Quality grocery stores in OKC

[Prunepicker]

Most states don't have the Neighborhood Market concept which skews the location numbers
even more than those who just have the Supercenter or regular store concepts.

I haven't seen a neighborhood market in decades. Everything is a super market or a
convenience store.

[ljbab728]

I haven't seen a neighborhood market in decades. Everything is a super market or a
convenience store.

bluedogok was referring to Walmart Neighborhood stores not "neighborhood" stores.

[tfvc.org]

I think the walmart thread needs to become it's own thread. It kind of hijacked this one.

[Prunepicker]

I think the walmart thread needs to become it's own thread. It kind of hijacked this one.

I'd like for the moderators to acknowledge this problem. Virtually every thread becomes like
any other thread. OKC Talk Rules state that we must comply with the rules.

http://www.okctalk.com/politics/38271-violate-guidelines-get-blocked-politics-forum.html

http://www.okctalk.com/politics/3770...me-limits.html

[zachj7]

Meh, I can't believe I agree with you. It should probably be in the Walmart discussion but this thread does discuss "Quality Grocery Stores" in OKC. The discussion stemmed off of how Walmart grocery share holds back other competition for grocery stores. The term "quality" is a much looser term in OKC. I would consider Norman's Crest quality here but in most other markets, thats your average decent solid grocery store.

I don't see rules being broken here since Walmart is part of the discussion however ideally, we should have a Walmart thread. Those rules that you linked to are more intended for certain individuals in the politics forum.

[ljbab728]

Meh, I can't believe I agree with you. It should probably be in the Walmart discussion but this thread does discuss "Quality Grocery Stores" in OKC. The discussion stemmed off of how Walmart grocery share holds back other competition for grocery stores. The term "quality" is a much looser term in OKC. I would consider Norman's Crest quality here but in most other markets, thats your average decent solid grocery store.

I don't see rules being broken here since Walmart is part of the discussion however ideally, we should have a Walmart thread. Those rules that you linked to are more intended for certain individuals in the politics forum.

I agree. I think the discussion of Walmart and it's relationship to grocery options in OKC is a very legitimate topic for this thread.

There are Walmart specific threads for anyone who is interested.

http://www.okctalk.com/current-event...0-walmart.html

http://www.okctalk.com/businesses-em...8-walmart.html

[bchris02]

I agree. I think the discussion of Walmart and it's relationship to grocery options in OKC is a very legitimate topic for this thread.

I agree.

You can't talk grocery shopping in OKC without talking about Wal-Mart because they are so dominant.

And I agree with Zach also. The new Crests in Norman and in SW OKC are an example of the standard in most cities. Those stores are very much like a typical Kroger or Harris Teeter. If I was Crest, I would open a few more Fresh Market concept stores at strategic locations in the NW quadrant of OKC.

[josh]

In San Antonio the city just issued two different building permits for two new Wal-Mart's. I'm not sure if they'll be supercenters or neighborhood markets but two more are coming. Meh.

[gamecock]

The rumorville at the abstract company my dad works for is that Whole Foods is going in at 36th and Main where the Wrights/IGA used to be.

Any update on this rumor? I heard it again this afternoon.

[BG918]

Any update on this rumor? I heard it again this afternoon.

I've heard that too. That would be great for Norman/Moore.

[FighttheGoodFight]

Any update on this rumor? I heard it again this afternoon.

I have noticed that the Wrights building has no for lease sign. They also redid the roof and look to be working inside Wrights. I don't see a Whole Foods going in but I'll take anything in there.

[gamecock]

I have noticed that the Wrights building has no for lease sign. They also redid the roof and look to be working inside Wrights. I don't see a Whole Foods going in but I'll take anything in there.

The location actually makes sense to me since it is on the West side of town, near the massive Brookhaven subdivision. It sort of reminds me of the original location in Tulsa where they took over Wild Oats location. I'm not sure what was there before it was Wild Oats, but it looked like an old grocery store.

[Zorba]

The location actually makes sense to me since it is on the West side of town, near the massive Brookhaven subdivision. It sort of reminds me of the original location in Tulsa where they took over Wild Oats location. I'm not sure what was there before it was Wild Oats, but it looked like an old grocery store.

I've lived in Tulsa, Wichita, Cincinnati and OKC.

Cincinnati is the home of Kroger, and had a few others like Meijer. Kroger was nice, but fairly expensive and they played the annoying card thing. I did most of my shopping there at Jungle Jims (worlds biggest grocery store, but not a huge selection of normal American foods). I never got into Kroger or Meijer. There was a decent Supercenter that I'd go to as well (Outside of Oklahoma and Arkansas there are actually decent Wal-Marts).

Wichita had Dillions which was fine but also played the stupid card game, but at that time I was poor and Target was cheaper.

