Mariel Kraus
Google
As a Latina new to this area, I was looking forward to going to this Latino market, expecting to find my favorite tropical fruits at better prices than the big chain stores. This store is larger, vleaner, and more modern than any Latino market that I've ever been to While living in the Pacific Northwest or when visiting my family in the LA area. They have a clean Mexican style meat department (carniceria) and seafoods that are selected for the the Hispanic culture such as ceviche, octopus, and shrimp marinated in Mexican style spices. Their bakery department offers freshly made tortillas but I did not smell evidence of freshly baked bread, which doesn't mean they don't bake it there, I just didn't see it.
I found their produce more expensive than Walmart and Savemart (the main reason I went there was to get ingredients for a tropical fruit salad for a potluck). I walked through every aisle looking for spices and frozen items I typically consume.
I found a poor selection in general, and nothing I ever buy. At the end of my self-guided tour, I saw their fresh juice bar. I love cold pressed juices and make it myself but often don't have the time for prep and cleanup so I asked the young lady attending the juice bar if the juice was cold pressed or centrifugal. She had no idea what kind of machine this store uses (nor could she explain what a champurrado hot beverage is). Despite not getting my answer, I decided to get one of the juice blends, which I customized to my satisfaction. The juice was good but not as good as Juice It Up or what I make at home. I think this store is probably more aimed at the Mexican culture than general Hispanic population from other countries and is a favorite in this area, but I will not be driving across town for this store. However, I think people should visit at least once to see if they like the selection and prices.