Foods of All Nations

Judith P — if you usually love this place, WHY would you give them a 2-​star review over one item???
Been going to FOAN for many years — lived in C’ville for about 6 years — now live in Richmond and, if heading west, we stop there every time for pastries, sandwiches, coffee, etc.; and then stop in on the way east heading back home for their fried chicken — yummm!

Cheap sushi, sandwiches and salads that can be hit or miss, but are typically pretty good. The grocery part of the store has a lot of cool international foods you can’t find anywhere else, as well as some other common staples (bread, lunch meat, chips, etc.). Definitely not replacement for your grocery store, but good for special ingredients or picking up a few common items. Don’t forget to get the sandwich reward card, where you get $ 5 off your sixth sandwich.

Usually love this place. Very convenient, but the cheesecake tart is the worst I have ever eaten… and at $ 2.99 a serving I expected better. Tasted flat and texture was like gelatin. Please change the recipe.

Great little shop — lots of good stuff that aren’t really available at bigger grocery stores, a great bakery, good sushi counter, good cheeses and wine selection and decent prices

Reminded me of a mini «A Southern Season»… This is a Gourmet-​ish Medium Large sized Grocery Store with a small Restaurant and Ice Cream Shop featuring Chaps Ice Cream! We were sent here by a Restaurant Owner for a few specialty items to make Dinner! This was a pretty cool store, though I’m not sure if I would shop here unless I lived really close and did not have a car…

Heard whisperings from my coworkers that this place was where it’s at. So I knew I had to try it firsthand.
This review is mainly for the sushi. We were really impressed with the selection and the freshness of the dishes. We grabbed the smoked salmon, seaweed salad, the lobster, and the spicy tuna rolls. All in all the sushi was very flavorful. I know that grocery sushi has its limits but it felt like this place kept up. I will say that the sides of ginger and wasabi were basic and nothing special.
In regards to the selection of groceries it was decent. I really appreciate the care to which things are organized in the store.
To sum it up: good place for speciality items but not necessarily everything on your grocery list.

Great wine selection and deli! It is so nice to get all the things I miss from Europe. The nutella was better when it was imported though, instead of the American version. They have friendly customer service and a knowledgeable cheese staff. All around pleasant place to shop (Also their candy/​chocolate section leaves nothing to be desired).

Foods is, hands down, my favorite thing about Charlottesville.
The folks are friendly, the selection is out of this world, and it’s super-​convenient to get to.
If you visit C’ville, this place is a must. It’s the variety-​grocery store that Food Hole wishes it was. It’s the local alternative to a place like Trader Josephine’s, which has morphed in to a tired national GMO-​happy conglomerate that is in love with its own brands of everything.
I’m just gonna list the items you simply MUST try when you go:
– Deviled Eggs
– Custom sammies
– Breakfast biscuits
– Bean coffee (especially the pecan blend)
– The house-​label jams and jellies
– Locally baked peanut butter cookies
Let me take a minute and expound on how freakin’ awesome the meatloaf is. It’s quite simply the best meatloaf I’ve ever had, or ever will have (or could make, frankly). There’s something about the seasoning and the quality of ground beef they use. Take it home, freeze it, and slap that bad boy right in the oven when you’re ready to chow. If you leave Foods without it I’ll come find you and slap you.
Enjoy. Make a visit here on par with a trip to Monticello or the UVa grounds. That’s how great it is.

Disgusting Store. Basement is filled with espestice and mildew.
Have you ever notice a heavy layer of dust on everything in the store? This is do to the fact that the basement of foods of all nations is covered in a thick layer of mold, mildew, and espestice (where the food is stored).
The management is fully aware of the issue, but refuse to fix it due to the cost. They more or less just paint over the green walls and ignore it.
Several employees were forced to get an inhaler due to the heavy abundance of mold in the air.
This is a problem that needs a light shined on it, Foods of all nations is knowingly poisoning their customers while exposing their employees to unsafe work conditions. I understand that they have quite a nice selection, but for your own health and safety DO NOT SHOP THERE!
P. S. Fact: Whole Foods is actually cheaper and has a better selection.