Tulsa has Reasor's which I know everyone on here pines over, but they are nothing to wrote home about. They do not provide a nice enough shopping atmosphere to justify their much more expensive prices. I would buy my meat and a few other things there, but Target almost always had better produce and that isn't saying very much. The super targets in Tulsa are nicer than the ones in Edmond, and I much preferred them over Reasor's.

OKC has Crest (15th and Santa Fe, at least) which IMHO is a very nice store, full service, quick check outs, a lot of selection, stocked properly and is cheaper than Target even. Up Town is also quite nice, not quite enough selection for me to want to use them full time, though. Any ways, I think there are some nice places around, and IMHO OKC has some better options than Wichita or Tulsa and for the price Cincinnati. Really Crest is the best grocery store I've ever really been exposed to, at least for a normal family that has a budget and shops once a week.

I think one issue with Wal-Marts in OKC is Wal-mart is willing to take the risk in going into an area before anyone else, for example Covell & Bryant and Kelley & Coffee Creek. Then there isn't enough demand in that area for someone else to go in. Hopefully Up Town will move into Chisholm Creek and Crest at Covell & I-35.

[bchris02]

OKC does have some nice grocery options, they just aren't as numerous or accessible as they are in other cities. The Crest Fresh Market grocery store is every bit as large and nice as the grocery stores many would like to see here and still offer reasonable prices. The problem is they currently only have two locations, one on S May and 104th and the other in Norman. The N May and Britton Homeland is also a very nice store and every bit as aesthetically pleasing as a Tom Thumb or Harris Teeter. The problem there is no other Homeland location comes close to matching it and its almost as if they don't care about their other locations.

I think the fact there is no national chains other than Wal-Mart has a lot to do with it. Locally owned grocers like Crest or Uptown aren't willing to take the risk a national chain is by moving into a new neighborhood first. For instance, if Kroger was in the OKC market there would certainly be a Gaillardia location already. In a few years there will probably be a Wal-Mart Neighborhood Market or even Supercenter in that area and when that happens there won't be enough demand for a second, higher quality grocer.

I agree that Reasor's isn't anything to write home about but compared to the average OKC Homeland they are great. Most of their stores are on par with the nicer Homeland locations.

It's funny that you mention how Wal-Mart has some nicer stores outside of Oklahoma and Arkansas. I find that generally to be the case as well. It seems like Wal-Mart is also consistently severely understaffed here but I haven't noticed that to be the case anywhere else I've lived. I guess having no real competition allows them to operate the way they do here and people still flock to them. Anyways, this is what a neighborhood market can be in other cities where they actually have competition. You will never see a Wal-Mart that is this nice in OKC.

[zookeeper]

I was in the Homeland at May & Britton the other day and wished I had taken pictures. They never let that store get dated. It's very clean with a great presentation. I just wish they would invest in other stores like they do this one. IMO, it's the best looking general grocer in Oklahoma City. Walking the aisles is like looking at some sort of store model. Everything to the shelf line, floors are perfect, shelves are stocked, rarely is anything out of place. It's an exceptional store in a city that needs more like it.

[Prunepicker]

There was a time when I could pick up a 7 Bone roast at the local market. Those times
are gone and even the "quality grocers" don't know what I mean. The last store I
ordered a 7 Bone roast was Crescent Market and Kamp's. That was years ago.

In order to order a 7 Bone roast an experienced butcher must be on hand.

Does anyone know what I'm talking about? Seriously.

[jdcf]

I may get slammed for this but I wish they would remodel the Buy for Less on NW Highway. The decor is garish. The floor tiles are in major disrepair, broken and marred. This makes the store seem dirty to me. The selection other than the meat department is okay but a lot of brands are not carried. Many grocers have a cheese and deli section.

The smaller Crest stores may not carry as many items, but they are well stocked. The prices are cheaper and the shopping environment is more pleasant. The larger Crest stores are nice.

I cannot call this Buy for Less a quality grocer store. Yes, the Homeland at May and Britton is the standard I would use to assess quality.

[bchris02]

I cannot call this Buy for Less a quality grocer store. Yes, the Homeland at May and Britton is the standard I would use to assess quality.

I agree about that Buy for Less. If you are in the Putnam City area of NW OKC however, its as good as it gets. This is what I mean by the quality stores aren't as accessible here as they are in other cities. There is a lot of growth and money in NW OKC and it deserves better grocery stores. That Buy for Less could probably pretty easily be given a facelift and become a pretty nice store.

[Zorba]

Snip

I agree, I am in a decent area with Up Town being a mile away and Crest being 6 miles. I do agree with you about Kroger, at least in Cincinnati they were all over the place and they've added a couple near where I used to live since I moved.

