The deli department either actually needs to stay open until 9:00 p.m., as stated on their website, or they need to update their hours. Went there tonight specifically for some deli items, and the two employees working behind the counter told me they were closed. When I questioned them about their hours, they told me they closed at 7:30 and were in the process of already cleaning down everything. Went to the service department, who phoned a grocery manager, so she went over there, and the one girl was already gone -- well, she also had gotten some phone call in the meantime, according to the front desk while I was waiting -- and the other guy was saying something about he didn't know how to use the machine or something was wrong with it to the manager and crying and carrying on about then having to clean up again. She even told him she didn't believe him but told me "just so he doesn't cut a finger". Anyhow, there was no luck getting anywhere, so manager showed me to the pre-sliced meats from Boar's Head section; although they didn't have what I wanted, I did pick something up to hold me over. What a waste of a trip though, and this wasn't the first time I had experienced this nonsense with the deli employees closing early either. They need to rectify this situation with their employees or, as I previously stated, just adjust the hours online, so people aren't going out of their way for something, only to end up disappointed. read more

I've shopped here for years and the quality is now abysmal. Last Saturday it took well over 30 minutes to get through a check-out line that had only two carts that weren't close to full ahead of me. The bagger didn't seem to know how to bag the groceries. The checker would not help the bagger so he quickly became overwhelmed. Another employee came over with her purse and bagged one bag before leaving. We also did not get the bagels, bread, cookies, and specialty bread that I bought. I assume that the customer behind me went home with those groceries. Avoid the sky-high prices and terrible customer service at Jewel River Forest at all costs. read more

Literally every single employee, from the cashier to pharmacy techs to the pharmacist, was incredibly rude.

I've noted a number of critical comments about the baggers at this Jewel. What some folks may not realize is that some - not all, but a fair number - of the baggers at this Jewel are mentally handicapped, which may explain why they don't seem as "professional" as you might otherwise expect. Although it's occasionally inconvenient, I applaud the store for giving people who might not otherwise be able to find gainful employment a chance to earn a living. Since the prices dropped last year (after pressure from all of the walmart comparison ads), I've found this Jewel to be one of the better values around. It is often crowded, so you do have to be selective about the time of day you shop, and there are occasionally items that they don't stock that you'd think they would (ginger paste, for example), but overall, this Jewel is one of the best alternatives around. read more

I shop here because It is the closet grocery store that has put main brands. However, something needs to be done about the long lines, lack of parking and lack of shopping carts. First, the lines are almost always so long that you can't pass through the front row. This is problematic for checking out, as well as, just getting around. Next is parking. Parking is never great here and then they slap a floral stand in the middle of it in the summer. Next is the problem with carts! Where the heck are they. I am always there with my child and often times have to hunt down a cart. The people that work here are mostly pleasant. There is one manager that could speak nicer to his employees...that bothers me. Also, the deli counter is beyond slow. Overall, the food selection is good and there are a number of organics, which I appreciate. The pricing is a bit overpriced. One example that always blows my mind is the Annie's Mac and cheese. It is $5 and rarely ever on sale. I go to the Target on Melrose and the regular price is a $1.5 less! Just one example of many. read more

This is one of the cleanest, most organized, well stocked, customer service friendly environment. Each staff member that I have encountered brightens my day in a unique way, when I shop there. I have never encountered anyone ever being rude. This is by far my favorite Jewel to shop at. read more

I am writing this review because I've searched and searched, cannot find an email address to reach out to the store somehow. I may call, but frankly I just want to move on. Store is nice. Great selection, nice produce and nice liquor dept as well. But when I was checking out I had an uncomfortable moment. It bothered me more when I got home and thought about it. The woman bagging up my groceries said, "oooh looks like you have a sunburn". I replied, "no, I don't". I am dealing with all kinds of food allergies at the moment, and addressing it - I don't need to explain to a stranger bagging my groceries why my skin may be red. As she finished, she said, "oh sorry I thought you were sunburnt because of the red skin on your chest". Again...thanks for pointing it out. Not like I'm already self conscious about it. I just looked at her and said goodbye. I realize she likely meant no harm, but commenting about someone's appearance is just unnecessary. You don't know if I was burned in a fire, embarrassed, have a skin condition, or just came from the gym - and it's none of your business, just don't squish my bread. I normally do not shop there, anyway, and I will continue not to. Didn't feel particularly welcome. But I have to say until that moment I was thinking "why don't I shop here, I like the selection". read more

