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| - I've always lived somewhere with a Whole Foods. (Heck, even KANSAS has a Whole Foods, and Charlotte is FINALLY getting one in summer 2012?) Yes, Whole Foods is Whole Paycheck, but it's fantastic on all levels.
Earth Fare comes close...and you'll only need partial paycheck, but it's not quite at 5-star status. Let me ee-lab-oh-rate.
The salad bar has some great options-- fruits and proteins and several kinds of lettuce. WF features way more dressings and crunchies like chia seeds and flax seeds to sprinkle on your greens.
TIP #1: Sign up for their e-newsletter. You'll get AWESOME deals, like $1 a pound chicken breast, or free Irish cheese with any $5 purchase.
The hot bar at EF is good-- and there are some fun specials, like old fashioned dinner nites when apple pie and sodas for 50-cents. Nice touch. The dinners are always flavorful, and offer several different meats or proteins, along with sides. WF has a killer OATMEAL bar too, with steel cut oats, quinoa, and barley and fresh fruits and toppings. DROOOOL!
TIP #2: WATCH OUT FOR THURSDAY NIGHTS WHEN KIDS EAT FREE! There will be a MOB of children in the prepared foods/burger counter. No matter how many kids you have, as long as the adult buys a burger meal, the kids get free ones. I ran into one woman with SEVEN children, and all of them ate free. I swear, it took me 35 minutes to get my burger because of all the children. (*subtip: the sweet potato fries are sometimes soggy as gym socks.) Hey, if I had kids, I would DEFINITELY bring them here to eat free on Thursdays!
Soups station is okay...though not all soups here are created equal. The chicken dumpling always hits the spot, creamy and rich and full of dumplings. The curry soups lack seasoning and depth. The vegetable soups can be thin.
The produce section is okay-- though sometimes you can tell when the prices get slashed, the produce isn't as fresh. Just keep your eyes peeled.
Nutrition bars aisle, is comprehensive and lots of the bars go on sale regularly.
The seafood and meats counter are good-- but really do lack some selection WF is famous for. I love how WF has a variety of fat percentages in their ground meats...and several different kinds of salmons.
I downright dislike the bakery section. I've bought several cake slices on different occasions and they're not always the freshest. A bit crumbly, or the frosting waxy.
TIP #3: When you buy 12 of something, you can usually get a case discount. WF does this, and I would buy coconut waters or matcha green teas by the case. At Earth Fare, you need to call ahead and ask for it. I learned this the hard way when I tried to buy 12 yerba mate teas and got denied my discount.
BOTTOM LINE: I do love me some Earth Fare. The people are always nice, and the service is good. There are some killer deals to find. There are good coupon books in the front too. The selection is solid ...but they better watch out, because in my book, Whole Foods is just a tad bit better.
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