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Best place to get groceries and booze

Posted By: SeaStar

Best place to get groceries and booze - 12/03/2019 04:24 PM

Is it worth the drive to Super U or is there someplace in Simpson Bay Area?
Willing to make 2 stops if need be.
I have a bit of time to get our supplies.
Tia
Posted By: SXMScubaman

Re: Best place to get groceries and booze - 12/03/2019 04:40 PM

Carrefour and Market Garden are both easy to get to. Carrefour pricing is slightly lower than Market garden but Market Garden is very convenient if staying at Atrium or Simpson Bay Resort.
Posted By: BeachKitten

Re: Best place to get groceries and booze - 12/03/2019 04:41 PM

Market Garden produce and meat quality are not good IMO
Posted By: SXMScubaman

Re: Best place to get groceries and booze - 12/03/2019 04:53 PM

Originally Posted by BeachKitten
Market Garden produce and meat quality are not good IMO

Depends on the day. We have found good there and some questionable produce. Meat has always been ok.
Posted By: Carol_Hill

Re: Best place to get groceries and booze - 12/03/2019 05:27 PM

Oh, one of my favorite topics! grin

For LIQUOR, as compared to wine, Carrefour by Mark's is the best, unless you want to traipse all the way downtown.

For WINE, Super U (either location) is the best, with Leader Price being a close second, albeit with a limited supply of wines. Carrefour by Mark's is the best on the Dutch side. The Carrefour in Cole Bay does not have a great selection of wines and their prices are VERY high, compared to the one by Mark's. I'm assuming you're talking about fairly generic wines and not something high end.

For AMERICAN products, Carrefour is the best, pretty much any location, although my understanding is that, between the Carrefour at Jordan Village and the one at Porto Cupecoy, the one at JV is vastly superior. The Carrefour in Cole Bay is quicker to get to from Simpson Bay than the one by Mark's.

Remember that for Super U AND for Carrefour, they no longer provide free bags. And you need a coin (US quarter works fine) to release a grocery cart, but you will get your quarter back when you finish. We just try to remember to keep a quarter in the car, so we will have it. They sell large reusable bags at Super U, and I guess at Carrefour, although we haven't purchased any at Carrefour. We have purchased the bags at Super U and brought them home to use and carried them back to SXM in our suitcase, as they take up no space. And it is fun for us to take the Super U bag to our local store and pretend in our minds that we are shopping in SXM!!

Super U has lovely fruits and veggies and outstanding specials on meats. I have never been disappointed with the veggies at Carrefour by Mark's either, though. The Carrefour by Mark's has some nice pre-made items for sale also, like chicken salad, etc.

I do not care for Market Garden and do not normally go there. Their prices I find sky high, compared to the other stores, for produce, booze and wine. The few times I have looked at the meat cases at Market Garden, the meat has not looked good at all to me.

For a very small grocery run, you also have Maho Market. Prices are high there, parking is hit and miss. We only go if we need one or two things. It's close to Beachside Villas, where we stay, and we don't have to go through all the traffic in Simpson Bay. If you're in the main part of SB, for one or two items, I'd probably go to Market Garden, although as I said, I don't care for it, in general.

There is another grocery store which I have not been to since a day or so after they opened after Irma, and cannot remember the name of. It is where the Fresh Market used to be, if you remember that, which is basically on the road toward Orient (but still on the Dutch side). They apparently have a very good selection of US products, but as I said, haven't been there in quite a while.

IF you're like me and enjoy grocery shopping, go out and explore!! (I know, this is about where Pat screams and covers her face with her hands! grin) Find something different that you would never find at your local grocery store!

Posted By: Bluesfan

Re: Best place to get groceries and booze - 12/03/2019 06:41 PM

Is the former Daily Extra reopened? I liked it for first day shopping and basic supplies. i think it was going to reopen under a new name, but still Chinese owners.
Posted By: BillandElaine

Re: Best place to get groceries and booze - 12/03/2019 07:08 PM

Yes, it's open
Posted By: ChiTownHarry

Re: Best place to get groceries and booze - 12/03/2019 10:13 PM

Originally Posted by Carol_Hill

Super U has lovely fruits and veggies and outstanding specials on meats.


They also have a great rotisserie chicken!
Posted By: Carol_Hill

Re: Best place to get groceries and booze - 12/04/2019 12:59 AM

I have not purchased a rotisserie chicken there, as it seemed kind of expensive, can't remember the cost, but it seemed out of line to me.
Posted By: Kennys

Re: Best place to get groceries and booze - 12/04/2019 02:01 AM

Super U for very good meats and cheap good Wines.
Posted By: The_Lurker

Re: Best place to get groceries and booze - 12/04/2019 01:34 PM

We do not do a lot of grocery shopping in SXM--mostly essentials.
I do want to add, that we do stop at all the little
"Chinese owned" stores, when it is convenient. We have found a lot of bargains----sometimes water, soda, bread, tea, etc.

Carol, I'm going to print your post--I always forget which store is which even after all these years.
Posted By: ruralcarrier

Re: Best place to get groceries and booze - 12/04/2019 01:51 PM

Originally Posted by The_Lurker
We do not do a lot of grocery shopping in SXM--mostly essentials.
I do want to add, that we do stop at all the little
"Chinese owned" stores, when it is convenient. We have found a lot of bargains----sometimes water, soda, bread, tea, etc.

Carol, I'm going to print your post--I always forget which store is which even after all these years.



I had found that to be true in the past of some smaller stores but the one I stopped at this past trip (near Horny Toad) was VERY high compared to what they used to be. They were also very under stocked and had some strange hours. Like with many things on the island, it pays to know what you are looking for and a what a reasonable price is before making your purchase.
Posted By: SXMScubaman

Re: Best place to get groceries and booze - 12/04/2019 03:46 PM

Especially compared to the Costco rotisserie chicken for 4.99. LOL
Posted By: SeaStar

Re: Best place to get groceries and booze - 12/07/2019 12:43 PM

Thanks for all the suggestions!!!
Posted By: jeepers

Re: Best place to get groceries and booze - 12/07/2019 03:07 PM

Worth the drive to super u. Different items. Crustless quiche in freezer section different from home.
Also in regards to the bbq chickens they are pricier than home but if you look at it as a dinner meal for 2 at home on vacation & they taste great. Another at home option for dinner. Wish they still had the roasted potatoes at yellow sub!
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