Gotta stand up for my favorite Jewels! This Jewel carries a better selection than most. It's big, clean, and well organized. They have a large organic and imported foods section, probably attempting to compete with the Whole Foods and Trader Joe's nearby. Raspberry sweet tea and crunchy granola bars, not every store has 'em. I have had great luck with the pharmacy. On several occasions they have suggested a cheaper alternative or generic for prescriptions I've handed in and saved me a fortune. It's a busy store, so the wait isn't great but you can call it in ahead of time or refill automatic. I wish the hours were longer too. They tend to hire mentally disabled staff that help with bagging and carts. I have known a few through family friends and they are happy to have jobs and although they may seem a little "off", they are usually very helpful. I support the cause. I've found great deals in the seasonal section as well. I have heard that this store charges higher prices than other Jewels, but I normally just shop for the sales, which are the same price everywhere. read more

So this is a grocery store. Obviously. And I (hopefully obviously) wouldn't normally get this excited about the Jewel. However, months of living in Oak Park next to a puny hangnail of a Jewel gave me exceptionally low expectations for this store. I was sooo happy when I went in. It's clean, organized, not super crowded, and they have a bigger selection than any other Jewel I've seen. They have a lot more organic baking ingredients for sale, which I attribute to the fact that they're down the street from two organic grocery stores. I'll definitely be going back to this location because of the huge selection. That doesn't mean I won't be compulsively going to Whole Foods anymore (THAT would be a hard addiction to crack) but I'll definitely be cutting in some Jewel time. read more

This is best Jewel-Osco that I have been to. It's big, clean, and the employees are really helpful and friendly. There is a huge selection of groceries to choose from. The produce is always fresh, and they have a great meat and seafood selection at the counter in the back of the store, and they will even cut the meat especially the way you like it, if you ask nicely. :) They have great customer service, and I have never had a bad experience at this location. The only reason they are not rated 5-stars is that the prices for a lot of their groceries are quite a bit higher than at some other grocery stores. But, then again, some of their prices are lower, especially if you wait for the sales (which start every Thursday). read more

This Jewel is dropping in ratings and it pains me. Since the recent buy-out of Jewel by whatever conglomeration, the chain has changed; which is to be expected, but why mess with something that isn't broken? BIG business owners take a lesson - if it works leave it alone! First: I don't know what they are going to do about their parking situation. The other businesses in the mini "mall" area growing so parking is a problem - rather than drive around in circles looking for an opening I leave and drive to the North Ave. Jewel, (my regular Jewel). Second: Why must you keep changing the store lay-out. It has been THREE times that the prunes have been moved to completely different aisles, which means there were other items moved as well. This constant movement causes congestion in the aisles as shoppers hunt for what was there last week, but gone this week. Is this your ploy get people in the store who are lost and you hope they buy more of stuff they don't need? I have found stranded carts of food from folks who seemingly give-up the hunt and abandon their purpose altogether. So what are the saving graces? Jewel you were smart to keep the employees. They are friendly and helpful and available and willing.... You get the picture. read more

Often in there at or near closing, around midnight. Have to say the oriental lady at checkout, cannot remember her name, has got to be one of the sweetest employees of Jewel. (There is sometimes a young man, maybe 21, also performing that role, who is beyond excellent. Truly noticeable) Plus she is really funny, not sure if she's trying to be. Will assess all of ones purchases as to their desirability vis a vis health, desirability, sale price, the works. Tries to make one aware of various benefits, ways to save money, etc. And always at least tries to be happy. She's great. Master with those bags too. Seriously. read more

My experiences here have always been great. The people at the customer service desk will check you out if the self checkout line is getting too long. The guys behind the meat counter have no issue helping you find the right cut of meat from the pre-cut stuff on the walls, or even from the back. The only issue I ever have here is that the baggers either, A) Don't bag or B) Don't even attempt to hand me my bags when I don't have a cart. Sometimes I'm walking around them to get the last of my bags while the next person in line's groceries are already coming into the bagging area. How hard is it to push a bag towards the person who will be carrying the bag? Otherwise, great selection, good sales, helpful customer service. :) read more

Recently I discovered that I had misplaced my wallet. After retracing my steps, searching through my car and home, I became convinced that the wallet was at the bottom of a dumpster. Although there was some cash and an AAA card, I was more concerned about my vaccination card. I knew it would be a real headache to replace it. A week later a representative from AAA left a message that my wallet had been found at the River Forest Jewel Osco and that I should contact Joe at the customer service counter. Here's the back story. Joe had thoughtfully contacted AAA when he didn't see an address or phone number in the wallet. AAA then called me. Since I was out of town, it was several more days before I could get to Jewel. When I finally picked up the wallet, everything including the cash and vaccination card was still in it. I am so grateful to Joe for making the extra effort to find me. Carol Flank read more

Jeweltastic! I live in Oak Park and if you live here you know why I would rather go to the River Forest Jewel than the Oak Park ones. This one is bigger, nicer, has better selection (have I mentioned the olive bar?) and friendly, helpful employees. They have an olive bar, sushi, and an international isle with some better selections than a standard grocery store. Though it may be in swanky River Forest, you have to watch your stuff. Twice I've seen people geting arrrested and once a little old lady was reporting that her wallet had been stolen. Did I mention the olive bar? read more

