Key Food on Washington - nasTAY

apollonia666

So I just got home from Key Food, which I've been going to because the C-Town on Washington is pretty grody, and I'm pretty annoyed. I know they're renovating and all, but they've got some major problems right now. First of all, be really careful in the back by the sandwich meats, because something's leaking and causing a huge, slippery puddle back there, which I found out the hard way:



Lucky for them I'm not a litigious sort. I'm going to spare you the sight of the accompanying bruise on my left buttcheek. I also got my pants soaked in nasty-ass meat juice/shoe dirt water.

Also, the freezer isn't working at all, so be wary of their frozen foods until they get it fixed (and, presumably, until any of the food that's in there right now is all gone). I reached in and the air inside was downright muggy, and the package of "frozen" shrimp I picked up (and quickly put back down) felt like it was full of warm liver.

Gross. I'm calling FreshDirect next time.

drano

Key Food in general is trouble. The one on 7th has improved a lot, but I remember the first time I went in there (10 or 12 years ago) - open food everywhere. Apparently people just rolled in there, opened what they wanted, ate, and threw the rest back on the shelf. I know stuff happens and all, but apparent someone had had the time to polish off half a package of DUBL STUFF Oreos, a couple envelopes of ham and half a quart of beer - and that was just what I saw. Vermin issues were about what one would expect under the circumstances.

The Key Food on Flatbush was depressing right up until a few years ago. D'agostino's is generally nicer, but they murder you on price.

whyfi

I walked in to that Key Food once... walked right back out, too... Ditto with C-Town. Now we either Fresh Direct or we get stuff at a combination of Met and Natural Land.

armchair_warrior

awww, glad youre okay though. damn that sounds nasty. we should start a boycott or something.

apollonia666

armchair_warrior wrote: awww, glad youre okay though. damn that sounds nasty. we should start a boycott or something.

Thank you. It's ugly but I'll live.

I don't know that it should go as far as a boycott, but they really need to do something about that store before someone gets hurt worse from the slippery floors or someone gets food poisoning from the freezer section. I'm certainly not going back until they iron this stuff out.

mc

God, I love Brooklyn. Yes, I've come across questionably items on Wash. in Key Food & C-town. I think I may be the only person who's bought meat at C-town, cooked, eaten it and not died. It's certainly not the best quality, though. The key food has far better produce than C-town, but I can't recall if I've ever bought meat/ seafood there.

If you want better quality, Natural Foods on Flatbush seems to be the closest & best for produce & seafood. The Keyfood across the street definately has better quality meat. Their produce is good, but I think it's pricier and has a poor selection compaired with Natural Foods.

stacey

Try the Key Food on 5th Ave. It is always clean, the meat and veggies fresh and if you ever have a problem or request the manager is always on hand and extremely attentive.

They also deliver

mc

stacey wrote: Try the Key Food on 5th Ave. It is always clean, the meat and veggies fresh and if you ever have a problem or request the manager is always on hand and extremely attentive.

They also deliver

True. It's a bit far for me, though. Generally, if I get produce from Natural Land & everything else from Met Food on Vandy. If I'm lazy and not feeling picky, I just go to whatever's closest at the time.

Also, I've made requests for food items at C-town & Met Food and they have both filled those requests.

All that being said, I wish there was one place close by that could fill all my perfevt world food shopping needs, but I've yet to encounter one.

tony balls

Drano wrote: Key Food in general is trouble.

This is kind of misleading. Key Foods (like Associated, Met, D'Agostino, etc.) is a franchised name, and they are run independantly of each other. They cant be bad in "general".


Plus, the one on Flatbush is awesome.

drano

Tony Balls wrote: [quote=Drano]Key Food in general is trouble.

This is kind of misleading. Key Foods (like Associated, Met, D'Agostino, etc.) is a franchised name, and they are run independantly of each other. They cant be bad in "general".


Plus, the one on Flatbush is awesome.

Oh yeah, it's done a complete turnaround, but I found it pretty bad a few years back.

As far as the other thing goes, maybe the franchise terms were pretty loose for Key Foods, I really don't know - but there was a time when all the ones I went to seemd to be a cut below the other names you mention. Home office didn't seem to be doing much to protect the name, in other words.

