1. Yes, it's a whole new look! Have questions or need help? Please post your question in the New Forum Questions thread Click the X to the right to dismiss this notice
    Dismiss Notice
  2. Seeing tons of unread posts after the upgrade? See this thread for help. Click the X to the right to dismiss this notice
    Dismiss Notice

Harris Teeter Rant/Wegmans Rave

Discussion in 'Area Restaurants, Dining and Food' started by StevieD, Sep 17, 2007.

  1. redon1

    redon1 aka Aphioni

    Joined:
    Oct 19, 2005
    Messages:
    5,929
    Likes Received:
    69
    hmmm- I sense the uprising of the Broadlands Price Brigade! lol
     
  2. Villager

    Villager Ashburn Village Resident

    Joined:
    Nov 1, 2006
    Messages:
    2,512
    Likes Received:
    19
    Ah, Lee remembers when Food Lion was busted for re-grinding their ground beef into new packaging and selling it with a new exp date. Among other icky things... Food Lion closed all their Texas stores - we were surprised to find their presence here when we got to Virginia.
     
  3. Tech Head

    Tech Head New Member

    Joined:
    Jan 1, 2003
    Messages:
    710
    Likes Received:
    0
    I know that I have cut my Wegman's visits in half because it is so hard to get in and out of that whole area. I can't imagine when the new shops open there!
     
  4. Mr. Linux

    Mr. Linux Senior Member & Moderator Forum Staff

    Joined:
    Jul 26, 2001
    Messages:
    3,277
    Likes Received:
    69
    Don't forget the whole "bleaching outdated meats and fish" to remove the 'stench' and put the product back on sale...

    http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?sec=health&res=9E0CE1D81630F934A35752C1A964958260

    Sure, this all goes back to 1992, but it still leaves a nasty taste in my mouth (no pun intended). The only time I stepped into a Food Lion in the past 15 years was to buy a propane tank refill.

    As for the subject at hand, I personally love the new Harris Teeter and the new Giant by the Home Depot. Both have been very clean, with very friendly employees. I always check the dates on perishable items before I purchase them, so I guess I'm not affected by that. Worst culprit for me was the local Safeway. I found some outdated medicine, as well as other things. I must say though, that when I approached the store manager with the issue the next day, he was VERY apologetic and personally began going through the shelf items. He promised to have the issue resolved immediately and I believe he had a meeting with each department manager in his store. Unfortunately, a few weeks later, I found some outdated milk on their shelves. Now, we use the Safeway only for small items, or if we need a couple things quickly.
     
  5. Mr Rogers

    Mr Rogers Active Member

    Joined:
    Oct 2, 2006
    Messages:
    862
    Likes Received:
    31
    I was shocked at the produce prices at HT!!! I thought that something had caused the price of apples to double overnight!
     
  6. 86Mets

    86Mets New Member

    Joined:
    Mar 10, 2007
    Messages:
    8
    Likes Received:
    1
    Customer Service at HT is great. We needed a prescription after leaving the emergency room on a Sunday evening. We called HT just after 6pm, the person who answered said the pharmacy was closed but the pharmacist might still be there. Not only was she there, but she waited for us to bring in the prescription and filled it for us right then. That kind of customer service is extremely rare nowadays.
     
  7. SchwarzFamily

    SchwarzFamily New Member

    Joined:
    Dec 29, 2006
    Messages:
    271
    Likes Received:
    1
    we only shop at HT now. our kid loves it - she doesn't need dinner by the time she scoops up all the produce and deli samples, not to mention the cookie and balloon at the end of the trip. i saw somebody complain about the 'angus' beef - they actually are always putting beef on sale - i've gotten 2-for-1 porterhouse steaks there a couple of times. great service - the people at the register actually stand in front of their lane and look for people to help when their lines are empty. HT puts the other local stores to shame. Wegman's is fine, but a bit overwhelming for a quick grocery trip.
     
  8. StevieD

    StevieD New Member

    Joined:
    Aug 19, 2006
    Messages:
    227
    Likes Received:
    0
    That was me. I guess I haven't been lucky on my trips to get steaks at the local HT, because as I mentioned, the beef selection on my trips have been terrible. Also, produce selection and quality has been poor (perhaps not as bad as some of the other stores, but still bad - I'm using Wegmans as my benchmark). I agree that the store employees have been very nice on my visits - although I have been a bit put-off by their badgering me to use the U-checkout line. But listen - I was a long-time (13 years) customer of HT in North Carolina, and I can tell you that the quality, prices, and selection at our store in Broadlands are nowhere near what my experience was in Charlotte at multiple HT stores - that's why I'm so disappointed. I was looking forward to not having to make the trek to Wegmans. And if the number of cars in the parking lot are any indication, our local HT doesn't appear to be bringing in the customers - I'm not sure the friendly service is overcoming the poor quality and high prices.
     
  9. koajeri

    koajeri New Member

    Joined:
    Jan 23, 2004
    Messages:
    39
    Likes Received:
    0
    I love HT for their sales and their customer service! One of the reasons I love HT is because of how involved they get with the community. Yes, I know it's all a marketing ploy, but I thought it was so great to see a HT group at Mill Run during the Open House cooking hot dogs and giving out free food. There was a huge line so I'm asssuming everyone enjoyed it. I also have seen that they donate a lot of food and supplies to other Mill Run events.

    If I had any complaint it would also be about the meat dept. The selection just isn't that diverse, although I do love there B1G1 free sales when they have it.

    I have a very specific, short list of things I get at Wegmans that I can't get anywhere else so I usually go there every 2 weeks or so. I hate the way they bag groceries there. Only one or two item per plastic bag. I recently bought reusable bags for all the stores I shop at and tell them to fill it up.
     
