Old World Market

I visited this store yesterday and went to the meat counter it was one lady in line when I approached the meat counter so I went to the front of the line and asked politely if I had to get a # to get service both men ignored me and I said EXCUSE ME! this guy told me rudely to step to the back of the line so I stood behind the lady once he was done servicing her he walked past me and helped the people behind me I went and told the supervisor and she took his side saying I should’ve stepped up knowing I was next its not like I cut the line they’re just racist and don’t want African American in their store because I don’t understand how she sided with him knowing I was next in the line if she would’ve looked at all the camera footage she would’ve seen I didn’t cut anybody in the line

Is this market has become a staple in the neighborhood? It has been there as far as I know for at least 40 years. It may have been 6 butchers in clusters of three, behind the butcher's counter. And I could not get service. On this day, it may have been the first time, but there isn't a long line. but absolutely no one there. Nevertheless, the store is a staple in the community. The store serves the entire diaspora community with rarely fine items. Simply put, you can get smoked turkey leg 🍗 Your favorite spices from jamaica nigeria Belize Ghana Cameron, And many more.

This is truly one of the ugliest experiences I have ever had in my life at a store. They are absolutely rude and arrogant towards people that give them business. One of them even threatened to have a fight with me outside d store! D guys in d meat section seem to be prepared for a fight and one of these days they will get it. Africans please runaway from this old world market store. They dislike you but want your money. It takes little or no effort to be nice & friendly & not the negative treatment we receive from them!

Great African food grocery store , very deliberate with selection of food items from Africa , particularly Nigerian . Prices are a bit steep though , but items such as yam tubers, Meat, soup items , makes the trip worthwhile .

For 90% of your Africa food items don't hesitate to stop by and remember to join the line if you're buy frozen foods.... Customer friendly

It was my first time, it had African food for daily consumption but need to expand on the snacks

A great place to find all your African and Caribbean ingredients. Free parking available. Easier on weekdays.

An old staple in Andersonville. Prices of produce and meats are affordable. Great place for International goods.

Most of OWM customers are 98% Blacks, which included Africans and the Caribbeans. However most of the workers barely speak/understand English so it's very hard for you to communicate with them, also they look down on blacks as if their money is worth nothing. I would advise my fellow blacks to boycott OLD WORLD MARKET and find somewhere else to spend your money where you will be RESPECTED and APPRECIATED.

Great selection and low prices. Lots of unique food items, spices, meats, bulk grains and much more. Employees are very kind. ** COVID-19 WARNING** many customers don't wear masks appropriately: noses out, taking them off to talk, around the chin/completely off the face etc. used to be my go-to local place for groceries, but I don't feel safe shopping with folks that ignore mask mandates and others' safety. Shameful on those people!

Great selection of Caribbean products!! Im originally from Miami so there are just some items you can only find in gems like these... lots of Goya products which always screams home to me lol. With a large selection of produce, a butcher, spices and frozen items... it's hard not to find what you're looking for as we were on the hunt for: Salt Fish, Plantains, Ackee & Cassava Bread... THEY HAD IT ALL!! My favorite part of visiting was the SUPER-FRIENDLY Clientele Old World Market attracts as we were laughing and joking with many of them as they helped us navigate the store since it was our first time. Definitely will return!!

My mother and her sisters (3) have shopped at this establishment for YEARS On this visit my mother wanted some neck bones She purchased 7 1/2 lbs of meat on 04/09/19 What they actually packaged for her was at least 2 lbs of pork chop bits, probably 2 lbs of rib TYPE bits, bacon pieces and a few pieces of neck bones the actual desired item Needless to say when I made the discovery I was on fire with anger The end result......considering all the years of shopping at this location and how things have changed for the worst over recent years, the decision was simple WE NO LONGER SHOP AT THIS ESTABLISHMENT Give me what I ask for Do not pass your garbage bits off to a paying customer

I trekked all the way here from South Loop, because I was just that excited. I find that they had a nice variety of spices and seasonings (Jamaica & Belize), but I found them to be way overpriced. However, the fresh produce is very affordable.

This place is very cool, I can find most of my Jamaican products there and it's not too for from other shopping areas next to my home.

