Superior Grocers — Local services in East Los Angeles

I wasn't familiar with Superior Grocers but it did show up when I was browsing Instacart, looking for groceries delivery. To my delight I found out that (at least according to the Instacart site) Superior Grocers is supposed to carry two produce items that I absolutely love and that are not easy to find. I'm referencing, just to start, bananas Manzano. Those are bananas quite smaller than the omnipresent Cavendish and their taste is halfway between banana and apple. Not long ago I read that the Cavendish could be extinct in the next future (there's some "plague" attacking the plantations and I started looking for alternatives. I'd tasted banana-apple when I was a child and loved the variety. The only issue with those bananas is that they need to be quite ripe to enjoy the full flavor. That's what happens also with other bananas that I discovered at Superior Grocers, bananas burro, I think the translation is banana-donkey. Don't ask me why the name, I've no idea but they are inedible until they are quite ripe. As in, don't eat them until there are brown spots on the skin. I digress... Anyway, other than banana varieties, I was delighted to find squash blossoms. Those are edible flowers and, when I was living in Italy, I would find them "attached" to zucchini. I'm not very partial to zucchini but I adore squash blossoms. They are exceptional in a simple batter, think tempura. They are to die for as a condiment for fresh pasta, just sauteed with a bit of olive oil. If you like, add some garlic or bottarga or anchovies. But just the clean taste of squash blossoms is what I prefer. Back to Superior Grocers... It's better to visit them than just use Instacart because they carry a lot of uncommon items (in particular from the point of view of a Caucasian woman :)) that Instacart does not show. If I may complain, I couldn't find Queso Blanco, a fresher option than Queso Fresco. But the experience was great, I will busy...

I visited this store because I thought it would be as awesome as the one in Pico Rivera, but boy was I wrong. First of all, it's dirty, ugly and ghetto. They didn't even have Persian cucumbers or any cucumbers at all. Staff was not helpful. Waited forever at the butcher shop and finally gave up and didn't purchase any meat. And on top of that, while we were inside the store, there were 4 thieves attempting to take 4 carts full of groceries. A staff member got on the PA and announced it, described the thieves and told us that they were sorry but that they were going to have to lock the front doors (so that the thieves wouldn't flee with the loot?). It could have turned into a complete disaster, had one or all of the thieves in desperation, had aken any one or more of us hostage. We could have been hurt or even killed. That was not legal. I was very scared, knowing we were all locked in there, with those thieves. The cops got there, arrested 3 out of the 4 thieves, they opened the doors but there was only ONE checkstand open. The line was outrageous! Finally, a second checkstand opened and I got in that line. The cashier was sweet but spoke no English, which I found quite odd. Anyway, I will NEVER be back and if you're reading this review, DON'T GO. Don't say I didn't warn you.

Also, I noticed that the "owner" only comments on patron reviews with 5 stars. They don't address any other person's review that is less than 5 stars. That's because they DON'T CARE. Maybe they'll start caring once they are sued for locking us...

Absolutely horrible customer service! As I was grocery shopping this morning 11/19/2023 I proceeded to grab my groceries as I went because there was no shopping baskets available. Before I knew I had my hands full and still needed a few more item so I used the grocery bags I brought with me to hold the items I was going to PURCHASE. Suddenly I'm aggressively approached by a young security guard who has no skills at communicating with customers. He yells while standing in the middle of an isle " hey homie you finna pay for everything you just put in your bag or what? Cuz we're watching you!" I explain I was just holding the items in the bag until I paid. Upset and embarrassed I made my way directly to a cashier and asked for a manager. Management hid behind the head cashier who they sent out first and then an assistant manager Karina who also had nothing of value to offer. She explained they have had customers shoplift in the past, and I reiterated to her that I was nowhere near an exit for them to believe I was attempting to steal and the manner in which I was approached by security was unprofessional. This level of customer service is absolutely unacceptable by both the security company and Superior Groceries management. My family and I will never shop there...