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Santa Barbara Market
Category: Food Specialty Food Fruits & Veggies Fruits & Veggies [Edit]
1322 Commercial DrVancouver, BC V5L 3X6
Neighbourhoods: Grandview-Woodlands, The Drive
(604) 253-1941
- Hours:
Mon-Fri 9 am - 9 pm
Sat-Sun 9 am - 7 pm
- Price Range:
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$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- No
- Parking:
- Street
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
25 reviews for Santa Barbara Market
Review Highlights
"I love this place for meats and cheeses."
(in 7 reviews)
"The deli can get extremely busy, so go during the day..."
(in 19 reviews)
"They also stock a good selection of breads."
(in 6 reviews)
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25 reviews in English
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Review from Nathan D.
Vancouver, BC
5/9/2011
One of the best independent small groceries/delis in the city. As others have pointed out it can be extremely busy during the dinner rush (especially on weekends!) but it's almost impossible to find any place that has more selection at such a low price. I live a block away and seriously consider this place one of the best reasons to live on the drive.
Not many options for organic produce but during the summer and fall they do a good job of caring local produce. Year round most produce is marked where it comes from.
If your looking for organic try the east end food coop just down the street -
Review from Eva B.
10/17/2011
I used to live a couple blocks away from this shop when I was in my twenties. At this time in my life I was struggling to make my pennies stretch all the way to my next pay day. Shopping at Santa Barbara ensured that I actually had something to eat. I am still a frequent shopper here as the prices can't be beat. I go here for the cheese, deli meats, olive oil, olives, vinegars, pasta and canned tomatoes.
They have a pretty good selection of produce, although not many organic options. They always seem to pass on the savings to their patrons when items are in season. For example, in the summer they sell huge bouquets of fresh basil for around $2.00. If you buy quantity they are always willing to make you a deal. I bought 25 pounds of grade 'A' B.C. cherries in July for $1.80 a pound. Of course there was a bumper crop of cherries this year.
If you want something from the deli go straight to the back and get a number as soon as you arrive. You can linger in the area and do some other shopping, but as soon as they are around 6 numbers away wait patiently for your turn next to the counter. Make sure you know what you want and the quantity to save everyone's time. If you have never tried an item, and you ask nicely, your server may even offer you a sample. Like when your at the gelato shop, but way better.
Keep in mind this place is cheap and likely hasn't been renovated in decades. The aisles are narrow and the shelves are a bit shabby. However, if they did renovate the prices would likely climb and well who wants that. -
Review from Dennis B.
North Vancouver, BC
1/23/2012
I've been going here for over twenty years. This place reminds me of the small, independent grocery market that I grew up with in Kelowna years ago. The deli counter is great, especially when they have their monthly sale going on. Great cheese and cold cut selection. I have always found the staff great - helpful and friendly. Their pasta selection is phenomenal and you can get a great variety of oils and vinegars for salads and cooking. The produce is top quality and in the summer it's direct from the farm as you can tell from the fruit bins that contain the Italian prune plums, apples, and peaches. It's way better to come here on a weekend than a chain supermarket, save some money, and take advantage of other great places on the Drive like Memphis Blues BBQ or any of the authentic Italian coffee houses along the street.
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Review from Mitch B.
Vancouver, BC
9/7/2011
Meat and cheese prices are cheap!!! Can't believe how cheap some of the deli meat is. Not sure how they do it. Half the price of other grocery stores. Produce is usually pretty good.
Staff can be pretty grumpy, and I don't think customer service is really their thing, but the prices are so good I keep going back. The deli can get extremely busy, so go during the day during the week -
Review from Gina I.
2/26/2011
I love this place for meats and cheeses. It's busy and there is always a wait, but I don't mind it in this case. I get to hear what other people order. That's fascinating to me.
I've been looking for sheep cheese for months and months. And I found some sheep manchego and other good sheep cheese's... not a lot of places carry sheep cheese. Or maybe I haven't looked hard enough.
My main to go food items here are the canned tomatoes, chicken peas and kidney beans.. as well as mortadella, prosciutto and calabrese hot salami!
Oh and they always have good pricing on their produce. Especially when red/yellow/orange peppers and asparagus are normally expensive. When apple season hits, they have such a great variety as well.
I could go on.. -
Review from Cathy S.
