Ali Baba International Food Market

Love this store for international middle eastern foods. The staff is very helpful and friendly. You will find everything you need here for a beautiful meal

We stumbled across this international grocery store while visiting a restaurant in the strip center. Decided to take a look around and immediately felt like we were in the Middle East. The store is full of exotic ingredients and foods I had not seen anywhere other than the Middle East. We walked off with delicious in store cooked breads, olives, dates and snacks. They also carry Indian groceries. Very friendly staff too. Definitely going back!

Ery happy with the customer service they have. Abu Omar is always available to answer questions and find the right person to help find items, I just hope they take publishing prices seriously as sometimes items don’t have price sticker and i hate bothering the team to go find out the price for me. Beside that, every single person I ask at this place is delighted to help me.

I’ve been shopping at Ali Baba International Food Store in San Antonio for a while now, and it’s consistently a great experience. I come here mainly for the meat, and it’s always fresh and high quality. The store is clean, well‑organized, and has a wide selection of products. The staff is helpful.

Ali Baba Market is a popular destination with both strengths and weaknesses. Its selection of international food is impressive, offering a wide range of halal, Mediterranean, Middle Eastern, and Far East Asian products. This variety makes it a valuable resource for those seeking specialty items and diverse cultural ingredients. However, the market’s cleanliness and organization leave much to be desired. Shelves are often cluttered, and the store’s hygiene standards, including the condition of the floors, need significant improvement. The checkout process is another challenge—slow and disorganized, adding to the overall chaotic atmosphere. The crowded environment further detracts from the shopping experience, making it feel less welcoming and harder to navigate. For Ali Baba Market to reach its full potential, it needs to address these issues by prioritizing hygiene, improving store management, and investing in better staffing. With renovations and a focus on customer experience, the market could solidify its position as a top destination for international cuisine in San Antonio.

I like this place, they have almost what I need. I would like to bring back some of the Greek products though. I miss the taste of my country. I love to cook. They have a lot of great food and I recommend it. They are very clean, nice prices and a big variety of international food.

A very good store for Indian , middle eastern people. Good collection of items, and verity, price is less than other Indian stores, good collection of fresh produce, fresh Halal meats , and a small take away restaurant, staff is good too. Always preferred to here instead of other Indian stores.

I bought Kara save and got charged $9.99 for 250 g product which I used to bought in Stafford for 4.99. Extremely disappointed with price difference in the same state.

This place has so much to offer!! Spices, produce, fresh daily pita bread, lavash bread and so much more!!!

I love this international store , it has food from Eastern Europe so many delicious things, homemade piping hot Naan bread or pita bread . Tons of different teas from around the world all kinds of foods candies, rices , flour , you really have to go there yourself to see there's just too many things to name. This international food market is amazing and they have fresh vegetables. Bell peppers are huge. I definitely suggest you go out there and check them out.

My heart rejoices walking into this market. They have almost all the middle eastern foods available. The meat is all halal!! And mmm the bread is made fresh, be sure to grab it early in the morning! This place rocks

Great store - Love the fresh herbs and dried fruit ( prices are sooo much better than HEB on those items ) Bought some lamb as I wanted to make a Moroccan style couscous for dinner. Did not disappoint, I found everything I wanted at a great price. helpful associates available that can answer any questions you have. Highly recommend

Found the lavashak I was looking for and a few others we can't get back home. Friendly service and you can find pretty much anything in there. Spacious parking and easy to find items

My friend and I decided to visit this store after having coffee at Baklovah Bakery which is right next to it. This store had a great variety of products that aren't available in your local grocery store (sweets, breads, beauty products and more). The store was clean, well laid out and very simple in nature. Not only was this nice because we were able to purchase and try new foods but everyone who was working there was also very helpful. I'll definitely visit again when having coffee at Baklovah.

I love shopping here! It is a nice switch up from HEB. The Zatar bread is SO YUMMY! I like popping it in the air fryer for a few minutes to get it crispy. The cheese bread version is okay (not as flavorful). They also have fresh pita bread! Their produce is hit or miss. The apples are not as fresh as HEB (they go bad faster and have more bruises) and the tomatoes are incredibly soft. But they will have good and unique produce that I can't find at HEB every once in a while! I like exploring the different ethnic snacks and items! The employees are nice and efficient at check-out.

