Jay's international market is the go-to place in S City to buy many international foods and produce that you're looking for. I have been there several times for produce, European foods, and international snacks. I like that the store is laid out by country, which makes it so much easier to find what I'm looking for. Some of the male workers that I have encountered have always been really helpful in helping me find what I'm looking for or some type of substitute. read more

My wife and I were in St. Louis visiting friends, and we had some time while waiting for a night-time baseball game, to they took us to an Asian grocery store that they frequent. It's marketed as International Food, but found most of the product was Far East/South East Asia based. I did my typical thing of wandering the aisles, taking pictures for a review, when I was stopped by a severe looking woman/employee who had been following me, demanding 'What are you doing?'....'Taking pictures?'...'We don't allow that here'....'I didn't know'...'You do now'. I didn't see any signs prohibiting it though, but of course I stopped. Definitely nipped in the bud my enthusiasm for this place. My wife did end up buying supplies to make shanghai-style lumpia (spring roll wrappers and various sauces) along with ube jam to make cookies. So a worthwhile trip overall. read more

Jay International Food - Outside picture...inside pictures not allowed - Fruits & Veggies Near Me - Saint Louis, Missouri

If you go up and down every aisle, it's like a trip around the world. As you shop, you will find items that you didn't know you needed. Also, don't be afraid to ask employees questions, they'll be happy to assist. My last visit, I was with a friend who was shopping to make spring rolls and he got assistance from a little old Vietnamese lady who was a customer herself. Listening to her explain all the detailed steps made us both smile. Be smart when shopping the canned goods, some items can be more expensive. However, the fresh vegetables are always a good value. The meat department makes me cringe, but I know that is just me being quirky. My friend gives it a thumbs up. Customer service is okay, nothing outstanding and nothing bad. It's just okay. The cashiers get you out the door in an orderly way. read more

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-- Great Selection, But Room for Improvement Jay International Food is one of my go-to spots for variety -- you can find ingredients and products here that are hard to track down anywhere else in St. Louis. The international selection is truly impressive, and it's the main reason I keep coming back. That said, the store could use a little TLC. While I've noticed improvements over time, it would be even better with a deeper, more consistent clean. The staff gets the job done, but a bit more warmth and friendliness would go a long way toward making the shopping experience as inviting as the selection itself. Bottom line: I'll keep shopping here because the variety is unbeatable, but I'm hoping to see the atmosphere match the amazing products on the shelves. read more

For anyone looking for ingredients from all over the world, Jay International Food probably has what you have been looking for. I was so excited to check out this grocery store and even happier that they had what I was looking for. They have typical things you would find in a grocery store, but they also have a wide variety of cultural food,spices, drinks, and ingredients. Other details -- They have two parking lots on either side of the building. read more

Always have what you need and I do wish we could order online or DoorDash Love your products Employees are helpful when needed read more

It's a great source for most exotic food items any recipe may require. So it is my first choice when looking for same.

What can I say? You can take a field trip in this store. There are so many different brands, products, and countries that produce them. If you are looking for an international item not in your local grocery store, this place is your next best bet. They have noodles, exotic fruits, juices, teas, so many things! The staff are friendly and they have a private parking lot with carts. If you need it, Jay's has it! Recommended. read more

This is such an amazing independent international market. They sell everything from Mexican-German-Asian culture products. Also carrying fresh produce and some of the best mangos you can find in town :) What I really love is the staff is engaged and always willing to help and provide their recommendations on u unique products that you may be on the hunt for. Love this place and will continue to shop her for my international needs. read more

STAY AWAY the managers do not understand basic food safety. I bought frozen pork steam buns which is one of my favorites. I opened the package and it was full of black fuzzy mold. When I returned to store they refunded. I told manager she need to to take the product out of the freezer and throw it away and check there stock she said no. She said well it's just that it was open package. I was not open when I bought it and returned in 30 minutes. She does not understand that frozen food doesn't mold in freezer. The case was probably left out for days then put in freezer. The manager seamed to believe that frozen food is good stored at room temp as long as bag sealed. This is so bad all I can say run read more

On my first night in STL, I happened to stumble at this shop while I was picking up my dinner from Basil India. I saw people going in and out of this grocery store, and I needed a few things for my apartment, so I stopped by here. I was impressed by their selections of Asian food, spices, and so much more. I bought several things such as sauces, chicken meat, and snacks! This is my new place where I'll shop more in STL on top of Aldi and other grocery stores, but this will be my designated shop for Asian stuff. read more

Jay International Food - Fruits & Veggies Near Me - Saint Louis, Missouri

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This Store is Clean, and I do appreciate that it does not smell unpleasant because of the fresh fish and meats and other seafood. I can always find the ingredients I need each and every visit. I appreciate it being open 7 days a week. It is so accessible even though I live in Illinois. Employees are very helpful and know exactly what I mean and can easily find it. read more

