Almost everything here is senselessly overpriced - not just the specialty items, but regular things that in other stores or online cost half. Why is that? I come here about twice a year out of curiosity mostly or for some very special items, but I get quite discouraged by their over-inflated prices. And the hobo in front of the store doesn't add to the appeal. read more

I have always been a fan of this supermarket--really the first of the "gourmet" markets that have become more common in recent years. The deli has gone downhill in recent days. I used to count the sandwiches here as some of my favorites anywhere, but now I have admit they are not so good. In fact, the last steak sandwich I got here I spit out and threw in the garbage without another bite. The steak was fatty and should never have made it between 2 slices of bread. However, the selection of cheeses, meats and general shoppables here are without question some of the best. I also live for the regular roast chicken and asparagus/spinach polenta. This is one of my favorite "to go" comfort dinner treats. Staff is knowledgeable and helpful and the upstairs store always keeps me stocked with good kitchen essentials. I also shop here often in the Christmas season for great stocking stuffers. read more

This review is for the cooking school, only. Compared to the San Mateo location, the cooking school here is only ok. It might be older but the room is smaller, the kitchen demo area is smaller, and the ranges are in the back so you can't see what the chef is doing in the demo. But the variety of classes is great! They offer basics, appies, entrees from different regions, desserts, etc. Something for everyone. And they have demos and hands on classes, depending on how involved you want to be. http://www.draegers.com/DCS/index.html read more

I agree with the other reviews this place is way over priced...it's like a Trader Joe's on steroids. Went once, and although the market is nice, and the quality is great..it's not worth the price. I'm gonna stay with Trader Joe's read more

Draeger's is dialed in on every detail possible. They carry the highest quality products in every category you could want. The service is first class. The product variety is unmatched. The cafe upstairs is a great spot to meet a friend or sit alone to eat, grab a cup of coffee, and/or work. The meat is excellent, the cheese is excellent, the bakery is excellent, the deli is excellent, the soups are awesome, the candy section is awesome, the wine/liquor/beer selection is very comprehensive, the produce is always fresh (and pretty), they ALWAYS have ripe avocados. I wish they would expand their sandwich offerings in the deli to include a cuban sandwich and a few more. I also wish the salad bar was upfront and you ordered them to be made as opposed to making them yourself. I prefer the West Side Market/NYC style salad making operations. Menlo Park is lucky to have Draeger's. read more

I'd probably starve if it wasn't for this grocery store. Located right near my work, when all else fails, I find myself here for lunch (which is usually 4x a week). Their salad bar is the best I've ever seen. Be careful though, before you know it you'll have a 5 pound salad that costs you $20. The soup selection is always yummy. And they have the best, fresh sushi (honestly better than some of the actual restaurants in the area). The cashiers are also super nice. As for actual groceries, I can't say I shop here, but for yummy lunch and dinner take out options, this place is great. read more

The 5 stars is for THE BEST chocolate cake with cream cheese frosting. YOU HAVE TO BUY IT. Either by the slice or by the cake. You won't want to share (I DIDN'T)! It's so moist, rich, light, it makes my mouth happy. Worth the drive from Santa Clara to Menlo Park. read more

Sure, this place is pricy, but if you want a top-notch grocery store, this is your place. Deli is fantastic, particularly sandwiches, soups and chinese chicken salad. Bakery--do not miss the chocolate cake with cream cheese frosting sold by the slice. Beer Selection--fantastic Cheese Selection--outta this world Draeger's, I am glad you are in my neighborhood. Minus two starts for prices, but plus one star for excellent people watching. I love the whole so-wealthy-that-money-is-no-object shopping that goes on here. Hopefully one day that will be me :) read more

