Citarella

02/20/09

Horrifying, rude, obnoxious cashiers. Do not go!

by Mike988 at Citysearch

Excellent selection of food is ruined by obnoxious, rude cashiers. Do NOT shop here. You're only rewarding them for it. There are other stores that carry excellent produce and don't treat you like you're garbage. Go to Garden of Eden or Whole Foods. The fact that management tolerates such horrible rudeness at checkout shows that they hold their customers in contempt. They scowl; they don't respond to you when you say hello or thank you; in fact, there is never a thank you. This place is abominable. Shop elsewhere.

• Pros: Good produce.
• Cons: Horrible, rude, obnoxious service at checkout. Miserable cashiers take it out on the customers.

04/10/08

The best of the NY gourmet markets

by vm61 at Citysearch

Everyone talks about Citarella's fish (and they should because you won't find fresher anywhere), but I love the meat department. The butchers are always friendly to me and make suggestions for cooking, if I ask. Of their prepared foods, I love the lobster salad, broccoli rabe (always cooked perfectly) and there is nothing like their rotisserie chicken, which you can smell from the street. I don't know what they do to it, but no other chicken tastes like Citarella's--it's moist and flavorful and completely yummy. Some of my other favorites: Lemon Tea Cake (has a very tangy kick), Apple Strudel, fresh mozzarella and the Citarella sauces in the jar. They taste as good as homemade and are very reasonably priced. In fact, many of Citarella's products are reasonably priced. In the case where items are expensive, it's definitely one of those 'you get what you pay for' things. I'd rather have a truly satisfying steak or soft shell crabs and pay a little more, than something mediocre at a bargain price.

• Pros: Excellent quality and clean
• Cons: There isn't one closer to my house

12/12/06

Horrible catering

by sirivipab at Citysearch

They called it "catering service". I ordered "prepared" food for a company party. The food showed up on time, which is great, but everything was freezing cold. I called these guys for CATERING, and all they did was drop off trays of freezing food for a company party. When I asked if they were bringing in the sternals and heating/chafing dishes in a bit, the guy looked at me like I had 3 heads. Then when I called Citarella, they said, "we don't do that". So, I had to run around the neighborhood trying to find a cafe that would lend/rent me sternals. Cafe 28 by the way totally came through. It's located on 28th b/w 5th and Broadway and they were AMAZINGLY sweet. Not only did they lend me sternals, but they sent two guys who came to help me set it up and charged me only for the alcohol heaters. I should have gone to them for catering in the first place!

Boo to Citarella. Go to Cafe 28!

• Pros: excellent food
• Cons: It's freezing cold!!!!

11/14/05

It is contagious

by joneadler at Citysearch

Not only are the checkout people mute about basic greetings and thank you's apparently it has spread next door to Fairway markets! I guess it is hard to get someone to be nice when they are standing on their feet all day and probably getting underpaid for their efforts.

• Pros: seafood variety, butcher, bakery
• Cons: checkout service, prepared foods, cost

10/13/04

The finest fish market on the Upper West Side is now about more than just fish.

by Contributor at Citysearch

The Scene
Five blocks south of Zabar's and just a few doors up from Fairway, Citarella is widely considered to be the finest fish market on the Upper West Side--and among the best in the entire city. The gourmet grocery chain now includes locations on Upper East Side and the Hamptons, along with a fine-dining seafood restaurant in Rockefeller Center.

The Goods
The presence of a butcher has put the quality of meat in line with the quality of the store's fish. There's also a prepared-food section in this bright and airy shop, with an emphasis on the sea. As it continues to strive for one-stop shop appeal, Citarella has converted its second-floor offices into a domain of charcuterie, coffees, pickles, smoked fish, cheese, chocolates and pastries.

06/20/03

Very Rude Service

by lisaj at Citysearch

The management of this establishment should invest in some customer service training for the employees. Thank you is never said by the staff, nor is it acknowledged by the staff, if it is said to them. I was the only person at a counter, and I practically had to beg for assistance, which was provided without a smile, and with a very negative attitude. This makes for a very unpleasant shopping experience, even if the quality of the food is good.

12/31/02

Rude!

by maddy25 at Citysearch

This place has some great quality items, true. But one should not have to endure the incredibly rude staff to shop here. Talk about pretentious! This is Manhattan... there are tons of other food markets where you can buy the same things, at half the price and none of the attitude. Shop there instead! If not, consider yourself warned...