SantaFe Mercado & Carniceria- San Jose

Best carne asada and carne de al pastor. To buy and cook! Don't like buying any of these meats elsewhere but here. Never disappoints.

Market Zero, Dude!Taking over from the former Zanotto's at Fruitdale Station is the Santa Fe Mercado (Market), which sports several taquerias and markets in San José's East Syde.This location is small but amply stocked with groceries and a full-fledged Mexican meat market.Santa Fe is a nice addition to the neighborhood, as the closest Mexican grocery store is the Chavez on Blossom Hill. I will definitely be stopping here for my future Mexi grocery needs.

This location is very small compared to their other stores. I usually come here for meat and cheese and salsa and some veggies. It's one of the only mercado options on this side of town so it gets the job done. Everyone who works here is friendly and the parking is pretty ample.

I liked the fruits selection in the store but I have to say I'm surprised that it's pretty pricey. Avocados were $1.25 each and mangos as well. Thought it would be less expensive than Safeway but it's not. The store smells a bit chemical for some reason when I visited. Almost like a moth ball odor wafing about. Tried this pickled fruits but I didn't like it after all. It was round and yellow and I was hoping they'll taste like gooseberry but I was disappointed. They did have ample parking which is always great.

So disappointing. When I heard there was a Santa Fe coming into my neighborhood, I was excited. Sadly, it's only a small store with a butcher. No taqueria. With so many apartments nearby, I don't know why they don't have food to go like other Santa Fe markets.

The food, ambiance, and service were excellent. The only downside was that the checkout clerk was not welcoming at all.

Warning: They overcharge you.I thought about not leaving a review but this probably happens to many people not just me. I bought an 18 pack of beer advertised at $16.99 and was charged $25.99. Unfortunately I didn't catch it until I got home. I think Safeway got in trouble for this last year and had to settle a class action suit...