International market is located in the heart of Tower Grove. Jay International market has a variety of produce and items from a multitude of different countries. The prices are incredibly reasonable, and the store is very clean. The staff is friendly as well as helpful. Very nice to have a store that supplies authentic international items within the metro! read more

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In comparison to Global foods this place is not as good IMO. People are not quite as friendly and prices on canned goods etc seemed fairly high. The produce esp the herbs were very reasonably priced. I do like they have empanada shells in their freezer section- they are my go to supplier for these. read more

When I'm in the South Grand area, I enjoy visiting Jays International. They offer a great and affordable selection of feta cheese. Occasionally, I stop by to pick up an imported jar of pickles or stuffed grape leaves. Exploring the various aisles is something I love, as I'm adventurous and enjoy trying new things. One of my favorites is getting a large package of Farina, similar to cream of wheat but much more budget-friendly and lasts significantly longer, around 4-5 times more. read more

I really enjoyed shopping there, I was in St Louis. I purchased several spices and foods. If you can't find it there it does not exist.

Driving distance/ price and cleanliness are all perfect for us! They have a great selection even though the size isn't as large as others a little further out in driving distance. The staff are friendly as well! We love getting our produce and noodles from here! read more

There's no place like Jay, there's no place like Jay, there's no place like Jay- hopefully you clicked your heels and ended up smack in the middle of the exotic land of my favorite international store. Ras-El-Hanout takes you immediately to Morocco... Go if you know exactly what you want or go for inspiration. Take a friend and have a day of it. Jay International is so many things that I would like to sum up with another suggestion, if you will : go for escape, it's a mini vacation, here you are guaranteed to have your senses stimulated, and your mind refreshed. Go & enjoy read more

Jay has it all as far as international groceries go! Watch your step you may trip over a bag of rice laying on the floor. No, seriously, Jay's is my personal go-to for Pocky Sticks and Jamaican patties (which I fell in love with after vacationing in Montego Bay) regular grocery stores do not carry them as they are considered a specialty item I guess. I'm certain you'll find exactly what you're looking for too. Beware, parking is tight coming off of Grand but it's certainly worth the obscenities and middle fingers you'll get pulling in. read more

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I cook - a LOT! Three times a day in fact, from scratch, so when I discovered Jay's (then called Jay Asia, as opposed to today's Jay International), I went bonkers! All the stuff I've been using since I was a kid in NYC (NYC was a hellhole third world environment back then, and was a worldwide example of how NOT to run a city), but couldn't find in the Midwest - was here at Jay's! Even though Jay's now caters to a different clientele (back then it was mostly commercial kitchens shopping there, today it's what used to be called "Yuppies"), the selection is very much the same. Need 50 or 100 pounds of some arcane rice? Jay's has it - and at *incredible* prices! Need some rare spice, like sumac or another "hard to find at any price"? They have that too, and it's probably the bet price in Saint Louis! I cannot recommend Jay's highly enough. Seriously. Just treat it like a casino, bring in no more cash and credit that you actually *need*, or you may find yourself walking out with several hundred dollars worth of "I wonder what that's like" impulse purchases! read more

Lots of options for a reasonable price but it's hard to find things on your own sometimes, ask for help from a stocker or call ahead to see if they might have what you need read more

Decent selection of international foods here. I don't like traveling all the way to seafood city for south and East Asian ingredients. So finding a smaller closer option near me is nice. They have a small produce section and meat/freezer section. The prices are reasonable, you can't find a lot of the products they sell anywhere else so I can't expect it to be that cheap. My girlfriend who is Vietnamese loves it, and they have all the brands that she grew up having her mom use to make various dishes. Staff is friendly. I should note that there are some African & Middle East ingredients here too but I am not sure as to how many or to what extent because I'm just not knowledgeable about them at all. read more

Once again,... Another Masterpiece on grand near Tower Grove Park! There is no ingredient that this place does not have. Do you want lil poko stix? How about spicy dried kiwi? Octopus? I'm pretty sure they got that blowfish that nearly killed Homer in season 1 but I'm mostly just hear for the spices, the honey ( many different bees getting busy!) sauces I could never prepare without YouTube, pretty much anything you been missing if your an expat in the Lou... Word to Snap acceptance... good lookin out Jay's! read more

I read several reviews before writing this to see if anyone was having a problem with cashiers being rude except me. I'm glad to know it's not just me. I've seen cashiers be cordial with the person in front of me in line then act like they hate I'm there when it's time to check me out. It was so bad yesterday I had to ask cashier his name, he said it was Francis, don't know if that's true or not (tall dark-haired young man) he refused to greet me, ask it I found everything ok (which I didn't & was hoping to get help) wouldn't at least tell me the total or thank me, I asked if he could speak & he gave a smirk & at least handed me the receipt, I had to stand there & demand his name - I know no one cares I'm a 60 yr old Black woman & I've heard how badly you're treated when your older - this is not my experience at better places & I don't move slow or smell, not that that's an excuse to be rude to ppl - I also noticed how little ppl are in the store when it should be a busy time read more

