They open early around 730am and I have been going here for a few years. Good selection of produce at good prices; I don't get my produce at Lucky's and Safeway anymore unless it's a specific item and/or a huge sale. Keep an eye out for cheap prices on strawberries and blueberries and mangoes, but you have to inspect the product yourself as the quality has not always been consistent. Not a problem. Cashiers are friendly and upbeat. Parking is average. Accepts ATM/Credit card as well. Update: March 2017. One negative thing I have noticed lately is that a few of the male cashiers are not conscientious of the handling of the customer's produce when bagging. A few of them have been just roughly shoving my vegetables and fruits into the bag, without giving a thought about placing the more fragile/tender items at the top as opposed to being crushed at the bottom, etc. Next time I will say something to them if they do this. read more

While roaming asking Millbrae, I stumbled upon Dean's. The outside produce seemed to be reasonably prices well and looked good for the most part. When you step inside, you'll be surprised to find out this is a more ethnic grocery store then both the outside and the name implies. I believe they're leaving more towards Italian, but they also some Asian items in stock. The one thing that bugged me a little was the fact that they didn't have any milk and the price of their half gallons were the price of regular gallon milk, although they were Clover brand which tend to be a bit pricy. Not sure if it was organic or not, but if it is, I can understand the price hike. Great neighborhood grocery store located in downtown Millbrae and a must go to after you've finished eating at one of the many restaurants around the area. read more

Dean's is such a gem and probably my favorite shop in Millbrae. Their selection of exotic and regular produce is pretty comprehensive & their prices are cheap! They beat any Safeway or Whole Foods easily. The produce is high quality and fresh. I was able to pick up mangosteen, lychee, Hawaiian papaya, and a variety of tomatoes in one stop. It's a good place to stop by often because they offer in-season produce and the variety the you can choose from is extensive. They also have plenty of snacks that you can't find at most other places like the KinderSurprise chocolate eggs - which my kids really love. read more

Dean's Produce - Yum! Hawaiian papaya from Dean's. - Fruits & Veggies Near Me - Millbrae, California

Customer service here is terrible. The cashier didn't speak to me at all, didn't provide me a total, didn't bag my items and literally threw my receipt on top of my items as I was bagging them. The produce is hit or miss too. Based on the customer service alone, I won't be back. I'll stick to Trader Joe's right up the street. read more

Ahhhh...almost became the first person to review! This is a great little family-run produce store in downtown Millbrae. Note that if you are looking for a one-stop supermarket, this is not the place as they do not sell meat nor do they sell large selections of particular items. HOWEVER, pay attention to the PRODUCE. There's a large selection here usually with very good prices. I knocked off two stars though because although still good, the produce quality has declined compared to when it opened a year or two ago. An additional treat of shopping Dean's is that the store seems to cater to a mixed population. There's a huge selection of boxed teas, olive oil, honey as well as lavash, rugalach....reminds me a bit of when I lived in the Westwood section of LA with a fair size Persian-Jewish population. (Yes, I didn't know such a population existed but was told so by Iranian friends. And Iranians are Persians, not Arabic.) On the other hand, they also have fresh tofu and cheung fun (rice noodle sheets used in Asian cooking). Bonus: the plastic bags used to put your produce in a a cut above the usual market bags - they're made of high quality plastic. My thrifty mom loves to reuse them. read more

I've been coming here for years. The store recently expanded and remodeled. The selection and variety of produce has grown. They also offer items such as breads, dried fruits and nuts, cheeses, milk, fresh pre-made pasta salads and so much more. The price are better than the chain stores. The produce is fresher. The store opens at 7:00 am on weekdays which is wonderful for people that like to do their shopping early. The staff is friendly and the owner is very nice too. read more

Fresh veggies on the cheap! Great fruit and nuts! Good bread and lavash! Even the Russian dumplings and grocer items are awesome. Tried some good stuff I couldn't pronounce :) Great selection of yums too... Kinder Bueno bars for just over a buck? I'm in! read more

My go to veggie shopping place. Also has some good British chocolates and cookies. read more

My idea of tea heaven (!!!), including my much-needed Sadaf brand cardamom tea ($4.99 for a box of 50 bags). Fresh produce, Turkish delights by the pound , clean store, wide aisles. Very reasonable prices. read more

Fresh and very cheap produce! The people who work here could be a bit more cheerful, tho. I don't know why but buying produce always make me super happy (maybe because I constantly think about cooking and food!) and these people can sometimes kill my mood ~ but I guess I can't have it all :) I go here once a week and get everything I need. If you're in the area, go and check out this place! read more

I have lived in San Mateo for several years now and this was my first time going to Deans produce and I loved it. This grocery store has international food choice and I am Half Ukrainian and half Turkish and I could find both there. Clean fresh and not a lot of people so you can relax and choose what ever you want. Perfect place for me and I will come here now all the time read more

