Gourmet Garage
“Sherlita is great in suggesting prepard foods, remembers what you usually order, always a smile!”
“If you live on the east side, definitely check out gourmet garage, pick up some cheese and olives from the little olive bar and try some samples :)”
“The produce is very fresh and the cheese selection is amazing.”
Gourmet Garage
Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
Bike Parking: Yes
Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
Price range.
$$$ Price range Pricey
6 reviews
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I feel like this place is a hidden gem….it's a great place! It's quality compared to the crap Gristides up the block (YUCK)!
The checkout staff is blah, lol BUT their products are always fully stocked and super great. Good pricing often times better than Gristides.
Of all the grocery joints in all the towns in all the world, she walks into mine!
I remember all the details: ….. The fundamental things apply. As time goes by…
In my previous relationship, yelp.com/biz/QJMOgjRYeog… , I had counted all the days. Mostly, I remember the last one. The wow finish. A guy standing at the checkout counter with a comical look on his face, because his insides had been kicked out.
Why didn't I return to DAG? Was it the questionable quality? The high prices? The lackluster service?
It was a combination of all three.
But, why did I go to Whole Foods? After all, I don't believe in long distance relationships – they don't work. Did Whole Foods get me on the rebound? Or was I seduced by the long lines of admirers? It couldn't have been the dessert options… I must have bargained with myself… I find myself much more reasonable to bargain with.
And so I moved from one grocery relationship to another. I am a very cynical person. I don't mind a parasite. But, I do object to a cut-rate one. So, I view all supermarkets with suspicion. Gourmet Garage was no exception to my rule. Hmmm… Food everywhere. No sense as to the store organization. Cramped quarters. Ah, freshly made soup! Breads! Wide selection of cheese! Good stuff… But, do I read like the sort who'd eat healthy?
Wait, what was that? A refrigerator door opening? Or, my heart pounding? Could it be the sight of 5 Boroughs Ice Cream that I've read about so much lately? It's practically a guided tour across NYC! There's Bayridge (Amaretto Amore), Staten Island (Landfill). Hey: I just saw Bronx (Spicy Hot Chocolate), now Jackson Heights (Mangodesh). But, O' Astoria (Bakla-Wha?), where art thou? What do you mean 'discontinued'?!
I am startled by a philosophical question from a young lady holding the excellent French Custard ice cream Creme Cremaillere in her hands (a pint of Peppermint stick and another of Black Raspberry Chocolate Chip). I ponder: Could I forgive someone who did a bad thing only because my "happiness was the only thing she wanted in the whole world"? I push back the pints of Chocolate Suzette and Pumpkin Pie into the refrigerator, "Nobody has ever loved me that much." And, start to walk away.
Play it, Sam… Play "As time goes By".
That's when I saw Laloo. Delicious ice cream, and frozen yogurt that makes Pinkberry blush in embarrassment. The goat must indeed make it good. And she has such alluring forms: Molasses Tipsy cake (salty Oatmeal cookie with cinnamon and brown sugar), Pumpkin Spice, Black Mission Fig, Lemon Chiffon, Chocolate Cabernet.
I wasn't sure what to expect. Laloo turned out to be exotic in ways one could never imagine. And the flavors: Dark chocolate and Cabernet Sauvignon. What a pairing! While the fig – reminding one of a frozen version of a goat cheese and fig souffle!
I was torn. Laloo: why did you have to come to Gourmet Garage? There are other places.
I am no good at being noble. But, Laloo: what I've got to do you can't be a part of. Each of us has a destiny – for good or for evil. We'll always have Gourmet Garage. But, I've got a job to do too: I need to yelp other desserts. Where I am going, you can't follow. Someday you will understand that. Now, now… "Here's looking at you, Kid".
I just cannot walk by this grocery store without going in. It is pretty pricey, but the food is really good and they have lots of stuff that you can't get at normal grocery stores. A fairly large selection of organic food and a very large selection of cheeses. My favorite part; always samples of different cheese and spreads. I usually wind up buying one of the things I've sampled! They also are the only place that sells the incredible chocolate-caramel Irvinghouse Farms ground coffee. If you live on the east side, definitely check out gourmet garage, pick up some cheese and olives from the little olive bar and try some samples 🙂
Yet another example of what's gone awry.
A nice enough look outside, but when I walk in, there's poor layout entering and hip hop music blasting. The staff's all up-front, talking and ignoring customers walking around. The store itself – selection is miserable. It's better in the Food Emporium up the street.
Expensive. I appreciate that people like their selection, but it's awfully random unless you like any cheese and any sliced cured meat.
What a shame. Years ago, when this location first opened, yes, a long, long time ago, there were people who worked here & actually cared about helping you. They knew about the products they were selling & it was a pleasant experience to visit & shop at Gourmet Garage East 64th Street.
Sadly, based on my experience over the last few years, I feel service has gone so far downhill, that I would say it is nearly non-existent. I can tell you that my visit on Friday, Nov. 20, 2015, had that NON-EXISTENT SERVICE. NO ONE TO HELP A CUSTOMER. I was buying fresh produce & dairy products, and assorted other items.
Here is a sad example–I had a produce COOKING question, & NO ONE WAS AROUND IN THE PRODUCE AREA, so I thought let me see if someone in the front, at the prepared foods DEPT counter might be able to answer a question. Two people were behind the counter–a man and a woman. The man had large headphones on, like those Beats-type brand–big–& his back was TOTALLY to the customer, as if he were looking out a window. The woman was near him, turned sideways, and looking at her smartphone. CLEARLY, NO ONE CARED ABOUT ANY CUSTOMERS!!!!! I stood at the counter silently, for about 15 seconds, literally, –wondering if anyone would notice, they didn't. I walked away. This scene SPEAKS VOLUMES ABOUT THE WORK ETHIC AT THIS LOCATION!!!!!!!
The nicest person I came across was the woman representing a company called Living Intentions. She was explaining about the food items, offering samples, & after my chat & samples, I DID BUY THE ACAI BLUEBERRY SUPERFOOD CEREAL ($10.99). A splurge for me, but a healthy one!
(I will use it as a healthy snack when I work late)
I do like the cheese selection at Gourmet Garage, HOWEVER, I work hard for my money, & I prefer to do business with a company that actually realizes that & cares about providing good, if not great (!!) customer service. Just before going to Gourmet Garage, I had bought a few items at Grace's Market, on 2nd Ave & East 68th Street. Service there was very nice, and, much to my surprise, the meat I bought at Grace's Market was less expensive than at GG, & a 1 Pound cellophane bag of organic carrots was $1.99, which was the same as what GG was charging. I think the carrots looked better at Grace's. I wish I had bought them there!! The bags I bought at Gourmet Garage had very skinny carrots!! So, I will be shopping more at Grace's Market.
And lastly, the cashier/check-out experience at GG was NOT A GOOD ONE. I wonder if the original owners are even involved with Gourmet Garage anymore–it doesn't feel like it. OVERALL–At the East 64th Street location, IT FEELS LIKE NO ONE AT GOURMET GARAGE GIVES A DAMN ABOUT BUSINESS OR THE CUSTOMERS. Really sad, since the concept of GG was such a good one. If anyone in Corporate Gourmet Garage sees this & can update on status, that might be nice. Sadly, I cannot recommend East 64th Street Gourmet Garage at this time.
I can't believe it took me this long to yelp Gourmet Garage.
They have 5 or 6 locations and I shop at two of them – here and Carnegie Hill (96 street).
Great for gourmet goodies – expensive but not horrid.
Small.
Good for catering, too.