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45 reviews for 99 Ranch Market
Review Highlights
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"But it has a great selection of asian foods." In 4 reviews -
"It's crowded on the weekends (parking lot as well) but they..." In 3 reviews -
"The taro bread at the bakery is delicious and I love their..." In 12 reviews
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45 reviews in English
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Review from Lyn F.
Pasadena, CA
5/4/2012
Easier to find parking than the SG location :)
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Review from Johnny L.
Los Angeles, CA
4/27/2012 2 Check-ins Here
Quality of the meats is okay, fish = your mileage may vary (better hone those fish picking skills), and vegetables are nasty.
Do yourself a favor and buy your vegetables from Sierra Produce, never had a problem with bad produce there, it's always fresh, good quality, and well priced. -
Review from Jon R.
4/2/2012 1 Check-in Here
Blindfold someone and take them here, they'll think you've transported them to some bizarre world across the universe. I have a keen sense of smell and every time I shop here, I'm just bombarded by the oddest smells imaginable and I've been all over the world.
If you can stand the stench of a hundred different smelly food products under one giant roof, 99 Ranch does offer many many items you just WILL NOT find any where else (except another chinese supermarket). The fish department is pretty good, the meat department is decent (no prime steaks but they have almost every part of the cow, pig, chicken, and goat). They have everything you'd expect a Chinese Market to have, even bakery goods, and cheap stainless steel kitchen utensils. They have random Japanese products strewn throughout the store but don't expect a large Japanese section, go to Marukai or Mitsuwa instead.
Parking can be a bit intense at times but there's usually parking to be found if you look and don't mind walking across the shopping plaza. -
Review from Brian S.
Sierra Madre, CA
3/12/2012 5 Check-ins Here
Some people jump out of airplanes. Some people wrestle crocodiles. Some people bungee jump. When I want to go on a life-threatening adventure, I just head over the 99 Ranch Market parking lot. Last time I was there, honest to goodness, I was almost hit turning into the market again when passing by the tea place and finally making it into a parking spot. After feeling like Indiana Jones and finally parking, it still wasn't enough, as someone opened there door right into ours. Argh!
As for the market itself, great selection of fish (with an awesome 1 through 5 system to make communications easy), an ok produce department and a good bakery. Prices of most Asian goods are cheaper than a lot of smaller markets and definitely the major chains.
As for the check-out clerks - think of the most stereotypical image of an asian shop owner and that's what you've got. Last time I was there, the woman in front of me had a gift card and was asking the clerk how to use it. The clerk rolled her eyes, grabbed her card and swiped it. She was clearly annoyed and didn't mind showing it. But hey, you want cheap prices and a good selection - dealing with a grumpy, sometimes rude, not necessarily very helpful clerk is just part of the territory.
Just make sure to park on Golden West Avenue when you go.... -
Review from Jocelyn J.
Los Angeles County, CA
5/24/2012
So I'd just got out of physical therapy in LA and I saw this place while driving down valley,on the way home. I was craving some sashimi(salmon). I didn't see any reasonably priced cuts of sashimi and even worse no Unagi(my fave) in the case,so I had to go! I mean I might as well go out and pay to eat it for what they were charging. And then have to go home and prepare it myself on top of that lol?! Only the expensive cuts were left and this was in the middle of the day! At the RH location,they always have plenty of both even at night(busy time). Also even though the produce is cheap price wise,the quality just isn't there. The citrus is abnormally large,like they've been pumped with growth hormones or something. I bought some lemons at the Rowland Heights location because of the low price but was scared to use them. Idk but most of the veggies looked alright I guess buy at your own risk!
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Review from Tony M.
Arcadia, CA
4/18/2012 1 Check-in Here
Fresh veggies and seafood!
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Review from aric h.
Arcadia, CA
12/23/2011 6 Check-ins Here
First of all.. I been to this 99 ranch market many times so I am not writing this review base on a one-time visit. How can this market have "A" rating posted on the front entrance when it has a "C" rating at the Meat section?
I was there at around 8:30pm and one of the butcher was cleaning/wiping the meat cooler display. He was spraying 409 and wiping the entire meat section glass with a single sheet of paper towel. As I waited to be serviced, I watched him finish wiping the glass and gone over to the sink to the sink to wash his hands... so I thought to myself, wow they are pretty sanitary until I spotted him washing his hands with the latex gloves on.. HERE IS THE QUESTION!! WHY DO YOU BOTHER WASHING YOUR HANDS WITH THE GLOVES ON?? ARE YOU PLANNING TO SERVICE CUSTOMERS AFTERWARD?? After I saw that, i just left .... enough said.. -
Review from Alejandro F.
San Gabriel, CA
3/27/2012 1 Check-in Here
The cleanest and most organized 99 ranch I've been to.
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Review from Connie C.
Brea, CA
3/13/2012 1 Check-in Here
Not the biggest of 99 Ranch markets but a relatively clean one. They have pretty much everything that the other bigger ones have. They've got a bakery and a food vendor so you can pick up some lunch/dinner on the way out. Parking is a bit of a bitch on the weekends since there's a dim sum place and some other restaurants in the same plaza. That and well, asians aren't exactly known for their great driving skills =P so back out really really slowly when you leave your parking spot!
