Parking - complainers forget they're dealing with Madison drivers - bad at best. Stickers? Too many five-finger discounters; same reason they now have a security guard. And why access/egress to the liquor department is restricted. Prices? You do realize the margins are from 1 to 3% don't you? Maybe you should shop elsewhere. Staff is always, always helpful. How do you treat them?!? I wonder if you're a jerk at your place of employment? No, I don't work there or have any ownership; I just appreciate them much more than I do understaffed places, attitude-laden staff, limited selections, and lawlessness-permitted shopping. Ten year shopper. read more

The grocery biz is tough and I have shopped the best. This location is very large and I find the size intimidating. The store is clean and I have found the staff quite friendly and eager to help. There are always people there but I have never experienced it to be overcrowded. Maybe that's the size talking? I think the prices are competitive, even with products you can also get online. The fruit and vegetable selection is excellent. They have a decent selection of meats. They have a nice deli with a sushi offering that is quite nice. It seems that the products that can be locally sourced, are. The self-checkout works well but they also have at least one humanoid-run checkout. There are a lot of products I will never buy, but I am satisfied with those that I have. read more

concurrent location, occasionally challenging parking depending on the time of day and business, prices can be a little high, the layout of the store can be confusing at time, overall the produce and food has been consistently good! read more

They have a rotating selection of local products, and a wide variety of GMO and organic alike. Staff is about 40/40/20 Friendly & Helpful/Unhelpful/Disgusted A decent selection of pre-packaged hot/cold items as well. I will split my review into pre/post-pandemic: Pre-Pandemic: Produce was hit/miss with restocks every 2-3 days. If you came at the tail-end, expect rotten vegetables, bags of fresh produce expired far before expiration (probably from being left in the heat before re-refrigeration), or a need to check expiration dates closely on packaged items. The hot bar was well rotated. The deli section is nice, but the quality of available meats and cheeses cannot hold a candle to other grocers in the area with higher quality brands. Prices were reasonable across the board, though the seafood and pork items were fairly overpriced. Post-Pandemic: Some fresh meat, dairy, and produce is completely absent from shelves for a week or longer. Sanitation wipes for carts almost completely gone by 5pm each day, with no restocks until the next. Produce is even more hit-miss, with far less frequent restocks. (Save your receipt and expect a refund every 3rd trip). The hotbar is back, but it's limited (understandable). Some of the fresh cold items like pre-made sandwiches/snacks are still on-point. I don't think the store can be blamed for this, but I've seen these items at other grocery stores in the area: Amy's MARGHERITA PIZZA flew off the shelves there. No longer stocked. WHY? Chameleon Mexican Cold Brew. They had it for 2 weeks then it disappeared. I had to get there early just for a chance at ONE bottle! I understand supplies are tight, but at least properly message why/if you can't restock something. Easier Things to Consider Improving: Bring paper bags back to self-checkout Message why something is out of stock and be more explicit about WHAT is out of stock in aisles with multiple of the same brand. More diligent produce checks, PLEASE! Also hit or miss, but they've been getting better at offering fresh pre-packed things. More diligent checking on expiration dates, even on marked down items. I've brought items home marked expiring that day that were completely spoiled. Seemingly for 2-3 days since. I know they're Festival Foods, not Fresh Foods, but let's try to keep the festival out of people's bowels, yes? They could be 4-5 stars just by fixing these things. read more

I love that Festival was fully stocked. I'm no marketing expert, but I noticed that they made every effort to show the label / brand of their products. I was especially impressed by the candy aisle. All the M&Ms were neatly placed with the label facing the aisle, compared to other stores that have them in a pile. The prices here are very low. They usually have $1 bakery goods. When I was there, I got an eclair and a whoopie pie for a dollar each. They weren't the best tasting, but hey, they were a dollar. The hot foods were kind of bland, which is why I docked a star. Their seating area is so nice, so I had hoped they would have better food. The homemade deli chips are amazing. They're fried to perfection and I wish they weren't so unhealthy. Awesome location - be sure to check it out! read more

