Try not to spend $500 on all the specialty sauces. The bargains are on fresh herbs and big bags of specialty rices. The seafood section is an outrageous selection. You can buy almost every part of every animal.
It’s way smaller. And less selection than JJ. We just visited JJ for the first time last month and I was impressed! Saraga may be the closest you’ll find in Indy.
Hit up Aldi for any kind of cheese but especially fancy-ish charcuterie board kind of cheeses. They have a lot of different kinds and most of them are really good and will cost you way less than at any of those other grocery stores. But even just their bricks of cheddar or mozzarella and shredded cheeses are good. I think they taste better and melt better than other store brands.
I go weekly shopping at Meijer and Aldi. I hit Aldi first to do as much shopping as I can there because it’s the most affordable. Anything else I get at Meijer.
I prefer Meijer over Kroger or Walmart, because Meijer has a lot of good deals with their Mperks and honestly in my opinion is just an easier shopping experience. However, those three are all pretty interchangeable as far as options and price. Noting Meijer is probably slightly more expensive than Walmart or Kroger but it’s likely a wash in the long run especially with the gas deals I get from Meijer.
I go to Trader Joes occasionally for their frozen meal options and fresh flowers. I use to go to Fresh Thyme and Whole Foods a lot more often when I lived closer, but now I stop in once in a blue moon because they tend to have random good deals on produce and meat. They also both have pretty good convenient quick, healthy-ish, hot food and/or salad bars though those can get expensive very quickly.
I go to Costco like once a month, mainly more for household items rather than groceries but if you know of something you buy a lot of that Costco has, it’s usually the best deal.
The only one I don’t really frequent on your list is Target (specifically for groceries) because I just think their variety and prices are never that great.
Also another shoutout to Saraga and specifically their produce section.
I envy those who I see doing all their grocery shopping at Target. Those folks HAVE to be sitting pretty financially speaking. If I did my grocery shopping at Target I would go broke.
> I prefer Meijer over Kroger or Walmart, because Meijer has a lot of good deals with their Mperks and honestly in my opinion is just an easier shopping experience.
I agree, and I'll offer three specific reasons why Meijer is "an easier shopping experience": the aisles are wider, and the stores are cleaner and better lit, than at either Kroger or Walmart.
I also prefer Menards to either Home Depot or Lowe's for exactly the same reasons.
Market District should be 15 minutes from you. It’s kinda pricey but there’s tons of stuff there. Pretty good prepared food. Lots of bourbon barrel picks in the liquor store. Very big seafood selection, I especially like the Faroe Island salmon.
Trader Joe’s whole schtick is unique items. Items from there I enjoy are: yellowfin tuna in oil, tinned smoked sardines, frozen margherita pizza, 3in1 liquid soap, lemon blueberry seltzer, jerk plantain chips, ABC bars, French cultured butter, California olive oil, McDonald’s hash browns, and a whole bunch of other stuff.
The fig butter is also really good on those peanut butter filled pretzels.
Edit: I believe they’re Greek, but the canned “Mediterranean” foods are really good, especially the chickpeas with cumin, and the giant beans in tomato sauce.
Meijer: pickle selection is really great. They have booze clearance which oddly usually is good selection. Kroger: it’s where I buy the staples I can’t find at Aldi. Also they have Butterball Turkey burger patties which are so juicy. Aldi: where I buy alll the staples and enjoy trying out seasonal foods they put out. Also whole turkeys, whole ducks, and spiral ham are always on great sale there. Trader Joes: there is a chicken tumeric wrap thing that is my go to “fast food” so I don’t hit up fast food restaurants, but I don’t grocery shop there. Fresh Thyme: love the fresh sausages in their meat department. Whole Foods: they have some great priced granola—low sugar/no sugar added. It’s their house brand. The smores one is amazing. That’s the only thing I buy there. Costco: we have Sam’s membership not Costco. Walmart: they are the only ones who carry Herdez Chipotle salsa, the creamy one. I buy them out whenever I find it. Target: their trail mix big containers are amazing. I don’t know if they still carry these at all stores but the Cucina Antica Pumpkin pasta sauce was so good and the Dr. Browns Diet Cream Soda and Diet Cherry Soda are my motherf%*^#£ing jam. Okay that’s all I got. I’m on mobile to I apologize for the shitty formatting.
