El Grande Supermarket

Oh how I miss having markets like this nearby. Got there about 10:30 on Saturday, and meat counter was busy. I waited 20 minutes with my number. Everything is in Spanish for pricing, so it was hard to tell how much stuff cost. Guys behind the counter do not speak much English, but that is expected. Aisles are slim, and you have to maneuver to get through. Tons of international ingredients. If I did not have hubby with me, I would have browsed longer. Sour orange marinade, spices galore, hoja santa, canela, and banana leaves. So hard to find, but now I know where to go. I wish they had molcajetes, as I had to sell mine when I moved. Cashiers did not speak any English, and they kind of ignored me. No biggie. I definitely will go back right when they open for less congestion. And I will brush up on my Spanish meats. LOL

As far as Latin supermarkets go, this is on top of the heap. All manner of goodies from the old country (or countries), such as Coco Rico, Conchita guava paste, and tons of Goya products. One of my all time favorites, "empanadillas de pizza" (or deep fried pizza turnovers) are available uncooked and frozen so you can enjoy this Puerto Rican delicacy in the comfort of your own home. They also have a very large and well stocked meat department with the best churrasco in town.This is not Publix, so don't go expecting a smooth shopping experience. The place is always packed, parking is a bear, and navigating the narrow aisles can be challenging. They have too much stuff in too small a space despite this being a former Discount Auto Parts building. But it does have a old country Latin charm, the employees are very helpful and friendly (especially if you speak the language) and this can be your one stop shop for all your Latin cooking needs. From fresh meats and veggies to all sorts of canned Latin goods, if you crave things Latin then give this place a visit. It's as good as it gets!And Weight Watchers! They have diet Coco Rico soda. You haven't lived until you've tried coconut soda for zero points!

I mainly come here when I'm about to make a ton of Sofrito/Recaito. I don't know too many places close by that I can get Recao/Culatro/Coriander leaves...whatever you decide to call it...I can find it here. In order to make a really good sofrito you need this herb. You can also find guava, calabaza, yucca, plantains and many other island fruits and veggies here. It's not as clean and organized as I would like a market to be, but this is typical of small bodegas because they have so much inventory and a butcher, which I haven't used.The employees don't seem to be too friendly if you don't speak Spanish. My husband who does, loves to leave me hanging when communicating at the check out when he's with me. The employees always assume I speak Spanish too...once they realize that I don't, I get the cold shoulder! I somehow feel a certain anxiety when I go to a bodega because of this assumption. Maybe because I took 3 years of Spanish in high school and have been married into a Hispanic family for 10 years and I'm still not fluent?? I dunno. Doesn't matter, I can cook Spanish food!Anyway, I also got my huge caldero here as well for a decent price. The really big ones are up high. I even use it in place of my wok at times (my wok has been in my family since I was a kid in Hawaii). The flat bottom is a bit more convenient since I can stir with one hand, and a caldero can produce similar results of a wok. I also cook a lot of Caribbean dishes in this pot, but I originally bought it to cook Sancocho.Be sure to only get the items here that you can't get at Publix. This market isn't expensive, but you get a better deal on more popular items at Publix or even Walmart.

I come to this place for the butcher service. It's very far in between where you can find butchers that still provide the true butcher service. Every time I come here, there's is always 6+ guys in the meat department ready at your service. I really don't care too much for their general grocery items. As I can find them at other bigger supermarkets for much cheaper.

Best market in Tampa with best prices on fresh produce and meats. I go here everyday to get fresh produce, and they have a huge selection, fresh, and large quantities of produce. I highly recommend!

I love this place for all of my Carribean veggies. The prices are spectacular. I'm not a huge carnivore so I don't buy meats here but the rest of my family does. This is definitely the best Latin market in Tampa. I so wish they would open a place closer to Land O Lakes - even Carrollwood would be nice...

I have noticed that every time I pass by El Grande One Stop Supermarket it is packed. Being curious, I decided to check it out. The store has a fairly large produce selection. Great place to look if you are looking for items sold in Hispanic countries. They also carry a large variety of Goya products. However, I think the stores main draw is the meat counter. This is where the majority of the people in the store were gathered while I was looking around. The meat prices are reasonable but the stores meat counter didn't look very sanitary.

Best supermarket in Tampa for Latin foods! Great prices! Definitely recommend for everyday groceries, meats, and fruits! Many products that I could not find else where!

Best prices in Tampa, very friendly environment and very affordable prices. The meat compare to other supermarkets is way cheaper. Thank you El Grande supermarket

On 12-30-2014 I purchased $96.00 of Churrasco and $100.00 of general groceries for a family gathering. All the meat except for about 3lbs was grilled every one complained that the meat was tough and tasteless. The next day I returned with the left over meat and spoke to the head man in the meat department he looked at it and told me that they had not cut the meat properly and that it didn't look just right but he would not refund my money or issue a store credit because we had eaten most of it. I did a seak look at behind the counter it was just plain nasty. Do not buy meat there but if you do don't forget to keep the vomit and return it.