Stanley’s Fruit & Vegetables

Great quality fresh produce, and a lot of organic produce, for the same price or less than what you find at jewel.

This place is amazing. For $ 25, I can get an entire week’s worth of fruit and vegetables for me and my husband.
Yes, the produce is not always the best quality so you do have to be a little careful when you are choosing what you buy, but when you’re talking about four 4oz clamshells of raspberries for only a $ 1, it’s really hard to complain.
They also have a great organic selection. A quarter to a third of the store is organic.

Finally had a chance to shop here for the first time. After searching high and low for some guava Stanley’s came through. Sadly my friend and I were also on the hunt for some blueberries which they did not have. I love that they have a pretty large parking lot, as I am sure they can tend to get very busy.
They only downside is checking out takes awhile since people come here to stock up on goodies. I look forward to coming here again!

If your trying to stock up on veggies and fruits for a low price, this is the spot! And did I mention, they have a juicery (is that even a word?!).well it’s amazingly cheap as well, check it out!
Many bring in their own mason jars and get days worth of juice – no extra charge, but customers are told to pick it up hours after (depending on how busy they are)! Awesome idea!
One thing about Stan’s is that the fruits and veggies need to be eaten right away, as most everything here is super ripe and ready to eat!

For 90% of fruits and veggies Stanley’s is the place to go… in lieu of a good seasonal Farmer’s Market, at least. Stanley’s selection and freshness can’t be beat and for the most part, price, though a few exceptions you want to keep in mind.
For instance, there are random instances where price-​wise you would do better, ie strawberries at $ 4.50, Blueberries at nearly the same, where you could get them for around ½ that at the big chain grocers in the Chicago market.
End of the day, this is where you should get most, if not all your fruits/​veg and be happier and healthier for it, financially and otherwise.

My absolute favorite place for fruits and veggies!!! Yes you have to check your produce before you pick it, but you can’t beat the prices!

Amazing selection of produce priced just right! You can also grab a shot of wheat grass or a smoothie while you shop. Can’t beat it!

Stanley’s…is…just…incredible! For someone like myself whose primary diets are veggies and fruit (except occasionally I do splurge myself with meat and seafood), Stanley’s is one of the most economical veggies/​fruit markets in the city.
If I were to live closer to Stanley’s, my grocery bills would be cut in half. It’s located on the southwest corner of Elston and North Ave. The sole choice of public transportation is the CTA #72 (North Ave.) bus. Otherwise, it’s a 20-​minute walk westbound from the CTA North/​Clybourn Red Line station.
If you like organic veggies and fruit, Stanley’s has awesome prices on them. Forget your local W*olé Fo#ds. Once you’ve shopped at Stanley’s once, you are officially hooked!
There’s a juice bar and a deli meat counter. However, I always go straight to find my everyday essentials: spinach, onion, green onion, tomatoes, strawberries, bananas, and apples. By the way, their avocados are often priced very reasonably and ripened just right.
They have a customer parking lot. Watch all of the blind spots and be careful with drivers backing off; spaces are as tight as the ones in Joong Boo Korean Market on Kimball.
Saying that I love this place is an understatement.

decided it was time to check out Stanley’s after passing by here for the past year on the North Ave. bus and seeing all of their advertised deals. i was pretty impressed by their selection of fruits and vegetables, even those fruits that are not in season currently (strawberries, nectarines, blueberries…). all very reasonably priced, didn’t see anything over ripe/​rotten. though, my chief complaint would be that some advertised «ripe» fruits were not anywhere near being ready to eat (this is not an issue only at Stanley’s, it’s nationwide… farmers pick too early).
i was very pleased to see organic asparagus for $ 1.99/lb. at F4L or WM their regular price is about $ 5/​lb. and very rarely goes on sale. blueberries were 99 cents as compared to $ 1.50-$ 2.50, as were Driscoll’s strawberries. they also had Italian parsley which i have found hard to find in most markets, and at .69 a bundle! i paid 60% less for celery as well. ripe kiwi were 7 for $ 1, awesome price. the only price that i didn’t see a difference in as compared to other markets was Granny Smith apples ($ 1.49/lb.)
i walked out of here with two bags full of fresh produce for $ 14.50. i tead many reviews who say that some stuff spoils after a few days, but FYI: most produce isn’t meant to last for weeks on end! (unless it’s a root vegetable, like an onion or potato.)
the store was clean, in fact there was an employee going through the store cleaning the aisles and two employees weeding through the produce. the cashier was very nice. yes, the aisles are narrow. but in this fast paced life: get over it. this is a great store with an awesome variety and they carry many specialty items (pasta, Amish sweet cream butter, juice, olives, olive oils, on and on.)
definitely a gem.

