Welcome Food Center

I go here often since it is easy and close to shopping. But the last weekend I bought two watermelon, and one was okay and other one has bad taste where I have to throw it away. The quality of watermelon is getting worse year by year. I am probably not going to buy any fresh fruit from there any more. The price is cheap in the surface, but actually it is more expensive since I can not eat any more. Watch out!

This is suck market I never seen. and I never hear any market can’t return or exchange rice … and the attitude really bad… ya’ll need learn how to be a good service…
NO MORE COMING TO THIS MARKET … SUCK EVEN UR PRICE IS CHEAP. I DON’T CARE…

This place is busy. It is an older store but the prices and the selection is good. The hard part is the employees, they may not all speak English and will straight up walk past you when you are trying to get help. I get it, but if your Chinese dialect is limited and they only speak Mandarin… hard as balls!
The guy Butcher asked my mom if she wanted her meat cut and she said no, it was for Buda and he yelled at her and said she only needed to say no. –no need to yell at paying customers.
The casher didn’t have a bagger so my dad started to bag his own groceries and the cashier yelled at my dad for reaching for the «wrong» bags and that he need to use another one. –well maybe if you could do your job better and do it faster, the customer wouldn’t have to bag their own items.
If you know what you want or don’t need to ask people for help, this is ok to go to.
The cart collectors will holler at you (like a cat call) because their English is limited.
Good luck in the parking lot, drivers are rude, can’t drive, and impatient!

Dear lord,
This is my #1 Chinese supermarket growing up. Way back in the days of old Houston, before Hong Kong City Malls, before Ranch 99’s existed, and literally OG.
You step into the store, and instantly feel transported to the 90s. The cash registers are all old school, the folks working here are old aunties and uncles that my parents converse with. Lunch box specials for $ 3.99 and bakery pasteries for your nomming pleasure, with infinite selection of Asian sugary drinks.
–1 star only because this parking lot and every other driver within the Bellaire shopping area drives like they’re in a Mad Max Fury Road world. DGAFing about everyone else, and I’m positive trying to drive across Bellaire without a light protecting me would ensure my death. Maybe check up on your will and ensuring it’s up to date before you head down to the Chinatown area while you’re within proximity.
Otherwise, solid Chinese market, plastic bag galore and hanging roasted duck and pig, with all the asian ingredients you ever needed and then some!

When my parents come to visit me in Texas, they always make me bring them here to go grocery shopping. Honestly, I feel they have the best prices compared to the other Asian markets around and are more convenient to get in and get out without having to spend several hours walking around one marketplace.

I don’t find myself in Chinatown often anymore due to several reasons: (1) crazy drivers (2) lack of parking unless you go either really early or right before they close and (3) it’s a bit out of the way for me. However, I do try to make a monthly trip for random groceries.
Welcome is the first Asian market coming in from 59 so we usually stop by there first. It’s not the cleanest (as if any Asian market is really clean) and it’s pretty loud. It’s always packed with people (too many people, in my opinion, which is why I like going about an hour before they close) and parking is an absolute nightmare because people park and drive like they’re back in Asia. It’s one of the places where you see people MAKE their own parking spots if they can’t find one and they like to shoot across parking lots as if it’s the middle of an apocalypse… even when the lot is packed.
Although the produce isn’t organized or laid out like at other American markets and definitely not sorted like at more upscale markets like Whole Foods or Central Market, it is the place to go if you want reasonably priced produce (if not the greatest in quality) — especially Asian food items that are marked up at American places.
My issue is a couple of weeks ago, there was some spilled mystery (clear) liquid in one of the aisles which I somehow found and slipped on and fell. Just my luck that I had to find that one spot. Like I said: not very clean. No workers were around but there were other shoppers. I ended up getting a badly bruised knee and some scrapes. My knee still hurts when I twist it a certain way. Ever since then, my husband is silently boycotting the place even though he’s the one who prefers Asian food. We usually go into Chinatown when I feel like giving him a break from my international culinary adventures in the kitchen to give him something closer to home, haha.
The Good Stuff:
— Reasonably priced produce
— Go here for your Asian food needs and don’t get ripped off at American places
The Bad Stuff:
— It’s your typical Asian market (crowded, noisy, not very clean). Escape this by going an hour before they close.
— Produce quality differs from decent to just plain bad (I don’t know why they still leave it out for people to buy)
— Parking is a nightmare and a hazard
— Beware of invisible spills