I been shopping in this place last 7 years. The their products are very reasonable price and you find almost anything you want. Try this place for grocery shopping. read more

Never a bad apple at Dean's. Clean, quaint, and you know you're supporting a family-run store. Better than Trade Joes/Safeway/Alberson's by a landslide. At Dean's you get can the farmer's market "feel" without farmer's market "gourmet" prices. Two thumbs way up for this place. read more

Cheap and best. They almost have all varieties of veggies. T The best thing about the place is their shopping cart ;) read more

Best, most fresh and least expensive produce hands down! You can also get products from, Greece, Russia, France, Italy and beyond. It's great if you have a hankering for cookies from your mother country or just really several kinds of olive oil to choose from. read more

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The BEST for the PRICE. I deducted one star because the LADIES who work their are rather RUDE. My 3 year old had to use the bathroom once, and the cashier lady nearly didn't want to hand over the bathroom key; asking me if it was for my child or me. After I told her it's for my child, she still hesitantly handed over the key. Anyways, the PRODUCE is GREAT, the guys working there are polite and nice, the LADIES are RUDE. read more

Incredible prices on fresh produce. Cheaper than every grocery store that I've been to in the area.

Wow I realize why this place is always busy. Great service too.

I first stepped foot into this store almost 10 years ago. i do come by on occasion but not so much anymore. I did notice it has gone downhill, so i'm assuming that it's under new mgmt perhaps. The produce is abit overpriced. I did buy a couple of items. if you just need a couple items, i guess it's ok, but i won't come here regularly. read more

Living in Burlingame, Deans is the only produce market in the area that has reasonably priced fresh produce in the area and I have been enjoying shopping there for the last 5 years. My husband and I went to Deans at least twice a week, doing our major shopping on Sundays. A few sundays ago (the last time I was there) I notice about 10, 1 gallon jugs of olive oil that ALL have a $8.99 sticker on it. Thinking this price is amazing.. I grab a gallon. When i get to the cashier, she tells me "its 18.99, you still want it?" Telling her that there are 9 others with the same 8.99 price tag on it, i ask her how she can now tell me that they are 18.99... she says " it just is, do you want it or not?" I ask for the owner and he comes up and tells me that it cost him 12.99 and the price is 18.99... his price gun was broken and wasnt producing "#1" and i can buy it for 18.99 or not! I continued trying to argue with them, saying that just because his price gun is broken, doesnt mean he can put the wrong price on something. he could take off the stickers and put up a sign! there are many other options. he said no! When i told him I would leave everything and leave he said "I dont care, go" I havent been back since. The worst part of it all, I would have paid the 18.99, if that was only the price on the jug.. Its the principle of the thing, so keep this in mind next time you go in there. I WILL NEVER SHOP AT DEANS AGAIN! read more

Every time I go here to load up on as many fruits and vegetables that I can carry in my big, manly arms, I am never charged more than $20. Also, they have octopus in a can if you ever want any. The only other thing you can find better and cheaper anywhere else is bananas at Trader Joe's. Other than that, I get all of my fruits and veg exclusively from Dean's. read more

i can buy my entire week's worth of produce/groceries enough to feed 2 people for under $8. everything is fresh and cashiers are fast. i don't think i need to say more. read more

Great alternative to other super markets in the Millbrae area, the selection is big but not great. I sometimes like to sample my fruits, for example like cherries. It's an action frowned upon by some stores. But you can't really stop an Asian from sampling. Haha its just an natural habit exhibited by Asians. The owner takes it very offensive and tends to frown at me. He hovers over his customers with an aura of terror and mystery. Its not spooky but just simply creepy. He also likes to bark at old ladies sometimes. I saw this one time, and was kinda traumatized. Barking at old ladies is definitely a no no in my book :(. read more

Coming here warms my soul. I usually go here on my way to Jazzercise, and they carry a vast selection of Slavic (Russian) and Mediterranean goodies like frozen Popkoffs's pelmeni, deli meats and cheeses that cannot be found in Mollie stone's or Lunardi's and candies and desserts. Also they have very good selection of organic produce at good price. They carry Asian goods too and carry the Chinese and Russian newspapers that are free on weekly basis , parking is easy except on weekends. read more

Vast selection, quick cashiers and decent prices. I would give it an additional star if they carried more organic produce.

My husband and I discovered Dean's today while walking around our soon-to-be new neighborhood, and (especially coming from Berkeley) I was soooo glad to find a small, family-run produce shop nearby with good selection and reasonable prices!! I can tell I'll be coming back here a lot! read more

The only place I know which sells imported Portuguese Bacalao (salted rock cod) by the slab!!! My best kept secret, now it's yours.

