Member-owned deli and store offering organic produce, grab n go foods, a self service hot bar, salad bar, sandwiches, juice and smoothies, vitamins, care products, bakery, grocery and more. Open Mon-Sun 7:00am-10:00pm.
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Last update on 03 Dec 2017 by Guest
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11 Reviews
First Review by soup
ryanwhatt
Points +942
Lots of good vegan options - Edit
They stock lots of good vegan options, including a lot of local businesses like Nosh cashew spread or Hummuna hummus.
Read moreGuest
KellinaBreakfield
Points +79
I do love the Co Op, but… - Edit
They don’t have tons of vegan options. Their burritos are very good though, as well as their mushroom bahn mi.
Read moreGuest
AlishaM
Points +1061
Meh breakfast - Edit
We were visiting from out of town and it was recommended we go here for breakfast. The only vegan options on the hot bar were tough roasted potatoes and very bland tofu scramble. Neither were seasoned at all. Nice store with lots of vegan options to take home, but brekky and takeaway options were less than impressive.
Read morePros: Great vegan options in the grocery
Cons: Bland takeaway and hot bar options
Guest
AmberPollard
Points +565
What’s happening with the hot bar? - Edit
There used to be at least 2 vegan options on the hot bar but recently I’m lucky if there is even one. :(
Read moreGuest
AutumnTierra
Points +1450
Better than Whole Foods! - Edit
I had been shopping at Whole Foods since I moved here for my supplemental groceries and specialty vegan items. But no more! I checked out the Co-op. It has all the same vegan brands Whole Foods has, but it has more vegan food bar options. When I went there were a couple vegan soups, vegan sushi, a vegan burrito, and 3 vegan sandwich options (Whole Foods has 0). It also has three kinds of non-dairy milk at the coffee bar and a juice/smoothie bar. They are open 7am-10pm, seven days a week. I was impressed enough after my visit to become a member, which gives you 10% off a month, as well as other benefits. The prices seem comparable or a little less than Whole Foods.
Read morePros: Labels vegan items, Has vegan section for cheese and meat alternatives, Very friendly and helpful staff
Cons: Does not label vegan wine or beer
Guest
serenacarey
Points +294
Better than Whole Foods! - Edit
Although it is small, the Co-Op had more vegan options than Whole Foods. Their juice bar was really good...many options and reasonably priced. The hot food bar, although tiny, had some vegan options. It was very pricey, but delicious. They had some pre-packaged vegan salads and an area to sit and eat lunch.
Read morePros: Vegan Options at Hot Food Bar, Juice Bar, Area to sit and eat
Cons: Small, Wish there were more vegan options
Guest
livluvdance4
Points +38
Boise Co-op - Edit
Great store for quality, organic products! Love it!
Read moreGuest
michelleg
Points +41
I agree, not a co-op - Edit
I agree with another member's review that this is far from being an actual co-op. It's much, much more of a trendy "oh, look at us, we're so environmentally conscious" place to shop for the upper middle class to upper class -- and the prices reflect that.
Read moreIf I summed up the place in one word: Uppity. (But then, I kind of get that vibe from downtown Boise in general.) C'mon folks, you're just Boise, Idaho; how 'bout bringing down the haughtiness a bit? (I'm an Idaho native, so I'm not just 'picking on' a store that doesn't live up to the standards I've seen in other states. Plus, I've lived in FRANCE and the stereotypical rudeness found in and around Paris isn't even as 'snooty' as the Co-op. Yes, that's saying something.)
It's a decent-size store, so chances are they'll have something you're looking for (but don't hold your breath for true vegan at the deli). They also moved their huge wine section across the parking lot to open up a bit more space for actual groceries. The bits of 'raw' products that are sprinkled around the store seem to get a teensy bit bigger every so often, though the prices are only 'cheaper' because to otherwise get some of the products I'd be shopping online and paying shipping.
I have also been let down a few times by items I'd think I could surely find there and haven't been able to (i.e., ceylon cinnamon). They even started producing their own coupon books, but two items in particular I was looking for which had coupons weren't even carried in the store!!
