Shirak Intl Market

Does anyone know if they have relocated?

CLOSED! RIP Little Armenia on Hollywood Blvd.

I too am sad to find Shirak closed. Thanks to the reviewer below we know why. Sad, sad loss for this neighborhood. We will miss you!!! Where can we find Kochniak (sp?) nutty bars now :(:(

I am devastated to learn that Shirak is being forced to vacate this location due to gentrification and jacked up rents. Shirak is one of the best things about living in this neighborhood. The quality of life for me and many of my neighbors will decrease when this store closes. Shirak Market, I’ll miss you terribly. :(

Everytime there is a family gathering i always end up going here because first its close by to ware i live and second they pretty much have everything. There deli ile seems a little bit outdated but overal its a friendly place. I will go back here again if in need of anything.

I have lived up the street from Shirak Market for over 12 years and have never stopped in. A friend and I recently walked up for lunch at one of the restaurants in the area. On the way back, she said «We have to stop in Shirak Market, they have really good produce and good prices». She was right.
I got a bunch of fruit, apples, pears, plums, berries. And vegetables like eggplant and two kinds of mushrooms. Then in the back I saw they had a variety of feta cheese, so I got Armenian Feta cheese, and also some olives.
The prices were very reasonable. And I was very happy with the quality of what I purchased.

I am a regular at this store almost daily but have cut down to once a week. they have their own parking lot, has veggies and fruits but they are not fresh. However, I go for the special items like fresh grape leaves, cactus pears, and fresh okra, pomegranates, custard apples when in season and that you normally wouldn’t find in whole foods
They have a few good prices on things like lebneh $ 1.99 for 16 oz. 3 bunches herbs for $ 1. lavash bread $ 2. Frozen (old) Arabic and other mixed veggies $ 1.99 Pita for $ 2. I like their imported Armenian stuff like jarred eggplant spread $ 3 filo dough $ 3 THey also have Won ton wrappers golden dragon brand. Their Turkish tomatoe paste is $ 2.99. The various bags of dried beans except fava run around $ 2 – 3 a bag. Arabic foul Medames cans for camping trips are .79 a can. Basmati and cal roz rice in 3-​ten pound bags. They got good tea selection
the staff from stock men to last cashiers are always very friendly to me and my husband… they’re always offering me free sweets for my kid, and little breads for me to try :) I always get a hello and thank you from them. I don’t speak their language but I feel so at home at their store ! ten dollar minimum for credit/​debit cards
the negative:
Don’t buy their tinned olive oil. old and rancid!!! I bought every one of those huge 4 liter jugs from different brands due to the $ 13 price tag and ended up throwing it all away due to the oldness …
Their deli counter and anything that is exposed to air or not airtight has this weird taste in everything. from olives to bread to cheese and even their own bagged rice all have this weird «Shirak» taste… i can’t explain it and I avoid buying anything that’s not airtight from that store.
there are also a few homeless and drunk guys that hang out outside on bench daily and frequent the store quite often. Sometimes they make a scene and I don’t feel safe at all.

Im only a 5 min walk from this place so i end up going here all the time. I eat a lot more vegetables and fresh home cooked meals because of this. Whenever i walk home from work i stop in quick and buy my ingredients for dinner. They might not have the best selection compared to big chain grocery stores but they have the necessities for a good healthy meal. The basics in vegetables, bread, milk, ok selection of cheeses, pastas, oils, ect. If your looking to make an authentic meal and not something quick like kraft mac n cheese or lean cuisine then this place should do just fine.
Plus the prices are cheap. I’ll buy a whole basketful of vegetables and it’ll come out to like $ 5. I am always pleasantly surprised every time i go up to the checkout.
**One thing to note is they do not accept credit cards for under $ 10 i believe, so make sure you have cash on hand when you go.
Try the basturma? not sure if i spelled it right. My boyfriend loves this stuff and i guess they have it really good here. One of the other reviews goes into more detail about that.
And if your looking for some good cheap strong beer, try the baltika. I usually get the red one. It tastes good and 2 or 3 will get you feelin good.

