Mi Mercado

This place permanently closed a few years ago. I loved it when it was open, seems like the grocery stores in this part of town are becoming very limited indeed.

The old Apple Market is now a spanish grocery store. Nuce change! I live the variety, and unique to our area items that encourage one to be adventurous and try new things. I did not buy any meat today, however it looked good, fresh, and good prices looking forward to shopping here again. Our checkout lady was delightful and genuine.

While enjoying some blues at Knuckleheads David and Susan told me about Mi Mercado. It was just over a mile away so I decided to grab some dinner there.
In the back of the store is a little Mexican deli (with a few American deli food items) complete with a toppings bar and various drink options. I wish they would have had a sampler type platter so I could try some of everything, but being they did not I decided on the 4 taco platter. I ordered 4 different meats, I can’t remember each right now, but decided to try a pigs stomach one. The meal came with beans and rice. I also grabbed some chicharron and grabbed a couple of cans of Jumex.
The tacos were pretty good, and surprisingly, the pigs stomach one was the best. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but it was tender and had great flavor. The rest of the tacos also had great flavor and were tender. They are served just as the meat on your choice of corn or flour shells. The toppings bar has peppers, sauces, cilantro, but no cheese, tomato, or lettuce. That was fine with me, keep it simple as it is about the meat.
The beans and rice were pretty standard, but really good. The chicharron’s are amazing. Not your bagged store bought fluffy ones. Real, possibly freshly cooked, and nicely warm. I didn’t even cover them in hot sauce as I usually do as they could stand on their own. This was also the first time I tried Jumex and it was really good. I then read the label and I won’t be drinking a lot of them, but they are really good. (Drifting off into a daydream about mixing them with alcohol…)
As if the deli isn’t enough, the store is pretty amazing. I wondered around, but didn’t buy anything. If there is a pepper you need and can’t find, come here. The selection is pretty amazing. The fresh made cakes and other desserts are beautiful! Full of color and expertly made. I had to force myself not to buy something! The bean aisle has every type of bean you could want. I kind of fell in love with it imaging all the various bean dishes I could make. The seafood and meat looked delicious. And of the prices I looked at, everything was very affordable.
This is a nice store that has many Hispanic products, but also carries other things. It is a great addition to this area and kudos to them for helping to end the food desserts!

Come here on a weekend and you’ll be exposed to heavenly smells wafting their way through the parking lot and store to your nose. Every weekend, they take out the grill to just outside the entrance and grill on up chickens (marinated and also with various rubs), peppers, and other vegetables. Want a specific one? They’ll take it off the grill for you and box it up for purchase ($ 5/​chicken).
Everyday specials include store-​crafted salsa (check out the spicy pico de gallo) for about $ 1.80 a pound and a pound of store-​cooked tortilla chips for $ 1.50. Both are so amazing we have been tempted to go back daily just for that!
They also have a full prepared food «bar» where they have fresh made juices, tacos, and other yummy foods.
The store manager told us that they will allow us to sample any of the prepared foods or baked goods.
I also came away with a 12-​pack of Jumex for $ 2!!!
So, if you like ethnic Latino food, you HAVE to shop at this supermarket! Such excellent choices, friendly multilingual staff, and security if you’re concerned about the neighborhood (it’s fine during the day).

Roeland Park Price Chopper on steroids.
That is exactly how my husband described it as we made our way through the aisles. And boy, was he right! This former Apple Market was closed down over the summer for a redo. They were apparently struggling and decided to make themselves over to fit the local people that shop there. And so Mi Mercado was born. It’s part of the Constentino market and their pilot Hispanic-​centric store.
When you wander in, you hit the produce section. They’ve got all your Latino produce there and tons of it. In the back behind the produce, they have what would normally be the deli counter. Except they serve tacos and other Mexican street food… basically a taqueria. Continue along and you hit the bakery, full of Mexican baked goodies. Around the bend from there is the fish and meat counters. If you’ve been dying to make al pastor at home but don’t want to go through the effort of seasoning, they’ve have some pre-​made and just waiting to be cooked. They also have thinly sliced steak, fajita seasoned meats/​shrimp with veggies, ready-​to-​eat ceviche and even a whole pig’s head! The aisles have your usual canned goods geared to the Latin market.
We ended up picking up a huge bag of tortilla chips for $ 2.50 that were freshly made there, along with some really fresh and spicy pico de gallo for $ 1.80/lb. Seriously, for that price it’s not even remotely worth it for me to make it at home. Also a roasted chicken for $ 5. On weekends they roast a chicken rubbed with ajote spices. So good!
There are a couple other Mexican-​focused grocery stores in the area but this one is by far the largest. If you’re looking for that Mexican item, I’d be surprised if they didn’t carry it here.