This grocery store has a really respectable array of fruits, veggies and dry goods from Asia. A…read moregood amount of pantry staples, although not as vast as selection as say, Viet Hoa. What really shines here? Their food stall. I had the spam musubi and immediately went back inside to get 2 more lol. The person working the window even gifted me shrimp toast, which was very sweet. (The shrimp toast is fire). This is more of a pick up and go kind of spot, although they have stools and a counter if want to eat there. Think cafeteria vibes but not in a derogatory way. They sell out often. I know bc I came here yesterday around 2pm, SO excited for spam musubi, only to learn that they sold out of everything at 1pm LOL. Today? I made sure to get there around 1130am. Was able to get garlic butter shrimp (7 BIG shrimp, so flavorful) served with pasta salad (delicious, I usually do not love pasta salad), and rice. I also got a shrimp lumpia (delicious) and a spam musubi for later. Food was phenomenal as usual. The food scene in Madison is not as robust as other places I've lived, but this place? A gem. Def give them a try. Just don't go too late like I did yesterday.

This is a really nice little Asian grocery store with lots of fun snacks as well as some hot food…read moreoptions. It's fun to walk around and look at what they have. I also grabbed the sweet chili tofu chips as a snack, which had a very unique and interesting texture with a little spice as well. They weren't my favorite snack but it was fun to try them out. The service was great and staff was very helpful.

While popping between nearby Colectivo and the adjacent park, we popped into Alimentari out of…read morecuriosity, and somehow left with a pre-made frozen dinner for the evening and a Spicy Soppressata sammy to enjoy alongside the lake mere feet away! While they seem to be known for their sandwiches, and for good reason, they have a lot of great artisanal items rooted in Italian cooking. This includes oils, wines, sauces, spices, treats and more. The "more" also includes fresh-made pasta, hand cut meats and cheeses, gelato and a few other absolutely delish items! Back to that sandwich...we were not hungry, but could not pass up a good sandwich, especially one freshly made on locally sourced and baked bread! The bread was the absolutely star of each bite, I mean...sheesh! The sandwich in full was great, and definitely worth the stop in on its own. The store itself is small, but mighty, and well laid out, stocked with all the goods, flows well, clean and in great condition. Service was stellar as well. We were greeted upon entry, checked on while browsing and chatted up while being rang out. Overall, solid spot for a ready-made meal, a special ingredient, a tasty sandwich, fresh pasta, charcuterie or just to wander around in!

Holy smokes... I am going to have dreams about this sandwich. It is definitely top 3 sandwiches of…read moremy life and maybe the best ever. I had the prosciutto sandwich and my SO had the pastrami and both had nothing but good things to say as we ate. The prosciutto sandwich had balsamic that had just started to soak into the otherwise crunchy bread, with these big chunks of mozzarella and the freshest tomatoes and greens. Alimentari itself is this awesome little deli/grocer with both bagged pastas AND FRESH PASTA/antipasti available to buy, as well as all sorts of goods, breads, coffees, chocolates, beverages and a whole wine selection. Beware that there is no seating inside but definitely do not let this dissuade you from visiting.

The man who helped us and also works at hot n spicy was so nice. Even when I heard him help other…read morecustomers he was very kind and he took his time and made sure they were okay. It's less like an "as seen on TikTok" place and more of a place to get your ingredients for Asian home cooking. I appreciate that. It's so hard for me to find a decent variety of Filipino items and viet hoa had so many from bagaoong to hopia. Thank you for your kind service. I will be coming here more than global market for my Asian/ Filipino goods at a good price.

I always enjoy going to this market. Of the two markets I…read morefrequent Global and this one. Viet Hoa is always my first choice. Great selection of products. And some interesting products. I use a lot of different ingredients foe my cooking. Everything from pigs blood to Durian. And now they finally have my favorite instant coffee.. the white durian coffee.... For basic meats it's okay. Global is better on the seafood selection and protein options. But the hidden, and amazing gem is Hot and Spicy kitchen.... ohhhjjh that place.... I love it. People are always friendly. Even that weird girl at the register. I truly enjoy my experience there.

Definitely worth seeking out. Very authentic and good prices. Eat local, be friendly.read more

This is a small mexican convenient store and restaurant. I go there to get ripe plantains. I tried…read morequesa-birria and chicken pambazos. Both was good. From the color I thought pambazos were more flavorful and spicy. But it was very mild. There are other authentic mexican goodies like soursop juice and peanut marzipan, which I get from time to time. Most of the staff dont understand English.

