Wegman's in Collegeville

[Tim Dolan]

Wow. This place is huge and has just about anything that you could want in a supermarket. It just opened on Sunday and has been jam packed. I went during lunch and was literally overwhelmed. I was starving but didn't know what to eat. They have different counters for everything; pizza, sushi, hoagies, panninis, wings, and soups. There were stations for Asian, Thai, and Indian food. They had American classics like pulled pork and mac and cheese. Prepared food to take home is everywhere. I took a quick look at their meat and fish sections and was very impressed. The steaks looked particularly good, with some well-marbled strips and ribeyes. There was one dry-aged ribeye that looked particularly awesome. Yes, awesome. I wish I would've bought it to see if the taste lived up to how it looked. The sheer variety of everything is staggering. At the very least, this place definitely raises the bar for what a supermarket should be.

What surprised me the most is that there is an actually bar that serves alcohol. The most surprising thing to me is their beer selection! Signs outside tout local Sly Fox on tap. This place could go toe to toe with the Foodery and barely lose out because it doesn't have quite as many esoteric Belgians. Crazy.

Although everything in there looks awesome, the food I had was just average. I had a chicken paninni with pesto and roasted peppers that was pretty bland. A side of pulled pork, however, was good enough and actually had some pink on it indicating that it was really smoked. I stopped in yesterday and was drawn to the sushi counter since they had a small team of sushi chefs furiously cranking out rolls of every kind. I bought a spicy tuna roll, and I'd have to give it a solid B. All in all, I can easily see why people are so taken by the place. It is clean, staffed by an army of nice people, and has an incredible selection of things to choose from. I'd say the quality is better than any other supermarket outside of Whole Foods, but their prices looked a bit more friendly. Not too bad.

[MarketStEl]

What surprised me the most is that there is an actually bar that serves alcohol. The most surprising thing to me is their beer selection! Signs outside tout local Sly Fox on tap. This place could go toe to toe with the Foodery and barely lose out because it doesn't have quite as many esoteric Belgians. Crazy.

IOW, this Wegmans acquired a restaurant liquor license. Given that several Sheetz convenience stores in central and western Pennsylvania have done something similar, I assume that you can buy six-packs to carry out at this store. Am I right?

Although everything in there looks awesome, the food I had was just average. I had a chicken paninni with pesto and roasted peppers that was pretty bland. A side of pulled pork, however, was good enough and actually had some pink on it indicating that it was really smoked. I stopped in yesterday and was drawn to the sushi counter since they had a small team of sushi chefs furiously cranking out rolls of every kind. I bought a spicy tuna roll, and I'd have to give it a solid B. All in all, I can easily see why people are so taken by the place. It is clean, staffed by an army of nice people, and has an incredible selection of things to choose from. I'd say the quality is better than any other supermarket outside of Whole Foods, but their prices looked a bit more friendly. Not too bad.

Wegmans used to have prices significantly higher than most other supermarket chains, according to testimony I've heard from upstate New Yorkers I know. When management figured out that what their shoppers were doing was going to Wegmans for the wonderful prepared foods and specialty items, then going to Tops to buy most of their regular grocery list, they came to the conclusion that everyday low prices on the stuff on the shelves would be a better strategy long-term.

Given what I had heard about Wegmans beforehand, I was pleasantly surprised to see when I went to their Cherry Hill store that their prices on ordinary grocery and household items were in line with those of other major chains.

And, of course, Whole Foods doesn't carry most of what you find at a Wegmans -- or any other regular supermarket, for that matter; most processed foods contain ingredients WFM forbids in the foods it sells.

[Tim Dolan]

Yeah I should mention that they were NOT selling any cases of beer, only 4, 6, and 12 packs, larger single bottles and a few other specialty items. Still, their selection was very impressive.

[cdh]

Stopped by this afternoon and it was a total zoo. The beer selection was wonderful! IT almost felt like living in a state with rational beer sales laws.

