Mandela Grocery Cooperative

Tons of healthy, organic options plus a mini restaurant for takeout items in the back. Tried the half rotisserie chicken and potato wedges and they were 🔥🔥🔥. Portion was also very generous for the price. Staff was very welcoming and happy to converse which is always a nice touch.

I love this place sooo much, they have the best snack options ever. All super healthy and so many vegan, gluten free, refined sugar free options, plus tons of local goodies that make you feel good about where you're getting your treats from. Honestly I just come here for the vibes sometimes. They always have the best music playing, the staff are so wonderful and kind and chill. My mood always improves after hanging out in here.

Their kitchen smelled Heavenly & the menu looked amazing. Not enuf time to order food... however, the blood oranges were incredible! 💙 😮 & great coffee to boot. Excellent inventory & top notch service. 🦄

Awesome place in the town! It's like a mini rainbow grocery, but more affordable, with a bit more African focused products and even more local focus. They sell so much cool stuff like Teranga Baobab juice, African Sea moss, local honey, Soursop leaves from Ghana, spirulina drinks, and have tons of vegan prepared, canned, fresh, and frozen food options. Some things here that you can't find elsewhere like Rose Lemonade and chick'n bouillon cubes. Their ethically sourced coffee selection is large too! The table featuring local botanical artists' medicine was amazing to support as well, with Palo Santo and different castor oils and oil from El Salvador I can't remember the name of. Also California grown produce is 50% off Mon-Sat for EBT customers!! The produce was high quality, the place was clean, conveniently located and customer service was top notch. In summary, this is a worker led co-op that really cares about its community and is a joy to visit and support. I'll be back soon!

This place has the best sweet potato fries you’ll ever eat. The chef is incredibly talented. Plus, they have a surprising variety of options, and do so much for the community. PSA: you get 50% off when you use EBT!

They pack all the bare necessities and then some !! They even have a well stocked bulk fill section with herbs, spices, and nuts. Better quality food than the target and grocery chain next to me and their prices are decent. Happy customer, thank you!

Friendly staff, organic products and labels for staff favorites and wellness products. Love this place and will do my primary shopping here.

Best organic-food shop I've seen in Bay Area. All products well curated an an amazing selection of healthy food

I love this store! Its my 4 time in BayArea & I decided to search for an employee owed store & this one was the closest to Walnut Creek, excellent service, the best thing rn is their organic seeded watermelons which are the best I've had in my 5 years in America. They carry lots of organic produce, have bulk spices, flours, nuts. Also the food at their hot food section prepared there in store is super reasonably priced & tasted amazing we've had a rotisserie chicken sandwich & some soup. They cary honey kombucha that is also amazing. If you like to support workers this is the place to shop. No money going to giant corps.

Today I tried the Vegan Koji Deli Salami Sandwich, and all I can say is WOW!!! Crazy delicious, bursting with flavor, and masterfully designed! KUDOS TO THE CHEF! ANOTHER WIN!!!!

Mandela is a small and quaint, grocery cooperative. They had a lot of fresh fruit. I suggest you check the discount bins. I was able to get some oyster mushrooms at a great price and tomatoes. The stuff is very friendly and extremely helpful. It's small yet I was found everything I needed.

Shout out to Bryan for putting me on to the copra coconut water. Bryan was very helpful and polite.

Feels much bigger, amazing selection of fresh produce, lovely vegan desserts I can't find anything like back home in Vallejo. Reasonable prices on mainstream vegan food. Super real and delicious looking, great to stretch my EBT dollar and still feed the kid great food I was slow to realize the bulk bins are not self serve, but they were easygoing and helpful to pack it up. Looking forward to visiting again

I wish I lived close to here, because if I did, I would shop here every time I need groceries. I came in looking for Oakland made kubé ice cream, and they were super well stocked with every flavor. Then, to my surprise, I saw various other small local vegan brands stocked, like granola and muffins from Way To Life Foods, and cookies from Sugar Plum Vegan. There were even other vegan products that I'd never seen before, and pre-made vegan meals. Such a great selection considering the size of the store!

