I finally got the chance to stop by Restaurant Depot to see what they have to offer. I went to the RD in Portland, in Delta Park, just around the corner from Fisherman’s Marine and Outdoor, just off I-5 in north Portland.

I’m not a member but I went right in. Nobody was guarding the door. Nobody asked me for a membership card (like at Costco). I walked around looking for familiar items so I could determine whether the prices were good, or not.

To be honest, I was not impressed. The quantities, qualities and the prices of the meat and produce are almost identical to Smart Foodservice (formerly Cash and Carry). I shop at Smart Foodservice fairly often. SF has almost the same stuff, at the same prices, but they are open to the general public, with no restrictions and no membership fees.

In fact, there is a Smart Foodservice directly across the street from Restaurant Depot in Portland. So I wrote down the prices of some meat (beef brisket, pork shoulder, pork belly, ribs), and did a comparison with Smart Foodservice across the street. The result: No difference - same stuff, same price, same size quantities, in the same packaging. It would not surprise me if RD and SF are operated by the same company since the labeling, packaging, and organization is identical between the two stores.

So if you want decent prices on meat and produce, and other stuff (in huge quantities), skip RD. Just go to Smart Foodservice.

If you’re in the Portland area, you can do the same comparison I did. Just swing by next time you go to Fisherman’s Marine! Both RD and SF are within walking distance.