This place is straight trash. Rude, disrespectful staff and they're selling expired food with fake dates. This is America, not your country -- learn how to treat people right and stop risking customers' health for a quick buck. Disgusting.

There was no Badam milk when I came to your store. My card being declined was made into a big issue. I had a whole load of staff come out to see who we were and what we were doing. I would like to know if there was any reason why we were treated like that. Please note that not all hardworking Christians who come to your Shop are criminals. Treating your customers with respect and dignity instead of having preconceived notions about them is a very poor and disatisfying experience for an honest and upstanding citizen in life.

Rude Staff and Expired Products, Stay Away. The staff here are extremely rude and unprofessional. They have no respect for customers and clearly don't follow proper business standards. Even worse, many of their products are expired, and I've seen them changing expiration dates to sell old stock. I got sick from something I bought here. Don't shop here at all. This place is a serious risk to your health.

Ali Baba is my go to for a variety of food I cannot find anywhere else. Their naans for example are my favorite. The main issue I have is the detergent/chemical they use to clean their store and butcher shop smells very strongly and terribly awful. It's bad enough that we have to walk around a store that smells so bad but the last batch of meat I purchased from there was also contaminated with the smell and taste. Anyway, I will continue to purchase other items from them but never again the meat. I wish they would fix this issue. There's no way they don't know.

Indian Store? Mediterranean Store? Turkish Store? Ethiopian Store? Why go to multiple markets when you REALLY only need to come here. Heck, this place even has ORIENTAL products. I sincerely LOVE Ali Baba and I hope this place lives to see generations of customers because it's just THAT GOOD. Even with the current inflation, Ali Baba has NOT raised its prices. I love when I go in and I can find a great deal in the produce section or there is something new that didn't catch my eye before. The frozen foods / refrigerated section includes all the yummy flavorful parathas, a variety of frozen packed vegetables, different brands of dessert (Rehmet E Shereen & Deep, plus others) and ready to eat type foods. They have an in house butcher and although I haven't had any interaction with this personally, I do see people line up (usually on Fridays?) to what I assume is them asking for a specific cut of meat. Oh yes, THE MEAT. FRESH FRESH FRESH. The meat is fresh YALL. I am especially a fan of the "paya" (goat feet) & all of their cuts of beef, but their whole chicken & chicken breast / drumsticks and other cuts have never disappointed me. If you have a sweet tooth like my toddler, the candy / dessert section doesn't disappoint either. Many different kinds of appealing sweets take up an entire aisle and can satisfy even the meanest grinch. There are so many other great items, and even if this review was a 1000 words, it still wouldn't be enough to scale the greatness of this place. Don't wait, Ali Baba is GREAT.

Just wanted to offer a differing perspective to some of the karens in the reviews. Ali Baba has an amazing selection, a delicious bakery, and locally sourced meat at the butchers. this is an authentic arab/Indian market experience. Western "common courtesy" doesn't apply here. If you need your hand held by service workers, this isn't the place for you.

I've shopped here since moving to the area in 2019. Anytime HEB is out of a product, this is usually my next stop. They have a great selection of fresh meat, all halal, of course, at fantastic prices, and their produce selection, though limited, always looks great. If you're in the market for fresh bread and an array of rice, Ali Baba is a place I recommend checking out.

A wonderful store! The prices and the merchandise are good, I buy golden raisins to make rum raisin ice cream and all kinds of unique spices . I almost feel like I'm in another country with so much to look at and the customers are so fascinating-always smiling and willing to help!

So much fresh stuff to buy and look at. Also a good variety of different international foods. Have gone back already twice and will continue to shop here.

THE place to get your spices! At least this is where I come to get mine. From Garam Masala to Jordanian Za'atar...Ali Baba has it all! I don't buy that overpriced McCormick stuff. Come here and you'll be enlightened! Fresh breads, bulk nuts, pastries, different bismati rice - when you come here you'll realize you've been missing out. Parking lot is always busy as is the store. I'm glad SA has a International market like Ali Baba.

