Market Basket

The Market Kitchen is top-​notch! Literally installed Unilocal specifically to sing praises of their prepared food selection. Ask for the Doctor Strange cheeseburger, or try some of the sushi there. Delightful!

Visited the Boston area several months back and shopped at the Market Basket in Waltham which was my first trip to a New England grocery store. Market Basket is a family owned grocery chain with stores in Maine, Massachusetts and New Hampshire. While it is a chain, it is not owned by one of the big national grocery companies like Albertsons or Kroger. It has stayed independent and has been successful due to its focus on low prices.
Market Basket is located at the 1265 Main retail development just off Route 128. This store is relatively new as it only opened in fall 2014. While the address is Main Street, if you are walking to the store it actually isn’t located there. Instead you need to walk a couple blocks and through a lot of parking to reach the store’s entrance. If you wanted to take the bus here, the MBTA route 70 bus does make a stop next to the store. Though not all of them have the same routing to Market Basket.
Visited the store on a Sunday morning and it was crazy. The store was packed with customers filling up their grocery carts. The store is bigger than the grocery stores in the Seattle area as they have more checkouts here. As many as you would find at a Costco for reference.
The produce selection here is a mix of what appeared to be regional and national brands. There were many products that I haven’t seen in Seattle grocery stores. The prices here are pretty good on many of the items I looked at the prices on.
There were a couple other things that stood out for me including that they have Asian produce. A bit shocked at that since Waltham isn’t a big place, so this is quite convenient rather than having to go to the Chinatown in Boston.
Also the store’s selection of bakery and deli goods is pretty awesome. Particularly their bread offerings. Found some local specialty breads like scala bread and saloio loaf. The scala is a seeded Italian bread and is great for sandwiches or toast. While the saloio is a Portuguese bread that would be good for a Cuban or porchetta sandwich. I wish there was a place in Seattle that offered these kind of bread loaves.
It was nice exploring a New England grocery store. Albeit a very busy one. I would suggest going on a weekday rather than on the weekend when the store is quite crowded.

Very nice MB. This location is brand new. It has the nice big isles, a café area, and everything is easy to find. The only problem could be parking especially on Saturdays but that’s to be expected with a MB.

The sheer size of this store is amazing!!! I mean it’s absolutely huge. The prices can’t be beat and the variety is amazing! I would give this location 5 stars however my biggest issue with this store is how the baggers pack!!!
It’s beyond annoying to get home and realize that your bread is in a bag with 2 cans of corn… A bar of soap … And bag of cheese!
It’s not hard to train your employees… Be better teachers upper management! We would all appreciate that.

The prices are very good. The neatness and Waltham is excellent. The selection of goods is excellent. I would score them 5 stars on that. However the problem with this chain of stores is anything that has market basket I would give it 1 star. Case and point. Dental floss if the price was .25 cents for a 100 yards. And any competitors 50 yards for $ 2.50. I would buy that. Dental floss is so sharp. Poor design. The plastic wrap and tin foil is fine however the design of the box and cutter is awful. In general I try to avoid all market basket products.

These guys are a godsend! Their selection is great, and their prices average 30% less than their competitors like Stop & Shop & Roche Bros. Checkout lines are always fully manned, cashiers are quick, Why pay more???

Arthur T. Demoulas came through! The change in ownership is recognizable in the building, products, prices and positive attitudes of employees. The building is modern/​clean yet maintains the charm and feel of a small family-​owned grocer. The variety of items to choose from and the low prices are extremely competitive. Thumbs up.

I love Market Basket. I will name my child Market Basket. S/​he will hate me. But my love for MB exceeds all.
Listen, MB isn’t for the faint of heart. One time, I was shopping on a Saturday, and one old lady said to another lady who had two young children with her, «You brave woman. Bringing two kids with you to Market Basket?!» Yes, it’s not a place where you bring children or your grandmother or someone who gets sensory overload, especially on a Saturday. It’s just too crowded (however, the Somerville location is so much more crowded and that parking is like Game on Thrones). Good time to shop is during the week day or during a Patriots game.
The prices are cheaper. Don’t come here for organic produce, but why would you? They actually have an amazing selection of products that are hard to find in other stores, like today I got oat flour and coconut flour. They have rare produce like persimmons and Asian vegetables like Chinese broccoli, garlic chives, baby buk choy, etc. They have a lot of Asian products too, curry pastes, canned longans, etc. Due to the quick turnover, the produce is actually pretty fresh, comparatively. Are you getting Farmer Joe’s most prized golden beet for $ 5 per bunch? No, but will you get an okay beet for a good price? Yes.
Lastly, MB actually pays their workers much better than a lot of other stores, even at the hourly wage. They hire and promote from within. Whole Foods does the same. LASTLY, I LOVE THEIR FRENCH BAGUETTES!!! I actually eat half of one while I grocery shop (and pay for the whole thing at the end). Anyways, I love MB, and def. not for everyone.

