I was just passing through downtown Houston when I was looking for a quick snack, and I stumbled…read moreupon this supermarket. what a surprise! The parking was a bit of a challenge, but it was easy enough because it was a calm Tuesday morning. To get from the parking area to the store, you just take the elevator one level down, and then you're right inside. This place is surprisingly big, filled with all kinds of snacks, cookies, and coffee. The highlight for me was their shawarma breakfast wrap. It was top-notch and exactly what I needed. You choose between whole wheat or white pita, and it's filled with scrambled eggs, your choice of fresh or sautéed spinach, and they add potatoes as well. Then they top it with shawarma chicken, tomato, and a delicious sauce. For $8.5 it was worth every bite. Hands down, a five out of five. I also tried their coffee, which was just a standard brew sitting in ice for hours and nothing special. At $2.50, it was fine, but nothing to write home about. The real stars were the cookies. I got a coconut pecan cookie and an almond crunch cookie, and both were absolutely delicious. I didn't have time to explore the whole store, but there was a great selection of fresh produce, chocolates, and all sorts of small treats. Overall, the staff were really friendly, and the entire visit was smooth. I'll definitely be back next time I'm in the area. Five out of five stars!

My niece and I checked out Phoenicia's for lunch, which was surprisingly delicious…read more My niece has simplistic tastes, so she opted for the chicken burger, which I tried of course. Perfectly seasoned, crispy exterior. The sweet potato fries were equally delicious. I got the Hill Country salad. Same tender but crispy chicken on a bed of greens with berries. So good. Definitely bookmarked as a return option.

My father and I were both a little confused when we walked in because we were expecting what would…read morebe a moderately sized grocery store, and this is nothing more than what you'd find at a convenience store at a gas station (which it isn't, it's a store in a strip mall). Nevertheless, it had most of what we were looking for, basically just drinks and snacks for our 2-day stay in Houston. My father wanted bakery items for breakfast and settled for the usual Hostess and Hostess-like choices you'd find at, again, a convenience store. However, the gentleman behind the register was pleasant and helpful. A customer came in and while checking out casually mentioned he had a close friend die the day before in a car crash. The cashier was very sympathetic and listened to the guy without interrupting or trying to hurry him along. In all, the store has the basics. But if you're looking for an actual grocery store like what you'd typically find in the downtown area of a large city, this is not it.

A nice little gem near downtown! They do have nice wine…read moreselections and some stock for essentials. Their wine selection is fantastic, which reflects the owner's good taste :) Have to say their daily essentials like mouthwash water saved my life! It's fantastic to find such convenience store near downtown with a few things, but everything seems to hit the point. Bravo for the owners for the great selection of just everything!

At least take the stickers off the vegetables when making kabobs in the meat section. Thanks. Ugh.read more

Hanging out at my favorite Sprouts! Came for the 25% off vitamin and body care sale! It goes from…read moretoday until the 28th.. Once you've made your selection go get in the line of Steven, my favorite cashier! This store has quality products and they really take good care of their Customers!

H Mart is one of those places that hits you the second you walk in part grocery store, part…read morecultural crossroad, part late-night lifesaver. The produce is sharp, the seafood counter is alive, and the aisles stretch out with everything from Korean staples to snacks you didn't grow up with but suddenly need in your life. It's not just shopping it's wandering. You go in for a few things and somehow end up leaving with dumplings, instant noodles, kimchi you didn't plan on buying, and something sweet you'll try later just because it looked interesting.

Has a food court for the immediate Korean food cravings…read more Offers lots of Korean and other Asian products. A go to when for the Asian fixes. Clean and organized with friendly service.

Randall's is a great store, I've been going for years. Love their produce, salads, sales and…read morecustomer service.

This Randall's is always giving "sketchy-but-convenient" energy…read more Pro tip: if you're driving, park in the garage. I know it seems backwards, but you're way less likely to get approached by someone asking you to buy them something. For the record, the store doesn't feel unsafe--homeless unsafe--but sometimes, you just want to grab your groceries in peace. Now, something that never fails to annoy me: one of the entrance doors is always locked. Every time. So you're forced to walk around to the main entrance. Minor, but annoying. Thankfully, the elevators from the garage always work, so silver lining there if you park downstairs. Today I was reminded of another classic Randall's feature: the smell. I stopped in on my bike to grab some veggies and, like clockwork, was hit with that signature aroma, somewhere between a porta-potty and a city park at noon in July. I think it was coming from outside this time... but I've definitely caught a whiff inside before too. Is it overpriced? Yes. Is it so conveniently located that I keep coming back anyway? Also yes. To be fair, the prepared food section and the bread game are on point. If carbs are a love language, this place is fluent. Bonus points: they've added EV charging for our green-driving friends. But I think they shrank some of the parking spots. I watched a jacked-up truck on stilts struggle to park in a handicap space. Waiting for the driver to hop out onto the hood of the next car over.

