Monterey Market

Monterey Market is one of my go-to spots for produce, especially if you like variety. Their selection is huge, and the mushroom section is on another level, way beyond what you see at a normal grocery store. Fun fact: this place is famous for carrying hard-to-find and foraged produce and has been a quiet favorite of Bay Area chefs for decades, which explains why half the fruits look like they belong in a cooking show challenge. That said, the quality isn’t flawless. This past summer the corn on the cob was disappointing, with a few ears already rotten at one end once you peel back the husk, so definitely inspect before buying. Also, the clientele is usually fine, but this visit featured an unnecessary checkout cameo from a full-volume Karen who felt the need to explain how standing in line works. The cashier chose silence, which felt like a statement. Still a great market overall, just keep an eye on the corn and maybe bring a little extra patience to the register.

Monterey Market – A True Bay Area Treasure If you love top-quality fruits and vegetables, this place is an absolute must. Monterey Market has one of the best year-round selections of fresh fruit in the Bay Area, including many unique and hard-to-find varieties you won’t see at regular grocery stores. What really sets them apart is the experience—you can taste many of the fruits before you buy, which shows their confidence in quality and their commitment to customers. Everything is fresh, flavorful, and carefully selected. Whether you’re a serious home cook, a fruit lover, or just someone who appreciates real quality, this market never disappoints. If fresh produce matters to you, this is the place to come. You’ll walk out inspired—and probably with bags full of incredible fruit. 🍎🍊🥭

Beautiful, farm-fresh produce market celebrating the bounty of near lands. Well-priced. A friendly, roadside farm stand feel, but stocked at the level of a large grocery. Excellent option (on a food corner) in North Berkeley.

Excellent range of quality produce at good prices. Almost no meat/fish products. Extremely crowded. Parking lot was a zoo. In this region, demand for food access is so high that people line up in the store isles to checkout, making it especially hard in small stores to get what you need and to move around. Just prepare yourself for the intense experience! I can’t imagine there is any grocery store in the region i’ll give a 5-star review to. There’s so much demand here that stores do whatever, it really explains a lot about the Trader Joe’s shopping model. Monterey Market is excellent for produce.

This is my favorite grocery store in the world, and, happily, it’s just a mile from our house. The quality, variety, and affordability of the produce here is off the charts. I don’t know how they do it, but you can buy purple and yellow cauliflower 365 days of the year, artichokes, dozens of types of greens, dozens of varieties of the most delicious apples you have ever tasted. I don’t understand how they manage to fit it all into one small, beautiful store. If you live in Berkeley, Albany, or El Cerrito, I encourage you to shop here. If you are visiting, come check it out as a wonder of local, organic, nourishing food. I wish only that every neighborhood had a store like this.

Phenomenal selection of legitimately 5 star quality fresh produce, freshly baked local bread, artisanal coffee, quality wines, and more. Every square foot of this market is thoughtfully stocked with quality products. Parking lot and the area of Hopkins st are a little busy, so you're best of biking if possible, but always worth the visit.

I absolutely love Monterey Market! As a former chef, I’m particular about the quality of produce—and this place never disappoints. Their selection of fruits and vegetables is not only diverse but also incredibly fresh and always in season. The way they display their produce is truly beautiful and inviting, almost like a farmer’s market meets fine dining. It brings back memories of the quality ingredients I once worked with in professional kitchens. A true gem for anyone who values fresh, vibrant ingredients.

This is my favorite grocery store on the planet. People talk a lot about Berkeley bowl, and for good reason, but Monterey market offers a superior quality of produce. The selection may not be quite as wide, but what they do sell is consistently about as fresh as humanely possible.

We are privileged to have access to this quality and diversity of produce. The Fujimoto's founding history should not be forgotten. The Japanese have shinrin-yoku meaning forest bathing. I would say this place is good for produce bathing. Sure it is a small footprint market, the checkout system is hectic, and parking is an effort of patience. If that's a deal breaker, then drive down the street to Amazon's Market. Here you can rub shoulders with folks who love ingredients and chefs looking to be inspired. Monterey Market has served a generation in good health and I look forward to it serving the next.

We really appreciate the fruits & vegetables from here. It's a smaller scale, clean, well run produce market with really fresh fruits & vegetables. The cashiers are pleasant & know their stuff. Parking lot can be annoying with its tight spots & configuation. There are plenty of spaces on the street tho, too!