When you go to a fruit market in the city and get strawberries, blueberries and Cedar Hummus for $ 0.98 a pack it’s a deal! I got some wonderful produce including blood oranges too. I love the variety and the low prices for veggies and fruit it makes healthy affordable. I wish we didn’t live so far from it. It has busy lot busy store it’s always packed full of shoppers. They are a good deal I’m glad to go there once in awhile when I can convince my husband to help me drive out there,

This place is amazing! A friend recommended it since I am starting a fruit and veggie fast tomorrow. I believe he was the manager who took me around the store to select out all the veggies that I can eat raw. The prices are so ridiculously low! I bought enough food for at least 5 days of my fast (maybe more) which was at least 8 bags of groceries and it only cost $ 40!

I don’t think I can sum up into words how much I love Stanley’s. I’m routinely able to get all of my weekly produce for $ 25 – 30. It is fresh and lasts! The deli area is also very good and they have a dairy/​egg/​packaged goods section that makes it a one stop shop! The pico is very tasty and tastes homemade.
I order my meat online, so I don’t need anything other than Stanley’s! Even at crummy Jewel, my produce is $ 50+ and is usually rotten by the time I get home!
The parking can be cray… so don’t go on Sunday afternoon. Otherwise, it’s extremely accessible and even has a generous parking lot. Favorite grocery story ever with an amazing selection!

Most bang for your buck? You’ll find it at Stanley’s when it comes to veggies & fruits — I even spied fresh pico de gallo that was super affordable & some good lookin’ guac! I mostly come here for the veggies & fruits because honestly the quality AND quantity you get is amazing… It’s hard to believe their prices are so low. I also tried a sandwich at their deli today & that too, was delicious. Even more so for just $ 4.99? Don’t be scared of the lines, they move quickly & cashiers are polite. Worth the trip over!

The store itself is very small. The produce is at a very reasonable price, however, few times I ended up with produce that was not fresh.

Cheapest produce in the city. Best selection of fruits and veggies at amazing prices. I get everything I need with all the obstacles of people and carts in the way. Hard to not run into customers.
The juice bar is surprisingly awesome. Very tasty. I had the Smooth _​_​_​something. I am blanking.
Cashiers are always friendly. Prepare to wait in a line that moves rather quickly!
Nice prices, great produce! Always happy to shop here!

Interesting place. Stanley’s is pretty small, relatively speaking. They mainly have produce (at great prices). And, their produce selection is very wide and the quality looks good. They do have a small deli counter, a and a limited selection of breads, imported canned and bottled goods.
With the small size and good prices, it was quite crowded. Good for them. But, the checkout lines moved very quickly. Once we made our selections, and made it through the crowds, checkout was easy. Price-​wise, we came in well below what we had budgeted for the trip.

The best friut store in Chicagoland! And the vegetables are huge and fresh! This place has convient parking and a great restaurant across the street. Love getting fresh fruit already cut up ready to eat in the cooler fresh daily. You will never go anywhere else after going here to shop!

