As an Algerian living in the United States, it breaks my heart that I have to write this review. I love my community, and I make a point of supporting small businesses, especially those owned by Arab, North African, and Muslim families because they remind me of home. My family, friends, and I have shopped here for a long time, but after what happened today, that will no longer be the case. With the World Cup playing, I knew this store was selling Algerian jerseys. I wanted to surprise two of my American friends who have been proudly supporting Algeria by buying them jerseys. Today, I asked a friend to stop by the store and buy two jerseys. The employee working at the store today 06/30/25 between approximately 4:00 and 5:00 p.m. told my friend that the jerseys were $40 each. My friend noticed the jerseys did not have the star on them and politely asked whether they could be $35 instead (we had previously purchased 2 jerseys that had 2 stars and were $40) . The employee responded by saying, "As a matter of fact, I'll charge you $45." My friend asked why and even mentioned that he was Algerian, hoping there might be some flexibility. Instead, according to my friend, the employee responded by calling him a homophobic slur in Arabic. My friend is one of the kindest people I know. He wasn't rude, he wasn't disrespectful, and he wasn't looking for an argument. He simply wanted to buy two jerseys. Rather than make a scene, he paid for the jerseys and left. He later called me, and hearing how hurt and humiliated he was absolutely broke my heart. No customer should ever have to experience that. It is disgusting, unprofessional, and completely unacceptable.Whether you personally agree with someone's sexuality is your own business. However, when you are working in customer service, your job is to treat every paying customer with basic human dignity and respect. Calling someone a slur because of who they are or as a matter of fact who you think they are has absolutely no place in any business. An employee represents the business they work for. Their actions reflect on the store and its management. If this employee felt comfortable speaking to a customer this way, I have to question what kind of environment allows that behavior. I'm not asking for special treatment, not asking anyone to change their personal or religious beliefs. I am asking for the bare minimum: RESPECT . Every customer who walks through your doors deserves to be treated with courtesy regardless of their race, religion, nationality, gender, or sexual orientation. I am very interested to see how the owners respond to this review. If what happened to my friend is consistent with how customers are treated, I believe it deserves to be taken seriously. No one should be subjected to homophobic slurs while simply trying to make a purchase. If they choose not to address this, I will consider reporting the incident to the appropriate agencies and organizations that handle discrimination complaints, as well as sharing my experience on other review platforms. This isn't about seeking revenge it's about expecting every customer to be treated with basic dignity and respect. I have always made an effort to support Arab, North African, and Muslim-owned businesses because they represent my community and my culture. That support, however, should never come at the expense of basic human decency. Until this matter is properly addressed, neither I, my family, nor my friends will be returning or recommending this business to others. read more

A really nice place with a good assortment of halal meat and groceries Very good costumer service read more

I go to this Halal Market at least twice a week. The service is one of the best with lovely smile from Sid Ahmed. The ambiance is plenty of joy. I went the other day to get Anchovies is so fresh like from the ocean. I will high reccomend this Market had plenty of things. read more

South Berkeley Produce & Meat Market - Meat Shops Near Me - Berkeley, California

This used to be our favorite place to shop. Very clean and extremely friendly people. They must have had a change of ownership because we were there yesterday and we were shocked at how unfriendly the staff was. Not helpful. Sour looks on their faces. We won't be going there again. We miss the old staff. read more

Great selection of hot foods and the staff is very helpful when you can't find anything. I love coming in here, food is always fresh and they keep the place very clean. read more

Horrible Customer Service I cannot believe the way I was treated when I went there to buy my mother-in-law and Algerian T-shirt for the game. Mind you, I got there a few minutes before closing maybe like 15 minutes but that's no reason for them to look at me the way they did with this long faces like, what the hell are you doing here? If you don't wanna have a store, don't open one!!!...if you don't wanna be friendly to your customers don't open a store you choose a service industry; then tyou should have a friendly and servicial atmosphere not what I found, with people that seems like the last thing they wanna do is be there.... very sad for a small business. You should cater your customers not push them away!!! read more

I'm writing this because my friend had an awful and deeply upsetting experience here. A staff member directed a homophobic hate slur at him. This kind of discriminatory behavior is unacceptable in any business. I hope management takes this seriously, because what happened wasn't "bad service." It was harassment. read more

Good selection for a corner market! Stop in here from time to time and talk to the staff. They're always glad to see me. Only bought snacks and soda at this place. read more

We've been here before, but I found out though everything changed. I ordered a sandwich and the bread was really bad. The sandwich was so small and it cost me $15. I'm not really satisfied with the sandwich. However the lady who made the sandwiches was treating us really well! You can check the photos and see how the bread was really bad and the sandwich doesn't taste that good read more