Great market with amazing samosas you can buy at the register! The people were friendly and they…read morehad all the ingredients I was looking for! Will definitely come back

This is an excellent South Asian grocery, a little roomier and a lot cleaner than most. They have…read moreproducts from Sri Lanka, Tamil Nadu, and Kerala, which isn't that common. They also have some Indian cooking and serving ware at reasonable prices. Nice selection of Indian taste snacks and sweets, good selection of frozen goods, convenient parking lot. The owner has a doctorate, which would be surprising in any other town, but here I wonder if it's a requirement.

Finally got in here to dine in, and it was just as lovely as expected. We came here for lunch with…read morea group of six and had a wonderful time. Service was fantastic and they were very helpful with taking our order and explaining anything on the menu. We found a table and they brought us over chips/salsa/queso. All of these were so good and it was a struggle not to eat it all... I wanted to enjoy my tacos. Everyone in our group enjoyed their food and there were absolutely zero leftovers remaining! My two pastor and one steak tacos were overflowing with yummy goodness and I was definitely full afterwards! It's so nice that you can order tacos a la carte (or you can go the full meal and get the rice and beans etc, but I never eat them) for a reasonable price. I did squeeze my limes over the tacos, but they were so good as is I didn't even sample the salsas they brought to the table. It was the start of my day so I didn't get to enjoy an adult beverage, but certainly plan to be back again.

I think the first time or two I was at this place I didn't have as good of an impression of this…read moreplace. My previous view was based hugely upon the poor customer experience that I had endured. But two weeks ago I returned because I was seriously craving a taco and the other nearby place had finally convinced me they were second rate. (I wrote a small bit, about that location, not more than a couple weeks back. I won't name it, but I rather hope these words will be taken to heart and affect change) But upon my reentry to this place I was beyond pleasantly surprised. Eduardo, the owner whom I have since met, is the reason why I have returned. An active and dedicated team needs their captain. So trying to reimagine the perfect taco place I had a fresh mindset and I think I was accurate about that choice. Today marks the 6th time in roughly 2 weeks. Basic ground beef tacos with onions, cilantro and some lime. Cheap and delicious. Absolutely not a bastardized low fat gringo taco. Not at all. Heavy on the filling and tasty. It's only missing one ingredient: spice. The orders include a pair of sauces, a green and red plastic cup with something resembling a hot sauce. Tuesday is a $1 ground beef taco. Sparse but not lacking in the meat. So glad I tried again. Eduardo has a key quality that makes a place feel welcoming. Friendly, and informative about the foods that are available. I don't speak Spanish, aside from simple jargon that every English speaker has to have as their basic vocabulary, even in regular American speak day to day situations. The place vibrates with a lot of ethnic authenticity right here in my Middleton neighborhood where I've lived now for 15 of my 25 years in Wisconsin.

Top quality, hard-to-find Japanese ingredients available here. Excellent, friendly service, very…read morehelpful with suggestions for best brands and how to cook with them.

Madison is loaded with Asian markets, but Oriental Shop caters to the Japanese market. The couple…read morethere are quite kind, and they are honest and truly care about you and making sure their goods are top quality. I trust them so much I only buy my seafood for sushi and sashimi from them. Here I made a chirashi bowl with just some of the seafood they had to offer. I even bought a ramen style bowl from them. She buys fish larger, to cut down on costs. She then cuts them in smaller sections and those savings are in sure given to you. If you want something special, you can ask her to order it for you sometimes. Every time I go I am surprised by something new they will have, and know she will know about the products they sell. This is really my most favorite shop in Madison. I would give it 10 stars if I could.

We wanted authentic and that is what we got! Best tacos ever, would 100% come again. Tried the…read morechurros and they were also delish. Got Asada tacos and Birria tacos, YUM!

Mercado Marimar is another cultural hidden gem being a small family owned Mexican market and…read morerestaurant including a butcher shop centrally located along busy Park street in Madison, WI! It looks very tiny from the outside and super easy to pass up but when you walk inside, although nothing fancy, the energy is vibrant and festive offering the community a little piece of Mexico with fresh produce, meats, and lots of delicious popular Mexican snacks/treats! Towards the back, they have a restaurant that is mostly for to go orders but there are a few tables to dine in! The restaurant serves great Authentic Mexican food like street tacos, Menudo, burritos, tamales, and tortas! My favorite is definitely the amazing Birria tacos which is a must try menu item! On weekends they even make fresh tortillas with a authentic tortilla machine! I love getting Mexican snacks and treats! They have sweet treats like the conchas (Mexican sweet bread) and Tres Leche Cake which will satisy any sweet cravings! There are shelves full of salty & spicy snacks like the chips with a shelf full of different flavors of Takis! Mercado Marimar is a community staple in Madison, WI that brings the community together!