Growing up in San Francisco there is something I noticed which doesn't really get highlighted and is a collaboration between two different continents and many different cultures . Walking around in the Mission District and you would notice lots of small businesses which are grocery stores and markets will have food and drinks which are Latin American and Asian . Somehow these visible stores in the San Francisco neighborhoods are usually invisible to the media and that includes social media .The only time I see these foods are being celebrated is when they are separated at a Costco or at ethnic food aisles at an AI ( Albertsons Inc.) store such as a Safeway which will have these bottles and cans on the shelfs. Some restaurants in the city which serves fusion Latin and Asian dishes are getting their produce when they need to reload at these grocery stores . I ran into one on Clement street which was formerly known as El Chico Produce and it's now called Del Rio Produce. On a Clement street stroll I landed at a grocery store with international products and has Chinese products. Inside it felt like Deja Vu as I felt going back in time to my childhood in the Mission District shopping at a similar grocery store. You will find an aisle of international cheeses. You will find also are lots of ingredients to make Adobo chicken. You will also see ramen with Korean, Japanese and Mexican flavors. There are different types of berries and nuts available. This is the spot to embrace the international diversity of San Francisco through drink , foods, and produce . In the month of May it's AAPI month and Cinco de Mayo along with Carnival in San Francisco so plan a visit to Del Rio Produce ( Not in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil home of Carnival) on 23rd Avenue and Clement. This Supermarket reminds of the ones in SF that are mostly in the Excelsior and the "Mission" selling different Latin American and Asian products to make food dishes in the cultural "tradition "also offering organic fruits and vegetables to promote "nutrition" these international foods stores in the city should get more "recognition" In San Francisco Real estate prices stay steady or "soar" and if you don't live in the neighborhood you find about these places online with Yelp and "Nextdoor "some try to connect this food as part of some narrative and "folklore "but these ingredients are still being sold today and never forgotten at the city international "grocery store " read more

See all

The place is under new ownership and it's got a great mix of groceries from around the world, lots and lots of Latino and Indian groceries. I grabbed bags of Indian spices, herbs, beans, lentil poppadoms, and chai tea. And they have low carb pitta bread. read more

Barely any Latino products here. They seem to be under new ownership. They are extremely kind, however the store is in shambles. There are moldy products on the check out counter. read more

Update: it appears that El Chico Produce didn't like my review, since I got a note from Yelp saying that, "We're writing to let you know about one or more complaints we've heard about your review of El Chico Produce. We recommend that you ensure that your review complies with our Content Guidelines (http://www.yelp.com/guidelines) and Terms of Service (http://www.yelp.com/static?p=tos). Steer clear of exaggeration and embellishment, and don't draw conclusions about the broader business practices of the business you reviewed based on your own experience." Read my review. I didn't exaggerate. I only reported on what I saw. El Chico has two options here: 1) attack the messenger (me), or 2) take this as a learning experience and ensure that all staff have good hygiene. It appears that they've taken the first approach -- attack the messenger. It's unclear what steps, if any, they are taking to ensure good hygiene. Given that, where would you like to get your produce? read more

A very cool old school produce market that opens early, with all kinds of fresh local fruits and veggies as well as a good selection of mexican food sundries. All kinds of dry goods, baked goods and kitchen staples are here at reasonable to inexpensive prices. A really good selection of fresh seasonal produce can be found every morning at this little market, and if you look you can always find a decent amount of fresh veggies and fruits for not a lot of money by comparison to the chain grocery stores. $10 bucks goes a long way here. Friendly and kind staff and the service is always good, this little market can be busy in the early mornings and parking can be tough as the street is always busy. Definitely worth a visit and stop, and if you're looking for good deals on fruits and veggies check them out. 3.5 Stars - rounded up for the friendly staff 00595 read more

I loved coming to this market when I lived in the Richmond District of San Francisco. Plenty of fresh veggies--heirloom tomatoes, mangoes, peaches, apples, mandarins, cilantro, onions, garlic, eggplant, potatoes, kale, lettuce. When produce has been sitting around for too long, they do offer discounted prices which is fair. They also have dry goods such as pasta, beans, etc. read more

