Key Food

I’m glad I’m not the only one leaving review for the supermarket but let me tell you I hate coming here! Every time I buy smth from this store I promise myself this was last time I came here. First of all its overpriced comparing to other grocery stores in this area. Second — their self checkout machines are NEVER working. «The weight is not correct for the item» is their usual thing. Today it was the barcodes that wouldn’t scan though the machines are brand new now. This is not a self checkout if you have to wait for the manager to scan his card. Come on I’m sure you make enough money to fix this!

Honestly just a crappy supermarket. Outdated technology, old everything, unnecessarily high prices, and bad produce. Honestly the only reason they’re still around is their location and the serious lack of competition. I keep wishing a trader joes will open up across the street in the old CVS/​Shoe store, or next Taverna down ditmars but it’ll probably never happen. The second a better option presents itself I think Key Foods would go out of business.

I too am surprised at the bad reviews… though maybe if I shopped here more regularly, I’d understand what all the complaints are about?
I have passed by this market many many times but never paid it any mind. Why would I, since 1) I tend to buy organic (and so the organic place on Ditmars near 33^rd is my go-​to place) and 2) Fair Trade on Ditmars near 37^th (for all my other needs) is closer to my apartment.
But…something prompted me the other night to pop into this Key Food to check it out.
First off, my sense of Key Food markets has always been bad… that they are low-​class markets. However my sense of this Key Food was that, at least from one shopping trip there, it seemed very orderly, clean, and to have a good selection of things.
I was also struck by how big this place is. You’d never know from front entrance, just how far BACK the aisles go.
Anyway, based on my one visit thus far, this place looks pretty nice… nicer than the Trade Fair on Ditmars I’d say…

Worst supermarket i’ve ever been in.
Customer service always has an attitude, the manager Alan never resolves a problem.
Fresh fruit & vegetable section is in complete disarray, signs are not where the items are, if you complain, you get the deer in the headlights look. If you call the home office in Staten Island, they say they’ll call you back, when they do, you tell them the issues, they say the manager from the market will call you, they never do, then when you call the home office again, they block your number from getting in touch with them.

Mostly terrible. It’s an okay size as fair as city grocery stores go, but the produce is inedible and the customer service is atrocious. I always bring my own bags with me to the store and each time I bring bags the cashier looks at me as if I brought a live chicken into the store with me and I inevitably have to bag all my own groceries.
They won’t ask you for your discount card. Not to mention all of the items are way more expensive than they need to be. It’s actually cheaper to schlep to whole foods and shop in Manhattan.
I always regret coming to this store.

Thieves. Not only is this place really expensive, and their selection is mediocre, but pretty much every time I’ve ever gone to this place they’ve overcharged me for at least one item. Prices just never match what’s on the shelves. Even when I only go in and grab only 2 or 3 things, it’s nearly a certainty that I’m being over charged for at least one of the items. And of course the price difference is never in the customers favor.
It’s a real pain in the ass to try to remember the price of everything you pick up, and then if you do notice and mention the incorrect price, they have to go find it in the isle to check, which course takes forever. I think it’s intentional. They know whata pain out is, and know the likelihood of getting caught is slim and the risk is pretty much nothing, so why not over charge for everything?
I don’t really like giving my business to a company that is knowingly stealing from their customers. What they do should be illegal.

Immediate reaction: Ehhh. Barely average.
Your run of the mill Queens chain grocery. This store has decent variety and it’s conveniently located right off the N/​Q Ditmars stop. This Key Food has a bit of a monopoly in the immediate area as most of its competitors are just mom-​and-​pop bodegas. That said, if you live in the area, this is really your only option if you have a fairly extensive grocery list.
I’m docking 2 stars because, as others have stated in their reviews, (1) the produce here sucks and (2) the store is a bit disorganized and messy. While walking through the produce aisle, a few of fruits/​veg were either wilting, over-​ripe, or had already gone bad. Also, the general feel of the store is rather dingy, and there’s little rhyme or reason as to how the products are grouped by aisle. Prices are competitive, but that’s what you expect shopping at a Key Food.
I’ll probably continue coming here for canned, boxed, or frozen items — things that come sealed from the manufacturer. But I’ll look elsewhere for produce and meat.