The cashiers are robotic and never smile (unbelievable) and 3 (!) times this month I was overcharged for items that were mis-labelled. Beware of gouging - somehow it is always in the store's favor. Watch your receipt - I got the impression they are counting that the customers who shop here will have more money than math skills and not look at their receipts (or simply don't care if they are overcharged). Cashier not apologetic at all - and made me walk all the way to the back of the store so she can check the tags, after which she admitted they slapped the wrong stickers on the produce. If this happened in any other grocery store (Trader Joe's, Whole Foods), the cashier would just take my word for it AND apologize. I really don't understand why a supposedly upscale grocery store will have such unsmiling cashiers. Bakery is better than average - but still the creme brulee is too soggy; the mango and chocolate mouse cakes are OK - but the cake at the bottom is always dry. Sourdough bread's always good (toasted). I come here for specialty goods - particularly the British food section(tiny but they have clotted cream!). The little cafe upstairs have very friendly and helpful servers. (Love Gilda and Petra!) There is mini Sur La Table upstairs. The salad bar is ALWAYS filthy and unappetizing looking. For those prices, at least keep it spic and span! read more

Update: Over two weeks after the original order, Draegers contacted me and arranged a refund for the incorrect item. I appreciate that they made the effort to give me the refund, but I still don't plan to use the delivery service again, so I'm not changing my star rating. read more

a very cool supermarket/superstore. if i lived in menlo park, i'd be coming here almost everyday for 2 things: flowers & baked goods, which were the 2 things that filled the store with their sweet scents while i walked around the store. downstairs, you see the usual groceries, produce, dairy, deli, and bakery. their baked goods not only smell great, but they look great, like pieces of art, decorated so nicely. upstairs, you will find more household items, greeting cards, decorations, bath & body care, books, kitchenware, and a cafe. on my way out, i passed by the floral section and it smelled SOOO good. OMG, i felt like i was in heaven, just smelling each of these freshly picked bouquets (i'm assuming they're fresh because the scent was just so aromatic and pleasing to my nose). prices are generally a bit higher than what you expect to see at your typical grocery store, so i wouldn't recommend purchasing general day-to-day items here. but if you're having guests over, this is the place to come to pick up a nice cake for dessert or bouquet of flowers as the centerpiece for your dining table. read more

Wanna drop some serious cash on groceries? Want those groceries to be organic, bougie goodness? If you answered "yes" to the previous questions then Draeger's is the place for you! The food here is superb. There is no question about it. Think Whole Foods, sans dread locked staff. You can get any type of cheese wine, olive, whatever here. They've got it all. read more

I know when I go to Draegers that I'm going to spend more than I would at the Trader Joe's or even the Andronico's at times, I'm more of a Whole Foods type person and Draegers is even a little more expensive than some of the high end stuff there. But I like it, when I'm cooking for a dinner party, cocktail party or something romatic for me and the hubby I know that I can find something special and unique here. I like their meat counter a lot, we've gotten lots of suggestions about what's good right now and even suggestions on how to cook it. They've always been polite and helpful, and I'm completely comfortable asking questions if I don't understand or need more info. Good cheese too, not as good as Nugget or Whole Foods but pretty decent. The salad bar and olive bar are pretty good as well. The reason we come here is for the meat, the sausages and speciality vinegars or olive oils, etc. The produce has always been fresh, and I can find exotic fruits and veggies sometimes which is always exciting. The prepared food in the deli is pricey, but worth it, I love the sandwiches here. The dutch crunch rolls are crunchy and oh so good. I loathe the parking lot, I hate that there's rarely parking, maybe I'm not going at the right time. I have to say that there's no way I could do all my grocery shopping at Draegers, it's so expensive, for ordinary like regular everyday supermarket stuff, I remember seeing baby food for nearly $1 more than I usually paid at Whole Foods. Anyway, I still will spring on occasion for something special from here. read more

These stars, all five of 'em, are for the apple pie fresh from Draeger's own bakery. I'll be the first to say it: I am an apple pie snob. I'll make my own before touching Marie Callendar's or (shudder) Mrs. Smith's. But this... this is something special. The apples are still firm, not overcooked and mushy; the cinnamon is just right--apparent, but not overbearing--and the flaky pastry crust has just the right amount of sugar sprinkled on it, the perfect touch of sweetness to complement the tart apples. I would ask the bakery for their recipe, but who am I kidding? I don't know that I'll ever need to bake apple pie again. (Note to self: try this pie again in the spring or summer to see how good it is when apples aren't in season.) (PS to self: try not to eat more than one of these per week, OK?) read more