The quality, variety and price of the produce is unparalleled in any other retail market in the area. Sometimes I come in with a specific list and other times I just see what looks amazing. There are typically samples of the seasonal fruits so you can decide which of the 8 nectarine/peach varieties you like best. It gets CROWDED on the weekends so if you are in a rush, or tend to get grumpy, claustrophobic or annoyed, just stay away. The aisles and parking will be a thing that haunts you for days. If you can just be chill, drive around to find a decent street spot, or brave the lot with stupid, inconsiderate drivers, then navigate your cart with humor, you'll be fine. Otherwise, come on a weekday. If you stick with the produce, you'll be surprised by how much you can get for a decent price. If you start pulling things off their grocery shelves (great quality items), that's where you will end up with sticker shock. Bon Appetit!

I still like Monterey Market's discount produce section, but I'm knocking off a star because when it's crowded, the checkout system is hard to understand and can be anxiety-inducing. The parking situation, also, is less than ideal. If you're close enough to walk or ride your bike, I strongly recommend doing that...and going at off-peak hours.

I have been shopping here for over forty years. Owners have changed during that time, but the essential market is the same. High quality fruits, vegetables, bulk grains and nuts, dairy, cheeses and condiments. Unbeatable prices and lots of choices. Even a wine section. Come early in the day for less headaches.

I've been going here for years and it's still one of the best places I've found for quality and variety of fruits and produce. They also have the best fresh squeezed orange juice.

Great variety of produce! Great employees! Great shopping experience. You can buy Acme Bread there too!

It's an institution and great place for chefs. However, it is overpriced. The pros are wild mushrooms bought and sold, hard to find produce, and fresh ACME bread. So stick with those and you will come out fine. Make a day out of it and hit the nursery and little food shops across the street. Comparitively it is the best produce in the Bay Area.

My first visit and it was like a kid in a candy store LOL! So much lovely fresh produce. Everything was well organized. That area that makes fresh squeezed juices smell so good. There's a little section inside the store with a good variety of condiments and groceries items. The cashier line moved fairly quickly. Parking though was a bit challenging.

The absolute best fresh and organic produce market l've ever known! l go weekly and there are always surprises, like today- my first organic juicy white peaches of the season! And bulk organic blueberries! Gigantica artichokes! yes it's hard to park, but l always find a place, it's part of the adventure. Yes, they want to see our receipts, they've been getting ripped off lately. Go there and stay healthy .

So is it a new thing to ask for people's receipts as they are leaving the store? Never ever had that happen before in the last decade or more I have been shopping there. I felt singularly targeted today for some reason. Am I wrong/paranoid and this is a new general practice? The employees who asked me seemed antagonistic, for no reason other than I was walking out with my purchase (and receipt), with my airpods not expecting to be questioned. Won't go back if I hear it's not a regular thing...

Busy neighborhood. Squishy tight market, I don't mind because to me it's kinda fun. Fresh fruits and veggies, bags of them on discount shelf... what you see is what you get for a pretty good deal. They also have great sturdy thermal grocery bags in all kinds of colors to put your goodies in to take home for a good price. Prepare to shop and get nice yums at this bustling lil grocery store!

Customer Service is horrible, my complaint is the profiling when exiting the store, mind you several people before me exited and never got singled out in a rude loud tone. Thinking back now I hadn't made it out of the market before being yelled at. Any who obviously its an ongoing issue. I assume some choose to not acknowledge this issue because it doesn't effect them, so they turn a blind eye and pretend not to hear or see. Lovely market but I will not spend my money here there's other market's near with class and top tier Employees

Best little market in the world with all the organic produce that you need to cook really good food for yourself.

Monterey Market overcharged me on produce. They seriously couldn't tell the difference between nectarines and peaches. The parking there is abysmal. Employees unfriendly. Their attitude seems to be that customers are an annoyance.Total rip-off. Best to avoid- go to a real farmer's market instead.

I love Monterey Market. Their produce is the best around. I am so happy I can shop here for fresh red-leaf lettuce and broccoli, instead of at Whole Foods, where the produce always looks so sad and wilted, jammed onto the shelf. I love supporting a local business, too.

Ah yes and yes! It's a must checkout place even if you don't buy anything. I unfortunately do since I'm a regular customer. I come twice a month, will depends sometimes I went through a phase where I came here almost every week. I had to cut down lol But I love their fresh farmer market veggies. One downside of it is I wish the place is a bigger, parking can be hard sometimes if you go in high peaks traffic hours. Best time to go is really early or between 2-3pm after lunch with the traffic dies down a bit. Also wish the place was a bit cleaner, but then again what do you expect most farmer market places like this are similar so that's not a big deal as long as their fresh veggies and produce is cleaned that's all that matters. I usually come here for their fresh veggies and mushrooms they have all sorts of different ones. FYI if you love bagels and cream cheese like me definitely grab a few here and their cream cheese they got is so good. I'm all about fresh homemade bagels and have high expectations of it being in a family that are in the bagel business.

