Stew Leonard's

This is too funny--I certainly appreciate new experiences and am always amazed by what I find in supermarkets in my region. Stew Leonard's in Norwalk, Connecticut has always used creative characters to entice customers into their "emporium" which is part farm, barn, supermarket and dairy. Stew Leonard's keeps customers coming back for more because they offer an experience not found in other places. Enter the busy parking lot, and you'll soon notice folks with overloaded carts navigating the lot trying to find their cars. After finding a spot, go straight to the on-sight farm which has goats, chickens & hens, geese and pigs. The barnyard smell hits your nose and immediately tells you that this isn't an ordinary store. Take a handful of feed and see the goats flock to your hand--they know a good thing when they see you coming. Enter the store and you'll pass the dairy processing plant on your right and view how milk is made through a glass enclosure. Add a few gallons to your cart (skim whole, 1 and 2%, chocolate). You'll pass through the bakery, deli (the samples alone will stave off any hunger pangs you have), produce (heaping bins of the freshest fruits and veggies), another dairy section (yogurt, cheese), meat and seafood department and small dry goods (canned foods) section. Whew! Stew Leonards carries it own brands which are every bit as good as a supermarket brand (in fact, better). While shopping and snacking the aisles, your attention will be directed to the hokey sights and sounds of the Stew Leonard's characters (folks dressed in animal themed costumes-cows, cowboys and girls). They'll be singing and dancing on top of displays and right in the aisles. Children of all ages delight in this stuff! By now you're at the checkout stations and have bought far more than you can use, but what the heck, you've had a great time. Stop by the ice cream stand on the way out and enjoy a frozen treat before returning home. We love Stew Leonard's. more

This is the only store to which I can bring my children without hearing a complaint! There is so much for them to see & to snack on! Stew's can get crowded- don't go on a weekend day if you are in a hurry, and be sure to utilize the shortcuts if you are just popping in ofr one or two things. Early mornings & evenings are the best! They don't have the best prices on everything, but they do have fresh produce & dairy, and some surprisingly great deals! My family from out of town likes to visit Stew's, too! more

Stew Leonards is different from your usual grocery store. The fruits and vegetables that they have are very fresh and looked as though they have just been picked but they are expensive too. If you are ready to pay that much, then you should definitely shop here. They have a lot of produce from different countries too. The decor is wild with animals and puppets. They have their own bakery and produce some fine goods. The milk too is thick and creamy. A wide selection of sauces and marinades are available.. You may find travelling inside the store a little difficult as the arrangement is different with no aisle system being followed. They have an international prepared food bar too. more

When my New York City friend and her young daughter come up to Connecticut to visit and go to Stew Leonard’s, she calls it taking her daughter to the Stew Leonard Farm. Obviously, the grocery shopping aspect is not her prime concern. I think she is typical. Many families consider this place to be a form of entertainment rather that a fully functioning place to buy food and sundries. The Leonard family has very cleverly conceived the whole distinctive shopping experience, with animatronic puppets and farm animals to entertain the kids, and a plaque by the entrance that announces: ‘the customer is always right.’ The savvy local shopper knows that weekly specials are the best bet, along with dairy products, baked goods, and produce. The prepared foods are excellent, too. more

When my New York City friend and her young daughter come up to Connecticut to visit and go to Stew Leonard’s, she calls it taking her daughter to the Stew Leonard Farm. Obviously, the grocery shopping aspect is not her prime concern. I think she is typical. Many families consider this place to be a form of entertain rather that a fully functioning place to buy food and sundries. The Leonard family has very cleverly conceived the whole distinctive shopping experience, with animatronic puppets and farm animals to entertain the kids, and a plaque by the entrance that announces: ‘the customer is always right.’ The savvy local shopper knows that weekly specials are the best bet, along with dairy products, baked goods, and produce. The prepared foods are excellent, too. more

Food shopping isn't boring anymore, this supermarket makes it fun to shop, animated characters around the store, music, food demos in almost every corner, super fresh food and on top of that great customer service, and friendly checkers , it can not get better than that. I highly recommend that you visit it , if you have never been there before.. more

Don't be fooled, this is no normal grocery store. While their fresh products (meat, dairy and produce) are far better than those that you'll find in the average grocery store, be prepared to pay for them - in more than one way. Don't count on finding much besides fresh produce here, goods such as flour, ketchup and hand soap are only stocked sometimes. The store is arranged like a maze and without aisles, so making a quick stop for just a couple of items is nearly impossible. And oh yeah, as you shop you'll be accompanied by enormous animated produce equipped with songs that are likely to play endlessly in your head for the remainder of the day - like it or not. For the die-hard quality seeker or parent with kids to entertain, Stew's may be worth the extra price but for everyone else the neighborhood grocery store will probably do just fine. more

It seems almost sacrilegious to say anything less than glowing about Stew Leonard's, the Connecticut (and now NY) diary superstore that claims to have literally written the book on customer service. That being said, all you've got is a huge supermarket with a cheesy petting zoo and some animated characters lining the very poorly laid out aisles. In certain departments Stew's selection is hard to beat, especially meat. In most other areas the store limits the amount of variety and stocks only the largest possible size of everything. This is not a gourmet market. And it's not really capable of serving as your standard "go to" market. Far too few brands and choices. Prices, in general, are competitive, but no less than neighboring markets. The service is certainly not "world-class." Don't bother asking questions, they don't know the answer. Oh yeah, and the only thing harder to navigate than the parking lot, are the aisles, which force you to walk the entire store even if you just want a few items. more

Stew's is a great place to shop. The kids love it for the farm and the ice cream while my wife and I love the fresh veggies and fruit. Stew's is not just a store, it is a shopping/entertainment experience. There is one in Yonkers and another in Norwalk. They are similar but I prefer the yonkers store. Go spend a few hours, you won't regret it. more

The problem with a show like Stew's is either it's really good or really bad. I'm on the other side. All the campy animitronics scares and creeps me out entirely. There's nothing there that I can't find at my local Whole Food's Market or the Farmers Market For the distance that I live from it, I just don't see what all the hype is about for Stew's. more

I have been going to Stew's since it started, when they only sold milk and butter. Through the years it has mushroomed into a huge mega grocery-ish store. For the uninitiated Stew's doesn't sell everything a grocery store does. He sells a lot of his own private label things (which are very good) and his own selection of branded items. (you'll find hellmann's Mayo but no other). Stew's is an experience - take the kids, there are characters, mini animatronic shows, samples etc. What's good at Stews? The Bakery items are very good, the Milk is cheap, the meat dept & fish dept are high quality and highly priced (keep an eye out for sales). Their prepared food section is VERY popular - I like the salad bar (try Stew's choice gorgonzola salad - yum yum) If you are local you know better than to go near Stew's on a weekend it is definitely packed. Avoid the mayhem by going by 9:00am or after 6:30pm. more