Duck Soup Coop

very pricey compared to whole foods or trader joes. we might go back if we’re desperate but probably not. not much selection either

Good food, Good vies, good music (most of the time). Sometiems the music isnt good at all, thats what happens with local music. The food is very good, proportions are too small, and cost to much. They are also very, very, very, very slow at making food but it is very good.

My parents were «working members» back in the early to mid-​80s. We moved away over 20 years ago, but I still remember the sweet scent (a lot of natural food stores have it) and the low to the ground display of Panda red licorice that my 4 year old self loved. Glad to see it’s still around!

I love this local business in DeKalb, IL!
My oldest daughter who lives in DeKalb is one of those hippy dippy moms that we all find so annoying at times — haha! However, she certainly knows how to hunt down the best places to buy organic foods as well as all-​natural ingredients to make her own cleaning supplies.
I love buying from the bins for a little treat when I’m visiting my daughter and her family.
Sure products here are more pricey, but they don’t seem outrageous to me at all. Not only did we pick up healthy foods, but we also got our exercise in by walking the 3 miles round trip from my daughter’s house. I kind of felt like a pack mule by time we got to her house… she was carrying the baby and I was carrying the bulk of the groceries, including a gallon of organic whole milk to make her all-​natural yogurt :-)
I love this store!

I love the place. Great for spices without being overpriced and usually always in stock. Lots of cool stuff you don’t see at other places. The staff is always helpful and chocolate is always available (yum.)

I like Duck Soup a lot, but i’ve grown up with co-​ops (was a member of one with my mother and siblings growing up) and part of my enjoyment is the happy nostalgia.
Duck Soup was recently remodeled (ca 2008), and fits even more stuff into the building, while not being a pain to navigate.
As other reviewers are mentioned there are membership options, but you can still shop as a non-​member.
Highlights for me include local fresh produce available regularly. Organics, specialties (gluten-​free, vegetarian, vegan, etc.), bulk grains, snacks, and butters (bulk peanut and almond butter last i saw).
There is also a very nice spice selection, so if you’re trying something exotic at home, chances are you’ll find the seasonings available here.
A very nice local shop with some foods available at a Whole Foods or Trader Joe’s, and some available at neither.

This is a small health food co-​op, with some produce, bulk bins, bulk spices, a small frozen food section, refrigerated section, pantry goods, some personal care products, arts and crafts, whole-​bean coffee, and vitamins. They also have a wide collection of recent back issues of Vegetarian Times, available for half off cover price, and fair trade chocolate bars/​honey-​based chocolates near the checkout counter.
They cram a fair amount into a little store.
While anyone is welcome to shop here, it’s possible to become a member (working or non-​working). This is the only health food co-​op I’ve ever frequented that makes it difficult to be a member; you can’t hand over your twenty bucks but have to sit through a 90 minute lecture on Our History and Why Co-​Ops are Good. These are scheduled 2 or 3 times a month and can be specially scheduled if you ask. Paying $ 25 for a nonworking membership means you get coupons once a month and get 12 chits per year worth 5% off your order. People who actually work a couple of hours a week at the store can get 10% off; I don’t recall the details as I wasn’t considering it. If you’re willing to sit through the lecture and support them, more power to you. It’s probably not worth it for a nonworking member, though I’m glad I gave them my money.
Some of the prices are excellent; some are a bit overpriced compared to Whole Foods or Trader Joe’s. Of course, DeKalb doesn’t have a WF or TJ’s, though the local Schnuck’s now carries some of the same items, such as the Amy’s frozen dinners. If you’re looking for hardcore health food such as Sucanat, though, the local Schnuck’s can’t compete. And I’d rather support Duck Soup.
The bulk kalamata olives and the bulk honey are very good deals; the whole bean fair trade coffee is is the cheapest I’ve found (bring a coffee bag; they charge 25 cents for one) and some of the specials are worth picking up. They also carry items such as whole-​wheat couscous that I simply haven’t found anywhere else. I’ve had very bad luck with the rennet-​free cheese; the gruyère was unrecognizable as such and the next type I picked up was no good either. I avoid the refrigerated cheeses now.
They keep a store of plastic shopping bags, so don’t fret if you forget to bring yours. Open Sundays.

I walked in to buy soap, and walked out with a changed lifestyle.
I wish I was kidding. I went in to buy some soap with tea tree oil, and somehow ended up walking out with my soap, but also a chunk of salt to use as a deodorant, and a more environmentally friendly but kind of weird feminine product. What’s more, I have plans to go back when I run out of laundry detergent, honey, and several other staples. I may even get a membership.
The location is small, but not too small, and the atmosphere is very welcoming. I love this shop!

I haven’t been here in two years. So, honestly I have no idea if this place still even exists, but I thought I’d review it just the same.
This place is wee, and cramped, and in a kind of odd location. But I absolutely loved going here. I used to cobble together a lunch from their bulk foods and yogurts, and I loved going through their coffee selection. I still have some bulk spices I picked up there, on the cheap.
They even have household cleaners and other items. And hippieish «beauty» products – no offense intended.
I commend them for packing all the stuff in to such a small space.