Punjab Groceries & Halal Meat

Really awesome store with major variety of all the ingredients I need for my cooking. It’s a little hard to find some of the stuff even for me as the aisles are packed (to say the least). I usually end up buying more than what I need every time I am here. The folks behind the counter are very nice and friendly — of course, the fact that they speak Punjabi is an added bonus. It definitely feels like home when I’m visiting !

Fantastic Near and Far East grocers. The prices are phenomenal, and the staff is quick to help. If you are looking to buy bulk legumes of any type, this is your spot. Finally, the snacks here are awesome — you can a broad selection of junk food from around the world!

Cute little store. Helpful staff. The best Fresh Goat meat sellers in town. The prices are Just Right for my pocket. My new must go when in the mood to cook up my fav Asian «yummyness»

My go to spot for spices, lentils, grains, meats and sometimes veggies and fruits too. The place could use some organization but they are definitely making the most of their loaded shelves. Their prices and quantities are reasonable. Sometimes you can find rare tropical and other fruits here such as guava, lychee and dragon fruit. I always keep my eye out for star fruit, maybe I’ll find it here one of these days. I always make sure the produce is fresh and not on the road to rottendom. They have an extensive frozen foods’ section. I like to try different frozen Indian foods they have such as dosa and various curries. They also have ethnic ice creams and frozen desserts. My favorite is kulfi and rus-​malai, respectively. The ready-​to-​eat samosas at the cash register are a must every time. The staff at the register is friendly and always initiates small talk. They also have henna cones. Check this place out.

Great prices on labneh adjvar and Afghan bread which are staples in my house. A fine selection of vegetables, grains, rice, teas and other essential items. A wide range of sauces, olives etc. The staff are very helpful and attentive. I wish the store were a bit larger, but am very grateful for its presence.

I love this place! Indian and Middle Eastern staples are the best deal around and the tiny space is almost infinitely dense. If you can’t find something ask the cashier and I’ll bet you that screwpine essence or atta flour is lurking there somewhere. The produce is undependable but they get some unusual items that are fun to figure out. That disposable aluminum pan on the counter is full of samosas and they are out of this world.
The Punjab Market is a gem.

(10÷4÷2014) Great place for all your spice needs, cheap and lots of it. Good butcher, especially for hard to find cuts of lamb and goat. Got some delicious samosas hot out of the fryer for a snack, mildly spicy, aromatic, almost busting out with potato and peas. Place gets the stars for selection and price point, but don’t go if you’re the sensitive type and not brown, service is brusque, shall we say.

When I first moved to Baltimore, this place came up in my search for an Indian grocery store… probably because it is the ONLY Indian grocery store in Baltimore. I was a bit skeptical at first, but now Im a regular! Like most Indian grocers, this place is not fancy but they have been renovating and every time I go back it seems neater and cleaner! You cannot beat the prices if you want basic lentils (sick of eating highly preserved garbanzo beans from a can… check out dry lentils here!), Indian spices, or fresh vegetables. Samosas always for sale at the front desk like all Indian grocers! Their turnover of items is good so I have never discovered that my box of spices were expired (which happens a lot with Indian stores). The owners/​cashiers speak a moderate amount of English but are always helpful despite the language barrier. Also, carry a ton of vegetarian items (don’t be scared off by «meat» in their store name) such as indian yogurt, paneer, fresh and frozen vegetables and a variety of frozen breads (naan, chapati, etc). In summary, great selection of items you will not find at any other store in Baltimore and for a great price!

This place is such a hidden gem. Can’t beat the prices or the variety or the friendly service. As long as you’re willing to spend a little time poking around, you can find everything you need right here for Indian cuisine or general consumption, including good, affordable produce (pretty limited selection compared to a supermarket type establishment, but we can find just about all of the fruits and veggies we want here). So lucky to have this place nearby!

I needed rice and oily toor daal and this was the closest location to get my Indian grocery fix.
The place is tiny and carries the basics, but I was very skeptical about the expiration dates on some of the products. They carried about 6 bags of the oily toor daal but all the bags were leaking oil… so gross. I’ve bought bags from other stores before and never had that problem, which made me think that maybe these bags had been sitting there for a LONG time. Other people have mentioned the spices so maybe that’s a safer bet. There’s a small fridge with vegetables too.