Recently shopped at the Market Basket here in Waltham. As soon as i saw the parking lot full of cars I knew everyone and their families was shopping because of the weather forecast being for a dusting of snow (panic mode for lots of people). New Englanders don’t panic at a dusting.
As soon as I walked into the store everything looked nicely presented, the bakery department was the first department I walked into and was fully stocked with products. The La-​Carte section was booming with the lunch crowd from nearby offices. It’s my favorite place to shop and all the shelves are fully stocked, fresh produce, fresh deli. Above all the best experience shopping here is the employees (very helpful, professional and happy to be a part of the Market Basket team).
I will always be a frequent shopper to this location. Keep up the good work and keep the prices the way they are.

I was worried that moving away from Somerville to Watertown meant that we would be shopping somewhere else aside from Market Basket. But then the Waltham store opened and it is AMAZING. It’s all the same produce and food at MB Somerville but double the aisle width. Prices are still lower than competition but I think they have gone up a bit more since before the strike. But that’s ok, because it is still the cheapest and I love my new MB.
The only thing I don’t like about the Waltham MB is that the customers are not used to the narrow aisles so they don’t follow the typical Somerville cart patterns as well. So sometimes you end up stuck behind a customer that has their cart in the middle of the aisle. Also the staff is much newer than Somerville where there are many 10+ years staff, so they still need to work out some things.

I was pretty impressed how much lower the prices were compared to Star Market. This location is huge, but don’t make the mistake of going during the day on Saturday… CRAZY…I could barely move the shopping cart down the aisles. Although the market was packed we did easily get to check out without a wait.

My friend recommended me to go to this store and I was AMAZED by the everyday low prices. When I got to the cash register, I was greeted very nicely by Sharon M. She interacted with me and put a big smile on my face which will last all day. I will definitely come back to the store!

I don’t understand what there is to rave about this Market Basket. The prices since the boycott ended have just skyrocketed, and that’s with taking into consideration that sale prices are higher than other stores in a number of cases too. Many natural/​organic items that are carried at other stores are just not available here, or if they are available, they cost more than other stores. Yes, I actually have seen a tub of 18 oz trail mix go for $ 8.99; I have seen a similar trail mix go at other stores for $ 2/​lb less.
Quality is very mixed. Be prepared to pay up, even over Hannaford or Trader Joe’s, for good steak or seafood. If you want the stuff truly cheaper than other stores, be prepared to be eat tough steak or smelly fish.
Service is likewise mixed. There’s certainly some employees that will always go the extra mile, but others don’t give a care. The lines are as long as Walmart — and that’s probably the only store that this store beats in this department.

Boy, this place seems to be packed no matter the day of the week or the time of day! Even so, I come here for a few select items in their organic produce section (the kiwis and oranges are consistently good) as well as their fresh cut pineapple (always sweet). Unfortunately, I do find expired tomatoes and other prepackaged items so, I remove one star for that.
However, I choose them over other nearby supermarkets because they are always clean and well staffed, the prices are great and despite the crowd, I have a pleasant shopping experience everytime I visit. They don’t have a designated vegan section, but they’re one of the few places that I can consistently find my favorite vanilla coconut yogurt. All in all, this place really does allow me to get more for my dollar!

I wish I could give it more, but there are a couple of things I am hissy about, and Market Basket just fails in this area. Anyone who thinks this store is clean needs their eyes checked. The store has gotten dirty and the bagger tonight could not stop picking at his lip. Just gross.
Yes, the prices are awesome for the few items I buy in bulk here, but Stop & Shop has made deals with the vendors to be able to be within striking distance of many of the popular items. But not all of the prices are great, you have to be careful. I get it that they are known for their house brands and the quality is good with good prices.
I am willing to pay a little more for well trained clerks and a cleaner store.