Not a scientific study, mind you, I'm sure someone will say that the one across the street from them has always but always been the BOMB and it might well be true. Just my experience.

liftandcut

I second the Key Food on 5th ave. motion. It's worth it to go over there. Best music too. However, when I really want to do some shopping, Pathmark is the best. Quickest inventory turnover, and honestly, the best fish around. Better fish than those two ripoff Japanese stores on 7th ave. near 3rd street. With or without the Pathmark card, it's also the least expensive grocery. For my organics I go to one of the couple health food spots.

sterling2000

They've been upgrading their coolers, displays and products for the last month or so, so I think this leak (which I first saw on Sunday) is part of that.

Yes, it's a bit on the nasty side, and yes, some products to ignore, but I think it might be getting better along with some of the local bodegas upgrading their look and products, too.

(BTW...I like the store on Flatbush & Sterling...plus, open 24 hours)

idlewild

It's a shame Fairway doesn't run pick up buses around here. Quite frankly, other than the Co-op and Fairway the best place to get good meat is the Farmer's market in GAP. If it's deli meat the Key Food on Flatbush by Sterling is clean enough. Also, the bagel store on 7th Ave and Carroll has a good, clean selection and at a decent price.

sweet tea

I'm pretty pleased with the Met on Vandy, although i sure wish it were a little closer to me. they have bleeding-heart chicken (no hormones, no antibiotics, free (ish) range, all that good stuff) and beef, which makes me glad. i wish they carried the ronny brook milk, but it is fun to have a reason to go to the farmers' market.

i often wish the c-town on washington would be acquired by another company and stop smelling like a cess-pit, but i'd probably be too dogged by fears of lingering nast to go into the new place.

bigguy

I know it's not in the nabe, but I'm a huge fan of Pacific Green over in Cobble Hill - Court & Pacific I think. Awesome produce including lots of different melons (my weak spot) and Milka chocolate bars (OK 2 weak spots). Any time I can get over there to get Galia melons I do - the whole place is somewhere between a market and a bodega, sorta like Natural Land.

daisyh

Also not in the nabe, but if you're looking for a reasonably priced butcher, the best place is Los Paisanos on Smith St. Nice guys, good prices, and clean, clean, clean...

kasmircat

Subject: Brotherly-hate at Key food on Wash.

I read through the trail of comments about how nasty and how its getting better.....but did anyone witness the owners fighting a couple of weekends ago? One of the brothers was so mad at the other, that he jumped onto the register counter and was flailing his arms and screaming to his brother that he is tired of all his shit and wants out of the business. the police were there and everthing. it was very bizarre, my poor roommate was just standing at the register trying to by a pineapple and the owners were fighting like crazy. :roll: he had to leave sans pineapple!

drano

See, now all I can think of is the time that Rowdy Roddy Piper clobbered Jimmy Snuka with a pineapple and how cool it would have been if that guy had done it.

I guess I just admitted I used to watch wrasslin' when I was a kid.

apollonia666

Subject: Re: Brotherly-hate at Key food on Wash.

kasmircat wrote: I read through the trail of comments about how nasty and how its getting better.....but did anyone witness the owners fighting a couple of weekends ago? One of the brothers was so mad at the other, that he jumped onto the register counter and was flailing his arms and screaming to his brother that he is tired of all his shit and wants out of the business. the police were there and everthing. it was very bizarre, my poor roommate was just standing at the register trying to by a pineapple and the owners were fighting like crazy. :roll: he had to leave sans pineapple!

Just to make sure I understand... this was at Key Food? Or one of the other places mentioned above?

liftandcut

See, now all I can think of is the time that Rowdy Roddy Piper clobbered Jimmy Snuka with a pineapple and how cool it would have been if that guy had done it.

Yo, I got that on tape and I just watched it last week! That shit is mad funny.

drano

liftandcut wrote:

See, now all I can think of is the time that Rowdy Roddy Piper clobbered Jimmy Snuka with a pineapple and how cool it would have been if that guy had done it.

Yo, I got that on tape and I just watched it last week! That shit is mad funny.

Oh yeah! What I remember is that Snuka was looking all bad, and everybody was really really sure that Roddy Piper was going to get his comeuppance and then...SMACKO! Dude knocked over the set and everything...and then when he managed to get up, Piper just takes off through that conveniently located door thereby cementing his "cowardly heel" status.

Might have been a coconut now that I replay it in my mind, but there was definitely a pineapple in the mix somewhere.

liftandcut

I think it was a pineapple, but I will have to check out the tape again. Might have been a coconut though. I'll have to get back to you on that.

kasmircat

Subject: Re: Brotherly-hate at Key food on Wash.

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Just to make sure I understand... this was at Key Food? Or one of the other places mentioned above?

Yeah, sorry....it was the Key Food on Washington St. at Lincoln.