Royal Food Market

I was in need of sumac and I knew this place had it the very first time I came to this market years ago as I was waiting for my pizza nearby. So I dropped by it again.L O C A T I O NRoyal Food Market is located on Washington Blvd. in this tiny plaza that has a couple of other restaurants. The parking situation is limited, but I've never had issues finding a place to park. They also have a couple of designated Royal Food Market only spots too which helps.I N S I D EIt's not a large market but if you're looking for specific Russian or eastern european/mediterranean type of spices or food, then definitely come here. They have their spices in the back. Some teas/coffees and drinks in the middle. I didn't take a close look at everything as I was there specifically for sumac which I got in a small pack for $2.99.S E R V I C EWhen I checked out, the person was cheery to me and said hi. And easily paid by card.O V E R A L LI don't typically pick up my sumac here, but in a pinch, it works as it was on my way home. It's a small convenience store set up that's definitely a family owned business which I do love supporting. So definitely check them out!

First time here and did it really look around. Specifically came for caviar. Spoke to a personnel prior to heading over. He made it sound like they had a good selection of caviar but only had one. It was frozen but still gave it a try because I needed it for a dish I was experimenting on. I was too lazy to drive to SF and grab fresh and not frozen hence why I'm giving this review 2 stars instead of 1. Aside from frozen.... When I opened it, it just didn't have that pop you'd get from opening for the first time. Also it looked like someone already dug in to it. Again this review is merely for the caviar and the false assurance of variety. Do not get lazy when making food folks haha. Might come back to see what else they have.

I'll keep this brief. I found at least two items on the shelf that had expiration dates in the past. When I checked in via yelp, the store offered a 10% discount for first time buyers. I showed the gentleman ringing up the purchase and he decided he'd give us a 5% discount. Really?There are similar markets all around the Bay Area.

Seriously it is a nice store. I stumbled on this food market while waiting for food at the Mission Pizza and Pub next door. I was impressed by the array of international products at this store, Asian, East European, Middle Eastern, etc. The price seems reasonable too.

Really nice small grocery shopLots of Russian and eastern european food and assortments Really nice owner and nice location

Nice little store with friendly owners yet not much in the way of variety. Items here come from various European Countries, mainly Russia. I spotted a small selection of Meats and what looked like meat filled pastries in the Fridge / Freezer and Cheeses along with shelves of Spices, Cookies, Pickled Vegetables, Jams and Preserves as well as lot's of fresh Breads and a few Cakes in a display near the checkout.Outside the store front you can also find a few different fresh Fruits and Vegetables.*TIP* Check in for 10% discount.

I only found this place because I have a coworker who has Russian ties, and I really wanted to expose myself with some Russian goodies. Here in California, Russian culture is not readily available or really exposed. You have to dig. Like how many Russian restaurants do you know of? *crickets* Exactly.This store is small, like 7-11 small. It does have some Russian groceries but it also has Armenian and possibly other eastern European staples. It is wild and I am slowly trying stuff out to get a feel for this type of culinary experimentation. Things I've found so far:Cold case with lots of salted/cured meats ie. fish, cold cuts, even salmon caviar. I like this Russian style bologna that my friend recommended. It is made here in the US but has Russian flair. It is way better than American bologna as it is firmer and a better flavor. Just look for a baby's image on the packaging. I always tell my friends "get the bologna with the baby on it!" It just cracks me up.They have piroshkis in a bread case. It is a baked roll stuffed with something. All the ones here are vegetable stuffing like mushroom, cabbage or spinach. My fave is ground beef with cheese but they don't have those here. The spinach is alright, especially after microwaving for a few seconds, per recommendation of the owner/register dude. The bread is soft and slightly sweet.Many different types of honeys and preserves. Many different brands of basmati rice from different countries. Do you want one from India, Afghanistan or Pakistan? A frozen case has these Russian dumplings similar to pierogi called Pelmeni. I haven't tried yet but my coworker says to dip them in sour cream after boiling. Okay will do.Nice place to delve into an adventure. Glad it is within my reach.

Beware of the woman selling "natural stones and silver" jewelry right outside the Royal Food Market. She speaks Russian and seems to be friendly but she is fooling people. I was stupid enough to buy faux malachite necklace with stainless steel material for $35 (she said $30 but given $40 returned only $5 changing her mind to $35... how is that?). I found this necklace later on Amazon for $8.Royal Food Market itself is ok, but nothing special (I mean Russian products) compared to the Kiev store in Fremont. I was the first-time customer. Would I return being fooled by the affiliated-to-the-store person?! Definitely no.

Went there for the 1st time yesterday. Didn't know their hours. It was apparently around their closing time. There were a couple of customers in the store & a lady behind the register. A man who was taking their table inside the store saw us walking in & jumped in front of us & screamed & said: "we're closed..." & shut the door.OK, with that attitude I don't want to shop there. They're Russian & have a few Persian items as we saw from the outside.I rather give my business to somebody who appreciated & respects the customers. These people have no manners. Very rude. If they're not happy, they should find a new profession.

I wasn't sure what kind of store it was from the outside. It's like a World Market, but it has mainly Eastern Euopean items.I saw Persian tea in a huge boxIranian ice-creamsour cherry preserveother strange itemsI'll probably go back next time in the area.