This place sells old, molding, overpriced produce. Â Every piece of fruit or vegetable I have purchased has either been bad when I bought it (berries, etc) or goes bad within 3 days. Â If they want to remain competitive with Mariano's, there needs to be a huge change in the quality of the produce. Â The rest of the stuff there is fine (albeit overpriced). One good thing is they usually send out coupons for 10$ off a purchase of 30$. Â Try to only shop when the coupons come around.
The only reason I keep coming back is because its located in my building and unfortunately in these winter months, I'm too shivering to walk 7 minutes to Mariano's.
I went here because I have $5 off a purchase here using LevelUp. One afternoon I got a sandwich here and it was great. You know how grocery stores have the deli with meats and cheeses? Bockwinkel's has one, but they also do sandwiches, which is awesome! Endless combinations of meat and cheese make for great and unique sandwiches. It's very expensive as far as grocery stores go, and I usually go to Potash. But roughly $5-7 for a great sandwich is a pretty good deal!
Review Source:Pretty good deli items like pasta and potato salads as well as on the spot prepared sandwiches. Â It is a great place to grab a bite to eat for lunch for a reasonable price if you use their $2.00 off coupons which it seems they give you every purchase you make at lunch there. Its not the greatest thing ever but its fast and affordable.
Review Source:Actually 3.5.
I went back a couple of times to buy lunch and a few other items. Â They have good chili, the thick kind, generous with the ingredients (better than Mariano's chili). Â I got some good quality pork chops and some meat to make a stew with. Â Also the cashiers Adriana and Jason were nice, as was the helpful guy by the meat section, didn't catch his name. Â If they have more good cashier days there, things may be looking up.
Also they have much better sandwiches here than at Subway.
It was all fine until I got rung up by a rude, "hurried," cashier who forgot to give me a receipt. I didn't realize that until I walked about 7 steps. I turned around and asked for one and he goes, "Sorry, I don't give out receipts without a purchase." SERIOUSLY?!? I was in front of you a fraction of a second ago, and you refuse to give me a receipt?
I got the grilled chicken from the prepared meals section. It was cold, dry and lacked flavor. I paid almost $6 for this piece of crap! Yes, it was $3.99 a pound! TOTALLY NOT WORTH THE MONEY.
There was a lot of chaos at the place from the moment my two friends and I entered to get some lunch during our lunch break. I wished I never went there. I could have spent those $6 on something substantial like a Chinese take out, or even a Subway for all I care!
I still have a bad taste in my mouth, not just from the chicken but from my experience at this place. Worst, it was my first time there. If this is the way they'll keep treating their new customers, they're never coming back again!
Great as a deli/sandwich/salad bar, both value and quality-wise. I think it's a routine thing for them to give out a coupon with every purchase for a discount on your next one, but I could be wrong. Maybe it's a monthly thing? Either way, cheap tasty and (optionally) healthy lunches.
As a grocery store it's pricy and the selection isn't great. Mariano's, a block or two away, blows them out of the water.
I love Bockwinkle's. Â Recently, I've moved from the neighborhood and I really miss it. Â If I had a lot of shopping to do, I wouldn't go here but to pick up a few things, it's perfect. Â Their produce and meats aren't marked-up in price like one might think of a corner market.
Every month, they put out a page with 4 coupons - $10 off, 1 coupon for each week. Â It's perfect for the essentials and they have pretty good sales so with the coupon, it's definitely less than Dominick's, which is only a few blocks away.
I am not that much of a fan, but I don't think it's that bad. For starters don't do your grocery shopping here unless you really need a few items badly because the prices and selection are not stellar.
Second, the lunches are decent. It is by far the best value for your money in the Loop. I got a 12oz soup and a 1/4 pound deli sandwich with after coupon was like $5.60. This doesn't happen anywhere in America.
That being said, the soups are really unhealthy. They are loaded with salt and I'm guessing that they are not homemade because anything with that much salt is processed and comes from a can. Also, the sandwich was mediocre. The salad bar looked ok, but I'd rather go to Market Creations for more variety. Again, a lot of their salad items looked processed too.
If you need a good deal for a bite then this is it, but don't expect much for it.
Bockwinkel's is currently my favorite place for lunch. Â They're well priced, efficient, and delicious.
