Melissa Guerra Latin Kitchen Market

Kinda neat and is latin kitchen kitchy. It’s really expensive and they don’t have much here. It reminds me of a sur la table with thrown Latin décor. I hate hating on it but I’ve been to other places that offered better ethnic cookware.

If your favorite presents are the ones you can use in the kitchen, shopping here will be like visiting the proverbial candy shop for your inner kid. He’s probably a fat kid if you cook a lot of baked goods, but I digress.
The store is packed with kitchen gadgets, both for the extreme baker and for those with a decidedly Spanish style: several sizes of paella pans, tortilla presses, and cast iron skillets are right at the front of the store. Lots of giftable small items, like pie birds and decorative towels, too.
Lots of fun to explore, don’t forget to check out the back right-​hand side with various Mexican foods, dishes, rices, spices, beans, and more to take the flavor of Texas back home with you– or to send them to a friend who isn’t smart enough to know this is the best place to live.

A totally fun store for the cook who loves Mexican food!
They have all kinds of fun gadgets for the kitchen, especially if you like to mix up the mole, or serve up some paella, or throw together some enchiladas!
They have all sorts of fun tableware too. Yea, it all comes from Mexico, and sure, you can probably get it cheaper south of the border, but when it’s right in the Pearl, why make the trip? I enjoy the fact that they’ve got some weird ingredients, and awesome hard to find sodas!
The clerk is not too helpful, just runs the register and doesn’t know the first thing about how to use the equipment they sell.
The prices are a bit on the steep side, but where else can you go to get such a specialized niche of cooking and baking wares? It’s like a Mexican version of Williams Sonoma.

This place could make cooking fun again. I do enjoy my visits there, and will slowly get my kitchen built up to what I know it can be with the help of this cute shop, but I confess. come Fiesta Time, I stalk this place. I love collecting the medals, and this shop has really cute ones each year. I have the 2013 and 2014, so if any one has any prior ones that they are willing to depart with, Please contact me.

Over the years, this store has changed a lot. When they first opened, they rivaled Sur la Table with their selection of higher end cooking appliances, tools, and gadgets.
Now, the cookware has been pared back and there are many more gift items. There are lovely sets of dinnerware and glassware, but very few appliances and cookware (like Emile Henri & Le Creuset). They have a small selection of clothing that is priced reasonably. Some epicurean foods are stocked from Mexico and Spain, but not many. I am sure that the rent is terribly high at the Pearl and they are gearing their inventory to what sells and items with better margins.
One very positive note, they do have some great events like food tastings and book signings. If you get on their email list, you can meet influential authors like Diana Kennedy.

Beyond the experience of walking through the neat little shop, and enjoying all of the artisan cooking and kitchen wares, what will stick with me is this… There is a 20% off offer for checking in, but it expired in 2011. I tried, but was not allowed to use it. Seems petty, but I based my purchasing decision on using that check-​in offer, not realizing that it had expired. The woman behind the counter (maybe the owner?) wasn’t rude about it, she even informed me that there were other days of the week that the store offers special discounts… but to be honest, I was so distracted reviewing in my mind the many ways this scenario could play out, I don’t remember those special days, or those special discounts.
I continued with my purchase, it was a little spatula I actually needed anyway. But, to be honest, I don’t think I’ll be back. There is nothing in this store I cant find down on the riverwalk/​market square, in a Williams-​Sonoma, or Bed Bath and Beyond, and the Pearl Brewery is not a convenient location for me. Typically when I am down there to eat dinner, this store is closed. I’ve walked by many times, mentally bookmarking the locale. This particular day I was at the Pearl to have lunch with my visiting in-​laws, and pick up some rosemary at the farmers market afterwards, so a visit into this store was a must.
I’m glad I got to experience this store, but I have a sour taste in my mouth… I simply have no desire to go back… and avoidance wont be an effort on my part.

Melissa Guerra’s has become a weekly stop for me and my family. This store has everything we need for hosting awesome dinner parties. I’m also a big fan of Taza chocolate which they carry. The glassware is gorgeous and I love that everything is authentic and has a story. Also, I can’t forget about the great staff they have there. They really know their products and are great about special ordering items that they don’t have in stock or don’t regularly carry. Again, truly enjoy stopping by there. One of a kind place.