This past week, my office had its annual Thanksgiving potluck, and our company provides the meat for the occasion. I was somewhat nervous after calling a few specialty grocery stores and receiving the bad news that no one precooks turkeys or hams, and that deli would be my best option.
Foods of All Nations is a total lifesaver! Not only did they cook AND carve a turkey to perfection (one of the best turkeys I have had in years), the spiral ham was also out of control delicious AND they included gravy. What more can you ask for?!
On top of dealing with, I’m convinced, are the nicest people in all of Cville, the head chef Tom, came upstairs from the kitchen to personally deliver the gravy.
All in all, super professional, very helpful, and will order from them again for our Christmas party.

With the unfortunate closing of C’ville Market, this is pretty much the only locally owned full-​service grocer left in town. Their produce section is pretty modest but everything is usually good quality, and they have a nice range of fruits and veggies, including a good amount of local stuff. Most of the store is a fantastic trove of dry goods from all corners — certainly the place to find that random Mexican, Japanese, or Italian ingredient. Good cheese section too. A little pricey overall but not too bad — pay the extra few bucks to support a small business.

So, I wanted to taste the Po’ Boy and then write a review but, I ate it all… it was excellent! The remoulade sauce is killer & the fried okra crispy bites of goodness FYI I never eat okra! This place is truly one of Cville’s Best kept secrets. The Po’ Boys are for a limited time so get ur butt in there!

Their sandwiches are awesome! My boss originally took me out to eat here on my first day and I’ve been addicted to it since. I go almost every day for lunch (I work nearby) and this place is just so consistently good. It’s a great spot to grab a quick sandwich and browse some of their coffee/​tea/​candy. I love their cookies and it’s a great place to grab some good ‘olé fashioned Bueno bars.

Great store. But on Sunday, they don’t open until 10am.
They have excellent veal scallopini and beef filets. Their wine inventory, while smaller, has a great selection.
I wish they made their ham salad all year instead of just seasonally.

The coffee is really good, and the girls who work behind the coffee station do a great job (very time efficient, quick witted and friendly) + the prices are very reasonable. My only complaints are that sometimes it will randomly be closed at weird hours like 9 AM or just closed for a whole day. This takes away the reliability you want if you get your coffee at the same place everyday. The sandwiches are great, too. I don’t know why the ready made ones are the same price, and smaller. Makes no sense.

Expensive so it’s not my every day shop but handy for fresh fish, bread, wine and cheese.
Foods is a tiny little shop and certainly not where I want to do all my primary shopping but good for certain things.
There is a small coffee shop up front. A limited variety of fresh fruits, a huge selection of Burt’s bees products.
There is a small selection of fresh bread and desserts– I love that they have a bread slicer. I get lobsters and fresh fish there or pick up a pre-​made lunch to go. There is a large cheese selection and a great selection of wines.

Pathetic. Selection is mediocre at best and incredibly overpriced. Staff is helpful, but in general you’re better going elsewhere. Not worth it, thing of the past. Time to move on.

It’s equally as great to visit when you have a specific ingredient in mind or if you’re just looking for inspiration. Love the selection. They carry many Virginia made products including honeys that put that little plastic honey bear to shame! Their bakery options are delightful!

I heard about this little shop from a fellow ACC-​baseball follower. The deli has created many happy stomachs amongst my friends and acquaintances over the years, so I was happy to try it.
It’s a short walk over the railroad tracks from Davenport field. I tried to go straight to the deli at the back but the two pregnant ladies in our group had to stop at the one bathroom. I ordered my Nova Scotian (Egg Salad, Lox, Tomato, Capers, Cream Cheese on croissant) minus the cream cheese and with lettuce and tomatoes. The guy making my sandwich was friendly and really piled on the toppings. While my friends were being helped, we looked up and down the aisles at the unique foods. My BFF (who used to live in Austin, TX) was thrilled to find the DL Jardines salsa, direct from Texas hill country. I treated myself to a grapefruit soda, though it was hard to choose from all the unique flavors that they offered.
I don’t think I would do all my grocery shopping here, but it was a great place for some fun and unique items to fill up on before the baseball game.

This is a really neat store! I enjoy the fact that I can find REAL items from Japan (not just generic ‘asian’ classified sundries) and it’s a very low-​stress shopping environment.
I was expecting prices to be ridiculous, but they actually are very reasonable! Next time I stop in, I want to try their coffee cart.