Cheap Sausage, Good selection of produce, and Apathetic Armenians. You’ll probably see an orange smile before any of the people working here. The selection of products & let’s not forget some great prices are the selling point to this place. Now the wife of the owner can be a sweetheart, but you just have to give her some compliments then you’re in like Flynn. They have smoked Kielbasa which are real good for something like $ 2.79/lb. Can’t find that price @ most places. Plus they have good prices Zehr Gut products that I love Russian Pickles, Ikra, and Hummus. They have fresh baked Armenian/​Russian breads which are real nice. Don’t expect a fake smile fest here or a real smile fest for that matter. But what you will get is great products at dirt cheap prices.

I shop here all the time! I try to support local biz & this 1 is family run. The statement about «zombies» by 2 other Unilocalers is is just an ethnic thing. Once you get to know the family they are warm & caring! They will even find you special requests if you ask. Selection is good with items you won’t find elsewhere. The Mom makes delicious fresh side dishes like hummus, beet salad, marinated peppers, bbq kabobs, etc. Prices are great! & they do take credit cards for purchase over $ 10

I think Ive had over 200 grapefruit from this spot. The produce is damn cheap and delicious. Plus they sell booze. Shit, if they took my credit card for a 32 oz., two oranges, and a handful of cherries I wouldn’t shop anywhere else. All good though, Ill still raid your fruit when I have the cash. A–

this review is for the armenian mineral waters i bought, as i continue my world tour of obscure natural springs.
borjomi & essentuki: both from naturally carbonated springs, which i find fascinating. see:
for background on the springs.
i particularly like the mineral breakdown on the label of the latter.
my next plan is to hit some natural mineral spas around southern calif.
i also bought a large bottle of italian extra virgin olive oil for $ 4.99. looks promisingly dark green
the produce looked good, but as i was on a long round of errands, i didn’t want it languishing in the car. will try next time i’m in the hood for elsie’s watch & jewelry repair down the street.

I love this market. They have everything you need and they’re friendly!

This place is by far, one of the best markets in east Hollywood. A well stocked deli, amazing coffee beans, fresh baked bread and fresh produce, an amazing selection of honey, and all at an amazing price. What else do you want? As far as the people being zombies, I’m not quite sure what Bizzo and and Gina are talking about. There are many different kinds of humans in this world who come from different cultures, and I don’t need a store owner or its costumers to conform to the American shoppers need for a smile. (I get a smile every time, I guess they can tell the good from the bad.)
If you like real, truly authentic products, that come from the source, shop here. If you like the bland, mass produced generic products like,
Trader (Ethnic Name Here) Authentic whatever, go shop with T Bizzo in West Hollywood. If you are a jamba juice kind of person, head on over to Valencia with Gina and pick one up on the way to Bj’s Brew Pub.

I will have to agree with T Bizzo F. when he talks about everyone being zombies in this place and the fact that a smile wouldn’t kill them once in a while. However, I think that there is just a constant storm cloud over this store. After shopping here, I kind of want to slit my wrists… «Remember kids: Its up the stream, not across the river.»
Ok. I put the plastic knife down. So really the only thing I come here for is Bastourma, Feta and Lavash. Bastourma is Armenian cured meat that will seep out of your pours if you sweat. Not the meat, but the smell of garlic. Its like internal garlic deodrant, but its so good! The prices are cheap.
So if you can get through a trip to this place without having to call the Crisis Prevention Hotline after leaving, then you’ve got hope, my friends.

This place is good for very specific items: produce and that kick-​ass Russian juice El Adobe charges 4 bucks for which is a buck and a half here. The produce is CHEAP! I mean less-​than-​farmers-​market-​cheap. That’s why I go there. And the juice.

The «Shirak» is perhaps the loneliest place in the whole surrounding area. It’s one of those places where you walk in and it seems like everyone in there is a zombie. Old men ogle the sizable selection of butchered meats, middle-​aged Armenian stockboys re-​stock ancient potatoes. I feel bad for saying this, but it’s like they have the exact wrong products in stock. Like they made a deal with Trader Joe’s to buy all the crappy products that Trader Joe’s passed on. If you want olives, you can get old-​timey black olives in a giant tin, but you can’t find regular green olives. If you want bread, you can buy enormous Armenian tortilla bread as big as a parachute, but you can’t get wheat bread. And I’m not sure about this, but I think I even saw a goat in the milk section, and it’s sort of a pay as you pump sort of thing.
Not really, of course, but I wouldn’t be surprised.
Occasionally I buy beer here but the staff is so rude and generally uninterested in even interacting with you — when all you want to do is pay them money for anchovies from the 1940’s because they didn’t have the tuna you came in for.
Would a smile kill you?