88 International Market

3/5This is a tough review for me to make but I'm going to try my best to be fair. I give this place 3 stars out of 5. As much as I want to give this review a 4 star rating I've got to be realistic. Some may object and say 2 stars is realistic, I still say 3. Heres why: I want to give this store a 4 star review, but first let's address the 500lbs elephant in the room. Yes the negative reviews are warranted, the store is a bit run-downed; unorganized, dirty, and yes they are short staff. I understand that most places are short staffed these days, however the place needs some work. Let's be honest it's obvious that it's lacking some love, it's very sad looking. As a business owner myself it does hurt the heart a bit seeing this places wounded condition, I guess thats also because I see the potential that this place can be. I want to give this place a 4 star review NOT because of the great potential that this international Asian store CAN BE but because of the interactions i've had with the staff. The gentlemen there, i've interacted with a numerous of different times I can say he is a nice fellow, always respectable, polite and receptive. He once offered me some useful tips on a certain dish I was going to make; worked like a charm. The lady there, I too have interacted with a few times likewise she is nice, polite & respectful too, there was a time that I bought some delicate appliances & she wrapped them up for me with a smile to make sure they wouldn't get damaged, I thought that was very nice. Curtesy is not the norm anymore. Anyways they have a meat-seafood department in the back, different kinds of rice bags, a wide variety of frozen Asian meals, lots of eastern Asian cultural food sections, cookware, perishables, appliances, etc. They have many different kinds of noodles, spices, sauces, vinegars, and snacks. This place is big hence the name International Market. I'm rooting for you guys, 88 International Market!!!!! I know you guys have lots of potential to grow!

It doesn't seem to be a very happy place but I bought some Happy Bamboo and it was pretty expensive comparatively... I did not purchase the vases because they really were ridiculously expensive... I wanted a tea pot and cups but couldn't find any...

Free parking is always a draw. Great store. I was able to get everything I was looking for and more. Worth the trip towards Chicago's Chinatown.

I LOVE Asian markets! After reading the other reviews I get it....it smells funny...yup there's raw meats and exotic fruit and vegetables your nose may just be basic...yup there's stuff on the floor...onion peels, pieces of cilantro, sprinkles of flour, grains of rice... all the things you'd find in a grocery store...and there's lots of stuff most of us have NEVER seen let alone used...but all you have to do is ask! I've only been vegitarian a little over a year and most of my dishes come from asking questions..."how do you us this? What can I make with that?" You- Alishia what do you make with the food once you get it home? Me- bomb a$$ Ramon!...Do u see that Ramon bowl? Yup EVERYTHING (other then the eggs) in this bowl including the chicken thighs can from here! Oh let me not forget they also have home made tofu and it's way better the "regular" tofu...its meatier and more flavorful...(if you eat tofu you know what I mean)!All in all is it a little rough around the edges...yes most diamonds are! (--- diamond in the rough get it...lol)

I used to love this place. Granted the last time I came here was about 8-9 years ago and there used to be a Phó place inside this market too. This used to be a cutest little market. That's why I'm sad to say that this place has not seemingly done well in terms of upkeep. I walked out empty handed mostly due to the fact that I was unsure if what i wanted was fresh or not. The place was a little smelly (not fish market smelly but something else abnormal) and it was dirty! The cans and jars all had a layer of dust so who knows how old they are. The produce seemed old and some of it even molding. I didn't feel comfortable buying food to be honest which makes me sad. I was excited about this place because it's the closest market to me since I just moved to the area but now that I know it's like this, I will continue to commute to Lee Lee's. I won't be returning.

So I went here today hoping to find a replacement Asian market as the one I normally go to is closing (LF Market)). My first impression was it was unorganized, dirty floors, and funky smell. I know most Asian market has a funky smell but this one was more pungent. I didn't get any produce or meat as unsure if it was fresh. There wasn't a lot of shoppers either. Anyway, I'll pass and make the drive to lee lee market on Cactus and 75th Ave.

F I L T H Y. I don't usually leave bad reviews but this was gross. It has nothing to do with how "exotic" the food is. I've been to many Asian and Arabic markets, and this place is lacking basic cleanliness. The floor is dirty. Not from the same day, but years of grime, food particles, and dirt. The smell is that of a gerbil and decrepit mermaid love child's This place needs a deeeeeeeeep deep deeep cleaning. If you do go just look at the edges along the floor near any shelf or display. Spills, chunks rotting food, and worse. Roaches are having a wild fuck fest in here when the lights go down. Some of the items look old and expired. I will never come back here again.

Well heard good things about this place so decided to try it out. They actually had green tea ice cream. Was a sooo excited. Then I got it home n its old and frost bitten. Looked on container n expired in 2017. If u go here make sure to check the dates. I bought other stuff n was ok but was looking forward to the ice cream. Only way to get refund is to go back there. Not exactly right around corner for me :(

This store has a decent selection of Asian groceries. Prices are reasonable and the fresh products (veggies, meat, and seafood) are indeed fresh. We even found balut here! The only reason I didn't give it 5 stars was because they only had one clerk at checkout which made for a longer wait in line than I would prefer. We'll go back.

i bought the last 15 pound bag of brown rice and they are price gouging it. i was charge 17 dollars and 99 cents. before the corona virus, it was only around 12 dollars. i ask the cashier are you price gouging me? she said, i don't know. anyway, this place is very dirty inside and i was worried that i might get sick because of this place. i think i wont be back.