North Park Produce — Attraction in San Diego

This is my go-to place for all kinds of ethnic foods from Asia, Africa and Europe. Among the interesting stuff one can score here are a few types of phyllo pastry (Greece and Turkey) , many kinds of buckwheat and canned fish and mushrooms (Russia, Estonia, Poland), all sorts of Middle Eastern produce and prepared foods, freshly baked breads and a slew of exotic dairy products such as Ryazhenka, Lebni and Kashkaval. Hands down the best choice of Feta cheese, both local and imported. Produce is OK but not great although there are items that you won't normally find in other stores like for example bulgur and some rare fresh herbs. Butcher has cold and hot smoked mackerel from Norway, which are one of my favorite dinners with some potato salad. Decent quality lamb and goat cuts for curries and North African specialties, and you can find all the spices needed for that as well. Essential...

I’ve been coming here for groceries & lunch for a long time, but unfortunately, the man who works in the food area has made it increasingly unpleasant. His customer service is the worst I’ve experienced. I now only stop by when I’m in a hurry — and after today, I won’t be returning.

Once again, he was extremely rude when I simply asked for some sauces to go with my kabob. His response was that I should go buy the store-sized version of the sauce, as if he were personally gatekeeping it. I later spoke with another employee who admitted this isn’t the first complaint about his behavior.

The owner was kind and apologetic, which I appreciated — but unless something changes and that individual is no longer handling customer interactions, I won’t be coming back. It’s a shame, because the food has...

Great little gocery store, but even greater fresh bread section. It is mesmerizing to watch the baker and his crew in operation, churning out a huge volume of fresh, tasty, flatbreads, pitas, and other treats in real time. There is often a line of customers waiting patiently for the next batch of too-hot-to-handle bread tossed from a wooden paddle straight from the oven into wooden bins. There is a small lunch counter that serves great food, including a terrific and HUGE chicken shawarma sandwich with a price too low to mention. Well worth going out of your way, even if just to see the bakery in operation. But get a shawarma while you're there! There is usually a mobile grill outside the front door selling freshly grilled shishkabobs - that will be...