I think the only reason this store has a door is for climate control cause it's not really needed as it's ALWAYS open. Leaving home in the early morning, open ... getting home late at night, open. Whether you need some milk for your cereal or some fresh fruit, this " corner store " has it all. read more

I am giving it 3 stars because they now close at midnight. This place used to be open 24 hours. Staff are friendly. They had alot of good workers but I hear they got fired. Maybe this is part of the changes from not being open more hours. Milk, yogurt and some other dairy products are usually out dated. So be very careful when buying anything that contains milk. I used to get milk from here and it went bad in 2 days. Always. The yogurt is always expired. One day I went through the entire line of yogurt in the refrigerator to the left of the store and all expired. Luckily I know the lady working there so I kindly told her since I know alot of families buy yogurt from here. I didn't see them take it down but please check the expiration date on your products. Don't get home and then check them. I don't buy alot here now but if I need to, last minute run, I double check my products that I need to purchase. read more

First, what these reviewers say is true. Very nice variety, rivaling that of Mr. Jin's up the street, although Jin's is a touch better. Smile is cheaper, and I must thank the fine folks here for teaching me that just because it is cheaper, it is not necessarily the better choice. The produce is questionable at best. Eating it won't make you sick, but it will make you ponder the sorry state of the world today. Here's a replay of my last experience at Smile, about a month before I moved out of the 'hood. I was in a rush one day, flew off the A train, stopped at Smile on my way home and bought the first loaf of bread I spied. I get it home, open up the package. Oh, wait, it is already open! Oh wait, someone already felt it up and mushed the bread together. I take it back to the store. "I want a refund," I say, still disgusted that someone put this back on the shelf and these people were selling it, maybe knowingly, and trying to give them the benefit of the doubt. I had gotten screwed a few times in the Heights, so I was a tad wary. "This bread is, um, used. And stuff." Checkout chickenhead, between smacks of gum: "Ain't no body heah to give jou ya money back, OK? Why don you juss keep it, OK?" Lady behind me, hair in curlers: "Yah, jou can steel use eet." I put the bread on the counter and left. There was no telling what else I had consumed from there that had already been "felt up" by nasty people. The thought of it made me ill. I decided to continue to help Mr. Jin become a rich man. So while everything may seem peachy keen, especially if you've shopped here for months or even years, watch your back. And your bread. Damn, I loved this neighborhood so much. But Smile was a sign that I just had to go. Proof positive that the further east you get on 181st, the more things change, and not for better. read more

I used to live around the corner from Smile Deli. The only reason I give it 3 stars is that is as located very conveniently from where I was living and they sometimes had some good sales on fruits. The prices are outrageous for where it is located and the deli department was rarely in use. The veggies which you could find inside was rarely any good. You can get the basic that you need, which is why it is there. But I do not see this Deli as any better or worse than any other Delis I have encountered. read more

24 hours, and nice staff. Decent selection overall, though the milk can go badly quickly. They carry a wide range of groceries and sundries, and a bunch of asian supplies you don't usually see uptown, including fresh yakisoba, udon, and miso. I usually go here or to Jin's for most of my groceries, unless I'm motivated to walk to one of the bigger, more distant supermarkets. If only they'd carry flowers! read more

They get a bonus for being open 24 hours, definitely a plus. Decent selection of items, but you definitely pay more for the convenience. Overall the staff is pretty friendly and helpful if you need them. read more

Pros: ==The most inventory of stores a few blocks south of the Associated supermarket. ==Lots of ethnic foods, Japanese, Chinese, other Asian, Latin, Caribbean, and upper-middle-class ethnicity favs like organic chicken broth, mustards, wide selection of soy milks, and pastas, refrigerated pastas and sauces, some organic breads, etc. ==Sales on paper towels, laundry detergent, etc. regularly ==Excellent choice of beer & ales ==Cheap veggies and fruits & junk food. Sometimes they're a good deal, sometimes you don't want to go there. ==24 hours is a big big plus. Cons: ==Filthy baskets. I bring my own shopping bag or pile stuff up someplace in the market, then take it to the checkout counters. I've lived here for 10 years and they have never, ever, ever cleaned those baskets. Once I accidentally shoplifted by not looking closely enough at my shopping tote, but I made it right and told them why. No way am I using those baskets for anything, especially food. Dirt and gunk on the inside--I doubt the owners keep their house that way. Probably because the neighborhood was sketchy for a long time, they figured they could get away with it. How much can it cost to wash them?! ==Milk AND refrigerated soy milk and eggs and cheeses bought here go bad fast. Sometimes they obviously bought the milk right before the due date; sometimes they just stored it wrong. If I have to have regular milk or other dairy products, I buy them at Jin's (a block away). I buy bigger cartons of Silk soy milk here, and just accept that if I don't use it within a few days I'll lose what's left. It's not that much of a problem. ==Do not, under any circumstances, buy fresh meat here or let anyone else, even strangers or your worst enemy. I have seen things going on in the wee hours that you don't want to know about. No matter how protein-deprived you feel, do without. A little beef is not worth getting sick or dying over. ==Did I mention the filthy shopping baskets? Maybe if more of us complained over a period of time, they'd do something about it? read more