Jeesh, I was a real downer in 2014. Bad year I guess! But in 2016, Stanley’s is definitely a five star spot!
Some things I’ve learned over the years about Stanley’s…
— Wash everythinggg. I’ve seen things… like a kid grabbing random handfuls from the spinach (at least he’s eating spinach?!)… And all kinds of produce go rolling off the pile and down the aisle, then put right back. (I do it too, guilty! But still… Clean yo stuff!)
— If there’s a Crazy good deal on something outside, like 12 containers of blueberries for $ 3…look at the 12 you choose closely, and use them how you want right away. Also prepare for some inevitable mold picking.
— The employees are usually very nice and knowledgable, especially the girls who work at the juice bar! So sweet! But if you see someone out on the floor, feel free to ask how to know if a certain item is ripe or not, ask what something is, or if they have more/​better ones in the back.
— With that, if the leaves pull easily from a pineapple it’s ready to eat Then, stay away from papaya… it’s basically dirty feet fruit (bleh) and if there’s only 2 picked over containers of bluebs left, ask, they probably have more in the back that just hasn’t been restocked.
— Finally, get the sweet potato chips. Just do it. The saying I noticed on the back of the bag alone makes it worth the cost — Chicago hipsters become Stanley’s chipsters! Ahhahaha
Keep rockin, Stanley’s! See you soon ;)

this is my favorite place, I love that fresh juice bar and the juice sales you guys are amazing. great place to buy veggies and fruits. also love those cabbage vegan rolls, and the tabuleh salad pre-​packed its my favorite.

Excellent choice of organics in the city. Great selection of other as well. All produce is fresh and the staff is pleasant. We will be back.

The possible deals found at Stanley’s are mind blowing, but pay attention. We paid about $ 2 for a case (12 boxes) of blueberries. This is unbelievable. We did take the time to look at the boxes so that we chose a good case. We also washed them when we got home and froze the blueberries that we were not going to use quickly. It was a great deal!
This location can get very busy, and the parking lot can become overfilled during busy times of the day.

If you want fresh organic foods with out paying the astronomical high prices as some pay at WF, then this is the place for you to shop! Friendly staff and owner! Met Stanley and he was very helpful with answering all of my questions about the store and where they receive most of the organic produce… can really appreciate that in an owner! Vegetables are at least half the price but not half the quality of any other grocer. Deli is magnificent! Boars Head Meats… need I say more? Great prices for fresh sandwiches! The store also has a fresh juice bar as well with shots of wheat grass for only 99 cents! Must try this place!

Quality. Check
Inexpensive Prices. Check
Non-​assuming, user-​friendly environment. Check
Dreams of cooking things I have no idea how to make. Check
This place is stupendous. Come to browse, come to buy, come to explore.
My only complaint is that I wish I lived closer so I could come more often.

Well if you want to bring down your groceries budget by 400 dollars a month this is your place. I absolutely love it!!!
20 apples for 2 dollars?!? Are you kidding me?!?
Huge selection on Fruits and Vegetables for an amazing price. You probably get that price because things are not washed or look perfect but let me tell you they taste perfect!
Also their cheese and ham section is sooo good! Super tasty Provolone and turkey ham, for a ¹⁄₃ of the price you get at whole foods or jewel.
My only problem is not having one close, so I need to plan my trip for once a week or once every two weeks.

I love Stanley’s when I want to have more than enough fruit to share and my hubby and I are on a total veggie kick. For a measly $ 20-​$ 30, I will walk out of with a boatload of produce that lasts anywhere from 3 days to 1 week and keeps us in a fresh food cloud, too! Supplemented by the slightly more pricey organic (which Stanley’s also has a lot of these days) produce, if it weren’t for the crowds, I could see shopping at Stanley’s for produce, exclusively.

I love this place! There is no other place to go do fresh produce at reasonable prices. You can literally get two weeks of produce for 30 or less. Bring your own bags to not be bogged down with their plastic bags. I’d also recommend getting the guacamole because it’s great for the price! Some people complain and say that the fruit goes bad quickly but you just have to be better about picking it out. The cashiers are always friendly. Side note: avoid going after work on Mondays or mid day on Sunday’s!

This is my number one place to go to for fresh fruits and vegetables! The are always fresh and your can’t best the price. For sure one of the cheapest places for fruits and vegetables in Chicago! You will not be disappointed! Went in there and came out of a cart full of fruits and vegetables for $ 18.37! My fiancé and I go through fruits and vegetables so fast and allows is to enjoy!