Great selection of spices and this is the only place I can find all my ingredients to make Tum Yum Soup or/and Thai Food. However, you do not come here for Chinese, Korean, or Japanese products. They will have some frozen, canned, and stocked spices for those needs, but I would pass. Pros: 1) Awesome Thai selection of fresh herbs, galang ginger (so hard to find), peppers 2) Jamacian products (especially since I love their jerk seasoning and frozen jerk patties). 3) Parking. They have a parking lot on both sides, but it gets busy on Grand 4) Tofu selection is on point 5) Prices are wonderful 6) Turkish selection of bakery items and spices! 7) Spices, Spices, Spices. Cons: 1) It's pretty disorganized. And they don't always have the same thing in stock, but it's a little adventure if you are just looking to browse without specific needs. 2) I would pass on the fish here. Or, it is mostly frozen. 3) The produce selection is lacking. It's hard to get "normal vegetables" but they generally have some amazing bitter melons, different types of potatoes, and lots of herbs. I would def. find another place for your weekly produce needs. 4) No AMEX. Where am I going to get my Delta points?!! read more

This place is utterly bizarre. The aisles lack any semblance of logical organization. Teetering towers of dried goods on rolling metal storage carts make for potentially hazardous maneuvers as you struggle to crab-walk through aisles barely wide enough for a single person to pass through. God forbid you accidentally take a deep whiff in the back corner housing the meat counters. Why are there 40 gajillion brands of hot sauce but Sriracha is nowhere to be found? How did I spend 2 hours on a Sunday afternoon wandering in this store? I couldn't tell you. What I can tell you: As a fresh transplant from California, the existence of any storefront hawking Asian/remotely "exotic" foods (within minutes of my house) is enough to make my eyes roll to the back of my head in blunted ecstasy over the salvation of my spicily-trained taste buds. This place - good enough to get your dried goods, bulk spices, LKK-brand cooking sauces & condiments, and other basic non-perishable cooking necessities. If you're looking for fresh produce and meat... well, let's just say that produce purchases are best for same-day use. (Some vegetable offerings could be more aptly qualified as best for yesterday's use...) So yes, this place gets 4 stars despite its organizational shortcomings because I will be frequenting this place when I'm too lazy to drive all the way over to Olive. Med students must subsist regularly upon what's available within a 5 mile radius. Notable finds that I got my grubby hands on: -Vietnamese instant coffee. Upon seeing this, I stopped in my tracks and uttered an audible OMG in the coffee/tea aisle. Not embarrased. -Rarer hot sauces - e.g. stuff from Brazil -KIMCHI! "Imported" from Chicago Chinatown. Quality is not bad. Quite acceptable! -Bulk spices galore. Offered in a perplexing # of brands/packaging. Do some scouting around in the aisle for the best price as each brand can wildly vary. -Potsticker/wonton wrappers -Korean short rib/bulgogi marinades -Every condiment/oil/vinegar you need to make a decent Asian meal. read more

Jay International Food - Lee Kum Kee galore - Fruits & Veggies Near Me - Saint Louis, Missouri

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Pro: Everything you need for your ethnic culinary tastes is here! I enjoy being able to get any Goya product needed for Puerto Rican dishes, most (if not all) ingredients for Thai food, and access to goat/lamb/oxtail any day of the week! Con: Closes at 8:00, wish it was 9:00 Bottom Line: Wanna shop "off the grid" for a meal "off the continent"? Start here! read more

Jay International Food - All the Goya products a homesick Caribbean kid could ever wish for! - Fruits & Veggies Near Me - Saint Louis, Missouri

Jays offers an eclectic assortment of foods,spices,produce, seafood and meat. This is usually my first stop on grocery day- I love the availability and prices for produce, cheese and bakery. They also have a comprehensive selection of dried beans, lentils, rice etc as well as great choices for ethnic cooking. read more

