Angel Cruz Park Papaya

How cool is this outdoor market! It is located at Angel Cruz Park in Stockton with tons of street parking. The vendors are all lined up along the sidewalk selling fruits, vegetables, grilled skewers, Lao sausages, papaya salad, snacks, boba, jewelry, etc!My sister and I came around 3:30 on a Sunday and it was still busy with tons of vendors! Everyone was super nice and kind to us!We got some beef sticks, Lao sausages, and papaya salad! Everything was so good! It was cash only for all the vendors we went to so make sure to bring cash!

I've been coming to Angel Cruz Park since I was a kid. My dad used to bring us to the playground, and I've even seen my mom get into a fistfight with a lady here. But my favorite part has always been the Cambodian food vendors. I remember when it was just one aunty selling papaya salad while her husband grilled beef sticks. Now, there are so many Southeast Asian vendors, along with other ethnicities, offering a variety of delicious foods.Today I had:Grilled Angel Wings: Wings stuffed with ground chicken and peanuts. 10/10.$1 Beef Sticks: Marinated in red Chinese BBQ seasoning.Fried Banana Fritters: Sweet banana and sesame seed batter. $1 each.Che Thai: A Cambodian dessert drink with beans and an assortment of jellies. $5.Eggrolls: 2 for $1. I wish I had chosen a stand with Cambodian eggrolls. The lady I bought from only had veggie ones :(Shrimp Rolls: Simple shrimp rolls. 2 for $1.Nom Krouk: Coconut pancakes with a fish sauce vinaigrette. I wish the batter was sweeter, but still 8/10.Papusa: I had the cheese and jalapeño papusa for $3 with pickled cabbage, hand-rolled in front of you. It was bomb, and I'll definitely crave more!Sun-Dried Clams: My sister ordered some, but I was hesitant to try them because I wasn't sure how fresh they were or how long they'd been sitting in the sun. She said they were bomb.I love ordering food here every time I'm in town. It's one of the many things I miss about Stockton when I go back home. I highly recommend everyone support the local food vendors. Many of them are part of our elder generations who came to Stockton as refugees. Seeing them thriving and happy, selling fresh catches and crops, makes me happy.

Reminds me of back in the day when I was a kid again! Literally can get everything here. Food is bomb, everything is just so nostalgic. Only thing I found not pleasing was when the lady touch things with a dirty glove and didn't take it off when handling other stuff. But I got a stomach for it, use to that type of thing lol. Great to go during when it's warm out. I take so much food back home when I'm there and it doesn't hurt my pockets at all. Definitely a place to try out with your family

So many street vendors with so much tasty food! Delicious meats! If you're in Stockton on a weekend definitely try it out.