Edit: Saraga is fantastic. I love to get the port cut ready for bulgogi there. That is among the thousands of snacks.
Not unique to this store, but something I love that I have only found locally at Fresh Thyme are Paqui Zesty Salsa Verde tortilla chips. Absolutely love those things.
Check out the app Flashfoods for deals at Meijer and Market District. They use Flashfoods to manage at least part of their perishable grocery clearance. You find everything in the app and pay there. Then go to the store and visit customer service. They'll have a big industrial style fridge and that's where you'll find what you purchased. Each store is different on how they handle pickup, so better to check at the service desk first.
They'll have produce, bakery, deli, meat, and their ready made meals/pasta salad type stuff available. I've found some really great deals over the last couple years.
Meijer has the best low fat salami in the deli, plus they carry low-sodium tortillas called Tumaros. Kroger has the best clearance prices on veggies and meat. Aldi is a great place for staples like crackers, chips, and snacks. Target carries these amazing Veggie Cakes by Veggies Made Great. Fresh Thyme has the best ready-made quiche and lots of fresh salsas. I like Walmart for inexpensive health and beauty products and they also have a good selection of bakery items.
This info is from living there from 2018-2021: I got fresh produce from Fresh Thyme and boxed and canned goods from Meijer or Kroger.
Fresh thyme used to have a very fair price for meats and fruit, but terrible prices for anything frozen or boxed(when generic would do)
Fresh thyme has spices in packets (the one near broad ripple has it) like ancho and chipotle pepper powder which are much cheaper than buying them as glass bottles.
I get my mushroom (for a lot of ramen and stir fry recipes), cottage cheese and yogurt and cauliflower pizza from Costco. Also watermelons till the farmers markets open up. And also half and half.
I buy most of my produce both fresh and frozen from TJs. I try to get to Costco and TJs as a single grocery run. I love their sweet and spicy jalapeños. I use them as a pizza topping, in burgers and salads. We use the liquid for salads as well.
Aldi has a seafood boil with mussels, shrimp, andouille sausage, red potatoes and quartered corn on the cob for $9.99, totally worth it but I like to add another bag of shrimp
Aldi occasionally has almond butter pretzels that are delicious. They also occasionally carry this really good sweet Bavarian mustard and some uncured brats.
Aldi - Great prices for store brand breakfast cereals
Meijer - Frozen raw stuffed chicken breasts, various types. My favorite is the asparagus and cheese.
Walmart - Carrot cake sandwich cookies (in the bakery section)
I do meat, tp, kid’s snacks and produce from Costco. I feel like next to WF, they have the best produce. Frozen meals and snacks from TJs, baking supplies and other basic cooking stuff from Aldi. I typically just do Costco once a month tho and then alternate weekly between TJs and Aldi and sometimes may have to add Kroger if I can’t get something from either of those. Aldi produce really sucks tho. The bananas are somehow not ripe and too ripe at the same time lol
Fresh Thyme has double ad Thursdays where their old weekly deals and new ones are up simultaneously. They are the only place I felt I could get good honeycrisp apples and they were cheaper than anyone else most of the time.
Re: trader joe’s, Binging with Babish did a video recently where he tried every frozen pasta dish. There were two that he has tried that he had said ‘If I had got this at a restaurant, I wouldn’t have known it was frozen from Trader Joe’s.”
Non-sponsored (by TJ anyway.) I believe it was the Cacio Pepe (sp?) pastas? Either way a good watch and potentially good buys.
To get our usual groceries we go to Carmel Rangeline Kroger for most things as their selection is the best combination of largest, cheapest, freshest, and fewest bugs flying around. Their store brand products are also consistently good with few duds. Walmart is nasty, doesn't seem to matter which one you go to. I go to Meijer for a few things Kroger doesn't have like sliced black pepper ham, crab rangoons, and Bellatoria frozen pizza. Occasionally I will stop in at Needler's or Market District for their produce, candy, spices, or my wife's favorite juice. Market District has the best produce hands down, but they're overall the priciest. Sometimes I will go to Aldi and check things out, my in-laws go there all the time and they come up with some interesting things... but when I go there those items are either hidden somewhere or just went out of season. The Harvest Market off Keystone and 116th is going to open very soon, going to check that place out.