I want to spend a night here like I’m Tom hanks in a movie about an airport or Frank Whaley in a movie about Kmart
Park in the Waverly farmers market parking lot.

This little shop is outstanding. The staff look kind of cold and strictly business like until you actually converse with them, very friendly. They are also very helpful. When I asked about using a particular spice for frying fish, one of the workers pointed me in the direction of another spice mix which he favored. Reasonably priced items, moreso than the Giant or Eddie’s Market, to which the Punjab is equidistant. You’re definitely getting more for your buck here. A definite plus is the tray of potato samosas at the counter, made fresh daily (I assume). They are about the size of a child’s fist and at .35 a piece, they are a definite steal. 3 – 4 of them as a quick lunch along with a beverage, will fill you up quite nicely.

After failing to find chickpea flour at the Hampden Giant and finding very overpriced chickpea flour at Whole Foods (shocker!) I decided to give Punjab Groceries in Charles Village a call. They said they had a 2 pound bag for about 2 bucks! Woohoo!
So I go to the store and I’m in the flour aisle, seeing every possible flour ever ground by mankind. I’m really fascinated and keep getting distracted by all the intriguing things around me and I really start to to feel like I’m in a corner shop in another country because I don’t recognize… well…anything…but I still can’t find the damn chickpea flour for my falafel. So I ask.
Oops– I’m in the wrong aisle (multiple flour aisles!) and I can’t find the chickpea flour because the packaging is not in English and it’s called Besan Meera Gram flour. The package doesn’t say anything about chick peas, the only ingredient listed is ‘gram’, and the only picture is an illustration of an Indian woman playing a sitar. Though the man at the counter was very nice and helpful, and seemed to know what he was talking about, I will admit that I did a quick iphone Google to make sure we were on the same page. We were. Then I felt a little bad, but then again– who wants to get home with a 2 pound bag of the wrong thing? Next time I’ll trust him.
As I wander along the aisles, chickpea flour tucked under my arm, I start to feel like a complete idiot for buying my pita bread, tahini, herbs, and garbanzos at Whole Paycheck. The prices (and authenticity in some cases) can’t compare. Man, sometimes I am just a stupid STUPID American! The real kicker was the crates of ripe mangoes at the front. People were coming in to scoop them up by the case-​full. I bought a mango advertised as «ripe» at the Hampden Giant that has been sitting on my windowsill for a week, unwilling to soften.
The small shop was very busy when I was there (a Friday afternoon), so even though I felt like I wanted to ask the man at the counter a bazillion questions, he clearly needed to be ringing people up.
Yes, the parking lot in front is very small (3 SUVs fit yesterday-that’s it). There are meters across the street at the Waverly Library and street parking on Abell (where you would park for the farmer’s market) and on 33^rd after a certain time.
There are freshly-​baked vegetarian samosas at the counter :)
What I really need is a Pakinstani friend. Then he or she can come with me to Punjab Groceries and we can walk through every aisle while I say «What’s this? What’s this? What is this used for?» and then I“ll be happy. Can you read these packages? Will you be my friend?!

Your standard Pakistani cornershop that is overflowing with general South Asian items that address the needs of most people seeking them.
Nothing wrong with this and if you’re the sort of person who needs these things, you know you’ll need to be a patron here or the few other options that exist in Baltimore.
Since the staff is helpful and nice you might as well come here.
So, quite obviously it’s recommended.

I was looking for ground lamp for a recipe and was directed here, and was able to purchase frozen ground lamb for $ 8/​pound.
Looking around the store, I wish I had brought enough money for my monthly food budget, because all the items that I have seen in Indian restaurants are available here as frozen and boxed portions, as well as so many reasonably price raw ingredients in bulk, that I would love to try cooking from scratch!
The find of the night was a kilo (2.2 pounds) of Gunpowder Green Tea. It was packaged in a square box, for $ 11. That’s really astounding because the same tea at a boutique tea place can cost over $ 20 /​pound!
Another interesting find was a 10 oz jar of Himalayan Pink Rock Salt for $ 2.95. This is another boutique type of item that could have cost as much as $ 10!
Lots of other great finds. Friendly staff.

