Eat Fresh Urban Market

This store is the furthest one from where I live, yet the one I prefer to shop above all the others for two reasons: the produce, and the bakery! The parking area used to be quite small, but was recently upgraded and improved, and the store has never been crowded when I arrive. It's clean, well stocked, the prices are great and the staff universally and consistently friendly. The meat selection here appears to favor local suppliers, and there is a good variety, although limited seafood selection. I was impressed with the quality of the bakery items available, as well as the deli area, where there are quite a few things that you can't find elsewhere. This store strikes me as one of those "local gems" that people may not realize is as great as it is. It's not a huge store, but they pack a great deal of value. If I could find a salmon pinwheel here one day, I'd stop haunting the competition for convenience and just factor in the extra mileage!

What a fantastic Market! I spoke with the owner today to let him know they are so competitively priced and most things are below the prices of other local grocery chains. He took time to explain differences in several products which was so appreciated. Good brands of product, excellent butcher, good produce section. Wonderful!

Great location and store layout! Amazing bakery items and great selection of produce! The friendly staff and incredible butchers in the meat department make this a one stop shop! Picked up a salad to take on the ferry it was delicious!
Thanks Eats Fresh- urban market- stocking our Grandpa J’s Seasonings line up in store!
Must try our Greko Lemon Seasoning for Greek lemon roast potatoes at home. BC Food and beverage top 10 finalist for product of the year 2022!

Great fresh foods, love the deli and bakery. Store always busy, but worth the visit. They have expanded their parking which helps.

The best place to grocery shop with a meat department that is locally sourced high quality meat and a bakery that makes fresh pastries that are to die for.

Picked up a few Steaks, the market has some great products.
Ribeyes we had had great marble and were very tender, definitely going to be my local meat shop from now on!
House Tzatziki dip was spot on too!

Great place to stop by for your bakery, meats, produce and deli items while grocery shopping. The rest of the dry shelf goods can be bought at the big box stores. They offer high quality foods you want to feed yourself and your family.

This is a one stop shop. Excellent butcher. They source their meat locally whenever they can. The salads are fantastic. Make sure you get one before 2 pm because they sell out. They’re freshly made every day. Bakery is awesome. Many high end products at a reasonable price.

This place is amazing
I've given up shopping at other super markets.it has everything you could possibly want to make your every-day cooking simple. Wow wow

BUYERS AWARE! ***I purchased a bag of loaf from the store and realized they have passed the best-before date for a few days. So I returned to the store the next day with the receipt, and told the cashier about the situation. The cashier took the rest of the loaf down from the shelves and asked her supervisor for processing the refund to me. After talking with her supervisor, she told me that nobody at the store can process the refund to me at the moment. I have never encountered in my life that the store couldn’t provide refund to customers if the *person* has to be in the store to do refund for expired goods. I told her that I don’t live in the area and I won’t come back again for another time. So in the end, I was going to purchase some bake goods and they provided me credits this way. It was my first time visiting the store and it sure is my last time.

I was denied entry, discrimination against my human rights, with my service dog. I had the required medical letter, my dog is task trained.

This store is the furthest one from where I live, yet the one I prefer to shop above all the others for two reasons: the produce, and the bakery! The parking area is quite small, but the store has never been crowded when I arrive. It's clean, well stocked, the prices are great and the staff universally and consistently friendly. The meat selection here appears to favor local suppliers, and there is a good variety, although limited seafood selection. I was impressed with the quality of the bakery items available, as well as the deli area, where there are quite a few things that you can't find elsewhere. This store strikes me as one of those "local gems" that people may not realize is as great as it is. It's not a huge store, but they pack a great deal of value. If I could find a salmon pinwheel here one day, I'd stop haunting the competition for convenience and just factor in the extra mileage!

