Fresh Market in Aventura (North Miami Beach), FL
Pros: Great ready-made food, nice environment
Cons: Lines can get long; they sometimes run out of my favorite items; regular supermarket stuff can be expensive/lacking variety; short hours
Rating: 9/10
Fresh Market @ 18295 Biscayne Boulevard, Aventura, FL
I shop at this Fresh Market regularly, and by far I enjoy it the most of any supermarket I go to. Serving the hoity-toity high-end shoppers of Aventura, this supermarket carries lots of fresh produce as well as prepared foods (in addition to regular grocery stuff). In that regard, it whips Whole Foods’ ass – the hot case foods are as good as eating restaurant food, but are very affordable. There is also a great variety of prepared salads, sides, and sandwiches, in addition to a nice and tasty baked goods section. THE COOKIES. That is all.
My favorite Fresh Market item of all is the pizza – just pop it in the oven at 350F for as long as you want it crispy, and you have yourself a solid pizza for $5.99 (better than any chain and most of the pizza dives scattered across the city).
As a place to do your regular groceries, though, Fresh Market is lacking, especially if you don’t exactly have a free pocketbook. The general groceries section is obviously small and expensive compared to the mega-retailer options out there (e.g. Super Target), though common supermarket products are not marked up too high compared to just buying them at Publix. The registers are also usually sparsely staffed, meaning that if you’re picking up some food coming home from work, you’re going to find yourself waiting in a pretty sizable line.
The drink fridge is also pretty neat, as it offers a nice selection of alternatives to the regular COKE MOUNTAIN DEW ROCKSTAR sugar-fest offered at gas stations. The beer selection is somewhat lackluster for a "fresh foods”-type place, but they still offer some great beers (e.g. Dogfish Head 60 & 90 minute IPAs).
In all, I’m glad I have a Fresh Market so close by, as it’s a great place to pick up a nice treat, whether it’s for breakfast or dinner after a horrible Florida summer day.