I WANT to shop at Market Basket, but in their effort to offer low prices, they have cut their costs where they shouldn’t: in the bags in which they bag your groceries. I just had a bag holding a large glass bottle of mango juice that broke as I picked it up out of the car. The glass was all over my driveway; so was the juice. I had to pick up the glass, hose down the driveway so the ants and bugs wouldn’t be attracted by the sugar in the juice, and then return to Market Basket :^(to get a refund and another bottle as I needed it for a recipe. And yes, my time has value… I don’t want to spend it making return runs to the Market Basket.
This is the second time since the Waltham store opened that one of your bags has broken and dropped food to the ground. If I can’t trust your bags to hold my food, I can’t shop at Market Basket. GET YOUR ACT TOGETHER HERE.

Probably the only place in Waltham where you can find Lobster rolls for only $ 5.99! Their Market Café has surprisingly good drinks & food!
They also have a very large international product variety; including premade, ready-​to-​drink Thai Iced Tea which is hard to find! This is my family & I’s supermarket of choice due to their prices, selection, and quality.

I’ve been eagerly anticipating the opening of this store for the past couple of years. Even during the site preparation where the blasting on the construction site would actually shake our house (and I suspect cracking a little of our plaster), it was worth it. There was talk of an entrance/​exit ramp right off of 128 but traffic on Main/​117 wasn’t bad during the half dozen times I’ve been there.
The store is bright and similar to other newer MB stores, which is to say has a somewhat dated feel to it. However, I couldn’t care less because I’m there for the fresh produce, variety, and cheap prices. The employees there have been very happy and enthusiastic to be working there. Its always going to be busy there and the people inside any grocery store are always going to annoy me but aside from the NH stores (where I can buy booze), its the best MB store I’ve been to. One thing about this store is that they have an employee highlight some promotional product over the PA. It goes on for like 5 minutes so is a bit annoying and its happened a couple of times. Hopefully it a temporary thing.

I cannot fully express, in words, my joy and exhilaration that MB has finally arrived in Waltham!!! I have been going to Burlington for as long as I have been residing in Watertown. Well, no more.
My mother, who lives in Malden, introduced me to Market Basket a few years ago, and I’ve been a dedicated customer since. I used to go to the Burlington store once very three weeks to stock up and would do quick visits to my local Stop and Shop in between.
Everything appeared to be in pristine condition on the afternoon that I went. The place is so spacious and well organized like other Unilocalers have noted. On the day that I went, the bakery department had Hello Kitty cupcakes, and I couldn’t resist picking up one for my toddler daughter.
Also, they have a pretty kick ass prepared sushi department. Sing, the sushi department manager, heard me speaking Cantonese with my mother-​in-​law and chatted us up. He told us that he’s helped MB open up all of their 30+ sushi stations and that they can do party platters. I noticed how fresh and colorful the cuts of raw salmon and tuna appeared and inquired about where they get the fish. He told me that they get it from the fish market in downtown Boston. Normally, I don’t purchase super market sushi b/​c it doesn’t look fresh or I have concerns about the rice being hard and dried out. However, after Sing’s gracious greeting and seeing how fresh the sushi appeared, I just had to buy a package. I got one that had a tuna and salmon nigiri, along with what appeared to be a salmon, tuna, avocado, and cucumber maki rolled with various colored tobiko and sesame seeds on top. It was quite colorful and attractive looking. Overall, it was tasty, with the rice being a tad mushy, but I think they have to do that as the sushi is pre-​made. I would certainly do it again if I needed a quick sushi fix.
While MB might not have every single brand (they don’t stock the brand of sausage or canned clam chowder that I like), the prices, friendly staff, and caring CEO will keep me coming here. I like being part of something where the owners have everyone’s best interests in mind, and I get that from being a MB customer. You can tell that they treat their employees well from how the employees interact with us customers.

Now that the Polaroid site is (finally) gone and the new shopping center known as 1265 Main is shaping up, it was with great excitement that Waltham welcomed Market Basket’s new location. The family-​owned and operated company has it quite the tumultuous year, with quite a few headlines under their belt but they’re not back and finally open for business as of last Sunday.
We headed there last night and walked into this huge, very well lit and organized grocery store with immediately fell in love. The place is very big, spacious and in immaculate condition. Sure, you could argue that it’s new but other locations are the same. Every single product on every shelf is aligned and faced properly, it’s like the place is run by elves with OCD.
Their prices are great as is their selection of items, from their high end steaks to their produce and cheese sections. Their international aisle is also very well stocked and they will easily give Hannaford and Shaw’s a run for their money. But I won’t be there to witness their downfall as I will be too busy shopping at this place instead.