Ali Baba International Foods is a great place to get some unique groceries. There is a Deli and a small meat market inside the store. All the meats for purchase are Halal. The vast variety of products is what makes this store interesting. There is a dairy section with things like lebne, Middle Eastern cheeses, and so many types of interesting choices. The store has a lot of products from the Middle East and also on the other side of the store products from India. I went on Sunday night which was pretty busy but still pretty great. There is fresh pita bread daily, a sweets section of many different types of sweets and things like Turkish Delights. The produce section has common things like tomatoes and such but also fun adventurous things like persimmons. The cost of things here is very reasonable considering how far all these products travel from. There is a section of nuts and seeds right next to the produce section, there is so many different kinds you can purchase by bulk or get the bags of them which seems to be consistently on demand. The owners are a family that have run this business since the beginning. I feel always welcomed when walking in. I am so very impressed by the variety of spices! The spices my goodness are so unique to the store and I am as bold to say you can't find anywhere else. There is fruit leather, pickles in brine, chicken type spam meal, chocolates from Europe, sweets from India, chips from India, soda pop from the Middle East, and let's not forget the mountain of basmati rice they have in sturdy bags. There is a variety of unique soaps! Specifically I enjoy a soap made in Palestine and sold in Jordan that is made with olive oil. Oh and yes the olive oil is to die for here, for cooking or dipping the olive oil here is superb. I cannot get over how exciting this market is. If you've never been you will for sure be pleasantly surprised. It's as if you walk in to what seems like a vortex into the Middle East and that is really amazing. The first time I visited Ali Baba was sometime ten years ago, ever since I have been going and will continue to go for many years to come. The Middle Eastern culture is truly beautiful and unique. You will love it!

If one is in search of Middle Eastern food stuffs and condiments, Ali Baba should be on the list of "must visit" grocers. Marjan has visited this establishment for years, and out of curiosity, I took the time to walk the aisles while she shopped for her necessities. The clientele are predominantly, but not exclusively, Middle Eastern and Indian. I smiled watching the children frolicking the aisles, and some of the little girls with flowing traditional dress. This ethnic grocery is found off Wurzbach, within an enclave of middle eastern businesses. Restaurants, bakery, and hookah bar flank the store, and parking is aplenty. Over the years, Ali Baba has grown to almost three times it original size, to satisfy the needs of its very loyal customers. Fresh fruits and vegetables fill the counters, some as found in any local grocery, but some that are rather exotic, never found at, say HEB or Walmart. The butcher shop features halal meats: lamb, chicken, beef. One disappointment for Marjan: tongue is no longer available, a dish she would prepare for special dinners. The shelves are filled with cans and jars of relishes, lentils, nuts, dried and candied fruits. Two endcaps feature every spice imaginable, some of which can be never be found at local grocers. Rounding the aisles, rows of pastries and snacks from the middle east will satisfy any appetite for munchies. Two very special items that Marjan purchases on every visit: feta cheese and pita bread. The feta is much fresher at Ali Baba, and the pita bread is baked daily....we are talking warm, delicious pita bread....so delicious that I am compelled to munch a slice on the way home! Impressive are the aisles of rice and lentils. So many types of rice and lentils, sold in large bags that are the staple of Middle Eastern dishes. Ali Baba is Marjan's source for basmati rice, the type of grain she prefers for her Persian dishes...well, any dish calling for this grain. This is a longer grain rice, fluffy and apparently with low glycemic index. I ventured to an opposite end of the store, an area featuring mostly Indian foods, spices, salty snacks and pastries. We actually haven't prepared Indian dishes, but this will definitely be our source for future needs. There is a refrigerated section, offering dairy products, and what appeared to be frozen foodstuffs. The staff are helpful and of good cheer, making for a pleasant shopping experience. I am not very knowledgeable about Persian food, but Marjan having lived in Tehran in her youth, considers Ali Baba her source for authentic food and condiments. And frankly Yelpers, that is recommendation enough for me!! Enjoy the visit!!

Lots of different épices and Foods not offertes in other grocery stores. Bread in bakery is delicious.

If you are White, looking for some Indian spices, oils, hard to find veg, don't bother. I visited on 4 March 23. My first and only visit. I was stared at, women deliberately blocked me when I was moving in aisles, and in general it was clear that I was not welcome. Even the checker was rude, no greeting, never giving eye contact (or maybe that's a poor expectation on my part). Tell ya what, if folks do any shopping at HEB, I challenge them to show evidence of the same ugly treatment. Indian and Pakistanis living in San Antonio: maybe reconsider that not every White person dislikes you. I like you just fine, but am fairly intolerant of rudeness.

Busy-busy store. It was my first time there and they had the specific foods and spices I had been looking for and couldn't find at HEB. Lots of interesting food items I am not familiar with but are probably essential for preparing Mediterranean dishes. It was a good experience shopping there!

