11/01/09

Pricey, good selection

by yummyemilie

I love shopping at A Southern Season when all the packaged gift baskets, chocolates and snacks are on clearance. I'll also go there if I'm headed out of town and want to bring some cute Tar Hell themed gifts.

They have great cooking classes available in the evenings. The two I've tried were fun, easy to follow, and I learned fabulous dishes that impressed my friends.

I have shopped for several kitchen items there, but always ended up buying from the little kitchen store in the same mall, next to Bear Rock. They are tiny, but have many of the same brands for about 15% cheaper, and often have good sales.

05/28/09

Products sometimes stale

by CSMobileUser

Too much stock, so too little turnover!

01/03/08

A good variety of cheese,meats, & wine for this area

by shadesofblonde

Certainly, in this area, you wouldn't expect a huge variety of gourmet European food and wine...but, when you consider the large number of Europeans living in the RTP area, I would think that there would be more selections available. It's true that SS does probably have the largest selection of cheeses, meat, and wine in the area; I just wish that they had more! I've seen very little Middle Eastern or Far Eastern foods; come to think of it, I've never seen any African or Caribbean food. Over the years they have improved, though. Some of the things for sale here are just kitschy, like the "pottery" and "linens" which are not of high quality. SS does have good greeting cards and a very nice selection of chocolate. Call ahead if you want something special, to check on its' availability and expect to be on hold for a good long while!

• Pros: good selection of chocolate
• Cons: parking; lack of ethnic foods & not a lot of variety

12/26/07

Terrible customer service

by vakirkbride

I ordered a holiday gift one month before December 25th. After two weeks I checked on the order and the store told me the merchandise was now in stock and it would be sent right out. It was not sent out and I had to check on the order two more times - each time promising me that it would be sent. On December 22nd I called the store. They promised it would be shipped overnight to arrive on December 24th. On December 24th I called yet again - I was put on hold FOREVER. Promised they would call me back..never did. I called yet again..the manager got on the phone and said "oh, it won't arrive until the 28th - sorry!" My recommendation...do not order anything from this store. The only way you should deal with this store is if you can walk in the door and take the merchandise out the door with you. Do not trust their promises of delivery!

09/08/07

Browse, don't buy

by citizenann

The idea of this store is great, but most of the prices are beyond outrageous. Because they're centrally located in Chapel Hill and don't have much competition nearby, people fall prey to their convenience and ambience. My suggestion is: browse here, then find other places to actually purchase those items at reasonably marked-up prices; you can find a coffee machine, kitchen items and beauty products online, and Vietri has an outlet. You can also find good food, chocolate and wine down the street at Whole Foods for a fraction of the price. The owners need a wake-up call on their pricing strategy.

• Pros: Great selection
• Cons: PRICES!

12/08/06

great shopping

by keaton218

this place is just fantastic. i love the fancy feel but with southern charm. great place to get some holiday shopping done!

• Pros: wide selection, nice quality, clean
• Cons: can be pricey

11/16/06

Really nice store

by potbelliedkiln

Loved this store, but I wish they had more locations. Really nice store, first of it's kind in area. Great place to shop for wines and cheeses in one place , and all the other goodies that go with them. Kind of expensived though, and they really don't need to be that expensive.

• Pros: Love the variety
• Cons: Little expensive, hard to beat Trader Joe's

Chapel Hill's own never-never land for those who appreciate the epicurean lifestyle.

by Contributor

In Short
A Southern Season has grown over the years from a small coffee store to a gourmet wonderland. Shoppers browse through Vietri place-setting displays, autographed cookbooks, specialty foods and gleaming copper cookware. The store features an expanded prepared-foods department including a hot bar, salad bar and build-your-own-sandwich. Look for Southern delicacies, such as cheese straws, with a "Carolina Cupboard" label--they're made exclusively for the store.

05/24/06

A gourmet fantasyland!

by deborah504

How lucky are we to have this fabulous store in our own hometown! There is no where else in the country that can compare and since their move to University Mall, parking is rarely a problem. Not sure why everyone always thinks they are "expensive" -- I regularly buy coffee and olive oils often for less than they are priced at Whole Foods.

• Pros: one of a kind, great staff

06/03/05

Great coffee selection

by mrhill

When ever we come down to the area as we were last week, we make it a point to stop and shop here. They have the best coffee selection around, especially for decaf which I drink, so we always make it a point to bring several pounds back with us. With so much variety of everything to choose from, it makes picking anything that much harder. We'll back in Sept to browse and shop again. Oh, the cheeses are good too.

• Pros: large coffee variety, overall selection
• Cons:  a bit pricey