I like this place. I’ve been coming here the past seven years. This is where I do a lot my Asian food shopping. They have a lot things that Walmart Super Center would not have. Also it’s cheap too. I can also get Hot cooked lunch here to go. Also they carry all kinds of Asian noodles. But yes I like shopping here.

I love shopping here! This store had been here for a very long time. The pricing is pretty good. I got a bag of green tea kit kat for $ 3.99; It was cheaper than any other locations. I also buy the lunch here sometimes. It comes with two sides of veggies and a side meat with rice for the price $ 3.99. Sometimes it gets really crowded here and it’s a little dirty here and there. So hence the one less rating.

I usually come by here to get the $ 3.99 freshly made food box (over to the right side of the store). It comes with your choice of white rice, fried rice, or noodles with a side of vegetables & meat. If you’re low on budget (college kid probs) when it comes to getting lunch, just come to this place because it fills you up well.

Who/​what: anyone looking for a bargain on Asian food items and/​or produce
When: weekends (for freshest produce + samples)
Where: Sharpstown
Why: I lived near a Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods but still regularly commuted to Chinatown to buy groceries here. On weekends, it is especially crowded and popular with locals. A friend of mine from San Francisco once asked a question about the supermarkets in the Richmond district, «Liz, why do Chinese people like squalor?» Cheap, of course! To the untrained eye this place might not seem special, but it is a great place to buy the same/​similar ingredients that you’ll find in dishes at your favorite Asian restaurants. Home-​made spring rolls? Home-​made ramen? Home-​made katsu curry? I’ve done all of these at group dinners for a decent price because of Welcome Center.

I’ve come to an Asian store enough times to get used to the smell.
The parking lot is a nightmare, especially on the weekends.
The prices are pretty reasonable and comparable to other Asian stores.
Store is pretty dated. You can tell from the cash machines.
They used to have a pretty decent bakery inside, but not anymore.
They offer a pretty good lunch special. Not sure how much it is now, but it was super cheap.
They sell durians if you like them, but unfortunately, they’re frozen.
Don’t expect anyone who works here to help you unless you speak Chinese.
They have good selections. Obviously not as good as the much larger ranch 99 or Hong Kong food market. But good enough for me to always find what I need.
Definitely will be back for my Asian grocery needs.

Make sure you have collision on your insurance policy before you come here. Every time I come here, I consider myself lucky to be a witness to a parking lot collision and not a participant.
I’m Asian, and let me just say… Damn Asian drivers.

3.99 for a huge plate of deliciousness
Undefeated prices on produce (yes this is a challenge)

What is your New Year resolution? It’s 2015, I want to drive on the brand new Bellaire Boulevard and shop at the newly-​remodeled Welcome Food Center.
The foul odor was gone. I could finally smell the fresh produce. Specially the bananas. Thanks to my Unilocal friend Tracey S. I found the aromatic bananas.
They also added a bakery stand called «96 CC 养生面包». These baked goods are healthier than other bakeries (as they claimed). They were made fresh in the store. The clerk pointed the kitchen behind the hot deli as where the baking took place. While there was no translation, the sign said, «No Preservatives. No Softeners. No Artificial Flavoring.» Mmm… they smelled so yummy.
My average trip is extended to 45 minutes. It feels good to be back.

This supermarket is super cheap compare to the one in Austin. They have pretty much everything. My family come to Houston just to shop for grocery. They also have a food section where you can get food to go. Very good price and deal!

