Sendik’s Food Market

This place has its pros and cons. I go here because I work in Whitefish Bay, so it’s convenient. But also because this place provides some things that other grocery stores don’t.
Pros: They have a line dedicated to hot food, which is usually fresh because the turnover is necessary: a lot of people frequent this place. They change up the food on a daily basis, so variety isn’t lacking.
They carry Passionfruit flavored La Croix. Now, for some of you this wouldn’t be important. However, this is literally the only place I’ve seen it sold. None of the grocery stores near me carry it and it’s my favorite flavor. Other flavors are not lacking either.
The sushi is actually really good. Normally I don’t advocate for store bought sushi, but it’s a nice quick, light lunch. And, the key here being that, it’s really fresh. Plus, they have this thing called «sushi Wednesday’s» where a lot of it is $ 4.99 instead of $ 7.99.
Pretty clean and well taken care of. Staff is friendly.
That’s all I’ve got for Pros. Cons: Parking is a crap shoot. The lot is just awful and awkward and it’s always packed. It’s such a struggle getting in that it almost doesn’t seem worth it.
The store is so tiny. Annoyingly tiny. Like, inconveniently so. Isles are so narrow, it’s hard to get around someone, especially if they’re shopping with a cart. Who thought of this set-​up?! It’s god awful. Then, lots of old people go here. So when I’m on my half hour break and I have to walk behind an older person who is moving no faster than a turtle, I want to rip my hair out. Going around is almost impossible because there’s always someone hanging out in any given isle with their cart. It can be quite frustrating.
It’s expensive. I sometimes get produce on sale, but other than that I steer clear from doing any major shopping here.
All in all, it may just be worth it to go to pick n save, which is in the opposite direction. Few perks, don’t say I didn’t warn ya.

I love this store. It is not about the prices. The produce and goods are always clean, fresh and great quality. I’ve purchased prepared food to take on flights and everything tastes great a day later. They offer services that no other grocery store can offer — holiday centerpieces, catering and the employees really know the merchandise! From the wine merchant to the olive seller and cheese seller — they are professionals. Yes, it’s North Shore. Yes, it costs more than the local «whatever» grocer, but you get what you pay for!
Sendicks is a one-​of-​kind specialty foods store. There is nothing ordinary about it!

Soooooooooo overpriced. I suppose if you are a North Shore Nancy or if you both work all week and have to grocery shop on the weekends — then this is your place. If you stay home with your kids during the week and have time to shop, there are MANY other stores that will help you feed that growing family of kids well, and for much less money — and without sacrificing quality. This is for the «gotta shop — no time to go anywhere else» crowd.

Update: 11/​25/​2014
I worked with Sendik’s Floral on a special event order. The first meeting went great and the quote was fair. After the first face-​to-​face meeting, I struggled to receive speedy and detailed communication. I was a bit nervous that I did not receive a formal order write-​up. When I called to check-​in prior to the event, there were a few items that were not updated based on previous communications via e-​mail and phone.
The day of the event arrived and everything arrives on schedule. The flowers were more beautiful than I imagined, which is a good problem to have. The only error was pin backs on the boutonnières versus magnets, as requested, but that was minimal in the scheme of things (although I did receive a complaint about the possibility of ruining a new suit jacket).
They also came through with a special request for fresh hops for the tables. There was much more than expected and it was very fragrant. They also ordered two varieties as they have slightly different aromas.
I would order from Sendik’s floral again. Their flowers always impress. The service was OK, so perhaps I could avoid the hurdles if I requested/​supplied a written plan and photos from the get go, or stopped in again for a follow up face-​to-​face. That may limit the handling in between but in the end, my guests and I are happy with the finished product.
Thanks to the team for the beautiful work!