[philadining]

...Although everything in there looks awesome, the food I had was just average...

Although I'm a big fan of Wegmans, and am thrilled to have this new store open near me, I have generally found their prepared food to be less than thrilling. I've found that to be true even at their showcase store in Pittsford, NY (although I have not eaten at the full-service restaurant there called Tastings.) The prepared stuff to go is generally not bad, but I rarely find myself craving anything from their kitchens. I even find most of the items on the Asian and Indian buffets to be kind of clunky - too sweet or salty, or over-thickened, or all those things at once - which is kind of surprising, given the effort they seem to put into it.

That said, they seem to do huge business in the buffets and the prepared, or semi-prepared, meal-to-go sector, so I guess enough people like it.

I haven't tried the Pub, but I find it very interesting that when one dines there, one is encouraged NOT to tip. They say they pay their workers a good wage, and tipping is not necessary. It'll be very interesting to see if this could be the start of a trend.

I'm really happy to have a Wegman's conveniently located to me just because I think it's a great grocery store, if not an especially great take-out restaurant. The range and quality of products they offer is pretty amazing, and I've always been impressed with their customer service. While there are still some things that can only be found at the Reading Terminal, or the Asian Supermarkets on Washington Ave, or at DiBrunos, I'm always amazed that I can make one stop at a Wegman's and pick up Panko, Filé Powder, Dry-Aged Beef, exotic mushrooms, and laundry detergent, at 3am on a Wednesday in the suburbs. Plus, sometimes the bakery has Kimmelweck rolls.

BTW, if you've only been to the Cherry Hill Wegman's, you really need to check this one out, it's in a whole different league. The Cherry Hill store is a little better than your average supermarket, these super mondo stores are in another orbit.

[GlorifiedRice]

http://i35.tinypic.com/29wjubt.jpg

^^ITS HUGE!

http://i35.tinypic.com/2q3c9ra.jpg

^^^ANOTHER ANGLE

Friday I will go get you guys pics of the entire BEER section. Im not a drinker but I was dazzled.

I got a ready made Tiramisu that had liquor in it in the ethic/international foods section that should be marked "Has Alcohol".

[ruthcooks]

I was wishing and hoping the entire 7 years I lived in PA for a Wegman's to open near me. NOW it happens, after I've moved back to TN, about 7 miles from where I lived in PA. I'm taking some coolers next spring when I go back for the high school graduation of grandson #2.

[MarketStEl]

Just a general note:

You cannot buy beer by the case and by the six-pack in the same place in Pennsylvania. Case sales are the exclusive province of beer distributors; only "restaurants" with the appropriate takeout license may sell six-packs.

Now that I've said that, I'll repeat something I believe I've said on these forums in another context: According to at least one craft brewer I spoke with at this year's "Good Food, Good Beer and The Rest Is History" fundraiser for The Food Trust, we have Pennsylvania's consumer-hostile beer laws to thank for the robust beer culture around here.

Those laws apparently make it possible for small brewers to sell their product in a way that allows them to compete profitably. Another provision of those laws that works to the unintended benefit of the beer lover is the provision that bans wholesalers from buying up shelf space at retailers. The existence of this practice in other states is one reason why, when you go to the supermarket to get a six-pack of beer in a state with rational liquor laws, you can get anything you want as long as it's from InBev Anheuser-Busch or MillerCoors (the US joint venture of SABMiller plc and MolsonCoors).

So perhaps we should all meet at Wegmans in Collegeville and hoist a glass of Sly Fox, or Victory -- or Yuengling Lager,* for that matter -- to the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board. In spite of itself.

*My source at the festival also told me that Yuengling dominates sales in the Southeastern Pennsylvania market -- which makes the Philadelphia region one of the few large metros in the country where the two big beer combines don't rule the roost. I'd like to think this is a testament to the superior taste and refinement of Philadelphians, but I can't help but think that those laws also have something to do with it.