I was craving Ajwa dates, and I found them here! They weren't in the dates section but somehow were placed near the fruits, but I found them. They also carry some other Middle Eastern/Indian snacks, and I would love to come back and check it out.

Service was awesome, very clean store liked that I was able to explore the store without anyone following me to ask if I needed help

I've only been once while looking for puréed mango (found it!) but I could see coming back. Lots of good choices for spices and bulk items and of course if you're looking for international fare that you can't find at HEB, this should be your first stop. Will be back.

Great selection and great prices. Lots of variety of food from all over. When is the beef liver available though?

My college daughter, Bindi, and I went to a thousands opportunities shopping in Ali Baba. When she was eight years thru 19.

I absolutely love this grocery store. Their produce is some of the best inside San Antonio, from what I've noticed. Their produce doesn't go bad as quickly as other places I've gotten them from here. So,the half hour drive across town is worth it for me. I get my spices here & only here. They are much larger in size & a fraction of the cost. I recently purchased two t-bone steaks here for right around $8, yes for two steaks. I was shocked. With the other major grocery stores here raising their meat prices, Ali Baba is quickly becoming my chosen grocery store. They keep prices fair, their meat is fresh, their produce is truly the best I've found, & their bakery. Oh my! The bread... oh... this carb queen loves bread. But, when you purchase a package with Lavash, Chapati, Roti or others & its about the size of a table runner...yeah... and its still warm. Heck yes! Run, don't walk to Ali Baba International Food Market foe your groceries. I didn't even touch in their sweets, frozen foods, or other staples, butbl I've not found a lot of what I buy here at any other store. Now, their staff - hands down wonderful, friendly, helpful & very knowledgeable on the products they have in stock. The butchers are friendly & willing to help you out without attitude. Check them out if you hadn't. Afterwards, pop over to Baklava.

Prices are pretty high taking advantage of customer. Same products are cheaper at HEB or Walmart!!! Good selection of products. Meat area smells bad!!!

Ali Baba International Foods is the best place ever!! I have been coming here since it opened 24 years ago. When I first went there it was a very small store, but it had many things to choose for the Middle Eastern food and recipes. My family loves the olives in bulk, and they have big plastic jugs of olives to choose from. Now their selection of olives is out of this world. The employees are very very warm and inviting. The atmosphere is so inviting and everyone is so nice. I have never had a bad experience here. I love how they have cater to the demand, and have made their store, much much bigger and have included other Middle Eastern restaurants, bakeries nearby. They are always busy, but plenty of parking. What a great experience to shop at such a nice supermarket with fresh fruit, herbs, spices, bread, cheeses, and anything else you can think of. This is my go to store.

Love, love this store. I could browse for hours. So many exotic spices and unique produce items. Don't get me started on the house made Naan. Small, medium, large and HUGE!!!!

This is a great place to buy fresh baked pita bread, rice, and cheese at a low price. Their jasmine and basmati rices are superior in quality and price to anything you could buy at H-E-B or Walmart. They also have a great variety of spices and frozen products!

I love this place and love introducing friends to the wonderful shop. I first learned of it when taking a Turkish cooking course about 10 years ago and come back as often as possible, despite it being 40 miles from my home. Spices in bulk are amazing and quite inexpensive. A lot of mixes for Indian meals (just add meat) are available with an incredible variety. I haunt the bakery! Their fresh pita bread is wonderful. Several cheeses - I am partial to their feta and haloumi. And an amazing selection of yogurt. Good sized frozen section. Over time, the footprint of the store has grown a lot. It may now be triple the size it was when I first started shopping here. A testament to its popularity! And I find the staff to be very courteous and helpful.

Very complete store. Personnel are very helpful. On occasion, key products may be out of stock, or available in quantities too large for one household.

Love this good market. Great selection of herbs and spices, halal meats and vegetables.

The naan bread and hummus are amazing. So much fresh produce and great products. I encourage all to support this business instead of large chain stores when possible

Neat, clean, organized and have sooo many products...Middle Ease, Indian, Turkish, and more. A gazillion kinds of rice and condiments, frozen, Halal meats . Fresh bakery for Naan, Pita bread. Need camel milk? They have it in the dairy section. Bulk items and produce that you can afford..GO SEE ALI BABA, you'll be happy. But plan to spend some time just looking

It's May of 2022. I'm making a list to buy mass quantities on our upcoming trip to San Antonio. We've been coming here for over two decades. The store just keeps getting better. The best thing is finding new things to prepare. With an Instant Pot creating with the spices and ingredients from Ali Baba is awesome. Try the Malangas! This has to be the oddest veggie ever. Just slice off the outside peel, cube, and pressure cook with lentils, dried beans, spices and whatever makes you happy.

