The food literally sits in the case until the customer purchases it or it looks to bad to sell, Working at a festival foods is one of the worst things i've experienced having people micromanage everything you do and feeling like people are waiting for you to slip up so they can fire you. That's not even mentioning some of the blatantly racist staff always closely watching black customers specifically Pros: u get s*** pay Cons: The Store in it's racist entirety
Paula D.
Yesterday Feb 08 bought a package of bakery dept. cookies. Today Feb 09, I ate one. Tasted a little stale. Discovered the package had a "Sell by Feb 07" label on it. I hate stale. Feel ripped off. Will check expiration dates on Festival's Madison store items routinely now. Staff should be more careful.
Andrew G.
They have the best ready to go meals, and deli area, out of most of Madison. Great parking for being right downtown. I like going here because it's often not crowded, and I feel safe. The prices are incredibly reasonable, the produce is fresh, and the selection is better than most (excluding Woodmans). I love coming down here outside of normal business hours.
Esther H.
Festival Foods is not the place to shop if you care about your health. Employees and customers do not wear masks or other protective covering to protect each other and customers from covid-19 exposure. While the CDC recommends face masks and does not require them, grocery store owners and managers can think for themselves. There are plenty of grocery stores that have taken the initiative to have all employees wear masks, keep distance, have one way isles, and show all of us we care about each other. Please shop safe and relaxed elsewhere.
Amanda Belanger
Great happy hour BOGO 3-6 p.m. Monday through Friday. We really like coming here before grocery shopping for a quick drink. Andrew the bartender is super fun and helpful. If you feel like socializing and sitting at the bar, there are plenty of interesting people to talk to. Additionally, they have a huge porch, TV's to watch, outlets and if you want to people watch, (like we do) while people grocery shop, you can. You have a view of the entire grocery store.
Shirah Freeman
super cool people! nice atmosphere and you can buy groceries while buzzed!
Kristin S.
I tend to avoid this grocery store if at all possible but they have decent deals and items I can't always seem to find at other stores. The reason I tend to avoid it is because parking is a NIGHTMARE. They have a parking garage and there's always a ton of traffic and the spots are really tight - I'm always nervous that someone is going to ding or scratch my car. I love that they sell Madison Sourdough baguettes - although if you go later in the evening they tend to run out. It's also convenient that they have a full liquor store and you can grab stuff and pay for it at the regular register. They have a decent and good looking produce section and also a pretty decent meat counter. You can always find some sort of meat thing on special on any day of the week. I'll do this on occasion if I'm at a loss for what to make. They have a fun artisan cheese section with all the accoutrements and a good selection of crackers and spreads.
Dakota Chambers
Awesome happy hour beer prices and good tap rotations. Good place to bring a board game and hangout with friends.
Ted J.
Great associates and super clean store. I've never encountered more proactive and friendly associates at a grocery store. Personally, I find the store layout confusing despite the signage and I often have a "lost" look when I visit the store. And each time I feel/look lost, someone stops to ask me if I need help, regardless of the department. Huge thanks to Kurtis in the health food aisle who knows where everything is, thankfully.
K H.
We heard that the "Mezz" upstairs of the Festival Supermarket was a cool place for inexpensive libations and outdoor seating. We were not disappointed. Pinot Gris special was awesome, and the beer was cold and light on a hot late summer day. Employees were friendly and helpful... Fun place to hang out!
Come match wits with Andrew! Friday night trivia 7:00 at the Mezz, BEST ANSWERS ONLY, no phones even if you're texting your grandma, sponsored by Sofa Diamonds so study up on your Diamonds trivia there's always a diamond question!!!!!
Andrew Foley
I ordered a margarita and it surprisingly turned out well. still not sure how I feel about a bar in a grocery store but it was good and the views were nice.
Rebecca Danzig
Love this space! Super cool and urban! It's cool to hangout, do some work, eat something yummy or have a cocktail! The coolest grocery store around, by far!
Lori Madison
One of Madison's best kept secrets! Great Happy Hour (M - F, 3 - 7, $3 taps/wine/rail) and Friday Trivia. Who knew a grocery store could be the source of so much fun??!!!
