Good Foods Co-op

yay kale

This organic co-​op grocery/​deli fits perfectly into the ambiance of the Southland neighborhood. They have tons of locally grown seasonal produce for sale, alone with grocery items perfect for whatever kick you’re currently on (vegan, gluten-​free, sugar-​free, Whole30, whatever). I wouldn’t say their meat selection is as extensive as Critchfield’s, but they do have some things Critchfield’s didn’t (believe it or not).
Additionally, their salad bar/​buffet/​deli is perfect for those grocery-​store food cravings, while still giving you the option to make healthy choices.
While Lucky’s or Whole Foods could give this place a run for its money, the niche market of Southland and that amazing deli should keep Good Foods running for years to come.

I would’ve given zero star if I could. Got some brunch items from the brunch buffet on January 1. Shouldn’t have eaten those at all! The items were cold. Should’ve known improper temperature could’ve been trouble. Took my chances and regretted very quickly: had diarrhea and visited the bathroom at least three times in the next few hours! It took about two days before I recovered.
WILL NEVER RETURN. NOR WILL I RECOMMEND IT TO ANYONE!

Love this place. Great staff, great food options for vegans, omnivores and everything in between.
They have an amazing bulk selection and have many local farm to Table options.
I shop here almost exclusively in the winter until the farmers markets open up again… and even then they have my stables like almond milk, breads and frozen items.
They also have an amazing buffet and they staff could not be any nicer. They’ll answer questions and explain food items. A great place in Lexington!

When a friend and I met for dinner at The Café in the CoOp, we first had to take a lap around the hot bar, salad bar, and survey the sandwich options before being able to make our dinner choices.
I am a sucker for a good salad bar and was not disappointed by their spread– tons of fresh veggies, fruits, cheeses, proteins (meat & vegetarian), dressings, and other salad toppings. It is a pay-​per-​weight system, but my salad was under $ 7 and nearly filled the whole bowl.
Friendly cashiers and staff!

The good foods coop has been around for a long time and it is literally part of the fabric of Lexington. For years, it has been preparing awesome healthy food, serving the community. The hot bar always has something on it that is great. And, the crown jewel of the coop is the desert selection… outstanding. The people who work there are awesome as well. It is my father’s favorite place to eat. Whenever I am in town, I know we will go there. Visitors should not skip this place, it is unique indeed.

I started coming here in the late 70s, when I was in high school, and the Good Foods Co op was about the size of a large closet. What a terrific evolution!
I stop in every time I’m in Lexington, and love everything about it still-​the produce, food, and drink selections, the hot bar, coffee bar, sushi bar, dessert section; vitamin, herb, and skin care section, etc… you get it. I’ve lived all over, and have yet to find a better Co op out there. So much more Soul than the corporate Whole Foods.

The 4 stars is really for the store itself. We 2 vegans did not eat here because the food looked past its peak — we were here late afternoon. But the store is clean and well stocked, and the staff was friendly. We actually stopped back 3 days later to buy more food to take home with us.

Lit isn’t very often that I think this after a meal, but I thoroughly enjoyed eating at this place. It seemed like a good price for a good meal. They had a meal bar and charged by the pound, so you could eat as little or as much as you wanted to. I had the fish with green beans and broccoli. It leaves you feeling satisfied and refreshed instead of stuffed and sleepy.

We discovered the buffet at Good Foods Co-​op via Unilocal reviews during a tour of UK for my daughter, and we just about chose the university because of its buffet. We have eaten just about every meal at the hot and cold food bars on our three trips to Lexington. Also have had delicious soups, pressed sandwiches, smoothies, coffee drinks and desserts. The Kale dish in the hot bar is something special. So impressed with the entire store and staff, especially with those chefs making these dishes.

Good selection of both premade food and groceries. We stopped by here on our way to the airport. All of the staff were super helpful and the veggies were delicious.

This review is for the Café. IT’S MY FAVORITE PLACE TO EAT IN LEXINGTON. I’d pass up any fine dining downtown to eat at Good Foods. I’m a most-​of-​the-​time vegetarian, and their salad bar is where it’s at. My favorites are the kale peanut salad and the quinoa with sundried tomatoes. They have little cups you can sample items with which is really nice. Even their ice water is good! I love that dispenser that shoots out the little soft ice squares and water at the same time. Genius.
The hot bar is good, but it’s just not my thing.
I don’t know why, but it’s a good place to eat alone. It has a coffee shop kind of feel (and they do serve good coffee) with people on their laptops and reading books.
I love it.
I also recommend checking out the Habitat Restore a few doors down. You never know what you’ll find!

A rare place in Kentucky with organic foods! Wonderful service and fresh food bar make this place a go to for all your meals:)

Lexington’s only food co-​op and my go-​to place for local produce and meats!
They pretty much offer whatever you may be looking for; produce, meat, dairy, cleaning products, beer, artisan cheese, sushi, in-​house baked goods, bulk foods, bulk coffee and tea, natural skincare, herbal remedies. heck, they even have incense and bath salts!!! Yes, some things might be a bit pricier than what you would find at your regular grocery store but other things can be cheaper. you get good quality of stuff, support a co-​op, and the local farmers by shopping here!
The co-​op also happens to be my dining option when I don’t have time to cook but I want to avoid junk food. They have a buffet of hot foods, several options of soups, a huge salad bar and sandwiches. Anyone can definitely find something to eat here whether a vegetarian, vegan, gluten-​free or avoiding nuts due to allergies.
One thing I found useful is to follow them on facebook to keep informed about their in-​store events and also find out what’s served on the hot buffet on that day!