I like the selection of fruit this place has to offer. It is conveniently located in downtown Millbrae where you can take a stroll to look for other goodies like Chinese/Japanese music and movies, order dim sum, and get a pedicure.=) read more

Fresh produce you can smell and touch. And very decent prices too (much lower than Whole Foods for sure). The only down side is that it does get crowded in there, I guess it's a side effect of success. read more

There is plenty of unique produce here. We took a trip on a sunny Saturday and the place just rocked! The grapes were very tasty. Tey also had plenty of asian foods to sample as well. If you happen to have some time on a Saturday definetly hit this place up. read more

This place is cool if you want to avoid the crazy, busy type of environment that they have at Safeway or Trader Joe's. Dean's is a small establishment where it is super convenient to just run in and grab some veggies that you plan on cooking that particular evening. The only bad thing is that the employees at Deans do not have any kind of customer service what so ever! At Safeway or Trader Joe's, you might get a friendly greeting from the cashier when it's your turn to pay or maybe a little small talk about the weather but you won't get that at Dean's Produce. Went there this morning and had a middle aged Filipino lady ring me up. I said good morning and she completely ignored me. She didn't even tell me the total amount, instead she just pointed at the amount that was on the monitor. I paid and said thank you and have a nice day and still no response. Maybe it's a language barrier but a simple smile or hello wouldn't hurt. It's not rocket science, Customer service is always key when you have a customer service related job like a cashier. read more

There are many reasons to love this place. I happen to love it for its affordable spice selection and proximity to Shanghai Dumpling Shop.

Great Produce at awesome prices. If you want feta there is no less expensive place in town. There are also international items from Greece, Mexico, Middle East, ect. I've been going here for years and the prices can't be beat. One problem latley with all of the grocery stores is the freeze that has jacked up the prices of produce and made it also not as good. What can you do though? And another bonus, where else can you buy groceries while listining to the maleviziotikos. After reading another reviewer below I should help clarify things, the owner is not barking at his employees like they have observed, he's barking at his wife, (old school). read more

Great place to buy fresh produce! I shop here all the time. Great prices, close by, great selection, nice staff, family owned...it's a hidden gem! Now that they've expanded, there's more room to shop and more selection. There's never a day it's not busy busy with customers. Dean's produce beats Safeway's selection, freshness and value any day! Definitely support your local mom and pop produce markets! read more

Holy cow! For years my mom has raved about the steals she's found at "The Greek" - over a recent rainy weekend we made a trip over to check out the place she's raved about and I instantly understood the allure. Lots of great produce at amazing prices, unusual cheeses from all over europe, and fun speciality products. Some items can be found cheaper elsewhere, but this is far cheaper than the local supermarkets. If you're looking to eat your goods right ways check out the specials underneath the main bins where the produce that's marked down is kept. read more

More than just a great & outstanding produce selection, but has a vast array of euro groceries as well as many eastern euro & Mideastern products. I was savoring my thoughts as I look over the nice chunks of various sausages and smoked fishes. They even had salted cod! Pick up a nice smoked mackerel which was vacuumed packed sealed from Brooklyn, New York. Nice international goodies from around the world. read more

Just discovered this place yesterday! Two major pluses for me - excellent feta cheese and filo dough that is NOT frozen. This is a great store with lots of good looking produce, too! read more

I fail to see why anyone would love this place. Produce too often looks depressingly low grade. Much of the packaged foods especially in the coolers are long expired. The room especially the back needs cleaning. The staff either frowns or glares at you. There is no joy shopping here. read more

I have a soft spot for this place! It's as if I'm on a dusty cobbled street in Greece, Portugal, Turkey . . . and accidentally wandered into a small shop of goods, full to the gills with sundry stuff, all unexpected little out of the way treasures. I love going in here with no agenda, just to discover whatever catches my eye, e.g. I got my first taste of dragonfruit from there! I bought just one and watched a youtube video of how to cut it :-) It's one of the rare places that carries cherimoyas, passion fruit, lychees, rambutan, starfruits, and loads of exotic fruits. This is my go to place for buying baked beans and HP sauce from England--it's half the price of grocery shops, where the markup is ridiculous. They have assorted bulk olives in brine, and fresh feta, as well as interesting drinks, e.g. nectars and kefir. I love their aisle of sardines, olive oils, tuna, etc. and my husband lusts for the imported chocolates, sesame/peanut bars. Oh how I wish I wasn't doing gluten-free, cuz they have foccacia's, fresh baked breads from the bakery; of course, they have produce and such, but I wish they made more of an effort to get organic fruits and veggies. Their customer service is as authentic as you might imagine--they're super helpful when I want to return or exchange something. They also have another location in San Mateo, which is larger and with more items, but it has a different vibe: more like an ordinary grocer's. I far prefer this Millbrae location. read more

I fell in love with this store as soon as I moved to Millbrae a few months ago. I stop by almost daily on my home. The selection is great, the produce is fresh, and I can get everything I need and be out of the store within 5 mins. Can't say that for any of the other major chains that are just down the block from Dean's. I love this place. I am not sure what other reviewers are referring to when they say it could be cleaner - it's a well kept store with gorgeous varied produce. In addition to all this the fresh produce is priced very competitively. read more