This store is cute and all on first look, but I don’t know how often I would really go looking for something there. The first thing I noticed was that everything in the store is extremely overpriced, even for the Pearl. The selection of better quality kitchen utensils are pretty limited in what they do have.
If you’re a serious cook, or are in search of something specific, you may not find what you’re looking for. If you’re bringing family from out of town to the Pearl and they want a souvenir from San Antonio, this might be what you’re looking for.

Being a fellow Valley girl myself, I had to patronage this amazing store. I was super impressed with all of the authentic Mexican items– especially the kitchen wares. I love how everything in this store is clearly hand selected. There are items here you can’t get anywhere else. I agree that this store is geared towards posh cholitas such as myself.
Where Melissa Guerra really won me over is the selection of cooking tools. Girl– anything you wanna do in the kitchen, Melissa has got what you need! Need to juice a lemon? Got it! Need to make pasta? Got it! Want to store that avocado? Done! This would be an amazing place for a wedding registry if I wasn’t already married.
DO NOT go here to:
1. Get a bargain
2. Get cheap shit
3. Get Chinese shit that looks like Mexican treasures

Nice selection of kitchen wares and inexpensive gifts. I will be back!

during mother’s day weekend, i found myself in a bit of a time crunch, and needed to find a present stat. i had my heart set on a culinary shop up at la cantera, but since i was going to be relegated to the downtown area, i decided to forgo the trek up I-​10, and went to one of my favorite areas, the pearl brewery. i’ve frequented melissa guerra before, and i had actually gotten my mom’s present there last year, which was a paella cookbook. i decided i would get yet another cookbook, but the sales associate told me that they had reduced their inventory, so on a whim, i decided to get the eponymous store owner’s cookbook. as i went to pay for it, the same sales associate smiled and told me that if i wanted it autographed, melissa could sign it since she was standing right behind me. she was very sweet, yet professional, and welcomes all feedback on her store. needless to say, i got my mom the best. mother’s day present. EVER. mucho brownie points!
aside from feeling good about my shop local purchase, i need to talk about how cool this store is from any other culinary shop. sure, those big guys have catalogs that whet your appetite with their fancy glossy pages hawking their wares, but at melissa guerra’s you get to have a different shopping experience. it’s not a huge big box space, but the store is chock full of specialty items: so if you fancy paella, this is your shop. in additional to carrying every size paella pan known to man, the store also carries the spanish chorizo as well as the aborio rice. that attention to specific inventory makes me a devotee to this store. other cool items include handmade dishes and glassware, plus fun mexican clothing and jewelry. a great place for finding a housewarming gift! wish she had a registry!

Melissa Guerra is wonderful. I think a few fellow Unilocalers need to lighten up about this joint. The Pearl Brewery is full of ‘loves’ in my mind. I get a bit hypnotized by the décor once I walk in the door. Mexican Martha Stewart meets posh cholita. :snickers:
If you’re feeling down, this is a great place to browse around to lift your spirits. The staff is so nice and friendly here. I like the positive energy. Melissa’s got Mexican inspired cooking tools, vintage posters, beautiful unique jewelry, cook books, aprons. Let me stop listing things while I can; because they have an infinite inventory. Items for sale varie from $ 1 to 4 figures.
Personally– I purchased some beautiful recycled jewelry made from acai palm seeds and Vintage Mexican movie posters. Their jewelry selection here is beautiful. If you’re a big fan of dia de Los muertos, or Frida; Plan a shopping budget for yourself before you visit. Otherwise, You might go a little crazy piling items into your shopping cart.
Their staff is great. I ran into one fellow staff member at The Mix (local bar) he was friendly even outside of work. I enjoy businesses with people that are just down to earth friendly, can be themselves, without the fakey cookie cutter attitude. Save the acting for the movies dudes.
There’s a positive thing going on over at Melissa’s. A little something for everyone.

High quality imports. I was entertained by the rebozo display. Wow! That’s expensive! I ended up buying a pinstripe one that was on sale and I am very happy with it. They also have filligree earrings and those pans to make paella in. I’m sooo coming back to get one. :) All their employees were super-​friendly to us. Ever considered moving to Austin?