Festival Foods - kin kin coffee - Grocery Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

See all

The thing I appreciate the most about Festival is their use of local trees that they've incorporated into their design. Otherwise, staff is nice enough, service is good and specials are always valued. The one thing I hate about this store is their overuse of stickers. Buy a pack of cigarettes? It needs a sticker. Buy a single bottle of beer? It needs a sticker on it. Buy an apple? It needs a sticker on it. As long as it's not in a bag they'll want to put a sticker on it; it doesn't matter if you're headed straight to the exit. read more

I tend to avoid this grocery store if at all possible but they have decent deals and items I can't always seem to find at other stores. The reason I tend to avoid it is because parking is a NIGHTMARE. They have a parking garage and there's always a ton of traffic and the spots are really tight - I'm always nervous that someone is going to ding or scratch my car. I love that they sell Madison Sourdough baguettes - although if you go later in the evening they tend to run out. It's also convenient that they have a full liquor store and you can grab stuff and pay for it at the regular register. They have a decent and good looking produce section and also a pretty decent meat counter. You can always find some sort of meat thing on special on any day of the week. I'll do this on occasion if I'm at a loss for what to make. They have a fun artisan cheese section with all the accoutrements and a good selection of crackers and spreads. read more

Heaven sent grocery store! Although I have shopped here several times in the past few years, this particular visit meant the most to me. My significant other and I shopped here this weekend and noticed all the genuine friendliness and professionalism of the staff but lets back up a step. The first thing you will notice is that this store is sparkling clean and well stocked. Then along comes the personal contact you will be thrilled to experience with the staff and I can assure you that everyone employed here greets customers with a smile and makes sure they are finding everything on their list. Like Kojak always said "Who loves ya honey?" Well, the answer is Festival Foods! read more

Having grown up with nostalgic feelings toward grocery shopping trips, and large Wal-Mart, Target, Pick N' Save, Copps sort of visits, this Festival Foods makes me feel at home. It's massive, has just about everything in low (cheap) to higher (pricier) quality. I have grown to love smaller, locally sourced markets, and specialty stores (the idea of buying better/higher quality, but using, consuming and wasting less overall)...but sometimes, a one stop/area shop is what I desire. The produce is mostly high quality and all food/non-food items are always in stock - sometimes the greens can be a bit mealy depending on time of year and when you hit up that particular supply. Both organic and non-organic varieties are available. I love the natural foods selection and stop at this location anytime I'm looking or hankering to make a large one-pot Asian or Indian dish for weekly work lunches and dinners. It always seems as though staff members are piled up at the registers or scattered throughout the store, which I believe to be a good thing. They are always incredibly helpful or willing to greet you kindly. The largest criticism is out of their control...I only wish there was a more frequent, direct bus line heading east down Atwood Ave, but it's a great stop if I'm walking over to James Madison Park for a picnic in Spring and Summer! Also, I wish Kin-Kin Coffee was open more frequently! read more

Festival Foods - Riesling at the Mezz - Grocery Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

They have the best ready to go meals, and deli area, out of most of Madison. Great parking for being right downtown. I like going here because it's often not crowded, and I feel safe. The prices are incredibly reasonable, the produce is fresh, and the selection is better than most (excluding Woodmans). I love coming down here outside of normal business hours. read more

I'm not sure how many of these high end grocery stores Madison can support, but enter Festival Foods as the latest entry. In this arena FF does not disappoint. Most impressive was the circular deli counter allowing maximum use of space and what feels like unending selection. We picked up some veggies which we will roast & kabobs from the meat counter. Bakery was also impressive but we're currently "on the wagon" with our healthy eating so we resisted temptation there. Other notables -- they have dog kennels to park your furry friend while shopping (15 minute max), they sell bus passes & have a community room available although I didn't find any info available on cost, etc. Staff was attentive but not annoying. Got there when they weren't busy which likely contributes to my positive review. I'm sure we'll be back if our travels take us that way. read more