Love the quality and freshness of the fruits and veggies here. I haven't been able to find organic aloe Vera plants yet I found one here. Myself and my son have developed skin conditions thanks to the quality of water where we live so we've been looking for raw aloe Vera to soothe our skin. We eat the aloe Vera and place it on our skin. The store is small yet they have every mom and pop organic item you can't find in the Bay Area. The Bay Area isn't as health conscious as many other places so finding raw roots and herbs are difficult yet this store has it all. The vegan food cooked daily taste amazing. Oh man the vegan gumbo is superior. I also noticed they have cookies that are baked by neighborhood kids sold there, what a blessing. The food items are a bit expensive however if you purchase items that are grown in the Bay Area it's 50% off. Amazing right? My purchase came up to $55 but went down significantly to $30 since I purchased local fruits and veggies. My teenage son said he's going to save money to shop here once a month for their fruits and herbs. My toddler loves this store. I met the owner and she's a sweetheart. The staff are very knowledgeable which I appreciate because their guidance today helped me shop to save yet I was able to get what I needed plus more. Thank you! What a blessing this store exists.

Such a wonderful place to shop with local produce, generous service & great prices every time. Mandela Foods has been serving the community for over 10 years and they have been a blessing to it since it's beginning

I absolutely love Mandela Co-op! The people are fantastic, and the atmosphere is always welcoming. They offer an array of good products, and the samples they provide are incredibly tasty. Now that their kitchen is open again, the food they serve is absolutely delicious.

The peoples co-op. Def come thru and show some support for people who really care about the community

Small but mighty! Almost like a locally owned whole foods mini mart with a whole produce section. They have various dietary accommodations for those who are gluten free or dairy free or animal free. Also , a gem, BEAN PIE! Get you some bean pie if you really want to be about it. Great neighborhood grocery story for everything you could need in the kitchen :)

Small store that has a lot to offer... living in this area of town I rely on this market.. they offer fresh produce and plant base and vegan options... fresh ground coffee makes the place smell so good.. the staff is always nice and very knowledgeable...

I order and pay for the groceries online and they bag 'em for me. I come and pick them up.

After 7 years of shopping here, I am done. The groceries are definitely a bit expensive here, but I've never minded paying a bit more in the past as I really wanted to support a West Oakland business, as well as a co-op. Every staff member I've ever dealt with at this business in the past has been pleasant, with the new exception of Brian. Brian rang up my groceries last week, & when I questioned him about a posted price on the impossible burger, he copped a major attitude, said nothing to me, & went & removed the posted price tag out of the freezer section. I explained to Brian it is important that he honor the posted price, that was $3 dollars different than what he rang me up as, & he gave me a disgusted look & ushered over another woman to the nearby register & started to ring her up. He purposely punished me & made me stand there & wait while he helped a new customer while he was in mid-transaction with me. He did very annoyingly asked if I, "wanted the groceries or not as the impossible burger was $8.87?" I walked back over to the freezer section, & did not see the $8.87 price posting. He then looked again very annoyed at me, & ushered over yet a SECOND customer to the other register. I canceled my order and walked out of the store as Brian's blatant rudeness & poor customer service was just too much to deal with. I attempted to call and speak to a manager after I left the store. Brian screened the call & begrudgingly handed the phone to a said "Manager" after I made multiple requests. It was quite clear multiple employees had me on speaker phone & were all listening to me speak. A young woman, maybe Andrea, said she was sorry I had a poor experience, & proceeded to simply speak over me for approximately one minute. Unfortunate interaction on many levels: Brian certainly never apologized & I did not feel like the staff listened to how unreasonably I was treated & that this was an easy fix had Brian honored the price that was posted. Brian did multiple things wrong here. He did not honor the posted price & simply removed the sticker, & more importantly, he didn't communicate with me whatsoever aside from misquoting me a new price which was not posted. Additionally, Brian made a point to punish me while I was questioning the transaction/price by helping TWO other people while he was mid-ring up with me as the first customer. It is shocking to me that Brian is an owner of this business & treated a long-term, loyal customer so poorly, on multiple levels. I really could care less that the difference of the impossible burger was $3, but Brian's attitude was completely uncalled for & totally failed to resolve the issue adequately. If I were Brian's fellow co-op owners, I would be really bummed he failed to resolve such a basic issue. If Brian simply would've provided a reasonable explanation, & would've honored the $3 difference, he would not be losing a long-term customer. A loyal, long-term customer was lost over a poor attitude & $3. Brian appears to have poor employee knowledge about honoring /knowing posted prices, as well as lack of manners & basic etiquette. My apologies to the other co-op owners- I will be shopping elsewhere going forward.

Love this place. Walk an hour to get here! If you haven't been here yet, it's time to support this amazing local market! Such a wonderful variety of healthy delicious food, and wonderfully welcoming helpful staff.

When Community Foods closed in our neighborhood, we were unsure of where to get groceries as we live in West Oakland without a car. Mandela's deliveries have been such a lifesaver! They offer high quality fresh produce, lots of plant-based options for those who're looking for that, great snack selection. They've become our number one go-to for weekly grocery shopping essentials. Not only is the grocer a cooperative - they work with Piikup to do their deliveries, which is a local employee owned company focused on supporting emerging businesses owned by people of color. No guilt about paying Doordash or the Bezos dynasty needed here!

