Whitneyville Food Center in
Hamden Township (CT)

This gourmet grocery store is an invaluable asset to our neighborhood. Aside from the fact that is an impeccable, well maintained business, the merchandise is displayed not unlike a high end department store on the upper East side of New York. The prepared foods are delicious, healthful and easy on the eyes. The produce section is right out of a high end gourmet magazine. The Whitneyville Food Center adds a layer of feeling safe to all of us who live in its proximity. The owner is very committed to this area and goes over and beyond to make shopping there a pleasant experience. I can't even go into a Stop n' Shop much less shop in there over this fabulous place! You get what you pay for and the quality of their merchandise is well worth going in for. I love the outdoor seating where folks can enjoy one of their delicious prepared meals.

Very clean, and orderly. Well stocked, and friendly people. The sandwiches and deli salads I have had are fresh and delicious. Wonderful place for lunch. Also a pleasant place to so some food shopping. Much better atmosphere, than the big box stores.

Fine little corner market, wish they were open later: “oh man, I don’t have any /etc. all too often occurs after 6pm weekdays, and with 10-4 hours on Saturdays, I’ve basically come to assume it’s closed weekends.

Great market with entertaining staff and fresh prepared foods/sandwiches. The guy working behind the deli was a character, I loved it! He was so funny I'd go there just to banter with him. The chicken cutlet sandwich I had was awesome.

It's a good place to buy a few things that you may not be able to buy at the grocery store. The prices are kind of higher than I can afford but most everything is pretty fresh. I like the convenience and I'm willing to pay a little more for it sometimes.

Whitneyville market did not disappoint!!!!!! I was referred to this great little market by a neighbor. Particularly for burgers. OMG so delicious. I am a food snob and I love a burger on the grill. The store is so beautiful. Clean welcoming very well organized. They have a bakery case and have a great selection. The pistachio cake was outstanding and the cupcakes were great. I already am a repeat customer, only having had this one encounter. Thank you .

A local small food market with meat counter, homemade dishes from Moroccan cous cous , vegetatian main dishes such as chicken with lemon, stiffed shrimp, It has great fresh produce. It is a gourmet Stop and shop. Also nice size parking lot. It is conveniently located on Whitney Avenue. Helpful friendly staff.

The food is very good and there is a good selection, especially the bread but it is a bit pricey

I couldn't believe I paid $12 for 3 cupcakes!

Very gross. I’ve seen dogs in this store on more than one occasion. The deli staff also don’t wear gloves and I don’t think I’ve ever seen them wash their hands before preparing my food. For such an expensive store, I’d expect them to care a little more about cleanliness.

I love their packaged fruit and nuts. They also have some Jewish type desserts where you can buy one flavor and or several. They also have prepared healthy different types of salads. A little pricey but different and fresh.

I was delighted to find figs out of season that I could not find at Whole Foods. I dropped an item which a worker kindly picked up for me. I met a grade school youngster using the little cart and learning to pay for his purchase. It warmed my heart.

Absolutely Love this lovely little market. The deli department and meats and cheeses are delicious. I am visiting from Kansas City and having these small markets, close to home are so nice. The service is awesome and I love how we have great conversation with the staff ??

Good meat market but the prepared sides and veggies are very very expensive. $9.99 lb for quinoa salad and similar items is a lot. Sandwiches though are good and priced fair

I love this place, the butcher Mike or Micheal was his name. Super friendly and helpful, even Jason was helpful. I asked Jason about duck and he explained every duck the store carried and explained different ways of cooking duck. Also I probably come here to buy short ribs once every 2 weeks or so and the short ribs have ways tasted better. Mike helped me many times with cutting and wrapping the short ribs, and sometimes he gave me a little freebies. I never had a bad experience going here at all, the cashiers have been super friendly and most of the workers there were really nice and greeted me. The vegetables looked fresh and really big. The naba cabbage in there was bigger then any I seen in regular grocery stores. But overall I enjoy coming to this place, and will keep coming to this place for the quality and service.

The staff at the market are all super friendly. The owner Patricia and her family all work at the market. They obviously care about the business and their customers. They ask about our family when we stop in, a real small town feeling. During the height of the pandemic in the spring/summer of 2020 they were basically keeping older people in the neighborhood alive. They still have great safety measures in place, carts and everything are wiped down regularly. I have tons of respect for them and will always shop here. The produce is really fresh and well stocked. The meat counter looks really stocked and I know people that go there just for the meat/fish, but we are vegetarians so I can't say much more. Good beer selection, snacks and dry goods are well curated for such a small store. A real Whitneyville icon. Here's to many more years!