I love this market!! They always have a wide array of organic produce direct from local farmers. The prices are surprisingly affordable. It is usually crowded, so I try to get in and out quickly.

This place is a well kept secret. Fresh natural produce, in season, at good prices. Like a daily farmer's market.

I was racially profiled when I was exiting the store and asked to show proof of purchase upon exiting (after a sea of non black people ahead of me exited without being asked to show their receipts) when I asked the employee why this was needed he did not respond or look at me. I dug threw my things to find my receipt and presented it to him, I told him it felt very racist to which he still said nothing. I was very upset by this encounter and called to speak to management to alert them of what happened and also flag that employee ( if you have this kind of racial bias you shouldn't be checking the front door this seems like a bad idea) I spoke with Brian and after he said he couldn't help me without me telling him what happened, he gaslight me and told me that I probably didn't see the other people flashing their receipts at him and that's why they weren't asked. Yikes. His first response to a black woman saying she was profiled in their store was to invalidate her experience? Bad all around. To be honest, this part of my interaction with the market was worse than the profiling! He eventually apologized but I don't think he really understood what he was apologizing for. I spoke to a manager Molly who was kind and apologized for her employees casually racist behavior. This market has created a space that is anti black regardless of if that is there intention or not. I'm not sure how they fix that? In the meantime I've subscribed to some lovely CSA's and will be visiting farmers markets around the east bay. No produce is worth being gaslight or micro aggressed! It is 2023 and I am exhausted

** The following review reflects my experience DURING the COVID-19 pandemic. ** I get an instant jolt of nostalgia when I come to this always crowded Northbrae market because it reminds me of the original Berkeley Bowl before it went upmarket and started competing more directly with Whole Foods and Andronico's. Come on any Saturday and you may get caught up in the halcyon spirit of an independently run market that places the freshness of their produce over the immaculateness of their presentation. It's quite a bounty, and what I can say with certainty is that the emotional temperature of the regular shoppers can be quite variable with the more determined locals deftly using their shopping carts as battering rams to get dibs on the ripest fruits and vegetables. It can get Game of Thrones when strawberries are in season. RELATED - Looking for interesting markets? Here's a collection of places I've visited and reviewed: http://bit.ly/2SVzI4F

I had not been to Monterey Market for quite awhile and am so glad I found it again. The fresh produce is unbeatable, including fresh mushrooms I can't find anywhere else. Peppers and sprouts of all kinds and even with the huge selection of apples you can taste the difference between Monterey Market and big box stores. Amazing and totally worth the trip.

The service with the cashiers is horrific. I was over charged and did not realize until I got home. Charged 2.41lbs / $9.59 for Yellow peaches and did not even get yellow peaches she coded in the incorrect code and weighed the incorrect amount. As a customer that has been coming for over 15 years I am Unhappy with her not knowing where I even chose the product "inside or outside" and "what side"

What a very charming and culturally mixed market! This spot was quite a sweet place to visit for fruits and veggies at decent prices with so many options. You won't have to shop with plastic all the time here! It's very eco friendly with great staff. There's a lot and street parking. Yeah, I liked their freshly baked sourdough bread!

Really love this market! The best and freshest produce! If you're looking for the best, it's here! Found nugget tangerines here which is hard to find at other markets. I live 40mins away and I come here. When it's strawberry season, they have THE BEST strawberries!!! They have these small strawberries that pack so much sweetness!! I always buy boxes!! It's almost strawberry season by the way. I would get it here, and there's no going back! Parking here is not the greatest but lots of parking turn over. Hopefully you'll find parking right away. May the force be with you!

No returns? I bought moldy raspberries and when I brought them back the next day they said no cash back OR store credit! The cashier said there was no manager to give store credit and I should come back another day and tell cashier verbally I have store credit (but gave me nothing to show for it so that's not going to work). Nothing worse than a dishonest store. Monterey Market management cares for their own profits not at all for customers who support them for years. You can tell because you have to show receipt on the way out of the store, the employees all seem miserable and unfriendly, and because they sell spoiled produce and don't return customers money.

Another great market in Berkeley! The produce selection is vast, and there's always something else to discover, whether it's a new olive oil, bread, or a great dip :)

The best variety and quality of produce & fruit in the east bay ! Highly recommend! Just beware of the aggressive local shoppers :)

Monterey Market is one of my favourite places to shop. They are predominantly a produce store and carry conventionally raised and organic produce. The selections range from your garden variety veggies and fruit to the more obscure and exotic. Prices are very reasonable. They have an extensive selection of bulk dried foods, and well stocked selection of dairy, eggs, fresh bread, tea, wine. I am pretty much guaranteed to find what I need. They have a car park that seems to always be full but if you go early or mid afternoon you can find a spot. They are a great neighbourhood market and I wish they were in mine!

