Robert Y.
Google
Really want to give a 4.5 here but will have to go with a 4. Lincoln Market is great though! As soon as you walk in you’re always entering a very clean store, well lit and with a good sense of a “flow of traffic”. You walk into a colorful selection of fresh produce that you’ll see someone stocking and rotating at many hours of the day and I’ve only found bad produce a few times; which seems more a consumer error of damaging and putting back or simply reshuffling things that that’s occurring. Never molded; mostly bruised or internal dissolving in potatoes/onions. Anyway as you continue they have beer&wine (and a nice selection) a dedicated seltzer section and you make your way into the aisles which is one reason I want to say 4.5-5 ⭐️’s! They have a WONDERFUL selection of dried goods! Spices you need for the recipes you read, a selection of quality cooking oils (including the fancy ones), arrays of rice, grains, gluten free, etc ; that are not in or around the other stores I’ve been to. For me this alone makes my day because I can get all the speciality items I need for just about any dish outside of the standard American. It’s so nice to see that and then be able to cook foods around the world. They do a good job of inclusivity and with speciality products! They even have an array of Buldak ramens and not one flavor! They’re truly curators and that’s wonderful. Great selections of healthy breads, then you’ll see a plethora of eggs and cheeses, followed by cold milks (they’re so many I don’t see how anyone could be unhappy with them). The frozen section is a delight as well! Really like their offerings in sorbet, a full dr preager’s space, and higher quality dessert brands that are harder to find. My only complaint would be that some items come and go and that’s it. So if you see something you like, or try something and like it, you might want to get two cause it may not be stocked again or for some time.
If you like coffee they have a great selection of just about any coffee you could want or find in terms of quality and roast styles! They also have local Brooklyn roasted coffees and they’re delicious. It’s worth a trip to Lincoln just for the coffee to be honest; they even have their own bulk coffee and grinder too that is good. The issue for me is in the fresh meat and poultry section. The poultry prices are oftener marked down and great for the area; two or three times though I’ve bought it and the smell was definitely off. But my real gripe comes with the fresh beef… they have good and fair prices for beef and when it’s good; the quality is good. But I’ve often found that sorting through the meat there are grey packages, some several days past the sell by date, and some that feel like that section is not being monitored well. I saw a Jack daniels product 3 months past date on the shelf and was happy I checked to not buy that one. Other times it’s just a couple days but it’s gone grey with new meat on top which could then spoil that. And that is a let down for me because sometimes after making the journey and to grocery shop for the week, I’ll end up there on a bad meat day with no one directly around to talk to or report to; or much of an idea of who to address it to. If the butcher was around I’d probably just ask for some out the back. Since it happens 1:2 visits over the course of a year I’d say that’s the only area of improvement. Sometimes too I buy the meat and it turns overnight and I didn’t have time to go and return it. But, when it is good, it is a good! Don’t be mistaken. They source from a good purveyor and the quality of the beef has good flavor. I just wish it was more consistent in that regard. Otherwise it’s a great store, always kind and friendly employees. The cashiers are great and more friendly than other city stores so that’s a plus. You can tell they care and take pride here and continue to be, as a whole, a store above the rest! Definitely recommend stopping in for your overall grocery needs. Also: they have great health drinks and they carry Bob’s Red Mill 😃 !