Shopping for Food Bargains in Rochester, NY

In addition to our KOA Farmer's Market List from our area, we asked KOA readers to contribute places to find food bargains in the greater Rochester area. Thanks for all of these suggestions, all of you wonderful readers! You can read the great article by Cindy (of Cindy's Porch) which inspired the creation of this page, here.

The List

The South Wedge Farmers' Market hosts a monthly indoor market at Artisan Church on South Clinton Avenue. The market will be the third Thursday of each month, December through May (the last regular outdoor market is Thursday, Nov. 20). More info here: http://www.swfarmersmarket.org

Abundance Cooperative Market is Rochester, New York’s only community-owned natural grocery store. 62 Marshall Street off Monroe Avenue, two blocks from Strong National Museum of Play.

Lori's Natural Foods, 900 Jefferson Road, Rochester, NY, 585-424-2323. The goal of the store is to provide the community with wholesome food, minimally processed and containing no unnecessary preservatives or dyes. They carry foods for individuals with food sensitivities, including wheat free, gluten free, low sodium, sugar free and dairy free. The web site often has coupons.

The Genesee Regional Market has a ton of places:

• Tadco: Bulk spices and staples like flour (even the illusive pie and pastry flour that I like for pie crust)
  
  
• Lee’s: If you like to cook Asian food at all, they have what you need. A box of atulfo mangos are ~$12.00 a case when they are in season. And they are so much better than the ones you get at the grocery, although Wegman’s does have these mangos sometimes- at ~$2.70 EACH.
  
  
• Palmer’s: meat
  
  
• Day old bread store (I have to confess I have never been in there, not really caring for day old bread.)

Freihofer's Bakery Outlet, located on Jefferson behind Lori's (a natural market). It tucked behind some construction going on so you can only access it by going down Clay, next to the Holiday Inn. At the outlet they have many loaves at $1.19 each or 3 for 3.00. Plus there are bagels, buns and treats at more than half the grocery cost. Also, they have a "Frequent Shopper Card". You get a stamp for every $5.00 you spend, when you fill your card ($50) you get $5.00 off your next visit. Another reader writes: The bread is not all day-old – some of it is still well within date. We get Boboli out there for a fraction of the price and have a “make your own pizza” night. They also have lots of other things besides bread. Check it out – it’s a great resource.

Namaste, West Henrietta Road: Indian ingredients.

Lombardis, Fairport: Italian food. They have great homemade ravioli, but it is not necessarily cheap and they try really hard to suggestive sell you additional items at the checkout.

Skips Meat Market, Fairport: Great sausage, many varieties, good prices, but not open on Sunday and Monday.

Sauder’s Market and Store, 2168 River Rd., Seneca Falls. One of my favorites for cheap ingredients, but recently I think their prices have increased substantially, and with the price of gas, it may only be worth the drive if you are already driving out to the outlet mall or passing by the area for another reason.

Asian Food Market, 1885 Brighton-Henrietta Town Line Road, Henrietta NY: Fish! It is fun to take the kids there, if they can handle knowing that all of these fish are going to be eaten, because all of the fish are alive and they will butcher them for you. Not all kids are ready for this experience.

Price-Rite on University Avenue, Rochester. A reader writes: That place is insanely cheap – we got a family-sized box of Rice Krispies for $2.99 and Ocean Spray juice for $2.00. A 12-pack of Snack Pack pudding for school lunches was only $2.49. Great resource in these tough times.

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Note from editor: Please send any new ideas to suggestions@kidsoutandabout.com. I will do my best to put them up promptly.

Thank you!