I love my health food stores. Browsing through aisles - lined with words like Organic, Grass-fed, Paleo, and Vegan, makes me beam. I feel nourished just being surrounded by well curated health-conscious goodness. This darling Food Co-op is the perfect size. It's intimate, but jam-packed full of well chosen products. You can pick up fresh produce in addition to some unique local items. If you're doing a big grocery shop - you may want to hit up Berkeley Bowl or the like, but for small grocery runs and healthy well sourced snacks - Mandela Food Co-Op is what's up. Trust.

The Mandela Food Coop has been around for 7 years. It is small yet there is a good vibe here w/ a community spirit. One of the employees here extended his hand & introduced himself to me as I was shopping. That is a great example of the community spirit here that is rare to find. The store has a small bulk section w/ mostly organic staples such as beans, nuts, seeds, & flour. There was lots of organic produce. There even was some hard to find items here such as daiya vegan cheese & vegenaise vegan mayo. Mandela Food Coop isn't exclusively vegetarian yet the majority of the products are vegetarian. There is a cafe on site called Zella's Cafe for soups, salads, & sandwiches. The cafe has vegan options such as a hummus sandwich. The soup of the day was vegan as it was a lentil, kale, & sweet potato soup. Zella's Cafe hours are 7am to 4pm M-F. The Mandela Cooperative store hours are: M-F 7am to 8pm Sat 9am to 6p Sun 10am to 4pm

I love how close this grocery store is to me and everyone who works their is always so friendly and helpful . They have a good selection of vegan , healthy organic choices. And they sell local products which I love !

Very friendly & helpful staff. It's my local grocery store & they always make me feel welcomed & recognize me. The produce is very good & they stock very good products.

I recently saw a small spotlight on West Oakland and the positive things that are going on. Mandela Foods was featured for its positive contribution to the neighborhood. Employee owned and operated, I am happy to be a customer. As soon as you walk into Mandela Foods you can feel the sense of community. Although the shop is somewhat small. They have a great selection of fresh and organic produce. A freezer section with healthy frozen food entrees. Two refrigerators stocked with Almond, hemp, cows and sheep milk, cold pressed juices, artisan water, acai juice, coconut water, yogurt, hummus, butter, I could definitely go on. This market also has a bulk section. Today I purchased organic raw almonds ($15.38/lb) , here you can also buy bulk rice, beans, trail mix and granola. In the middle aisle is a pretty sizable selection of healthy snack (kind bars, cliff bars, inner peas, tcho chocolate..) Closer to the entry there are some natural soaps and lotions, a community board, a microwave and things like napkins, forks and spoons. Zella's is also a small hot food cafe within the market, operating mostly for breakfast and lunch. I've tried their delicious and gigantic biscuits with honey butter twice once with sausage and egg. Both times I was more than satisfied. Zella's has a nice well laid out menu of breakfast, salads, and sandwiches and like the Mandela Co-op foundation, they also strive to give you fresh, healthy foods to nourish your body and mind. Walking into this Market is less of a grocery store feel and more like a community garden where you can pick from the freshest most quality ingredients. This is definitely a market to check out if you are ever in West Oakland area, they are literally right across the street from Bart.

You know, I like the store and all that. However, the prices here are higher then Whole Foods or in some cases higher then most places. Yeah, i get the whole co-op thing, organic produce, good service and some sort of purpose...but the price is just too high. If you have any doubt, go look for your self. Specially the rack that has the oil, a bottle of some sort of "high quality oil is over $15.00, one can get two of those for the price of one at Whole Foods. The one that did it for me is clearly stated on the picture posted on here: an organic avocado is $1.49, while a bunch of cilantro is: $1.59. That is what amazes me!

Mandela foods is truly an underrated gift to our community. They provide local produce, products, and eats to town. Ask about their freshcred program (for cal fresh members). Every time I've visited the energy has been high + vibrant. I'm huge on great customer service where I spend my money and they've always went above + beyond! They're selection is quite small being that the space is limited but I'm almost positive you'll find what you're looking for. The icing on top of the cake is their a B.O.B! Group economics baby!

I love shopping here. I always find what I need and a few surprises. I'm so glad to able to support this locally owned establishment, with friendly staff, healthy food and really easy parking.