I'd like to know who handles their supply chain? It must be a kid from grade school. My latest frustration...NO lettuce on the salad bar! None. None on the shelves...then the store personnel could not get their story straight. When I commented, a man in front of me staring at the empty space said a person had just told him to wait a couple minutes..he was going to replenish. The man went looking for the staffer who now explained they didn't have lettuce, he's sorry, but their shipments have been coming in late. I went to the customer service desk and the manager at the time gave me the same excuse...orders being late. How do you have a salad bar...open till 9 pm, with no lettuce or soup at 7 pm!! This is only the most recent frustration. Last week I wanted cubes of sirloin for a recipe...nope, they didn't have any out & butcher was gone. In March...if you can believe it...no corned beef in the deli 3 days before St Patty's? How is that even possible? They also had no buttermilk. In case you didn't know, you can not make Irish soda bread without buttermilk. I have continued to shop here, passing up Pete's on my way. I have to question why!! read more

What if I told you people who handle your meat in the Deli rarely wash their hands, and the same people who handle raw chicken with the same gloves.... yeah that's right your lunch meat is contaminated, read more

High prices, long lines. Aldi, Fresh Thyme, Pete's, or Caputo's are a much better bet.

This place is consistently the slowest checkout experience around. And it's pricey to boot!

This particular store is the best Jewel I've been to. Clean, organized, and may I even say, classy. You need a Jewel card to enjoy the discounts which is common throughout the store. But if you forgot to bring the card, or didn't even have one, ask the cashier and they'd always be happy to scan theirs for you when you check out. Speaking of checkout, I love their self-checkout lanes. There're four stations and it's fast - unless of course if the person before you were technology illiterate, or used nothing other than checks. Good news is, there's a flat-screen monitor by each checkout lane showing foodnetwork - unless, again, if Rachael Ray was on in which case your frustration would only be aggravated. Without sales/discounts, their produce is rather pricy. Meatstuff, too. Like Costanza says, "it's probably a union thing." read more

I refer to this Jewel as the "snooty jewel" as it is smack dab in the middle of River Forest, and it's clientele certainly fit that appellation. Produce is good, and it has a nice natural section. Echo the comments of the previous reviewer about the media barrage of info-mercials at the check out line, this can be avoided by using the robot scanner wiki checkout devices. It is a chain store, you are pretty much on your own as far as finding stuff. read more

This is absolutely the worst jewel in the entire area when it comes to checking out. The manager has so few people on every shift that no matter when you shop, there are very few check out lines open and each of those registers has ridiculously long lines that wind down the isles. And at busy shopping times it's a nightmare in the checkout lines. I don't choose to spend all of that time waiting to pay high grocery prices, and certainly not at a store where the manager could care less about the people who shop there. This manager is arrogantly dismissive when you try to ask why there are never enough people are at the registers to get customers checked out in a respectful timeframe. He does not even respond to you, just stares at you when you ask him a question. Such a rude face of the company this man is. read more

Ok I may be biased... Not telling why... But anyway always the freshest of everything... Truck deliveries daily... Great staff... Even a starbucks inside... Oh let me not forget the sushi chef makin it fresh each day! I will agree with the others the pricing is a lil higher than other stores but not as high as the nearby wholefoods... But quaity is equal if not better... read more

Worst baggers ever. Today, 2 frozen turkey breasts (big), 5 lb bag of flour and eggs in one bag. Other bag, my grapes were crushed. Happens all the time. read more

I often visit this Jewel, and generally have a pretty good experience, no major complaints. My visit on December 9th however was exceptional, as I received the best service from my cashier, Jeremy H. He was friendly, professional, and courteous. I could tell he was being genuine and that he takes every interaction seriously. It was so refreshing to see someone so dedicated to their job and the happiness of their customers. Just this simple experience made my day. Thanks Jeremy for your excellent service! read more

I like this store a lot. Except that the prices are too high especially in produce, mainly fruit. the steaks are usually really good, so is bakery. Fish market needs to change sometimes, offer is bigger variety. Customer service is great and the Osco staff is very helpful and quick. read more

The customer service sucks at this location. I was in the express line today with my two small children and I was barked at like a prison inmate when I asked about purchasing yard waste stickers. Also they made me get back in line. And this isn't the first time something like this has happened to me here. We deserve better than this. read more

1) bring back the old bran muffin mix, seriously 2) stop burning the blueberry muffins read more

I wish I could remember the name of the lady who helped me. I went in when I was having a lot of trouble speaking and the person who helped me was very patient and went with me to make sure I found everything I needed. I hope I get a chance to thank her sometime. I haven't had any significant interactions with anyone else but that one alone is worth 5 stars. This is also the only store around that has a certain kind of flour I like. read more