If I could give Stanley’s 6 stars, I would. Absolutely LOVE this place. Phenomenal concept, very good execution, and just AMAZING prices if you know how to shop it.
My standard Stanley’s run consists of a 5 – 10 item list, combined with 47.5 impulse buys, and yet I still leave every time spending less than $ 20. It’s almost as if the registers can’t count higher than that. Simply amazing.
Things I accept:
— this produce will go bad… very quickly. I’m assuming that’s how they get it so cheap
Things I like:
— Very good pita in the back near the deli
— Deli is CHEAP and decent meats (not Boar’s Head but hey, decent)
— Carry organic eggs & essentials in case you don’t want to do a grocery run
— intelligentsia coffee!
— good dried fruit selection
Things I love:
— the wall of deals when you first walk in
— how ridiculously cheap carrots are — love carrots.
— how ridiculously cheap (almost) everything is.
— Again, something about cheap-​ness
— Did I mention it’s cheap?

As many of you know, I’m a true Chicagoan foodie. But when it comes to cooking at home, I consume almost no meat but veggies and fruit only. Hubby is also a vegetarian, so shopping at Stanley’s is just no brainer, isn’t it?
It’s too many positive things to say about Stanley’s. Let me use bullet points to tell you why Stanley’s is awesome.
1) it’s super cheap: it’s the BEST deal you can find in the city of Chicago limit, period. Can you find a 2.5-lb bag of fresh baby spinach for under $ 5 anywhere else? I personally have not. If the spinach doesn’t impress you much, how about five (5) garlic cloves for 98 cents? You gotta check it out on your own.
2) empty your car to have all the room you can to stock up the fresh produce, because you need it. Borrow a truck, a school bus, or a limousine if you have to. You won’t regret it!
3) they have a private parking lot, but it’s busy no matter what time of the day. Just keep that in mind.
4) they do have a small deli section, but I never bother to visit there. I want to eat my veggies and fruit till my heart’s content.
5) they have the widest elections of apples, from honey crisp, red delicious, to Granny Smith. The most expensive kind is in average $ 1.49/lb. Today I saw the Granny Smith was on sale for $ 0.49/lb. You can bathe in apples everyday without breaking your bank.
6) today I purchased: a giant bag of spinach ($ 4.98); 5 oz. garlic pack ($ 0.98); two (2) cucumbers ($ 0.98/lb. for $ 1.51); two (2) green peppers ($ 0.59/lb. for $ 0.56), one (1) pack of mushrooms ($ 1.49); four (4) bundles of green onions (4 for $ 1.00); two (2) avocados (2 for $ 0.98); J. Gold apples ($ 1.49/lb. for $ 2.44); loose carrots ($ 0.98/lb. for $ 0.48). The total after tax came to $ 15.92.
7) the nearest public transportation is the CTA 72 bus (North Ave.), since there’s no busses running on Elston because of the bike lanes. A short bus ride east will get you to the CTA North/​Clybourn Red line station; a short bus ride west will get you to the CTA Damen Blue line station.
Now, you have no excuses to have your daily veggie and fruit intakes, children!

Stanley, you have my heart to the core!
Cherries: 98 cents a lb ?!
Apples: 89 cents a lb?!
3 onions for a dollar?
Yes, yes, and yes!
These are just some examples of the great sales they have at Stanley’s! They vary from week to week but the produce is consistently in decent shape, lasts at least four days from date of purchase (obviously some more than others — their sweet potatoes last FOREVER), and their staff is quick and friendly.
The only downfall I can think about is that it’s pretty hard to get to via public transit but I always make it a priority to get there, somehow, at least once a week.
Go!

As a relatively new transplant to Chicago, it takes awhile to figure out where to get all your groceries from. We now get all of our fruits and veggies from Stanley’s.
The only thing is, BE CAREFUL with some of the produce as some of it is currently molding, or basically just about to go bad. In general, everything is pretty good, but for example a couple days ago, the green lettuce was seriously wilted, there were moldy strawberries that were on sale. So just make sure you look at your produce well.
However, I feel like this is a great place for very affordable fruit and veggies. Good amount of parking. Try to stay away from here on the weekends, can get super crazy in there! And I don’t like being crowded when buying food…
Can’t say anything about the deli section as we only buy the fruits and veggies.