I love old world market I have known them for years and they are really good good fresh produce better than Mariano's their meat market is small but their chicken is very beautifully priced I think even at the poorest budget u can make the best meal out of nothing in here

I'll be direct. Customer service from the young Mexican dude behind the meat counter was superb. We chopped it up, he recommended a good Mexican restaurant (Lindo Michoacan) after I told him how much I miss Mexican food since I left my home in San Jose, CA. Other guy behind the meat counter was helpful, but not overly friendly. Girl at check-out was good enough, but nothing special. Meat prices are ridiculous. I got 8 lbs of chicken leg quarters (leg and thigh) for $2.15. Not per pound - I paid a total of two dollars and fifteen cents for 8 lbs of meat. (It was 4lbs for $1). I got a whole catfish for 6 bucks, and two whole mackerel for 6 bucks. Produce was good - bought a number of items for excellent prices. I was also impressed by how they display their produce - very clean and very professional. I have never been here before, but I will most definitely be back. The prices are great and the selection excellent. They have some unique fish you won't find at the Asian markets.

The mainly reason why I went to this store is because I wanted to buy different seasoning and spices and a friend told me that I can get all of it in this store at great prices. It is my first time in the store and it is clean, kind of spacious I seriously thought it was just a small grocery store but it is bigger than I expected and everything inside was well organized. My friend was indeed right the store has a variety of seasoning and spices from different countries and there are even a bunch of unique products. The prices are also seriously cheap which is really great. The staff in the checkout was also nice and friendly. I did not fully explore the store but I can say that it is a nice, organized and well stocked grocery store and the products they have that I saw like their produce is fresh and in a good quality. I would definitely be back for the spices and I would also recommend this to my family and friends!

Stay away from the Collards and Kale! Sometimes they wrap the bad greens up inside a few leaves of the fresh ones. When you get home you're in for a big surprise. The Bitter Mellon tends to be moldy, too. You can't tell since it's wrapped in plastic.

Meat selection sucks. I mean it really looks bad and it's over priced. They don't have a very cheap credit credit program that only lets you run your card as debit and not credit... or the other way around....ether way it sucks if you need to choose the one they don't offer. They can pay like 5 buck extra a month to get their system updated. But they don't I'm giving this 2 stars because you can find a few item "hard-to-find" there. But I would tell a friend about it.

I was pointed to this store for authentic African items; however this place is poorly kept and I left as soon as I noticed. I would be very cautious purchasing any meat or open products from this store. Also, as other reviewers have noted the customer service is horrible -- rude from the moment you walk in the door.

Best source in the city for Caribbean spices and sauces and the only place in the city that I know of who carries scotch bonnets. Great place to get the items needed for curry goat. And their prices on chicken are great. Other shoppers are friendly and most of the people who come here are good cooks. You can just tell from the way they assemble their purchases.

Big fan of this place. It's the go-to for an incredible array of authentic Jerk seasoning. Also Caribbean and African products, there's always something interesting and new to discover. Great selection of meat and produce too, and the price is CHEAP!

What I love about the city is the fact that I don't have to drive everywhere to do everything. I only needed one tomato and one lime...it would be pretty ridiculous to drive just for those 2 items! Anyways, no worries! I just have to walk down the corner to this wonderful African/Mexican market that carries fresh fruits and vegetables, meats, seafood, as well as your bread, milk, cheese, and eggs. Oh yeah, and prices are cheap!! I love the convenience, I love the prices, and I love that they have unique items that you cannot get from your regular Jewel's! I'll have to take Shelden's E. advice and try the soda from Ghana!

We got alot of food for $70 I got to try malt drink for the first time it was ok. I'd recommend the place

Cheap, Fresh produce heaven! I've been trying to eat healthy lately and this place has been saving my life! In addition to having the staples (peppers, lettuce, carrots, eggplant, mushrooms, etc), they frequently have cheap, ripe, sweet, MANGOS and AVOCADOS. . . . even in January!! I could live off those two things alone, so this place is like my Mecca. And all the exotic items Aaron S. describes makes shopping there educational too. :o) Inevitably, there may be a few things I still HAVE to run to Jewel for, but Que sera sera. Old World Market's produce is so much cheaper than Jewel and often of BETTER quality, so I don't mind going both places.

