Portland Food Co-op

I’ve shopped here as a non-member for over a year and took my time to review this space in order to give it a fair chance to impress or shift. The best part about this space: mini carts for your kids and a variety of selection when it comes to organic and natural items. The worst parts about this space: the products are insanely priced (if they want us to support local, they’re going to have to compete with Walgreens and Whole Foods at the VERY least), their bathroom is never cleaned, the farmer’s market (also local) is cheaper and has fresher product, and the employees have given me and my family some of the rudest (and most boring) customer service I’ve received in Portland. I do hope they change. I love what they care about but they go about it in what feels like all the wrong ways.

If you want local organic foods and vegetables, just come here to shop. It's a nice store with many food options. I saw lots of nuts in the store and I like their bakery section.

Really love shopping here. Great selection of food grown or produced in Maine—including honey, maple, beer, bread, cheeses, and of course produce. Oh and a really good selection of locally made bar soaps. Also buy bulk spices, teas, nuts, grains, oils, vinegars, soaps. Great prices on the bulk selection. Strong seasonal selection too, I get Fedco seeds here in the spring and an evergreen wreath each winter.

Amazing selection of specialty food items. I visited several times during my stay in Portland. My favorite section was the ‘Hootin Gluten Free Bakery’ section…yummy treats there!

Love everything about this store, from supporting local farmers, to zero-waste initiatives. This is the last of the bulk-food stores in the city, and highly valuable. They also give back to the community offering purchase round-ups to a select monthly cause, or buying a coffee for someone in need. The community needs more places like the Coop.

Nice store with good local organic produce as well as many vegetarian options. Staff is very friendly and accommodating. The bulk items are great.

Small market, but it has most things we needed. I appreciated the degree to which the store makes an efforrt to support local farmers. The prices are higher than in most other stores, but the quality is worth the extra cost. I'd definitely return if we lived in the area.

We've been members for years and I'm sad to leave this review but I'm also extremely tired of accidentally buying rotten or stale food. Without exaggeration, more than half of the produce we purchase from the Co-op molds within 24 hours. In addition, the last few times I've bought prepared foods (sandwiches), the bread has been so stales it crumbles in my hands after taking it out of its packaging. Finally, we also can't shop here for packaged foods as many packaged foods are marked 1-2$ up from their retail at nearby stores, including the expensive Whole Foods. An example is the canned fish selection. We will continue to shop at the Co-op for bulk foods, which are priced well and seem to be fresh. It's a shame that the largest city in Maine has, IMO, the most lacking co-op. I mean no disrespect to the employees working at the Co-op who are always kind, although sometimes stoned lol.