I didn't know places like this existed outside of the Mission District. So it was quite a surprise to step into El Chico Produce. If you've ever been to a Latin Produce market/stand you won't find anything that surprises you here. Great value and selection , yes it's not gonna be a pristine as your Whole Foods/Safeway but that's not why you come here. Great to see a venue like this... Like your mom/grandma/abuelita always told you "veggies and fruits are good for you mijo". read more

El Chico Produce - Fruits & Veggies Near Me - San Francisco, California

See all

Picked up 2 pork tamales... really good! It's a little spicy. They ran out of chicken, so I'll definitely come back. 2 tamales for $5. read more

El Chico Produce - Pork tamle - Fruits & Veggies Near Me - San Francisco, California

These are the reasons they give for putting their produce in the front doorway of their next door neighbors' apartment: "We pay more rent for our retail space" (than the lowly apartment dwellers). "We are only using part of the doorway" (there's still space enough to get by). "We don't do it everyday" (just sometimes). "We are going to buy the building." Added to the injury of blocking their neighbors' front doorway are multiple insults and accusations-- that their neighbors are evil and crazy (Malo e loco) and overly sensitive to be upset about such a "small" space. Worse still is a threat that they actually made: that after they buy the building they will evict their residential neighbors if their neighbors "make trouble." Trouble = insisting on having full access to the front entrance of one's own apartment. Every produce market nearby (on Clement and Geary ) is cleaner and friendlier and has better produce. read more

Decided to stop here after eating at Hard Knox Cafe... the produce look so fresh so picked up some manila mangos and bell peppers. Wonderful variety of produce like guavas, papayas, plantains, greens along with Mexican groceries and a few asian and mediterranean items. Relatively clean, organized and reasonably priced for mom and pop read more

El Chico Produce - Fruits & Veggies Near Me - San Francisco, California

Very good prices.. got everything I need.. this market been here for many years.. 20 ??

If you know me, then you'd know that everytime I see fruits and veggies, I get really happy because I'm your fruit-and-veggie type of gal. So when I moved to the neighborhood 1.5 years ago, I was stoked when I realized I live literally 30 steps from this place. I spend a good chunk of my money here, and I have no problem with that because most of the time I don't even have to spend all that much, yet I still get plenty of fruits and veggies. I love the convenience of it...they're open early and close late. I love that they carry a variety of produce and even other grocery items. I don't know what I would do without this place!! read more

El Chico Produce - A colorful array of fruits! - Fruits & Veggies Near Me - San Francisco, California

See all

Me encanta El Chico! I love El Chico! The produce is fresh and plentiful - and the variety is impressive. Great tomatillos, chile peppers and plantains for the latin food lover in you. The prices and quality blow Safeway out of the water. I am always amazed at how little I have to plop down at check out. $10 goes a long way! They also sell tortillas, queso fresco, homemade salsa, Mexican style sour cream and even a few Mexican baked goods. Plenty of dried nuts, fruits, beans - great staples for stocking your pantry. You can even pick up some Mediterranean foods, like pita bread, hummus, tahini and more. My favorite canned good there is the Ducal refried beans - hard to find elsewhere. Smiling staff make it a breeze to shop for your daily five fruits and veggies. read more

I can think of a dozen more appropriate names for El Chico Produce. Like...Scary Produce or...Third-Tier Produce...or The Fruit Fly...the list is endless, really. I am afraid of winged creatures and El Chico could double as a Fruit Fly hatchery. I bought a bunch of raspberries here and sure, they were cheap, but they were also molding and falling apart. I would try some of the other produce, except I can't get near it because of the halo of flies hovering over everything. I really can't emphasize enough just how unappealing this is to consumers. I have nightmares after visiting El Flytrap. Three stars anyway. Because they are cheap, cheap, cheap and if you can look past the insects (I can not), it is apparent that there is a jackpot to be struck in this place. You can feed many, many people on very, very little at El Chico. Three stars also for the wide selection of dried goods and baked goods I've seen on display. They also have staples like milk (no organic, unfortunately) and cheese. I was surprised to see some Middle Eastern breads and mexican pastries. They really pack a lot into a fairly trim space. This is strictly no-frills shopping. Cement and fluorescent lighting is abundant and the staff are no-nonsense. If you're bug phobia-free and on a budget, have at it! I'll stick to Thom's on Geary. My loss. read more

