West Point Market

West Point MarketWest Point Market
West Point MarketWest Point Market
Store

33 Shiawassee Ave
Fairlawn, Ohio, 44333
United States

(330) 864-2151 | map
westpointmarket.com
PLACE STATS
Average:
4.08
Reviews:
18
Ratings:
24
pDev:
10.29%
View: Place Reviews
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by DoubleSimcoe:
Photo of DoubleSimcoe
Reviewed by DoubleSimcoe from Pennsylvania

4.06/5  rDev -0.5%
vibe: 3.75 | quality: 4 | service: 3.5 | selection: 4.75 | food: 4.25
Acme is a gourmet paradise in Akron. Ton of goodies to choose from, great selection of chocolates, salts, cheeses (check out the free samples all over the cheese counter).

And the beer! It greets you right as you go in, with big cases of Great Lakes Christmas by the registers. Then a shelf with bombers, vast selection of imperial stouts including Epic Big Bad Baptist and Upland Teddy Bear. Also Bear Cafe 15, North Coast Class of 88, Bruery...

Tons of six-packs, including Uinta, Rogue, Founders, Southern Tier, Weyerbacher, Bell's (Expedition, Kalamazoo).

Their selection of Thirsty Dog and Hoppin' Frog is outrageous (and it's all chilled). I swear they have every single beer by those breweries, including $50 large bottles of barrel-aged 12 Dogs of Christmas and Hoppin' Barrel-Aged Outta Kilter.

There are also 4 taps for growler fills, which is a nice addition. We spent 125 dollars here between beer and food. Dangerous, but so fun!
Dec 15, 2013
More User Ratings:
Photo of Sabtos
Reviewed by Sabtos from Ohio

4.18/5  rDev +2.5%
vibe: 3 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4
Prior to the location change, WPM was a place with a surprisingly large and high-end selection of brews you wouldn't even expect at your favorite bottle shop, let alone a fancy boutique shopping market.

As of January 2017, since the location change--and it's been some time since they've been able to open--the bar, beer and wine sections were (thankfully) the first to ramp up and be available to the public. The bar is far more traditional than their previous location, albeit more elegant and intimate than your typical bar. The tap list is small but high powered, with a few highly regarded brews, including some very limited offerings from highly in demand breweries. The bottle selection is moderate but growing, all utilizing the coolers at the moment, with a number of options available as singles, including many local offerings.

Service is top notch, but it always was before as well, with very knowledgeable and passionate beer and wine connoisseurs throughout the staff.
Dec 19, 2015
 
Rated: 3.91 by Gregf51 from Ohio

Sep 29, 2015
 
Rated: 4.43 by toppoop from Ohio

Apr 06, 2015
Photo of oldvines
Reviewed by oldvines from Illinois

4.54/5  rDev +11.3%
vibe: 4.25 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.75 | selection: 4.5
Agree with DoubleSimcoe below... similar experience over 1 year later! Same on the $125 as well, thanks to Fathead, Brew Kettle, Hoppin' Frog, and Columbus... plus Bodhi on tap!
Mar 28, 2015
 
Rated: 4.5 by ThaJokerWild from Ohio

Jun 28, 2014
Photo of EMB1960
Reviewed by EMB1960 from North Carolina

4.23/5  rDev +3.7%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.25 | selection: 4
Upper scale market with fresh foods, wine & beers. Had a decent selection. Staff was not real familiar with the beers, but he was a younger kid, maybe late teens. Still enjoyed the selection and what was there to be had. they did have a couple of tapes and you could sample a few of the beers on tap. They do fill growlers here.
Jun 23, 2014
 
Rated: 3.75 by redbeav from Ohio

Jun 13, 2014
 
Rated: 4 by Ohiovania from Ohio

May 27, 2014
 
Rated: 3.5 by riemster from Ohio

Oct 15, 2013
Photo of superspak
Reviewed by superspak from North Carolina

4/5  rDev -2%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4
I don't know why I haven't reviewed this yet

Anyways this is one of the main places I stop at when I lived in Ohio, and when I visit home as well currently. They have a single aisle that is all beer near the front of the store. 1 open cooler that houses some bombers on the top shelf among with plenty of six packs and some singles on the left side.