Festival Foods - Bring your dog to Festival Foods! - Grocery Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

The deli, bakery, and hot bar options consistently break my spirit and reduce my will to live. Am I in prison? Or still stuck in the high school lunch room? There is not a single thing I'd want to buy there - keep your stale air crusted mayonnaise and sugar based offerings. Why are products so randomly placed? You can find cheese or cheese like products in 5 different spots in here. Why is there a huge middle wall dividing the store into two halves? Why does that new condo building over by John Nolen (you can see it from the Mez patio) look like it works here? Why is it hard to find something that's not total garbage to eat for lunch here? Why is the garbage lunch here priced the same as going to a restaurant? It's literally cheaper to eat the much better food at Bandung for lunch than to eat off this crappy hot bar. Why is there no B-cycle station here? Nice employees and a great location though. read more

See all

The quality here is fantastic. That's the biggest thing. The deli/salad bar/hot foods section can't be beat. Throwing a party and need snacks that aren't just a bag of chips and some pretzels? This is your place! They have such a great selection. 7 layer dip, taco dips, pasta salads galore, fruit trays, broccoli salad - honestly I could go on for days. Whatever it is you're in the mood for, they will have it. The liquor store section is great. Lots of a variety and always stocked. I don't shop here on a regular basis as it's not close to home, but I do spend a lot of time in the area and this is always our go-to when we need to grab anything from a meal, to snacks, to drinks, to whatever! I love the little doggy holding area outside as well. So smart! I've only seen a dog in there one time, but even that makes it worth it. And a child play space that is monitored by staff if your kids are difficult to shop with! How cool! read more

Festival Foods is not the place to shop if you care about your health. Employees and customers do not wear masks or other protective covering to protect each other and customers from covid-19 exposure. While the CDC recommends face masks and does not require them, grocery store owners and managers can think for themselves. There are plenty of grocery stores that have taken the initiative to have all employees wear masks, keep distance, have one way isles, and show all of us we care about each other. Please shop safe and relaxed elsewhere. read more

Convenient place to go nearby for cheap beers and food at times and they have a sweet wine ($14,000+) machine upstairs to drink from. Trivia on Friday's at 7pm upstairs. Workers are helpful. Sometimes their food can be more expensive than surrounding grocery stores. read more

When it first opened, we were thrilled. Close by, clean, great produce; however, that did not last long. Now, it is to be avoided. Their produce is OK, but the packaged salads, etc are usually wilted and rotten, even well before the expiry date. If I do not diligently check dates on all dairy, I will inevitably get home with something, usually more, that is expired. If you dare to use paper bags at the checkout, you will be there all day. First, you have to go round them up from a register, because there are none at u-scan (often the only check out option). Then you have to find one with both handles attached, which is not easy. Then you have to wait for the attendant to stop talking to a coworker or put down their phone to realize that you pressed the button for assistance. Yikes! This would all be an inconvenience if you were not being charged more than any other store in town. Save yourself time and frustration, not to mention money, and go somewhere else. read more

Pros: Everything is usually clean. The staff is helpful. Good liquor selection. Cons: Their produce is really hit or miss. It is either good or everything kinda sucks. What really angers me is that they will put things on sale that are going to expire the next day, including meat. I shouldn't have to constantly hack meats to see if they expire the day of or the next. Also I have bought items before that have been expired it's really disappointing. If you go to Trader Joe's you don't have to worry about meats being old and hit or miss produce. read more

