Grocery shopping options??

Hello there, full on Newbie here so please be gentle.
Wife and I researching Ajijic area for possible retirement location. Do you mostly do your grocery shopping at Wal-Mart and/or Super Lake? Is the selection and pricing decent enough or is a trip to Guad a better options?

Definitely better options, better stores, better variety in Guadalajara. That being said, I rarely go there, and there is a delivery company that will bring you CostCo items (for say, Muenster cheese slices, or Mandu-beef potstickers). I get most everything at WalMart and SuperLake. WalMart for bread, say, and SuperLake for bread'n'butter pickles. I also shop occasionally at all the little fruit/veggie stores around, for much better selections of fresh goods. But, like up north, you have to "shop around".

SuperLake is, of course, pricey for many things, because they are imported. But, you learn.

SuperLaura belongs to the same family as SuperLake, and is a Mexican small grocery store in San Antonio, where I can get things like Tapatio crackers that are available nowhere else. And in Riberas, there is a little grocery store that gets excellent bolillos (buns) every day around 3:15.

Soriana in Chapala is a Walmart style supermarket. I like it much better than WalMart. I shop also at Pancho’s Market in Riberas for imported and speciality items. He used to manager SuperLake and after a falling out with his uncle built and opened this market, deli, cafe that would be at home in San Diego. No need to go to Guadalajara unless you want to.

In addition to those, there is La Huerta on the far west end of Ajijic. It's close to me, and I get many things there--fruits and veggies, wine, soft drinks and bottled water, paper goods.

I guess the bottom line here, for Bearded Beemer: you'll do fine shopping locally, saving Guadalajara for special trips. No need to go there for day-to-day. We have decent butchers, too, and fish shops.

The best selection and prices will be found at the mercados publicos in Chapala, or in Jocotepec, open every morning to mid afternoon. Produce, meats, fish, flowers, dairy products and myriad other things all in one convenient place, with competing vendors getting fresh supplies daily. Next best is Soriana. Then, of course, there are the tianguis: Monday in Chapala, Thursday in Jocotepec, for excellent selection and prices. The Ajijic tianguis is too 'touristy' and is more expensive.
You will learn quickly.

Glad to hear there are lots of smaller, local options available. Thanks everyone for taking the time to reply!!

I love to cook and never go to Guadalajara for anything...I do not buy big quantities of anything to save money either so no trips to Costco for me either.

RV gringo I have not seen yet any endive, brussel sprouts , snow peas or French green beans in Joco or Chapala public market so hwould you say thy have the best selection when they do not.

We may select differently. However, we have found that the vendors at the mercado publico will often bring special requests from the abastos, if asked; usually in a day or two. That said, there are acceptable substitutes for some of the items you mention; or, we just learned to live without them. Some, we never used before Mexico You know that, I am sure. We are not all that picky.

For poultry, the best I have found is Puritan Poultry in Riberas.

I have no real disagreement with most of the comments about local shopping. Prices are best at the local tainguis markets, certainly. When you need the products you liked in US or Canada, its better to go directly to COSTCO than to pay the steep mark-up at Superlake or Pancho's. IMO, the best supermarket hands down is the Fresko on Lopez Mateos in Guadalajara. You can stop on your way back from COSTCO, and be on the right side of Lopez Mateos for easy in-and-out.

they are very fresh but I do not like their huge chickens so I quit buying there. I buy at a little store next to my house where the breast are not twice as big as they should be,

No RV there are no acceptable substiitutes for what I mentioned or I would buy them. When I am in Chiapas where those items are not sold I do without, I do not go for substitutes.

I do not care for any of the goodies many people here like  , ie crakers, cereals and special brands but when it come to fruit and vegies I know what I want and yes I am picky but at the same time I would ot drive an hour or two to get them and I just will do without

They have brussel sprouts at Superlake time to time but they are $$$.

Just like "back home", veg and fruit are seasonal. And there is no shortage of fresh fruit in Mexico. So, while in Canada we bemoan the high-priced, never-ripe avocados, here in Mexico you can kick a can and find a good one at the other end. I think a discussion of "exactly" what is available is kinda pointless.
In my home town, tomato season brings a massive bounty; broccoli season another. Same here, just different stuff. (EG, right now it's tuna season, from the prickly-pear cactus. So good. Will never find anything like that in my home town.)

I believe the correct answer here is simply, yes, you can find pretty much everything locally.

not finding tunas is no problem for me.. It is also satz season in Chiapas and God knows I can do without those-

sm1mex , yes it is where I buy brussel sprouts . I buy a bunch when they come, parboil them and freeze them. SL is still the best as far as I am concerned. for hard to find items , although some of the selection of cheese is going down the tube and is pretty lousy at Panchp´s...but yes I am picky..

Pretty sure a biker guy coming from Fairbanks Alaska isn't asking about sophisticated foodie-grade veggies  This is a meat-eater's paradise - cheap too. Compared to a Safeway or Fred Meyer in Fairbanks, prices here have to be a slam dunk bargain.  I track my monthly food bill now & then & find over time I spend $200/month vs $200/week in the states, when I was shopping at Safeway, Freddies.  Its the wine, imported liquors which are expensive. But they would be expensive in Alaska too.. I think our food selection Lakeside is quite amazing, but if imported item, expect to pay double. BTW don't see too many gringos here who look like they are starving..

caligirl108 wrote:Pretty sure a biker guy coming from Fairbanks Alaska isn't asking about sophisticated foodie-grade veggies  This is a meat-eater's paradise - cheap too. Compared to a Safeway or Fred Meyer in Fairbanks, prices here have to be a slam dunk bargain.  I track my monthly food bill now & then & find over time I spend $200/month vs $200/week in the states, when I was shopping at Safeway, Freddies.  Its the wine, imported liquors which are expensive. But they would be expensive in Alaska too.. I think our food selection Lakeside is quite amazing, but if imported item, expect to pay double. BTW don't see too many gringos here who look like they are starving..

I wouldn't be so sure about that, I know plenty of 'foodie biker guys' with plenty of money who buy and eat at ' expensive foodie high priced restaurants'.

Is there any place Lakeside where a guy can catch a moose?

Wait, What??!! Caligirl108. Look closer, that is a BMW, not a Harley!! HAHAHA!! I have tastes, I use a napkin. Granted, its to wipe the moose blood from my chinny chin chin. Just kidding, its great to know how diverse the food opportunities are.

I did recognize it was a beemer, also in your moniker.. and no culinary snobbery intended..

HA! No worries, no snobbery were injured in the making of this post.

Agree with most posts. Plenty of food here. There is also the Monday and Tuesday Farmers markets with some fresh food and plenty of prepared food, too.
For baked goods, there are several good sources better than Walmart. No problem.
You can eat very well here. From the looks of the population, starving isn't likely!