3/3/2011
I love this Italian market. The selection of meats and cheeses is huge with some of the best prices in the city. Because the deli part is so incredibly popular, the meat and cheese turnover is rapid so the food is always very fresh. They also have a really nice variety of olive oils, ricotta, dried pastas, canned tomato products and fresh breads.
For the uninitiated, be sure to go immediately to the deli and pull a number. I usually use the first few minutes to grab a piece of paper and pencil from the counter and make a list of everything that I want so when my number is called I hand them my list and then I'm off to do the rest of my shopping. Be sure to check out the bags of meat ends that they put in the end of the cooler near the hard cheeses - I've picked up some chunks of prosciutto costing next to nothing.
They only accept cash or debit. -
Review from Darcy D.
1/19/2011 ROTD 8/6/2011
Your owners manual to Italian epicurean satisfaction in Vancouver.
1) Go to Santa Barbara Market
2) Walk directly to the deli counter and take a numbered ticket. Weekend waits to be served can be 10 minutes, 20 minutes or more.
3) Choose from a myriad of imported dried pastas at very reasonable prices. Dozens of cuts and dozens of brands yielding a selection in the hundreds awaits your hungry tummy. Factoid: virtually all Italian pasta is produced with Canadian durum, this is the best the world has to offer.
4) Choose from dozens of brands of import and domestic canned tomatoes, beans etc. No better selection exists in the city. Factoid: the chemistry and taste of a tomato changes irreversibly when a tomato hits 11 degrees C. That is why a quickly processed, canned tomato has the deepest tomato flavour possible. Confirm this for yourself with a taste test!
5) Choose fresh fruit and vegetables from a typical produce section but, with an alert eye for rarely found escarole, brocolli rabe and fennel of very good quality.
6) Finally, your deli counter number will be called and choose from over 100 cured, smoked and processed meats with quality and prices that make you wonder how Urban Fare, Whole Foods etc can continue to gouge their customers with 300+% mark ups. And don't get me started with the 500+% mark ups that local restauranteurs try to pass off as charcuterie of marginal quality. (Oyama Sausage on Granville Island, along with Santa Barbara Market, is also excellent and noteworthy.) By now, you will have seen why the lineup is so long, every slice of meat is hand sliced per the order of every customer! If you can't get what you want here, it is your own fault for not knowing what good processed meat is.
7) While you are getting your meats choose from dozens of 3 litre cans of olive oil with astonishingly low price points and high quality.
Granted you will have to suffer crowded aisles, dirt on the floor and long waits but, with the high quality, outstanding selection and seemingly decade old pricing, you will entertain your family and friends with food made with love that is better than what is served in virtually every Italian restaurant in town and wash it down with your favourite amarone or super-Tuscan for a fraction of the price.Listed in: Good everyday food near my…
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Review from Sarah D.
4/4/2011
This is a fantastic little market that I'm fortunate to live close to. As others have mentioned, this place has an excellent selection of deli meats and cheeses. Since the deli's so busy, there's always a bit of a wait to get served, and when your number comes up the pressure is ON! I got a bit of stage fright the first time I was there, but I soon realized that I could choose almost anything, and it would be amazing. The prices on deli items are very reasonable, especially given the quality.
Besides the deli, Santa Barbara also has a great selection of pastas, breads and produce. I was thrilled when I discovered they carried Milka, a brand of chocolate bar that I haven't seen since I was in Germany. Sure, my waistline hasn't thanked me for it, but being the chocoholic that I am, I just had to load up on a few bars.
Cash or debit only, folks! -
Review from Ramon V.
I need a place like this place in my neighbourhood. In fact, everyone needs a place like this in their neighbourhood.
I'll gladly go out of my way on a weekend to hit this grocery, produce and deli Mecca of the Drive. Produce that you will not find at a supermarket, or will disgust any supermarket in comparison. Fresh basil, reasonably priced pineapples, beautiful tomatoes, a sidewalk of fruit, they've got it all. European inspired groceries. The best and cheapest place I've found to buy pasta, olive oil, yogurt, sandwich meats, chorizo, bocconcini, corn tortillas, polenta... the list goes on. An amazing assortment of meats and cheeses behind a crazy chaotic and super efficient deli counter that will have you wondering what kind of dreams those girls must have at night. -
Review from Roanna Z.
Updated - 8/11/2010
This is still the most crowded market in the lower Drive area. Consistently good quality produce, fresh local fruit buzzing with bees, fresh baguettes, breads and all the necessities.
There's a crazy popular deli in there too.