Just moving to Madison I have been searching for a great grocery store. Someone recommend Festival Foods to me so I went to try it and fell in love. Today as I went through the store not a single worker passed by without saying good morning. You could tell they put a lot of effort into their produce section but placing and presenting everything in an inviting manner. The beer section is amazing and so it the deli area. I thought they had a wide variety of food and was responsibly priced. I also needed quarters for laundry and they were able to trade my 10 dollar cash back for 10 dollars in quarters. I think this will be my new grocery store in Madison. Location does play into that but also for the amazing service and food selection. read more

This review is mostly of their quick meal selection: Just a lot of good, quick, affordable options here. So far have tried the lasagna dinner, which was $10 for 4 lasagna slices and an Italian roll. It kept 2 people satisfied for a dinner and a leftover lunch! They also have affordable fried and roast chicken options. I'll also give their sushi ($5 on Wednesdays) and prime rib ($10/lb on Saturdays) a try the next time I am too lazy to cook or go out for a meal! The staff here has often been really helpful and friendly. I also appreciate that the easy access parking garage for customers and the wide variety of alcohol available. read more

I love Festival - this is where I get all my grocery shopping done. I try to get all my shopping done in one stop - but that's why I have to give it 4 stars. Some days, the are completely out of produce I need - like jalapeños, cilantro, etc. They have organic versions of them if you're desperate but they are a lot more expensive. They have an Asian section, but it's a lot of basic things. I always have to go to an Asian store to get more specific spices/powders/noodles that I would expect to be at festival. I am aware you can request them to stock certain things - Haven't gotten around to that yet but maybe one of these days I will. Anyway, onto the good stuff. The workers here are super friendly, the store is always clean and the liquor section is pretty damn good. They have a very good section for vegetarian/vegan food. Almond milk, beyond meat brand, daiya cheese, you name it. They also have a place where you can buy ready made food like pastas, lasagna, potatoes, etc. (Sushi and rotisserie chicken too!) If you want to eat then and there, you can take it up to the Mezz and microwave it. There's plenty of seating up there and free Wi-Fi as well! If you're in the mood for some drinks, there's a bar with really affordable drinks and free popcorn :) We've played shuffle board here, sat on the balcony when it was warm and even played trivia! Super odd one of my favorite places to just hangout is the bar above my grocery store but hey, that's what makes it special! read more

Great associates and super clean store. I've never encountered more proactive and friendly associates at a grocery store. Personally, I find the store layout confusing despite the signage and I often have a "lost" look when I visit the store. And each time I feel/look lost, someone stops to ask me if I need help, regardless of the department. Huge thanks to Kurtis in the health food aisle who knows where everything is, thankfully. read more

Fine. I like that there is parking available at a otherwise busy corner of E Wash. I was able to find Mandy's Hot Sauces here which was awesome. If anyone has tasted the line of hot sauces will appreciate the find. The produce looked fresh, though the prices are understandably going to be more than say, Woodman's way way down the road. Self checkout registers were nice and allowed me to be in and out within 15 min. read more

I am a fan, to a limited degree. What I Do Not Like: - The layout makes no sense. I can never remember where things are. - Bakery is poor. Bread has no substance nor flavor. - Not enough variety. Very "white bread". What I Do Like: - Store clean - Staff very helpful - Produce generally excellent - Free knife sharpening - Sales - Parking with a roof overhead Glad to have a new, bright store to shop in! read more

Festival foods is a fine grocery store. Location, is 100% their best attribute. I have lived downtown for three years now, and it was a godsend when Festival moved in...No more driving to get groceries or miscellaneous home items/medicine you need fast. I buy 95% of my groceries here. Their liquor section, being on the corner of East Wash and Livingston is amazing and the selection is great. A few times this summer, there were some loitering homeless people right outside the doors. It seems to not have been an issue since the fall of 2016. As far as the grocery selection, i have mixed feelings. Their produce is good, and i can easily make a run here to buy a weeks worth of groceries, no problem. Often, they do not have something in the form that i would like. Some examples of this would be, individually packaged peanut butter servings or Splenda in bulk. However, they always have work arounds available like regular peanut butter in jars and Splenda packets /half and half Splenda and sugar mix. I have purchased muffins and cookies from their bakery a few times now. I can't say i am impressed with these items taste compared to other Madison grocery stores. In fact, after a third let down, i do not plan to buy from their bakery again. Pricing, i would say, is fair. I have found generally, my groceries cost the same here compared to other Madison grocery stores. Different, products are more or less. Examples of this would be my beloved Halo Top ice cream is sold for $5.49 at Festival versus $7.49 at Hy-Vee. So that is great for me! read more

