Lakewinds Food Co-op

I decided that this is my favorite organic food store in the States so far, if you want to check my profile to see if I visit organic produce stores frequently, go right ahead.
First of all I love local, independent food stores, Lakewinds has a big parking lot and when I m staying in Minneapolis I usually stay in a hotel close by. The produce section is great and they have a lot of local stuff. Everywhere in the store are little corners with shelves with «special» items, fair trade made purses, local art, incense or clothing it’s like a little adventure to look around. The bulk section has paper and plastic bags to fill your stuff in and even offers colorful flour bags to buy, as a choice. It’s not a huge store but they offer almost everything you need for your daily use. They have a little fresh bar with plates (to eat here) or to go containers, I love this, makes so much sense to reduce garbage ! They also have an olive or antipasti bar that looks real good. The bread they offer is from a local bakery and looks great. The Pretzel stick I got was fresh and good. Costumes can enjoy free wifi and consume what they bought at the attached coffee place that has great coffees! (try hazelnut milk with it, amazing!) the staff is super friendly and invites you to chat a little, making you feel like in your little neighborhood grocer. I wish we had a place with a vibe and a selection like this in Asheville!

This is my first and only co-​op experience to date, because all of the others are out of my way and I’m lazy. It’s incredibly clean and well-​lit, and the bulk items are amazing. (The bulk nuts are my favorite for mix and match delicious snackage!)
The meat section is pretty decent, all sustainable and other buzzwords that made me feel warm and gooey inside from purchase to plate. It’s a little smaller than I would like, but eh, beggars can’t be choosers.
There are lots and lots of my beloved cheeeeeeses, which is fantastic and also dangerous. The produce section is way smaller than I expected, and tends to be out of whatever item I’m on the hunt for that day (For instance, there was no fresh arugula the last time I stopped in.), but the produce that is there tends to be of good quality.
However, this place can be pricey AF. It’s not a place I’ll make my go-​to grocery spot, but it’s great for higher quality meat, fish, cheese, bulk items, and any other organic or speciality item your cooking needs.

This co-​op is still fairly new to the area and very beautiful. The produce and grocery selections are great, and the customer service staff are always friendly and helpful. The 2-​star review is for how many times I’ve been disappointed by the deli. Avoid the deli at all costs.
I work nearby so I often find myself wanting some variety when I go out to lunch, I’ve gone to other co-​ops for lunch in the past (Seward, Wedge) and have had great experiences and tasty food. Every time I come to Lakewinds, the food in the hot bar is crusty and old as if it has been sitting under the heat lamps for hours (I’ve noticed this even at peak meal times). One time I had filled a plate before realizing my mistake in taking old food, while I’m still at the hot bar staring at my plate deciding what to do, a deli employee comes by and lifts out all of the food bins without a single word to me about getting a replacement of fresh food. I ended up leaving my plate and walking out. Ick. I’ve also noticed that they leave soggy old sandwiches and wraps in the refrigerated cases from days past. It’s not fun to pay $ 7.50 for a wrap only to open it and realize the sprouts are wilted and old, and the wrap is moist and soggy from sitting in the box for who knows how long. For the prices they expect customers to pay for their co-​op deli items, I would expect higher quality than what I have seen.
Bottom line: the deli sucks and the deli employees clearly do not care about the quality of the food that they put out. Save your money and get your meals elsewhere. It’ll be cheaper and fresher.

I’m visiting from Chicago and was just in the store with a few friends. I left so impressed that I felt I had to immediately write a review.
The store is incredibly clean and well organized, and the wide, well-​lit aisles are ideal, particularly with the large carts. The variety of products is amazing, and everything looked fresh.
The store appeals on a design level as well. The signage is excellent and the ideas (such as the produce sign listing what’s new and the organic percentage) are well executed.
Finally, the staff. Everyone we interacted with, from the young woman working the coffee shop to the butcher to the cashiers, was obviously happy to be there. An amazing place, and one I wish I could frequent more often. Well done.

I stop at lakewinds about once a week to stock up on fresh local produce and other goodies. I enjoy the selection that is offered and how fresh everything is compared to other places. The isles are large, in charge, and clean (clean being the most important). The employees are very welcoming and have been able to answer any questions I may have (which generally I’m a question asking machine). The have a large selection of items throughout the store and are competitive in price with other grocers and co-​ops. Will I be back? Definitely, they have some of the freshest produce in town!

