Johnny’s Foodmaster

So this place is officially closed down as of. the past couple of months and is being replaced by a whole foods. I just wanted to review it as it was. a pretty good grocery store.
It’s right next to Bunker Hill Community College and I used to come here all the time between classes for lunch, scratch tickets or just to kill time before my next class. The layout was great and I loved their produce section because it had a lot of variety. I’m actually sad that it’s going away and being replaced with a Whole Foods… big rip-​off chain if you ask me.

I come here often for those frozen steam-​in-​the bag vegetables that I can’t get at nicer markets like Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods. That’s about the only reason I come here.
Generally, the prices are good and you can get most everyday things you need. Some random things are overpriced (sometimes I’m shocked at how low my bill is, other times it’s surprisingly high) but overall value is okay.
The quality of the name-​brand staples and most produce is pretty good. 2 stars because the quality of other items is beyond questionable.
I’ve bought salmon here a few times without issue, but salmon gets old fast. One time I came in and wanted trout. There it was, sitting at the fish counter — yay! So I ask the fish guy for the trout and he tells me he needs to speak to his manager for a minute. He disappears, comes back 2 minutes later and says to me «trust me, you don’t want to buy the trout.»
WTF? Why is it sitting behind your counter? What if someone else had been behind the counter and didn’t care about my digestive health — would I be eating salmonella-​infested fish? If the trout is so bad that you will not sell it to me, why don’t you just throw it out? I will never again venture to the fish counter at foodmaster.
Another time I came in because I was out of my favorite salad dressing — Goddess Dressing — and didn’t want to drive all the way to Whole Foods or Trader Joe’s to buy it. I came in and the natural foods section had a similar dressing, but it looked weird and separated. As this tends to happen with salad dressing, I shook it up, but it just wouldn’t mix together. Check the expiration date — 8 months expired. Wow.
Most things here are safe so I continue to come back for staples and brand-​name things that should not have any quality issues. But buyer-​beware, always check the expiration date.

As an update:
Friends of ours came over for dinner, bringing drinks they got at Johnny’s with them. A 2 L of Pepsi Cherry and one of Canada Dry ginger ale. BOTH of them were astoundingly flat. When we looked at the ‘sell by’ dates (and I’m now going to look again to verify this), we saw that they’re for Sept. of ’10 (it’s now early July). How hot these guys had to be kept at to have that happen is a great question.
Regardless, flat cokes just further my point… astoundingly sub-​par service, products and cleanliness equal a disaster of a store. Stay away.

I am a biker and I usually bike to get groceries. And USUALLY, its 80lbs of groceries. Yesterday, after checking, out i realized my bike basket was missing a screw and would DEF not survive the bike ride home with the weight of my newly purchased goodies. I went inside to ask the manager if he had anything laying around that i could use on my basket to last me for the ride home. He came outside, assessed my bike, and disappeared inside for a few mins. Somehow he had evaded my attention and the next thing i knew I saw him come back from outside, tools in hand.
He had gone outside while i perused the red box movies and connected my basket with a nail he bent to last me til i got home. (And it still intact!) That’s service. He didn’t worry about the black bike grease and its potential for landing on his white button up dress shirt. He just went above and beyond to make my shopping/​biking experience all the more pleasant and possible. Hats off to Johnny’s Foodmaster in Charlestown. You managers there are friendly, helpful, and really make living so close to the city feel more like living in a small town with your personal attention. Thanks so much again. From me and my produce. =) –Katie
P. S. Way cheaper than Shaw’s with a lot of the things I buy every day as well.

