Mariano’s Fresh Market

My favorite Mariano’s (compared to Wheaton by my house) maybe because it is pretty new. Idk I just really like it. Great selection and prices aren’t terribly high.

My mom ordered me a baby shower cake from their bakery. When we got there, it was almost $ 70 and was smudged, the colors bled (it looked moldy), the pattern was uneven and the colors were unappetizing and not even close to the photo we gave them. And it was melting from the bottom the minute we got it.
Never in my life have I refused a custom order. But we had to. My mom was in tears looking at this cake, telling me how embarrassed she’d be to bring that to her only daughter’s baby shower, with it looking like a molding, melty, uneven and unappetizing mess. So I brought it back to the counter and said there was no way we were paying for it. Did I feel great about this? No. But was it anything like we wanted? No, and that’s enough for me.
They said it was because the whipped cream absorbs colors. That’s something you tell someone before they order the cake, not after they pick it up and are heartbroken by what they see. And when confronted about the smudge in the design on the top of the cake? «Sorry about that.» You’re sorry you lost a $ 70 sale, not sorry about the smudge, because if you were, it would have been fixed before the customer received the cake.
This all happened after we stood there, unacknowledged by 3 bakery girls, while one guy was helping another customer and someone from another section rushed over to us because she saw us being ignored. Never again.

Wonderful store!!! Excellant selection of meat especially the sausages meat personnel very friendly and accommodating all around great store! Much much better than the so called industry «leader»

When I first stepped foot into this grocery store it was like nothing I had ever seen before. I’ve been to Whole Foods and I’m sorry but they are nowhere close to a Mariano’s in my opinion.
Walking into a Mariano’s I’m always greeted with a friendly «Hello!» Or «Good Morning!» And then generally offered a sample of something amazing, whether it be fresh squeezed juice or sliced fruit. Right out of the gate they are sharing what they have with you and inviting you to explore more things than what you probably came in for, however, they never give you the hard sell, it’s always offered as a friendly gesture, and I really appreciate that.
The juice bar is very handy and their fruit selection is always awesome!
However working so close to this location I have become a regular fan of their grill to order meats at the butcher counter. They grill what you want, how you want it, season it how you want it and you can get all this done while you shop, oh, and it’s totally free of charge!
Some times if I don’t feel like grilling at home I will have them fire up my chicken breast, fish or burgers for me while I shop around to get the other trimmings for dinner. It’s really a super handy service.
Their gelato station is producing some serious gelato. I had their chocolate banana one day and ever bite blew me away as my palate was simply bombarded with REAL FRESH BANANA flavor backed by a rich creamy smoothness of chocolate… but their talents don’t stop there, they have tiara mi su which is a real treat! Tastes just like biting into a cake. I don’t know how they do it but it’s amazing!
They also offer a tremendous salad and hot food bar and I recently noticed they also have a barbecue counter with fresh smoke BBQ! I’m going to have to try that soon!
They also have a soup bar which has the most delectable Cream of Chicken Wild Rice soup I’ve ever had!
I try to stay away from the bakery because all their offerings look amazing, but now and then a coworker birthday rolls around and in rolls the Marianos cakes! These are not your standard weak fluffy chemical tasting grocery store cake icings, they use a rich and delicious butter cream icing!
It’s pretty amazing how much quality and variety this store offers. They have certainly raised the bar of what a grocery store is and I have now seen other stores begin to try to renovate and present themselves at the Mariano’s level and I’m sorry but nobody I’ve seen has come close.
The only reason there is no 5 stars is because of the inconsistency I have witnessed at their sushi bar with regard to the seaweed salad. It’s labeled as 4 oz and I have seen 4oz fill up the container to the top and I have seen 4 oz barely take it to the halfway point in the cup. I’m tempted to bring my own scale and weigh them myself to see just what 4 oz is. The stuff is delicious but I want to know I’m getting the fair amount.
Other than that, I have nothing but praise for this chain!

I would say that the location and the layout and the selection of this store are perfect for me but every single one of the employees is underwhelming. They really don’t represent the brand very well, and they are unpleasant to deal with because they lack any sort of training or professionalism.
I’ve had my food shoved; I’ve been handed somebody else’s food and bags; I’ve been overcharged; I’ve been undercharged; I’ve been forgotten to be charged… I’ve been complained to about their days; I’ve rarely seen eye contact; and in general they are just not friendly, engaged people. Imagine Dollar Store-​quality employees in a Marshall Field’s-esque setup. It would be fine if I didn’t come here twice a week.

I thought I already wrote a review of this place!
Mariano’s is always clean and all of the employees are awesome, including but not limited to: the deli slicers, the skilled bakers, the fish and meat folks and of course, the cashiers. Although Mariano’s leans more towards Italian food items, you can easily find what you need for most of your recipes. In fact, they have two ethnic/​non-​American aisles decorated with the flags of various countries WITH, might I add, random music from said countries. Pretty neat.
Todd’s BBQ located around their hot deli area is also decent, as well as all of their house-​made salads, desserts, coffee/​gelatos and their smoothies. The main reason I shop here is that it’s really a combination of a really clean Jewel and Whole Foods. While they don’t carry as many organic and grass-​fed items as Whole Foods, they carry just enough in each of their section, making shopping a bit easier. I’m just happy they carry bison and grass-​fed beef. But I am hoping their meat section in the future contains less frozen items and more fresh meats, but I’m still pretty happy with their current layout. I do wish they would also beef up their rewards card. I never know when there’s a promo or if I’m just wasting time scanning my rewards card each week. I feel like I have a million points on it already but so far no one’s told me that I can cash my points in for a new Dodge Viper. I guess a gallon of milk is cool too.

Big advocate of Mariano’s.
Would not suggest their catering.
Called the day before for an order, and am waiting a half hour past pickup to get my order.
Not ideal when catering an office lunch.

I have really tried to like this store. I have been shopping here since opening day. Now that the new Jewel is open in Bensenville, I am relieved I have another option.
I work in the industrial park that is right behind the Elmhurst location. I am there at least once per week, often times 2 or 3 times per week. Each time I am there, it is like I am there for the first time… no recognition by any employees that I regularly see on a weekly basis, no ‘hello’s.’ It’s like the freaking Twilight Zone or something. I almost always use the person’s name on their nametag too, to promote good will… try to joke a bit, try to get a smile. Nothing. It is like the last place they want to be is working in that store.
Nearly every time I am there, I buy stuff for my office and items for home. Each time I have said to numerous cashiers ‘these items need to go on a separate credit card for work,’ they look at me like I just asked them to recite Einstein’s Theory of Relativity. Is it that difficult to understand that when you are positioned next to a large industrial park???
I have found that Mariano’s rarely has anything on sale and items tend to be higher-​priced in-​general. I could see paying a bit more if the customer service was stellar, but it is really lacking in that area… no warmth. I am beginning to sense that this is a corporate mentality/​bad training/​bad choice hiring employees feature of Mariano’s, because the times I have been to the Wheaton location, I have encountered similar issues.
Another gripe is that they have a puny pet section that has horrible, low-​end choices for dogs. I complained about this several times in surveys when they first opened. I could not find a high-​quality treat or bag of dog food to save my life. I find this to be a really poor business decision on their part. Higher-​end pet foods and treats (especially in their higher-​end market locations) would be very well received and profitable. The fact that they offer sub-​par pet food choices that make me have to go to yet another store, is just inconvenient and insulting.
Also, what is it with the ridiculous ethnic sections? I have found myself searching for a certain product that you would think would be where many of those type of items are grouped, but then after about 15-​minutes of hunting, I find that item in some obscure aisle grouped by its use in certain ethnic recipes, etc… Again, another major time waster.
If you want to spend more money on your food to be treated like a number, than this is your place! Enjoy!

It pains me to write this review because I LOVE Marino’s. Customer service is always 5 stars and the prepared foods are double that.
However, I guess this is only true in the city. This store was the worst. I stood at the deli counter for more than 5 minutes before someone said anything. Not even a «hello» or a quick smile of acknowledgement. Anyway, I got a $ 6 dollar cold meal for my lunch. I was in the store at 9:30 am, by the way. From 9:30 am to 1:30 pm all I could think about was the great food I had gotten from my favorite store.
To my disappointment, my chicken was tough, the Mac and cheese was salty and the potatoe pancake was swimming in grease. So much grease, that it had also consumed the rest of my food. .
To conserve my love for Marino’s, I won’t go back to this one.
I hope management keep a keen eye on reviews and use them for improvement measures.
Signed
Disappointed and unsatisfied

Looking for a stress-​free elegant grocery experience? This is the place. I do almost all of my shopping here now. It’s always clean, the staff is friendly and they even have someone playing the piano on the weekends. Can’t get more relaxing than that. In the summertime, my husband and I love the gelato bar for a refreshing treat. I also enjoy their smoothie bar. Both the smoothie and gelato bars are buy 10, get one free if you use your rewards card while purchasing. Their selection of fresh produce is one of the best in the area; they post their produce count every day so you can see the variety of items. The prices are comparable to Jewel but I believe the produce here is a better quality. The pharmacy staff is knowledgable and provides fast, efficient service.

I so wish we had Mariano’s where I live. It’s just a really clean, neat, diverse store that also serves yummy food you can eat immediately. End of review.

I am leaving an update on their taffy apples. Not sure how they make the Carmel but it almost taste like it’s in the verge of burnt. Leave a not so great after taste in your mouth. I think they need to adjust how they are making it or adjust the time, something is off.

I’ve secretly been in love with Mariano’s since they’ve exploded on the Chicago scene a few years ago. I kind of view them as an upscale Dominicks so it’s out with the old & in with the new in my opinion. Even their staff is dressed high scale.
All of their staff is typically very friendly and helpful. They always have awesome samples that are very tasty. Came here today, friendly staff and good samples as usual. Their groceries are moderately priced. Sometimes you get great deals, sometimes not, like any other grocery store.

UPDATE: Their over priced sushi roll is now $ 8 up from $ 7.50!!! They are tiny to begin with and should be around $ 5 each. So they raised the prices but not the size. Add one more thing I will not be buying at Marianos. Very very sad :(
They changed the dough to cut costs. Their pizza now SUCKS! The manager confronted the district manager about this. The district manager replied «dont tell me that. Your job is to sell and promote it». WHAT???
Another time I mentioned that the sushi roll (overpriced sushi roll) was literally HALF the size of a sushi restaurant. That particular manger said said «So? What do you want me to do about it»? I said Im bringing it to your attention and said for $ 7.50 Im getting a horrible value! The damn roll ranged in size from a quarter down to a nickle! Hardly anything in it. The manager replied «we are not a sushi restaurant and we have been making it that way for 4 years». 1^st, that is NOT accurate. Secondly take the roll and shove it up your unprofessional ass! Im trying to upload a photo of what is «acceptable» at the sushi bar.
Oh! And they raised the price of the cold bar and hot bar. The hot bar is sad. The cold bar is still quality.
I will not shop at a place with a assistant manager that gives me bullshit excuses with a attitude just doesnt care.

I got treated to this place for my birthday for lunch at work. I have never eaten at Mariano’s before, so it was definitely a treat! Plus the baked and dessert goods~ Yum!
I got the vegetable pizza. The mushroom beckoned me. I wanted to try the pan cooked ones, but it would take 15 min, which is too long of a wait.
The options are typical of most open plan food courts. I plan to keep coming back. Especially for easy to buy soups, where there are more options than at the nearby Panera.

Ive been to a few Mariano’s and the food quality is the pretty much the same… GREAT!
Im giving this Mariano’s just 4 stars because when i go there, Im going for the grill. Therefore, I expect the grill workers to no how to season and prepare food well. SIMILAR TO MY EXPERIENCES AT OTHER MARIANOS.
The food could have tasted better! The salmon was under seasoned and the guy seemed scared to grill it! I dont know if he had a lot of bad days when it comes to cooking Salmon but come on… if your going to be a grill man … own it!
Of course I will return, but I just hope the grill guy is fearless then!!!

I’ve been secretly going to Mariano’s and I’m close to making my break from the «grocery-​store-​that-​shall-​not-​be-​named», that I’ve gone to for decades.
It’s been two years now and the honeymoon is still not over. Everyone at Mariano’s is still full of energy and really helpful… What are they paying their employees with? Maybe the owners of Mariano’s has discovered, what the other grocery store «used» to have and that’s an environment where employees feel like they are part of a family and thus they see customers in terms of that context, especially regulars, however, they treat me very nicely and I don’t consider myself a regular.
I’ve discovered the eatery section of Mariano’s. I don’t think it’s new, however it’s new to me. They cook and have self-​serve stations, (like whole paycheck). There’s a gelato area and coffee creations and even a fresh juice area. To top it all off you can sit down and enjoy it in an area that reminds me of the Garfield Park Conservatory. The other day I had a bit of curried cod with spicy broccoli for just over three dollars and I didn’t have to cook. I sat there and read my book, (the only down part was the seat — it’s wrought iron — cushions would be nice) and enjoyed a fulfilling lunch.
I feel like such a traitor… but, I «may» get over it… I hope there are plans for expansion into the Maywood, Oak Park, Cicero area… Elmhurst is a tad far…