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Review from steve n.
San Gabriel, CA
12/20/2011
We went grocery shopping a couple of days after a power outage and, for some reason, the chicken was on sale at a very low price. My wife had a reaction after eating it.
Pretty shady. I guess they're OK, just as long as the power doesn't go out. Otherwise they'll just sell their spoiled produce at a discounted price. -
Review from Caroline C.
Arcadia, CA
8/4/2011 1 Check-in Here
This review is only for the deli inside 99 Ranch Market.
If you have been looking for a place to get Taiwanese breakfast, look no further than your local 99 Ranch Market!!! Inside the market is a deli that serves food similar to that served at Shau May with the pick and choose 2-4 items dish.
I don't know the words in Chinese, but they serve the normal Taiwanese breakfast food like soy milk, congee (porridge) with pork and preserved egg ($1.99), cruller (the long bread stick thing), EGG PANCAKE!!! (my favorite for $1.69), and steamed bun with barbecue pork. They only serve breakfast from 9 to about 11. I would try to get there by 10:30 since they might run out of stuff by then and might not want to make anymore since they would be getting ready for lunch at that time.
They have some tables on the side too so you can enjoy your Taiwanese breakfast while scratching off some California Lottery Scratchers. You never know, you could win it big! -
Review from Chris C.
Arcadia, CA
3/6/2012
Great place for authentic Taiwanese snacks and frozen food. Their organic and Altadena milk has a very competitive price. Love it! Good place for Asian groceries.
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Review from Novy D.
7/18/2011 1 Check-in Here
If you've never been to 99 ranch get ready to be blown away by products and ingredients not typically found in your average everyday market. However for me, this is typical and average. Most of the ingredients I use daily. Boring right?
This is the only market that I send my students to. When studying international cuisine most if not all of the classes take "field trips" here. Can you imagine the look on their faces? Classic. Black chicken, chicken feet, tongue of all kinds, variety of seafood, durian albeit frozen, dried ingredients like mushrooms and seaweed, fresh veggies, sake and cooking wines, etc. Prices reflect average costs across the board so be on the look out for those sale ads and stock up on those reduced priced items. -
Review from Eugene N.
8/10/2011 2 Check-ins Here
This 99 Ranch isn't too shabby. Considering where it's located, there usually isn't a hard task in getting parking. It does get a little busy in there at times, but I do like the location... being next to a food court and restaurant and all. I don't have too many complaints... the staff is actually pretty nice here! Very surprising for a Chinese supermarket.
My overall experience was good here, I'd come back next time I need more mochi balls (that's what I got last time where the staff member helped me out to find what I needed) -
Review from Matthew H.
Oxnard, CA
10/24/2011
A smaller than average 99 ranch, as expected the selection of goods here is limited to the most popular items so you may be disappointed in trying to find what you really want. Such as I was looking for crab flavored ramen that they have in their Van Nuys store but it is sadly missing over here.
Parking here is a nightmare, as most of the time the parking is 100% occupied so you will be driving around until you see someone drive out. There are other asian markets in the area so I suggest you try those. -
Review from Diana L.
Los Angeles, CA
5/30/2011
Since it's Memorial Day & I wanted to do some more cooking, I was at a loss as to what supermaket I could go that was open & not too crowded. Since I had already been cooking BBQ the days prior, I thought for variety's sake I could cook some Asian food! Off to 99 Ranch I went.
Although quite a few of my Asian friends & parents' friends have griped about the prices at this market compared to other companies, they do have competitive prices on select items; you just have to know what to get & price shop. This market also carries brands that possess a higher quality than other markets' offerings. Case in point: a particular brand of soy sauce (w/ lower sodium) vs. another brand of soy sauce (w/ higher sodium) @ another market.
I'm happy to report that parking on this particular day was a breeze and the lines, not too long. The parking setup is less of a headache than the branch in San Gabriel. I'm acknowledging that though some of the cashiers may usually not be patient & are really just looking to get the job done, my cashier today was pleasant & efficient; she even smiled as she handed me my change.
I made haste home & made Shoyu ramen w/ green onions & fish cake. (What I mean by ramen are the hand sliced Japanese noodles not the blasphemous chemically frozen ones in a packet). The cost? Half of what it would cost to eat a bown of ramen @ a restaurant (though it can be nice to have ramen @ a restaurant sometimes so I'm not knocking it).
Really, picking out the ingredients & making it myself was half the pleasure. The other half of the pleasure comes from savoring what I just made. I really do appreciate food more when I know what effort is necessary to make it : ) Happy Memorial Day everyone! -
Review from Allan g.
5/22/2011 2 Check-ins Here
I'm here shopping for food pretty much each month, each time I visit my gf's parents house in arcadia. The ranch 99 here is basically like any typical one you'd come across, but what is particularly interesting is that it is cheaper to buy meat here than next door at pavilions. it might just be from the past experiences I've had, but buying steaks here seem to be better buys(?)
Besides that, the fish frying/cleaning service is great for quick meals, and the selection of items are bit limited since the place is more suited as a general asian supermarket. -
Review from Tiffany P.
Arcadia, CA
7/25/2011 5 Check-ins Here
What can I say, it's close by. