Great little store for the health conscious featuring lots of organic choices and important…read moresupplements. I found that they carry two of my favorites - Alden's Organic Ice Cream and Prima Ancestral Protein Bars. In case you don't know, Alden's Organic is an Oregon-based brand specializing in certified organic ice cream and frozen desserts. it emphasizes high-quality, organic ingredients while avoiding artificial additives, high-fructose corn syrup, and other common conventional ice cream components. Their products use milk and cream from humanely raised cows, and many are gluten-free or offer dairy-free options. Prima Ancestral Protein Bars are animal-based protein bars designed around "ancestral" or nose-to-tail, real-food nutrition principles. They focus on grass-fed ingredients, avoiding seed oils, artificial additives, refined sugars, and ultra-processed isolates common in many protein bars. Popular options include: Cookie Dough, Salted Caramel (my favorite), Cacao, Mocha, and Mint Chip. This is (IMHO) the best protein bar one can buy. So now that I've totally convinced you on purchasing these two great (and good for your body) products, I'll continue with my review. Along with these two great finds, I purchased some Organic Brazil Nuts, Organic Sourdough Bread, and a couple of Zum Bar goats milk soap (frankincense and myrrh, tyvm). If you've never tried a Zum Bar you really should. Friendly employees and a comfortable family atmosphere store made for a very pleasant and enjoyable shopping experience. I'll definitely be back when I'm in the area.

Love this store for the kind service, unique items and delicious food. There's a large Jenni's…read morecooler with an incredible selection of flavors. They also have Illinois bakehouse bread. Sometimes they have scones and granola bars too. I love the local granola, the drink selection and the in bulk items. They've expanded their selection so it's really possible to do all your shopping there. It's a little more expensive but it's locally owned and a treat for the community.

I had no issues coming to this location. It was pretty clean and they moved through the lines…read morepretty fast. They had a nice floral selection when you walk in so that was very eye-catching. I didn't walk through the whole storage just went to grab three items but they had all three items that I needed and yeah, I have no complaints.

Of the local Schnucks this isn't my regular, but it gets the job done! I love shopping at Schucks…read more Good selection, capable staff, and well stocked. If you haven't tried their baked goods or their chicken, you're missing out. They also have great "deli" sides made in house, like potato salad and more. I appreciate that they're a local chain, and it shows in the quality.

I love that this market not serves and promotes local farmers, but also local artisans. It is such…read morea delightful mix of vendors and products. The farmers offer fresh vegetables and some even have refrigerated trucks offering a variety of meats. Vendors that offer freshly made breads, pastries, jams and jellies, can almost be classified in either group. Those who are true artisans, are offering handmade jewelry, candles, cutting boards, canes, dog fashions, clothes for children and original pieces of art. That's just a sampling of what you can find walking up and down all the aisles. When I first started coming to this market it was only one of the parking lots. It has now expanded to another one and the variety of merchandise is mind blowing. It is well worth a visit. When you arrive, stop and get a coffee at Joe's and then start your stroll to shop local.

We've been attending since the beginning, as the Alton Farmer's Market gained in popularity and…read moreoutgrew space after space. Saturday mornings in Alton during market season have something of a magic to them. You get to see friends and family and make new connections. If you're a dog person there is no shortage of dogs to pet. Everyone is so friendly! As the season changes from Mather's Day Market to those late season October markets, the variety of delicious produce and homemade goods also changes. There are no shortage of variety when it comes to vendors. The organizers also incorporate holidays or special events throughout.

DG Market is a Dollar General Store with a much larger grocery selection. I'd say it is…read moreapproximately 60% grocery and 40% your typical dollar store variety. The grocery area reminded me of a low-end Aldi's or a Ruler store. They did have many name brands and then a good variety of generic brands that you most likely never heard of. Be sure to know your prices, many items I saw were not priced cheaper then your typical Target or Schnucks. I did great buying school supplies for a local charity. I was able to get a lot more here, than at the local office supply or Target stores. Also, being a greeting card junkie I was able to snag up several good cards on the cheap. A cheap card makes up for the expensive postage. I also got a package of 8 cute blank note cards for a $1. That is mind blowing. For a discount store, it was well organized and clean. There was no clutter blocking the aisles. Associates on the floor were helpful, one guided me to the correct aisle for the school supplies. When checking out, the cashier was friendly and did his job well. Trying to be politically correct, he was a special needs individual and I was happy to see DG was giving him an opportunity to work. That got them the 4th Star.

So Schwegel's is my local small grocery store. They have…read morejust about everything I need and great sales! Just yesterday I got in on their sale of Snow crab legs and my family had a great feast! Their customer service is wonderful and they are so nice every time I come in. Oh I also want to mention their house made sausages. Unbelievably good brats. I particularly like the cherry brats, the cranberry horseradish brats, and the Italian sausage. WONDROUS! So if you live in Alton please utilize this little treasure. It's family owned and it shows in how they treat the customer!

Schwegel's is a fantastic little local grocery store with a top-notch butcher counter. It's a shame…read morethat they don't get the attention they deserve. The customer service is what you'd expect from a small town market, personalized and friendly. They offer monthly meat bundles that are budget friendly. Their brats will put, Johnsonville Brats to shame and Jimmy Dean's sausage cannot hold a candle to their sausage. Proof that buying local is a good thing. Some of their brands are generic, but with today's economy that is a good thing. There are lots of single little coolers around the store, filled with perishable products. Take note of the prepared foods near the butcher counter. You'll find some delicious side dishes for those tasty brats. Another end-cap to check out, is their branded spices. They're just as good as those expensive name brand spices. If you haven't shopped the aisles of Schwegel's, I recommend you correct that ASAP. You just might become a frequent shopper.

We come here allot to get fresh produce, sometimes it is cheaper and sometimes not…read more I think we would go here more often but they have a $10 minimum to use a Credit card and really we just end up buying things to get to our $10 mark which is probably why they do that. But the selection and quality are pretty great.

Fresh produce, local farm products, and ALL the spices you could imagine…read more Cute and small-ish, when I'm needing fresh fruits and veggies, I stop in. A no-frills produce stand, with a variety of in-season produce. But this place stands out for the friendly shopkeepers and the spice selection is enormous! Literally, an entire corner of the store is dedicated to various seasonings and dried herbs. And, they even pre-mix their own seasoning mixes like Carribean Jerk and Applewood Smoke Rub. Also, if you are looking for specialty items, there is a good chance you could find it here. For instance, I've been hearing a lot about chia seeds, but I had no idea where I could find them. Lo and behold, I got a bag full here, and you can find coconut flakes, various dried fruits and nuts, specialty oils, local honey, salsas, and dressings. What I always get when I stop in: Amish Apple Butter. Silky sweet spreadable apple goodness. I could eat it out of the jar with a spoon! Carribean Jerk Seasoning Mix: I love seasoning wings with this stuff. Local honey!