  10. SarasMom

    SarasMom Member

    Joined:
    Aug 15, 2002
    Messages:
    897
    Likes Received:
    5

    They did the same for the Hillside Open House too. That was lots of burgers, dogs and sodas they provided!
     
  11. vacliff

    vacliff "You shouldn't say that."

    Joined:
    Nov 14, 2002
    Messages:
    5,281
    Likes Received:
    344
    They also sponsored Broadlands Live! How many other grocery stores get involved in their communities?
     
  12. izzysmom

    izzysmom New Member

    Joined:
    Aug 6, 2007
    Messages:
    92
    Likes Received:
    0
    Love, love, love the Teet! They don't always do well with produce, but they tend to have different varieties of apples and other fruits and veggies than Safeway or Giant does. Not crazy about their lunch meats, but I don't eat a lot of lunch meat. What makes HT the top for me? They sell authentic Cincinnati SKYLINE CHILI!!!! :bow: It is sooo hard to find in this area, and the recipe is impossible to duplicate. Wegmans sometimes has the canned stuff, but frozen (that HT carries) is the BEST!!!

    I love Weg's because they carry certain products that you can't get everywhere (like jamon serrano) but the crowds and the traffic make it hard for me to go. I haven't been since they built the Target, I can only imagine that it's worse than it was. I am happy though, that they were able to do something with that property. I don't know how many of you remember when the Weg's was the Walmart and that ugly building across the parking lot couldn't seem to keep any (legit) business there more than a week.

    And to all the Home Depot Giant naysayers, it's still better than Broadlands Safeway. It's closer to my house than the Ashburn Village one and it's nicer than the one on the corner of Claiborne and Ashburn Farm. For french baguettes, Giant's is the only one I'll buy. Wegman's are bland and Safeway's are worse than bland. Haven't tried the Teet's bread, but I don't hold out much hope.
     
  13. Charlotte

    Charlotte New Member

    Joined:
    Jan 22, 2007
    Messages:
    219
    Likes Received:
    0
    WHOA!!!! Izzysmom - HT sells Skyline Chili??!! Which one?? Everytime I go to Columbus, OH, I have to bring back cans and cans of the stuff for my kids. You're right - the recipe is hard to duplicate, but I have a pretty close approximation that was printed in the Enquirer in 1978 that I'll share with you if you like. It came from Murray Brothers, which was a spice store below the old, long since-imploded, Riverfront Stadium. We lived there from '78 - '80. My son likes the canned Skyline, my daughter prefers mine. Go figure! Anyway, PM me if you want the recipe and you can see what you think.

    I'll agree that while I like Wegmans, the traffic pattern is horrendous and it's always crazy-crowded. I shop at the HT in Ashbrook Commons. True, some things are more expensive, but I usually buy their weekly specials anyway and you can't beat their staff for friendliness. Plus, they carry Shenandoah's Pride milk, which is the gold standard for this dairy farmer's daughter!
     
  14. izzysmom

    izzysmom New Member

    Joined:
    Aug 6, 2007
    Messages:
    92
    Likes Received:
    0
    YES!! I knew there was another Skyline Chili fan out there!!! :clap: If you go to the frozen food section, walk past the lean cuisines, almost to the end, I think it's the last or next to last freezer if you are walking from the dairy towards the pharmacy. On the bottom shelf there is Skyline Chili in that beautiful blue box just looking up at you, smiling! They also carry the Chili and Spaghetti frozen chili! I was nearly delirious when I saw it! This is at the HT near Southern Walk

    I lived there from 94-98. I remember Riverfront, I used to walk there during lunch and look down on the river. I watched the Bengals game the other day and it looks like they tore down the warehouses to build the new stadium.

    I will PM you for your recipe for sure! It is a hard one to master. Thanks!
     
  15. Charlotte

    Charlotte New Member

    Joined:
    Jan 22, 2007
    Messages:
    219
    Likes Received:
    0
    Omigosh, thanks! I'll check it out tomorrow; my son will be in heaven. I also pm'ed you the recipe.

    My husband worked for 5/3 and used to walk around on the skywalk during lunch - as it sounds like you did. I worked at UC.

    Back on topic - I'll even go to the Southern Walk HT if Ashbrook Commons doesn't have it.
     
  16. vacliff

    vacliff "You shouldn't say that."

    Joined:
    Nov 14, 2002
    Messages:
    5,281
    Likes Received:
    344
    Skyline Chili? Yecchh. Never liked the stuff. Chili was never meant to be spaghetti!
     
  17. izzysmom

    izzysmom New Member

    Joined:
    Aug 6, 2007
    Messages:
    92
    Likes Received:
    0
    Vacliff, actually I admit, I didn't like it at first. The sweet spices and spaghetti were just so foreign to me. I guess it is an acquired taste, but once you acquire it, you can't get enough! But I digress... I'm afraid I must do this to myself...:hijack:
     
  18. StevieD

    StevieD New Member

    Joined:
    Aug 19, 2006
    Messages:
    227
    Likes Received:
    0
    I like Skyline Chili as well - but I have to say, it ain't Chili, and it ain't Spaghetti Sauce - but whatever you want to call it, load me up with a 5-way!!
     
  19. SarasMom

    SarasMom Member

    Joined:
    Aug 15, 2002
    Messages:
    897
    Likes Received:
    5
    Is Skyline similar to Hard Times Cafe's Cincinnati chili?
     
  20. izzysmom

    izzysmom New Member

    Joined:
    Aug 6, 2007
    Messages:
    92
    Likes Received:
    0
    Heck no! It's way better! The Hard Times version isn't even close. Skyline is smoother, has more liquid and doesn't have as much cumin.

    Three way for me, or cheese coney with no onions....
     

Share This Page