Raleigh has the best ‘grocery store’ in NC, study says. It isn’t a grocery store

A new analysis found that one of the best grocery stores in the country is in Raleigh.

But the best “grocery store” isn’t actually a grocery store. It’s the State Farmers Market.

The team at Solitaired, a company that offers online solitaire and other games, produced the study, which analyzed Google reviews of 3,000 grocery stores in the 100 most populated cities in the United States.

The State Farmers Market, located south of downtown Raleigh at 1201 Agriculture St., ranked No. 12 on the list of the 50 best grocery stores, making it the best grocery store in the state. (Trader Joe’s locations in Charlotte and Raleigh also made the top 50 list.)

In March, when the authors performed research for the analysis, the farmers market had 4.7 stars and 8,820 Google reviews. As of late May, it maintains its star rating and has more than 8,900 reviews.

Why shop at the NC State Farmers Market

Lois Lee has been shopping at the farmers market for around 50 years and still visits at least once weekly, she told The News & Observer. She often starts her trips perusing fruits and vegetables such as tomatoes and cucumbers before browsing the flowers.

Lee described the produce as “high quality,” noting that she chooses to purchase fruits and vegetables from the farmers market because she knows where the goods are coming from, and she knows they’re fresh.

“Nobody’s rushing me. Nobody’s pushing anything on me. ... I love coming here,” she said.

Greg and Kim Howes, who live in the Raleigh area, have been shopping at the farmers market for more than 25 years, they said, making weekly trips to pick up whatever is in season.

They like buying from the farmers market because they know the items are fresh and local, and Greg Howes said he likes the outdoor setting, as opposed to a traditional, indoor grocery store.

Heather Walker is a co-owner of Walker Farms, based in Franklinville. The farm started bringing its produce to the busy State Farmers Market about 15 years ago.

One weekday in May, Walker Farms was selling tomatoes, summer squash, sweet and hot peppers, corn and several varieties of eggplant.

“You get to meet a lot of interesting people,” Walker said. “A lot of customers from all over the country come to shop with us, whether they’re on vacation or just moving here.”

Rachel Kelley has been coming to the farmers market since she was a child, and she now works at the market, selling produce for L&G Farms, which is based in Meadow. In May, the stand was offering heirloom and regular tomatoes, several varieties of zucchini, squash, cabbage, strawberries and peaches.

As a seller, Kelley said, she has a nuanced understanding of the produce on display, including what distinguishes varieties, how the produce tastes and how to prepare or cook it.

While prices at the farmers market may be higher than what shoppers might find at a traditional grocery store, customers can know that their purchases at the farmers market directly support North Carolinians, Kelley said.

“Everything is local,” Kelley said. “Everything in this building is only North Carolina-grown.”

Best grocery stores in NC

The State Farmers Market was not the only North Carolina “grocery store” that made the top 50 list.

A Charlotte Trader Joe’s on East Arbors Drive ranked No. 18, a Trader Joe’s on Wake Forest Road in Raleigh ranked No. 33, and a Trader Joe’s on Metropolitan Avenue in Charlotte ranked No. 42.

Trader Joe’s only had one location that ranked in the top 10, but 33 of the 50 best-rated grocery stores are Trader Joe’s.

Other North Carolina grocery stores, including two in the Triangle, were mentioned in the Solitaired analysis — but not for positive reasons.

• Walmart at 6600 Glenwood Ave. in Raleigh was named No. 39 of 50 grocery stores with the worst customer service. Solitaired considered only stores with less than three stars and looked for mentions of keywords such as “rude,” “unfriendly” and “unprofessional.”

• Whole Foods Market at 3540 Wade Ave. in Raleigh was named No. 39 for top grocery stores with the worst lines. The store also ranked No. 38 among the top 50 grocery stores with the worst prices. The N&O found in our annual price check that Whole Foods tends to be more expensive than other grocers in Raleigh.

• Walmart in Winston-Salem (5039 University Parkway) ranked No. 33 in list of 50 stores with the worst customer service.

10 best US grocery store chains

• No. 1: Trader Joe’s
• No. 2: Publix
• No. 3: WinCo Foods
• No. 4: H-E-B
• No. 5: Aldi
• No. 6: Stater Bros. Markets
• No. 7: H Mart
• No. 8: The Fresh Market
• No. 9: Sprouts Farmers Market
• No. 10: Harris Teeter

10 worst US grocery store chains

• No. 1: King Scoopers
• No. 2: Walmart
• No. 3: Kroger
• No. 4: El Super
• No. 5: Dollar General
• No. 6: Save A Lot
• No. 7: Fiesta Mart
• No. 8: DG Market
• No. 9: Safeway
• No. 10: Foodmaxx

This story was originally published May 29, 2025 at 4:18 PM.

Renee Umsted

The News & Observer

202-383-6008

Renee Umsted is a service journalism reporter for The News & Observer. She has a degree in journalism from the Bob Schieffer College of Communication at TCU.