Great selection of middle eastern and Latin food. Reasonably priced! Especially liked the olive bar they have.

This is a market that pretty much has the Middle East choices in cuisines covered. My search was for more Eastern European foods that I'm familiar with and that's not their focus. Folks seemed friendly enough and the ambiance is of a typical ethnic market. Stuff from all over the areas they cover, and most seemed to be in English as well as country of origin. If I learn about any dish from that part of the world, I would definitely return to seek out the ingredients. Y'all need to have someone more familiar with all the goodies judge the abundance of choices and their quality. Sorry can't cover that part.

This market has a wonderful selection of Middle Eastern food, Indian foods and Ethiopian food as well. A lot of fresh fruits and vegetables and fresh meats. The service is very good. The people are very kind. Ambience is very laid-back. I would recommend this place I just love shopping here. It's so much fun shopping for the exotic an unusual foods.

Love this place. I stopped by for dinner at Pasha and saw the market - a truly hidden gem. Prices are affordable and there's so much great produce and items from different countries. I ended up buying tea and incense. I'll definitely be going back.

I cannot believe I grew up in SA and didn't find this store until 28! My husband grew up in Israel and they have many foods he missed, like real feta cheese! Plus you can't get a better price on spices... plus the enormous variety! They're produce is also very fresh and reasonably priced. Less "American" cuts of meat (aka heads, organs, feet, etc) and fresh pita are also front and center! If you are looking for any ingredients Turkey to India this is you're best bet at finding it!

very bad staff , not respectable , even though i was a customer of this store , but they dont have good manner with customers.

Surprisingly a larger market than I had expected, judging from its exterior. The shopping strip it's located in is full of Middle Eastern and Arabic shops, restaurants, and even a bakery. I might as well call this corner of San Antonio, El Arabito! Upon entering the market, it's obvious that most of the people are at the right end of the store, since it's the part with plenty of produce, breads, meats and bulk items of mostly dried fruits and nuts. The left end of the store carries mostly products that are of Indian or Pakistani origin, to cater to the local Indian community with a wide arrange of products. They also have a selection of African products, especially those that are predominantly Islamic. Normally, my wish list for a Middle Eastern bakery includes a bakery and a fast-serve cafe, but this shopping area has a bakery and a restaurant, so I'm good with what is being offered. Also, they have a modern check-out system. If you have frequented to other Middle Eastern markets, you'd know this is very atypical. LOL.

My friend and myself go to Ali Baba on Fridays for fresh produce, grains, spices and so much more. Ali Baba's prices are unbeatable compared to any big Super market stores. And produce are very fresh, we love going their.

Been to this place many times and never disappointed. Have a big selection of middle eastern canned and packaged foods. Store clean, neat, and well organized. Clerks helpful and friendly. They have a small fresh meat section and butchery along with a small but nice produce section that has a lot of unusual And hard to find types of produce. Got a huge bag of super fresh Thai basil for $5. They always have fresh basil which is a staple for me. One of the highlights is their flatbread section with naan and the like that seems to get freshly baked daily. Delicious.

Ali Baba was my first introduction to an international grocery store- and ever since the expansion, it's been the barometer against which I compare all other ethnic markets. Ali B's has massive selection, heavy on the indian, but also including some Turkish, Russian, Mediterranean, and Eastern European goodies as well. My favorite goats milk feta can be found here (and for the best price in town), along with fresh-baked breads (the pita with zatar is my favorite!) and desserts. Produce section is larger than that found at the nearby Salaam, and they have a halal butcher- this is the only place in SA where I can reliably find goat and lamb. Staff is friendly, though I feel they could use a few more people- lines move a little slow and there's rarely more than one person behind the counters so things can back up at popular times (weekends, right after work, etc.).

Great place to shop! Huge variety of Arabic foods. The store was very clean, neat, and they are always restocking so you get the best selection. Would have been even better if the employees wore their face masks over their faces, and not around their necks. It's a Pandemic, and people are dieing.