This is a regular supermarket, but a bit messy. I found things where I would never thought they would be. But if you seek hard, you may find what you need.
For being in Queens, the prices were a bit exaggerated and high. It wasn’t even products that were organic or anything. I felt that they were taking advantage of me.

This is one of the worst supermarkets I’ve ever been to. The employees are rude. Most everything is overpriced. You get better produce directly outside at the street vendor.
But this review comes specifically after buying (overpriced) chicken breast that had a sell-​by date of ⁷⁄₂₅. When I went to cook it today on 7/​26, it smelled rancid. That’s not how sell-​by dates are supposed to work.
This neighborhood is desperate for a legitimate grocery store, and the minute that it opens, this Key Food is doomed.

This is a really convenient place for me to shop, especially for dry goods. Veggie selection is usually ok but the fruit isn’t good. I just get depressed every time I walk into this place. The employees are miserable and rude. I have had cashiers tell me something was on sale and it wasn’t. But today took the cake – the guy stocking the dairy was literally standing in the middle of the aisle trimming his nails like he was home in his bathroom. It was disgusting! I’ll never shop there again.

Key Food is between the subway and my apartment, so I stop here to buy staples a few times a week. Like many people have said before, items always ring up at incorrect prices. The store then needs someone to go check the shelf, who has to report back to the cashier, after which the correct prices are then written down. This process can routinely take 5 – 10 minutes.
This store is also ridiculously overpriced. I did a spot check of a few items I regularly buy against prices at the Food Emporium by work in Tribeca. Astoria Key Food was more expensive. Uh, ok.
Produce isn’t good. Items like carrots are only available pre-​packaged and weighed. But what if I just want two?! All the bananas are green. Having to make a second stop at California Farmer’s Market is annoying, but the produce there is so much better and cheaper.
Many of the employees here are nice and friendly, so they have that going for them.

Unbelievable… after 14 years I will NEVER EVER going back to that store ever again. I’m used to spend $ 600 /​week in that store, but I’m not going back to there ever again. The «MANAGEMENT» is extremely «light» and the whole store is laughing at them… the employees doing whatever they want… the management (some young woman) was so disrespectful on the phone with me. THEY FORGET TO DELIVER my grocery once, so I called them up. They said (some «manager woman») if I want them to deliver, «I MUST GO BACK TO THE STORE (which is 8 mile away from me) WITH MY RECEIPT, TO proof… so I called… and the «manager «lady» hang up on me, she was horribly disrespectful. Than (few days ago) I went to the store, and I tried to talk to the lady (employee) at the cheese section, but she wasn’t there. So I asked the young guys (boys) on the «cold cut /​cheese» stand if the «cheese lady» around? (I tried to thank her some special German cheese order for me) Whoever… these boys started to act like some lunatics, one of them yelled at me, and said, «what do you want»? why on earth you want to talk to her? and that’s why you’re here? if you aren’t buying something, than you may go away»… I thought … I’m going to faint… and they started laugh laud… all four of them… Another time the Asian cashier girl was like a psychopath… she started throwing my items, because I tried to help, and I used my own bag, (I was very fast, and I tried to help, so she don’t have to pack for me) and she started saying things, like «live it, and pay first, I don’t have a time to play this packing game lady»… (I almost cried, and I tried to tell to the manager, but he was «busy» to talk to me…) It was my last trip to that store. After 14 years.

Every time I’m unlucky enough to end up at Key Food, items ring up at a higher price than they’re marked on the shelves. This time, both myself and other customer complained about the same item ringing up incorrectly. They said they would look into it. A few days later, I checked back. The price on the shelf was the same, and the item still rung up at a higher price.
If you’re forced to shop here, check your receipts!

Be mindful of your receipt. If yours is misplaced or the checker doesn’t give it to you, you can spend upwards of half an hour obtaining a new one from this location. Customer service also can’t seem to empathize with your need for a receipt, adding to the strain of their poor overall service.

I shop at this Key Food because it is close to the house and convenient. The cashiers are friendly, the staff helpful, but the prices are expensive. In addition, the fruit and vegetable selection is bad even by supermarket standards. You’ll find everything you need here but it won’t be cheap. A few cents more for milk and a dollar more for meat. Before you know it you’re 20 bucks in the hole compared to other local supermarkets.

Too bad the place is extremely pricey! … Go somewhere else if you can!