One pro I can mention is the produce section is large and the items are usually of pretty good quality--some of it local--and you can find more out-of-the-ordinary items that aren't carried at the bigger chain stores. (**A newer grocery store has opened by the mall that carries many of the same items as the co-op with more affordable prices, though the produce section is a bit smaller.**)
Also, for folks sensitive to smell... the store does have it's own unique smell. It's not a bad smell, per se--just different. (Akin to a first trip into a crystal/incense shop as a teenager...?) Needless to say, my 8-year-old niece refers to it as "the stinky store." I've only taken her once and she still asks when we're running errands and are headed to a store if it's "the stinky one."
Pros: Large produce selection
Cons: High prices, Very uppity, Membership fee to not pay add'l 10%
Guest
bribee
Points +28
Don't knock the one co-op in Boise. - Edit
I don't know what the other reviews' deals are with the deli. There are always at least 2-3 different vegan options in the case, and everyone I've ever spoken to knew exactly what "vegan" meant. Sure, a couple extra vegan options wouldn't be bad, but it's a grocery store, not a vegetarian restaurant. There's always a bunch of great vegan items (vegan marshmallows in the colder months!) and the staff is always friendly.
Read morePros: local, friendly staff
Cons: small
kindlizard
It is not a "grocery store", it is a "co-op". If they offer a deli, it shouldn't be an Albertsons deli, it should be indicative of a healthful lifestyle, which is what HC is all about. This place had to call supervisors over to find out what vegan meant, let alone if the dishes were or not. Pathetic honestly, a co-op should be a safe haven for vegan travelers, which this was not. Did I clarify your concern?
Read moreGuest
kindlizard
Points +1131
wrong info as to what was vegan - Edit
this place is similar to a Whole Foods as far as atmosphere and inventory. While you can get dry goods all the live long day, you can NOT get anything vegan at their deli. Let me also note, this place has way more meat than any other Co-op I have ever been to. This meat was pervasive throughout the deli case as well. The vegetarian items all had mayo or cheese, and the kids behind the deli counter all told me they were vegan. I had to educate him that mayo was not vegan, that cheese was not vegan. 'oh right'.
Read moreDisaster... I figured bread & hummus would be pretty safe. The ingredients weren't listed on the hummus tub, so after asking they all asked each other and no one knew what they made their hummus from. The deli manager told me the hummus did not contain mayo (I asked that specifically since I have seen it before and this place had mayo in everything) and was in fact vegan. I let her know that her crew was clueless as to what was vegan and what it meant. She agreed with me and thanked me for educating them. WAIT, it is NOT my job to educate her staff. My job is to get in & out of there as quickly as possible and back on the road/ good foot. I did call ahead from I-84; they told me they had a ton of vegan items on the deli bar and I would eat well and so forth. What a disappointment. I supposed whoever I talked w shared the same misinformed view as the kid I talked to.
On a good note the kind brother at the checkout reminded me of all that is good about HFs/ Co-ops. Positive vibes really can help create community and help establish HFs as the cornerstone of said community.
Suggestion: Reduce or eliminate meat. Train your crew. Come up with some vegan items.
Pros: good vibes at checkout , clean & spacious
Cons: too much MEAT, wrong info on vegan, deli staff
Guest
soup
Points +19
Eh. It's alright. - Edit
As far as being able to get things in the store, this place is awesome. A lot of things that you really can't find anywhere else in town, you can find here. This goes doubly for their beer selection, which, while not immediately relevant to vegans and vegetarians as vegans and vegetarians, is definitely relevant to me as a dude who likes beer (speaking of beer, they carry a Scottish ale called Caledonian Golden Promise that's not only DELICIOUS, it also says it's suitable for vegans right on the bottle!) ;)
Read moreHowever, their deli is incredibly inept as far as accommodating vegan diets. Last time I went there, and asked if they could make something vegan, they pretty much took "vegan" to mean "hold the bread and slather it in cheese and mayo." The pre-made vegan options aren't very good or interesting, and really, I could just make better food at home for way cheaper. Luckily, with all the good stuff you can get at the co-op, that shouldn't be too difficult.
Pros: good selection of hard to find items, good staff everywhere but the deli, excellent beer and wine selection
Cons: deli isn't really vegan friendly, often crowded with north end yuppies, rather expensive
Guest
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