"Mandela Foods Cooperative is a locally-owned and operated full-service grocery store and nutrition education center located in West Oakland, a community long underserved in grocery retail.", "foods grown on family farms", "nutrition education classes", " cooperative economic investment program " and Active participation in community" - some of what Mandela Market boasts on their website. If you are into all that, great! Me? What do I know about business models and family farms? Hey, all I know is Mandela market is one of the coolest markets around. It is a little boutique market that is stylish and stocked with fresh fruits and veggies, has a great selection of grains and seeds", carries wholesome foods", is well stock with the everyday items that I need, and charges good prices. I am into all that. Great Place. Next time? I heard they also cook up some great chow here.

There were many things I liked about this store. I loved the selection of locally-made vegan items such as Indian pratha, tempeh, etc. The deli with fresh sandwiches and the large parking lot were also nice. I like that they provide jobs in a community with few to spare. However, I'm clearly their key demographic (and something is wrong with that); if this store was in another neighborhood I'd give it a much higher rating. The problem is that it's in West Oakland and clearly geared towards the people who own high-priced condos nearby. While the organic produce is *a little* cheaper than you can find organic produce for elsewhere, the other brands they carry are all higher-end and priced accordingly. So, you can buy some nice and affordable produce, but the pasta to go with it is going to be pricey. Again, this isn't a problem for me. When I was shopping there earlier, I watched a family stand by the deli section, negotiating with each other for quite awhile. They ultimately decided they didn't want to spend that much money on a few sandwiches, and went elsewhere. Even whole foods carries the 365 brand; which makes somewhat accessible to those with a lower income. Again, this is a great store for a higher-income community. Since it's in West Oakland and was originally funded with public subsidies; I'd like to see some lower-priced, more affordable options so that it can be truly accessible to the surrounding community.

Shout out to the Co-op Staff that has been keeping this place running thru the *pandemic*. Urban Soldiers for Real. They've been keeping the West Oakland Community stocked with clean water, vital produce, yummy snacks. We soooo APPRECIATE YOU!!

First time there today and really was impressed with the great selection and affordable prices. Not to mention the staff was very friendly and being careful not to let more than 5 ppl in the store at a time to ensure we practice social distancing. Will be back!

This is a small grocery by most places' standards, but the biggest one I found in West Oakland. There's a small selection of fruit, but nothing outlandish --- mangos but no Hawaiian papayas when I visited, for example. Took me a few tries to find the fresh bread --- it's in a basket at the register, rather than near the sliced loaves. Be sure to check out Zella's Soulful Kitchen, the semi-autonomous hot food counter in back. There are a few tables out front, to sit and drink your coffee before heading across the street to BART; maybe not the most scenic place for a full meal, but perfect for a quick beverage-and-muffin. They're definitely trying to blend socially-responsible practices (fresh food for everyone) with Whole Foods-level fancy (pricy); the mix sometimes works, but sometimes seems a bit contrived.

love this store, cool employees, great selection and playlist never stops!

Mandela Foods Cooperative is an alternative to the convenience store that sells chips, booze, smokes-fun stuff that will eventually smoke u. Mandela gives fun an alternative meaning-foods that taste good and are good for u. drink: apple a day (2.49) cold pressed, 16 oz. -sweet tasting goodness that won't get me diabetic.... -fills up my fruit quota too. take outs: -cool, informal service -lots of healthy stuff here, no time to check it out.

Small selection. Stuck in the 70s. I know it is West Oakland but still would hope to see a better selection and better prices.

I Love the service & Quality of Organic veggies This is a place that I would recommend to anyone seeking the best out of their food

The store is well organized, and the customer service is great! Lots of smiles and good vibes!!

I am a business owner so perhaps I am hyper vigilant when it cones to customer service. Nevertheless, any customer entering a business should feel welcomed and I did not. I had been hearing about Mandela foods for quite sometime but have never had the chance to go until today. When I walked in I was not greeted which normally wouldn't be a big deal but I was the only shopper there staring at 3 employees gathered around a cell phone. I started to look around and saw this amazing prepackaged food but there was no price. I held it up and said excuse me three times and no one even turned around. If you've ever been to this store you know it's no bigger than a studio apartment so someone must've heard me. I put that item down and went over to the juices figuring okay I won't linger here I'll just grab a juice a go. A middle age Asian woman began restocking the juices I was looking at. Without saying excuse me proceeded to reach over me and stock. I looked at her and said "WELL EXCUSE ME" and she just smiled. As this was going a friend of the store I assume walked in and the other two girls began yelling out random Spanish words and asking this other customer if they were saying it right. I grabbed an apple juice and slammed it on the counter AND STILL THE CASHIER SAID NOTHING. She rang it up and continued her conversation. I have her the $1.64 in exact change and left. I won't be back. Ever!