Who would have ever though that eating lunch in a grocery store would not only be an option, but would be a good option. With a massive salad bar, hot food bar (with fried shrimp!), sandwich bar, sushi, and a grill, what else more could you want. The prices are good, the food good, and you could do some shopping if you have a little extra time.
As of this writing there are ninety-​six restaurants in Elmhurst. I plan on eating at, and reviewing, every one. Follow me on Unilocal

Fresh salad bar, huge deli selection, extensive choices at the meat counter with cook-​to-​go option, Mariano’s has it all. In some ways Mariano’s reminds me of Sam’s Club with it’s display of food/​wine you can try and compare it to other brands. I always look forward to the cheese bar and crackers, there’s always different varieties to try and great cracker options.
Recently I purchase a chicken spinach and feta cheese burger and fell in love. Threw it on the grill and served it with sautee onions and mushrooms, and fresh avocado slices and I was on cloud nine. The chicken burger was fresh and tasty. I recommend grilling it as my burger had a nice crisp taste from doing so.
I also recommend their salad bar, everything is FRESH, FRESH, FRESH! You get different salad options of mix greens, romaine, baby spinach, and even kale, lots of toppings (cucumber, mushrooms, carrots, peppers, etc), sides (seafood salad, tuna salad, pasta salad, etc) and meats (grilled chicken, crab meat, etc) and plenty of dressing to choose from. When I’m in a pinch I always find myself at their salad bar filling up my to go container and never once had I hit their $ 5.49/lb. I’m able to get a salad from them for under $ 4 that would fill me up and leaving me satisfied.
Mariano’s has been our go to grocery place since Dominick’s has closed, but it’s not always the cheapest. Although I might be able to save a few mores bucks at the other grocery store there’s something about Mariano’s that keeps me coming back. Maybe it’s the fresh baked breads or the $ 0.99 mini gelato cup! You heard that right folks, 2 scoops of gelato for only $ 0.99!

This place is brand spanking new. Just opened last week. It reminds me of Wholefoods, Pete’s market, Dominick’s, Caputo’s, all bunched up together. This is my first time going into a Mariano’s Fresh Market. I wanted to see for myself what all the hype about this grocery chain.

They do have a WOW factor for sure! They sell Organic, Gluten Free, Vegan, and of course other name brand items that we’re all familiar with Kraft, Jay’s, Minute Maid, etc. There are some things that are pricey while others are affordable or about the same price as you would see in the other grocery chains.
Of course this is a new place so everyone is coming here so I would avoid the weekends or shop early in the morning or later in the evening. Wednesdays is double coupon for those couponers! You can use up to 5 manufacture coupons that can add up to $ 1.00 each so you can save $ 5 bucks on one trip. I wish they didn’t have to limit the # of coupons that you use though. They have a free rewards card as well so that’s nice.
When you walk in, you can choose two types of carts. The standard carts to can put your kids in or the smaller version carts. They even had carts for the kiddies to push around too. The isles are nice and wide so you don’t feel crowded.
The fresh produce is comparable and they have a wide selection of organics like fresh organic kale. Nice, it’s about $ 1.50 a bunch the cheapest I’ve ever seen around!
Food court is amazing and the sitting area is nice to look at as well. They have so many selections such as Gelatto, a fresh juice bar, a fresh Sushi bar that you can have your order made to go, pick up premade from the fridge or even sit down and enjoy. I had their spicy tuna maki with brown rice, really tasty and spicy too and they close at 10pm!
Freshly made sandwiches (hubby liked the roast beef sandwich with a pretzel bun), fresh made Pizzas, fried chicken, fully stocked salad bar and yes they have sampling foods too. I liked their mac and cheese, their buffalo wings and bbq ribs were ok. They were kinda dry/​overcooked.
Check out their liquor section, the wall of wines displays is a work of art!
They have a wide selection of fresh seafood. I purchased the Halibut SOOO good and fresh tasting! They can prep your order for you (too bad they don’t have a live fish tank like tilapia, catfish, whole crabs, lobster, etc., now that would be awesome).
You can literally spend the whole day. I wish they had an actual bar with a TV to watch. One morning, I saw a fresh omelet station, what tha, lol!
They make in house fresh popcorn cheese and caramel too. You can watch them make it as they have a huge spinning pot. Very entertaining for the kiddies.
In the meat area, you can even buy your burgers and steak there and they can grill it for you on the spot at no charge! Yes they can grill your food! Eat inside or go out side as they have tables with canopy out front.
The staff are friendly and the place is clean (it better be it’s a new place).
They may not have Everything like your local store does, but it doesn’t hurt to check them out. I’ll be coming back for sure to shop or just to come and hangout and eat!