"Leave your cares behind come with us and find The pleasures of a journey to the center of the mind" (Ted Nugent and the Amboy Dukes) We confess that we love Italian delis and grocery stores. And we both agreed that the Whitneyville Food Center is as good an Italian deli and grocery store as we have ever visited. When you walk in, you're greeted by long aisles of fruits and vegetables, baked goods, grab and go showcases, prepared salads, deli meats and cheeses, steaks and pork and chicken and sausages, canned goods, pastas, breads and rolls, and lots of grocery items. We picked up 3/4 pound of ground veal ($7.69) for a Thanksgiving Bolognese, a huge 3.5 oz. coconut almond chocolate chip soft biscotti ($3.25), and two deli sandwiches. The sandwiches were on a hard roll and were priced at just $8 each for a pretty good sized sandwich. My Italian Combo had plenty of ham, pepperoni, salami, provolone, lettuce, tomato, and onion on a super sift fresh hard roll. I had half for lunch today and the other half went into the fridge for tomorrow. The customer service was fantastic. The gent in the butcher department was very personable and funny, and the guy who made our sandwiches was friendly and professional. Put everything together, and this was an easy Five Star experience. read more

See all

Whitneyville has an abundance of beautifully prepared foods, your regular grocery items, and a distinguished array of super fresh and pristine looking vegetables. This food center is well organized and kept very nicely merchandised. The staff is knowledgeable and helpful. They take pride in their work and in their customer service. Every food display is clean and presented in an enticing manner. My elderly aunt is always happy to see me especially when I arrive at her door with a few grocery bags of her favorites from the Whitneyville food center. read more

Love neighborhood places that keep improving and changing with the times. Whitneyville is doing a great job and is such a pleasant place to shop. It's completely off the beaten track so whenever I find myself in this neighborhood, I'll stop in and get some prepared food or dinners to go versus buying staples. Places like this will only continue to flourish as people shy away from corporate conglomerate shopping opting instead to support local businesses, which is a beautiful thing. You just can't beat the vibe of the smaller places who infuse the shopping experience with positive vibes instead of places that try to suck your energy dry and track your every move. Even though I'm not a meat person, the times I've needed to get meat here for one reason or another, I can say those guys in the back are so super friendly and helpful. Whitneyville is the perfect sized store, has everything you need and is always pristinely organized and clean. Parking lot is on the side. read more

If you're looking for that local experience for groceries, look no further than Whitneyville Food Center. Tired of fighting the crowds at big chain grocery stores, I stumbled upon this place in East Rock. The store is small but has good local items like farm milk. Prices are higher than other larger stores, but some find this worth it for the local experience, convenience, and neighborhood feel. read more

Great little neighborhood market!!!! Small grocery selections however the prepared goods are great, and lots of fresh meats cut to order. Excellent customer Service, a must try!! read more

Whitneyville Food Center - JUMBO and I mean JUMBO lump crab cake, Delish!!! - Grocery Near Me - Hamden, Connecticut

See all

Very good local market. They have a large variety of fresh meats and prepared meals, along with some produce. Very nice atmosphere with friendly and helpful staff. The food is very good and fresh, priced a little bit high but not too bad. Definitely worth checking out. read more

I am catching up on my April trip to New Haven. WOW! I used to come here for a bite after massage with a woman who worked at NRI (Neurological Rehabilitation Institute on George , by the long gone Downtown Health and Racquet Club) but began seeing me at her home. Near the cemetery. It's all fancy---or bougie, as the kids say. The most friendly people, there forever. A butcher that would be the envy of that famous place on the UWS (April something's place, big deal lady chef). The deli stuff is great. Best coffee of my New Haven trip here. I love everything about this place and can't wait to go back next I visit New Haven. I told the man (Mike?) behind the back counter I used to come a lot in 1994. Woman was there, clearly a regular, and everyone just chatting like it was a bar. read more

Excellent space. Quaint and visually satisfying! The prepared offerings are appetizing and beautiful! The team is eager to offer meal ideas, preparation suggestions as well as light hearted whimsical humor! Love the dairy, freezer section. It's offerings are high quality. Rugelauh is the absolute best I've ever had! read more

Great meats and the best service! My go-to for steaks amd lamb! Patrice and her team are so wonderful to work with.

