Fun little neighborhood market with a surprising selection for such a small footprint. Limited parking because it is a residential area. Narrow aisles but lots of good products, some of which can't even be found at the big shops like Wegmans. read more

My husband and I were recently in the Syracuse area on a concert overnight road trip. Before heading home, he had a particular lesser-known offbeat local landmark he wanted to see, which happens to be in the same neighborhood as the Coop. So while there we went into the Coop for some coffee and sandwiches, and enjoyed a nice curb lunch out front. The Coop has a variety of grab-and-go sandwiches in a cooler towards the front, near the self-serve coffee area, several of which are vegan. I tried the vegan chickpea salad pita. My husband had the vegan buffalo seitan on ciabatta bread. He went with the dark roast coffee, and I had the medium-roast Bird of Paradise blend at recommendation of one of the fun checkout crew guys. The staffer claimed it is the best coffee he's ever had. I hit the carafe at just the right time to be empty and necessitate a fresh brew ... and WOW, he was NOT kidding! What an EXCELLENT cup of coffee! I love a light, wispy coffee that is so utterly crisp that every sip is somehow both satisfying and vapid, like your palate is both satiated and cleansed all at the same time--and this wonderful palate-paradox is the exact experience with a fresh cup of Bird of Paradise! And as for the sandwiches, also delicious! My chickpea salad pita was creamy and crunchy, with a hint of spicy. My husband loved the buffalo seitan sandwich so much so that he nearly denied me a bite! But I did get one, and can concur YUM. We strolled the aisles a bit while we were there, and it is a sweet little grocer with a small selection of all of your typical market sections. The selection of vegan and specialty groceries, like keto and gluten-free, is well represented here, too. Vegan marshmallows were on sale, so we grabbed a couple bags, as well as a few bricks of vegan ramen. If we lived closer I would gladly shop here, at minimum come back for more of that Bird of Paradise coffee! The staff was super friendly, the prepared foods were delicious, the coffee was superb--enjoy this sweet little establishment Syracuse, what a gem! :-D read more

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This is a very small grocery owned by the members. The strength is the weakness. It's small. The selections are good but limited. I call in orders. They bring my food to the car. If I order broccoli snd it's not nice they tell me snd tell Me what looks better. These people aren't snooty or pretentious. They are about good food. Many options are limited by the size of the store. Live with it! It's worth the limits. Good array of bulk foods and coffee. There isn't a lot of meat. That probably reflects what the management eats. In a totally residential area. Many people can walk to the store. It's such a good snd nice idea. read more

The store has made no attempt to accommodate disabled people like me. There are ways. I understand about sidewalks etc but they could EASILY get a permit and install a wheelchair elevator which can also be used by people who are handicapped and not in a wheelchair. I have one at home so it's both possible and not at all difficult to do. The Syracuse Coop simply doesn't want to bother. It's amazing how quickly the words about caring and inclusion evaporate. The only customers they care about are students buying $6 heads of "organic" lettuce (or worse, endive!) on their parents' money. Anyone else, especially disabled people, can go hang. This is a typical bourgeoisie place run by privileged 20 somethings for people who think they're "funky". Just ask the black and disabled customers...if you can find them. Which you won't. read more

Syracuse Cooperative Market has made me forget about Whole Foods. With its diverse range of organic products, unique drinks, and delectable ready-made foods, it's become a go-to destination for me. I always make sure to recommend this gem to any friends visiting Syracuse. read more

Oh Real Foods, I want to like you so badly and you keep finding ways of disappointing me. First, let me say that the Coop is miles better than it was 7 years ago when I moved here. It used to be this scary hole-in-the-wall place with a really sad selection. Since then, they've done a great job of cleaning the place up and installing new taller, space-saving shelving that makes the store easy to navigate. It's nice that you can pick up your CSA there. And the location can't be beat if you live in the university neighborhood. But on the whole, this place is still maddening. Problems: staff is often incompetent (ex. 3 staffers chatting in the back while customers are waiting at the counter), proper food storage is somewhat questionable (I recently bought some rotten cheese from Real Coop and after making a trip all the way back to return it they simply refunded the cash and shrugged "sorry,") they send out coupon books which include products they don't even carry. I would never ever attempt to do my regular grocery shopping there because every time I drop in for more than 4 items, there are things on my list they simply don't have. I think the staff there have this image of themselves as being really local and friendly and living by their ideals. But the fact is, if your stock is sometimes lacking, you sell rotten food, and your customer service (for people who aren't personal friends of the staff) is lax, it doesn't matter how positive your message is or how polished your coop by-laws are: no one will want to shop there. Again, every time I drop in I pray this place has gotten its act together. And 9 times out of 10 I leave disappointed. read more

Like other customers, I was quite stunned at the Syracuse Food Co-op's prices! Eeep. But I do have to give them four stars for their dedication to the environment, and the amazing selection of food they provide. Also, they usually have some good sales and good prices on non-perishables (aka selling couscous by the pound!) or the Green & Black Organic Chocolate for $2.50 sometimes. Stock up! Amazing breads too (check their delivery dates, pretty sure they get stuff from Pastabilities). They're also one of the only food co-ops I've seen so dedicated to local produce (i once got this huge mushroom the size of a textbook that tasted like steak - and was local and only harvested for a week or two a yr - where else can you get that?) I also like to add seltzer or club soda to their juices in order to make them last longer. And best friggin heirloom tomatoes I've ever had. They also have a system where you put down $.50 for a glass jug when you buy milk or orange juice, and when you bring it back to refill, you just leave it in the back and don't pay the deposit. Don't forget your reusable grocery bag for $.05 off! read more