I don't like sugar cookies but Draeger's bakery must bake with crack because even though it had to be the most expensive sugar cookie. A month later, after all the holiday pies and cakes, I still want one. If this is their sugar cookie, I'm afraid to try their other baked goods, lest I become addicted. Must Stay Away! read more

Walking around Draeger's reminds me almost dead-on of the feeling I got walking around FAO Schwartz when I was a kid. I want to touch everything, purchase everything, have them in my home so I can enjoy their pretty colors in the comfort of my bedroom... only to walk away knowing I can't afford anything but the little impulse-buy erasers and packs of gum sitting in plastic bings by the register. Let's face it... the only folks who can afford regular groceries at Draeger's are not "folk" at all... just really, ridiculously rich people. Still, the sheer fact that I can't afford anything in here doesn't change that I enjoy window shopping at a grocery store. The smorgasbord of prepared food here is ridiculous and each item takes a good amount of extra love and work to prepare. The dessert windows are a truly lovely sight and their cheesy sourdough bread is definitely baked with magic sprinkled on top of it. Their sandwiches are delicious, but extremely overpriced. $9 for a tuna melt? Truly? Still, if you have a few extra bucks to spend and some time, it's worth it to come through here, pick up a special item to savor, and enjoy it on a park bench across the street. And don't feel too bad if you can't afford anything but the Altoids... about 99% of the world stands with you. read more

I live just down the street from this place so I'm here way more often than my wallet would prefer. Everything here is top-of-the-line and you pay those top-of-the-line prices! But if you're looking for high quality ingredients and/or something hard-to-find, this is your spot. I mean, where else are you going to find house-made truffle butter or authentic snail shells in which to display your escargots? The part of this store I use most often is the salad bar and prepared foods sections. The salad bar is amazing and includes all kinds of spectacular fresh veggies as well as pasta, fruit, pasta salad, etc. My husband picks up salads from here at least 4 times per week. I'm pretty sure every employee knows him by now. While I love the salad bar I'm more partial to the soups, sushi, and deli counter. I know, grocery store sushi seems so sketchy... but it's actually really good, and it sure doesn't hurt that the sushi chefs are making it right behind the counter. All of their soups are awesome, but I especially love the chicken noodle - I don't know what's in it but it's like crack! Be sure to pick up some of the 75 cent crusty bread for dipping and get there before ~7pm when they start to pack up the soup area. I'm also a big fan of their cold sesame noodles at the deli and pretty much everything at the bakery. Walk past the cake counter and you will be drooling. No oily Safeway sheet cakes to be found - the stuff they turn out is on the order of the Prolific Oven or better! To be honest I don't buy much from the rest of the grocery because it's so pricey, and with Safeway and Trader Joe's just down the street it's hard to justify the hit to my grocery budget. However they have a great selection with lots of locally made products I haven't seen anywhere else. Upstairs they have a beautiful home goods section with cookware, stationary, decorative items and a bath products section that smells like heaven. A nice spot for gift-buying! I've seen signs for cooking classes up there too. Finally, the staff is super nice. They always bag your groceries for you and I've never waited more than 5 minutes to check out since clerks come running in from the wings to open a new register once the line gets more than three deep. Seriously... this is the place to go if you want to grocery shop like the 1%. read more

Good thing I have some restraint, because I could drop a fair dime on this place. "Ooooh, what is this little sauce bottle here? Looks good! FOURTEEN FRICKIN DOLLARS?" And so it goes. But, Draegers is a great place to shop with in tagteam with TJs a couple blocks down. I'll often get fish here, or produce. If you buy seasonally it's not too extravagant. The deli is good, if pricey. The bakery is very tasty and reasonable for cakes and the like. Cheese selection is also broad. I also frequent the salad bar if I'm on the go and/or lazy. Just don't get your staples here, unless you like $6 cheerios. read more

