For the last several months, the grocery/retail space formerly occupied by Ralph’s on Marconi and Walnut has sat empty. While not exactly a blot on the landscape, the vacancy has been inconvenient to the folks in the neighborhood. Like a missing back tooth, the emptiness of the space was not readily visible, but it was a big pain in the ass when you wanted to eat. Why, you say? Good question. It is because of the location, I say. The corner of Marconi and Walnut is, simply put, a perfect place for a grocery store. The nearest stores are just too far away, too sketchy or too small. For example, we’ve already expressed our displeasure  at the Raley’s at Watt & Marconi, and I’ve never spoken to anyone who has shopped at Mike’s Discount Grocery and Sketchy Food Emporium on El Camino and Mission that hasn’t felt like taking a shower afterwards. Which brings me to the new, fabulous, Eve’s Market.
Mrs. Eats and I had been hearing the low rumble of rumor about Eve’s for several months now. “It’s an all organic store.” “I hear that Raley’s is scared.” “It’s like Whole Foods food with FoodMaxx prices.” These are the kind of comments that would make any potential grocery shopper excited. Especially the FoodMaxx comment. Besides immediately making you sing the FoodMaxx theme song, “FoodMaxx, take it to the MAXX, FoodMaxx!”, you’d get excited just thinking about the possibility of buying the kinds of goods you could get at Whole Foods without having to rub shoulders with the “ass-wholes” that shop there.Â
So, Eve’s is now finally open and the Mrs. and I spent over an hour there last night browsing the aisles. It is a fantastic store. Besides having an above-standard selection of all the name brand goods you’ve come to know and love, Eve’s also carries a huge variety of ethnic foods from all over the globe. In one trip, we picked up Israeli cocoa spread, Mexican cookies, Syrian dates, dried mangoes from God-knows-where and Mendocino Mustard from the good ole US of A. The service was a little choppy, but what do you expect form a store that’s been open for less than a week.
The deli is well stocked, their prepared goods leaning towards Mediterranean (i.e. tabouli, hummus, couscous), but also stocked with deli favorites like prepared enchiladas and chicken salad. Inside the store, but not open when we visited, is a pizza oven and Mediterranean grill. So is it true that they have all the same stuff that Whole Foods does? Of course not. They don’t have a soup bar, or acres of craft brews or the cheese bar. They do, however, have more ethnic foods, more Earth & Vine jams and sauces (yummy, ancho chili jam), more name brand materials and across the board lower prices.
So, is this enough to make Eve’s my new favorite grocery store? Of course it is. Haven’t you been paying attention? I can buy name brand mayonnaise and weird Middle Eastern dried twigs and fruits at the same store. Sign me up. I’m sold on the concept. I’ll be going there regularly. And if you live in the neighborhood, you should start going there too.
 Eve’s Market-Corner of Marconi & Walnut, Carmichael
The Sac Rag 
I believe you mean…”FoodMaxx, take it to the maxx, MAXIMIZE YOUR SHOPPING POWER!! FoodMaxx!!â€Â,
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You shame me, CSI, with your more accurate version of the FoodMAXX theme.
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I too will be a fan of Eve’s Market I think it is fantastic. I buy alot
of produce and so far I have been very pleased. I bought several
kitchen gadgets at great prices. One was a pineapple slicer for only
$3.19 it really works. I am grateful they have come to our neighborhood and have brought new life to the center at Marconi and Walnut. They have brought about 70 or 8o jobs( I’m guessing)
So Im hooked and wish them lots of success.
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Wow, I just noticed that place for the first time while at Silver Sake last night (great damn sushi, by the way)! We’ll have to check it out!
I hope Eve’s has my organic Easy Cheese! 🙂
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I wish I lived in Carmichael! I have to pack an overnight bag for outings to my favorite stores (except for Taylors).
Do they have FAGE yogurt?
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Eve’s is a fantastic store with great prices and quite a selection, i was very pleased to see the array of Mediterranean and European products. Their produce and meat section had great variety and low prices. I’m hooked.
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i for one am glad i dont have to drive all the way to safeway for a quick item or two, and their prices are resonable.
that said, the prepackaged meat is great! the prepackaged meat at safeway is of ok quality. while the meat is not as good as the whole foods butcher, its very good for the price, and the beef is Angus Beef! hooray, a local grocer again!
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I can only hope they put one of those stores in at the former Ralph’s on Bradshaw Rd. The only thing out there is the Food Scare across the street. 😦 Carmichael is ok for a weekend excursion, but too far for a quick stop on the way home.
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shop quickly – I hear they aren’t cutting the mustard and might be closing down.
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What?! Noooooo!!!! Eve’s has been open for barely any length of time. This isn’t like “The Bachelor” where potentially life-altering, lasting decisions must be made in a matter of weeks (and we know how well those decisions have turned out!)
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Eve’s really has me hooked now. They carded me last night when picking up some Downtown Brown & Great White. I realize establishments are supposed to card anyone who looks under 30, but since I’m closer to 40 than 30, this made me stoked.
They’re good people there at Eve’s. Please shop there from this day forward if you’re within a reasonable distance.
They had three registers going last night with a few customers in each line, so things are looking up.
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After a night at the dog park with “Mr. Benster”, I stopped for some beer and dog treats. I was blown away with all this new business has available. Not only was the beer cheaper than anywhere I shop, but when I went through the meat counter I ended up buying meat for a week, since I couldn’t believe the prices! I’m hooked!