They have a good amount of 4/6 packs on the warm shelf along with a great selection of Belgian 750's and larger on the left side of the shelves. Nice selection overall but not overly extensive. Everything in 4/6 packs can be broken up to singles at your discretion which is nice, but unfortunately all of the singles are 3 bucks unless otherwise marked(if they are marked they are generally more than 3 bucks). They keep up with current releases and such as I would expect, which is nice.

A pretty wide variety of American craft including: Anderson Valley, Rogue, Goose Island(lots of the Belgian 22 oz for the most part), Green Flash, Lagunitas, Bells, Founders, Thirsty dog(including limited releases), Hoppin Frog, Brew Kettle, Weyerbacher, Troeg's. etc. A lot of the normal Ohio distribution offerigns are available. All or most of the Trappists and Belgian Family breweries are well represented; along with some other different countries(mostly Germany). They have a good selection of imported beer, as I would generally expect from a high scale market such as this.

There is a beer guy around sometimes to chat with about info you may need. So service is pretty solid. They recently added a tap station for growler fills just like Acme has been doing which is nice. They usually have a few good ones on tap to sample or get a fill.

Overall this is definitely worth checking out, especially if you cannot find some imports that you have been seeking out. Not overly incredible, and a bit pricy; but I always stop in when I am around to check out what is available.
Feb 11, 2012
Photo of mater
Reviewed by mater from Ohio

3.79/5  rDev -7.1%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4 | service: 3 | selection: 4
I'm newer to craft beer, but have visited this place 5-6 times now. This is a upscale grocery store, that happens to have craft beer. When you walk in the beer is almost right in front of you(behind the cash register's). For the good score on this site the amount of craft beer is surprisingly small, one aisle and only on one side. They do have ANY Hoppin Frog, Thirsty Dog or Brew Kettle beer you might me looking for, plus a good amount of Bell's. They also have a few beers each from Founders, Lagunitas, Stone, Bear Republic, GI, Troegs, Southern Tier, DFH and some of the other usual suspects found in the area. Something I thought was strange was NOTHING from Great Lakes could be found here. One nice thing though is that you can buy any beer you want as a single, but it will cost you at least $3 a bottle, some are more(Double Trouble and Bell's Expedition where $4). I've never had anyone ask me if I needed any help, but I'm not expecting that in a grocery store. Decent selection, but I'd definitely hit up the ACME first, which is two minutes away.
Apr 25, 2011
Photo of HikerCT
Reviewed by HikerCT from Connecticut

3.6/5  rDev -11.8%
vibe: 5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 2 | selection: 3.5
I visited this West Point Market on the advice of some BAers while visiting from Connecticut. This store did not have as good a selection as the other store I visited (Acme, which is just down the road). I would describe West Point Market as somekind of blending of Trader Joe's and Whole Foods. The food in the store was interesting and the free samples were very tasty. But the staff at the checkout were confused by my Connecticut drivers license and seemed uninterested in ringing out my order quickly (the clerks were mostly teenagers talking about what they were going to do that weekend).

