Their turkey club sandwich alone made me write a review. Best ready-to-go sub I've ever had, and a steal at only $6. The decor inside is adorable, love to just wander the aisles and the staff is always super pleasant. Completely ridiculous personal anecdote here - I moved to Chicago years ago and back in my home state every single convenience store consistently carried the AriZona zero calorie Arnold Palmer, but since moving here I had not a single store that sold it. But Carnival Grocer does! Thank you for fueling my continued addiction to these enormous cans of artificial sweetener!

I appreciate there is an independent grocer in the neighborhood and it has some character to it. I got a couple of day old subs, the turkey avocado and the Italian, just to try them and I'd buy them again. Overall the store is clean with a generally limited selection of items. If there was one thing that would make me rate this a 5 star its if they had more local goods, I don't need the place to be high end or expensive but it might help differentiate itself from the larger chains if it hosted more local options for grocery items.

This place has done some re-arranging and renovating! They've added a soup bar and ready made subs! Their selection of hot foods has improved and their subs are really really good. What sets them apart is the service. EVERY time I visit I am greeted with a hello and a smile. I love our mini conversations at the register as I checkout. They are so friendly here!

The place may be small but it has pretty much everything you could want. Yes you'll find lower prices at Walmart however you can't beat it's convenience. They have a lot of natural & organic products, a pretty varied selection of local beers and a good deli (their in house roasted turkey, roast beef and sausages are delicious.)

I ABSOLUTELY love Carnival! Yes- some things are higher priced than others, especially if you compare to a "typical grocery store." That's not the point though- how many times have you needed just ONE thing and you totally forgot to get it during your weekly grocery run? This place saves the day. Hop, skip and jump away from home and you don't have to deal with getting back into the car etc. My favorite part about Carnival is the staff. I have a conversation with Dave, Keniysha (sp)?, Armando and the manager Steve every time I go in. I feel like I'm friends with them lol! I like that they're so personable. I think it's really cool too that there are SO many health conscious items- GF shredded cheese (for example). I'm not a huge drinker but based off perception- it looks like they have a solid alcohol and beer selection. Thank you Carnival for being the sweetheart that you are!

Carnival Foods is a great store. I have been going to this store since I was a kid in the 70's. Unfortunately when Lincoln Park became gentrified, developers snatched up commercial properties to build housing. The Jewel at Clark and Belden closed, the gas station on Armitage Ave closed, liquor stores, laundromats, mom and pop stores and other long time businesses closed. All you basically have is housing and restaurants. But Carnival Foods has remained. Unlike most grocery stores this size, carnival foods has fresh high quality meats and produce, a large variety of frozen goods and other products you would expect to find only in larger stores. The employees are nice and checkout is super fast. And for a smaller store, they open early and close pretty late. The closest major grocery store is more than a mile from here. The only drawback is that Carnival Foods is pretty pricey for some items. A bottle of windex is $5.69. I'd rather get window cleaner at the Dollar Tree. However, there are still cheaper items like shampoo for $1.49 or paper towels for $1.49. That being said, it is very convenient especially in a food desert like the area around Dickens and Lincoln. The quality and variety are good.

Oh, baby, I LOVE Carnival Foods. Even before I moved to the city and was a lil' suburban girl, driving past Carnival Foods intrigued the hell out of me. The building is so colorful! Why is there a freakin' CLOWN on a grocery store sign?! WHAT THE HECK?! I don't live extremely close to this store, but I've been here quite a few times. I love their alcohol selection: From beer, to wine, to whiskey, I could bring anyone here and we could all find something we are interested in drinking. They also have fresh sandwiches, frozen pizzas, a huge ice cream selection, and one time my boyfriend claims he saw Tim Meadows while I was fishing for my credit card. I'm not sure if that's true, but if it is... I'll never forgive myself for being so clueless. As with most grocery stores that aren't major chains, the prices here are a little higher than I'd personally prefer, but you're paying for the convenience and extremely bright and cheery atmosphere. You're a part of my life now, Carnival. See you soon.

I'm not sure if there was an ownership change or the threat of a new grocery store moving into the hood, but Carnival is upping its game. After months of piecemeal construction, the store seems to be complete. They've opened the floor plan up a bit, re-did the entryway, and relocated some things. Would I recommend this for everyday, heavy duty shopping? Hell no. Of course, you can score better deals from Trader Joe's, Jewel or Aldi, but nothing beats the convenience of being able to schlep down there in my sweats and slippers to pick up a quick item. (I like to pretend they don't judge me when I do this) I've also always found the staff friendly and helpful in the years I've been coming here.