SOOOOOOOOO HAPPY to have found this place, AND THEY CARRY RAU MUONG/WATER SPINACH/ONG CHOY (although it was in a bin that was far away from the price label). The prices are comparable to other international stores I've been to in Ann Arbor & the DC area, maybe only a little more expensive... but I am noticing this is a trend in St. Louis. Free up an hour or so to just browse around and get acquainted with the store's offerings. I was pleasantly surprised by the selection of VEGETARIAN versions of bouillons/seasoning packets/canned broths of traditionally very un-veg-friendly Asian soup dishes (e.g. pho, bun bo hue). Very cool (but not actually my cup of tea). The spices here are SO CHEAP... especially the ones sold in bulk (but pre-portioned). My gawd. I'm going here to restock my spice pantry from now on. And bunches of mint, Thai basil (!), and other fresh herbs. WOO! They do have their own parking lot, but it was full when I visited... I had no trouble parking on the residential street next to the store though. Minus a star because of the (lack of) organization of the aisles and how crowded the bulk aisle (where the dried beans/lentils are) is. Also some of the bags of rice didn't have prices listed (ended up paying $12.95 for a 10-lb bag of basmati rice, which I'm pretty happy about, but I was worried it would be like... $20 or something). ------ Re: Catherine C.'s review, I saw several kinds of 5-spice powder in various parts of the store (including in the spices section). read more

The BEST place to get ingredients if you're international. They make shopping super fast and convenient by sourcing so many different things. LOVE this shop! read more

Clean, friendly, a good array of foods from all over the world. A good afternoon browse.

For the first time in forever they finally stepped up their game! They remodel the fresh veggie area by putting new coolers/shelves in. Everything was also fully stocked! You have no idea how many times I've been here and they were out of everything! Including jasmine rice!! Jasmine rice is a staple in every Asian grocery store! Also funny thing is they have a sign posted up that a 30lbs bag of jasmine rice is on sale for $19.95. Everywhere sells it for that price or maybe $19.99. They posted like it was a huge sale. Way to mislead! read more

Jay International Food - Fully stocked on a Thursday! - Fruits & Veggies Near Me - Saint Louis, Missouri

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Jay Int'l is best known for being the "go to" grocer that is likely to carry that item you need from another country that can't be found at standard grocery stores. They do a great job of carrying the most popular items from many countries, My favorite thing about Jay's is that they are open on most American Holidays when most grocery stores are closed. read more

I miss Jay's! I now live in Carbondale, IL, 2 hr drive. Staff always helpful. Love to speak with the lovely Thai checker's ,when not busy with other customers. I still visit friends in Soulard and shop at Jay's on my trips. Thank you, Sandman, Architect Retired read more

They have food items from so many countries! Just look at the flags hanging from the ceiling to see which country the item each isle holds. Found so much cool stuff from other countries! My old gripe was that there is no Portuguese section though. :'( read more

This place is GREAT for cheaper produce but the down side is that it's not always the freshest. This place is awesome for getting stocked up on herbs, spices, sauces, and all the basics for your pantry. They also have their own parking lot! So no need to pay for parking to get here which is great. read more

My go-to spot for quick delicious breads, ramen, produce, and all exotic condiments, oils, teas...etc I freaking love this store. I get lost in wonderment everytime. Go ahead and decide to make that dish you thought you couldnt find the ingredients for. Bet you will here! Its small enough to be like a neighborhood market, but has tons of great stuff. I like how the aisles are arranged with flags from the countries their products hold. Easy to find what you are looking for if you are up on your flag knowledge If not, their employees are friendly and very helpful. Jays also has great gift ideas for unique presents: You could make an epic basket of products from around the world for just a little green. Tea, sauces, marinades, pastas, soaps, candles, a few ceramic items, and amazing candies and drinks. Their prices are excellent too! read more

The smaller companion to the 888 Market I frequent in Kansas City, Jay Intl tries to do a lot with the small place it has here on South Grand. You're going to find an Indian section, a Philipino section, as well as Vietnamese, Korean, Chinese, and Japanese items. As in any ethnic supermarket, you're going to find smells, sights, and items that you're just not going to find at a "regular" supermarket. The selection is limited - I've heard there's a bigger one - owned by them - out on Olive - but it's still very decent for the location and the space. One word: Ramen. The real kind. Not that Top Ramen crap. read more

Jay is a wonderful place to get a variety of international foods, and the total bill is always insanely reasonable. The parking lot can be a bit crazy on the weekends due to Rooster people using it, as well as others visiting Grand, but we prefer to shop there on week nights anyway. It can be a bit hard to find a specific item sometimes due to the set up (there doesn't seem to be any reasoning to the arrangement, in my opinion), but the staff is always very helpful. Shopping there as a vegetarian is a dream, because many of the Indian boxed items have a green dot (signifying lacto-ovo vegetarian). Some personal favorites that are always in stock: peeled whole garlic cloves, bundles of fresh herbs, frozen paratha, boxed coconut milk (best I've ever tasted), mango and pineapple juices, exotic fruits, and all sorts of international sweets. read more

I used to come here with my mom when I was a kid! The selection is very good (for St. Louis) and the prices are great. The spice section is amazing. I can't speak to the fresh meat and fish and produce as I was stocking up on frozen items and snacky things--shrimp chips for less than $2!!! I live much closer to United Provisions on Delmar in U City, but I'll be coming here instead. read more