We just moved to the area and were so happy that Lakewinds was close. We are extremely happy with pricing and quality of goods and choices of organic and local produce! This is definitely where we do the majority of our grocery shopping and recommend it to anyone thinking of getting local great quality products.

This place is AMAZING. I recently started eating paleo/​whole30, so I’ve been looking for better meat, produce and overall options from the grocery store. Cub is great and all, but variety is limited when it comes to organic/​raw/​locally sourced goods. I started searching for co-​ops in the area and Lakewind had such glowing reviews that I had to check it out. I found so many paleo treats– bulk nuts, pour your own kombucha, chicken liver and even duck fat! I didn’t experience much sticker-​shock, as some have mentioned… in fact, I had quite the opposite response, and the staff was super friendly and knowledge. I will definitely be doing a large chunk of my shopping here.

This is my current favorite co-​op to shop at (and also the newest and closest). Besides having the largest bulk selection available out of all of the co-​ops, they also have one of the most impressive selection of food/​health/​bodycare/​deli/​meat/​seafood items to choose from. They even carry pastured lard as well as duck fat (VERY few places carry either of these in the Twin Cities).
They have a great meat and seafood case. They source all that they can locally, sustainably, and from environmentally-​friendly sources.
Do you love sushi? They have a FRESH SUSHI BAR! You can either grab a ready-​made selection of sushi to-​go or you can have one of their sushi chefs assemble a custom order for you. I have grabbed numerous selections over the last couple of months, but my favorite is their Salmon Cado rolls (sells for $ 6.99).
And for kombucha fans, they have locally-​sourced kombucha on tap (only a small handful of places in the Twin Cities are starting to provide this)!
I also feel indebted (unfortunately, in more ways than one) to Lakewinds for carrying the still hard-​to-​find «Jackson’s Honest Sweet Potato Chips.» While spendy and while I can make them at home, this has turned into a not-​so-​guilty pleasure that I continue to pull out money for. They’re really worth the extra money compared to all other brands (and I bet you can’t eat just one).
Their bakery is also carrying an item that I would consider getting a job in that department JUST to get my hands on the following recipe: Coconut Rochers. Every macaroon I’ve ever consumed up until the point of trying Lakewinds Coconut Rochers is officially garbage. I’m unabashedly hooked. They’re delicious and have just a few ingredients that have you feeling everything is right in the world (until your last bite… word to the wise: buy the single ones in the bakery case instead of the pack of 4… unless you WANT to eat 4 (along with the whole bag of «Jackson’s Honest Sweet Potato Chips»)).
The only thing I can think of for improvement is their bulk herb section. While they do have a number of items to select from, it would be great to see the variety of herbs, teas, & spices expand, as well as the size of the containers (& to use glass since that seems to have an effect on the preservation and quality of herbs/​spices).
While plenty of folks gripe about the cost of food in co-​ops, it’s worth the extra-​cost. Due to the depressing situation with commodity food in supermarkets that are being subsidized through our taxes only reinforces to the food industry that it’s okay to put chemicals, & fillers in the food or offer «food» that is genetically modified. Supporting the co-​ops means that our local and organic farmers have a better chance at earning a more sustainable wage and every time I shop there will make a difference.
The service is friendly and helpful in all of the departments, with many of the employees checking in to see if you’re finding everything alright. The store is quickly approaching it’s 1 year anniversary and is still a stunning site. I love that they chose this site and truly believe that they’re improving the neighborhood and surrounding area with their presence! Thank you, Lakewinds!

Like Whole Foods, only better. You will leave with the same sticker shock as at Whole Foods but you will have more locally sourced items. I really like the vitamin and skincare section. Some of the produce I would buy elsewhere as I find it overpriced however, it is a luxurious shopping experience. Delightful!
I have not had the experience, as others have noted, of being shamed for carrying out my own groceries. In fact, last time I was there, I would have liked help carrying my bags out (even though there were only 2).

They have many of the same great/​delicious options as whole foods but with a more local feel and a bit smaller (which is nice). Staff is always very helpful and friendly. This is our neighborhood grocery. We still go to Sam’s Club or Trader Joe’s but Lakewinds is part of our weekly grocery run.
Peace coffee on site is an extra treat especially on my way to work in the morning — less expensive than Starbucks and no lines!

This place is awesome. The new Richfield location is clean, bright, and spacious. I especially appreciate the amount of locally sourced products, the reserved parking for parents, and the banana program for the little ones (a free banana for your kid to eat while you grocery shop!). I am surprised to hear the amount of people who have complaints about the staff at this location. I have been shopping at this location for the past five months and have always found the staff to be extremely nice, friendly and helpful!
My favorite things to buy here are the dark chocolate peanut butter cups in the bulk section and the fava bean cous cous salad from the deli (sooo good!!!)!
Thank you Lakewinds! I love you!