Go there offen the fruit & vegetables are always fresh. The meat cuts are outstanding and stop by the baking section they have great goodies & Breads. Great place

Well lit, clean. Huge selection of organic produce and meats as well as bulk item bins. The cheese section is immaculate and spot on.
Attentive, friendly staff will help you find whatever you need. The prepared foods, along with deli meats are always fresh. Seafood? Yeah they have that in the back.those bacon wrapped scallops are always on our list.the butcher and cut meats in the carnivore section are simply worth every penny. I do love me a nice piece of seared animal flesh, prefferably BEEF but they have many kinds to choose from.all cut in house by highly skilled meat-artisans
The sections in this store are well defined and after a few visits, I'm sure you'll feel right at home. Fresh breads prepared in store. Lots healthy food in the cases which is also put together in store. Don't get me started on the dessert section. I call it the Gauntlet You'll see for yourself.
Hot coffee and related stuff up by the till after dessert case in case you cant wait til you get home to indulge. Those oregon potato crisps are of course well placed so you impulse buy them.nice placement.those chip are wonderful.esp the garilc parm. Lots of extra parking (it seems to me anyways, cause they knocked down a wall out back to the right as you pull in to the lot. I want to just say a simple thank you to the staff that do a wonderful job keeping this establishment in the top notch condition that makes me want to come back over and over and over again.
Well done and three cheers to the fine staff that most likely don't get the props they deserve.who among us does anymore? I know i certainly didnt.let's all be nice in the store coz too much ugly is not good for us.we can and should be doing better.and by saying this i am not implying or inferring that i had a bad experience there. Au contraire.this is the market where you should spend your hard earned money. 3 tills sometimes 4 and see you there. I am the one in the mask.thanks all.

What an incredible selection of groceries!
Visiting from Victoria and they have so many more products. I enjoyed the atmosphere of the store and I love the bakery so much, it is beautiful. Pastries and confectionary like I’ve never seen in Victoria markers. Lady at the bakery corner was so sweet and helpful! It really makes me sad that I have to come so far from home for good product, Victoria needs to step up it’s game really.

The man behind the meat counter seemes to think he has some authority over others based on the way he spoke and acted towards a lady who had a medical exemption. She was wearing a face shield, but claimed because eat fresh is an independent store they can make their own rules and those dont apply. You dont need proof of someones exemption, they dont have to disclose that to you. This is the second time ive seen this happen. I wont support a place who doesn't support all people, neither will my friends or family.

Sharon in the bakery made the shopping experience fantastic. Friendly, attentive and helpful. Topped off a great shopping trip. Thank you from the guy who doesn't like onions.

This place is the most amazing place for groceries and all sorts of goodies. If you have not bin here yet you are seriously missing out on a jem spot. Parksville best kept secret.

Great selection of garlic from everywhere. Staff super friendly and burgers are amazing. Been there twice and am gonna start going more often. A Lil pricey but worth it.

Out of all the grocery stores in Parksville this was the only one that I could find sausage casings for making home made sausages. They also have the best selection of meat, not so much on the fish side of the house. Great produce too! The staff here is awesome.

Absolutely one of the best stores for customer service in my many decades of shopping. Welcoming, friendly and always wanting to exceed your expectations. Keep it up Eat Fresh you could teach Thriftys and QF a thing or two on how to look after customers!

Best sausage rolls I've ever had. Masks required. Amazing costumer service. Overall a great place to shop.

I will start by saying that this is not my regular grocery store. I frequent this store probably once a month and buy about a weeks worth of stuff just to change it up. Its a bit more expensive but worth every penny. The bakery is a very long display case that you line up next to while waiting to go through the checkout and oh boy its packed with all kinds of delicious goodies. Very hard to resist. The Deli has some really good salads (my favorite is the Farro salad to go) and and curry chicken salad with the grapes is really good too. I don't eat a lot of beef but I really like the crab cakes (huge!) and the various fish cakes they make. Also they have stuffed chicken breasts and a really nice assortment of sausages (including lamb). I shop here when I want to 'treat myself and my hubby or guests to something unique and special. The quality of the ingredients, creativity, visual display reigns supreme here! It's fun and I'm worth it!

My family and I have shopped at Eat Fresh food store since it first opened right from the very beginning. Overall I have found it to be not a bad store but I have had problems when I’ve tried to voice my opinion on food that wasn’t mix properly from their deli or meats that were over seasoned and especially foods very often out of date and because of this I’ve had to throw food away in the past. Examples are European wieners and a ham that was very expensive and bad in the centre; cheese that has gone mouldy and chicken stock where the date had been removed from the jar and was going off when I opened the jar and had to be thrown away.