Johnny’s is a wicked average supermarket, kid. When I lived in Charlestown as a barista/​student without a car, Johnny’s was the only convenient grocer option. To get there, you must first navigate the sea of ubiquitous townies and their unwelcoming glares. They are constantly perched on benches by the entrance chain-​smoking and suspiciously watching who comes and goes. It’s not really that they want all of the yuppie transplants to die, but to get the fuck out of their corner of Boston and then die. I don’t even think that’s an exaggeration.
If you make it through, you’re in for a pretty standard food shopping experience: most of the fruits and vegetables were alright (except for the strawberries which always seemed to be moldy), good cheese section, very good freshly baked bread, meat was subpar and the rest of the store was fine. The prices seemed fair and the staff was generally nice. One thing I will point out is the Johnny’s-brand potato salad was excellent. I ate it all summer. In short, the place gets the job done but won’t amaze you.

Really Johnny’s? I realize that it’s New Years Day, and you want to close at 9PM, but when we roll up at 8:51 and want to run in for a few things, is it really necessary to cop a huge attitude when we try to come in the door? We are trying to support you by patronizing your store, because I know that the Stop and Shop and Shaw’s are trying to muscle in, but you’re making it tough. Step one: do not lock your customers out in the cold when you’re supposed to be open. Step two: if your customers come when you happen to be closed or closing, use the word «Sorry» before gruffly scowling «We’re closed,» especially if it is 10 minutes before you actually close.
Wegmans can not come to the Boston area soon enough.

I live close, about a one mile radius, to a Shaw’s, Stop & Shop, and a Whole Foods, but whenever I’m feeling ambitious, I’ll go shopping at Johnny’s Foodmaster. Everything is cheaper and of the same quality and if I end up doing a huge shopping trip, Foodmaster is where to go. I’ve never picked up lunch from here before, but clearly, based on the other reviews, I’m missing out on something big!
Their variety is what REALLY gets me going though! I love how no matter what it is I need, if I go looking for it, there is at least three different varieties for me to choose from. This place is great and a good save. And who doesn’t wanna save money these days?

One year later, they’re still doing it right.
I am a big guy. I eat big sammiches. Their «regular» sandwiches are too big for me to finish — i order «half meat» just so I am not wasting food.
Seriously. Easily ¾ of a pound of turkey in those things.

Well, over the last year or so I have come to appreciate Johnny’s Foodmastah. A short walk from my house, I come here about once a week or so to pick up the necessities. For a small supermarket chain they have reasonable prices and large selection of natural foods. Their produce isn’t as good as Whole Foods, but they’re usually cheaper. I wouldn’t go out of my way to go here, but they certainly are convenient and usually have what I’m looking for. Also, love the music playing outside!

I work across the bridge at BHCC, so this store is my go-​to grocer before I hop back on the bus to Medford. At first, I didn’t think this Johnny’s was as good as the one in Clarendon Hill, Somerville, which features a hefty cereal selection, as well as a large selection of kitty foods for my felines. Charlestown Johnny’s never seemed to have the cat food I use, until about a month ago. Maybe they heard the pleading meows of my malnourished cats. They do have the Greek yogurt I like, and a decent granola crunch-​crunch aisle (the organic foods).
And what really got me going about this place was a delicious lunchtime sandwich. Oh yes. The deli counter breaks it out, old school, and makes sandwiches to order. Hell yes for the ham and cheese. Ask for Italian dressing; only douchebags eat mayo.
Watch out for those cashiers. I had some snippy service. Also, NEVER get behind the lady that buys enough meat to feed a pride of lions in the check-​out line. Meat lady takes forever. Other than that, I would say rock out in Johnny’s before traveling to a rip-​off store like Stop and Shop.

Five stars for this market getting its act together and catering to the Charles-​rent-​townians that pay big bucks to live in nice condo and apartments.
Foodmaster, now has sushi, organics food, delivery, and fresh produce. Also, their fish and selection of deli meats is excellent.
It is clean, moderately priced and conveniently located for the whole city. I live in East Cambridge and I only have to take a quick trip over the bridge to shop
Not surprised they are trying to high end it. With the North Point condos popping up, they will HAVE to really compete with Shaws in Twin City Plaza. That will essentially be its competition once the development is complete!