At any kind of place this small… shop at your own risk.
Check expiration dates, use your senses.
They have lots of things from pots and pans, a variety of spices, lays potato chips from india (unique flavors), ice cream, oils, ready made indian flavorings like tikka masala, «fresh?» produce (garlic, lettuce, ginger, lemons, cilantro, other herbs etc)
You’ll find some unique stuff… for a foodie like me that loves to cook, this is nearly heaven … I can see many people getting turned off by this place… but this is my jam.
Oh, samosas (veggie I believe) on the counter are $.85 …The owner (i think) was really nice and threw in a free one for me.
Not sure if they’re homemade, but they sure were tasty.

One of my favourite groceries in Baltimore :)
The first thing you may notice is the staff. The owner is exceptionally friendly, good-​natured, and generous. The other staff are polite, helpful, and quick to smile.
The grocery stocks a wide variety of goods from from India and the Middle East. Aisles of various flours, beans, spices, honeys, teas and coffees abound. They carry a good amount of different frozen and prepared foods and baked goods. The produce section is what you would generally expect: apples, bananas, citrus fruits, a few stone fruits, fresh herbs (lots of mint), onions, potatoes, greens. However there are some specialty produce that you would not find in your typical American groceries: lychees, bitter gourd, plantains, etc. There are some gnats in that section in the warmer months.
A small section dedicated to kitchen essentials (mortals and pestles, pots and pans, spice containers, rolling pins, etc) fulfills the small incidental purchases you may need. In addition there is a small beauty section containing a few items for hair and skin (often Ayurvedic based). There are a few housewares and prayer objects as well as some random miscellaneous objects (scarves, perfumes, music).
Wonderful people, great selection, and affordable prices all have put Punjab at the top of my list of favourite groceries in Baltimore. And if you catch the owner on a good day, he might even give you treat!
BTW– DO NOT PARK AT THE PIZZA PLACE NEXT DOOR. The pizza place will call and have you ticketed or towed. There is a small lot in front or park in the street.

I’ve been shopping at Punjab for 4 years now. I agree with other reviewers that spices and some other items are cheap compared to mainstream grocery stores.
However, often stuff is close to its expiry date. Worse many times you get double charged, i. e the same item is rung up twice. The receipt does not mention the item name, only the code, so unless you are vigilant, you may never realize.
My solution is to buy just a few items so i can keep track of what they are ringing up and ask them to double check if I have a doubt. At least five times they have «mistakenly» rung up an item twice.

Ethnic grocery stores are one of the best things about living in Baltimore City. This jem meets all my needs.
When I am getting in touch with my West Indian side I head here for goat meat so fresh they let you pick the cut you want from the back refrigerated room. This is NOT for the faint of heart.
Since giving up meat, I can buy mangoes by the case for around $ 1 each. I stock up on chickpea flower (does every vegan recipe call for this?), cumin, cinnamon sticks, curry, arrowroot flour, samosas and more on the cheap.
They stock loads of things to make your own chai. This is definitely where you need to go before buying *any* spice. I paid $ 1.99 for a bag of 20 cinnamon sticks. Corriander, curry, white pepper can be had for a song!
Plus, they are friendly, friendly friendly and most helpful.

This is right next to Johns Hopkins campus. So, very convenient. Especially for Hopkins students, since the Escort vans/​shuttles will gladly take you there and pick up.
This is also close to the memorial hospital.
I like their fresh meat and sweets. They bring in the fresh vegetables every Monday, so you should do your shopping on Monday or Tuesday to get fresh items. The samosas sold on the checkout counter seem to be made daily.
Their prices are low … at least lower than any other grocery in the neighborhood. For example, a bunch of cilantro leaves costs half the price of the regular groceries.
The store is a little congested, but if you go there during the non-​rush hours, you’d be fine.
Do try out their yogurt … they sell a brand called something like desi dahi, and it is quite good plain yogurt.
By the way, the neighborhood being Waverly, you should avoid going there during closing hours, such as around 8.30−9 pm. Other times are fine.