Alley's General Store

We never miss a stop or several at Alley's when we visit the Island annually. The store and their staff have always been wonderful to chat with and have been most helpful. I always find great things there and we also love the fresh produce shop behind the general store. Island people are just like us folks from the south. Very friendly and we all love to talk and visit each other. Such a nice store. Be back in September and for one month this year! Can't wait. more

the guy who wrote that is the biggest douchebag spoiled ass tourist and i would eat his face off if given the opportunityif i find that guy, lets just say head up ur ass will have a slightly more literal meaning more

Lived on the island all my life, been to Alley's and every other store on the island, and ally's is not one of worst. While prices do tend to hover a bit above the rest, the typically native islander staff is always helpful and willing to lend a hand. They are very good about handling specialty orders, that is, anything they do not carry, they'll get if you ask. I wouldn't hold much confidence in a person who said they went to ally's at the end of july (height of the summer) and find it to be not very busy. They near always have a full house. God forbid a coffee lid doesn't fit, i am quite certain this individual exaggerated much in their description. I would suggest anyone curious about Alley's to definitely check it out, and immerse yourself in a real island store, and ignore the blatant ignorance of the first reviewer. Pros: Friendly Staff, Great Variety Cons: Pricey more

I know this is a historic landmark and I have read the reviews, but avoid it at all costs. I went 2 times during my annual Martha's Vineyard vacation with my family and was treated so poorly that you would have thought my business was an inconvenience. The employees would rather chat amongst themselves then offer help to customers. When I asked a girl for help locating the appropriate size lid to cover my coffee, after several unsuccessful attempts of my own, the young girl curtly replied ""I know they fit, I used one this morning,"" and walked away. I also noticed that a woman in her 40's or so, who appeared to be the owner or manager, saw that I was looking for help but she too ignored me. I understand that tourists can sometimes be rude and annoying, but I don't think my request for a proper coffee lid was either. On my second visit, I stopped to use their ATM and was shorted $20. Once again I looked around for help, but was ignored even though the store was not busy at all and was well staffed. I decided to wait on line to get help from the girl at the counter. When I explained what had happened to her, she didn't even look up or say anything, but yelled to the woman who I assume to be the owner / manager. The manager was not at all apologetic and simply wrote the number of the bank in charge of the ATM for me to call. During this time my 10 year old daughter was with me. When we returned to the car she remarked how rude they were. She couldn't believe the way the girl at the counter didn't even respond to me. You know there is a problem when a 10 year old sees this as an inappropriate way to treat people. I was able to teach her a good lesson that day that even though they were not nice to us it's best to treat them respectfully. However, we would never return and advise others to do the same. If you need provisions, get them down-island or in Chilmark. Cons: Rude. Seem to dislike tourists. more