Sainsbury’s

Tucked across the street from St Andrew Square, this Sainsbury’s is surprisingly large, well stocked and the lines move quickly.
On a weekend night, be prepared to weave through groups of teenagers loitering outside and past drunk bar goers trying to navigate the snack aisles… but if you think of it as a very temporary, people watching live action video game… it’s actually kind of fun.

Very busy shop, very convenient also. Staff are nice. Maybe slightly tatty looking but I guess that is from it being very used. I like the shop and use it most days to get my lunch

With most Sainsbury’s they are all the same standard with the exception that some are slightly better than others.
This branch is only about 1 minute walk from princess street and handy being right next to one of the bus stops that l go to.
This store has a selection of hot food to go but sadly all l can remember is the curry and rotisserie chicken, but they do have a salad bar that’s well stocked with the exception if the weekend where the put less hot food out.
Large bakery section with a good variety of savoury & sweet but the weekends the shelves are half full.
Plenty if tills /​checkouts but not enough staff to man them so expect delays at peak times.

This Sainsburys was a lifesaver to me during my recent trip to Edinburgh.
Close to the bus lines– I was able to buy water and sandwiches and breakfast foods to keep me going during my long days of sightseeing. This location is a little more compact that some of the others that I have been in– but it is well stocked and has a wide range of items.
And if you can’t find something– just ask one of the staff who seem to be around every corner. They will personally walk you to the item…a big change from the US where usually a stock person just points vaguely to an area and mumbles, «it’s over there somewhere».
I went in one afternoon to buy a roll or sweet good to have with my tea and it turned into a social event. There was such a crowd of people standing in front of the fresh bakery with everyone talking about what their favorite roll was– that I actually met some locals that I had drinks with later that night!
And while I didn’t recognize most of the pre made sandwiches in the case (beef and pickles?…um I think not) people were snatching those up too like they were in high demand!
Plenty of check out lanes– quick, efficient and friendly…all wanted to know where I was from which usually resulted in hearing about someone they knew in Chicago.
Sainsburys came to the rescue for this hungry and thirsty gal!

How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
I love thy long shelves of salty snack chips
I love the cashier with her curvy hips
For the beer and cigs and little I pays.
You’re close to the corner of Princes Street
Nigh to the hallowed banks of Auld Stinkie
You’ll sell me a cap for my wee willie winkie
I love thy coffee, in sun, rain, and sleet.
With bright orange bags, I’m pleased to see ya,
I love shopping here more than IKEA.
Grant’s haggis, and shortbread, and the daily news;
You’ve Magner’s and Tennent’s – my favorite booze!
I shall walk these hills til I’m out of breath
I shall but love thee better after death.
(I’m sorry!)

Good lord, why on earth is Jenny L reviewing another chain, and a supermarket chain at that, and a particularly boring centre-​of-​town supermarket chain to boot. I’ll tell you why.
Sainsbury’s is as Sainsbury’s does. As far as the range of British supermarkets go, I quite like Sainsbury’s although from store-​to-​store their selection of goods can be a little patchy. Their own brand meals are middle of the road but perhaps it’s the combination of Jamie Oliver as their brand rep and the bright orange bags that just make me feel a bit happy. And I think the lighting in their stores is more ambient than Tescos.
Anyway, I trotted into this particular branch which is bang-​in-​the-​centre and usually hoaching at lunch time with huge queues. Although kudos they rarely seem to sell out of their sandwiches and the like. It’s probably not the best store to do your weekly grocery shop in though, but still has plenty stock for a take-​home meal if you’re in a rush.
I have chosen to write this review for one particular occasion, and staff member. I went in just before the busy lunchtime rush, and could see quite a few staff restocking quickly. I needed 20 bottles of appletizer. Stat. (Don’t ask why…) This store, being smaller, doesn’t do trolleys. So I had to ask one of the staff to help me take the bottles to the front desk. Not only did he do so. He got a fresh box from out the back so 12 of them were easier to carry, saw me through the check out, down the steps, and waited outside with me until the taxi arrived so that he could load the heavier box into the taxi for me (I was already laden with bags). I have experienced an awful lot of nonchalent, uncaring and sometimes rude staff in supermarkets and to be honest never expect more than just a smile — sometimes even a hello. But this chaps willingness to please, in a genuine manner, really made my day. The lady who served me at the checkout was also really friendly — so I get the impression the staff in this particular branch have a great manager, are well trained, and are all pretty peachy.
As silly as this sounds, I am probably now more likely to nip into Sainsbury’s for a sarnie for a quick town-​lunch than say Boots if it includes service with a smile. Oh and the bright orange bags.