I am staying at the Sheraton for two weeks while going to classes at Epic and I decided that $2.50 a bottle of water was too much and I had to find a place to grab a few things. I could not have picked better than Festival Foods. The store is very clean and organized. The bakery has a nice assortment of breads and sweets. I grabbed some water and pretzels. The prices are what's to be expected. The part that shines the most is the salad and hot bar. Unlike some places, the area was nice and clean. The salad was bright and fresh and all the toppings you could want are available. I didn't want to be too much of a glutton and put some peas and chicken on it. I also tried the pasta salad, it was fabulous. The pasta was cooked perfectly and the sauce with it was not too tart or sweet. Pure perfection. The pulled pork looked great, so I had to grab a small container of it. Awesome choice. Some pulled porks can become stringy, dry and over cooked. This was NOT. The BBQ sauce was just right and the pork juicy and tender. I also tried the chicken tenders, which were phenomenal and I added a side of potato wedges. The wedges were crispy in the outside and soft in the inside. Both the chicken and the wedges were nicely seasoned and delightful. My only regret is that we don't have a Festival Foods in MA. When I come back for Epic training in June, I'm looking forward to visiting Festival Foods again. read more

This is my go to grocery store! Fair prices and an excellent selection of just about anything. Some highlights: -The meat and seafood sections are amazing! -Deli is high quality -Sushi is fair to good (especially on 5 dollar Wednesday) -Staff is extremely friendly and helpful -Great beer and liquor selection -extensive veggie/vegan and organic section -wonderful cheese section Some lowlights -the store is a bit confusing -produce section is average at best Overall excellent grocery store! read more

I stopped into Festival about a week after it opened to scope it out and grab a couple of things to tide me over for a couple of days. Coming from the direction of the capitol I turned at the light before Festival and ended up parking on the street behind the building. I missed the tiny sign that points to parking in the ramp; it's more or less across the street from where you would pull in the other direction to get to Cargo Coffee's ramp and drive-thru. We entered into the liquor store and it's pretty expansive considering the overall size of the store. We didn't do too much browsing in that section, but we did check out the growler station (pours between $15-20 + $5 with the jug). That ends up being $3-5 per glass, if you're curious. First stop was the deli. They have touch screens to take a number and people seemed to be really confused by this. Everything was attractively arranged and the staff seemed eager to help. There are several plastic to-go containers under the circular deli case filled with deli goods (salads, deli meat, etc.) in varying weights. Nice if there's a line or you're there when the counter isn't staffed. The area was crowded so I bailed pretty quick but I only noticed middle of the road brands like Hormel for the meat; I'll have to take a closer look on a future visit. The bakery items looked amazing but I was disappointed by the muffin that I looped back for after working my way through the store. The bottom half was extremely dry and bordering on having a burnt flavor. I'm not completely ruling them out because it's a new store, new staff, new ovens - it'll probably take some time go get the bake times just right. The hamburger buns I bought were fine, but they get bonus points for being sold individually. I tend to eat veggie burgers so at most I need half a package of buns, and often only two as veggie burgers tend to be put in pairs so I'll eat it for two days then move on to something else. The produce aisle was packed with moms with their teenagers so I moved right past that for this trip. I had a bit of a time finding soy milk - it's not in the dairy section but the natural foods aisle. Random price checks of personal staples were reasonable, and sometimes surprisingly low: - Soy milk ~$3.50 - Boca Burgers ~$3.50 - Cereal was average with some good sales - Yogurt was a little higher but also evened out by sales like ~$2 Noosa Random good things: - Tiny carts for those of us who don't mega shop for multiple people - Resealable bags - no knotting or twist tying or fighting to keep food fresh - Self-checkout both at the deli for grab & go and near the exit to the garage Overall I'm glad to have a full-service, non-price-gouging store in my neighborhood. I'll always wish it was a Metro Market (or, sweet lord, a Wegman's - a girl can dream), and I'm sure I'll become a regular customer since it doesn't involve taking a drive around the lake or through campus to get there. read more