As for the beer:
They had one isle of beer, of which only one side was beer. They had a good mix of craft breweries, but not a whole lot to choose from. I couldn't find any Great Lakes there. But I was very happy with their Hoppin' Frog selection. Overall, they could devote a little more space to the Ohio brewery scene. But a quality store.
Mar 16, 2011
Photo of belzo35
Reviewed by belzo35 from Ohio

4.15/5  rDev +1.7%
They have many of the beers that a good beer store around here should have and then some... they have most bell's, southern tier, harder to find dogfish head, decent selection of belgians, and plenty of other great craft options like green flash, rogue, founders, and stone. But they also have a lot of local NE Ohio goodies all of Hoppin' Frog, I believe all of the Brew Kettle's selection, Rust Belt, Thirsty Dog, Buckeye Brewing, Indigo Imp, and of course Great Lakes. If you want assistance you have to ask which I'm sure is fine by most everyone on this site and always have been helpful. The beer pricing is pretty much a good standard though grocery shopping here would bankrupt me. Honestly it's one of my go to spots for beer in this area and would recommend it to most anyone.
Sep 08, 2010
Photo of drgonzo3705
Reviewed by drgonzo3705 from Ohio

4.35/5  rDev +6.6%
What a wonderful little grocery store this is. Definitely need a bigger budget if you want to do your grocery shopping here but for beer, their prices for the most part are right in line with everyone else. I always tell people this place reminds of what a grocery store would look like if Hallmark had a chain. Just a real nice upscale shopping experience. So you walk in and past the registers head to your left and the beer is on your right. My favorite part is the only space set aside for BMC products is on the very bottom shelf all the way to the right almost completely out of sight and it is only for like 3 or 4 12 packs! Asides from that you will see a nice mixture of Craft and Import brews. I'd say its probably 65% Craft and 35% Imports. Plenty of Belgians I'm not too familiar with but I'm sure you may be. Good all around representation from the bigger micro brewers in the region. Well worth the stop and it is a block away from an Acme with a great selection too!
Jun 15, 2009
Photo of Rhynes2
Reviewed by Rhynes2 from Ohio

4.65/5  rDev +14%
This is a truly great premium foods market. We went on a trip here as part of a business class I had to study why this business works so well. The atmosphere is spectacular. The whole place feels like you're in a giant pantry. Very refined, however a very expensive, but this is to be expected from a store that specializes in premium products. I went into the liquor department to talk beer with the on site cellar manager. He was extremely helpful and was able to answer any questions I had. Each employee is assigned to be an expert in their area of the store. This made for an outstanding shopping experience. This market is everything you could ask for. Quality, service, experience, it's all built into the everyday service here. Easily one of my favorite stores in the area.
Jan 31, 2009
Photo of GoodKnight1220
Reviewed by GoodKnight1220 from Ohio

3.85/5  rDev -5.6%
The West Point on Market St. is a nice little health food grocery market. They have nice selections of meat, cheese, wine , and of course beer.

The selection is pretty good I'd say 100-150 different beers. The best part about the selection is that many of the items are in six packs and if you only want one beer out of the pack just take it out and it's $2. They also do a mix 6 pack I think it is $8.99. The price goes up on the top shelf where 22oz. go from $3.00 - $13.00. Plenty of different brews and no heavy showing of Macros.

Knowledgeable staff from the most part and if they don't have something you are looking for just go up front and ask and they will see if they can order it.

Overall this is a good place to stop in, there are also 3 other places within 2-3 miles that have great selections to choose from.
Jun 25, 2008
Photo of Dogbrick
Reviewed by Dogbrick from Ohio

4.35/5  rDev +6.6%
West Point Market is located on W. Market between downtown Akron and Fairlawn. Parking is plentiful in their private lot, however finding a close spot might be a chore on a busy day.

WPM is a grocery store but definitely caters to the high-end stuff. The beer section is on the right side of the store with both coolers and shelves. The shelves are divided to some degree by geography. Everything is well-organized and easy to see. There are singles of just about everything available which is a bonus.

The beer selection is impressive. Local/Regional goodies from GLBC, Hoppin' Frog (their Brewmaster just happened to be there that day serving samples), Bell's et al were mingled with well-known micros like Stone, Moylan's, DFH, 3F, etc. Imports were well-represented as well. There were sections devoted to Russia, Belgium, etc. Again, all very well organized.