So far I've always gotten a soup and something on the side, like a salad, wrap, etc. Â They have different soups every day (check their website to find out which) and so far they have all been really delicious, great consistency and flavor. Â Their pre-made wraps are yummy and well portioned. Â Their salad bar looks awesome and has a bunch of unique looking additions. Â My coworker heartily approves of their deli line. Â Additionally, they are a grocery store!! Â You can find whatever you like that's not at the deli in the rest of the store!!
Every time you go (and also printable on their website) you receive a coupon, which is awesome. Â If you come out under, they'll let you know and offer to add a cookie or something, which you can just go back and grab. Â Check their website for daily specials and which soups they have. Â There are also tables and chairs both inside and outside for convenient dining.
Pretty straightforward review... nothing to really add to what everyone else says. Â I love this place!!
most wednesdays in the summer, a few friends and i gather for live orchestra music in millennium park. Â it's a beautiful scene -- wine, friends, the summer air.
and chicken.
oh yeah, there's chicken. Â as the people around us are daintily nibbling on mini carrots and hummus, we tear into a fresh roast chicken from bockwinkel's. Â juicy and well seasoned, this is a pretty darn good rotisserie chicken. Â add a baguette and maybe some grapes, and this is a good meal for about 3-4 hungry people. Â i'll fight you for a piece of the skin.
summer is short. Â eat some chicken and roll around in the grass.
I recently began working downtown and this place has become my favorite lunch spot. Â My go-to is the salad bar, where the ingredients always seem really fresh and the options extensive. Â I'm particularly happy with spinach as one of the options for greens and the variety of cheeses, including fresh mozzarella and feta.
I've also gone through the sandwich line and was happy with the service, freshness, and value there. Â When in a rush, grabbing a ready-made salad does the job too.
The $2 off coupons will keep me coming back, and their tasty cookies will keep my sweet tooth satisfied on the days where my salad weight doesn't surpass the $6 minimum needed to use that coupon. Â It can be busy and hectic over the lunch hour on a nice day, but the operation is extremely efficient and the wait is never long.
Love Bockwinkel's! I work across the street and go for lunch a couple of times a month.
I can really only attest to their deli sandwiches, as that's what I get for lunch every time. There's usually a line at the counter, but it goes really quickly and the staff is very nice. You can build your own sub and the meats are high quality.
Make sure to check their website before going the first time, as they almost always have a $2 off $6 coupon posted.
They also make some pretty good cookies (I've had to buy them to get to the $6 mark to use the coupon). They have a double chocolate chip which is really soft and very rich.
And yes, their grocery/deli is pretty pricey (although comparable to upscale stores if not cheaper), but their sandwiches (the smaller size) are around $4, which is equivalent to a Subway sandwich but higher quality. They also have some really cheap daily specials (although I've never tried them).
I love the place!
Just bought a bag of lettuce here that tasted weird and looked wilted. Emboldened by an expiration date two days away, I ate half a bowl anyway. In other news, I've been laid up with food poisoning for the two days since. I can't say for sure it's Bockwinkel's fault, but I haven't eaten anything since the lettuce.
Shame, too, because I work next door. It oughta be a great shop to stop for quick lunch fixins, but now I won't trust it.
I've worked in the Aon Center for 7 1/2 years now, so I've been to Bockwinkel's many, many times. Here are the highlights:
Prices are good when grocery items are on sale, otherwise, you'll definitely pay a premium.
Excellent, excellent deli and salad bar, and you really can't beat the $2 off coupon they give you when you spend $6. Here is my big beef though- I almost always just get a big salad. But there is no scale, so I have no idea if I've made a salad big enough to hit the $6 mark! Its always a guessing game..
Other than that, very friendly employees. In fact, the salad bar was out of fresh mozz today and one of the empolyees went o the back and cut some up- just for me, and brought it back out- so sweet!
Wow, I can't believe I've never visited Bockwinkel's before. Â I've worked in the area for nearly a decade, walked past the store twice a day for about half that time, and I've had friends and co-workers tell me about the place, but I've never stepped foot in there. Â
When I walked in, I felt like I discovered a secret level to Super Mario Bros. Â They have an awesome deal for 1/4 sandwich and 6oz cup of soup for like $6 and you can print off a $2 coupon. Â Oh, and when you pay for your food, you get another $2 coupon (which others have mentioned here as well) for your next visit. Â How the heck can you beat that? Â
I ordered a peppered turkey sandwich and a cup of corn chowder. Â Both were excellent and I would have it again, no doubt. Â The employees were all very friendly and helpful. Â
Oh, the floor in the store is really slippery. Â It's like an insurance claim waiting to happen. Â I'm surprised they haven't changed them yet, because even the smallest amount of water will cause people to slip and potentially never enjoy Bockwinkel again.