These are the absolute worst meatballs I've ever had. Just disgusting. If you buy these bone dry nuggets of meat, make sure you get a jar of gravy. read more

Whitneyville Food Center - The driest meatball on earth. - Grocery Near Me - Hamden, Connecticut

Clean, comfortable environment, and variety. Great selection of hot and cold prepared foods, deli, and bakery. Food products are pricey but subs are reasonably priced. Went to try them for 1st time for lunch but will not go back. The steak and cheese sub was good portion for price but the steak was very oddly distributed on sub. It was in very big chunks instead of sliced or shredded like most typical subs and due to the thickness of meat, it was not well done. Meat still had red in it and hard to bite/chew as it was not tender at all. If only the slice or shred the steak, marinate it overnight, and cook it well done, then and only then, I will give them another try. read more

Tried catering from whitneyville prior to a recent meeting. Salad and entrees were very flavorful. I enjoyed the lemon chicken they prepared. I've also ordered meat here from the butcher, a bit pricey but better quality than larger grocery stores. read more

Tried Whitneyville Food Center for the first time today. Glad we did. Scored three prepared food items to go: chicken fettuccini, eggplant, and lasagna. Every item was delicious! prices were reasonable, especially considering how good everything was. The store is beautiful inside as well. Five stars all the way! (Just a heads up they close at 6 pm I got in just under the wire). read more

Good but expensive in comparison to Whole Foods - Staff & meat department personnel very friendly. I guess their prices are so high because they are the only exclusive store in the area. For those who don't mind a little trip Trader Joe's is my favorite read more

Amazing products and friendly staff! Also very impressed by their new precautions to keep staff and customers safe. The aisles are very well marked and easy to navigate. Highly recommend all of their baked goods--especially the quiche! read more

Let me start by saying that this is a lovely little local market, which is clean and convenient to the Whitneyville and Spring Glen areas. I am fond of the manager/owner who is always friendly as well as the delightful men behind the deli/meat counter who always engage customers. What I am not fond of are the girls at the checkout. Now I am not terribly old myself (and I work at a local university, so I am used to interacting with teens and young adults), but these girls are always distracted and seem bored and slightly inconvenienced. They often look at their phones until the last possible second when they must "interact" with a customer and glance at the screens mid-transaction (in my humble opinion, employees should not be allowed to carry their electronic devices on the floor of a retail establishment). I always have to greet them first, and eye contact is rare. No pleasant smile or friendly banter here. I even got an eye roll last week when I asked that my raspberries be placed toward the top of the bag. It seems that service-with-a-smile is not available here unless you're lucky enough to have one of the other staff help you. Customer service is especially important in a neighborhood store -- it's one of the reasons I prefer to shop local small-businesses. Whitneyville is a great little place but perhaps more personable cashiers would make me want to return more often. read more

I really like this little grocery for its specialty items. I would never do regular grocery shopping here it is far too expensive but for those specialty items that are hard to find this is the perfect spot. read more

They have awesome food in their deli and in-house made fresh food section at that back. They ALWAYS have vegan options too which was a nice surprise. The cook makes really interesting dishes using fruits and vegetables, and she experiments with tofu, seitan, and tempeh. One of my favorites was a german style potato salad with sweet potatoes and tempeh that was awesome. All vegan and vegetarian items are clearly labeled and you purchase by weight. They are really nice about letting you taste things before you buy. I work down the street so it's a great lunch option. It can get expensive though so don't get huge portions if you don't want to break the bank. read more

This little market is all about quality over quantity.. Which you will spend the extra penny on. However, for the prepared foods I say it's worth the extra penny. I haven't been for quite a few months, but I loved their salmon. They carry vegan and vegetarian options and also do pastries ( haven't tried the pastries but they look delicious). You can tell love is really put into their prepared foods. They also carry higher end brands of pre packaged food that you won't find in your local supermarket. The produce and meat are always fresh and the people who work there always are eager to help. Parking in the lot across the street makes it convenient to run in and out. Love this little high quality market. read more

This place is tough to figure out. It's a small grocery store, I guess. They sell a little of everything kind of like a convenience store but also upscale (and expensive) prepared foods, meats, produce etc. I've given up trying to figure out what it is and just shop there. The prepared foods are good but not cheap. They sell foods from local places like bread from Bread & Chocolate and the New Haven places. Also some prepared foods from local restaurants. Bottom line the place is interesting and pretty good just don't expect any bargains. There's a parking lot across the street which is very helpful. read more

Can we talk about how amazing this place is? I have been driving by almost everyday for over a year and finally stopped in today. Purchased fresh food from the deli and let me 13mo old play with the kids shopping toys. I absolutely love this place! read more

Is it a job requirement to have a really crappy attitude? All of the girl cashiers treat you as if you're an inconvenience and can barely muster up (if at all) a "hello" or a "have a nice day". If you're amiserable person, then don't work in customer service. read more

Good little grocery store with some "higher end" products! I can't speak much for price of those - I only ended up getting hummus and pita bread, but it's nice to have a place to find more upscale products without having to go to Whole Foods or thyme and season. Plus, they have JENIS ice cream!!!!!!! Yum! read more

Great little neighborhood market w/ always fresh local organic produce, fantastic meat selection and knowledgeable butchers. Prices are a little higher but they provide a friendlier neighborhood market experience. Good selection of local craft beer too. read more