Jim Zobjeck
Great place to be. There is a full Liquor Bar there and TVs. Comfortable seating. A view of East Washington Avenue from the second floor very nice. Also outside seating.
The food literally sits in the case until the customer purchases it or it looks to bad to sell, Working at a festival foods is one of the worst things i've experienced having people micromanage everything you do and feeling like people are waiting for you to slip up so they can fire you. That's not even mentioning some of the blatantly racist staff always closely watching black customers specifically Pros: u get s*** pay Cons: The Store in it's racist entirety
Yesterday Feb 08 bought a package of bakery dept. cookies. Today Feb 09, I ate one. Tasted a little stale. Discovered the package had a "Sell by Feb 07" label on it. I hate stale. Feel ripped off. Will check expiration dates on Festival's Madison store items routinely now. Staff should be more careful.
They have the best ready to go meals, and deli area, out of most of Madison. Great parking for being right downtown. I like going here because it's often not crowded, and I feel safe. The prices are incredibly reasonable, the produce is fresh, and the selection is better than most (excluding Woodmans). I love coming down here outside of normal business hours.
Festival Foods is not the place to shop if you care about your health. Employees and customers do not wear masks or other protective covering to protect each other and customers from covid-19 exposure. While the CDC recommends face masks and does not require them, grocery store owners and managers can think for themselves. There are plenty of grocery stores that have taken the initiative to have all employees wear masks, keep distance, have one way isles, and show all of us we care about each other. Please shop safe and relaxed elsewhere.
Great happy hour BOGO 3-6 p.m. Monday through Friday. We really like coming here before grocery shopping for a quick drink. Andrew the bartender is super fun and helpful. If you feel like socializing and sitting at the bar, there are plenty of interesting people to talk to. Additionally, they have a huge porch, TV's to watch, outlets and if you want to people watch, (like we do) while people grocery shop, you can. You have a view of the entire grocery store.
super cool people! nice atmosphere and you can buy groceries while buzzed!
I tend to avoid this grocery store if at all possible but they have decent deals and items I can't always seem to find at other stores. The reason I tend to avoid it is because parking is a NIGHTMARE. They have a parking garage and there's always a ton of traffic and the spots are really tight - I'm always nervous that someone is going to ding or scratch my car. I love that they sell Madison Sourdough baguettes - although if you go later in the evening they tend to run out. It's also convenient that they have a full liquor store and you can grab stuff and pay for it at the regular register. They have a decent and good looking produce section and also a pretty decent meat counter. You can always find some sort of meat thing on special on any day of the week. I'll do this on occasion if I'm at a loss for what to make. They have a fun artisan cheese section with all the accoutrements and a good selection of crackers and spreads.
Awesome happy hour beer prices and good tap rotations. Good place to bring a board game and hangout with friends.
Great associates and super clean store. I've never encountered more proactive and friendly associates at a grocery store. Personally, I find the store layout confusing despite the signage and I often have a "lost" look when I visit the store. And each time I feel/look lost, someone stops to ask me if I need help, regardless of the department. Huge thanks to Kurtis in the health food aisle who knows where everything is, thankfully.
We heard that the "Mezz" upstairs of the Festival Supermarket was a cool place for inexpensive libations and outdoor seating. We were not disappointed. Pinot Gris special was awesome, and the beer was cold and light on a hot late summer day. Employees were friendly and helpful... Fun place to hang out!
Restaurantji Recommends
Come match wits with Andrew! Friday night trivia 7:00 at the Mezz, BEST ANSWERS ONLY, no phones even if you're texting your grandma, sponsored by Sofa Diamonds so study up on your Diamonds trivia there's always a diamond question!!!!!
I ordered a margarita and it surprisingly turned out well. still not sure how I feel about a bar in a grocery store but it was good and the views were nice.
Love this space! Super cool and urban! It's cool to hangout, do some work, eat something yummy or have a cocktail! The coolest grocery store around, by far!
One of Madison's best kept secrets! Great Happy Hour (M - F, 3 - 7, $3 taps/wine/rail) and Friday Trivia. Who knew a grocery store could be the source of so much fun??!!!
Great place to be. There is a full Liquor Bar there and TVs. Comfortable seating. A view of East Washington Avenue from the second floor very nice. Also outside seating.