Artesia Liquor, honestly, looks a bit run down from the outside. However, I like to consider it "loved to death." If you look underneath the floor runners, you'll see that the floor has been worn down beyond the original linoleum to reveal a de facto trail straight to the booze.
Don't let the name fool you. Artesia Liquor is located in the great town of Cerritos. My hunch tells me that they named the place Artesia Liquor after the street on which it's located (Artesia Boulevard), more so than the neighboring city.
This place has been here since before I was born (and hasn't changed since then). The ice cream cooler in the front is totally from the 1960s, as well as the counter-top and the refrigeration units in the back. The doors look pretty damn antique...but the beer and beverages beyond those doors are actually very well stocked and surprisingly varied.
I've been going to this place forever since it's so close to home and sells lottery tickets. It's proximity in the eastside of Cerritos is perfect as the clock nears 7:45pm on Tuesday night and you realize you didn't invest in the state's educational system yet.
This liquor store is also surprisingly not owned or operated by Indians or Koreans, unlike every other one in the Southland. (The owner is Hispanic). This is the last bastion of homegrown non-Asianness in this plaza since "That's Amore" closed down the other month (which was owned by legit Italians).
If you're observant while standing in line to pay, you'll notice a certificate from the local disabled veterans for being one of the more handicapped-friendly stores around the Cerritos area. I don't know what exactly that means or how that's determined, but I thought it'd be nice to share.
One cool thing that you wouldn't expect from this place is that they take credit cards (Mastercard and Visa). Just be sure to spend over $10.00, otherwise you get dinged with a $0.50 surcharge.
Oh, one last thing, be cautious in the parking lot: it's full of Asian drivers, steep driveways and light poles that I've seen get hit so many times over my 26 years here. read more