Aldi Food Stores Review

Aldi Stores have come a long ways since I was a kid; back then they were so bad that I was well into my 20s before I ventured into one again.  I agree that they can be hit-or-miss, but I am fortunate to have a decent one near my work where I can run in and out quickly and without spending a fortune.  The produce and dairy are very good and quite a lot cheaper here.  I also buy a lot of staples and especially around Christmas/baking time it saves me tons of money.  I haven't tried out the meat yet and will probably continue to buy that at Fareway.  The cans of veggies used to be mainly water and I remember the green beans had sticks in them, so I haven't tried any of those out yet either.  They have some great gourmet products (pasta shapes etc) that I don't see in other stores.  They also have an awesome website now and you can sign up to receive email notifications in advance of their weekly special buys, which is great because before you never knew what you were going to find until you got in the store.  Last week I was thrilled to see President Brie wheels for $3 each, and next week I'll stop in for Gouda rounds.  I generally do have to go to another store as well for items they do not carry. 

The cons: the lines are extremely long at times and sometimes the other shoppers are less than desirable (eg- I've seen gang-bangers eat food in the store and put the empty containers back on shelves - gross!) but I just try to shop during the day and stay away on certain days of the month and it's not a problem.