This place has EVERYTHING. Just try to stump them. And open all the time. They could keep their fridge a tad bit cooler. We do over half our shopping here. read more

This place gets 3 stars because it is open 24 hours, has a decent variety, and for what it's worth - better prices than Jin's Super(expensive)ette a few doors down. I wish the vegetables were cheaper, but at least they are fresh for the most part and "do the job" when I'm in need of a few last ingredients to finish off making dinner. I can't say all the workers greet me with a smile, despite what the name depicts. read more

The one time I went in this place it smelled like cat litter. There were empty/broken freezers, the lights were dim and I couldn't imagine purchasing (let alone eating) anything in that place. It was dirty and scary. Just go to Jin's. read more

It does the job. There are plenty of items and my only complaint is that they don't carry big jugs of diet tea. Even the smaller bottles of diet run out rather quickly. Other than that, I guess it's a decent choice for the area. I love the 24 hour operations which ensures that if I need a belgian beer at 3am I can get my belgian beer at 3am. I've been to jin's down the street and actually like it a little more. It seems cleaner but apparently most yelpers think Smile has a better selection. Maybe I haven't really paid much attention to Jin's to really know. I'd give Smile 3 stars and one extra for the 24 hour availability. read more

I was so sad when smile was closed for renovation. I love this place. Im pretty much there every day. Very friendly staff and great variety ..cant beat it. It looks so much nicer now and ill definitely continue going to smile. :) read more

Nice staff, good prices, decent produce. Why does it always smell so horrible? Even after the big renovation. It's like shopping in prewar Russia , the shelves only have 1 row of items along the front edge, totally empty behind that. The milk goes bad about 1 day after you buy it, so you will want to go to JIn's for that. The frozen foods have been through a few freeze-thaw cycles but I don't know of anyplace in the Heights that doesn't have that problem. read more

they take credit cards. they sometimes have blue chips for sale. if you need microwave popcorn, double stuff oreos, and juice, they have it all. and if you like cheap fruit, they've got the best cheap fruit in all of washington heights (you get what you pay for though - it won't make you sick but it's not ambrosia either). read more

This store carries a lot of items that some other stores don't.They have a very limited variety of kosher products so people still have to go up to 187 St and B'way-Key Food to get their kosher items. They do have kosher milk and they have the lowest prices on eggs and many fruits and vegetables are a little lower in price but some are poorer in quality than anywhere else in the area. The people working there are not too friendly,especially if you are not hispanic. They have dirty workers setting up the vegetables on the stand and do not like to take back bottles for deposit refund. Buyer beware! They do come in handy if you know how to shop and compare. read more

Deliveryman untied my dog's leash outside, to get his bike. And cruelly let the dog run into the street. Owner's didn't care.

It looks like they are remodeling the store and fixing the store. I think it will be cleaner and nicer than before. I wonder when the store is done with the fixing. read more

Unfortunately they're no longer open 24 hours but start to pack up at 11:00 to close shop by midnight. Still, Smile Deli is my go-to staple in the nabe, especially since Bravo's a block away closes at 8:30 pm and Jin's Superette across Ft. Washington is way overpriced. Granted, the lighting and presentation of goods at Jin's is much nicer and more appetizing, and the poor lighting at Smile gives it a grey, unwelcoming feel, but don't be fooled by appearances. Smile has the exact same items as Jin's but for significantly less (although for some reason they sell Fage yogurt for $2.29 while Jin carries it for $1.99). The general price differential is probably because of the invisible boundary that's Ft Washington Ave; anything West of Fort Washington is more expensive, anything East is significantly less so. For the most part, Smile has fresh, seasonal fruits and vegetables and any grocery and household items you may need. Just the other day I got super-fresh slim shiny zucchini for only $1.29/lb. Their ice cream selection is surprisingly good, as is their line of household cleaning items and Goya products (tucked away in the back by the deli counter). I try not to walk by the deli counter, it looks unsanitary. When I ask, the nice produce guys sometimes get me fresher stuff from the back fridge when the vegetables on display look sad and wilted. The Korean owners look standoffish but are actually very nice and cordial; one even emailed me my receipt when the machine was out of paper. Watch for their large, unfazed cat prowling the store. It'll stare you down and isn't exactly friendly, but a harmless creature and gives a nice neighborhood feel to this neighborhood staple. read more