Awesome veggies at low cost Fresh and the best produce around - like a farmers market

So this is a tough one ..... the produce from this market is what you would expect from a Portlandia episode .... The very detailed notes and signs explaining the types of unique fruits and veggies you are getting... with notes of the farm they come from, flavor notes to expect when eating them, what they pair well with, all short of who picked them for you. Also trust these fruits and veggies are tip top tier .... Sweet, ripe, delicious..... However, the short end of the stick lies on the customer service. The staff is not friendly or talkative really at all. Also the peanut butter filled pretzels in their bulk section were stale A.F. Outside of that this place is great ... go there for the produce, just don't expect to get good customer service to assist you with your choices.... It's all good though they wrote all you need to know on the cards above the produce. Also just throwing this in because it was the most kind hearted and very Bay Area thing to hear.... A lady came into the store and said I was here last week and had a bottle of oil put in my cart, I love this store and wanted to make sure you got paid for it. Please take my money to pay for the oil that never got charged to me. This was the moment I truly knew I was in an honest to goodness nice place in the middle of Berkeley

I really love the produce selection. It's fresh and a wonderful store. I am excited to come again. I will be bagging my own groceries from now on. The gentleman bagging for me today took down his mask and sneezed twice into my groceries. He then went outside as I was leaving and blew his nose and walked away without washing/sanitizing his hands. With awareness about public health, I had hoped for more sanitation measures by staff working with food. Again, it's a one off thing and when someone isn't feeling good it's easy to forget, but I do hope that this comment is seen and staff are given reminders, or even some of those little sanitizers that you give away to carry on them.

Great store. Love the spot, and can find most everything I could possibly want. Can't say about the meat, since I haven't tried any from here, but their produce is excellent. Really fair prices, too, and pretty darn good bang for your buck in terms of quality. Highly recommend - if you don't mind occasionally long lines and a bit of a crowd, this neat little market is perfect.

Markets in Berkeley are their own breed, and Monterey Market is a unicorn! Foodie rainbow paradise. Usually, when it comes to grocery stores, desirable neighborhoods attract the best stores. I'm guessing it works the other way around here: the presence of Monterey Market drives nearby home prices upward!! The interior is dedicated to great food, with 60% of the floor space dedicated to fresh produce. And, that's in addition to another 20-25% more space out front where super-seasonal fruits and veggies are presented. It ain't pristine stark beauty, think organic cacophony. There are greens here you've never heard of. Varieties of mushroom you've seen on rare menus. Types of fruit you've only seen on vacation. All kinds of spices and sauces and grains. A wall of dried goods in bins -- nuts, oats, beans. Not the spot to pick up Oreos or Goldfish, but then so what? Grab those at the gas station, and focus on fueling your palate at Monterey Market. And, the coup de grace?? The prices are ridic low. Probably half the price of WF, maybe less!!

A comprehensive selection of incredible edibles at a commensurate price. The checkout line moves quick because they have a lot of cashiers. Valeu!

Favorite place to grocery shop in the East Bay. Love, love, love their fresh produce & baked goods. If you're trying to live plastic-free shopping here is a must. It can get crowded on weekends & after work hours, but other than that I truly enjoy the experience. My favorite thing is to go around the store, see which fresh fruit/veggies inspire me, and then make up recipes from the freshest ingredients I can get. So grateful for this shop!

Decent sized store that can get really packed on weekends or right before dinner (prior the COVID-19 regulations) as the aisles aren't the widest. Small parking lot that is often full with some street parking that can also be difficult to find if going during peak times. Bulk loose items in front of cashiers. Some fresh pressed juices are available to the left of the building as well as a selection of cheeses. Small selection of international goods also available. I was looking for some harder to find produce and searched online to find something reminiscent to Sigona's Farmers Market (located in San Mateo & Palo Alto) as I love small permanent farmer's markets! These kinds of markets tend to have more unique seasonal produce that I want to try. I've seen cranberry beans, seasonal grapes (i.e. cotton candy, sapphire, muscat), seasonal apples (i.e. Pink Lady, Honeycrisp, SugarBee), purple asparagus, yellow gooseberries, blood oranges, and a huge variety of mushrooms (even dried morels) to name a few. They even have Bar Gelato by Naia with special flavors like Philz coffee, St. George Spirits Single Malt and Recchiuti Salted Caramel. Always a fun visit for me and love supporting local!