Edit: After reading other reviews, there is a common theme here. If you do not fit into Whitneyville Food Center's 'ideal' customer profile, then you are not welcome nor respected. As a young professional new to the Hamden area, Whitneyville Food Center quickly became a favorable grocery store of mine. Despite the high prices, I valued the quaint aesthetics, better-for-you options, and wanted to support this local business. Today changed everything for me. Never in my life have I been treated with such disrespect or left questioning myself after such a despicable display of unwarranted mistreatment. After being at work since 7am, I entered the store and I walked to the back to order my usual ready-to-go meal. Yes - I will admit I was on the phone but I always make an effort to consciously be respectful of others around me. I was not close to the other customer and I was minding my own business, speaking to my grandmother about the promotion I received that day while waiting to be served. The women behind the serving counter stepped away from her customer to confront me about my phone usage which I would have respected if she had of had an ounce of sincerity in her tone or acknowledged my existence prior to this encounter. Instead, she used hateful language and childish insults to my character. A conversation that she entered, assuming in the 'best interest of the customers,' shockingly became a personal attack - to a customer nonetheless. She was so rude that I thought she was joking but the fierce anger escalated and I was blindsided, I did not know how to react. As someone who has never been in an altercation with anyone, I felt so uncomfortable and threatened. After taking her abuse, I remove myself from the situation and walked out of the store empty-handed. I will never go back in there again and if you are a young adult, I recommend that you do not either. You are not welcome, nor supported - they have made it clear that they do not value you or your business. A day filled with joy for the moment and excitement for the future was crushed by the hateful nature of one Whitneyville Food Center employee. I am absolutely appalled by this experience and I truly hope that this individual finds peace in whatever it is that she is dealing with because taking it out on a customer is not the answer. However, it is a shame that I am not the only one who has had this kind of experience at this establishment. Grocery shopping is both a luxury and a privilege; an experience in itself. If anyone makes you feel as if you are not welcomed in that environment then it is time to take your business elsewhere.

Staff is super friendly. Butchers corner in the rear of the store has The Best cuts of meat I've seen anywhere around. There prepared foods are made from fresh ingredients, you won't find or taste any preservatives, nothing but the best.

I love love love this place. It has very good quality food. The meat is amazing. And it has ready-to-go food that is so great. We love the chicken parm and the different salads. Definitely recommend! The people who work there are always happy and ready to help. Love it!

Two words to describe Whitneyville Food Center. Delicious. Clean. . Well stocked with locally grown and made products. We are happier to buy from here knowing we are supporting Ct businesses. There is pre made food as well and you can sit in front of the store watching the cars go by. My favorite store. Stop in say hello buy a few things. You won't regret it. ?

Wonderful local family owned and run boutique-like supermarket. Friendly helpful staff. Vegetarian prepared food section is fabulous. Meat counter with several butchers prepared to cut to order. No other markrts like this in area. A bit more expensive than Stop and Shop but worth it especially for special occasions.

The traditional small local grocery store that has many items the box supermarkets don't, such as super takeout and great produce, and even some frozen items you can get only there (fresh-frozen OJ). Shop with the owner there to help and never feel like you're part of a factory. Also the place to buy reusable shopping bags made of parachute cloth and desserts made by an actual French pastry chef. Yet they carry all the basics for your grocery needs. Don't miss this shopping delight next to the Soup Girl, across from Books & Co (yet another Whitneyville shopping delight).

Another great find - this one is right on the main drag yet sort of tucked away in Whitneyville! Fresh produce, nice deli counter and meats. Also a variety of daily prepared items for those who don't like to cook. Some unique items as well - all topped off with very good attentive and personalized service.

This market is not a place to get grocery staples at an affordable price, but it is a great place to get specialty items, gorgeous produce, meats, and cheeses, a variety of locally baked breads, and an excellent beer selection. On top of that, the customer service is stellar. This market also has a delicious selection of prepared foods, specialty chocolates, seasonal flowers and gift items.

A lovely little market in Whitneyville, people very pleasant, very helpful and you can get just about all your basic needs. The meats are freshly cut, fresh vegetables it may not be Stop & Shop but it's never crowded very quaint and I like it. Just a wonderful little market to go to when you need to pick up something quickly.

This place has some amazing sandwiches for a good price. The general products are at a slightly higher price point, but they carry some very delicious items that are sometimes hard to find! As a minority it's tough to feel welcome in certain stores, but I didn't feel like my ethnicity played a role in the excellent service received. Good folk.

I like this place I do... I'm all for independently owned grocery stores, and this place does it pretty well. They always have a great selection of deli items and typically have most of the things I need when I don't feel like going to big box grocers. The problem I have is their hours... they close at 4 on Saturdays, 7 on weekdays, and are not open Sundays. For me, these are the times I actually do end up needing something, and they are never open so I end up driving further to a shoprite or other grocer for what I need. This store would benefit greatly from longer hours, but I understand the needs of a small business to keep realistic hours. Just a thought!