Service here was fine. There was a person hanging around the beer area answering questions and he was knowledgeable about the beers. He may have been there due to the Hoppin' Frog sampling that was going on but either way it was nice, and the customers were keeping him busy looking for various things.

Overall, despite the appearance of possibly being a pretentious store I found it to be a great place to find beer that was well cared-for and handled by people who respect it. Definitely worth re-visiting the next time I am in Akron.
Dec 26, 2007
Photo of jeffmonarch
Reviewed by jeffmonarch from Maryland

4.5/5  rDev +10.3%
This place is great. Not only do they have a great selection but you can buy anything in singles. I found:

3 Floyds Dreadnaught, Pride & Joy, Robert the Bruce
Stone - Strong showing
Rogue - Strong showing
Dogfish Head - OK showing
Bell's - Strong showing
Goose Island - Strong showing
Avery - Strong showing
AleSmith - Strong showing
Unibrou - Strong showing
Paulaner - Strong showing
Celebrator
Delerium
Gulden Draak
Duval
Orval
Chimay - red white and blue
Moylan's - Strong showing
St. Bernardus - Abt 12, Prior 8, Tripel, Biere Blanche Witbier, Pater 6

The best thing is you can grab anything out of a 6-pack and buy the single. I picked up 14 single 12oz. bottles:

3 Floyds Robert the Bruce - $2
3 Floyds Pride & Joy - $2
Unibrou La Fin Du Monde - $2.49
Shiner Hefeweizen - $1.99
Breckenridge Autumn Ale - $1.99
Breckenridge Vanilla Porter - $1.99
Bell's Java Stout - $2.39
Bell's Third Coast Old Ale - $2.79
Bell's Lager Beer - $2.19
Bell's Expedition Stout - $2.19
Bell's Amber Ale - $2.19
Bell's Pale Ale - $2.19
Bell's Porter - $2.19
Bell's Third Coast Beer - $2.19

This is being added a couple of months later.

I have been back many times now and the service is great and the quality is awesome. I love this place.
Dec 14, 2007
Photo of eclectic
Reviewed by eclectic from New Jersey

4.15/5  rDev +1.7%
My friends kept telling me the store would have a decent beer selection but I was a bit skeptical until I walked down the beer isle. They had the entire new holland line (in 12oz and 22oz), bells wheat series, founders (red and black rye, rubeus, ipa, etc), all the great lakes (including blackout stout), moylans (scored some imperial stouts and hopsickles), plenty of local brews I hadnt heard of before.. as well as many regular offerings, victory, unibroue, avery, tommyknocker, stone, ommegang, the whole bells line... they even carry an extensive selection of sixtel's and you can also make your own six packs from any of the beers in the isle. On the end cap of the isle they have a selection of glassware but I didn't look at the prices on those.

Pricing was decent, even had some bottles marked down, got a bunch for $1 each, including some of the bell's wheat series. At the register they gave me a 10% discount on the order, I think they usually do it for just the six packs but I guess from the size of the order they decided to apply it on everything which was nice.

Would highly recommend stopping by if you are driving through the area.
Aug 20, 2006
Photo of PBRstreetgang
Reviewed by PBRstreetgang from Ohio

3.7/5  rDev -9.3%
Located on the ouskirts of downtown Akron, this upscale health food market has about half the store devoted to alcoholic beverages. Of course their selection of exotic cheeses and fine wines are extensive, but the beer section is impressive as well.

A long, open cooler and grocery shelf compose the beer aisle, with numerous displays devoted to specific breweries like Unibroue, Chimay, etc. Several local breweries represented including some of the smaller and lesser-known ones. Overall, a good selection with some rare gems and rich diversity of beer styles.

One nice bonus is that you can build your own six-pack. You get a 10% discount if you buy 12 or more, but the downside is that each individual bottle is $2.00; or even higher if it is specifically marked; and the many attractive bombers and 750's are not included.

