Grocery shopping can get pretty stressful – especially if you’re a newly independent college student learning to plan and cook meals for yourself every day. Life gets busy, and it’s nice to be able to fall back on a premade meal every once in a while. We reviewed grocery stores around town to help you make your next shopping trip a little bit easier, with recommendations on where to get prepared meals, how to get the most bang for your buck, which stores have the freshest produce, and more.
Cascadia Market
Cascadia Market is located on the south end of Oregon State University’s Corvallis campus, at 1701 SW Western Blvd., and sells a variety of local and organic foods, fresh produce, pantry items, frozen food, and household goods.
They usually have any basics you might need while living in the dorms, but almost everything is overpriced. Don’t go unless the convenience outweighs the high price tags. On the plus side, they do usually have hot meals available like orange chicken or custom sandwiches. Students and staff receive a discount if paying with OSU’s dining dollars or Orange Cash.
Rice N’ Spice
Rice N’ Spice is a small, locally-owned Asian grocery store located at 1075 NW Van Buren Ave. They carry most things needed to make an East-Asian dish, in addition to snacks, instant noodles, drinks, rice, and of course spices.
In addition to their superior sauce selection, their meat cuts and fresh produce aren’t generally offered at a typical grocery store in America. Their frozen food section is small, but mighty – containing a variety of premade items like bao or potstickers. A must-have from the store is their homemade kimchi, which they have a few different types of.
HK Market
HK Market is another Asian Grocery store in Corvallis, located at 930 NW Kings Blvd., and is larger than Rice N’ Spice. They have a large selection of frozen foods, snacks, and an abundance of drinks to choose from.
Their selection is better than Rice N’ Spice, but they’re beaten by them in terms of customer service. Like Rice N’ Spice, you won’t find a lot of their items at a place like Fred Meyer – although it’s right across the street if you need groceries from both places. They also have an attached Chinese restaurant in the back of the store – you could order takeout while doing your grocery shopping. HK Market also recently started taking Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) as payment.
Fred Meyer
Fred Meyer, located at 777 NW Kings Blvd., seems to be a popular choice among college students in Corvallis because it’s one of the closest stores to campus, and their large selection makes it easy to do all of your shopping in one place. There’s also a bus stop right outside the store for those taking public transportation.
Aside from the usual groceries, Fred Meyer carries clothing, household goods, toys and games, beauty supplies, electronics, and more. They have a section of refrigerated meal-prep kits and premade meals, and a deli section for easy dinners. Their prices are a bit high, but you can sign up for a free membership to get discounts on select items, as well as earning fuel points to use at their gas station. Their app also makes it easy to have groceries prepared for curbside pickup or delivered to your door.
Trader Joe’s
Located at 1550 NW 9th St., Trader Joe’s probably wins in terms of their frozen meal selection. They have all sorts of different frozen foods, from pizza and pasta to tikka masala, and 99% of the time it’s delicious.
Most of what they sell is their own brand – so you won’t find it anywhere else. It’s super easy to stock up on meals for the week without feeling shame, but if you’re someone who has the time and resources to do a lot of cooking, Trader Joe’s has you covered in other areas too. They have a decently-sized fresh produce section, lots of meats and cheeses to choose from, and even have a small selection of affordable plants near the entrance.
Also, the employees are always kind and helpful if you need any recommendations.
Market of Choice
Market of Choice, located at 922 NW Circle Blvd., is a higher-end grocery store in Corvallis, and their prices reflect that – although some of their fancier items are priced fairly reasonably in comparison.
They have a large salad bar and hot foods selection that’s perfect to take to-go for lunch or an outdoor picnic, but it might take longer to have your food prepared than it would at other markets. They also have a large locally-made beer and wine section, as well as an expansive chocolate selection. They’re great for anything local or organic, but maybe not for everyday items if you’re looking to keep your grocery bill low.
First Alternative Natural Foods Co-Op
The Co-Op has two locations in Corvallis, at 1007 SW 3rd and at 2855 NW Grant. They have a large selection of local and organic foods, but are also pretty expensive compared to other grocery stores in town. They have a variety of refrigerated foods made in-house, like sandwiches, baked goods, and even foods like dolmas (stuffed grape leaves). With a variety of fancy cheese and wine, it’s also a good place to go when picnic-prepping.
There are a few ways to cut down on costs at the Co-op, the first of which is becoming an owner. It costs $70 to become an owner, and you get 10% off your purchase once a month – it’s up to you to decide if that’s worth it. You can also get a discount by using their ‘Alternative Transportation’ punchcard – which gives you a punch every time you walk/bike/take public transportation to the co-op.
Winco
Located at 2335 NW Kings Blvd., Winco is an employee-owned grocery store, and it is probably the biggest grocery store in Corvallis. Their prices and selection are generally the best in town, but the freshness of their produce and premade deli foods are sometimes questionable.
Their bulk selection is a huge selling point – it includes rice, pasta, candy, dog treats, flour, sugar, spices, peanut butter, and so much more. Unlike most other grocery stores in the area, they have pre-made, unbaked pizzas that can be bought with SNAP – a cost-effective way to feed a group of people.
Safeway
With three locations around town – on Circle Blvd., 3rd St., and Philomath Blvd. – Safeway usually has fewer takeout options compared to other markets in the area and can get pretty pricey for a run-of-the-mill grocery store. Their customer service isn’t great, but you can generally count on finding fresh produce there.
Their prices on packaged goods often fluctuate, and their meats are overpriced. But three locations make it pretty convenient for a lot of folks. Like Fred Meyer, they have a free membership card that gets you discounts on certain items, as well as curbside pickup and delivery options.
All of the stores above take SNAP/EBT.
By Momoko Baker
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