There's a lot to like about this store. A few major-ish issues for me personally, which may not affect others, but I offer them here nonetheless. Today being opening day with large crowds, parking was a bit of a navigational adventure. Instead of parking easily on the ground floor of the structure, we were routed to the 2nd and 3rd levels of the ramp. The ground floor appears to still be under construction; once that's finished, it should be fairly easy to park most of the time. That said, the entrances to the stores, including elevators and easily accessed stairs were clearly marked. Once inside, I was greeted by a friendly young person of color who handed me a flyer. I only mention that she was a POC because she was literally the only one in the store that I saw. There were tons of staff on hand, all white, and tons of leadership team members milling about, also vastly comprised of white males. So there's that for your consideration. Being a mostly co-op shopper, I appreciate the selection of bulk organics and other staples that are fairly priced for those times when the co-op is closed. Festival foods is open 5 am - 12 am. With the location between my work and home, it's a safe bet that I will be here regularly for staples like cat litter and such. Shiny waxed concrete floors are nice, the carts come in two sizes, behemoth and double decker smaller. I liked the pass though design that made filling the bottom of the double decker cart easy. Very high ceilings with open exposed and wood beamed sections. Love the reclaimed local ash tree ceiling supports. Basics like Kleenex and cat litter are higher priced, in fact the highest I've seen for cat litter specifically. The water pressure comes out in a knife-like jet at the reverse osmosis water jug filling station, almost impossible to fill a full gallon because of the back splash effect. It's a few pennies cheaper than other places. Quiet music, seemed to be a Frankie Valli/four seasons mix. Tons, and I do mean tons, of staff on hand provided ample guidance. I couldn't go two feet without another employee greeting me enthusiastically. The coffee bar in the front far corner of the store serves Kinkin coffee, and in fact one of the owners of the company was there serving today. $2.75 for a 12 oz. is a bit steep, but it's Kinkin, so it's worth it. No punch card system for drinks, but they will have a frequent buyer program for bagged Kinkin bean coffee, $16 a bag. This leads me to my greatest criticism of this new store. The bagged coffee selection is abysmal. ABYSMAL. Cameron's is their featured product, which is the same as Pick 'n' Save. Other than that, you can take your choice of Starbucks, Dunkin Donuts, and McCafe. Seriously? Plus all the Keurig cups you could ever want. (UGH! I want none.) Someone really dropped the ball here. You can get A+++ Kinkin coffee or D--- coffee and nothing in between. I would suggest at the very least carrying one local roaster's line besides Kinkin. JBC, Just Coffee, Colectivo, something! Major props for the liquor store section. Prices are great, selection of craft beer is outstanding, the build your own six packs are $8.99 and the offerings are extensive, two whole cold case doors' worth. If you ever don't see one you'd like to try, they'll let you choose one from any other $8.99 or less six pack. Growler station too with six excellent brews on tap including Surly (be still my heart!). Hopefully they will start allowing/carrying smaller growler fills than just the current half gallon size. Dedicated gluten free aisles toward the front of the store are going to be handy for many people. Huge selection, but not a ton of shelf space for each, due to this being half the size of their usual stores. Definitely caters to the grab and go millennial shopper: 18 kinds of kombucha, one brand of hair color. The whole store has a grab and go feel, kind of a Trader Joe's meets HyVee vibe. You might not find your specific brand or size of a given product, but you can find a reasonable facsimile if you're in a pinch and other stores are too far away or closed. Carts handle nicely, smooth and quiet wheels. *Very* nice artisan cheese selection, the whole deli will blow you away. Holy moly. Grab-and-go everything on earth you could possibly want to eat. Very concerts-on-the-square, impromptu picnic friendly. Wifi and mobile alerts signup was not working, but they looked into it right away and it was working when I left. Self checkout near the base of stairs doesn't currently allow for two payment methods like Woodman's does, without a worker interceding, which defeats the convenience factor. People were exceedingly helpful throughout the store. Input was listened to. I do think overall this is a huge asset to the area and will be extremely popular. read more