I work in the Aon Center, so when I want to avoid the high prices at Cafe 200 (the place under Aon, they have a really awesome make your own pasta thing) my coworkers and I head to Bock's.
12oz soup and a 1/4lbs sandwich with a ton of different meats, cheeses, etc -- for less than $5 in Chicago? Â It's an awesome deal that you won't find anywhere else. Â Having to hand them a coupon to get the $2 off only to only have them hand you back an identical coupon is kind of goofy but I assume they like to track sales and repeat customers and that's an easy way to do it.
I honestly haven't looked at their non-lunch products, so I can't speak on the price. Â They, like every other place in Chicago, charge more than they should for bottles of pop, fruit drinks, etc -- but can't beat the soup/sandwich price.
They always - almost always - seem to forget my pickle.
Beyond that - they have a variety of combos that include sandwiches and soup. Â Their chili isn't the best - but it is hot enough to warm you - but not hurt you. The sandwiches are the showstoppers.
They have the freshest ingredients - and they put it together in ways that are awesome. They also seem to know what and how to work my needs into their meal plans.
This is important - because rather than sell me the Reuben sandwich that was a few more bucks - the deli person knew I was on a budget (getting a small combo) she made a sandwich that was close to a Reuben - but not exactly.
I save a few bucks - she earned my loyalty.
They are a bit pricey - but they have a couple incredibly  attractive women on the cash registers so it balances out for a bachelor who needs a sandwich in a hurry.
Just got to remind them about the pickle.
Bockwinkel's, what would I do without you?
a. Walk to Dominick's (not cool when bags of groceries are involved)
b. Take a cab to Dominick's (expensive)
c. Drive to Dominick's (just the thought of driving 0.5 miles is silly)
d. Suck it up and starve my immediate cravings/needs
With your amazing hours, I only rarely have to succumb to choice d. (i.e. after midnight, or on the eve of New Years). You are too good.
Convenient for the Lakeshore East crowd. Â Pricey though. Â Open late and sells booze- although the CVS does now as well. Â One pet peeve- every time I find a brand of something that I like, they stop ordering it. What the hell? Â
I fell in love with these lemon-white chocolate cookies at Bocks. They stopped stocking them. Same with these spinach and artichoke potato chips. Â They're like a specialty snack tease.
Aaaah! Â Just like a good NYC deli! Â Come here for some great sandwiches and soup.
But wait! Â There's more!
Looking for a fresh, AFFORDABLE, make-it-yourself salad?
Need a bottle of wine to get happy with after work?
Sick of wasting that dollar on granola bars from the vending machine every day and want to get a whole box?
Craving fresh fruit and it's not Tuesday in the summer (Pru plaza farmer's market?
For these and all your random market needs, head to Bock's!
This is nice for people across the river from Dominick's-It's small and has limited items but the basics if you just need to run in and go-They have beer, wine and liquor, I think the only place in the Lakeshore East area that does, the new CVS doesn't-
To me this isn't the place you go shopping at, just a place to pick up random items you need, candy, cereal and milk....yes in that order-
I didn't think it was possible to find fresh produce downtown, along my commute home, after 6pm. Â As I trudged through Prudential Plaza, everything was closed. I came to Bockwinkel's, hoping that maybe, just maybe, it was open. To my surprise, the sign on the door said "Open 'Til Midnight, 7 Days a Week." Whah?
Maybe it was the blizzard-y conditions or that I was exhausted but finding Bockwinkel's was like finding the holy grail. There was a produce section (small but I'll take it), cheeses, a deli, wine, bread, frozen items, and canned goods. So this is where all the people who live in the area go for last minute grocery needs...
Friendly employees to boot!
I live in the Park Millennium building where the store is and I will admit that it is mad convenient and the employees are very friendly even though is your standard grocery store. I do like that they have a salad bar and lunch specials that are for the most part as great deal.