Living in Syracuse the choices for groceries are P&C, Price Chopper, and the dominant Wegmans. None of these stores have a great selection of foods for those seeking vegetarian, vegan, or more healthy conscious items. Enter the Syracuse Co-op. Now the Co-op is genuinely trying to offer an alternative to the big chains, but growing up in California I have been all too spoiled by farmers markets and alternative chains. The Co-op falls short with a lack of selection and almost Bristol Farms level prices (which is significantly higher than most grocery stores). I shop here rarely and still manage to find most of the items I need. However if you are looking for things like Tofrutti or soy substitutes this is probably the only option. read more

The Syracuse Cooperative Market is one of our favorite stores to shop. The customer service is outstanding. They strive to take care of customer needs and desires, and their pricing is very favorable. Every time we shop there, we find the items we need and save a lot of money besides. Many items are the best price there of any other store we know. There are some items that we can only find there at the coop. Plus the coop is extremely helpful in providing special orders that customers want, and passing on savings to the customer besides. This service is outstanding and surpasses any other store we know. A big part of our healthy living plan is our regular shopping at the Syracuse Cooperative Market. read more

I love this place! This lil store is within walking distance of where I live. I'm not sure if you can do a full grocery shop here but it's a great spot to pick up a few things. The produce is always super fresh and they have a lot of vegan options! The staff is always super friendly. They even have beer here too! I love my co-op! read more

Nice friendly atmosphere. very fortunate it have this place in my neighborhood. Great assortments of organic foods and awesome coffee. Tips: Wednesdays coffee is 15 cents if you bring your own mug. They also have lot of good free samples. read more

Cool co-op store within the neighborhood. Stuff is a little pricey but they have different organic groceries and other food products. I like the soaps and it's where I can get the vegan jerky lol read more

I love the coop, both for its values and for providing a walkable grocery store in the Westcott and University neighborhoods. In some cases it can be a little more expensive for some things. An example is that Amy's frozen burritos are 10 cents more at the coop than at Wegmans, but I'm more than willing to pay a little extra to not have to get in the car and drive to Dewitt. On the other hand, they have the best bulk tofu available, great selection of local, seasonal produce and stuff you can't find at other grocery stores including a great selection of bulk spices. You can bring your own containers and they'll give you a tare weight so you can cut down on single-use packaging for bulk items, as well. For those who complain that it's more expensive than other stores, just make sure you're comparing apples to apples. You can get a can of house-brand garbanzo beans at a chain supermarket for 79 cents, and you see the ones on the shelf at the coop, and they're a $1.79, but they're organically grown ones from responsible farmers, often carbon neutral, etc. The same kind of product at a chain supermarket is going to cost you at least that much. read more

I just stopped at the co-op to get Wake Robbin Yogurt. Wegmans discontinued it, but the co-op still has it. It's awesome to see small local businesses forming an alternative economy. read more

Food Co-Op you are my newest favorite store. Sure you are small but you carry almost all the items I need; and the prices are basically the same at other stores (sure you can cheaper but the quality will be lower). Love your coffee selection, honey by the pound, and organic tea. Friendly staff and easy parking at night. read more

This is a small but stocked co-op in a nice neighborhood. They have a big selection of nuts and grains that's you can buy in the bulk bins which I prefer doing. They have lots of local produce and coffee, too. read more

This place has grown on me, but coming from a town with two pretty large (About 10x the size) co-ops, I'm still not impressed. The bulk selection is miniscule. I mean, Big Wegman's has a larger selection of organic bulk items(including dried fruit!) and tea than the co-op. The prices are also fairly high. I usually stop here because it's on my way home from work and I go through a pound of rolled oats each week. But honestly, I like the taste of the organic oats from Wegmans better. I've pretty much resigned myself to hauling a cooler up Vermont and raiding the Onion River Co-op when I go visit friends in Burlington. read more

Save your valuable time and your hard earned cash! I purchased a Living Social for this place. I thought I would give it a try. I found out that I arrived a few short hours after my Living Social coupon expired and they would not honor it. They were more concerned about saving their $10 then my repeated business. As I walked around the tiny store, I noticed that most of their items you could buy at Wegmans for considerably less! (Example a dollar more for a 1/2 gallon of milk!) AND the staff at Wegmans is friendly and accommodating. I will not be back. read more

Friendly place, but way too expensive for me. I go to Wegman's, they have a good selection of vegan food. And at a much lower price. I always thought the co-op would be cheaper, but apparently not. I'd love to frequent the co-op but I just cannot afford it. Sad! read more

Save your valuable time and your hard earned cash! I purchased a Living Social for this place. I thought I would give it a try. I found out that I arrived a few short hours after my Living Social coupon expired and they would not honor it. They were more concerned about saving their $10 then my repeated busines. As I walked around the tiny store, I noticed that most of their items you could buy at Wegmans for considerably less! (Example a dollar more for a 1/2 gallon of milk!) AND the staff at Wegmans is friendly and accomodating. Don't bother to patronize this coop - they won't appreciate it! read more