Still not a blip on the friendly radar though, even if you try and make a joke. Groceries are a very serious business, apparently.Listed in: More bag for your grocery…
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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12/18/2009
Not the friendliest place on earth, but produce prices are acceptable and of decent quality and the… Read more »
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Review from Jessica O.
Vancouver, BC
8/17/2010 1 Check-in Here
I am so conditioned to shop at Santa Barbara from my youth spent on the Drive that if I am grabbing a bite in the neighbourhood or visiting my mum I always make sure to pop in and hit the deli.
Good prices on high quality fruits and veggies, a great selection of imported European products (even Macedonian food!) and a deli that could make an Italian happy - this is a one-stop shop for groceries.
The proliferation of organic and niche products guarantees that you'll stay moderately healthy - and the cheese choices will break that guarantee with its wonderful (and reasonably priced) selection. I am salivating thinking about all that cheeeese....
For meat eaters, the homemade sausages are amazing. I also love the olive oil and pasta selections!
It won't break the bank - you can fill plenty of their signature orange bags for about the same cost as Safeway et al, yet be much more satisfied with your purchases. -
Review from Ryan G.
West Vancouver, BC
9/3/2011 2 photos
Chaos in picking meats! I really like this place. It's a local market with a local clientele. Service is prompt and the staff know their meats! Hey, they even took their time to answer a quick conundrum; even though they were busy selling the last meat slices on the planet! :) thanks for the pleasant and quaint local experience!
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Review from Jasmine T.
Burnaby, BC
9/13/2010 8 Check-ins Here
I love this place. I know that whenever I walk in here that I am going to be there for like an hour... this place is so busy and I am convinced that all the deli meat is fresher because of the high turnover rate.
Their produce prices are cheap... not as cheap as up the street, but everything is here for one stop shopping... I don't have time to run every which way to save like twenty cents. Everything is always fresh... I can always find all the veggies and fruits I need...
Their deli prices are like half of what they are at the regular grocery stores or other specialty delis. Great selection of fresh sausages too. It's so easy to stop here and pick some up for a quick dinner. Their feta is such a good price too.
All their canned goods are also well priced. I buy my tomato paste in a tube here for a song... They have fresh bread. Their pasta is cheap. I have so many different types at home because I love variety.
I buy everything here. I only go to other shops to buy meat that I can't get here. Everything is so well priced that I gladly spend the hour here... I can spend the time waiting looking for things I want to try. -
Review from Dani B.
11/6/2009
Want something from the Deli? Be prepared to wait a lifetime. They have amazing stuff in the deli too, but best be advised to grab a number, do some shopping and come back to see which number is serviced (they have it up on the board).
This place is fabulous for hard to find European goods, especially Italian meats and cheeses.
They also have a few random things from all over the place, so if you are willing to experiment pick the weirdest looking one.
I also recommend NOT going here during peak hours (after work, the weekends in general) because the lines are super long and the cashiers can only go so fast. Besides that, this place is a lovely little market on the drive that should not be passed up. -
Review from Simon R.
BC
11/21/2008 1 photo
This is the local European grocery store, full of fresh produce, obscure ethnic crackers, and those tall Italian cakes that come pre-boxed from the factory. Everything is reasonably priced, and the specialty foods are delicious, leading to long line-ups at the register.
They have a very good selection at the deli in the back, with all kinds of fancy things that will make you seem worldly if you bring them to a barbeque. There are also dozens of rare cheeses, which may contribute to the store's distinctly terrible smell.
Stop here if you're looking to make a special dinner at home tonight. From gnocchi to tiny ravioli, Santa Barbara provides you with the ideas and ingredients to make a meal capable of seducing someone special. -
Review from shain r.
Vancouver, BC
9/24/2008 1 photo
The Santa Barbara Market on Commercial Drive is not the place to buy toothpaste or toilet paper, but rather you must simply experience the deli, ohh and is a good place for inexpensive fruit and vegetables (I've picked up some excellent cheap red peppers and local plums for example). On the weekends, it gets very crowded (especialy at the deli meat and cheese counter), so try to come on the weekdays or early in the morining on a weekend.
Their Italian selection is also quite good. If they have the pasta or Italian tomatoes or, roasted red peppers, anitipasti, etc. that you are looking for, it will be cheaper than at other places on the Drive. They also stock a good selection of breads
Highly recommended: good quality for good prices! -
Review from Daniel L.