This is only for the prepared Chicken Enchaltas. Don't get me wrong,Overall this store is 4 to 5 stars. I love this store for all the multitude of items that they do have. Topnotch vinegars and oils and ect. Great meat and produce section. Just stay away from the prepared dinner section at the front of the store. This is the area where the one star is notable. I have bought two items there while in a hurry and did not feel like cookinging at home. Both were expensive for what you got. My last purchase there, I bought the chicken enchiladas. I can only say they were the worst chicken enchiladas, I think I've ever had. Even comparing to a $.99 Swanson chicken enchilada TV dinner. $13 for two chicken enchiladas. I only ate one. I literally could not finish the second. I then saw a Lady's review of the beef enchiladas. She said the basically the same thing I said. read more

Customer services is lacking, the catering manager is very rude she gets upset easily with things that are part of a customer service standard. I called to review my order the day before the delivery and she was very rude and upset. I am not ordering back from there since I was left concerned if my order will show up on time and correct. read more

The market itself is somewhat fancy pants. Grocery shop here ...if you dare! But my review isn't about the store -- it's about the sandwich counter. Someone overheard me talking to my husband about how much I love meatloaf sandwiches and they suggested we try Draeger's (this exchange happened at Whole Foods, go figure). You would suspect, then, that I had a meatloaf sandwich here. But you would be wrong. The meatloaf looked sad and dry. I'm not sure what they do for it on a sandwich, but it just looked dry and sliced. I'm on the bring-meatloaf-back bandwagon and it's nicest in sandwiches when it's crumbly and extra-saucy, and above all it needs to be hot. We decided to try out the meatballs instead. We made sure everything got warmed up and had the meatballs with some cheese and peppercorn aioli. Again, I think they should have been saucier, but the meatballs were pretty good -- the flavor was perfect. The sourdough roll was tasty, and the whole sandwich was huge -- enough for us two to share. I was actually surprised it was only $6.99 for the sandwich, considering what Draeger's charges for other ready-to-eat stuff. The sandwich counter has lots of choices, and you get to put a variety of "better" toppings on your creation without any additional charge. It gets busy and the crew isn't the fastest, but not more so than other grocery sandwich counters. You can eat upstairs in their little cafe area, or grab a bench at the park on the same block. read more

This is a great, epicurean supermarket. Their cherry-cheese danishes are the best, and they are made fresh everyday like the rest of their baked goods, deli, and gourmet sushi. Though Draeger's Market can be pricey, you pay for quality and will always find it there. read more

I switched from Andronico's to Draegers a few months ago. I felt if I were going to pay premium prices I deserved premium products with a wide variety. Draeger's fulfills that. Produce, Wine, Meat, Gourmet, Deli, Bakery, and Floral departments are all excellent. Sandwiches are a bit "bready", and take longer than I would expect, but Brooklyn Panini is outstanding. Their fresh salads are very good. Cheese and Deli meat assortment are very comprehensive. Periodically get emailed a $10 coupon for wine which is very nice. Treat us to something more upscale. If you want the best, shop there. read more

First, let's address the obvious. Draeger's is way expensive. Okay, now that we've got that out of the way, get your butt upstairs. You heard right. Draeger's has the cutest card/gift/cooking utensil/fun section upstairs. Beyond adorable stuff. Their havarti cheese is delish, as is their deli meat and deli specialties. And their bakery? Don't get me started. My thighs are expanding at just the thought of it. Really amazing baked goods. When you are asked to bring a dessert to a party, the hostess is really saying "please bring a dessert from Draeger's and leave your homemade chocolate chip cookies at home." read more

What's not to love about Draeger's? Amazing olive bar, gorgeous bakery, excellent wine selection, flowers, coffee, cheese, outstanding customer service. I'm in love! read more

Back in the day, before Whole Foods et al, this place was THE BOMB. I remember being blown away by the chocolate selection and all the treats in the deli. Back in the day, Draeger's was a FIVE star experience. I even went to their cooking school which was silly, yummy fun. But now, due to the competition, I can only give it FOUR stars. But I honestly don't know what they could do to do it better...lower the prices? No, that's part of the experience ;) read more