I have complained in the past but my complaints were never taken seriously and in fact, was told that I was mistaken. Despite that I continued to shop there in the hope that things would improve. However, they haven’t and I will never shop in the store again, nor will my family because of the latest incident.

For Christmas dinner I purchased a turkey raised without antibiotics which I do every year, not always from Eat Fresh as I shop around. This year I bought our turkey for $65 from Eat Fresh. I kept it in a very cold fridge in it’s original packing for three days and cooked it on Christmas Day. I noticed the turkey was thinner that others, very little meat and full of water. There was almost no nice turkey smell when it was cooking. I suspected that the bird wasn’t a very good one as it was flavourless when we tried it for. We actually put it back in our fridge without eating it. That evening I opened the fridge door and was hit by a very bad smell. Since I do know how dangerous bacteria can be in a sick chicken and or turkey I tossed the bird in the garbage. The next day I bought another turkey from a grocery store nearby and cooked another Christmas dinner. The new turkey was delicious.

I came into Eat Fresh a couple of days after and told a butcher about their turkey and he advised me to speak to the manager. I did but as the staff have all responsibility but no authority he advised me to speak with the owner. However, he had no idea when the owner would come to the store and I couldn’t call him. To make a long story short I didn’t see the owner until today and he refused to believe me or compensate. He said as it was nearly two months afterwards he wouldn’t do anything even though I couldn’t get a hold of I’m.

He was disrespectful towards me and said that it was very unlikely. He kept asking me the same questions over and over as if to trip me up and although the butcher verified seeing me and discussing the turkey he wouldn’t listen.

I said I would not shop there again and he said basically that he didn’t care.

Is this a person who should be selling perishable food products. I don’t think so.

I love Eat Fresh. Being new here and a health conscious person, its great. A bit pricey for some things but fresh produce is great and their meat is excellent. Customer service is 5 star, owners are always working on the floor and glad to help and chat.
Cashiers are always friendly.
The bakery is dangerous, the muffins are the best!

Was just helped by a wonderful, intelligent young women at the deli. So nice to see someone enforcing proper Covid safe protocol! It truly is refreshing to see people PROPERLY following guidelines. Amazing that is seems to be old people (who's lives are at highest stake) that can’t seem to figure it out. Masks above your nose or it doesn’t count ️

I am a new resident to Parksville and have shopped here numerous times. Recently a staff member guarding the front door attempted to intimidate and bully me about the mask wearing although I did have a mask on but obviously not to "her satisfaction". I now hear this is not the only incident of intimidation at that store. I advised her that I get light headed and could faint to which she replied each time that she "did not care". She is obviously not educated on medical exempts, especially the elderly which I am one. She needs to educate herself on our Charter and our rights. I would never recommend this store or shop there again.

I have to say, I ordered a carrot cake for our 51st anniversary Aug 31. It was thd driest carrots cake I have ever bought. This was the first time ever buying anything sub par. I will say though their cinnamon buns and sticky buns are the islands best along with many other baked goodies and pre prepared foods.

We are not sure why they don't put prices on some of their produce. Very frustrating when trying to decide on a purchase.otherwise a good store.

The best place to grocery shop with a meat department that is locally sourced high quality meat and a bakery that makes fresh pastries that are to die for.the most amazing squares that make you feel you died and gone to heaven and the people are so incredibly nice and personable. It is a joy to shop here with the only downside being the parking lot is usually full.but that is because it is the best place to shop.

We visited this store on a whim and we are happy we did. Their meat counter is spectacular. The prices are great and the people are friendly.

Thank you for being so friendly and kind to your customers. Excellent quality, amazing service and variety in products. If are in need of a quick lunch or having a dinner party and need to impress your guests, this is your one stop shop!

Best Keylime tarts on the island! All their bakery items are to die for! Fresh food! Steaks, hamburger or chicken, perfect for a grab and go before you head to the Parksville Community Beach or a friend's house for a barbecue! Very clean!

Fresh foods, many local products, great made in store meat items, great deli and baked goods. Fantastic place to shop.