12/29/2010 4 Check-ins Here
Little Italy in a corner store is how this place feels... Great prices and good selection of fresh and shelf products, it has a feel of a market place as you enter the store with all the fresh produce on huge table displays... Super huge deli counter that always has a line up cause its prices and selection..
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Review from Jay W.
Montréal, QC
11/6/2008
If you're feeling a bit dissatisfied with the Western Canadian grocery stores (Safeway et al.), and over-charged by Capers and Whole Foods-inspired yuppiness, there's always Santa Barbara. Somehow it manages to combine a bit of the ambiance and specialties of two near-and-dear Montreal grocery stores. Milano and Segal's. Not to great effect necessarily, but damn, it's Vancouver, right?
The deli's about the best part. Try the prosciutto. Season it with the salt of your tears, as you ache to return to Montreal, and count the days until your plane leaves. -
Review from Trish R.
12/13/2010
Whenever I'm in the neighbourhood, I stop here and pick up a few things that are hard to find elsewhere... and I get some deli meats and cheeses, stock up on produce, bread, crackers and tomato paste. It's a great store!
Listed in: Quick dinners
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Review from Mercedes G.
Vancouver, BC
11/6/2008
Be prepared to shuffle about the store while trying to avoid bumping elbows with your neighbors because this store is quite busy most of the time and with good reason!
Along with your usual grocery offerings from produce (at good prices!) to dairy products, junk food and the like, Santa Barbara has a fantastic Italian deli and specialty foods section that is worth a second (and third!) look. With a delectable selection of local meats and cheeses, as well as imported pastas, fresh olives and Italian specialties, Santa Barbara does its best to compete with the many Italian foods stores along Commercial Drive and succeeds! Again, remember to bring a bucket full of patience with you or you'll never make it out of here alive, it is definitely worth it! -
Review from Christine R.
New Westminster, BC
11/5/2009
Great stock and well-regarded deli counter, but not exactly the most shiny of shopping experiences. As others have mentioned, the aisles are narrow and I constantly felt that I was jostling and being jostled by other shoppers (excuse me thank you sorry excuse me). Overall, it felt a little dingy and crowded, but they had multiple choices in everything that I needed - I never knew there were so many varieties of pita bread - and prices were excellent. So maybe I shouldn't be such a lookist.
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Review from Beth C.
Victoria, BC
2/1/2010
So impressed by the bulk selection, the deli, the variety of organic and local products, the friendliness of the staff, the produce. It's definitely busy and jostling in here (so you have to navigate the aisles a bit), but I can see why. I wish I lived closer so I could shop here more. Prices are reasonable, too, which seems increasingly rare.
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Review from Whitney L.
Vancouver, BC
2/1/2009
Definitely the most highly recognized European market in the city offering high quality produce (best selection of local apples), pasta and a cheese and meat counter at the cheapest prices you'll find anywhere- the selection is unbeatable and the bustling atmosphere is friendly and entertaining so long as you're not in a rush...
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Review from Xixi L.
Vancouver, BC
10/19/2009
It's one of the VERY few markets that treat cured meats properly. The trimming, slicing, and packing skills of the deli clerks are always very professional. There is a good selection of cheeses as well, but the range isn't as impressive as the porky delights they have to offer. Be sure to take a number at the deli counter as soon as you get there, that way you can shop around for other ingredients while waiting to have your number called instead of standing by the counter for ages. The produce isn't the best I've seen, but once in awhile they have specials on select fruits and veg. They also stock a range of preserves, sodas, and candy bars that is hard to get a hold of. Try a Marco Polo chocolate bar, although it's so popular most of the time they are out of stock.
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Review from teranika t.
Vancouver, BC
8/1/2009
I have a love-hate relationship with this store. On the one hand, it's close. It's relatively inexpensive. It usually has what we need. And there is a good selection of produce. On the other hand, I have trouble staying in the store for more than five minutes ever since I was pregnant and noticed that the back corner smelled like wet goat and nearly made me toss. Sometimes you have to select foods carefully - we've brought home veggies/milk products that have turned on us. But at the same time, they've been super good with refunds when we've brought stuff back. The deli in my experience has been up and down - although I've gotten some very good meats, I've also wound up with rather dried out cheese and meats from there. In any case I've stopped using the deli because it is chronically understaffed and there is almost always a 20-minute wait when I go. So Whitney L.'s got it right. As long as you're not in a rush...which is probably why SB is tough on people like me who hate being in grocery stores.