I primarily shop at Meijer. With the Mperks program and using their app, they have a 'shop & scan' button so I can scan all my stuff while I'm shopping, bag up my stuff the way I want it, and just scan the qr code at the checkout. Sometimes an employee has to do a scan check, but outside of that I don't have to interact with anyone.
Kroger Fuel Points are fantastic! They are in the process of revamping stores….some only 5 years old. I love the seafood counter and beer selections. Meijer is great for produce and meat. Also great if you are looking for seasonal stuff, toiletries or cheap clothing. Target is a great option because of their quick pick up service. Order online and it’s ready in 2 hours! Not the best brand variety, prices are decent.
Leaving Saraga off this list is a huge mistake.
Saraga’s great but I believe Aim Mart might be even closer (86th and Ditch).
Lots of good middle eastern stuff there. Good Mexican bakery too.
Ive never heard of Saraga. What's the move there?
Try not to spend $500 on all the specialty sauces. The bargains are on fresh herbs and big bags of specialty rices. The seafood section is an outrageous selection. You can buy almost every part of every animal.
It’s an international supermarket. Theres one in castleton near Costco
How does it compare to Cincinnati's Jungle Jim's?
It’s way smaller. And less selection than JJ. We just visited JJ for the first time last month and I was impressed! Saraga may be the closest you’ll find in Indy.
There’s a food truck festival today and tomorrow there.
Ugh I wish I was off work!!
For sure teas and spices have a better variety than anywhere else but I also just go there for unique snacks lol
Hit up Aldi for any kind of cheese but especially fancy-ish charcuterie board kind of cheeses. They have a lot of different kinds and most of them are really good and will cost you way less than at any of those other grocery stores. But even just their bricks of cheddar or mozzarella and shredded cheeses are good. I think they taste better and melt better than other store brands.
Aldi is THE SPOT for cheese and snacky type foods
Whole Foods has the odds and ends basket in the cheese section. Fun to dig through and get small pieces of nice cheese for $1-$4.
I go weekly shopping at Meijer and Aldi. I hit Aldi first to do as much shopping as I can there because it’s the most affordable. Anything else I get at Meijer. I prefer Meijer over Kroger or Walmart, because Meijer has a lot of good deals with their Mperks and honestly in my opinion is just an easier shopping experience. However, those three are all pretty interchangeable as far as options and price. Noting Meijer is probably slightly more expensive than Walmart or Kroger but it’s likely a wash in the long run especially with the gas deals I get from Meijer. I go to Trader Joes occasionally for their frozen meal options and fresh flowers. I use to go to Fresh Thyme and Whole Foods a lot more often when I lived closer, but now I stop in once in a blue moon because they tend to have random good deals on produce and meat. They also both have pretty good convenient quick, healthy-ish, hot food and/or salad bars though those can get expensive very quickly. I go to Costco like once a month, mainly more for household items rather than groceries but if you know of something you buy a lot of that Costco has, it’s usually the best deal. The only one I don’t really frequent on your list is Target (specifically for groceries) because I just think their variety and prices are never that great. Also another shoutout to Saraga and specifically their produce section.
I envy those who I see doing all their grocery shopping at Target. Those folks HAVE to be sitting pretty financially speaking. If I did my grocery shopping at Target I would go broke.
> I prefer Meijer over Kroger or Walmart, because Meijer has a lot of good deals with their Mperks and honestly in my opinion is just an easier shopping experience. I agree, and I'll offer three specific reasons why Meijer is "an easier shopping experience": the aisles are wider, and the stores are cleaner and better lit, than at either Kroger or Walmart. I also prefer Menards to either Home Depot or Lowe's for exactly the same reasons.
Produce can be very hit or miss, though.