Authentic African products. I am half Nigerian, and grew up with certain spices and products to cook traditional Nigerian food. Moving to Michigan has taken away this market, so every time I come back to Chicago I make sure I visit Old World Market, for yams, crayfish, stock fish and spices. They also have great meat pies. My mother in law lives in Miami and has me send her spices when I go to visit Chicago.

Really great place. An actual butcher not just a guy who unwraps meat from plastic and puts it in a plastic bag for you. If you're into ethnic food especially ethiopian & south american, you'll dig this place A LOT.

I miss this place! The produce was usually very fresh and nicely presented, plus there was always a really interesting assortment of customers (mostly African) from the neighborhood, buying gnarled roots, palm oil, goat meat, kola nuts, and African movies on VHS. Old World also has a good selection of jerk seasonings/marinades, Latin American staples, and something called "salad cream". I will never forget trying to get a shopping cart in the double-doored entryway (the building was clearly something else like an office before it was a food store). Can't beat that for slapstick!

My experience at Old World Market has always been great. The customer services is outstanding both on the phone and in the store. Many talk about the smell, this is a meat and seafood market that sells fresh meat and seafood. It is only to be expected that the store will have a slight scent to it. It's natural. The person (a man can't remember his name) that helps with your seafood/meat selection is very helpful and nice.

This is my new go to place for Goat, beef , fish and shrimp. I love cooking but getting a food meat selection is always a challenge. A friend told me about this store and I was impressed with the price range you can get meet for. Besides the meat good selection of seasoning and authentic African a and Caribbean food stuff. You can get your fish cut as you like and the goat is really really good.

One of the best produce selection around in Uptown. Prices are very moderate and food quality is generally high. I never bough meat, so can't tell you about the meat section. But their vejjo/fruit shelves are always full of fresh stuff and they also have a shelf of reduced fare items: usually day or two old apples, oranges, bananas... Really polite cashiers. Especially this hot Mexican girl who is at the right counter (if you are facing the exit door) :)

Management had my car towed from the parking lot stating that I left the property which was incorrect. Tried speaking with management to justify this and he told me all I needed to do was go to Lincoln Towing and show them the reciept from where I was. This was a lie as Lincoln Towing wouldnt release my car. Tried to speak with OWM management again and I was threatened by them saying "we know all the police in the community". Worst part was I had $500 cash taken from my counsel. I scringe everytime I drive past. How can people think it's ok to do this? I wish management would have been understanding that they made a mistake. Wish I could get my money and time back in small claims courts but unfortunately its not worth it and I'm out $700 because some a-hole didn't see me walk in another store.

Great place for Carribean food products, great selections and prices. Very much worth the trek from the south-side.

Oh how I used to love going to Old World Market when I lived on the north side and how much I miss going there now. There's always an abundance of fresh veggies, produce & pantry items from around the world. The diverse community it serves allows customers to explore different types of ethnic foods items; including some that are freshly made. I would often find myself spending hours strolling through their aisles as I'd take my time going through the meat & cheese departments; a few of my favorites. With organic, all-natural & exotic selections at great economical prices... Old World Market is one of THE BEST grocery stores in the city! Most importantly... their customer service is top notch. You'll always be greeted w a friendly smile & warm welcome. Just note that the parking lot is narrow; offering basically a one-way in & out system. Other than that... try them out! You won't be disappointed

Never again. Old World Market is an Carribbean African grocery store that doesn't have one african working in there. That should have been my sign right off the top. I came from the far south side to this place for my friend. He wanted goat meat. First...the line in the butcher area was out the door. I finally get to the front of the line after about 10 minutes, with another long line behind me. NOT ONE OF THE 7 people working behind the butcher took our request. At first I thought they were restocking because they were bringing out some boxes. But the items they were restocking were already filled with meat in their bins. After about 15 good long minutes, we...myself and the rest of the line... all started to ask if there is someone anyone taking the orders/requests. They didn't even look at us. Another 5 minutes go by and nothing. Someone in the line asked for a manager but I think she was just a stock clerk. She said something in spanish to the rest of the workers behind the counter. They snickered as if this was funny. One guy remarked, 'thats not my job' to get requests, while the rest of his coworkers just ignored us completely. We kept asking, 'who's working behind this counter to take a simple order?" Nothing....no answer. Then another coworker came and said the same thing as if that was an excuse. But he finally asked what did I want. I wanted to leave. If it wasn't for my friend, I would have dropped everything and left. We spent 30 minutes in that line. I know because I was tracking the time. I really thought at one point somebody was going to go behind the counter themselves. Everybody was just completely angry. If these workers hated their job that much, they should all just quit. TOTALLY RUDE AND NEVER WILL WALK A TOE IN THAT PLACE EVER AGAIN.