I love this Jewel-Osco! I live in the city and when I need to take a sick friend shopping at the River Forest store, it is always a pleasure! I have to commend Sam and Lorenzo in the Farm Stand, who went the extra mile in superior customer service. I was looking for fresh figs recently and was told they were out of stock but was told that if I left my name and number, they would call when they got another shipment. I was skeptical that I would get a call-back, but to my surprise and delight, I received a call from Sam letting me know they got more in stock and were holding a carton for me. Kudos to Sam and Lorenzo on their excellent follow-through and customer service skills. It is truly refreshing. And I'm loving my fresh figs!!! read more

Can be pricey but they have a good selection of organics and fresh produce. The biggest annoyance about this store are the LINES. They are always soooooo long. Literally writing this now and have been waiting for the last 11 minites read more

I am so angry with this store. Today I went there and found that they decided to rearrange the stock throughout the entire store. I am convinced that they do this every couple of years to make loyal customers walk around like zombies trying to adjust their compasses. I'm sure, Jewel, that you think that is going to make me as the consumer buy shit that I do not normally buy. You are wrong. I just flipped off your store and decided that I'm going to Aldi. See ya. I hope that all the money that goes into rearranging the store pays off. read more

Update: seems like they have listened and finally have more registers open at all times, but now it seems the baggers have not been trained. I place my items on the belt to try to make it easier-cold with cold, hot with hot, fruits and veggies next to lighter items...but somehow I always have to repack it once I'm loading my car because the fruits, veggies, breads, etc are smashed by bottles and cans or my hot food bagged with frozen. This store is still bigger and has a much better selection than the OP Madison store. read more

Does this store ever have enough help? No matter what time of day I come there seems to be a line at the register 6 carts deep. And there is a pervasive "oh well" attitude from all the staff. read more

Not the greatest Jewel I've been to, but it's close by. They have the slowest cashiers. It's like they have some sort of contest with each other on who can build the longest backed upped line into the aisles. Some of the cashiers are weird, and spend a lot of time gossiping. About a month ago I was done checking out (finally!), and as I was leaving overheard a couple of the greyhairs cackling about someone who just walked in. "Oh, SHE'S here..." Not sure if they were discussing a customer or an employee, but it's the kind of vibe you get from this place. read more

Lines are ALWAYS long. 11pm, 4pm, 10am... always miserable. I try to avoid it. Otherwise the place is fine. Please fix the lines! read more

This review is for Izzy who works in the floral department. We went yesterday seeking a simple corsage. She very politely asked what the occasion was and when we told her-she did such a smashingly fantabulous job-we were filled with additional happiness. If that could even be possible. Thanks Izzy. You made our day. read more

Like omg I totally get it now. Jewel is the equivalent of Albertsons and Dominick's is the equivalent of Safeway around here. If you are from the west and live out here in chicago, you'll know what I mean. I know this through observations of the presence of Kroger brands and blah blah blah. Anyhow, I have to agree with people on here.. their fried chicken is pretty awesome. Dipped in the honey mustard they sell for 59 cents. Tastes just like Albertson's. Mmmmmmm. *memories* I've also given their donuts a chance and it too is tasty. Um waay better than dunkin donuts. What a nice, organized location this one. read more

I was in this Jewel Osco store Friday May 15 every one i could see except one brown woman were wearing masks. The stores managers and workers did not seem to care that she not wearing a mask? I went up to them and told them about it . They seem reluctant to get involved? One of the store managers I asked him when I was leaving what did they do he said "I asked her to put a mask on". this store at times in the evening will have panhandlers soliciting you for money? JewelOsco management seem questionable at best? read more

I will never step foot in this Jewel as long as I live. I am banning it from my life. Not only are their prices freaking outrageous (a friend referred to them as the Nieman Marcus of grocery stores), I am SIMPLY DONE with their pharmacy there. It has been quite awhile since I have been treated so badly. I turned in a prescription one Saturday morning promptly after the pharmacy opened at 9 am. Annoying that they are not open 24 hours and not even open earlier than 9, but whatever, not the staff's fault. When I turned the prescription in, the pharmacy tech told me that it would be at least 20 minutes. I waited 45 minutes, while the pharmacist himself waited on every single customer (what the heck was the pharm tech doing?), including a Jewel employee. When my name was FINALLY called, I asked the tech what the hell happened and was told in a very snotty voice, "Ma'am, I told you it would be at least 20 minutes." Now, 20 minutes I totally understand - he absolutely warned me of that. 30 minutes is even acceptable. But more than double the time he told me? Unacceptable. Not only did I wait forever, the staff was downright bitchy. As I said, I am done with this Jewel. I would rather drive five times as far if it means I can get groceries at a supermarket with a good pharmacy. read more