Bill Pace Fresh Fruit & Produce

Friendly staff, tasty food, along with a great café. Really cute place.

This place is a hidden gem. I used to buy all my juicing ingredients from this place. I’m lucky that I live nearby. The workers are nice and friendly. Mr. Bill Pace actually gave me a free loaf of bread when he saw me put back a $ 5 Artisan bread because of the price! I hope they never close down.

I really want to like this place but in three visits I’ve come away disappointed each time. The selection is okay, though they can be a bit light on inventory sometimes and some of the fruit appears to be overripe.
The biggest problem we’ve had is bringing home produce that looks okay but ends up being bad or spoiled.
Most recently, we bought two small organic watermelons for $ 1.99/lb, which actually turns out to be quite expensive. They looked wonderful but, when we cut into them, they were soft and tasted bad. It was like they had been frozen or something. Similar issue with the bananas we bought, which were still a little green. When we peeled them, they were mostly brown and mushy inside.
When I contacted them through their Facebook page, they did mention the possibility of doing something to make this right for us *if* we brought the fruit and the receipt back, which isn’t all that easy when the fruit has already been cut up or peeled and served.
I’m not sure if they have a problem with the way they’re handling and storing the fruit here or what but I don’t think we’ll be back.

Produce selection is sparse but the quality is decent. I bought 3 cantaloupes for 8.00 and the little café at the end serves café d’arte, so it is definitely not a standard big chain grocery store like the many safeways/​Starbucks. The other benefit is that all of the produce is local and thus more fresh. They are very selective on what they offer. Service is slow but then again there aren’t long lines. So, if you want to get in and out plus support a local SMB then it’s perfect.

Quaint little fresh fruit and veggie store that’s been around for generations. Don’t expect a fabulous shopping experience, but you can sure bet to find delicious produce.
Another review here said it best — «Folks, this is what real fruits and veggies look like, not the museum-​quality specimens at the chains.» Indeed, the fruits might look somewhat beat up, and the shelves aren’t shining with beautiful lights, but the taste of organic food is quite splendid. Forget the experience and focus on your food ;)
Keep in mind, not everything is organic, but probably ²⁄₃ are. Just look at the label and pick accordingly. (don’t expect local-​organic food that doesn’t actually grow in WA or nearby … that’d be just silly).
Bill, the owner, is a sweet older gent that’s sometimes there to talk to if you have any questions. Enjoy tasty and delicious foods!

I really wanted to like this place and was expecting something way different. The location is huge but the selection was scarce. Not only was the selection scarce but the quality looked lacking. Some produce looked old and some not purchase-​able. I may have gone a wrong time but I was not able to pick anything I liked. Willing to give it another time this summer… Hopefully it’ll be a better experience!
Location wise, it’s a little isolated away in a strip mall. Up the hill from freeway entrance and about 5 minute drive from Factoria Mall. Plenty of parking.

this place is right around the corner from my house and it sells fresh local produce that usually is delicious! it’s also convenient that I can go down the street and pick some things up if I need to. I gave this a 4 star not 5 because quality seemed to be on the low end for a long time, but the last couple times I have been there the produce looks MUCH better. they must be paying more for first pick of produce not the last anymore lol

Winning point: Fruit and veggies bought here stay fresh longer than those from other stores. Second point, folks, this is what real fruits and veggies look like, not the museum-​quality specimens at the chains. Bill tries to buy as much locally as he can, but some food just isn’t grown here. Nevertheless, we don’t buy fruits and veggies at the chains, anymore.

Disappointing. I stop in 2 – 3 times each week on my way home. Usually I leave empty handed. Quite often the veggies look old. Stopped for zucchini today. GROSS! Looked about a week past prime. Much of it was moldy. Ewwwwwww. I won’t give up though; it’s nice to have in the neighborhood and maybe they’ll get their act together. Just get the nasty vegs and fruits outta there!

We live in Newport Hills so it’s fantastic to have a walkable spot for fresh produce (and an increasing number of regular grocery items). After a bit of rocky start – not so much selection at first (the local season hadn’t really started) and an empty-​feeling store – this has become a pleasant neighborhood stop.
Their prices for local, organic produce are usually cheaper than the non-​organic items at QFC or Safeway. They also have a good dairy case, frozen foods section and an increasing number of standard grocery items. I went in recently for lemons and was happy to be able to pick up a gallon of milk and a loaf of bread, too, without breaking the bank. And the people are very nice; friendly and knowledgeable about the inventory.
Last but not least – since it saves me a drive to Starbucks for my compulsory morning latte – the espresso stand is really good: Café D’Arte espresso (super tasty and sometimes hard to find), friendly baristas and excellent prices. I went with my 6-​year-​old son and picked up a grande iced vanilla latte for me and a chocolate chip cookie plus 12 oz. milk for him, all for under $ 6. All that and fresh produce, too? We couldn’t be happier to have Bill Pace as our new neighbor!

I am a fan of the Mercer Slough/​South Bellevue location of Bill Pace. It is a great spot to find fresh farm produce and organic fruits and veggies at reasonable prices. I learned about their new location via their Facebook page in which they detailed about the long and hard process of opening this store. Permits are a pain to get!
The store is located in a rundown Newport Hills strip mall that is in need of a store like this. It is pretty out of the way for me. It would be more appealing for those living in the Newport Hills neighborhood of Bellevue, Newcastle or Renton. Still, I wanted to check out what this location had to offer as this store is open year round, unlike the other location which is closed in the winter.
The size of this location is larger and the selection is a bit better since they have more room. You will find fruits and veggies, alongside some basic grocery items like bread, canned jams and frozen pies. There is also a coffee stand on the other side of the space.
Not everything can be grown in Washington or currently in season here, so you will find that some fruits and veggies are shipped from elsewhere. I mean, would you eat a pineapple grown locally? There is a good mix of conventional and organic produce found here. Prices for produce range in price as well. Some items are good deals, while some items are quite pricey. Specifically the organic produce as you might expect.
I really like Bill Pace and feel good about supporting a small local business. I will continue to frequent the South Bellevue location, though I might stop by this location if I am in the south end.

Just got back from here. I found this place by accident driving somewhere else. I’m a sucker for vegetables so I had to check it out.
You want to know something about juicing? It’s super expensive. Yet I just bought a huge bag of local and organic veggies that will be about two days worth of juicing for only $ 12!!! That’s amazing!!! I posted a picture of the bag. That has kale, carrots, celery, cucumbers, ginger, apples, and lemons.
This place doesn’t have a huge selection, but it definitely has everything you’d look for in a regular veggie shopping spree. When you walk in the door, there are gorgeous huge bouquets of local flowers for only $ 15. I have only ever found bouquets like that at Pike Place Market during the summer time.
From now on, all of my produce shopping will be done here.