Top 10 Things we Like About Ukrop's

Richmond buzzed this week with reports that Ukrop’s may be shopping their 28 grocery stores to a potential buyer leaving many to wonder where they will buy White House rolls or chicken salad should a sale take place.

As previously noted, some folks are ready for Ukrop’s to move on and make room for (insert the name of your favorite grocery store here). But to date, the buzz is just that – buzz. Ukrop’s has not confirmed the rumors.

We're sure that other grocery chains bring a lot to the table as well, like Harris Teeter where customers use the Express Lane service to shop online for groceries and then pull up to the curb and pick up their goods.  And while we haven’t shopped at Wegmans, we hear that it’s a good place to pick up a quick meal or stock your pantry.

As we chatted this week about the future of Richmond without Ukrop’s, and the reasons we like shopping there now, White House rolls and other baked and fried treats rose to the top of our list. But it's not at all about the food; read on for our list of top 10 things we like about Ukrop's.

White House rolls
At this point we find it hard to believe that no Richmond songwriter (that we are aware of) has written a song about White House rolls. It appears that everyone loves them. In case you’re not aware, White House rolls are small fluffy dinner rolls that you have probably eaten at a family member or friend’s house during the holidays, or at most office gatherings. You can buy them by the dozen or sliced and topped with chicken salad, Virginia ham, pimento cheese, egg salad and roast beef. We admit to eating more than a few servings of White House rolls.

Rainbow cookies
Not far behind White House rolls in any discussion on Ukrop’s favorites are rainbow cookies. Essentially, rainbow cookies are like a sugar cookie with food coloring. Cute and tasty, and if you grew up in Richmond they remind you childhood and better times when all was right with the world.

They carry your groceries to your car
In our DIY era, Ukrop’s employees still happily carry your groceries to the car. Sometimes they insist on carrying them to the car with claims that they enjoy the fresh air and don’t really mind the rain. This service ranks high on the list for those of us who regularly wear four-inch heels and can barely carry our oversized handbags, much less a quart of milk and two bags of groceries. For others, the willingness to lend a hand is reminiscent of the small towns where we grew up. There, grocery-carrying customer service clerks still carry your bags, too.

The salad bar
You can make a healthy salad at Ukrop’s salad bar packed with fresh vegetables and a boiled egg for some added protein. Grab a packet of low-fat dressing and you’re on your way to a light lunch or dinner. Or, you can make the same salad and top it with tuna salad, pasta salad, two types of cheese and half an egg roll and really kick the calories in your salad up a notch. Your salad, your choice. And if you’re in a hurry and don’t want to go home and chop up the vegetables you need for a home-cooked meal, just grab them from the salad bar instead.

Fried chicken
If you’re committed to a healthy lifestyle odds are fried chicken is not on your regular menu. But if you live in Richmond and are committed to a healthy lifestyle you probably make room for Ukrop’s fried chicken in your diet. Seemingly always hot and fresh, anyone who has lived near a Ukrop’s knows that when the chicken is cooking the aroma lofts through the neighborhood calling you to put down your deli sandwich, close the grill and head over to Ukrop’s for a snack pack. Around Richmond, this chicken is perfect for every occasion. (And they recycle the grease used for frying into biodiesel for their truck fleet.)

Ukrop’s is a local business
Every dollar spent at Ukrop's supports a local business. The stores have grown bigger and the offerings more sophisticated through the years, but at its core Ukrop's is a small-business success story.

Sale items
If you get there early in the morning or just before they close, you can grab prepared meals and deli items with their prices slashed to 33 percent off. Most of us remember the true bargain basement days when you could score chicken salad and a meal for two at a 50 percent discount, but times are tough and we're still thankful to save 33 percent.

Commitment to community
Odds are you have attended a local event sponsored in part by Ukrop’s. Through the years they have shown continued dedication to the Richmond community and we, as Richmonders, appreciate their support.

Birthday cake (and baked goods in general)
We’ve already tipped our hat to rainbow cookies, but birthday cake and the other sweet treats at Ukrop’s have earned a mention as well. The cake alone is welcome at any birthday or baby party we’re attending, and we love the fact that you can wait until the last minute to pick up a cake for office or family gatherings because Ukrop’s always has them ready to go. Around Thanksgiving look for the caramel apple pie if you want to impress house guests. And as for brownie bites, please do not bring them to our office. Some of us have no self control.

Clean restrooms
In our experiences the restrooms at Ukrop’s are clean and well-stocked. When you’re shopping for groceries, the last thing you want to find is an unclean restroom.

Richmond.com's weekly top 10 list is compiled by the staff and we're always looking for new topics to cover. Send us your ideas for future lists, and add your comments to this list below.