[rlibkind]

Plus, sometimes the bakery has Kimmelweck rolls.

BTW, if you've only been to the Cherry Hill Wegman's, you really need to check this one out, it's in a whole different league. The Cherry Hill store is a little better than your average supermarket, these super mondo stores are in another orbit.

I generally go to Cherry Hill, since that's closest to Center City. I was very disappointed when they droopped the kimmelwecks. Have you seen them recently at Collegeville or the other stores?

[philadining]

Plus, sometimes the bakery has Kimmelweck rolls.

BTW, if you've only been to the Cherry Hill Wegman's, you really need to check this one out, it's in a whole different league. The Cherry Hill store is a little better than your average supermarket, these super mondo stores are in another orbit.

I generally go to Cherry Hill, since that's closest to Center City. I was very disappointed when they droopped the kimmelwecks. Have you seen them recently at Collegeville or the other stores?

Yep, got some at Downingtown recently. Did not see any at Collegeville, but I emailed through their website a while back to ask if they would have them regularly, and was told that the bakery manager would be happy to make them on request. So I'm not entirely sure how one goes about asking, but I think any of the stores would make a batch with some advance notice.

[rlibkind]

Yep, got some [kimmewecik] at Downingtown recently. Did not see any at Collegeville, but I emailed through their website a while back to ask if they would have them regularly, and was told that the bakery manager would be happy to make them on request. So I'm not entirely sure how one goes about asking, but I think any of the stores would make a batch with some advance notice.

I'll have to remember to call Cherry Hill a day or so before my next trip over. Thanks.

[GlorifiedRice]

I tried to get pics of the beer section at Wegmans yesterday but I was stopped and told to put my phone away

[robert40]

I tried to get pics of the beer section at Wegmans yesterday but I was stopped and told to put my phone away

They have a no photo policy.

[mrsadm]

I've shopped at Wegman's in upstate NY for about 15 years now. They are a wonderful store, esp. for produce; they even carry local farmers' goods.

Prepared foods, eh, they are OK. Very bland food for the most part.

They've recently started to carry "big packs" to compete with the warehouse stores. The prices can be good.

Other things they do drive me nuts. Like stocking only their store brand in certain categories, or putting other brands on the lowest shelf so they're easier to miss.

[philadining]

Other things they do drive me nuts. Like stocking only their store brand in certain categories, or putting other brands on the lowest shelf so they're easier to miss.

I feel like they're doing that less these days. It's very likely that they have responded to customer complaints. I was looking for something the other day and was perfectly fine with the Wegman's brand, but I actually had to search a bit to find their version. The aisle-ends do tend to be more commonly stocked with their own brands than you see in most other stores, but the regular shelves feel less dominated than they used to be.

[shellbellc]

My husband just sent me a text pic of the 3 blue point oysters and a beer that he just got at Wegman's. He just stopped in to check it out and never got past the pub. He said it's crazy.

Edited October 21, 2009 by shellbellc (log)

[shellbellc]

By the way, forgot to mention that friends of our went last weekend for seafood. They had a whole swordfish there and if you ordered steaks they sliced them right off the fish for you!

[mrbigjas]

$3 hop devil and gerrish island oysters like little shots of ice cold salt water; tipping prohibited. there are worse ways to take a break on a sunday afternoon in the exurbs.

[percyn]

For prepared food - the pub, sushi and some of the sections like the Indian section are not restaurant quality, but pretty decent.

However, I love the fact that you can customize your pizza. Last night I got a Caramelized Onion and Applewood smoked bacon pizza with balsamic reduction drizzled on top - hmmmmmm.

[percyn]

... was told that the bakery manager would be happy to make them on request. So I'm not entirely sure how one goes about asking, but I think any of the stores would make a batch with some advance notice.

