Minimax Crestview-IGA

Possibly the worst grocery store in the metro area. It is convenient and I love the fact that it’s been there forever and isn’t a chain. I’ve given it two years of tries and have finally sworn it off. Here’s why.
— Dairy nearly always out of date. Partially my fault, but shouldn’t have to look for milk over a week out of date. Even if it’s not out of date, it will go sour shortly. Trust me.
— Meat either rotten /​brown (when it shouldn’t be) or must be used same day of purchase
— Produce is just plain bad and expensive. Limes dry. Fruit old. It’s like second-​hand stuff.
I would much rather shop anywhere else, including chains, because I feel as if I am consistently throwing away money when I shop here. If anyone thinks this is a good grocery store, they’re on something. Only nice thing other than that mentioned in my intro are the checkers are local young kids, which is nice to see.
Go to FreshPlus. Local, clean, well-​stocked, actual deli with butchers, and nothing is expired.

Great place to stop and get beer from their packed walk-​in beer fridge. Also good for staple items like dry goods, plastic wrap, foil, etc. Or maybe a to feed a late night ice cream craving.
We’ve gotten burned on expired items before so check the dates before you purchase.

Convenient location for us. It’s right across from little deli. The store has great selection of fresh produce with very decent pricing.

Great neighborhood store. A wide selection and fair prices. The way we were…

This is a delightful neighborhood store with a decent selection, reasonable prices, a VERY convenient location for neighborhood residents, and always friendly and helpful staff.
A special treat: THE WALK-​IN BEER COOLER. They have one of the better and wider selections available in this part of Austin. It is a beer lover’s paradise!
If you live in North Central Austin, you should check these guys out. Likely, you will be coming back.

For its location and the price, its a great spot if you do not feel like heading down to HEB or Central Market in the North Lamar area. They have a nice sized beer walk-​in cooler towards the left side corner when you walk in, the variety of beer will please most taste buds…
This place has all the basic essentials that any small one stop grocery store should have, with a decent sized produce selection. The Parade branded products are basically dirt cheap, so if you wanna save some money on a last minute meal for yourself and don’t feel like going out, then this brand is the way to go.
The meats selection is decent, I just wish they had a seafood section, more than just a small little freezer with some basic frozen Tilapia and frozen Shrimp etc.
Overall, they have basically everything you would need to make most dishes at comparable prices to HEB — the quality definitely is there compared to Central and such others, Cashier was very friendly and I have read the opposite in some reviews about their service, I had no complaints at all. However, I am not that big of a fan for the layout of this place. It could be set up differently which would make it easier to navigate, it feels like little hidden passage ways and round-​abouts everywhere.

There’s just something delightful about the Minimax and the whole Crestview shopping center. Very neighborly and full of character and history, I really enjoy shopping and eating here. Plus the convenience of being 2 blocks away is awesome!
Of course the Minimax isn’t your super-​large-​HEB-​everything-​under-​the-​sun-​choices, but they are well stocked with all the essentials and a few extras too. They have this really awesome selection of French and Italian loaf bread that you can take home and pop in the oven for 15 minutes an you have hot, crusty bread for dinner! The produce is fresh and their meats are good.
They also have a fairly decent wine selection and a beer cooler (I don’t drink beer, but I’ve heard raves about the cooler and selection) which makes an awesome pairing with Little Deli across the lot. Order your pizza, then come buy a bottle of wine and enjoy both on one of the outdoor tables. Perfection!
Staff has always been very friendly and helpful to me, I know some people have complained about that. Maybe they’re not overly chatty, but my introverted self digs that, I just need a hello and a thank you and I’m good.

For those of us in the Wooten neighborhood our only option seems to be Mexican markets. While I’m certainly a fan of Oaxaca cheese and Jarritos, I’m a gringo and I need my Colby-​Jack and fair-​trade coffee, man. When I’m in need of a regular grocery store, my next nearest options are Wal-​Mart and the Minimax Crestview-IGA…while IGA isn’t local, it’s certainly no Wally World. I’m down with this predominanly-​rural grocery chain.
I ventured to the IGA for the first time today in need of a few standard items. Just south of Anderson Lane, the IGA inhabits a vintage building, nestled within the tree-​lined residential area of Crestview. Inside the store you won’t find anything fancy, but you will enjoy a time warp to rural America circa 1959. A medium-​sized store, it’s packed surprisingly well with a little bit of everything. There’s a nice mix of low and high prices-​IGA offering the «cheap as dirt» off-​brand, Parade-​a definite plus for the broke. The produce looked crisp and was of average price-​something like HEB non-​sale prices.
As I brought my Parade-​brand butter, stewed tomatoes, and York peppermint patties to the register, I was greeted by the cashier,
«Here at IGA, you’re not a customer, you’re a friend!»
We shook hands and exchanged pleasantries as my items were bagged by another friendly employee. I smiled widely and happily walked out of the store, excited to see our friendship blossom-​me and the IGA, new BFF’s?