The food is lovely– expensive, but lovely. I had my toddler with me, and two bags of food. I took my two bags, squirmy child, and the cart to my car.
As I was bringing the cart back in, I was stopped by an employee and scolded about taking my own groceries out. Um… what?
I was told that the carry-​out people are to take the groceries out. Sorry, but I’m not going to wait on a busy weekend day with a kid for someone to take my two bags out. I’m happy being self-​sufficient and using a cart instead.
Problem with that? I’ll keep going back to the Seward Co-​Op.

This place is so chill in comparison to the monstrosity/​eye sore that is Whole Foods Edina. It’s is so down to earth and non-​pretentious for a co-​op. (This is a hard quality to find in a co-​op believe me!) The parking lot is huge and I never have a problem parking. It has a great selection of natural, organic, food plus the aisle are spacious and I never bump into anybody. I love the fact that they have a juicy/​smoothie bar. (I’ve been mourning the loss of the smoothie bar at Linden Hills Co-​op for many years!) One of my favorite things to do is grab a smoothie and sit outside when the weather is nice. All in all, a nice addition to the neighborhood.

Great store, service, selection, prices and locations! Prices are VERY reasonable compared to competition! So happy to have you within a few miles of my home!
Some of the employees (especially check out) can literally put a damper on the experience.

I’m impressed!
Bottom line — the meat and dairy here kick Whole Foods’ ass, kick it up and down the street!
That meat counter. Damn! I’m in yes-​I-​eat-​quadrupeds-​and-​birds heaven. Selection is extensive, husbandry techniques and quality is better than Whole Foods, local vendors are hugely represented and the butchers are informative and actually skilled. This is my FIRST stop for animal protein. Seriously freaking good.
And good prices — grass fed sirloin for kebabs didn’t run significantly higher price than (eek!) sirloin from dreary grocery chain.
Big HOWEVER — Whole Foods still manages to be where the produce is at. There were some nice thing in produce, so if something looks good, grab it, but you can’t really plan your produce buy.
Now — for someone who eats a lot of questionably originated crap in restaurants, I’m a perimeter shopper and meat snob when it comes to what comes into my own house. I don’t mind spending more, but I also am sensitive to being gouged. This place is fairly priced.
The prices are on par with other co-​ops, but the layout, the sale items, the endcap discounts — they’re all very competitive.
Very nice setup. If you’re a perimeter shopper too, you’ll agree that the meat and dairy are worth an extra trip from WF or farmer’s market.

This is a review of their gluten free carrot cake only. I eat gluten but I gotta say that this is one of the moist carrot cakes I’ve ever tasted, with or without gluten. The cream cheese frosting is kinda unique with the caramel swirls, still very good. I prefer the hummingbird cake, but this one ranks a close second.

Pretty pleased with the kombucha selection as others have mentioned. I got the seasonal red clover, holy basil, and oatstraw. Parking was pretty convenient even though we went right during the after work rush hour. Maybe not many people know about it yet. Since we just bought a new house nearby we browsed the cleaning section and chose an earth friendly toilet cleaner that was on sale for only 3 bucks. Actually buying into the co-​op didn’t seem to be the best deal though. A fee of around $ 100 for 5% off once a month, 10% off crate purchases, a vote on the board and possibly dividends at the end of the year? I’m curious if business will start to pick up in the fall.

I’m a fan of Lakewinds’ Chan-​happenin’ location, so I was thrilled to learn that one opened up in Richfield!
Like other co-​ops in the Twin Cities metro, Lakewinds grocery stores sell quality local products at prices slightly higher than your traditional chain (E.G. Rainbow). Also, the joint is nearly spotless, well-​organized, staffed by friendly people, and has an awesome Peace Coffee café connected to it! If it wasn’t the afternoon, I would’ve ordered a tall cold press.
During my first visit, I spent most of my time in the produce and deli sections and found all the goodies needed for my and juicing and sandwiching-​fests. Some tips:
–Prices of deli meats are at least $ 7.99 per pound. Most were about $ 9.99. Not bad!
–They sell fruit smoothies for around $ 6.
–Tuesday is Senior Discount Day, and seniors get 5% off.
–There’s plenty of parking.
If I lived in Richfield, I would shop there all the time.