Mariano’s

I’m a regular Mariano’s customer so I’ve become accustomed to the excellent customer service I’ve received from various locations throughout the city and suburbs… until today! I approached the gelato counter and was not greeted but received a very cold stare down from one of the young ladies working the counter… I finally broke the ice and said Hi! She didn’t say hi she said May I Help You? I asked to sample a flavor… she proceeded to sigh loudly… roll her eyes then hand me a spoon with a sample the size of a single grain of rice… she exhaled another sigh then stared. I told her never mind because you seem to have a problem with your job today… so I won’t put you to work! Another worker observed this and intervened. She was polite helpful and friendly… I eventually received a sample with a smile… completed my purchase transaction and left the store. I intend to return to Mariano’s and if I encounter this young lady and if I’m met with the same nastiness, I will have no choice but to request a manager and report her.

I love Mariano’s but this one can be really frustrating. Nine out of ten times there are no shopping baskets at the front door. If you are going to the meat counter, expect to wait at least 10 min to be helped. As far as bagging goes, I hope you like your produce bruised because most of the checkout staff throws things in recklessly. The store has great hot food and selection of products but is lacking in good staff and upkeep.

I love Marianos just not this one. Always a big difference in service between the Marianos in the suburbs and in the city. Usually, in the city the workers seem not interested whatsoever. No one really cares to be proactive. Hopefully, they step it up.

This is one of my favorite grocers from many perspectives. Parking is great! Also they have a huge wonderful produce section, butcher, buffets and bakery. This is such an ideal grocer. PLUS, they have a very nice wine bar. So, while shopping, I can get a nice glass of wine and relax. Such a novel concept for us shoppers. Why not blend relaxation in with shopping. Checkout is also very nice. This is my favorite Mariano’s and all time favorite grocer.

I love Mariano’s!!! The staff is friendly, the aisles are always clean and the ready-​to-​go food is always yummy! Lines are never too long either. There are so many lanes to check out that shopping here is super convenient.
They grill your meat here for free which is awesome! You can build a salad at the salad bar or grab a warm lunch or sushi. Coming here after work can be a little more crowded but nothing overpowering. I love the organic options they have here!
There’s a parking lot right outside and a parking garage next door. I’ve never had to go the garage because people are always coming in and out. Trust me, lines move quickly.
When we moved I thought it’d be tough to break away from my beloved Pete’s but Mariano’s has not disappointed.

How do I say this… I want to stab people when I am here.
First: I love Mariano’s. Seriously, go there at 9 p.m. on a Saturday, and tell me it’s not the most delightful grocery shopping experience you know. Fresh baked pretzel bread, juices, an excellent ice cream selection. It’s all you could want and more.
But any other time (read: where there are more than 10 people in the store), you’re totally screwed. This location needs to figure out how to deal with shopping carts ASAP. Without a cart escalator, the only way people with lots of groceries (which are most people), and thus need a cart can get to the parking garage is by taking an elevator. The same elevators that employees use to bring carts back from the parking garage to the shopping area. It’s the definition of clusterf***. You end up jockeying for position around the small elevator bank, praying the jerk behind you doesn’t bum-​rush the elevator as soon as it opens (and before the people on it can even get off). I have had to play bumper cars with the cart and physically force myself in after waiting for 10 minutes just to get into an elevator.
On a different note, with the recent Chicago plastic bag ban, the employees need to learn how to pack a paper grocery bag. I’ve been given a thirty pound bag that breaks as well as a dozen bags with one item in them each. Maybe a staff meeting with baggers is needed.
All this aside, Mariano’s is still probably my favorite grocery store just because of the vast selection.

Totally bent over the fact that they completely eliminated their stock of Method eco friendly products — the factory is local and if I use the Ibotta app, that means I have to shop at Jewel to earn the rewards on those products. The salad bar is still top notch — the antipasti bar still screwed up. I like the fact that they keep the hot food, sushi, salad bar and pizza station up and running longer than Whole Foods. The fact that they still charge by the pound not the bunch makes their organic produce more expensive. They seem to run out of random stuff — large containers of Plain Greek yogurt, for example. I wish I could be back on team Mariano’s but the competitive nature of the markets in this area makes it difficult.

I beg Mariano’s leadership to better train the kids packing bags on how to pack.
Vegetables get crushed. Bread gets smashed. Apple pie inserting sideways. Worst packing ever!!!

I love Mariano’s! Great food selection, deli, olive bar, hot bar, salad bar, pizza station, gelato station. I like to treat myself and sit down and have some sushi made for me at their sushi station. I would of given this location 5 stars but the staff at the sushi station are not friendly like the other Mariano’s locations I’ve been to which was a little disappointing. Other than that, this is the location I visit the most. Keep up the great ideas to keep me coming back!

This location is meh at best, the produce is horrible almost every single time I’m there, they actually ran out of lettuce a couple of days ago, like mid day ran out of lettuce… Their alcohol selection is descent and the cashiers are polite and efficient, the grocery items are wide in variety but it seems that EVERY SINGLE TIME I’m there it’s impossible to find someone working the aisles should you have a question, so it’s become my regular alcohol run place because of selection and price, nothing more.

I only come here for the glazed croissant rolls. Apple pie. Cibatta rolls. Lorina lemonade and the salad/​hot bar. No other reason to spend an extra .90 for groceries. A lot of young kids working here and you can tell because that hot bar some days can be messed up. Word of advice. Cooking is a skill that is developed over time. A young child can not cook unless they are Jesus or have been cooking since his/​her youth. Please get the kids out of the kitchen. Otherwise store is always clean and employees very nice. They are still boguish for that small front parking lot. I guess that is what you get for shopping in the loop.