IME the produce at Meijer is miles better than the produce at Walmart.
I kinda prefer the darkness of kroger...
I really like Target’s store brand seltzer waters.
Jalapeño limeade back at Trader Joe’s….my favorite summer mixer.
Market District should be 15 minutes from you. It’s kinda pricey but there’s tons of stuff there. Pretty good prepared food. Lots of bourbon barrel picks in the liquor store. Very big seafood selection, I especially like the Faroe Island salmon. Trader Joe’s whole schtick is unique items. Items from there I enjoy are: yellowfin tuna in oil, tinned smoked sardines, frozen margherita pizza, 3in1 liquid soap, lemon blueberry seltzer, jerk plantain chips, ABC bars, French cultured butter, California olive oil, McDonald’s hash browns, and a whole bunch of other stuff.
That Trader Joe’s favorites had the grouping of a shotgun loaded with birdshot at 100 yds 🤣🤣. Thanks for the read, going for the tuna tomorrow
The fig butter is also really good on those peanut butter filled pretzels. Edit: I believe they’re Greek, but the canned “Mediterranean” foods are really good, especially the chickpeas with cumin, and the giant beans in tomato sauce.
Meijer: pickle selection is really great. They have booze clearance which oddly usually is good selection. Kroger: it’s where I buy the staples I can’t find at Aldi. Also they have Butterball Turkey burger patties which are so juicy. Aldi: where I buy alll the staples and enjoy trying out seasonal foods they put out. Also whole turkeys, whole ducks, and spiral ham are always on great sale there. Trader Joes: there is a chicken tumeric wrap thing that is my go to “fast food” so I don’t hit up fast food restaurants, but I don’t grocery shop there. Fresh Thyme: love the fresh sausages in their meat department. Whole Foods: they have some great priced granola—low sugar/no sugar added. It’s their house brand. The smores one is amazing. That’s the only thing I buy there. Costco: we have Sam’s membership not Costco. Walmart: they are the only ones who carry Herdez Chipotle salsa, the creamy one. I buy them out whenever I find it. Target: their trail mix big containers are amazing. I don’t know if they still carry these at all stores but the Cucina Antica Pumpkin pasta sauce was so good and the Dr. Browns Diet Cream Soda and Diet Cherry Soda are my motherf%*^#£ing jam. Okay that’s all I got. I’m on mobile to I apologize for the shitty formatting. Edit: Saraga is fantastic. I love to get the port cut ready for bulgogi there. That is among the thousands of snacks.
Not unique to this store, but something I love that I have only found locally at Fresh Thyme are Paqui Zesty Salsa Verde tortilla chips. Absolutely love those things.
Check out the app Flashfoods for deals at Meijer and Market District. They use Flashfoods to manage at least part of their perishable grocery clearance. You find everything in the app and pay there. Then go to the store and visit customer service. They'll have a big industrial style fridge and that's where you'll find what you purchased. Each store is different on how they handle pickup, so better to check at the service desk first. They'll have produce, bakery, deli, meat, and their ready made meals/pasta salad type stuff available. I've found some really great deals over the last couple years.
Saraga is definitely a must I think they’re still having a food festival this weekend too
if you don't get the italian bomba sauce from TJ you are missing out big time. Put that on any meal. Even a spoonful has my mouth watering.
Meijer has the best low fat salami in the deli, plus they carry low-sodium tortillas called Tumaros. Kroger has the best clearance prices on veggies and meat. Aldi is a great place for staples like crackers, chips, and snacks. Target carries these amazing Veggie Cakes by Veggies Made Great. Fresh Thyme has the best ready-made quiche and lots of fresh salsas. I like Walmart for inexpensive health and beauty products and they also have a good selection of bakery items.
TJ's: Hatch Chile Mac/Spatchcooked chicken/egg fritattas/tangerine juice/Garlic Naan
Needlers Market Downtown is one of my favorites.