This market needs a major renovation. Small crowded aisles, and I find the customers to be surly and disgruntled.

Fresh fruits and friendly staff! This is such a culinary delight for anyone visiting the Berkeley area. I was visiting family in Albany to co host a Hawaiian themed Baby Luau. I was able to get all the fruits we needed: pineapple from Hawaii, melons, citrus, and I even couldn't resist buying a few juicy peaches. Now living in Hawaii, I do miss certain fruits that California produces. From vine ripened tomatoes to delicious figs, if you love fruits and healthy food, this market is for you.

Wide assortment of good fresh produce. Takes some patience with parking, moving around in the store at busy times, but worth it and staff are all long term and knowledgeable.

I love fruit stands! This place has a great variety and decent prices. It can get crowded so best to go at an off peak hour.

The absolute best and high quality fresh produce market I know of. They sell to restaurants and have a long historic of being the go to place for great vegetables. Everything I've bought there as been the best of whatever it was like potatoes or butternut squash.

I used to have my own strong opinions about Monterey Market and preferred Berkeley Bowl. The prices at Monterey were a little bit higher, the inside was a little cramped, and sometimes the customer attitude was very..."North Berkeley", shall I say. But I later realized that Monterey Market has the absolute freshest produce of any store around. The ingredients here tend to be much longer lasting and more flavorful than if I were to buy them elsewhere. Thus, it's become my first choice for if I need fresh fruits and vegetables. Packaged goods and items might still be better elsewhere in terms of selection and price, but they've also got a decent selection here for most staples as well. Best is probably their 'shroom section with plenty to choose from and paper bags to package them and keep them fresher for longer!

This place is great! I come here to grab local, organic, and fresh fruits and vegetables. Many items are locally sourced so that means they're fresh and tasty. Some items maybe a little pricier than the normal supermarket, but the food is worth it! They even have samples of various fruits on the weekend. Fresh juices are also delicious! If you buy alcohol, check which checkout line you are in. Some lines don't allow the purchase of alcohol, and this is a strict rule (some customers have gotten mad). Parking can get crazy on the weekends.

My favorite produce market anywhere! The mushroom selection alone is worth a trip. I only wish they were located closer to home. Lucky you if you are nearby. Go!!!

I love this store. I went here with my mom when I was a little girl and I have fond memories. The store is quite small, but their selection of produce is tops! I stay away from anything in a box, can, or bag. They don't have the largest selection of fresh fruits and veggies, but what they have is of fantastic quality. I remember telling my dad about this "discovery of mine." And he was the one who reminded me that I used to go there with my mom and sister as a little kid. He said, "You guys always complained that the floor was dirty." This was odd because I remember thinking that as I walked through with my husband. I thought that the floor was dirty and it could use a session with a broom. I suddenly understood why I saw people in other stores with brooms, who swept up messes while we were shopping. It prevents you from stepping on or slipping on a squished grape or plum. It's good to see that things haven't really changed. They have great produce of great quality at good prices. And while the floor was still dirty, that squished grape or plum wasn't going to end up in my cart. I just had to remember to look down and step over it. Easy peasy because I've been doing this for years.

Good produce but I think I will continue to stan Berkeley Bowl which also has good produce but also other products and is (marginally) less chaotic. The aisles here are narrower and they seem to restock during the really busy periods (sunday afternoon) which seems a little nuts? Like berkeley bowl, this is a great spot if you're looking for a specific mushroom or pepper.

We recently moved to Northbrae and it seemed necessary to check out Monterey Market. I went on a weekday the week of Christmas and the line to get in wrapped around the corner. When we were finally let in, I was underwhelmed. The market is much smaller than Berkeley Bowl, where we usually shop. As a result, the selection is more limited and the prices are higher. Also, the aisles are super narrow and not conducive at all to social distancing. We picked out the cheapest veggies they had (including items from the bargain rack) and left. I'd rather drive the extra distance and go to Berkeley Bowl.

FABULOUS open produce market in the heart of Berkeley. They have everything you could hope for, in at least 10 varieties. Foodies beware - you will go nuts. I walked along aisle after aisle, aghast. A lady stopped me and said, "first time?" Yes. And as a visitor, I could only buy a few things. But if I lived here, I would LIVE HERE. Next time I visit, I will stay ion an Air bnb so that I can shop here and cook. And never leave. Seriously, whether you are a resident, visitor, or passer-through - this market is worth a visit. In addition to the beautiful produce, they have gourmet food items galore, bulk items, wine and more. A must stop on any visit to this area.