We love Stanley’s. There is no better place to get cheap produce in the city. They even have a decent sized organic section!
We have been fans of Stanley’s for many years (who doesn’t love an entire case of strawberries for 98 cents??) but I felt compelled to post after shopping here while preparing for a juice cleanse.
Juicing takes a LOT of produce and people think it gets really expensive. But if you can pick up the bulk of your produce at Stanley’s it’s very reasonable.
Last week for less than $ 45 I picked up:
6 bunches of organic kale
1 head of organic romaine
8 organic cucumbers
20 green apples
4 pears
2 bunches of fresh ginger
1 pack of fresh sage
1 bunch of parsley
1 bunch of cilantro
5 – 6 yellow onions
4 roma tomatoes
1 pack cherry tomatoes
1 fresh coconut
10 limes
8 lemons
4 packs of organic celery
2 zucchini
2 acorn squash
6 red peppers
2 packs of blueberries
2 portabello mushroom caps
8 small avocados
1 head of broccoli
ONE avocado is usually $ 2 at any other grocery store!
The key to Stanley’s is to make it your first trip when grocery shopping. It’s small and the cashiers are quick. Get in with your list and get what you can, then go to another store to get the rest of your items. What they have available changes frequently, they won’t always have everything you want.
They do have awesome seasonal deals. In the summer its common to see flats of strawberries outside for $ 1/​case (8 packs) or sweet corn for 10/​$ 1.
Right now they have pumpkins, squashes, gourds, and bales of hay out front for cheap for everyone who’s doing their fall decorating.

Before you just walk into Stanley’s and start buying up every last fruit and vegetable, all while telling yourself «I saved so much money!» It might help to pay attention to the price. I also think many shoppers make this mistake at larger corporations which require membership fees to even make a purchase. Right there, the $ 30/​$ 50 you spend can be divided and added to the items you purchase over the year, and pretty much you come out even going anywhere else. I definitely have a limited income, and I secretly laugh at my friends who take me to these membership corporations, thinking they are doing me a favor. I watch them purchase items which are well over priced, or the same as anywhere else.
My visits to Stanley’s (I have been here more than what my 2 check-​ins reflect) are always hit or miss. Stanley’s has had the best sale on asparagus I have ever seen at a produce market. Of course, this was last summer, and I am pretty sure it was during the asparagus season. Yes, for those shoppers who are not familiar with when produce is seasonal, you’re really doing yourself a disservice and you need to do some research. When produce is in season, this means the pricing will come down. I hate cooking with a passion. If I am going to spend money on food, it better be a good deal.
Typically I go with friends. I am usually aghast with what deals my culinary arts friends pass over. How can you be in the industry and not know a good deal when you see it? My last visit, I was alone, thank goodness, and decided to give this market a thorough investigation. Really, I was not impressed. Apples, like Danny W. had brought up, were priced much like a major chain would price out theirs. One of my health tricks is making sure I have apples. First, it takes more calories to burn off an apple, than the calories found in an apple. Second, I always eat an apple with a fatty meal because it slows down absorption of the fat into your system. Bottom line, I am always watching prices on apples.
What I did notice was that Stanley’s had a deli. Not even advertised as a sale, their lunchmeat was reasonably priced, even the roast beef! I also noticed their hummus was a decent price, if not typical, but I had never come across some of the flavors I found here. I can’t wait to try the horseradish hummus! I got the last container so it must be a hot seller.
You may not find prices that seduce you, however, I am always impressed with the quality of their produce. Far beyond that of a major chain or any grocery store in Chicago (what is it with grocery stores in the city? Gross! Even the ones closest to the Gold Coast), Stanley’s will always have produce which doesn’t look like it has been bathed in pesticides… even if it has; or even if some of the produce has started to go bad. It still looks fresh and like a healthy decay.
Like I have said, my beef with Stanley’s would be their lack of consistently offering good deals on all of their produce. If you don’t know your way around fruits and vegetables, then you’re not going to come out ahead shopping here. I’m probably not doing myself much of a favor by driving all the way out to Skokie to shop, but I think it’s worth the cost in gas just to encourage the Euro Markets to keep delivering fresh produce at an affordable price. Yes, I would much rather hand them my money.