Babushka Deli

I am 23 and my boyfriend is 24. We used to come to Babushkas all the time for specific wine they sell. But now they changed their store policy and not selling alcohol to anyone under 25. Not only we cannot have the wine we like but now we have to drive to nearest liquor store instead of being able to walk. This policy doesn’t make any sense. The legal drinking age is 21. I will leave this review up until the policy is changed.

Good variety of snacks and essentials and always well stocked on beer/wine/seltzers etc. The prices can be a little on the high side but that's to be expected at spot like this. super convenient location for Brighton on Washington street

Let me get the good out of the way first. Babushka's is in a great location that is easy to get to. They also have a wide variety of products, and what I really like is they carry certain items that Whole Foods, my main grocery store, doesn't. So when I don't want to spend $15 on a box of kosher organic sea salt, I know I can always turn to Babushka's to have the basic items I need. And most (emphasis on MOST, not all) of their items are much cheaper than Whole Foods, especially because they're basic and not organic/specialty, which I don't always need.nnBut other than that, this place is...kinda sus. What I really dislike is that the workers like to openly not wear masks, or wear masks with valves that don't actually protect any people around them. When I walked into this store the other day, I was disgusted to see one of the cashiers talking on the phone without a mask. He didn't even think to PRETEND to be safe. That is a huge red flag to me.nnSecond of all, some of the products they sell here are questionable. I read people complaining about expired food, well that's no lie. I accidentally bought some expired bread the other day. I definitely should have checked the date before buying, but sue me for thinking a store would take any products off the shelves that expired their sell by date. Additionally, the spices definitely look like someone took a big scoop out of them, closed them, and put them back on the shelves trying to sell them at full price. If someone can explain to me why multiple jars of cumin sitting next to each other would have different amounts of the spice in them, then I stand corrected. But I definitely think these products have been opened and used before, which is not only generally disgusting and not COVID-safe, but is a huge rip off to all the customers. I bought some black pepper here and I haven't died yet, so that should be a good sign. But I would not touch another spice here ever.nnFinally, the prices here can be absolutely ridiculous. Yes, I get this is a speciality store. Additionally, many items are reasonably priced. But it gets to a point where it would actually be significantly cheaper to just shop at Whole Foods exclusively. Remember that loaf of expired bread? That was $4.30. At Whole Foods, a loaf of organic and non-expired bread is under $3. When you're more expensive than THE most expensive grocery store chain in the country, and you're selling expired and possibly used products, it's time to reevaluate how you're running your business.nnLet me be clear: I don't think Babushka's is a bust. I will definitely be back when I need a few items that Whole Foods doesn't carry, or if I really don't feel like standing in a line for 10 minutes just to buy one item. But that's really all this store is good for. I would never ever do my full scope of grocery shopping here, this is a complete last resort when I don't feel like walking to star market or just need a snack. Definitely a super sus store where you need to be on your guard about what you're buying and how much it all costs. In most cases, Whole Foods right down the street is the better bet.

Loved it! A must go, convenience and comfort in one place, offering a variety of products and services! Highly recommend!

You should learn to keep open deli section everytime.