The downside is that they have a limited selection of products. For example, if you want a good orange juice, the only choice is Tropicana - no Simply Orange. At the deli, they don't have low salt cheeses and meats. The meat, chicken fish etc. is limited and they don't have organic options.
But nevertheless I will keep going there for staples and of course beer, liquor and wine.
Oh and they need to have hot sauce and sriracha as an option to put on sandwiches.
Bockwinkel's is located right by me and is perfect for booze runs. Â They carry hard liquors, beers and wines. Â The price is not bad at all either. Â I usually get the bulk of my groceries at Jewel but whenever I forget one little piece of ingredient or have late night cravings like snacks or ice cream I have Bockwinkel's to go to. Â I've also purchased strawberries (2/$4) from here and they were amazing fresh too. Â Before going to the Taste of Chicago I even grabbed a pack of 6 bottled waters for $4 which saved me and my friends on meal/drink tickets.
The staff here are very friendly as well. Â I use to call it a convenience store but my friend says its more than that. Â It's a mini-market in comparison to all the other supermarkets but still has a good selection of produce, meats, deli, breads, frozen foods, desserts and other goodies. Â It really does have everything one may need including toilet paper, dog food, etc. Â If you live in the area you could probably survive on going to Bockwinkel's alone and not ever having to go to Dominick's or another supermarket. Â Once Treasure Island opens I'm sure Bockwinkel's will have major competition though.
Just a winsome lil' market. I always end up buying the chicken salad (unexpectedly REALLY good) along with some melba toast. Â A nice little dinner while visiting with my girlfriend around the corner.
The prices aren't crazy high, and they stock a decent booze selection. Â Though I wish they'd change up their Chardonnay offering.
Mmmm. Â Great bakery items too. Â I got a creme horn here once. Â A friggin' creme horn!
First off, this is NOT a Dominick's. Or Jewel. Or Whole Foods or another monstrous what have you. It's a small corner market, reminds me of a NYC bodegas I used to frequent back in college.
So they definitely don't have everything. But they have what I think is a great selection of most things I want when I've forgotten to grocery shop before my week at work (convenient office location for me).
- Cheap, good selection of produce...I'm constantly blown away by the prices! $1.99 strawberries! $2.25 for a ton of pre-cut watermelon!
- They totally randomly carry my favorite hummus brand: Basha. Whole Foods used to sell it back in the day, but quit when they started making/branding their own. Mmmm creamy, try it...
And also I agree with other reviewers, super friendly staff.
I stop in here to stock up on water, snacks and just last minute things I might have forgotten while traveling. Â A good deli selection for a sandwich too. Â I love having a sandwich on a croissant. Â Def very yummy. Â
Also - pretty large wine selection considering the size of the grocery store. Â I need to put a wine key in my suitcase from now on.... note to self.
The staff is always super nice, and the selection rocks. Â I usually stop here Monday mornings to pick up my yogurts and fruit for the work week and swing in some days at lunch when I want to get out of the office and grab a salad.
They also have coupons that they hand out - or you can get them on their website.
And a little secret - if you pick up the rolls in the fresh bread spot, they'll make you a sandwich on it if you don't like their selection of bread offered in their deli.
I'd say 3 stars for out-of-towners, 4 stars if I was living nearby. The selection of groceries seemed sort of random - no drinkable yogurt?? But if you knew their stock better, it might work for you.
It's cheaper than the 7-11s that Chicago has on every corner. But the 7-11 has drinkable yogurt. Go figure.
And the sandwiches here are really very good. As healthy as you want 'em, fresh ingredients, made to order, no mysterious sauces or greases. I think I had roast beef and horseradish on a nice, firm rye bread.
I work right by here so frequently run in here to get missing ingredients needed to prepare dinner... I wouldn't do all of my shopping here, but their prices are actually pretty decent. Â And they have sales so you can get things cheaper here than at Dominck's if it's on sale. Â Everything they have is pretty fresh..
They have a good deli counter at lunch and always have coupons to get a sandwich and soup for like $5... Â their sandwiches are good, they slice the Boar's Head deli meat/cheese right there for the sandwich.
The door is actually on Stetson/Water, the store is around the corner from Columbus. Â I imagine they have a Columbus address because they're in the bottom of that building and get mail there.