Cleveland has one of the lowest average incomes in the nation, some of the highest crime, and a shrinking population. Wise up. Stop expecting Beverly Hills.
The homeless and other of life's drop outs are in Dave's parking lot as well as on benches at West 117th and Clifton. This is their city too. Cleveland is one of the fattest towns yet from the yelp reviews it is highly populated with nutritionists who note all the bad foods available yet brag over how much beer or coffee they drink with their grilled cheese and poutine followed by Jeni's ice cream.
How can Dave's ever satisfy those who have such contradictory values? Why blame Dave's for having people in its lot or premises that scare the fearful? Rather applaud the only store to make the city its home. Of course it must sell products for those with differing tastes or tight budgets no matter who believes only what is on her list matters.
Dave's does the perfect job of satisfying its widely diverse shoppers. Buy pig ears or granola here. I have never found the vegetables to be as bad as others report. The herbs and tropical produce are cheaper and more plentiful then elsewhere why pass them by for leaf lettuce and apples? I come here more than any other store and no one who has ever eaten at my table has complained over the poor quality of my food.
I look for what is good here. At Dave's I can find meats that those of us who favor folk cooking want. This is the best place for the meats that chefs are beginning to use. Pork shoulders, briskets, smoked meats and, tho I am not a fan, offal pack the meat trays. I find here Orlando's English muffins, Portuguese rolls, and fideo noodles not carried elsewhere. I attempt to spend my money where it does the most for my city and if it means having a cucumber with a soft spot, so be it.