The floral department is amazing! Andrea made a custom arrangement for my friends b’day all i can say «wow». It was a steal and beautiful too!

I love Mariano’s and the addition of the Smoothie bar is everything to me. I was very disappointed when I CALLED before coming to the store to see if the bar was still open and I was told they didn’t close until 8:30pm. I got in the store at 8:15pm and the bar was cleaned and the associate that was cleaning it told me she got off at 9pm and the blenders have to soak for 30 minutes so she closed down.
I’m highly upset! I called back to the store and was again told the bar was to be open until 8:30pm. Make sure your associates understand the hours fully.
Signed,
Frustrated customer that wants her smoothie!

Decent grocery store with a terrible front end experience tonight. Sat my basket down on the belt and was met with a blank fifteen second stare, followed with «well are you going to take your stuff out for me?»
«Oh I didn’t know I was supposed to do that»
«Yeah, it makes it easier on me»
I’m sorry, Sherrelle A., but that is what you get paid to do. I spend my money here out of convenience and that you make MY life easier.

There is so much promising about this store: Off the beaten path location makes it a little less hectic than other supermarkets in the area; the store is new and therefore somewhat cleaner than other grocery stores; the prices are decent, especially when things are on sale.
What I hate however? There are never shopping baskets at the entrance. For the last four Saturday mornings in a row, the number of shoppers is manageable, yet zero hand baskets to be found. Each time, I have had to circle the store, scouting the end of checkout lanes, around the service desk area and any other spots I can think of to find one. Today, I asked a clerk at the service desk why baskets were no longer being stocked at the entrance and I was looked at like I was speaking a foreign language.
Now, I get why they might think this is a good idea: When only shopping CARTS are available, people load up on more and perhaps it is better for sales. But for guys like me walking (not driving) through the neighborhood, I want to buzz in, grab 12 items or less and buzz out. I have gotten to the point that I will simply walk out of the store if I can’t see any baskets when I enter. When it takes longer to FIND a basket than it is to fill it and check out, that reflects an obvious disregard for your shoppers. Get it together.

Great grocery store. I’ve been tot his Mariano’s and many others, and I can’t help but give them 5 stars. Why? Well.
1. Freshly squeezed OJ. Delicious and wayyy cheaper than the FSOJ I find in Hyde park.
2. Sandwiches. These are delicious. Well, to be fair, I’ve only tried the italian muffaletta, but it’s delicious. I always get it toasted with a little bit of mayonnaise and it’s perfect.
3. Grill! Okay, i haven’t actually tried it yet, but it LOOKS awesome (they grill anything for you!). Perfect if you don’t want to grill actually at home.
4. Gelato! Great and cheap.
5. Bakery. It’s standard but 1 notch better! Their fruit tarts are delicious and I bring one to my girlfriend’s house when I visit (and end up eating most of it).
6. Chicken salad. It’s delicious. I buy about a pound and make about 3 sandwiches for it for lunch (it only keeps for like 3 – 4 days). It’s great!
A nice grocery store that has everything you could want and is priced well. The workers here are also super helpful! This location also has free parking on site!

Don’t get me wrong, I think Mariano’s is a great grocery store and I will continue to shop there, however their produce section really lacks something to be desired especially in the herb department. It is a guarantee that there will be at least 2 produce items I need every trip that will be out of stock. The parking situation is pretty wretched with people holding up the entrance trying to get into the parking lot on ground level. Some of the shelved products are often dirty, covered with a weird dusty film which I am assuming is leakage from the exposed pipes above and the eggs are ALWAYS broken. It takes about 5 minutes to find a good pack of eggs.
The selection of foods is great and the staff is very friendly though!

Now, I’m a little embarrassed to say it, but I’m in love with my grocery store.
When I first a heard the news that a grocery store closer than Jewel was opening near my place, I was excited. Moving from Boston, I was unfamiliar with all the buzz about Mariano’s and simply happy I wouldn’t have carry heavy items an extra 3 blocks. I didn’t expect to appreciate it as much as I have.
Mariano’s offers quality more or less on par with Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s, but presents it with it’s own flair and at a price point that is very competitive. Their Vero coffee and gelato are solid. The produce, deli, butcher, and bakery are better than most. Their employees are more professional and courteous than other supermarket chains. Their stores are cleaner, offer more diverse items, and the are just classier (note: grand piano at checkout.)
The South Loop location is not as expansive as other stores in the city. I wish that it contained the larger wine and liquor departments of locations in the city. And the overall grocery and prepared food items aren’t as varied, as say the West Loop location. Yet, the staff has always been helpful and generally friendly.

It would only do them justice to update my last review as they suddenly changed back to the paper bag idea. Hope they continue this. I was able to easily carry ALL the groceries in 3 paper bags.
Love the food samples and love Vero!

I can’t imagine a world without Mariano’s.
I’ve had the pleasure of being spoiled by the awesome Wegmans back when I was living in New York and this is the closest thing that comes to it in terms of food quality, diversity in offerings, customer service, and store layout/​ambience.
Mariano’s does all the little things right. Clean store. Smiling employees. Pick from an assortment of bottled soda for $ 4. Samples of food throughout the week. Chicago mix popcorn under $ 5? Fast checkout lines. I can go on and on…
The only negative is the parking garage which is a little too steep. Corners are a sharp 90 degrees requiring a sharp turn and attention to oncoming traffic which you won’t see until the last second.
I’m glad that Mariano’s has good prices on products but doesn’t compromise on product selection. Chicago needed a good jolt of competition. Thank God.