I love the Minimax for it’s selection of produce, beer and wine, etc. as others have noted.
I do not like the service there. The checkers and baggers are teenagers that do not acknowledge me, say hello, thank you, nothing. And I am usually interrupting their social hour and horse-​play. The older manager guy just creepily sits in his area enjoying their antics. I gave him the side eye during my last visit but I doubt he cares. For all I know he hired them.
I have had to ask the checker to stop throwing my produce over to the bagger. After several visits where I feel I am burdening them with my purchase, this last visit I looked at the kids helping me out and asked them if they ever said «hello» or «thank you» to the customers? The check out girl said, «have a nice day.» I said, «it kinda makes a difference» and I sadly walked out. I really hate that I have to ASK for decent customer service.

The one and only time I’ve ever gone into a business, purchased a product, and left with absolutely no acknowledgement from the person who rang up my purchase and took my money. No eye contact, no greeting, no request for payment, no thank you.
I love supporting small business. But not this one. I won’t be back.

LOVE THE MAX! It’s been our families’ grocery store since I was a barefoot kid in the 70’s. Great place to shop! Convenient and lots of variety packed in such a little space. Yes, some stuff is priced high but a lot of things are cheaper than the big stores. They also have a fantastic beer cave! Produce is always super fresh and the staff is generally very friendly!

Just the best old-​fashioned grocery store ever. The heart of the Crestview Minimax center which is a throwback from the early 1950’s.
Family owned, great service, teenagers cashing and checking.
NO one in this store is abusive or uncaring. The other reviewers sound, uh, a little uptight.
The prices are higher on some things and lower on many others! Their beer prices are often $ 1 less than HEB so it just depends on what sells well.
It’s a great place to shop and work. There are plenty of die-​hard fans to prove it.

A cool old-​school grocery store. This is what most grocery stores looked like when I was a kid (minus the excellent beer cooler). A great spot to pick up a couple beers for hanging out at Little Deli, or just getting a few essentials on the way home. And the staff is super nice.

They discount their old food, and have a quarter soda machine! With like 8 different flavors to choose from! I don’t come around very often, but when I yearn for simpler times, this place is on the short list.

This place is a rip off. $ 5 for oatmeal that is $ 3 elsewhere. Most of the other items are also marked way above what they would be at a larger grocery store. I appreciate that there is a smaller option right in a nearby neighborhood but there is just not that much selection (especially in produce). The manager was abusive to the employees, telling one of the checkers to ask for a carry-​out to everyone: even if we only had one bag and she still had to ask! I used to work for a grocery store, and let me tell you, manager, this is not going to separate your store much from other places. Maybe you want to look at replacing your old linoleum floors and organizing the store in a more understandable layout. I want this place to be better than it is but it’s just not trying hard enough and shouldn’t get credit for just being an sub-​par grocery store that’s easily accessible.
The hours are also exceptionally early to close. 9PM on a weekend is not very helpful when I just get out of the house around that time.
I suppose that I will admit: this place loses it’s luster because I am not living in the neighborhood or within walking distance (but I am within biking distance). ;)

If you’re in this neighborhood for life or just for a party, this is your place to stop and stock up on all the finer things you need to get through a party, barbeque, or miscellaneous shindig.
I primarily go here to pick up things before heading to someone’s house — wine, beer, chips, salsa, shredded cheese, limes, etc. The overall food selection is limited like any neighborhood grocery store — don’t worry about that. Just go into the BEER FRIDGE and find something great. Or grab a bottle of wine from the wine corner. MMmmmmm wine corner.
I deduct one star for the somewhat shambling high-​school age staff. They’re adorable, but sometimes don’t have their ducks in a row.

This is a really cute little store with everything you could need from a grocery store. I love that there are fewer options here and yet still everything you need. I can’t stand staring at the shelves at the other stores these days trying to figure out which version of a can of soup I should get from the 200 options in front of me. I didn’t see any seafood here but could have missed it in the frozen section I suppose.
I will say that the prices here seemed significantly higher than other stores. I’m not sure I could do my shopping here on a regular basis… might as well go to Whole Foods for the cost of milk and eggs here is on par with there.

Want to step back in time without going very far? Just walk in the door of this little gem and you’re transported to what life might have been like in the ‘50s. It’s small, it’s not the cleanest or the cheapest, but it’s convenient if you live in the neighborhood or are at Little Deli and want some adult beverages.
I used to live in this ‘hood but only went there once. The meat and produce selection were pretty meh, but it’s the only grocery store that I know of that can simply be described as super cute. Just go and you’ll understand.
Would I replace my weekly HEB shopping with this joint? Of course not, but only because I seem to have quite a few strange yet interesting experiences at HEB that I wouldn’t want to risk giving up (see my HEB review for more details).

This store is a wonderful trip down memory lane. You know when the store owner said hello and actually knows your name. The clerks are nice, always smiling and very quick. When was the last time you had a clerk carry your groceries to your car with a smile? I think that is really something considering how hot it is right now. They carry lots of local products and for a smaller store they really have a great selection. They have a big walk-​in beer cooler and fantastic prices on a wide variety of wine too. I wish I had four hands so I could give them a quadruple thumbs up! Say hello to Ronnie, the owner when you go, he might just tell you a story about his last trip to go fishing…
;)

I love this store. Everyone that works here is super nice. The store isn’t huge so you don’t end up walking around for ever trying to find the thing you are looking for.
But the real reason I love this place? The beer cave. They have an excellent selection of beers and malt beverages. We even got some Sake 2 Me splits here!
It’s a great right around the corner type of place.