It feels rather odd to be writing a review for a discount supermarket. My financial circumstances are temporarily (I hope) at a low, though, so I've been shopping at "dollar" stores for a few weeks, and this particular store has become my go-to.
This store is close to me, open late, and most importantly has a wide array of goods. It really feels as though I were shopping at my local Smith's or Albertson's. The produce department is particularly impressive. Besides the basic staples, they sometimes have items that regular grocers charge an exorbitant amount for. Today I found avocados, artichokes and Persian limes! And Chinese dark soy sauce! Of course, the nature of the store dictates that these are not always available. The staples, though, like onions, scallions, potatoes, and most other veggies, are always available, and the quality is most always good to excellent.
Several other reviews of this particular 99 Cent Only store mentioned that the establishment isn't very clean. Well, the management must have paid attention; while I wouldn't call it "spotless" or "pristine," it was clean enough that I didn't feel like I needed to use hand sanitizer on my way out. And it appears they've fixed the cart problem as well. I've never gotten a wobbly one. And considering that the staff is probably working at minimum wage, I found them to be most pleasant. Recently, I found that one of my bags didn't make it into my cart at check-out, and they were very good about replacing the missing items.
Three reasons why I subtracted a star. While most items ARE priced at 99 cents, many are not (block cheese and lunch meats, for example, are $1.99). Some items that I consider to be staples are absent, like flour (even small bags), and milk is only available in gallon containers which is far too much milk for a household of two! Finally, and I know this may sound like nitpicking, but even though the items are priced at 99 cents, they charge you a dollar at the register. If you're only buying 5 items, that's a measly 5 pennies, but if you're doing your weekly shopping, those pennies can add up! And it's just dishonest! 99 cents should mean 99 cents!
If you're shopping for groceries on a budget, or even just want to save some money, I can heartily recommend this store. Just do a bit of research before you go.