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Eve’s market is nice, with fresh produce, Angus meats and decent deli and prepared meals. Their prices are competitive with some bargain shopping and they will have your staples at fair rates. Eve’s is not a Whole Paycheck (Oops, Whole Foods). The fact of the matter is, they are trying to compete with the big boys in town and they do have an easy location. So, to the resident’s. Other grocers have tried there but the store is smaller and aging. It was barren for awhile so no other market wished to move in. Either support Eve’s with some business or don’t complain about falling property value when another thrift store or off the wall religion turns it into a temple.
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I complained to the owner of Eve’s that I got sick off his prepared hot foods. Instead of dealing with the problem between him and his chef. He fired the boy who served the food. I told him to hire him back. He refused.
I called FDA. They came in and spent hours there and the kitchen counter was yellow tagged. Several health problems with the warmers not being warm enough. He has also been using out dated meat and fish and cooking it up in the hot food section. He told his employees “Nothing gets thrown out”.
Instead of dealing with the problem he fired the whistle blower. I hope Eve’s goes out of business. The store is dirty and the owner threatened to “Slice my throat” if I stepped into his store again. So much for caring about what his customers eat.
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Ms. unhappy shopper you are a complete liar. There are about 50 employees that work at eves and thanks to them we can provide for our families. The Owner has and will never fire anyone because of a complaint. The person you are reffering to was fired because he would come to work completely high and would just walk out of the store peronoid that people from the across the street are coming to get him.
The store has a simple policy if us employees will not buy it it sould not be sold. How much fresher than that do you want. So before you spread your lies get you facts st8. I shop for my self and my family from Eves because evrything is FRESH and the prices are very good.
Your Ugliness is horrible because this is the best thing that has happened to Carmichael and it should be supported.
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I use to buy all my meat and produce from Blair but about two weeks ago I was running late so I decided to give EVES a try. I am Hooked all the produce I got was completely fresh and prices i could not belive. I bought a Tri Tip roast that was out of this world. It was so teneder and great. I also bought some Garlic mushroom salad and syffed grape leaves from their service deli. I been shopping there eversense. The store is clean the service is good and the quality of the food is great. The prices are much better than Blair. My husband and i shop there on regular basis and will continue todo so. We all should support this store. I promose you you will be impressed as we were.
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Live closer to Raley’s but give Eve’s a coupla hundred bucks every so often when I get sick of having to strike up conversation with the yokels at Raleys. Love it. When I was little the place next door to Eve’s used to be a Winchells doughnuts…that piece of property has struggled and has had many incarnations. Let’s hope Eve’s stays and rides it out! Something about being able to buy good Lebanese food right smack dab in Carmichael makes me feel like my humble little hamlet is finally catching up!
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Just got back from EVES the store looked great. the crew is always in a great and happy mood. But we have to do more. We have to support the store. While shopping there I thoght I over heard one of the employees that GROCERS OUTLET is talking to the owners and want the location. We def. don’t want that. SO SUPPORT EVES
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What…Grocers Outlet? yuck! say it ain’t so! Wednesday is my shopping day and i usually just go up to Raleys, but I will drive the extra mile and half to Eves and do a cost/benefit analysis, really taking in and comparing all the goods AND customer service peeps there. More tomorrow on my findings!
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Just got back from Eve’s the store looks great and just when I thought it is not going to be possible I saw them adding more variaty to their selection. I met the owner surprising young and very polite. I asked him about Grocery outlet and he assured me as long as residents of Carmichael enjoy and support the store its not up for sale.
People support 100% it will be a shame if they relocate. He did indicated that he has been approached by city memebers from SF to open a store there.
SUPPORT EVE’S MARKET
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Sorry to burst the bubble but eve’s has a nice front but watch out. After working there for many months (starting the day they opened) I have my share of horror stories. Bad meats, chicken that makes you sick, cakes so old they’re impossible to eat, rotten fruits, moldy bread, and MUCH more. It has since been 6 months when I last visited this store but several months ago an employees mother complained to the food board about the deli and they closed it down for a good amount of time while “changes” were made. The manager shawn went to this woman and threatened to cut her throat! I hope that they’ve made progress but buyers beware!
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Max (EX employee) I am very surprised by your lies. You know why you got fired because you you conyinue coming to work High. I know first hand on how many times you took products from the store with out paying. I was not there the day from what Max said a crazy lady who happeneds to be his mothers strange friend came to the store and made a scene fo no apperant reason. And its funny Ex Employee (MAX) I did not start from day one here but I have been here for about 5 months now and I don’t recall any shutdown of the store.
STOP BEING IGNORANT!!!!
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I wish more people would visit Eves, they really believed in the community and we are failing them. The parking lot looks constantly dead, half the little bakery areas are poorly filled and the employees look bored to tears.
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It’s been months since I’ve been there, and it was pretty sad and dismal looking then — it’s hard to imagine what it’s like now.
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I enjoy Eve’s being pretty close. Their produce is what really draws me. It is usually picked ripe, and the prices are good. I buy meat sometimes. Their prices are about the same as Raleys/Bel Air. And they do have lots of ethnic and specialties. I drop by for fresh produce several times a week, but do most of my shopping elsewhere (where it is much cheaper). Sadly, I stopped on Oct 13 and found the doors shuttered. It seems most of their customers walked from the apartments across Marconi. I live closer to Grocery Outlet, but would never shop there.
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The sign on the door says that it’s closed for remodeling, but I can’t imagine that they’d sink more money into the place right now.
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Eve’s doors are still closed. Are they remodeling or did they go out of business?
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Must not have worked out, they went out of business. I went in there a couple of times. I was a put off a bit by a grocery store in California, with a bunch of hispanic food brands I had never heard of, all made in NEW HAMPSHIRE!!!
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