Best Grocery Store in Lexington? (Richmond, Georgetown: budget, trip , work)

[ECU]

We moved to Georgetown a few weeks ago. I am somewhat disappointed with the grocery stores. I am looking for the best grocery stores in Lexington to do my shopping on the weekends. Any suggestions?

[Micah Girl]

Originally Posted by ECU

We moved to Georgetown a few weeks ago. I am somewhat disappointed with the grocery stores. I am looking for the best grocery stores in Lexington to do my shopping on the weekends. Any suggestions?

What are you looking for exactly?

I am new to the area and have been splitting my shopping between WalMart, Kroger, Meijer and Wild Oats. Some things are cheaper than I am used to, some more expensive (canned beans are much more expensive for example) and the variety of international foods is not as good or as affordable as I am used to. I especially would love a good source for South American food (not Mexican). Wild Oats is pricey but it has some things I can't find anywhere else. What I really would love is a Trader Joe's!!!! Any entrepreneurs out there looking to make a small fortune and fill an unfilled niche in Lex would be smart to open one.

I have not yet ventured beyond these four chains. I am the kind of shopper who shops sales and learns where the cheapest things are and buy only those things at those stores...

[teebird1012]

Another store to add is Fresh Market on Tates Creek Road. It's a bit more expensive than the other grocery stores around, but you can find numerous things there that you won't find at, say, Kroger.

[ECU]

I am looking for good quality vegetables, meats and a clean store. I do a lot of my shopping at Wal-mart, but I prefer a better quality when it comes to meats and vegetables. I am looking forward to this summer when we can buy fresh local produce. Where we moved from has Lowe's Foods it was pricey too, but their meats and produce were outstanding. There bakery and deli were nice too. Thanks for the info.

Originally Posted by Micah Girl

What are you looking for exactly?

I am new to the area and have been splitting my shopping between WalMart, Kroger, Meijer and Wild Oats. Some things are cheaper than I am used to, some more expensive (canned beans are much more expensive for example) and the variety of international foods is not as good or as affordable as I am used to. I especially would love a good source for South American food (not Mexican). Wild Oats is pricey but it has some things I can't find anywhere else. What I really would love is a Trader Joe's!!!! Any entrepreneurs out there looking to make a small fortune and fill an unfilled niche in Lex would be smart to open one.

I have not yet ventured beyond these four chains. I am the kind of shopper who shops sales and learns where the cheapest things are and buy only those things at those stores...

[cartomanlex]

I asked my wife about this, and she says the best place for herbs, spices, and near eastern treats is Parisa, on Richmond Road near New Circle - the prices are very, very good. You can also get imported dead sea soaps and other toiletries there at very low prices.

As for meat, your only real choice in grocery stores for fresh and organic meats is Wild Oats (recently bought out by whole foods), and possibly the Good Foods Co-Op (Southland Drive - haven't been there in a while) but there are some "local" farms that sell meat and seasonal fruits and vegetables:

Double O Farms - ((doubleofarms@bellsouth.net) cow share program (you have to own a share in the cows) provides fresh(!) milk and cream. They also have chickens and eggs, which you don't have to be a member to buy.
Elmwood Stock Farm (elmwoodstockfarm.com) has a CSA program for both spring/summer and fall/winter vegetables and fruits. I believe they also do some meat.

Berries on Bryan Station - CSA for fruits and veggies only, no meat.

Colcord Farms (bluegrassfinishedbeef.com) is a CSA that does beef.

Bluemoongarlic.com - local herbs & spices

There's a middle eastern deli and store on Southland Drive called Ali Babas (formerly Sahara) with good imported treats and halal meat.

The Kroger on Romany Road has a large freezer section with imported kosher goods, including frozen meats and soups, especially chicken and turkey.

Vishal on Euclid in the Chevy Chase area has good inexpensive imports from India and the far east.

That's all she can think of off the top of her head. We also order stuff online from King Arthur Flour and some other online sites.

[bluegrassgirl]

Once the weather warms up and farmers have a chance to grow some produce, you can get the best of locally grown produce at the farmer's market. They're downtown in Lexington on Tues, Thurs, and Sat. Yummy! Other than that, I prefer Kroger for my meat and vegetables. There's some other great places mentioned if budget isn't an issue.

Fresh Market on Tates Creek is great because of a large variety of unique items. Fresh cut long stem roses for $8.99!!!

[nlschr0]

I really really want a Trader Joe's, too! I've heard that the biggest factor for not opening one was the liquor law in KY that doesn't allow wine to be sold in a grocery store - it has to be its own separate area...but the scouts are looking at KY right now...

I agree with the rec for Fresh Market. It can get a little pricier/more "gourmet" than Kroger, but the bulk of their store is dedicated to meats, produce, diary/cheeses, deli, flowers, nuts in bulk, coffee, etc with a smaller section that houses dry goods like cereals and pasta.

For those are open to the drive, we make a monthly shopping trip to Cincinnati. (ECU - from Georgetown, you can get to Cin. in about an hour). We hit Trader Joe's to stock up, but we also go a lot to Jungle Jim's: Jungle Jim's International Market - Six Acres of Food Under One Roof - 5440 Dixie Hwy., Fairfield, OH 45014 It is amazing!!!! It's like an amusement park for a grocery store. Micah- they have literally acres of international foods including a lot of South American choices.

DH and I figured that before when we lived in larger cities, sometimes we would drive an hour for work each way during our commute. So, driving to Cincinnati isn't the best choice, but it really isn't that long of a drive (unless you live on the south side of Lex).

[Micah Girl]

Originally Posted by nlschr0

I really really want a Trader Joe's, too! I've heard that the biggest factor for not opening one was the liquor law in KY that doesn't allow wine to be sold in a grocery store - it has to be its own separate area...but the scouts are looking at KY right now...

I agree with the rec for Fresh Market. It can get a little pricier/more "gourmet" than Kroger, but the bulk of their store is dedicated to meats, produce, diary/cheeses, deli, flowers, nuts in bulk, coffee, etc with a smaller section that houses dry goods like cereals and pasta.

For those are open to the drive, we make a monthly shopping trip to Cincinnati. (ECU - from Georgetown, you can get to Cin. in about an hour). We hit Trader Joe's to stock up, but we also go a lot to Jungle Jim's: Jungle Jim's International Market - Six Acres of Food Under One Roof - 5440 Dixie Hwy., Fairfield, OH 45014 It is amazing!!!! It's like an amusement park for a grocery store. Micah- they have literally acres of international foods including a lot of South American choices.

DH and I figured that before when we lived in larger cities, sometimes we would drive an hour for work each way during our commute. So, driving to Cincinnati isn't the best choice, but it really isn't that long of a drive (unless you live on the south side of Lex).

I do live on the south side of Lex:-) I have heard of Jungle Jim's before and when we make any kind of day trip up to Cincinnati, I am going to check it out!

I hope the Trader Joe's scout read these boards and see that they are wanted!!!

[lexingtongal]

Another great source in Cincinnati is Findley Market. They have incredible, and inexpensive, meats, cheeses, seafood, etc. There are independently run cases (around 25 or so) and each vendor offers something a little different. Our favorite meat case is one that offers about 30 different kinds of hand made sausages. It's in a rough area, Over the Rhine, but we have never had any problems. There are also several small shops around the market that offer great spices and other specialty items.
There is also a soul food counter that was featured on Martha Stewart once. I can't recall the name of it but the food is very good.

[stephanieuk]

Don't forget about Critchfield's in Zandale and The Fresh Food Market off Tates Creek.