An informal poll.....please post your city and where you do your grocery shopping.... I'm in Houston For everyday items, I go to Randalls (mainly because it's the nicest one in the neighborhood out of Randalls, Kroger & HEB. I will go to HEB for produce and to Krogers when I need something after hours since they are open 24 hours). For cooking something special, I go to Central Market. For Jewish food, I go to Beldens. How about you?
I'm in Houston and I usually got to Randall's or Kroger. I wish I could go to Central Market or Whole Foods more often though but there aren't any locations on my side of town.
I go to Kroger if it's only a couple of things, but for my main grocercies, it's the evil, black hearted, soulless multinational Arkansas based corporation that shall remain nameless. What can I say, I'm a slave to consumerism.
Even though I do not live in Houston I will post because you have some of the same stores we have up here in Jonesboro, Arkansas. Seafood/Specialty meats - Kroger. Seafood isn't really in demand up here, we used to have a great meat and seafood shop but not surprisingly it closed shortly after opening. I can't find a better place in town to get seafood. Specialty meats such as good steak cuts, tenderloins, ribs, etc. are also fine at Kroger or at least the best you can get in town. General meats, produce - Local stores such as Bill's, Wallace & Owens, Country Mart. The meats such as chicken, ground beef, pork, etc. are all really good cuts and you can't find a better price in town. Produce is usually good, cheap, and locally grown unlike Wal-Mart where produce can be twice the price of local stores. Breads - Local Wonder Bread store - The bread and bread products here are very cheap and just as good as those you find in any store but for half the price. Everything else - canned goods, frozen products, boxed products, drink - Wal-Mart. - You simply can't beat the price at ole Wally World when it comes to most other items. The only other way I buy is if a store has a sale or Wal-Mart does not carry the product.
Houston Central Market for special meals/hard to find items. There is a Kroger close to my house that we shop at, but I don't really like it. At least every other week we go to the big Fiesta on I-10 (Blalock). Great produce and it seems like we get more groceries for the bucks spent.
Houston Everyday stuff for me... Randalls on Westheimer/Shepherd Cooking fancier stuff for me... Central Market on Westheimer. I do hate going there when it's crowded because it seems like the wealthy, rude/clueless shopper quotient is higher. Cooking for my veggie-girlfriend... Whole Foods on Alabama/Kirby (damned tofu... grumble... grumble...) Actually, they have alot of good things that I'll eat too. This location also has a fairly high concentration of morons when it's crowded. (can you tell I'm having a bad morning?) Specs on Smith for beer
Randall's Midtown or Kroger on West Gray. Randall's is good because of the Dr. K, (although not as good as Dr. Skipper) and Kroger just right around the corner. If I want some good steak/poultry, I go to Central Market.
Kroger on Tidwell and Antoine. It's a little ghetto, but that's why I use the self-check line. And it's only 2 minutes from my house. Love that Kroger card. Love seeing how much I saved on the bottome of the receipt. For meat, I buy online from Omaha Steaks. A little pricey, but worth it. Mmmmm, mmmmm!!
The first time I went to visit my wife, while we were dating, and her family in Little Rock, we went to buy some cereal and milk at a grocery store. I was shocked when we had to pay sales tax on those items. I shop at Randall's, primarily. For a while, the one close to my home stopped stocking freaking Pamper's diapers that my younger son wears. Seriously. Stopped stocking Pamper's. Are you kidding??? So I've been going to the Kroger's near me more, now. But Randall's brought back the Pamper's, so I shop there, primarily. Randall's has changed a ton since they were bought by Safeway. I don't like it nearly as much. Doesn't feel like the local community store it once was. For meat...Hebert's Cajun Meat Market
