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| - When I want to feel REALLY white, I just roll on down to Ranch Market to confirm my suspicions that, yes, I am in fact not as Hispanic as I think I am. This store is what Food City WISHES it was! It takes the best of Mexican specialty stores and eateries and combines it all under one roof. Shoppers here are mostly Hispanic with a few adventurous gringos thrown in here and there. But workers there are friendly and know English - some better than others.
Holy crap! I can't believe it's taken me so long to review this place. I only go here ALL the time for cheap delicious down-home Mexican food, cheap produce, and Spanish rice like Grandma used to make. I've been going to Ranch Market for about 10 years at their stores in Bakersfield -- where they first started. I used to make fun of my mom for going to lunch here. Heh, look who's laughing now. I'm addicted!
The food here is no-frills authentic and seats inside are picnic bench style. It's not uppity Mexican fare like Barrio Cafe, but it's not Filiberto's diarrhea fare either. Everything from chile colorado, chile verde, calabasitas, sopes, mole, tortas, carnitas, chicharrones, tamales, ceviche. You name it, they have it. And that's just in the deli. They have a panaderia with all kinds of cakes, flans and pandulce (sweet bread). I LOOOVE pandulce. They even have a jugeria (juice bar) tortilleria, and a counter for fresh cheeses and cremas.
And the produce? Cheap and abundant. I got some bananas and tomatoes just a little over one dollar. Don't think about getting any organic veggies here. This isn't the place. This is also not the place for low-fat shopping either. But it is so many other great things that the other stores aren't.
Best of all is the atmosphere inside - it is REALLY festive - like you're at Tia and Tio's fiesta. Mariachis and bands abound here during the weekend. Dang!! Fry's, Safeway, Basha's - take note, por favor. You're on notice.
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