This store will teach you many things in regards to life skills. Starting with the parking lot. Snagging a spot in this lot gives you a feeling of accomplishment. One you will build upon by entering the store and dodging exiting customers without injury. Don’t be distracted by the sale tortilla chips or someone will road kill you with their cart upon departure. Did that successfully? Continue to duck and dodge your way through this store, don’t fall asleep at the wheel at the intersection of BAKERY and CHEESE and DAIRY. Maneuvering a grocery cart here should be a skill test for a driver’s license. Why are folks complaining about that? «this store is too too tiny I started to panic. I can’t imagine using a cart…» Really Goldilocks? There is a billion dollar video gaming industry based on this simple concept of dodging obstacles, but when people do it in real life, its a problem? Hello Frogger? I’ve been to some suburban grocery stores where the aisles are so wide you can plant watermelon and the store covers enough square footage to have its own zip code. Who needs it? That’s not a good thing. I can barely get up the gumption to shop at such places that require a hydration pack and trail mix to make it to the end of your list. The Walmart in Gatlinburg, Tennessee has 147 aisles. How do I know that? I stopped in for Advil (#29) and a hairdryer (#137). I still have PTSD thinking about that experience. People get their hair cut there and their eyes checked. Did I see someone getting orthodontia in aisle 100? Even with 147 aisles, I would know better than to buy fruit at a place like that. Do we need all that extra crap from our grocery stores? Should we get our oil changed in the same place we buy turkey? no siree. I have reluctantly accepted my grocery store selling tampons and pens, I guess you have to cater to tourists, but I’d never come to Unilocal to complain about the price of either. YOU DON’T BUY THOSE FROM SENDIK’S – GO TO TARGET.
Anyway, those of you that require acreage in your grocery store and a fool proof parking lot, should stay in Greenfield and Brookfield. There is something fun about dodging a legally blind 90 year old woman driving a Cadillac big enough to tan hides the wrong way down the parking lot lanes, and then again saving your Achilles from her in the spice aisle. If you don’t see the fun in that, don’t spoil it for the rest of us.
At Sendik’s, its cozy and inconvenient, but it doesn’t stop them from parking a Mariachi band in the middle of the store for customer appreciation. And I do feel very appreciated by a business willing to do that for me. This Sendik’s is hugely improved from the days of rumpled green indoor/​outdoor turf-​like carpeting and 4 wheeled carts with 1 square wheel. I love it. And it has good fruit, good meat, beautiful floral department. I have never waited behind more than 1 person in line at this store. They know there is nowhere to wait so guess what? They don’t make you wait! Every checkout is going all the time. Good for them. The one time I had to return something, literally no questions asked, cash and apology delivered in under a minute. Not so easy at Pick N Save where the process included paperwork and questions and signatures. Really? For moldy cheese? I answered fewer questions for jury duty. Anyway, those of you complaining about navigation challenges are probably the people I’m expertly dodging as you park your cart blocking the aisle or stand in front of the dairy case sampling bakery and cheese. Ugh, keep moving folks, this is no country club. There are only 2 kinds of people in this world – those who get the hang of it, and those of you blocking the aisle.
One special kudos to the ladies in the floral department. They are amazing. Even though their prepared bouquets are lovely and reasonably priced, I’m the kind of girl who likes to make her own. The day before Thanksgiving, when they were absolutely swamped filling special orders, I had 2 employees notice what I was doing, ask if they could help and they both did contribute to my very special custom arrangement. I kept apologizing for taking so much of their time and they were so sweet. One of them said it was the most beautiful arrangement they had made all day. If I were savvier, I’d post photos of it here, as a little treat for any of you who read this far into my review.
Summer and fall, stop at the cook out and grab a brat. Cheap good eats served by very nice kids. Nothing to complain about here. We are lucky to have this place. When is that mariachi band coming back? Kicks butt on your grocery store’s Muzak, any day.
Ok, here’s a thought for an improvement: That completely charming building that you used to use for the fish market and storing rolls of quarters would make a totally charming café/​coffee/​wine spot featuring all your fine food. What about it? Let’s see it put to good use.

I like this store, though I generally only buy produce here and would never dream of getting a cart b/​c it seems like it’d be a nightmare. Even if the store were completely empty of other shoppers I imagine you’d need to execute 12-​point turns every time you wanted to change course. I guess I don’t really mind small though. We’d all complain if they tore it down and put up a Walmart-​size store in its place, so maybe let’s just learn to deal with small.
Like I said, I like their produce, even though they make it impossible to get to. You know how in most stores you walk in and are immediately in the produce section? Here you walk in and are immediately in someone’s way. Even though you can see the produce from there, you can’t get to it. You are forced to wind your way past customer service and up the dry goods aisle before you can cut over to get a cantaloupe.
But it will be a really good cantaloupe.