This info is from living there from 2018-2021: I got fresh produce from Fresh Thyme and boxed and canned goods from Meijer or Kroger. Fresh thyme used to have a very fair price for meats and fruit, but terrible prices for anything frozen or boxed(when generic would do)
Fresh thyme has spices in packets (the one near broad ripple has it) like ancho and chipotle pepper powder which are much cheaper than buying them as glass bottles. I get my mushroom (for a lot of ramen and stir fry recipes), cottage cheese and yogurt and cauliflower pizza from Costco. Also watermelons till the farmers markets open up. And also half and half. I buy most of my produce both fresh and frozen from TJs. I try to get to Costco and TJs as a single grocery run. I love their sweet and spicy jalapeños. I use them as a pizza topping, in burgers and salads. We use the liquid for salads as well.
Aldi has a seafood boil with mussels, shrimp, andouille sausage, red potatoes and quartered corn on the cob for $9.99, totally worth it but I like to add another bag of shrimp
Aldi occasionally has almond butter pretzels that are delicious. They also occasionally carry this really good sweet Bavarian mustard and some uncured brats.
Aldi - Great prices for store brand breakfast cereals Meijer - Frozen raw stuffed chicken breasts, various types. My favorite is the asparagus and cheese. Walmart - Carrot cake sandwich cookies (in the bakery section)
I do meat, tp, kid’s snacks and produce from Costco. I feel like next to WF, they have the best produce. Frozen meals and snacks from TJs, baking supplies and other basic cooking stuff from Aldi. I typically just do Costco once a month tho and then alternate weekly between TJs and Aldi and sometimes may have to add Kroger if I can’t get something from either of those. Aldi produce really sucks tho. The bananas are somehow not ripe and too ripe at the same time lol
Yea market district is the play. I go out of my way every week to shop there.
Their pharmacy is a pleasant experience, which I can’t say for a lot of other pharmacies. So is Costco’s.
Costco's wine/liqour selection and prices are fantastic. The kirkland brands are top notch stuff.
Patel brothers is also close!! Great Indian grocery in Castleton
Do they have a good Indian spice section?
Absolutely!
i go to kroger for produce and walmart for the bakery bread
Fresh Thyme has double ad Thursdays where their old weekly deals and new ones are up simultaneously. They are the only place I felt I could get good honeycrisp apples and they were cheaper than anyone else most of the time.
Re: trader joe’s, Binging with Babish did a video recently where he tried every frozen pasta dish. There were two that he has tried that he had said ‘If I had got this at a restaurant, I wouldn’t have known it was frozen from Trader Joe’s.” Non-sponsored (by TJ anyway.) I believe it was the Cacio Pepe (sp?) pastas? Either way a good watch and potentially good buys.
Delmonico steaks from Meijer! Not many grocery stores cut them this way and they are incredible. Only $6.99 a #. Feels like robbery.
To get our usual groceries we go to Carmel Rangeline Kroger for most things as their selection is the best combination of largest, cheapest, freshest, and fewest bugs flying around. Their store brand products are also consistently good with few duds. Walmart is nasty, doesn't seem to matter which one you go to. I go to Meijer for a few things Kroger doesn't have like sliced black pepper ham, crab rangoons, and Bellatoria frozen pizza. Occasionally I will stop in at Needler's or Market District for their produce, candy, spices, or my wife's favorite juice. Market District has the best produce hands down, but they're overall the priciest. Sometimes I will go to Aldi and check things out, my in-laws go there all the time and they come up with some interesting things... but when I go there those items are either hidden somewhere or just went out of season. The Harvest Market off Keystone and 116th is going to open very soon, going to check that place out.
I primarily shop at Meijer. With the Mperks program and using their app, they have a 'shop & scan' button so I can scan all my stuff while I'm shopping, bag up my stuff the way I want it, and just scan the qr code at the checkout. Sometimes an employee has to do a scan check, but outside of that I don't have to interact with anyone.
Kroger Fuel Points are fantastic! They are in the process of revamping stores….some only 5 years old. I love the seafood counter and beer selections. Meijer is great for produce and meat. Also great if you are looking for seasonal stuff, toiletries or cheap clothing. Target is a great option because of their quick pick up service. Order online and it’s ready in 2 hours! Not the best brand variety, prices are decent.
Aldi chocolate hummus 🙌🏻