[oklip955]

There are several local meat markets around. If you need a certain cut then I would go there. I've not been in the Meat House at Danforth and Sante Fe. I've heard that they are good. I buy my meat at Sprouts and am happy with it. I had a bison New York stripe steak for diner. Yum. It was not anymore then any good steak. Just a treat for me.

[Prunepicker]

There are several local meat markets around. If you need a certain cut then I would go there...

Thanks for your opinion.

Where in OKC would you go for a 7 Bone Roast?

[oklip955]

I don't know what part of OKC you are talking about. I was told that there is also a meat market on N. May. I'm not sure of the address, if memory serves me I would take a guess around Brittan rd. You might have to do a bit of on line checking. I won't say that they would be the cheapest, but one pays more for a top quality piece of meat compaired to the local discount grocers. I did a bit of checking when I was looking for some good veal. Not what you find in Walmart or Aldi's.

[Jim Kyle]

Thanks for your opinion.

Where in OKC would you go for a 7 Bone Roast?

I'd head for Bill Kamp's in the 7200 block of N Western, next door to Kambers in a strip mall there. It's the last outpost of the Kamp family, and from both inside and outside seems to be just a hole in the wall, but Bill has the whole family tradition behind him and knows the butchering business inside and out.

I've never seen a 7 Bone in his display case, but if you really want one I'm sure he (a) knows what it is and (b) can get it for you. And if you're looking to bake a ham loaf from his grandmother's recipe, he keeps the mix on hand just like the old store did...

[Roger S]

In order to order a 7 Bone roast an experienced butcher must be on hand.

Does anyone know what I'm talking about? Seriously.

Bone in roasts appear to, sadly, be a thing of the past.

I have been to most of the butchers, have not made it to Meat House, others have mentioned and no one has a bone-in roast because people don't want to pay for the bone.

I have seen some roasts at Crest labeled as 7 Bone but the bone has been removed.

I think short of buying a cow and having it butchered we are SOL on finding bone-in and since I prefer my meat to be fresh and not frozen. That's not even really an option for me.

[zachj7]

I've lived in Tulsa, Wichita, Cincinnati and OKC.

Cincinnati is the home of Kroger, and had a few others like Meijer. Kroger was nice, but fairly expensive and they played the annoying card thing. I did most of my shopping there at Jungle Jims (worlds biggest grocery store, but not a huge selection of normal American foods). I never got into Kroger or Meijer. There was a decent Supercenter that I'd go to as well (Outside of Oklahoma and Arkansas there are actually decent Wal-Marts).

Wichita had Dillions which was fine but also played the stupid card game, but at that time I was poor and Target was cheaper.

Tulsa has Reasor's which I know everyone on here pines over, but they are nothing to wrote home about. They do not provide a nice enough shopping atmosphere to justify their much more expensive prices. I would buy my meat and a few other things there, but Target almost always had better produce and that isn't saying very much. The super targets in Tulsa are nicer than the ones in Edmond, and I much preferred them over Reasor's.

OKC has Crest (15th and Santa Fe, at least) which IMHO is a very nice store, full service, quick check outs, a lot of selection, stocked properly and is cheaper than Target even. Up Town is also quite nice, not quite enough selection for me to want to use them full time, though. Any ways, I think there are some nice places around, and IMHO OKC has some better options than Wichita or Tulsa and for the price Cincinnati. Really Crest is the best grocery store I've ever really been exposed to, at least for a normal family that has a budget and shops once a week.

I think one issue with Wal-Marts in OKC is Wal-mart is willing to take the risk in going into an area before anyone else, for example Covell & Bryant and Kelley & Coffee Creek. Then there isn't enough demand in that area for someone else to go in. Hopefully Up Town will move into Chisholm Creek and Crest at Covell & I-35.

Not sure when you lived in Cincinnati but there is NOTHING compared to Jungle Jims anywhere here. Forget Jungle Jims. I'm not sure how Cincinnati can even sustain such a market. You would think places like LA, Chicago, New York, and other larger cities might be able to but Cincinnati? It's wonderful that they have such a store. Cincinnati without Jungle Jim still has plenty of nice grocery stores, far nicer than anything here. Most of the Kroger are signature kroger and are nice, well kept, have a large fresh foods and produce section, and have a huge selection. They are much better than Crest. Cincinnati also has The Fresh Market, Whole Foods, and Trader Joes, and Meijer let alone Costco. Those are all nicer than anything here. I prefer even IGA over every grocery store here except for Crest. People always said "Cincinnati is 10 years behind everyone else." I don't think so, not in the grocery store market.

I have not had a chance to spend any time in Dillions and I wonder how it compares. The one thing Crest does well is keep prices low and quality decent. I am thankful that it is a great alternative to Walmart.