This Sainsburys is huge, and is ALWAYS busy. It’s one of the two supermarkets in the centre of town, and is definitely the cheaper of the two. If you manage to get a sandwich at lunch time, you’re one of the few. I’ve never met anyone who has, I think it’s an urban myth.
This aside, they have all the stock of a Sainsburys and is surprisingly big considering it’s in the centre of town. Saying this, I came in here once for a needle and thread and they didn’t have it. What’s up with that?!
to be honest, it’s too busy and too big to be of any use!

Good old Sainsbury’s, I popped in here the other day for a salad box and piled on as much stuff as I could, they had a particularly nice cous cous salad and the salad was fresh and crisp.
Like the other reviewers, I find Sainsbury’s can also be a tad more expensive than other supermarkets but they always have their deals on that change weekly and they’re usually too good to refuse! I also think Sainsbury’s is nicer to walk around than larger stores that can sometimes be a bit overwhelming and make you forget what you went in for in the first place!

My god, don’t bother getting a lunch meal deal in here, the sandwiches are mixed with those not in the deal, the snacks are distributed around the store and the drinks are off somewhere else too. 15 minutes to find, buy and ask staff where and what was avalable. Jeez.

I remember when Sainsbury’s used to be viewed as a somewhat upmarket grocers, not a million miles from Mark’s and Sparks. It seems that the past few years or so has seen this status diminish a bit though, with Waitrose having long taken the mantle of curtain-​twitchers favourite supermarket, Sainsbury’s now just feels like a small fly in the ointment of Tesco’s quest for world domination.
A bit unjustified, as it’s a competent supermarket, but in general Sainsbury’s stores seem to lack that little bit extra that larger supermarkets have. Everytime I’m in here there’s always something I want that they don’t have, clams being the prime example. Given that my clam surprise pasta is the only dish I can cook well, this is understandably a big stumbling point.
It’s almost made up for by their utterly, unfalteringly tremendous salt beef and gherkin sandwich, but not quite enough for top marks.

I like this Sainsburys because it has a salad bar. This made me very happy when I worked in a nearby clothing store. Before work I would fill up a tub with fruit, muesli and yogurt so I could pretend I was healthy. Then for lunch it would be a mixture of the various salads on offer e.g. coronation chicken, cous cous, pasta salads, potato salads. All for quite a reasonable price, depending on the size of tub you go for.
There is also a handy little hot food takeaway serving baked potatoes, chili and curry. The baked potatoes are pretty awesome and gigantic and definitely give you the bloat for the rest of the day.

i actually havent been to this one, mostly go to the one that is near the univ– but i didnt see it listed and am too lazy to add it on.
pros:
sandwiches are fresh, well thought ingredient combos (i recommend the chicken chorizo and the blt), though avoid the pastas– they are bland and gave me a tummy ache one time. they also offer a decent sammy/​crisps/​pop deal lunch time.
the security guy who works there often alerts you to a better deal than the one you are about to purchase
the biggest plus is that they now are selling a mega pack of the outstanding dark chocolate kit kats
cons:
the one i frequent is heaving during lunch times, so the lines can be obscene.
the same security guy also will tell you the same deal every time you go. yes, i know that one big ass pop is cheaper than two small ones but the big pop is not refridgerated and i want me some cold pop. also, dude, you see me here all the fucking time, dont eye me up like im going to pocket a candy bar
if i am buying more than 5 items, which i had to bring to the checkout in a basket, ie, could not hand carry, and do not have a bag on me, i OBVIOUSLY want a fucking bag– dont ask me if i need one– open your eyes!!!