Angel Cruz Park is hidden gem for delicious, homemade Southeast Asian street food. Located in North Stockton, with free street parking. Food is made by locals from the community (Hmong, Laotian, Thai) and is available for purchase 7 days a week. This special unofficial outdoor food market has been around for the last 30 ish years. This place started when people came to cook to share food with their family and friends and eventually transformed into what it is now. I am not exactly sure the official time when food is available for purchase, but I do know that food is available for purchase at 2 pm (I have never had the chance to come earlier than that so can't confirm if food is available before) and ends around 5 ish (although it may be around 6 ish during the summer). Food items that is available for purchase include papaya salad (usually by more than one vendor), barbecue pork and chicken skewers, Lao sausage, Thai tea, coconut milk fruit drink, sticky rice, baby chicken egg, etc. Prices are very affordable and portion sizes for the items are generous. There are different vendors but there are also a few that seem to be there consistently nearly every day (because of that, prices may vary). My husband, our little girl dog and I have been to this park a few times now and we have had:Papaya Salad, $7- The lady that made us our papaya salad (made to order), told us that she is from Oakland and has a Thai restaurant there. The portion size of our salad was enough to feed 4 people. We had noodle added to our salad (at no additional charge) and had requested to have our salad made very mild (my husband can do spicy foods but I can't). Love the flavors of the salad and how fresh it was. Barbecue Pork Stick, $2- Meaty and tasty. A good amount of meat for the price. Barbecue Pork Skewer, $1- Just as tasty as the other one. The funny thing is I have purchased this pork skewer/ stick from the same vendor but this time he charged $1 instead of $2. Khao Poon (Curry Noodle Soup), $5- I love the lady who makes this delicious noodle soup (she is my favorite vendor and quite friendly). The soup is so flavorful and she has given us plenty of soup and the filling (chicken feet included) with noodles. The portion is enough for one person (although I share one order with my husband each time so that we can eat other items). The lady who sells this tells us that recently she takes Wednesday and Thursday off, in case you are looking for her. Coconut Milk Fruit Drink, $4- Purchased from the same lady who makes the curry noodle soup, this is such a delicious and very refreshing drink. If you want to take the curry noodle soup and coconut milk fruit drink to go (meaning if you want to take it to work the next day, like my husband), the lady who sells these 2 items can pack it accordingly for you if you tell her. My husband had no problem taking the items she packed separately and putting it all together for lunch when ate it the next day. I have only visited during the week day, which has not been too crowded. But one of the vendors had told me that they are pretty busy on the weekends (especially during the weekend of the Hmong new year and Lao new year). When I am able, I always make sure to visit Angel Cruz Park for the delicious food when I visit Stockton (which is actually pretty often since I have family in this area and also my husband travels to Stockton each week for work). Worth a visit.

I love the variety of vendors there. The food is good and price is very reasonable. Fresh papaya salad and beef skewers.

Food was ok but we only went to two vendors there's over a dozen so just have to find the one with the best tasting meats and papaya salad because the ones we got wasn't the best. The fresh produce and plants was very good and can't beat the prices and everyone was so friendly and kind. Love the location it was nice and cool that day with shade under the trees for the picnic benches and flwe found good parking before everything was set up. Definitely will be going back.

Saw so many things that we don't traditionally see at Asian Markets. Worth a visit 100% Got to taste it all. Everyone is so friendly.

I'm not sure when the vendors start to arrive but it is definitely before 230 pm, the hours stated on Yelp. I got there at 1 and waited in my car a bit and only one additional vendor who arrived after that time. There were maybe a dozen vendors, some selling vegetables and fruit and others offering prepared things: fried bananas, Lao sausages, meat on a stick and of course papaya salad. I ordered mine from the lady who sets up a little apart from the others, on a sidewalk heading into the park. She made it as I watched and asked how spicy I wanted it. I said "a little spicy" and she used one birdseye chili which was just right, and I like spice. A big portion for $7. Lao sausage was $2, meat sticks $1, 2 pieces of fried banana $1, $2 for a nice bunch of gai lan.I had come because of the frequent discussion of Angel Cruz Park on the Our Hmong Table Facebook group. They advise the best time to come is in the spring and supper and there are more vendors on weekends (I was there on a Wednesday). A happy and delicious experience.

This was a fun experience and highly recommend it. I thought it was just a regular park but I was greeted with a lot of vendors. Vendors that sold clothes, toys, produce and various meals. You can get your steps in walking around and exploring each vendor before making a purchase. I don't recall the vendor's names but I do remember what they sold and location . The vendor closest to the sugar cane vendor and near the exit, had the best meals. She sold pork and chicken skewers, spicy and sweet Cambodian sausages, and fried fish. The vendor next to her sold large chicken wings and egg rolls. Another vendor sold papaya salad that was so authentic and freshly made. The spice levels are intense. After all that walking, we had to get sugar cane. The sugar cane vendor offered regular sugar cane and other variations of flavors. We came home and heated the meals. We had the best lunch, we were stuffed. Weekends is when most of the vendors are there and it's the busiest. Only a few of the vendors are there on weekdays.