Love the store!!! Couldn’t disagree more with some of the negative reviews! No, the inventory and prices are not what you would find in the cheap curio shops. No comparison! She carries lovely hand-​crafted pieces that are very hard to find even for the most experienced shop owner. Kudos to Melissa for artfully displaying beautiful hand-​crafts from the interior of Mexico.

I really enjoyed my visit here. It’s a nice little place. Found very unique Tex Mex style souvenirs and gifts. The customer service was excellent. A guy by the name of Marco was very talkative and and offered to wrap a gift I was giving to my aunt. This place is definitely one that I will be returning to and a place that I would suggest to any one.

If you want cheap stuff that looks like it came from Mexico but was actually made in China, don’t come here.
If you’re looking for outstanding items from Mexican artisans, this is a place to look. (Disclosure: I know the owner and she’s a friend.)
This place also offers a lot of cooking items, including a great selection of paella pans all different sizes, from a 12– to 42 inches or so in diameter. She also carries burners for the larger paella pans, and I know I’ll buy one of them later this summer for some outdoor paella cooking — and lots of pitchers of sangria!
Think of the store’s inventory as kind of a cross between a Sur la Table and an upscale import shop. This place also carries a line of cookware branded with the Culinary Institute of America, where a portion of the sales go to fund scholarships.
Of course, you can go get the imported items cheaper. That is, if you have time to go to Mexico, speak good enough Spanish to find the really talented artisans and come back with your purchases.
Unfortunately, too many of us in this country have made quick trips to border towns, picked up a bunch of cheap stuff and think it represents Mexico, rather than the craftsmanship that comes from years of mastery.

There are so many beautiful things to enjoy in this shop — from embroidered converse hi-​tops to vintage-​looking kitchen aid appliances to water bottles that filter as you sip and Culinary School of America bakeware. This isn’t Target, if you know what I mean… the prices aren’t cheap but neither is the quality. It’s a great place to browse — or buy me a gift! ;)

My general impression isn’t much different from Rudy’s, though I appreciated the care here taken to display the merchandise.
Melissa has many beautiful things geared toward the well-​heeled touristas, everything from heavy-​duty mixers in sherbet colors to classic sets of blue-​rimmed margarita glasses. But when I saw a lovely hand-​painted wooden chest for — wait for it – $ 3,200, I was done here. And so was Total Woman.
If the rent at the Pearl Brewery shops is so high as to force gift shop prices into the stratosphere, the landlord should really think about lowering it, because two shops (the great Twig Book Shop is next door) do not a mall make, and there is plenty of empty space in that building.
Of course, if the rent isn’t to blame, then it’s all on Melissa. True, she runs an attractive, if cramped, shop that’s worth a visit. But you’ll find no bargains here, friends — not even close.

Melissa Guerra is a cook wear store in the Pearl Brewery shopping center. It reminds me of a Williams-​Sonoma with a Latin twist. I was not impress by this place. It was cramp with stuff everywhere from top to bottom. It was so cramp; that it was like going through an obstacle course. Much of the cookware was wasteful or unconventional. Like the life size frying pan that looks more like a gong kept my kids busy as the hit them.
I saw some Mexican pottery that caught my eye. I was taking some Unilocal Local Pics of the displays, but staff made me stop taking pics «Sir, you can’t take pics of the pottery.» I paused and said «Are you serious» She said «Yes it company policy not to let customers to take pics of the pottery.» After that I stop taking pics of the pottery, and got a closer look at it. My wife stated that all this pottery is available at a cheaper price in the Southmost area of the Rio Grande Valley for a way cheaper price. I did see a pitcher and glass set we have and paid $ 20 for. Melissa Guerra had the same set for $ 50. I thought wow this place is a rip off no wonder they didn’t let me take more pics. The Mexican pottery situation made more sense; after I found out that other location of Melissa Guerra is in McAllen which is in the Rio Grande Valley. Therefore making it easy for them to stock up, mark up and sell to you. Overall I gave Melissa Guerra 1 star; it’s just another tourist trap. I don’t see locals frequenting this place. Oh by the way if you would like to see my pics of the pottery. I will be glad to secretly meet and show you. I don’t want to get sued for unauthorized pics.