There are likely better HEBs out there but I still love this West U location all the same. Where…read moreother stores may be newer with a larger parking lot and bigger selection, I have still managed to get everything I want from this location. I find the service is excellent, the store is clean, the prices are average, but the inventory is always well stocked. In terms of reliability, the latter is crucial. Parking here can be a challenge. The lanes are narrow and there are only so many entrances to the lot. While folks are constantly battling for parking, the store itself is rarely ever that busy. The cart staff is good about keeping the lot relatively free of carts and are good about keeping the front area organized. I have had good experiences with their bakery and deli, especially for catering. I'm all about rocking the buttered tortillas when they're available. I love their produce selection and have been a big fan of their fresh peanut butter machines. While the cashier's are usually quick, the more popular way to go is through self-check out. The service is the most underrated aspect in my opinion. They've been supremely helpful in bringing groceries out to my vehicle for me (especially when there's a lot), they're on top of the curbside pickup, and they're excellent about helping folks find what they need. Big ups to the West U H-E-B team.

So, I usually do curbside at the HEB on Alabama in Montrose, but ever since their construction…read moreproject turned the whole process into a slow-motion nightmare, I decided to give Buffalo Speedway a try. Big mistake. First off, I get that Houston was bracing for a snowstorm (crazy, I know), so I wasn't shocked that a lot of my requested items were out of stock. Fine, not their fault. But what was their fault? Not actually giving me half of the things I did manage to order! I got home, excited for my stash of groceries, only to realize I had basically made a charitable donation to HEB. No cheese. No sour cream. No coffee. NO MAPLE SYRUP. The donuts? Trash. Stale, lifeless, and the long john with "cream" filling? A cruel joke. Either it never got filled or the cream evaporated from old age. Tried calling the store--no answer. Couldn't go back because the entire city was frozen over for two days. At this point, I just accepted my fate. Maybe they were overwhelmed that day. Maybe it was just bad timing. But I won't be back to find out. Until Montrose finishes its never-ending construction, I'll be looking for another HEB--or honestly, another grocery store altogether. Buffalo Speedway, double-check your curbside orders and throw away the old donuts. You saved me some calories, at least.

1lb of force of nature beef is typically $9.99. heb, how sad…read morethat you placed a big yellow 25% off sticker on this meat, but increased the cost to $14.00 per lb. watch out for this snarky trickery you guys. c'mon heb, you are better than that. wish i took a pic.

I have to say I absolutely loved HEB and thats why the 3 stars. This location on West Alabama is my…read morefavorite store too. The beautiful trees in the parking area makes shopping here feel like such an outing. But my most recent visit let me down supremely, while trying to shop for a surprise. I asked for help from several folks for the flower shop and was told they would find someone about 3 times. The last time a woman came by and seemed as if she worked there, relieved I approached her and she stopped abruptly and asked if I needed help. I told her yes if she could help me with some balloons, I remarked I had been waiting over 20 minutes and she rolled her eyes at me and in a strong tone said" I am trying to help you " I reinforced that I was not trying to be disrespectful. I just needed assistance. Still proceeded to wait, then a gentleman named Chris came to the flower area and assisted me with the balloons finally. By then it was almost 40 minute mark. His interaction with me at first seemed as if he was upset, then he lightened the mood, and actually sang while blowing the balloons up. I love HEB but this interaction left a sour taste in my mouth. If they would have just communicated that no one was going to be able to help I would have left. I had yet to have had a negative experience here till this time around. Idk if I want to visit my favorite HEB anymore. I thought I had left the poor customer service back in another state. But who am I kidding I do enjoy HEB!

Which grocery store in Houston is the best of the best? You guessed it - HEB's wealthy relative -…read moreCentral Market! Unfortunately there's only one in the city, but it's "centrally" located (get the pun?) off Westheimer and 610 near the Galleria. We frequent this grocery store a few times a month, and though the products are more expensive overall than your normal Kroger or HEB, the selection is amazing and worth the visit. Here's what I love about Central Market: the produce, salads, sandwiches, meats, seafood, wine, cereal, yogurts, bread, coffee, ice cream, spices - actually pretty much everything. Even their flowers are incredible. Now here are some pro tips; listen carefully: - if you want the real, full CM experience, go on a Saturday or Sunday. You'll feel like you're at Costco waiting in line for samples and trying to push your cart without running someone over. But if you want a quiet, peaceful experience, go on a weekday during the day. You have to work, you say? Take a few hours of vacation or personal time off and head to Central Market. It'll be better than your last few vacations. - they have an app and it's amazing! You can save 20-30% each shopping trip with their offers and coupons. Make sure you add the deals in your app before you go to check out. (This part is a little annoying.) - ice cream section: buy the Hellenika Ube coconut. Just do it. Taste it and you can thank me later. It will change your life. If you want to overpay for it, fly to Seattle and find it at Pike Place Market. - stop buying spices like peppercorn and coriander seeds in bulk that are stored in bottles and jars. Go to Central Market and just buy exactly what you need for your recipe. You'll spend 24 cents for this and 58 cents for that, etc. Not $5 for a jar of spices that will lose its flavor or expire after a year. And the big question everyone asks: Central Market or Whole Foods? Whole Foods has way more locations, but CM takes the cake. It's just amazing. Trust me.

Let me introduce you to HEB's bougie cousin!! lol we love love love central market. There are so…read moremany gems here from the hot bar and many specialty good quality drinks like the guava and mango juices. They have fresh breads, bagels and countless pastries. The meat and seafood selections are endless. From lamb and king crab to all those meat cuts you see on food network! I haven't tried the sandwich bar yet but I heard it's amazing. Definitely check them out if you haven't yet!