Fareway Stores

Lord have mercy. This store is dirty. Not just dirty, but filthy. Aisles are narrow and the place is always swarming with people (average age 72) and it’s impossible to get out of here quickly. The only saving grace is the meat counter. Meats are fresh and there’s always a large variety.
I think Fareway is pricey compared to Hy-​Vee and Hy-​Vee isn’t cheap either. Parking can be a pain in the a$$, too. Come early; right after opening.

Fareway is an awesome, old-​school grocery known primarily for its full-​service meat market and courtesy clerks that still carry out groceries to your car. The butchers in their white aprons, paper hats and sawdust covered floor, will cut & wrap your meat to order. Want a ½ lb. of slab bacon? Want fresh ground beef that’s made in-​store not at the packing plant? Want your chicken breasts cut in half and wrapped individually? No problemo! They use USDA Choice beef while most supermarkets sell Select which is a grade below Choice.
The stores are small and uncluttered so you don’t spend an hour getting a few things. The down side of being old-​school is they don’t carry all of the specialty items you’ll find a big modern superstore, but the selection is more than adequate 95% of time. It amazes me that the last two remaining full service grocery stores left in Eastern Iowa, are both home-​grown Iowa chains — Hy-​Vee and Fareway. They have taken different approaches and I still love the Johnson Ave. Hy-​Vee for their great specials and friendly staff so I shop both stores. Wal-​Mart? No way!
Here’s the coolest thing about Fareway which most people don’t even know: they match their competitor’s ads. I don’t mean only when you bring in the ad and ask for an adjustment, I mean the actual price on the shelf is reduced and without haggling. See that Hot Buy Hy-​Vee has in their ad for 99-​cent shredded cheese? Fareway has it too, marked down on the shelf (although sometimes discreetly). Fareway’s own ads aren’t as hot as Hy-Vee’s but with their ad matching policy and everyday lower prices, they have everyone beat, even Wal-Mart…and with hundred times better service! Compare for yourself and you’ll be shopping here too.