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The best grocery store on the planet.

5 Posted on 11 / 24 / 2012

This grocery store has the, hands-down, best bulk department outside of a village mart in the north of India.
This is a must for any vegan, vegetarian and/or Indian out of towner.

Pros: Bulk Department, Produce Department., All Vegetarian.

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Amazing Selections

5 Posted on 04 / 05 / 2012

I had read about this place on happycow and have been to their previous, smaller location some years ago. Decided to stop in on my last San Francisco trip a few months back. Here's my Rainbow Grocery review.

It's is housed in a huge warehouse space. No fancy lighting like Whole Food Market, but the selections are even more extensive and incredible. And everything is vegetarian (or vegan)!

It took me a long time to go up and down the isles, marveled at the range of selections. I ended up buying a whole bag full of yummies and treats.

Be ready to bag your own grocery.

Pros: huge selections, all veg, good prices

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The most magical place on earth

5 Posted on 08 / 31 / 2011

This is my favorite natural foods store in the *world*, such that for some items I wait until a family visit to the Bay Area to stock up at Rainbow Grocery (no kidding). The vitamins section was helpful with custom orders during my father's fight with cancer - they have everything and will do discounted bulk orders for you. Their household goods section is dangerous (you'll buy more than you need because everything is so cool) - natural cleaners, carved wooden spoons, beeswax candles, natural cleaning brushes, recycled glass coasters, recycled paper notepads. The produce selection is impressive, especially considering Rainbow's policy to take produce that other stores reject because they're not aesthetically pleasing (what a waste!). The cosmetics section is a dream (I second the Gabrielle/ZuZu Luxe supply shout out, as well as the "great wall" of non-toxic shampoo and conditioner options). They have numerous organic and biodynamic wines. They carry traditional Indonesian tempe (i.e. nothing but soy)! I've been avoiding mention of the bulk section. Anything I say here will be insufficient. It. Is. Amazing. The supply of reusable containers is the best I've ever seen (e.g. cotton bags for bulk foods, plastic and glass containers for toiletries and food, and more). And do you like/eat cheese? Look no further.

Other reviews cover most of the other wonderful things about this cooperative, but I really like supporting this business. Further, I really *like* paying the sometimes higher prices to support this sustainable business - Trader Schmoe's and Costco are anything but sustainable. The people I know who work there (i.e. the owners) love it. There should be more businesses like this - great for the employees, the customers, society at large, and the world.

Pros: Variety, Sustainable, Local
Cons: Only in San Francisco, California, USA

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Bulk section = out of control

5 Posted on 05 / 04 / 2011

This is probably the only place I've seen everything from garbanzo bean flour to tofu to peanut butter to olive oil in bulk. Talk about reducing packaging.

They also have just about every "health" food you could ever want. Great produce as well but with the farmer's markets in the area you hardly need it.

Probably the best grocery store in the world, and all vegetarian from what I'm told.

Pros: has everything, good prices, bulk section
Cons: parking, long lines

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Has Everything.

5 Posted on 01 / 22 / 2010

Rainbow Grocery is great! They have everything! From bakery section where most of it is vegan, to cards. I have never found my makeup (ZuZu Luxe) in any store but here.

Pros: great selection, fully stocked, neat and clean

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The Best

4 Posted on 11 / 18 / 2009

This is the best Co-op on the face of the planet, period. No meat in the store anywhere. It is a Vegan oasis! It's as big as a supermarket filled with organic food and other products, huge bulk bins, cool pierced/tattooed workers, great environmentally conscience customers, many who are Vegan. I feel clean shopping here, which I go at least twice a week. THANK GOODNESS FOR RAINBOW GROCERY! Another of the many reasons I love living in San Francisco. It only gets a 4 for still having dairy. B-)

Pros: No Meat, Organic, Huge Vegan Selection
Cons: Dairy

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Best Grocery Store I've been to, yet!

5 Posted on 09 / 11 / 2009

Wow, I can't tell you how impressed I was with this place. Yes, it is chaotic with massively long check out lines at time, but guess why? They have EVERYTHING! Even in LA I have to visit 3 different grocery stores to accomplish my shopping, but Rainbow somehow manages to carry vast product lines of just about everything natural organic vegan you can imagine!

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this place is amazing!!

5 Posted on 07 / 19 / 2008

I checked this place out on my last trip to San Francisco and was pretty amazed by this place. There we so many vegan items in all of the aisles to choose from and a HUGE bulk section that I would definetely utilize if I lived in SF. Part of my reason for going to Rainbow (besides to check it out) was to purchase some items to eat on my trip home the next day. I needed to buy a lunch and dinner from the pre-pacakged food section and I was literally standing in this one corner of the store for at least a half an hour before I finally decided what I was going to get. There were so many choices and I was also trying to balance it out - like "well i can't get that because this item i am getting for my lunch has rice in it and these grains are almost like rice." I also got a sandwhich which I ate later that day for dinner. I couldn't believe how many companies choices they had for me to choose from. Aunt Nettie's hummus was awesome! Definetly get some if you go to Rainbow. There were also lots of vegan dessert options in the aisles too... so tempting... it was hard to decide which one to get. I ended up getting two Coconut Bars imported from Japan ... amazing... and some local guys vegan choc chip cookies (Cal Moon Bakery... not very good.. tasted too healthy). They had reasonable prices for products like Seventh Generation tissues, and bulk teas. I will definetly shop here again if given the chance on my next trip to SF.

Pros: huge, lots of vegan selections

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I miss it!

5 Posted on 08 / 23 / 2007

I LOVE Rainbow Grocery. I wish there was a grocery store like this in EVERY city.

While living in San Francisco, it got to the point where I would only shop there (sans produce, of course).

It's the vegan/vegetarian mecca. The bulk foods section is second to NONE. The prices are MORE than reasonable (a dollar LESS for komboucha than anywhere else).

Pros: Price, Bike Parking, Co-Op