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South Berkeley Market is one the best Market on the Bay area that has cleaned and best Halal meat. Also, it brings the North African and Mediterranean style when it comes to a good pastery and drinks. I will high recommend this Market for the meat and grocery as well. They're very clean professional and best customer service ever. read more

I've been a regular customer here for a while, and every time the owner has been present, there's been an off, unwelcoming vibe. But today crossed into outright disrespect. I came in to pick up some items for the house, and my friend had also asked me to grab 2 Algerian jerseys for her. When I asked about the price, he said $40. I pointed out that they were $35 just last week, and he told me they'd raised the prices to $45 then said he should actually be charging me forty five. We went back and forth on it because it just didn't make sense. Then at the register, he rang me up for $90, which is when I really pushed back. While all this was happening, he took a phone call and started speaking Berber and made a slur about me. I'm Algerian too, so I understood exactly what he said. It's a shame this is how I was treated. The owner is rude and disrespectful, and I don't recommend this place to anyone. read more

I love this grocery store! Different than your typical grocer that also offers "Mediterranean/middle eastern" products. You can find products from all over North Africa; Algeria, Morocco,Tunisia etc. the desserts are delicious and the customer service is also really warm. The vibe here the day before or during Ramadan is something else! The place is packed with folks making their plans and big shops for the month! read more

The lavash bread smelled like soap, and the disgusting hummus was clearly over the expiration date

Lovely shop on the corner of Sacramento Street in Berkeley. They have fresh produce. Halal meat. Sandwiches made to order. Sweet treats, arab parfums, and lots of ready made halal frozen goods. The owners are really nice and courteous! Quite a gem in South Berkeley . read more

I always find what i look for at this store , but prices are higher than other Mediterranean markets .

This Place is filthy discussing and has rats inside the meat cooler they also barbecue old meat be careful

Finally, I can get Algerian products, ingredients and spices! The best neighborhood Family owned convenience store and Halal butcher here in East Bay. Must try Mergez beef or chicken. Also, Algerian pastries...yum Welcoming, friendly and generous owners. Very good customer service and very helpful. It is my weekly stop for my grocery shopping. Check it out and see for your self. Cheers, read more

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These guys are fraud , try to up charge you on the meat when the prices are stated their , asked for ground beef patties , got charged like I'm getting it from a restaurant . Don't buy meat here they are very cheap and stingy . Guy wouldn't season a burger for me then had the audacity to say that ground beef is different type of meat that gets turned into a patty . Just cheap people with little to no service. Lost a customer that would buy more but not with that type of sneaky read more

Love this place. Had to call 5 different markets in the East Bay to source oxtail. The always carry it. Also they had almost every other ingredient I needed for the stew I was making. Spice selection is awesome! Come support this family owned biz! read more

Halva, canned hummus, and vegan ice cream. I didn't know this store had all this inside, even some kind of vegan burger patty I've never heard of. Really enjoyed coming here, glad i could get my hands on some marbled halva again! read more

This is my new go-to for halal meat. It's clean. Owners and employees are welcoming, helpful and friendly. Good prices. Did I say clean?! When it comes to buying meat, cleanliness is the first thing I look for. I highly recommend. read more

Great local butchery. They didn't have boneless chicken thighs with skin on so the butcher sold me quartered chicken legs and chopped off the okThe staff was super friendly and the store was very clean. They also have fresh 1/2 priced vegetables at the front read more

South Berkeley Produce & Meat Market - Quarted chicken legs to make thighs with skin on - Meat Shops Near Me - Berkeley, California

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Nice halal meat market. Very clean and sanitary. They also accept credit cards which is a plus.

This is one of my favorite local go-to spots now that we are in quarantine! When looking for a few days of food, they have a great selection of vegetables, fruit, meats, milk,etc. I appreciate that there is always fresh salad items like romaine lettuce, cucumbers, mushrooms, and tomatoes. I also appreciate the fresh, in season fruits that they carry like mangos, bananas, pineapples, persimmons, etc. the options for making a smoothie are pretty endless. They sometimes have random add of unexpected vegetables like snap peas or okra. Major plus! And speaking of unexpected items, oddly enough, I saw duck and oxtails available in their butcher area. I've noticed an increase in the meat prices since quarantine, but they are sill comparable to larger markets. I've not had to stand in line to get in when I visit as there are usually not a lot of people there at one time, mostly locals picking up items like myself. I enjoy seeing Najee and his son Amer, although there are apparently other family members helping at the moment. More people to help add curb appeal with fruit and veggie displays outside the store which is pretty nice too. As an alternative to going to a major market, this corner store is a community plus. read more