Love this place - can't beat it for cheap produce. Full disclosure: sometimes it smells a little funky...this would be a detractor if it weren't for the fact that I blame the smell on the meat/seafood, and being a vegetarian, never buy the meat/seafood. Beyond that, this is a great little grocery store. Closer to my apartment than Jewel, and notably cheaper in almost every way. There are inevitably things I need that I can't find here, but for produce staples it's unbeatable. It's a small, somewhat cramped place, but it's always well-stocked, the employees are friendly, and they have an assortment of Mexican/Caribbean/African products as well.

Great prices on chicken parts and vegetables. When busy, the lines in the meat department are long and kinda slow, but it's worth it not to pay Jewel-Osco prices. It's also convenient to be able to grab some ripe bananas. It's weirdly hard to find them in stores.

Man forget this place...the store itself is fine, but the customers are the most absolute rudest, ignorant bunch of people that have fell off the friggen boat. My heart goes out to the folks who work there, they are great but the people who shop there suck, really really suck. The prices arent anything to write home to mom about either.

As far as the selection goes it is pretty decent. Store has become way more organized over the years but staff is rude. Called to ask about a product I had just seen in the store. I was put on hold twice after stating the product name and asking if it was in stock. First woman I spoke to put me on hold for a while then I spoke to a man who also put me on hold and then he returned ( seemed like they expected me to hang up because they said hello again as if this were my first time calling) and I asked for information on the product and he rudely stated "I told you already we don't have it!" I was shocked at his tone, I succinctly explained that I had been left on hold so no, he did not "tell me this already" and hung up. It seems that employees are not knowledgeable of their stock as I placed this call about 15 minutes after being in the store and seeing the product behind the counter ( I just needed to know the price essentially). Store is ok for african produce and fresh meats but I wouldn't buy anything else, and beware of rude employees.

they have alot of spices from many different cultures but are kinda pricey. they have a meet section that has all cuts of meat you can imagine. the smell is horrid, i cant stay in the store longer than 5 mins

Great selection of spices and produce. I came here for curry powder and found a bunch. Lots of Jamaican and Mexican selections. Will be coming back here.

One of the nicest things about Chicago is the little ethnic neighborhood grocery stores like this one. Old World Market on Broadway is African/Caribbean with a healthy pinch of Latin America. Cheap, delicious produce and staples, and lots of little treats and surprises, like $1.50 chicken/potato pies. It's closer to my house than any of the big chain stores so I go there a lot for the basics, and I really like it. Their deli and meat section is also rich with variety, although I'm not big on meats and seafood so I can't say I know much about that department. Stores like this make small-town refugees like me feel a citizen of the world.

Great place! Great products you can't find anywhere else! I love their newly acquired green uniforms. They're spiffy.

Best place to find cheap and tasty bacon and big freaking jumbo wings. When I can't get to the meat market on Lake St. I head over to Old World since it's literally down the street. The butchers are always helpful. The store has good selection of herbs. I never had an issue with parking. I hope that they will expand their steak selection... but there's bacon so all is well. Bacon!

Love this place for their selection and prices of meat. Produce is fresh and they have some harder to find items. Staff is very friendly too!

This place is okay. Their meats aren't the best neither is seafood or produce in general... The only reason I like this place is because they carry so many exotic food. Next time you're their, make sure to try one of their products called chin-chin. It's like a sweet little bite-size pastry almost... except a lot harder. REALLY good!!! Also, their plantain chips are to die for.

We just popped in today to check it out before heading out for groceries. Most of the items we could get here. They have a good produce selection and some interesting and hard to find things. The dairy selection is poor and pricey, but everything else is great. We bought a pound of really cheap, yet wonderfully delicious bacon. The staff is nice.