See all

Things I like: Growler filling station, a place to quarantine your pet while you shop, large selection of items, big deli, friendly staff But it was not built for the penny pinchers. You know, the guy that gets his produce from the Asian places, his staples from Aldi, and everything else at Woodman's. Me. FF is where your girlfriend who was raised by maids shops because it is clean and there aren't any minorities. She'll say it's because the produce looks perfect but she clutches her Coach handbag when a black guy crosses her path. Perfection isn't a concept that applies to food, Samantha. 80% of the reviews for this place will be by white girls, and you can bet the farm on that one buddy Oh and the seafood section which we were excited for is shit. Doesn't look that fresh and is... you guessed it, expensive. read more

Five stars for finally opening, Festival Foods! I've been waiting for you! Five stars for having a legitimate bar on the second floor, including a very nice bartender. One million stars for having a vending machine for wine which feels like a wonderful step forward for humanity. (pre-paid vending card is purchased with the bartender) Five stars for having an affordable hot bar deli with lots of options - the boneless bbq wings were A+ upon reheating! Five stars for being open until Midnight! Five stars for the liquor store - the beer/wine/liquor selection is great and prices are the best in the downtown area as far as I've seen. They even have $2.99 bottles of wine - quality unknown, but does it matter? Five stars for a suitable grocery option for downtown residents! I'll be withholding my five stars for the self-checkout lanes until they provide a cash back option :-( Tip: Visit an actual human for checkout if you want money back from your debit purchase! read more

Hello; Another Great visit to Festival Foods. I was there on March 17,2022. I got to see Ken in the cold food area putting stock away, working hard as always. Terry in Deli went out of her way. I ordered Jell-O for my grandson, the covers weren't fitting quite right. She took the time to wrap it in sara Wrap from top to bottom so it wouldn't open. How nice was that? Who else would do that?? No one I know at any other food store. She walked all the way around to meet me with all of my items I ordered. The poppy seed buns are to die for. They are always so soft. I got to wave to Lynda. I couldn't go in her line. She had you bag. I know she would have helped. She had a few customers in her line. I didn't want her to get into trouble. I went into Stacey's lane. She is always so pleasant; always saying Good Morning, how are you & sincere about it. She has waited on me in the past. Always so pleasant. I kept forgetting to let you know how pleasant & caring she is. Then there's Kenny. As he was opening my door to put the groceries in, a customer was leaving; he says excuse me Ma'am; thanked her for shopping Festival Foods & told her to have a wonderful day. As he was done loading my groceries; he walked up to my door; told me Thank you for shopping Festival Foods & have a wonderful day. He is one of the sweetest. Let's mention Kyle, the store manager. In every aspect; a true gentleman & all around nice guy. He has helped me several times with different situations, he brought me a riding cart since it was to early for the cart runners. So thank you for everything. There is only one thing I dislike about FF; that's leaving. It's so enjoyable to visit; seeing employees I know; even the ones I don't know greet me sometimes. The bakery manager greeted me as he was walking into the bakery dept. to have a meeting. Kudos Everyone have a great day. read more

Amazing grocery experience EVERY SINGLE TIME! delicious fresh food that's locally sourced. Employees are so nice and helpful!