Great little market. Their produce is usually about on par with other grocery store prices but I find it a little fresher and tastier. Their chicken is good, too. Their other goods are rather pricey but it is to be expected at a locally owned shop. I would rather help support a business like this than save a couple cents somewhere else. read more

They have the most beautiful produce, carrying items that are hard to find elsewhere (especially winter veggies like Tuscan kale when there aren't plentiful farmers' markets) They also have an especially fantastic baguette brought from some place in Brooklyn (I think?), which I prefer to Judy's, the NH staple. They also have a beautiful meat counter and they make really good quiche on premises. read more

I must have hit the market on an off day. I am from out of town, but am staying nearby for a few days, and was so happy to find a place that I could walk to for groceries. The produce was arranged beautifully and looked enticing, but the sugar snap peas that I took home were tough and stringy, and a bunch of carrots limp and bitter, so much so that I had to toss the rest of the bag. The fact that they carry brands like Niman Ranch conveys that they care about providing quality, but the veggies didn't measure up to their other upmarket offerings. I would still return here for specialty items like cheese and bread, but would head elsewhere for produce and other staples. read more

The young ladies who run the cash registers really could not be more rude. Even though they have pastries and breads that are quite fresh and good, I will absolutely avoid due to the several off-putting encounters with the cashiers. read more

I love this place! I don't do all of my grocery shopping here; but if I want quality fruit, vegetables or upscale products I go here. Also good selection of cheeses and very good meat counter - like an old fashioned butcher. Love it when they have their "Tasting today" sign out. Only wish they stayed open longer on Saturday. read more

Whitneyville Food Center is a gift. They have good produce, Niman Ranch meat and Smart Chicken organic, not to mention Trinity Farms milk -- the only store in Hamden! They have good olive oil and vinegar and Bread and Chocoloate bread. We go here probably three times a week, in between bigger trips to Elm City Market. (Yes, we're feeding 21 home-cooked meals a week to four people.) The Soup Girl next door is a bonus! read more

Love this place. Great for sandwiches, salads, soups.... Butcher case is fantastic. Bought a fully dressed 8 lb. Porchetta for a party that everyone raved about. Staff is super friendly, produce is fresh, and the specialty items ( cheese, pasta, breads) are great. A little spendy but worth the quality, service, And convenience. read more

Excellent corner market with friendly & helpful staff, fresh produce, and excellent prepared foods. It is everything you want in your corner market and they treat you like family. read more

Great little neighborhood grocery store. Yes you pay a bit more, but the convenience, the quality and the adequate selection make this a great value. Produce generally good. Nice selection. Prepared foods - a bit pricey but in my experience always delicious and fresh. Their meats excellent. The butchers behind the counter are very helpful in suggesting meats and prep. They will butterfly or trim on request. Nice little beer selection too! Breads from local bakers.. Yummy. So yes..you pay a bit more but it's worth every penny read more

I love this place, I mean seriously, they have everything I've ever needed. The staff is as sweet as can be, especially Mary & Leah in the back! & my weekly chats with the meat department are something I always look forward to (not to mention the delicious grass-fed meats they have!) I read some of the other reviews & honestly, what the h** are they talking about?! Rude customer service?! It could never be the WFC. I have only ever experienced laugher, polite-concern, & helpfulness from the girls up front & everyone else in the store. I mean really, I've read maybe 3 bad reviews on them! I cant see how, considering they are HILARIOUS! Anyone who leaves a harsh review on them obviously must be the worst customers, you know, the kind of people NO ONE wants shopping in your store. I've talked to countless amounts of people there. Patrice, Anada, Bob, Ashley, Mary & the list goes on. No one has EVER shown rudeness. Ignore any mean comments on here & do yourself a favor, & go shop at WFC. read more

This is the best grocery store hands down clean inviting best produce meat dairy and bakery. Catering is the bomb!

Excellent produce and meats. Produce and meat managers are very helpful. Staff is always pleasant.

Great food and uniquely wonderful and attentive service. It's a very small store, though, so don't expect to be able to do full kitchen or household shopping unless you're an affluent singleton or very wealthy small family, especially since much of the space now is dedicated to beverages, which I guess provides a huge profit margin but does use a ridiculous amount of space. The meat and prepared food sections are sublime, and the prices definitely reflect that extra quality. This is the high end of the $$$$. But when you can afford it, this place is very very satisfying, the people who work there are fantastic and really seem to know that what they do for a job means a lot to their customers. i go when i am flush with cash or for very special dinners like ordering roasts for Christmas, and otherwise when I want to get special treats for family and friends. I wouldn't know Tuscan kale (see earlier review) from a Hobbit, but everything they stock is of high quality. the prices on vegetables are quite reasonable. I think this is a family-owned place, because they keep human-friendly hours for their employees ... in that way it's not always the most convenient place to shop, but I love that the owners seem to respect their employees above all. That ethos alone makes me go back time and again to do my best to keep them in business. read more