Favorite place for groceries? (Dallas, Austin: car registration, buy, DMV)

[stargazer]

I love Market Street here in McKinney.. it is along the lines of Central Market, just has more family friendly products such as Tide sticks to go.....

I also like shopping Kroger in town due to it having a child watch while I shop and our newly rennovated Tom Thumb is great too. Their prices on fancy cakes are extremely reasonable...

[ChristieP]

I'm a big Kroger shopper for most of our food. They have good prices, and good selection. Tom Thumb is just too expensive for everyday.

I do shop Wal-Mart for toiletries and cleaning products (MUCH cheaper than anywhere else), but I never buy their meat or produce. I've shopped at Super Target in the past, but it isn't very convenient to where we live now.

I adore Central Market, but I can't afford to buy everything there. Their produce and meat are SO nice! We adore their pre-marinated fajita meat! Market Street just is no comparison to Central Market!

If you're looking for an unusual spice, try Penzey's. They are at LBJ and Preston near the David's Bridal store. They have almost every spice imaginable, including ethnic and Indian ones, and their prices are very reasonable. ALL of my spices come from there!

[FarNorthDallas]

Wer'e planning on venturing over to El Rancho Supermercado that just opened at Spring Valley and Coit. The parking lot has been *packed* ever since it opened.

[mckinneydeb]

I was a Kroger fan until I realized I was always bagging and carrying my groceries to the car while the baggers were sitting outside "on break". I tried Tom Thumb for a while but I found the prices out of line. Now that Albertson's has revamped the store off Eldorado Pkwy here in McKinney, I shop there almost every week. They don't have the greatest produce so I sometimes travel to Market Street when I need fresh fruits/veggies (and for specialty meats). Albertsons' frozen foods, dairy, and canned goods are very reasonable. Since they are only minutes from my house, I figure I save gas money by shopping there. For breads, tortillas and pizza crusts I make a special trip to the Mrs. Bairds Bread store about once a month, buy in bulk and then utilize my freezer. And I will some months I buy from the Angel Food Ministries.

Personally I hate Wal-Mart. They have limited varieties of goods and they never seem to have what I want. I'd walk in with 9 coupons and come out with 7 because they wouldn't have what I was looking for. The only things we get there are cleaning supplies and hygiene items. Plus, my husband says I am lured away to the clothing and housewares, so he never lets me shop there alone!

[stargazer]

Market Street just is no comparison to Central Market!

Everybody has a different opinion and that is ok. I have shopped the Central Market in Plano and was disappointed due to not being able to buy some typical products I buy at other stores. I grew up with HEB and would love to give it business but it just doesn't stock the things I buy.. Tide to go sticks for one. I had to go to Wal Mart across the street to get that... Don't get me wrong, Central Market has many things that I love to buy that you can't get anywhere else and the produce is fabulous but again I am one for wanting to have a store that stocks things I buy when I go shopping. For my family, we go to Market Street almost every Sunday after church and eat. We then go get a few things to make it through the week...
I love watching the chef's cook pasta at Market Street. One has it down to a T how I take it... 6 shrimp and pancetta cooked in olive oil , then added is red meat sauce with a small amount of alfredo sauce to make a blush sauce.. added is red wine along with a pinch of hot crushed red pepper, garlic, and red onion all served over orchette. We get that along with 3 slices of pizza , a caesar salad and it makes enough to share for the 4 of us.. Market Street is one of our favorite places to eat for sure.

[ChristieP]

Central Market isn't a place you go to do all of yuor household shopping. As you mentioned, they don't carry a lot of regular household items, such as cleaning products. Central market is for gourmet prepared foods, gorgeous baked goods, and the best meat and seafood.

Your Italian meal sounds good but OUCH, that's a lot of calories and fat...

[TXTwizter]

Kroger for convenience (one block away), and price.
Wal-Mart Neighborhood Store for price.
Albertsons out of desperation.
Tom Thumb, you couldnt pay me to shop there. WAY OVERPRICED.

You can tell a store is overpriced (Tom Thumb), when there are 3 in one neighborhood (Oaklawn) in 2000, and in 2007 there are 0, nada, zilch!! The demographics for this area have changed as well, more yuppies & higher income folks. If they won't pay the astronomical prices there, than who will?

[stargazer]

Your Italian meal sounds good but OUCH, that's a lot of calories and fat...

We split if 4 ways and the caesar salad, I ask for no dressing, just parmesean. The whole thing doesn't even get eaten.. I don't eat the pizza either. I always request meat sauce with just a touch of alfredo, not too much... just enough to give it a milder flavor.

[orion1778]

Originally Posted by FarNorthDallas

Wer'e planning on venturing over to El Rancho Supermercado that just opened at Spring Valley and Coit. The parking lot has been *packed* ever since it opened.

What kind of stuff do "Supermercado" stores sell? It it mostly specialty/ethnic goods? How similar is it to an American supermarket like a Kroger?

I am very interested in buying some Mexican Pepsi and Coke. I hear that the pure sugar cane cola they have in Mexico is much better than the corn-syrup stuff they sell in the United States.

Has anyone been to the Rio Grande Supermercado on Maple near Inwood? I just read about it on www.dallasfood.org - it looks pretty interesting.

[FarNorthDallas]

You can buy the Mexican coke by the bottle at Central Market and sometimes by the case at Costco.

I'm not sure what this Supermercado is going to have. All of the signs out front are in Spanish. It's big though. It took one of the former Albertson's spots.