This Sendik’s is SMALL. Tiny. Miniscule. It makes shopping here a real pain. I often drive up to the large Mequon store if I have time. The longer drive is worth the hassle of dealing with people all up in your grill here.
It doesn’t help that Sendik’s customers tend to have even less self-​awareness in a grocery store than customers of other stores. Clearly, Sendiks’s exists for the sole purpose of fulfilling their shopping needs, even at the expense of other customers. Watch where you and your cart are going in this place because no one else will watch for you.
Oh, and they NEVER have the lemon kissed chicken pasta salad in the deli, even though it’s super popular and larger locations have it all the time. WTF Sendik’s.
2.5 stars. Because even though it’s a crappy Sendik’s, it’s still a million times better than Pick’n’Shit.

«Beef prices becoming a lot tougher to digest,» said the headline in this morning’s Chicago Tribune, the second such article in a week. With that said it was a wake up call to stock up before we are priced out.
With this being Tuesday, I already knew today was Sendik’s Ground Chuck special day, but for how much longer? Offering Ground Chuck for $ 2.49 a pound compared to its regular $ 3.99 price tag (at least for now), was incentive enough still without a car (see On-​Star Review 2÷16÷14) to pick up the bus schedule and head out the door.
Just 15 minutes later I was passing through the recently remodeled front entrance. I’ve been coming here since we first discovered Whitefish Bay in 1982 and I can actually say I sold Sendik’s its first American flag for the Veteran’s flagpole along Silver Spring Drive.
Grocery shopping has actually been one of my favorite hobbies since college. I
am an avid coupon shopper and save more than $ 1,300 annually using the printed
currency and loyalty cards. With that said, forget it with Sendik’s.
In the 32 years I have been shopping here, Whitefish Bay was its original location and probably is still its crown jewel. However, now there are 11 Balistreri locations.
You could call Sendik’s a Milwaukee institution and boutique style food market.
First, Sendik’s is not only a place to shop, but be seen. There are few actual
bargains and if you want only price, you go elsewhere. If you want quality, service and selection, this is your dream come true. You will be pampered by all the help
and if you don’t see it or can’t find it, just ask.
Long known for its exceptional selections of highest quality produce, meats, deli, bakery and alcohol, these impressive departments set Sendik’s apart from nearly everyone else. That’s why Sendik’s food market is indeed in a class all by itself.

I am usually not in the habit of writing bad reviews. I like to get people when they are doing good. I usually shop at the Sendiks in Brookfield. They are very customer friendly and are very polite. In fact sometimes overly polite. My biggest pet peeves are people with bad attitudes. We all lead busy and complicated lives. I get it. BUT the world does not have to know you are having a bad day. Mr. Butcher at Sendiks. Other than that the trip to Sendiks was good

It’s not my regular grocery store — I grudgingly shop at the Pick N Save half a mile from my place — but I do try to come here when I can for certain things. They carry a lot of items, especially local items, that many other stores don’t have. For instance, this is one of the few places I can find Bolzano’s salami (made in Milwaukee).
My favorite part about this place is the produce section. The selection surpasses most in the area and it’s one of the few places I can find the new SweeTango apple. Produce prices aren’t bad, either. Prices for anything else is a bit higher than most grocers, but usually worth it.
On the downside, the aisles (and the place in general) is tiny as everything else noted. Not a big deal for me as I don’t tend to buy cartloads here, just specialties, but I could see it being an issue for others. The other thing that irritates me is that when you walk in you come right into the checkout lanes and have to go a weird way around to the produce, which is all the more awkward because it’s so tight.

Once upon a time this was a great place to shop. In recent years, however, the quality of produce has tanked. Many locals recall when a human selected the fruit and vegetables; they were pristine. Now, they favor brands including some stone fruits that are beautifully packaged and taste like the crates they come in. The once splendid meat department is fair, but has too many semi-​prepared foods that look suspiciously old. The fish market used to be separate, and now is integrated into the same area as meat, staffed by oafs who are indifferent to customer service on a good day. Most of the time the customer service desk is staffed by teens. The flower department has good deals, but the staff are dips, condescending, and really not knowledgeable about flowers. The formerly great deli now has gloppy, unimaginative offerings. By cramming more into the store they have managed to have fewer selections.