I’ll give Welcome a 3.5 star review. This is a staple to Chinatown in Houston. I’ve lived or visited Chinatown in Houston for around 20 years and this grocery store has always been around (apart from Dynasty and Diho but those aren’t as relevant as Welcome nowadays)
Welcome is the epitome of an asian grocery store. You enter and you are swayed by a line of snacks onto either their seafood section on the right or the dim sum stand directly in front of you or the vegetables to your left. Take a tour around all of the asian groceries you hit an asian bbq stand to the very left of the store. All of the food here is good and the groceries here are CHEAP.
WAY Cheaper than any of your typical american grocers (HEB, Kroger, Randall’s)
Come here if you want cheap groceries or need specialty asian items.

Welcome probably has the largest selection of Asian goods out of all the supermarkets in Chinatown. They even have an off-​shoot building dedicated entirely to seafood, but this section closes earlier than the rest of the store and the quality is very hit-​miss.
As for their fresh produce, the vegetables are okay. Not super fresh but still nice and green and delicious. But what you really do not want to buy here is the fruit. The fruit you can tell immediately is not such great quality. They are usually bruised, sometimes moldy, and covered and riddled in black marks from insects. They do have a large selection of Asian fruits, like durian and jackfruit, and their fruits are incredibly cheap, but the price you pay is the quality you get.
Overall, this is a supermarket to go to for more packaged Asian products, not so much their «fresh» foods. Also, expect the store to be kind of dirty and not well-​kept. Of course, this is the oldest supermarket in Chinatown on that side of the beltway, but that is no excuse for the shabbyness.

Almost every single time I shop here, I witness a close call or an actual fender bender. People just can’t seem to drive here! I’ve seen an upset mid-​aged man slowly drive his Acura around the parking lot with his entire bumper hanging loose from his car and dragging on the pavement (obviously from a recent collision). I’ve also seen two cars slowly collide into each other while simultaneously backing out! It seriously reminds me of a bumper car arena, except with a bunch of grown-​ups bereft of any motor skills.
Aside from the scary parking lot, Welcome Food Center has always been one of my favorite go-​to grocery stores for Asian ingredients, pasties, produce, and meats. I find that their prices are very competitive with most other Asian groceries, and is way cheaper than most staple American groceries like Kroger or HEB in terms of produce and seafood. They carry everything you need to make a majority of the popular Chinese dishes.
Inside they also serve boxed lunch where you can choose an assortment of cooked meats and veggies for a fair price. It’s like an Asian Luby’s! Delicious, easy, and affordable. My family usually buys a small container of eggplant here because it’s so good.
Service here is a hit or miss. If you speak Cantonese and Mandarin your chances for good service increases dramatically. Most of the staff only know broken bits of English because a majority of them were born in my parent’s generation.
Good luck if you go here.

One of the only Chinese supermarket left from the last generation. Given that it is so old, I suppose it is in pretty good condition. However, the distinct «Chinese» smell and the terrible bathrooms are still symptoms of its old age. It’s exactly what you expect from a Chinese supermarket. It doesn’t surpass any expectations (e.g. Golden Foods exceeds cleanliness expectations).
As for the center /​square, there is a wide variety of stores. There is all day dim sum, boba, toy store, cell phone repair, ballet studio, doctor’s office, etc.

Do people actually read reviews of this place? I’m gonna assume not, so I’ll rant here.
I got my wisdom teeth pulled today and came here for three liquidy things: 1) soy milk 2) rice congee 3) red bean ice cream.
So I go check out, and it’s a Friday morning. So the only other people in line are 70 year old Asian women. I grab my bag of wisdom teeth diet foods, go to my car, look inside my bag and realize — WTF? They gave me one of the grandma’s bag of eggs instead!
So I rush back there, tell the cashier, tell the manager dude (MD), and he chases her down from her retirement home van and brings her over. Cool, we can switch back our groceries now.
Well, except Grandma 1 didn’t have my bag. MD tells me in broken English that it was most likely Grandma 2 who had my bag. But we never found her. So Grandma 1 gets her food back, while I got screwed. So I ask MD whether I can go grab replacements for the food I lost. And he says «NOOO you can’t! 你不可以!»
So even though the bagger/​cashier gave me the wrong bag, I’m forced to rebuy my soy milk because the manager was too cheap to just comp me.
Worst. Service. Ever.