Deli food excellent. Deli service NOT. In town for reunion event. Friends recommended picking up entree foods at Draeger's. I called the day before to place the order. I was on hold forever for the deli so I hung up and called back later. Same thing second time. I went to the deli counter on the afternoon of the event and asked for a few entree items for about 15 people. OH! YOU HAVE TO CALL 24hrs IN ADVANCE! I told the person that I had tried twice to call the day before, and she simply repeated her script. I told her that I still needed to buy some entree items, and could she not sell me some food from the deli case? Did she think I was going to move the event out a day??? Now she moved into service mode, and packed up a few items that we could rearrange on platters later. I would have appreciated a more proactive approach earlier in the exchange. Oregano rub ribs were fantastic. Zuni stew delicious. Asparagus quiche turned out to be mixed vegetable quiche, and it was very good. Perhaps the Peninsula customers take the confused service for granted, in exchange for good food. read more

Expensive, but who cares? You can get all the gourmet stuff here that you can't get anywhere else. The GIFT BASKETS with delivery are one of the best services offered by Draeger's. read more

I've long since tolerated Draegers' egregious prices becauses they're close by, but that's no longer the case. It used to be a friendly atmosphere, but in the past few years, as much of the previous staff have been replaced by younger employees, the service has deteriorated. Their floor manager is overtly rude and he routinely stands around and converses with checkers as they try to ring up customers, gumming up the works of the entire market. The new folks who work in the deli are awful. There are several examples I coule cite, but there's one incident that sticks out. I ordered Malanari Salamai a few months ago from a younger employee who hadn't been working there long. Instead or cutting fresh slices, he went into the back and handed me a package that he claimed some customer just ordered ten minutes ago but forgot to pickup, and it just so happened to be the same brand and quantity as I had ordered. I wasn't thrilled about it at the time, but I reluctantly took his word for it. Big mistake. We had appetizer dinner that night and everything tasted great, everything except for the Malanari Salami, which tasted decidedly...gamey. It obviously hadn't been refrigerated for several hours (despite what the deli worker had claimed) and the salami was little better than road kill. Funnily enough, we've not had a taste for Malanari Salami ever since then... read more

Draegers market is great. I love the deli, the produce section is the best, the fruits and veggies are so good looking and the staff is always smiling and willing to help if you need any assistance. Mike and Gustavo are the best! read more

I spent $4.50 on an eclair yesterday. It looked good but I have to wonder when it was made. The chocolate on top was hard, as was the pastry. I threw it away and ate the custard and the bottom -- because I chose not to eat the custard alone. But that might have been a better taste experience. But then overall, the taste wasn't there. For a birthday treat, which this was, I was disappointed. The second star is for an eclair that looked the part. read more

There is something magical about walking into Draeger's and feeling like you are in a non-generic neighborhood market. Going into this store was the first time that I ever saw an entire aisle devoted to oils and spreads, and I don't think I've ever seen so many different cheeses and things covered in chocolate. Speaking of chocolate... the small section is overflowing with the fanciest selection that I've ever seen. There is a noir 99% chocolate bar, small and wrapped in black paper, that is hands down my favorite chocolate. If you step one aisle to the left you are surrounded by clear plastic candy dispensers with old favorites and new novelties that you couldn't find anywhere else. On the ends are holiday themed local offerings that minimally inspire the candy maker in all of us. But the reason that I used to go here, aside from the gazing, was for the salad bar. There is something so refreshing about bowls overflowing with freshly cut, simple ingredients, and just the right amount of little extra special things to add crunch or texture. The prices, of course, are extremely high, and that is what makes this spot a 4 instead of 5 stars. I most definitely would not come here for produce - one can get fruits and vegetables of equal quality at a number of other local markets for much less. But for a quick bite to eat, an exotic ingredient, or a special trip, this is a good place to go. read more