I always enjoy shopping here because the selection is beyond what one would expect in a small market. Always good quality items and fairly priced.

Well lit, clean. Huge selection of organic produce and meats as well as bulk item bins. Attentive, friendly staff will help you find whatever you need. I like that there is a lot of stuff that the old country market in Coombs has for sale, but none of the attitude and the peculiarities. The sections in this store are well defined and after a few visits, I'm sure you'll feel right at home. Fresh breads prepared in store. Lots healthy food in the cases which is also put together in store. Don't get me started on the dessert section. You'll see for yourself. Hot coffee and related stuff up by the dessert case in case you cant wait til you get home to indulge.

They don’t recycle! Everything except cardboard and organics go in the trash even the compostable cups and biodegradable cutlery.

Will not give refunds on clearly spoiled items.
Check expiration dates on everything they are often selling products way past their sell before dates.

I feel bad for their staff, they look like the life has been sucked out of them. The constant turn over is a clear indication of how bad this place is.

Ive seen the grey haired woman flip out on a few customers while I was shopping even going so far as to make the woman cry and calling her a liar.
Better to go to Costco your self rather than supporting this company

The beach is what brought us to Parksville, though this absolute gem of a grocery store is most likely what will keep us here.

Greek salad with goat cheese feta
8.98 enough for 2 meals it’s over where the packaged salads. The manager spent his time explaining the oils and oregano. Unbelievable 10/10.

Totally bummed. I have enjoyed this store on so many levels. I have shoped from DAY 1. The whole consept of the store is just what is needed in our growing community. In saying that, I resently bought a steak for a pre-christmas dinner. It was a special dinner for my loved one. Going all out I wanted the best steak in town. Which I believe Eat Fresh would come through.
I bought a stripe loin alittle over 25.00 dollars. That is a sum of money for my little family to put out for one steak. But this was a special occasion. I have by the way boughten steak as well as almost everything in the meat counter one time or another since the opening of the meat department. Watching it grow has been my pleasure as I am a carnivore through and through.
Back to the steak. I brought the steak home. Cooked it to a medium rare, let it rest. Then cut it up and served it with our dinner lovelies.
The steak was sinew. We chewed and chewed till we were spitting peice after piece back onto our plates.
Let me tell ya that was a sad dinner indeed.
My disappiontment was only magnified when after christmas I go back to eat fresh to talk to the guy behind the meat counter. I say to him the I am sorry but I have a complaint. I say to him I never complain but this has really been something I need to say. So I tell him my story about the dinner I made and how it was special so I bought a 25.00 dollar stipe
loin, 25.00 dollars, I say again. Only to have be sinew layden. How much it really sucked as it was a special dinner.
Well the meat guy says. Well it looked good to you when it was in the counter, it looked good to us cutting it up and sometimes, things like this just happen. Then he smiles. I say ok, I just wanted you to know. He smiles again, shruggs his shoulders an off we both go.
For me i was very disappointed that the meat counter guy actually kinda made it my fault in some strange way. I bought the steak. After all, he said, looked good to you in the counter.
Gotta tell ya, after the hundreds of dollars I have spent on meat from the meat counter, the attending counter guy could have been alittle more understanding in some small way. Even saying sorry for my exsperiance. Sorry for my special dinner being foilded over bad senewed meat from his counter. Somethimg that didnt make me feel, it was my fault for believing the steak I was buying was worth over 25.00 dollars, when it clearly wasn't. Costomer service SUCKED IN SO MANY WAYS. And My Special Dinner Was Special For ALL THE WRONG REASONS. Sorry for the long story. I just needed to let some one know. Thankyou for your time.

Great selection, good fresh produce, nice deli and e extensive bakery. Convenient location and good prices.

One of the owners of this place is great, or the other one is a power-hungry belittling desk bully. He considers himself to be all-powerful thinks he is better than everyone else. When his nose gets out of joint who makes big man decisions hides behind his employees or desk instead of dealing with the situation one on one. I am forced to voice my opinion this way as others will be punished if I confront him about his attitude.

Eat Fresh is simply a pleasure to shop at. Warm, well stocked, kind service, knowledgable staff, top notch meats and thoughtful products. There is rarely a need to go elsewhere and I highly recommend?