for my burgers, super fresh at all times, great salmon selection as well as other seafood. Oh, the bakery is fantastic in it of itself with amazing brioche buns baked daily so I’ve never had anything remotely stale here. Plus, they have cupcakes galore which I try to stay away from.
Now onto the cheese and wine, wow I can spend all day here, they have such a great variety, and literally a cheese out there for everyone and constantly have samples so if you’re not sure what you want, they will definitely help you find something for you. The prices for most of the store isn’t cheap, but you get what you pay for and if you watch out for their weekly sale ads you can really find some good deals, you just have to keep your eye out for them. This store literally has everything without being over crowded and they always have nice samples. My only complaint is that they don’t have the sweet mesquite bbq chips for the brand Cape Cod, they have all the other ones but not the BBQ so they definitely need to carry those so I don’t have to drive to jewel just to get my chips fix. Otherwise, terrific store and layout and I’m happy they came here. Oh and a terrific floral section as well as yummy goodies such as chocolate covered strawberries made to order, so you can’t lose out over here. I’ll be back and back some more, all the time.

YAY! FINALLY!!! The long-​awaited Buffalo Grove Mariano’s. I am SO. STOKED. I was counting the days. I was stalking Mariano’s on Facebook for opening timeline. I was chompin’ at the bit for this baby. And it does not disappoint.
Prior to going in, I was nervous about the layout because I don’t like the layout of the Lake Zurich store. But when I went in, it’s basically laid out exactly the same as the Dominicks was — so it felt natural. Except this is WAY better than Dominick’s.
It does feel just a smudge smaller than some of the other locations (Palatine /​Vernon Hills), but it seems to have everything — so maybe it’s just an illusion.
It’s got all the normal stuff a Mariano’s has. Fabulous bakery, bulk foods, fresh juices, great produce — I’m so happy it’s finally here. And I like it.

Another great Mariano’s location in the suburbs — although it does retain much of the look and feel of the old Dominick’s, it has the service and selection you’d expect from Mariano’s.
Some highlights:
— This one has a spice shop, with gourmet spices, coffees, teas, etc. Nice if you need some specialty items but can’t make it out to a dedicated store.
— Bakery section does have a bit more selection of baked goods and cakes you don’t normally see at other locations.
— Comparatively spacious to some other Mariano’s locations — you have a good amount of space to walk around and the layout with the produce, bakery, and meats dispersed around the store really help to avoid the usual traffic jam. Due to the layout, it’s also easier to brose items among the shelves and doesn’t have as many duplicated items in different sections as I normally see.
— In addition to a great selection of craft beers, there’s also a wider selection of bottled craft soda. The additional selection also applies to coffees from smaller roasteries you don’t normally see like Two Brothers.
— The produce section has a heavy use of baskets for display. This gives it more of a market feel and makes it easier to separate different items.
— Over 20 varieties of potatoes, including many fingerling potatoes.

I’ve been to two other Mariano’s before, so I had an idea of what to expect, but the service here is absolutely wonderful! It’s newly opened, so I was a bit worried about not being able to find things, but the staff handled the opening week great! Despite the store feeling a bit small, there is a wide selection of produce and goods, especially vegan and organic. There are also helpful labels for those with gluten allergies or other dietary restrictions to find food. It’s a bit pricey, but the investment is worth it because the service and décor are fantastic. My favorite section is the international food aisle because it’s wonderfully decorated. The deli and bakery are also well-​stocked. There is also a bulk buy spice section, which is really handy for large cooking projects.
Besides gushing about the products, I’m happy to also mention the outstanding service. I love Mariano’s because they make fresh water melon juice, and I went there hoping to pick some up, but to my dismay I couldn’t find any. Upon asking the staff member handling the juicer if this location juiced watermelons, a supervisor stepped in and joked about how people loved the watermelon juice so much that it completely sold out! (Some man took the last 3 half gallons just a few minutes prior!) I said it was fine and I’d return another day, but he just told me to wait a few minutes. I browsed the lovely floral boutique and all of a sudden, he produced a bottle of it! He explained that he went back to use a smaller juicer since watermelons wouldn’t be juiced yet, and he made this just for me! I felt so embarrassed that he went out of his way, but I really do appreciate how he went above and beyond for me. I’m happy this location opened up!