Draeger’s - The salad bar is simply abundant. This shot was taken in the morning before they were able to surround the bowls with greens. - Grocery Near Me - Menlo Park, California

My worst grocery experience ever. No staff at the cheese department to offer help around 6:00 pm today. When some helper finally came after I waited for ten minutes, she helped a white man who cut in line instead even though I contested. Another fifteen minutes later when she was done, I asked her for a block of Reggiano cheese but she pointed to the wrong thing. I had to go to the store manager "Angel" for help. To my surprise, his answer was, "I wouldn't know where the cheese is 'cause I don't eat cheese". He didn't bother to direct me to to the right person. I had to walk around the store for another ten minutes, grabbed two or three more staffs to finally get what I want. I will never shop at the Draeger Menlo Park again. They charge a premium price but offer no service, mostly, the manger is rude and unprofessional!! read more

You can really find everything that you need here! As a connoisseur of certain foods (chocolate, coffee, cookies, etc), I am sometimes on the look out for the difficult to find ingredient, which in this case is Valrhona chocolate. Whole Foods sometimes stocks it and sometimes doesn't. Draeger's had it! I don't know how my cookies would've survived otherwise. They have a great selection of ingredients and prepared food for any epicurean. It is definitely fun to poke around the aisles and see what you can find. It's pricey, but having a spot to go to for my hard to find ingredient is will worth it. read more

Of course it's 5 stars. It's Draeger's - the only grocery store that I can actually window shop and walk out without buying anything. Don't get me wrong - they have everything you could absolutely want - you just have to pay through the nose... Superior quality for everything you could possibly be looking for. Presentation is A+++ from produce to meats to the deli and the bakery.. My favorite is that I love that you can buy quality chocolate covered orange peel - how many places really have quality chocolate covered orange peel. I found it at Draegers. I love perusing. It's a wonderful place to peruse. read more

I am in love with this place. They have so many specialty items, I know I can easily find harder to get items. This place is pricey but it's all high quality stuff. I love their butcher department, I have never been disappointed with their recommendations. Upstairs is full of fun cooking utensils and interesting kitchen gadgets. read more

Every piece of cheese I buy there will have mold on in after a few days. Worst service I have ever experienced. Can't wait for Wholefoods to take over that store!! read more

For everyday items (that Safeway also carries) there seems to be a 30% mark-up. Alcohol is much cheaper at Beltramos (or BevMo or Trader Joes) They do carry many awesome speciality items, but at speciality prices. Beware of the chocolate- much of it is awesome, but some of it isn't clearly marked with a price and could easily be $10 a bar. Bottom Line: If you aren't rich, you might not want to check it out. It is hard to imagine walking in and not spending at least $50 (often on 3 items). If you are rich, you are lucky and should buy me lots of tasty chocolate and fancy beer from Draeger's. read more

The food is fantastic, especially any of the freshly prepared items in the bakery or in the front of the store. The prices can be a little high, but you're paying a little more for a nicer store with higher quality products. The parking lot is an absolute raging madhouse. Actually, all of Menlo Park is like that, but the Draeger's lot is like taking chances with your life. Yikes! read more

Having grown up in Menlo Park, I've been familiar with Draeger's for 30 years now. My opinion of it may be a little colored by childhood nostalgia, but I still think my memories of the place hold up pretty well. Draeger's stocks amazingly high-end products. I love its selection of cookies, candies, preserves, beverages. Their deli and bakery are still top notch. I'm a fan of the ambrosia and haven't found a version that compares anywhere else, but I strongly recommend the sandwiches, roast chicken, ravioli, and, above all, the deviled eggs. Anything out of the bakery case is guaranteed to be good. The store also stocks all the low-end items that a person could want, which is one among many advantages Draeger's has over Trader Joe's or Whole Foods. It may be pricey, but, if time is of the essence, you don't have to waste your time store-hopping to get everything you need. Maybe I'm admitting too much about my culinary preferences, but, if you want to wash down your Hostess cupcakes with organic milk, you can get them both at one store. read more