Astoria is in need of a decent supermarket that is accessible without a car. I only shop here for heavy or temperature-​sensitive items that I can’t lug from Trader Joe’s. I get my produce from vegetable stands like the one across the street because Key Food’s produce is not fresh and/​or overpriced. Key Food has unreliably stocked shelves– if you see it a certain brand of cereal a few weeks or months in row, I guarantee that the next time you’re looking for it, it will be gone and if you can find an employee who will answer your question, they’ll act like they have no idea what cereal is. Once, I asked for help getting an item from the top shelf, and after making we wait for 10 minutes, the associate CLIMBED THE SHELVES to get it for me. I don’t think that people want goods that your nasty shoes have been all over.
Each and every time I’ve made a purchase here, I have found items that rang up for the wrong price, both sale and non-​sale items. When I’ve questioned the price, the clerk will have to call the manager and go through a 5 – 10 minute charade where they question my reading comprehension before reluctantly adjusting the price. This is bad enough when I have other things to do, but I can’t even imagine how much money they make with these pricing scams since most people are far more trusting than I am. Usually, there is someone else in the checkout lines fighting this same battle.
Maybe this Key Food is better compared to other Key Food, but being the best of the worst is not exactly bragging rights. I only hope that a more honest grocery chain comes soon to rescue the people of Astoria.

I’m surprised at the number of bad reviews, because I don’t think this supermarket is that bad.
That’s not to say that I think it’s that great either.
The produce can be hit or miss. You could probably get better fruits and veggies at the local fruit stands. My advice for Key Food, and for any place where you buy fruits and veggies, is to shop around and compare.
The meat department is okay. I’ve noticed a jump in prices lately, but I haven’t noticed it cheaper at other places. Likewise, I’ve had no problem with the deli section.
It has your basic staples: milk, cheese, coffee, soda, etc. I noticed it recently started carrying Bustello k-​cups, which is a plus in my book. You can also get generics for dairy or canned foods, which are cheaper and not bad.
It’s close to the subway, so it is convenient to commuters, such as myself, who stop by on the way home from work.
It has a parking lot, but you have to pay. It is free on Sundays, but it may be crowded with people going to a local church.
The cashiers have usually been quick. I have no complaints.
Basically, it’s a good place to shop if you need to quickly get some basic stuff, especially if you are returning home from work. If you have a car and are shopping during the weekends, I’d recommend you drive to the other supermarkets in Astoria.

Too expensive.

Almost $ 4.50 for almond milk? Really?
This is the only grocery store within 10 minutes of me. I travel to Trader Joe’s instead. I will only go here for the most extreme of emergencies… or if the store makes some reasonable price changes.

If you decide to shop here it only pays when things are on sale. Compared to Trade Fair this is the lesser of the two evils. Produce is fair. Seafood isn’t labeled with country of origin. Most of the staff make you feel like they’re doing you a favor by doing their job. I’ve heard stories from employees I’ve known for years that the management structure is in chaos or should I say KAOS.
It’s about time to update this place.
The demographic base of Astoria is changing and shoppers are demanding better quality and more refined products.
What we need in this area is a Whole Foods and a Trader Joes. That should put Trade Fair and Key Food in the shadows.

This Key Foods is 1 000 0000x better than the one I have by my apartment on 36^th Ave. First, it is much larger in size. Resulting in a larger selection of EVERYTHING. Second, their meats and produce are much fresher. And third, I think the prices are good.
The store itself is pretty easy to navigate. It is much better compared to other locations I have been to.

This was one of the worst supermarkets I’d ever been in when I used to live nearby. It’s gotten worse since I left; a terrible combination of surly people, bad food, and high prices. Avoid, avoid, avoid.

I will only venture into this Key Foods with an exacting plan. One that gets me in and out in under 10 mins. If I don’t do this, then I find myself repressing the urge to start windmilling. The staff is generally terse and not very helpful (this is why having that plan is so important).
Don’t bother purchasing produce here — it’s over priced and the quality is crap. You are better off going to Greenline next door, or any of the other fruit and veggie markets a block away in any direction.
I wouldn’t buy meat here — the prices are pretty standard but the cuts are poor. Go to A&D Meat Market down the street for your standard beef, chicken, pork, etc. and Rosario’s for your cold cuts.
The only thing that I find useful /​convenient about this Key Foods is to use it as a place to buy dry goods, sandwich bread, peanut butter, spices, baking essentials, etc.