Contrary to some of the other reviews, I actually received excelled customer service here! I was so hype to come to this co-op but a little nervous that the prices would be too steep and the service would be shaky, but I was greeted as soon as I entered. The cashier helped me find the snacks I was looking for and he even discounted one of my waters. I would definitely return to this spot! I uploaded a picture of some of the goodies I picked up.

Carries more organic and healthy food options than I've ever seen in a store that size. Whoever is doing their ordering really knows their stuff because it's literally my favorite thing in every category while still being really small. They have both of the best Chai teas around: Bhakti and Blue Lotus. Plenty of vegan options including vegan cinnamon rolls. Good fresh fruit and vegetable options too!

Anj is the most sweet kind hearted individual. Extremely genuine and generous. I came in asking to charge my phone and she kindly let me charge it with her behind the counter. I was down on my luck and very hungry and asked if I could do anything to help in the store for something to eat. She didn't hesitate to help me out. The selection of great food is all there. Shop local and support this grocery store. Hands down the best service in the area.

Heartening. I don't know if it's because of the historical figure name, the jazz they sometimes play, or the fact that it's a co-op in Oakland. I'm never here in time for the meals they cook up each day, so I shop from the small but just-enough selection of fruits / vegetables, nuts / cereals, and refrigerated foods / drinks. The worker-owners are chill, and only once was my cash inspected for legitimacy. Consider getting one of their handmade reusable totes to support this place.

Love this store. Big fan of buying my fruits and veggies from here and here only! Sucks that by the end of day, they run out of my spinach. But they restock every morning. You have to come early and catch everything while they just put it out. The workers are very friendly. Been going here for a few years now. My little sister turned me on to this place. Now I'm addicted!

I always enjoy going to Mandela Foods awesome crew always happy smiling and happy to help you Just love the vibe in there .....,

Rude checkers. No acknowledgment of customers. Overly attached and concerned with their cell phones to notice shoppers. Produce is mediocre. No fresh juices. Poor nutritional options. Expand your selection SON!!!

I came in today for the first time. Employees greeted me with a friendly smile. The store is clean and well stocked. Great customer service too. Definitely will be back whenever I'm in town.

Mandela Food Cooperative is a local cooperatively-run business aimed at improving eating habits of urban city dwellers. It is known that many neighborhoods lack fresh produce, sustainablely fostered food, Mandela's mission is to provide the immediate Oakland community with affordable real food. I was at the opening. Good turnout. The store has bright orange signs to attract West Oakland BART commuters. I wish they had better ready-made foods; the Smokey Chipotle Pepper Hummus Wrap with Black Beans from Fundamental Foods is perhaps one of the worst wraps I've eaten. However, their bulk section and produce looks bountiful. (no pine nuts, sorry all you pesto fans). Healing Spring Kombucha is great here. I hope Mandela Food Cooperative is ready for its challenges ahead. Good luck!

I have been proudly shopping here at least once a week since they first opened. Mandela feels friendly and old school in a way that will nourish your spirit while you shop. It is not Whole Foods, and is not trying to be. It is a wonderful community resource that the community had lived without for far too long. They always have good deals on pesticide free, in season local produce. They carry tons of products from local, family owned, farms vendors and coops. Prices are reasonable...coop owners are lovely people...selection is impressive and constantly growing. I shop Mandela because they are a great little market in their own right AND because it's a beautiful feeling to shop my values.

A little small, but the staff was giving great energy as soon as I stepped in the door, plus they had everything I needed and more. I love that it's a co-op, and offers healthy food in West Oakland. I will be back. It's a little out of the way for me, but I'm about cooperative economics, so it's worth it, especially when I have time to get there.

Great service! Awesome selection of organic itemsn in such a small space. Produce was so fresh and delicious! I will definitely be here more often to do my grocery shopping and support a co-operative! They had everything I needed and more for homemade tacos.

Such a cool grocery store. All the healthiest and most nourishing food. Really friendly staff. Can't beat the prices on their produce. Convenient location right across from the Oakland transit terminal. I can always find something non-inflammatory to enjoy .

the fresh produce and bulk dry-goods prices are very reasonable; much better priced than whole foods, as someone previously compared them to. so many great local products. I picked up a jar of the lemon-dill kimchee they sell (local business, cant remember the name) & it was bomb! I like the size and organization of the storefront too as it's never difficult to find what you need. Mandela has natural body and cleaning products. toothpastes, lotion, soaps, & oils. also cant forget, they have cat& dog food too. yay,, Mandela! 10/10 will visit again