This store is by far one of the greatest supermarkets I've ever come across, and it's not just a great place for poor college students - it's a great place for ALL the less fortunate people who live in the area.
Contrary to the
portrait Illumina has
painted of the store, the
food is not all
expired or out of the boxes and I've never seen
less-than fresh produce. I used to travel an hour to do my
grocery shopping there when I lived in
Vermont. Granted, the
Boston Barn is far from a "
full-service"
food store - they never have
everything you need, but if you're
short on funds and aren't
overly picky about what you
eat or what the
container it came in looks like, then this is
a wonderful place.
There is a little of everything here including: dry goods, fresh produce, milk and cheeses, candy, baking supplies, canned goods, fresh bread, baby supplies, feminine hygiene products, paper products, and animal foods. They'll accept cash and/or food stamps and that's it. No checks, no credit.
Okay, yes, the place is a little
scary-looking, especially the first time you go, but if you really NEED to be
shopping there then you quickly overlook the
old linoleum floors and the other
strange-looking shoppers. The people
working there are all very
kind and they'll pack all your stuff into a big
cardboard box for you, which I actually find more
convenient than
a whole bunch of bags.
I would definately advise anyone in the area to check it out if you're finding it hard to make ends meet. Even if you can afford to go to the Grand Union or Shop N' Save, this is a great place for bargainhunters that can deal with a dented can or two.