Best Algerian Market. They do have anything you are looking for, like North African, Middle Eastern, and american products. They make the best sausages in the area (Merguez), and the meat is fresh every day. They have the best customer service you can have. I definitely recommend this store . read more

Hot damn! Has this place really been hiding in plain sight? I walked in and and right away there was the smell of freshly baked bread and some aromatic spices. Along the back wall they had a small assortment of house made pastries and on the right wall, towards the back they had freshly made hummus and dips with high quality yogurts and cheeses. There was allot more than your basic food groups too, they have organic snacks, Mexican food staples, some Indian spices, pitas and Algerian items too. I went in for a casual bag of hot Cheetos and left with feta cheese, olives, a loaf of warm bread, coffee and a pastry. Impulsive, I know, but so worth it! Definitely worth a trip if you live in the area, and it didn't seem too busy either :) read more

Excellent service and variety of products. Great staff and great selection of very exotic products

Store very neat and clean !!! Everything always looks fresh and shelves are always stocked up. Staff are very professional and friendly.they always make sure to serve fresh meat !! I really recommend this place 100 % read more

We live two blocks away and love this market for their overall selection and friendly people. Be sure to check out their homemade hummus, fresh-baked bread, and homemade Merguez sausages. The desserts they serve are a delight, too. read more

I want to love this place. It has improved so much over the 7 years I have lived in the area. The score is not lower due to the improved products and variety (although do check sell by dates). My big complaint is a lack of covid compliance over the past 6-9 months. Every time I have tried to go in an employee has the mask below the nose or chin. Today I went in and was excited the girl was wearing it properly. Except when I went to pay she lowered it, wiped her nose on her hand and did not disinfect after. It was disgusting. Please teach the staff proper safety and hygiene techniques when they are touching people's food. read more

Nice peoples, clean store, they have everything we need, margaz,dattes, hamoud....,, good luck guys. Ouali

Finally - REAL FOOD in this neighborhood! This store is a refreshing change of pace from the usual corner market. Most prominently displayed is an impressive array of fresh fruits and vegetables. The rather small selection of "junk" food is out of the way, instead of piled right next to, and all over the counter - which must make our neighbor moms with little kids very happy! Excellent meat, poultry and fish at the back of the store. Canned goods, fresh dairy products - it's all here. Lots of great middle eastern stuff too: spices, packaged goods, prepared sauces and mixes. No more running to Berkeley Bowl for a bottle of pomegranate syrup for me. Prices are just where you would want and expect them to be. GO THERE! read more

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Great products and very helpful staff! They have a butcher shop that has rates that are very competitive. Easy to support this local business!! read more

This place has been my family's saving grade during the covid-19 shelter in place order. I don't need to go to any of the big crowded supermarkets because South Berkeley Produce has everything we need, and no line! Fresh fruits and veggies, tofu, eggs, cheese, baking supplies, half and half for our coffee etc. And I can't say enough about the really kind, wonderful service provided by the family who owns the store. I'm so grateful to have this place as our local corner store, it's a gem. read more

I like the store, it's clean & the staff are friendly and willing to go an extra mile to help their customers.

We love having this store in the neighborhood versus trying to get groceries at the many "convenience" (aka liquor) stores surrounding us. The owner is super nice so don't believe the bad reviews. Maybe they are from his competitors. The produce is very good and it's nice to not deal with the Berkeley Bowl if I need a few food items. read more

If you looking for fresh and home made products. this Is one of best suggestion. I just got from them mergez, and it was just great with original back home falvor. they have good customer service.all workers help you with beautiful smil. the store is very clean too with reasonable prices. everyone should stop by. thanks read more

Went today for the first time with my family to buy some Algerian dates and to my surprise, I discovered many items that I was looking for such as Mille Feuille, Orangina, Good olive oil from North Africa , Algerian couscous, Algerian Sodas etc... Service was excellent and place was clean. Will definitely be back. read more

It's a very good place to shop in , if you love real merguez this is the place where you can get it . Very good customer service and they have a very good meat and fresh daily . I highly recommande this place . read more

A very nice little corner grocer. Came here for a whole frozen duck at a decent price. Looking at it from the street you would never guess but inside it's small and compact, yes, but clean and stocked with quality produce and meats. Not just junk food like most mini-marts. They seem to have a good selection of Turkish and middle eastern imported items. read more