Just stop by the dept or call them and tell them you would like to special order an item. I've gotten several D'Artagnan items from the meat department via this method, which saves me a ton on shipping.

[Tim Dolan]

Last weekend I was on the way home from West Chester on route 202 and I stopped in at the recently opened Wegman's near/in Malvern. It was pretty much identical to the store that they opened up in Collegeville, but this time I noticed two eye-popping items that they had on sale: waygu beef selling for $56 a pound, and black truffles going for the oh-so-low prices of $999/lb. Seriously. The truffles were in a locked clear plastic box filled with rice. I wasn't all that surprised to see the waygu, but when you're perusing the produce section and you come across a box with a $999 price tag in front of it, it kind of grabs your attention.

This leads me to a few questions. Who buys such high-end items at Wegman's? In the case of the waygu there was only one small strip steak left, so people were obviously buying it. The store is located in an area where I suppose people are more likely to be able to afford waygu beef more often than the average joe, so the product should move. But the truffles? And really, if you're going to drop that amount of coin on either product, is what Wegman's had to offer on par with other sources? I just know that if I were going to spend serious money on either item, I doubt Wegman's would be my first choice. But then again, I've never bought either item so I am in no way qualified to even know what the hell I'm talking about.

Unfortuantely I can only speculate to the quality of the items since I'm not in the market of doing waygu beef and truffle tastings. I'd happily volunteer though if anyone every wanted to set up such an operation

[Kerry Beal]

Last weekend I was on the way home from West Chester on route 202 and I stopped in at the recently opened Wegman's near/in Malvern. It was pretty much identical to the store that they opened up in Collegeville, but this time I noticed two eye-popping items that they had on sale: waygu beef selling for $56 a pound, and black truffles going for the oh-so-low prices of $999/lb. Seriously. The truffles were in a locked clear plastic box filled with rice. I wasn't all that surprised to see the waygu, but when you're perusing the produce section and you come across a box with a $999 price tag in front of it, it kind of grabs your attention.

This leads me to a few questions. Who buys such high-end items at Wegman's? In the case of the waygu there was only one small strip steak left, so people were obviously buying it. The store is located in an area where I suppose people are more likely to be able to afford waygu beef more often than the average joe, so the product should move. But the truffles? And really, if you're going to drop that amount of coin on either product, is what Wegman's had to offer on par with other sources? I just know that if I were going to spend serious money on either item, I doubt Wegman's would be my first choice. But then again, I've never bought either item so I am in no way qualified to even know what the hell I'm talking about.

Unfortuantely I can only speculate to the quality of the items since I'm not in the market of doing waygu beef and truffle tastings. I'd happily volunteer though if anyone every wanted to set up such an operation

Someone must buy them - cause the truffles I saw at Wegmans in Buffalo last year (like your's locked in a plexiglass case with rice) disappeared by the next time I was there - and I sure didn't see them in the reduced bin!

[boggah]

Wegmans in Cherry Hill stocked those truffles at the same price a few years back when they opened. That box didn't last long, they were pulled within a year, along with a few other high end products which didn't move in this location.(Foie comes to mind)

They do however carry the Wagyu which started to appear last year. I believe they keep a large piece of strip loin in the back, and slice off 1 or 2 thin portions to put out on the floor. Seems to give the appearance that someone buys them. Haven't pulled the trigger on one, but came close with the managers special a few times.

Edited April 5, 2011 by boggah (log)

[karlos]

Well, most folks don't need a pound of truffles. Just one little one shaved over whatever you want will do the trick and won't cost that much. Saffron can easily cost that per pound but you only need a little pinch to achieve the desired effect. The Wagyu would intimidate me though as I can easily put away a pound of beef and I would be sure to overcook or undercook the darn thing.

[ruthcooks]

Sometimes carrying outrageously expensive goods is a marketing ploy. Gets people to talking, doncha know?

This would have been MY Wegman's, had I stayed in PA long enough. Sniff, sniff.