Do they carry the most fresh, organic produce? No. Do they have consistently decent and very well priced produce? Absolutely. Whenever I'm short an ingredient for a recipe I drop by and grab what's needed, and am always shocked by how low the price total is. 5$ minimum for cards. Not the highest quality but not bad either, you get what you pay for. Rare find in SF! read more

I remember when this place first opened back when I was in elementary school or something. It was spotless clean and everythign looked nice. the fruits and veggies looked like they were all glistening and fresh. now.... flies everywhere, the lights are dimming cuz of the buildup of crud, the floors are dirty as heck....but one thing remains...the fruits and veggies are still pretty fresh. it depends on what you get and when you get it. you just gotta put in the time to pick at the stuff. i often find the nice stuff layin ni the bottom or in the far back (thank goodness i'm tall). Got me some corn ($0.50), strawberries pack ($1.99), blackberries ($0.99), bell peppers ($0.99/lb), cucumber ($0.50), cantalope ($1.19), honeydew ($1.99) and they seemed pretty nice. good for after work grocery shopping. btw, i'm making a fruit salad and a southwestern salad......we'll see how that goes! read more

The produce in January wasn't very nice and some of it was the same price as 25th. The reason for the 4 stars? I can get Latin grocery items here! Yay! Jemex, mexican cheeses and cremas, a good selection of spices and all kinds of dried chiles, and the biggest plus of all?? They carry Ducal Refried Black Beans from Guatemala!! A double woo-hoo for that! read more

Even better produce than 25th Produce. El Chico. Mucho tasty-o. read more

This is a super great local produce market always great prices great produce and friendly service! I love having such diversity in the neighborhood! read more

A great selection of fruits and vegetables, and also great for stuff such as lentils, nuts, barley, beans and so on. The freshness of the produce varies- sometimes it's great, but other times you'll have to really pick through it. It's always reasonable though - I can believe how much I carry out of there for $10. Parking can suck, but not as bad as other areas of the city I suppose. read more

El Chico Produce - Fruits & Veggies Near Me - San Francisco, California

Just was there today and it is still called El Chico Produce #1. I love the price/quality point of this place for produce. I was only disappointed that they don't have the same dried chili selection as the one in the Mission, so I still have to make the trip when I need those. read more

Oh yum, El Chico! Great prices and gorgeous produce. Lots of random dry goods and canned goods, too, for when you run out of staples. I can always get my favorite apples here, too. Great market to hit after catching a movie at the 4-Star. read more

Cheap good produce. They also have some great smelling "scones". They're not what I normally think of as scones, but they're sweet and delicious. They have a small olive bar, a table of dry foodstuffs, like prepackaged beans and pasta items, bagged spices, and a couple rows of canned goods. I buy almost all my produce here. read more

I like to eat, eat, eat oples and banonos...but not as much as avocados! And I buy them here, along with the best mangos I've ever had, delicious salmonella-free tomatoes, fresh mexican cheese, black beans and tiny little mutant artichokes that are like snackers for people with lots of patience for steaming. This is a dreamworld of produce. It will take your half hour to get in the door, because you'll be tantalized by the outside displays. I frequently buy random things like cantelopes just because they look so delicious. The people are incredibly friendly and they have cool quirkly products like special salad dressing, toilet paper and fresh pear juice. Mmmmmm toilet paper. Prices can't be beat. read more

pan dulce, queso fresco, crema, tortillas, etc. yeah you might not be impressed..... except for the small little detail that this store carries these items and it exists in the richmond. mexican products are rare find without a long 2 muni bus trek to the mission. i love having this place in the neighborhood. oh yeah, you might have read about it already, but the produce rocks! cheap cheap eats. read more