For those who don’t know, Sendik’s is like… a bit upscale than your normal grocery store, and with it you get a lot of the «upscale people» or… the people who THINK they are upscale (more the latter).
You all ever get that soccer mom who follows you through the store, and no matter how fast you go, she’s right behind you, and when you finally stop to let her go around, she does that… fake smile thing??? No, just show me your fangs, it’s cool, we both know you have them, don’t hide it.
Yea, lots of ‘fake smilers’…
I liked the selection and found some harder to find stuff there, but if you go during the evening, expect the fake smilers to be in force, after all, you’re in their way and they have 2 hungry kids in the minivan — MOVE OUT OF THE WAY!
Oh, did I mention it’s small and there are a lot of old people (love those old people)?
If there’s nothing that drives the fake smilers crazy more, it’s slow people (old people?) and small stores, because then they’re unable to scream through the store at 40 mph.
So sorry.

Love Sendiks — the three stars are for this location in comparison to some others. Much like the Tosa/​North Avenue one, this one is on the smaller side, leading to a lot of cart collisions and generally feeling like you’re always in someone’s way or they’re always in yours.
The bakery and meat counter are, per Sendik’s standards, great. There’s tons of parking for the smaller location. On the East Side I didn’t have a Balistreri’s in my neighborhood, so this was my quickest option — especially when I was already running errands at Bayshore.

I have kind of a love hate relationship with Sendik’s.
Hates:
— Aisles are very tight and I constantly feel like I am in the way or somebody is in my way
— I like to get in and out and I feel like I am the only one there with that mind set.
— Prices are a little higher than larger chains
— Due to size, it does not carry everything I want
Loves
— Walking distance from my house
— Friendly Staff
— Great meat department
— It isn’t a big chain
I find myself going here when I don’t need a lot of things and can justify paying a little more for the convenience.

This is the quintessential neighborhood grocery store. No 2-​cart wide aisles. Stock boys are employed to maintain the most efficient use of space on the planet. The best part is the meat counter. Don’t see exactly what you want? Just ask the butcher to cut what you want or order something for a party you are planning. I do go to the big stores for items like laundry detergent, but Sendik’s provides for my daily culinary needs quite nicely.

There is nothing I hate more than grocery shopping.
I love Sendik’s for it’s entirety. Hot/​cold (fresh) deli options. Good beer/​booze selection. Great Sendik’s produce. Solid bakery. Friendly staff.
Two (2) prevailing issues with location:
(1) Average age (customer): 90 — The pace of your shop will cause momentary blackouts and profuse sweating.
(2) Apparently, Whitefish Bay residents like to exercise their bold opposition to left-​right dynamics (only) within the confines of this store. Being that sight-​lines and angles are so oppressive, it kind of feels like Virtual Pac Man. Everywhere you turn, you’re intercepting a frantic soccer mom and/​or your Great-​Grandma.
Just take your BP meds, 30 minutes before you go. You’ll be glad you did.

Talk about topnotch customer service. I’m so glad I’m the first person to do a review on this store.
I went to Sendiks last week to pick up just a few items. At the time, it was about all I could handle. The reason for that is… I was on crutches and in a walking boot, which could only be lightly walked on.
I’m already embarrassed enough because I can only push the cart a foot ahead of me at a time then catch up and do it all over again. I would have waited until I was off crutches but I was literally out of things to drink at home & was in desperate need of fluids. So here I am, looking like a goof pushing this cart that’s wheels weren’t fixed properly. It would turn to the right every time I pushed it. I made it about 5 yards when I saw the lady at the customer service booth tell one of the young baggers to go help that man.
The young boy who was 16, but looked like he was 12, he came over and said, «I can help you sir.» He was very courteous and allowed me take my time around this very nice grocery store. I decided to check out the hot foods in the back. They always have a great selection of foods ready for you to eat. On the way back to the hot foods, you past their incredible wine/​liquor display. It always makes me want to have a drink but I resisted.
I would grab the item I needed and the young boy would put it in the cart for me. He even told me he was happy to help and to take my time, which was great to hear seeing how I had no choice but to go slow.
After I found the 4 or 5 items I needed we headed to the checkout. He was called to do another job, so they had another young kid to assist me to the car. I waited until I saw the boy again to offer him a tip, he definitely deserved one. Instead of taking it he said no. He told me thank you and the tip is really not necessary. I ended up tipping the kid who helped me to the car, but I felt bad I couldn’t convince the other kid to accept one. I will definitely go back and I have a nice surprise for him.
Sendiks is a very classy place. The prices may be a little higher here but service is great and the place is very clean. Check it out!