Staff is about as knowledgable as any grocery store or liquor store employee. However, they are prompt with service and attempt to be helpful.

I would recommed shopping here if you don't mind spending some extra coin for that elusive import or seasonal domestic you can't find at your local beer store.
Jun 04, 2006
Photo of budsboy
Reviewed by budsboy from Ohio

2.75/5  rDev -32.6%
If you like a stiff upper lip and tight-asses who just *know* they are smarter than you, this is your kind of place.

Very nice selection, slightly overpriced beer selection, but the lady that FINALLY showed up to assist my wife in her search for more St. Bernardus Witbier (they had one 4-pack), really didn't know what the hell she was talking about. Then, while I was looking for glassware, some moron in the wine section said "you don't need a glass for beer, just drink it out of the bottle." To which I said "no, no, no. Wine is ok out of the bottle, but never, never beer." Poor broad just frowned and walked away.

It's worth a look, but you know, there's an Acme down the road just a bit that has nearly as good a selection at lower prices and without all the pretentious crap.
Feb 05, 2006
Photo of klewis
Reviewed by klewis from Ohio

4.55/5  rDev +11.5%
My favorite place to shop in town. West Point is a very upscale market specializing in quality ingredients that you can't find in your average store. The atmosphere is wonderful, with soft classical or jazz music playing in the background. The beer selection is one of the the best in the area. There is a small section of refrigerated beer and a larger section that is not. The store also has a small selecction of glassware. They've also got a huge wine selection with at least one wine steward on staff at all times. I don't believe that there is an employee designated to the beer section, but everytime that I've seen workers in the aisle, they have asked if I needed help. Highly recommended.
Jun 10, 2005
Photo of MikefromDormont
Reviewed by MikefromDormont from Pennsylvania

4.35/5  rDev +6.6%
Akron, Ohio's West Point Market is one of the finest specialty food markets in the United States. It is well known outside of Akron. A local cooking supply store in Pittsburgh, PA organizes bus tours to take shoppers from Pittsburgh to West Point Market.


West Point Market was started in 1936 and was originally called the "Point Market". The store was moved to its present location in 1941 and was renamed "West Point Market". A friend from Akron, who knows West Point Market owner, Russ Vernon, told me about this store back in 1996. I first had an opportunity to visit West Point Market in 1998. Since then, I've made semi-annual trips to West Point Market to buy some great food and to obtain beers not available in PA.


When you enter West Point Market, you quickly realize that this is no ordinary grocery store. You walk through a crafts department and enter a huge wine department that has over 3,000 labels of imported and American wines. West Point Market regularly conducts formal and self-directed wine tastings. Next, you walk through a very nice cheese department. There are always cheese samples to try before you visit the beer section. Leaving the cheese department, you turn left to enter the beer section. An end cap at the beginning of the beer section contains various beer glasses. I picked up a Stone Arrogant Bastard shaker pint glass for $1.49 during a recent visit. A large cooler contains six packs and single bottles. You can select an empty six pack holder and fill it with the single bottles of beer. Great Lakes and Bells beers were well represented in the cooler. Past the cooler are shelves containing more six packs of American craft beers (Victory, Grants, Founders, New Holland, etc.) as well as 22 oz. and 750 ml bottles (Ommegang, Stone, Allagash, Unibroue, etc.). Towards the front of the beer section are the English and German beers. Additional boxes of German beers line the floor next to the shelves. Across the aisle are the high alcohol beers. There is where you'll find many Belgian beers and high alcohol beers from American breweries such as Avery. This part of the beer section did not exist until Ohio changed their law that restricted sales of beer with ABVs of 7.5% or less.


I love this store and would visit even if they did not sell beer, but the beer presence is a very nice bonus. This is a highly recommended destination if you ever visit Akron, Ohio.
May 18, 2005
West Point Market in Fairlawn, OH
Place rating: 4.08 out of 5 with 24 ratings