Over the past six months or so, I’ve had several friends rave about the produce department at HEB. Furthermore, one has stated that it buys local as much as possible, which is quite attractive to me. HEB is an original Texas grocery store that was started in Kerrville, TX over 100 years ago. I’ve seen this genuine Texan quality drive some fierce loyalty around here.
For me, though, I was not all that thrilled with my original HEB experiences 8 years ago. An HEB had opened near my apartment, so I would switch between the nearby HEB and the slightly further Kroger. HEB felt like a cold, impersonal warehouse, and the people struck me as a bit on the unfriendly side. After I moved out of that apartment, I stopped my visits.
After all these years, and after these multiple endorsements, I decided to give it a try. Actually, I decided to give its produce section a try. So, I started my standard Sunday shopping trip at Kroger, where I acquired most of my non-perishables. Then I set off southward for the big new HEB store.
On first glance, everything looked fresh, so that was a good sign. After a quick stroll without a cart, I decided to break down and grab one.
I hit the blueberries first. They were well priced and fresh, but they were from New Jersey. (Hmmm … no blueberries left in Texas?) I got a pint anyways. Next, I found the peaches. There were at least seven different varieties of peach, including Texas Peaches that were picked fresh to eat, just like the ones I picked last year. Excellent. I bought six. Quick check of the apples to see if they have my favorite, Macintosh. YES! Very good looking ones, too. Next, a long line of tropical fruits caught my eye, complete with pretty pictures and descriptions. I picked up a mango and a persimmon. And some grapes and blackberries.
On the way out of the produce, I came across a display of fresh mozzarella, small campari tomatoes, and balsamic vinegar. I love the fancy little appetizers with these ingredients. I couldn’t resist. Into the cart.
I smelled the tortillas before I saw them. Freshly made tortillas, kept hot in big coolers. Not only did I buy a back of 10, but I started eating one before I turned the next corner.
The meat department was expansive. The bread shelves were pretty bare. Then, I found the aisle with a hundred bins and dispensers of granola, trail mix, nuts, shaved coconut, beans, etc. I must’ve spent 20 minutes admiring and debating over the winning bin. Kroger has nothing like this. I settled on almond orange granola, just enough to try it, and a few pralines. (Both were very tasty).
On my way out, I came across the antipasto bar. 13 varieties of olives, peppers, artichokes, feta, etc. It reminded me of these fabulous olives that I had in Russia. See them in the foreground?
It was time to checkout. I ended up at the counter of quite possibly the nicest, friendliest service person ever. Even the bagger lady was chipper and conversational. They actually made me feel happy and welcome to be grocery shopping.
On the drive home, I felt conflicted. After years of not being an HEB fan, I had just had an overall positive experience. What now? Do I split my time between Kroger and HEB? Do I switch over to HEB entirely for a while and really give it a try??
What do you think?