I have been waiting for months for Festival to open, and it did not disappoint! It was a little crowded, but that's to be expected the day after it opens. They had samples all over the store of different foods, which is always appreciated. Wine and hot food - The wine selection was great (they even have a wall for 'the best wines under ten dollars', which I think was a great idea), and the hot food section was mouth-watering. MUCH better than the Hyvee food that looks like it has been sitting under a lamp all day. Seafood quality - The seafood section was the most impressive. We got a half pound of HUGE scallops for about eight dollars, and they were great. Hard to find - I've been buying apricot juice on Amazon because none of the stores around here sell it, but I found it at Festival. Overall, I could not be happier to have such a fantastic grocery store open across the street from me. read more

This is a really nice grocery store and it fills the need of a general grocery store on the Near East Side of Madison. The deli is crazy big and being able to test the flavor of something before buying is great. It's a bit expensive on the general items but they have some intense sales. I think it's really just a nice place to stop on the weekend to check the sales. One star off for the layout. All dairy should be together... but I will learn the layout soon enough. read more

Selection? Amazing. Employees? Seem good. Price? Not bad for downtown. Parking spaces are tight. I'd have more to write, but I can't stand being in this store. I've been here twice and there's always this high pitched noise. I can't stand it. I've ended up with a headache both times. Until this problem is fixed I won't be stopping in except for the occasional Bawls purchase when I don't want to go all the way to Woodman's. Even if the sound is fixed, I'm not sure how often I'll stop by. I don't mind going to Woodman's before 11PM-ish and this store closes at midnight. Not too much benefit over Cap Center. Kudos for the dog cages with water bowls though. read more

We heard that the "Mezz" upstairs of the Festival Supermarket was a cool place for inexpensive libations and outdoor seating. We were not disappointed. Pinot Gris special was awesome, and the beer was cold and light on a hot late summer day. Employees were friendly and helpful... Fun place to hang out! read more

Okay, full disclosure, I am a diehard fan of Metcalfe's at the end of Midvale. I thought I would drive to the other side of town to checkout the new store. Parking was an unpleasant experience. The store is nice. Spacious, clean, new of course. I like their carts unlike the monster carts at Woodmans. Isle width is fantastic. That is the good. The bad has to be the baby back ribs. At least two packages with compromised vacuum seals. A couple other packages above the cooler line risking unsafe temperature rise. Product organization, mentioned in other reviews, seemed disconnected. Now that l've seen it's not very likely that I'll be back. I'm sure they will do well in the area. read more

This is a pretty nice store. I don't see much reason to ever go back again, but I had fun poking around and dodging shopping carts during opening Saturday. I'm one of those weirdoes who actually enjoys crowds. I brought home some interesting deli and bakery items that didn't turn out to be very good, but hey, always good to try something different. Everyone was really nice and efficient. There was even a kid stationed at the front to help you select the right shopping cart! I doubt most of these people are permanent, but all that attention carried a certain buzz. I like the coffee service, the lounge and the kiddie room, though I don't have any use for any of those things. The prices and selection weren't bad. The produce wasn't awful. I could shop here if I had to, I just don't see any reason. read more

Madison area grocery stores are severely lacking and this is one of the better among a poor lot. Extensive liquor department with growlers and great beer selection. Produce prices are consistently better than others. Sales/coupon flyers are nice in that they stick them at the front and don't ask you to try and clip/tear as you go through-just hand the whole flyer for scanning and go. Kombucha growlers are here as well. All in all decent by most standards and great by area standards. Covered parking is nice as well. read more

I love this store.It is not so big that you get lost,but has what you need. Also the signage there you can find and if you can't there is always someone around to help you.Tha bakery there totally the best in Madison ,that you can afford. This is the store is a treat for the people that have difficulty walking .The produce and meat department is great ,and the deli has so much you never have to cook. read more