What an awful market. Went in there and bought about $20 worth of groceries, which the genius at the cash register proceeded to charge FIVE times on my debit card. Upon getting home, I discovered that the head of lettuce I had purchased was damn near rotten (I had lettuce in the fridge that was a week old that was in better shape). When I called to get the charges reversed, the next genius who picked up the phone passed the buck and was less than helpful. Despite low prices, I will never ever set foot in that place again. I'd like to find the owner and give him or her a piece of my mind. So, yes, technically this market accepts credit cards, but only if they can charge said card FIVE times. That sort of negates their low prices, doesn't it? read more

The produce selection is gorgeous and fresh at Safeway prices, but with flavor.

This place is AWESOME. As cheap, if not cheaper then May-Wah market on Clement without the crowds. I can generally buy more then I can carry with two hands for less then $20. read more

I like this place because it's cheap and their produce is tasty. I also like this place because the employees seem polite and don't look at peoples' asses, which seems to plague the farmer's market on 4th and Geary. At least be surreptitious about it, although that just my puritan on the bus talking. read more

A good store all around with great prices. The fact that there is a meat market inside as well makes for quick one stop shopping.

They are no longer "El Chico" maybe now it's "Piqueno Chica". Don't know the new name, but it is next door to Four Stars Movie Theatre. Interesting mix of fresh veggies and fruit---but quality is not that great tho prices are low. Think the produce market on 25th and Clement is nicer, cleaner, higher priced, with nicer looking produce and English speakers can answer questions regarding items. Not that speaking Espanol is a problema, but Mira, the jr. high escuella por Espanol is nada excellente ..muchas gracias....no cerveca...Adios. read more

Great freakin' produce with very neighborly service. Whenever friends or relatives visit from out of town, they marvel at how fresh, how cheap and how great the fruit and veggies are in california. that is generally because we take them by el chico at some point during their stay. read more

This is where I go to get all of my fresh produce. They have a very good selection of all your basic fruits and veggies. Prices are very reasonable. It sure beats your big super markets. Yes I'll admit it's a bit dirty inside but that doesn't bug me. Just like any other produce market you just need to be aware of what you're picking. read more

This is the most organized stacked and packed fruit stand. 5 stars u fruit stackers!!

I love fruit. I love veggies. I love El Chico Produce. When I first moved here and started looking for reasonably priced produce in the city I thought I would get cancer or be broke by 50 with what I was finding. Then a friend told me about El Chico and I have been a weekly loyal customer since. They have great seasonal selection, and I have been able to try some unique new fruits. I can get everything I need to eat healthy for a week and be out of there in under 10$. They also have reasonably priced whole grains and dried beans and nuts. Also, they have a rediculously cheap, damaged table where you can get bruised tomatos for sauce (like 5lbs +) for a dollar. If you are going to cook/bake with the veggies definately check it out when you're there. read more

I go here everytime I'm in the Richmond. Wonderful produce and great staff!!!

The sign on the wall says that you have to spend more than $10 if you are using a credit card. Good luck. This place is super cheap. I also like the odd selection of fresh cheese at the checkout counter. Combine a trip here with some nice bread at 25th & Clement Produce Market and something from AK Meats and you are set. read more

If you want persimmons right now, this is the place to go! Giant cardboard containers of them, very reasonably priced.

Great neighborhood produce market with many key Mexican staples like Queso Blanco and key canned good as well.

This place is pretty disgusting. Its worse than my apartment. I frequent shop at dirty Chinese markets but this place takes it to a different level. I came in to grab a drink and a snack for the movie theater next door. The drink section was limited but that didn't bother me. All of the drink cans and bottles were filthy. I don't know if it was mud or dead bugs pasted across cans and bottles. It was definitely dirty. I also recommend closing the back door were you keep your garbage because its kind of nasty to be shopping and smelling rotted shit coming from the back. Their trash compactor is no more than 30 feet from the produce. YummA! I wouldn't be surprised if this place was shut down by a health inspector. On top of all this the lady in the front was following me around. I guess I look like a criminal because only fat people steal food. I would definitely never come back here to shop. read more