Sigh. Memories.
This co-​op was my very first introduction to «hippie food.» I grew up in Owensboro, Kentucky; when I left, our «health food store» was probably the size of Good Foods’ freezer section (if that). My friend who had lived in Lexington brought me here for lunch about 13 years ago when I was at UK. This was my first love affair with groceries.
I visited again recently on an impromptu trip to UK and am glad to see that the co-​op still rocks my world. (Actually, I wish Columbus co-​ops would visit this one and see how amazing they could be if they just tried.) Great bulk section. Great café. Amazing coffee and chocolate selection. Fab beer selection. They even have fair trade cocoa at a great price! I bought some to take home with me.
(Am I the only person who ends up going to grocery stores for fun when they’re traveling? Hm.)
I met the same friend for brunch while I was in town and let me tell you – those red pepper grits are hands-​down some of the best grits I’ve ever had. Even my Californian husband was like, «dude, I actually LIKE these grits». High praise, as he remains skeptical of my polenta. The rest of our brunch was good, too; they had vegan options, which I didn’t need but made me happy to see.
I almost feel like I would move back to Lexington just to go to the co-​op. It’s that great.

Defiantly a hot spot for lunch! The sandwiches sounded delicious and the salad bar looked yummy and so super fresh! Highly recommended and I will defiantly be coming here for groceries and maybe lunch too! Cool spot!

This place was my vegan oasis in a town where my options are limited!
I asked the BF to take me to Good Foods Co-​Op for some pre-​Thanksgiving shopping. Even though we were in his hometown, he has never been. So it was fun to explore this place together :)
This place has such legit vegan options, I’m a bit embarrassed for underestimating Lexington’s vegan potential because this place has got it goin’ on! Here’s a list of goodies we ended up buying:
— Upton’s Naturals Italian Seitan
— Sweet Earth Natural Foods — Hickory Sage & Smoked Seitan «Bacon»
— Coconut Bliss Ice Cream — Ginger Cookie Caramel
— Almond Dream non-​dairy yogurt — coconut flavored
— Basil plant in a water pouch
— Vegan spinach artichoke dip from the food bar
The most successful find was a 9″ Vegan Pumpkin Pie for $ 9.99 from the bakery!!! An entire 9″ vegan pie!!! Many places in Los Angeles might easily charge $ 9.99 just for a slice so I naturally thought the price was a misprint. An employee overheard my surprise and confirmed that the price was correct and that I should take it because it was the last one. No arm twisting required, that pie was mine! Hooray for Lexington prices! For the record, it was one of the most delicious pumpkin pies, vegan or otherwise, that I’ve ever had!
I really like this place! Great vegan selections and the staff is friendly and helpful. I would support this co-​op over Whole Foods any day! :)

My wife and I were looking for a good spot to eat breakfast before a football game. We decided to check this place out. We were presently surprised with a great selection eclectic, healthy, as well as comfort foods. Putting a new twist on breakfast is hard but this place sure did it. The best part about it was we could enjoy a cold beer with our meal. Great place for foodies looking a quick bite.

This is my first time here for their Holiday Sampling Event and it’s amazing! Free samples with generous portions, live music, and great vegetarian and vegan food at each of the 5 stations.
I had to drive around forever to find a parking place and I almost gave up. I’m glad I didn’t! The place is really packed, especially at the front (grocery) end of the store. The biggest issue was juggling my plate and cider while eating my finger food. I finally opted to plop myself near the yogurt and fresh produce to eat! After passing stations 1 and 2, it wasn’t so bad.
I’m already a vegetarian but I want to move towards being vegan. There were plenty of vegan and vegetarian offerings so I now have lots of new ideas for the holidays.
Thank you, Good Foods Co-​Op, for offering this excellent welcome to the holidays. Well done!

Oh, how I love this place. Good Foods makes me happy.
My hippie heart dances upon walking through the doors.
Co-​ops are pretty much a dying breed. A co-​op in Lexington with so many local goodies fills me with joy: meats, cheese, eggs, vegetables, soaps, sauces, salads, etc. One aisle is full of bulk goodies, another has a good selection of beer, and yet more aisles are filled with organic pet food, green cleaning supplies, fair-​trade coffee, sushi, vitamins, baked goods, herbs, vegan foods, and everything else to fill your crunchy home. They also stock my favorite brand of incense (Morning Star), which is the icing on the cake — it’s not that easy to find. (Psst: you can also find organic duck eggs here from my adopted Aunt’s duck farm.)
Yeah, it may not be cheap, but if you budget and stick to just what you need, you’ll be fine. And you’ll be supporting your local community instead of white rich guys using slave labor in other parts of the country to grow off-​season tomatoes for you. Think about that. Feed your body, feed your soul, and help the world out a little bit here. Good Foods is the real deal. You can also bet I got one of their bumper stickers and slapped it on the back window of my car. (It stayed there for nearly a year until the car died a couple weeks ago.)
I have yet to try the hot buffet or salad bar or anything for lunch… next time.
Definitely next time. And maybe the week after. And the next day.
*skips merrily down the aisles*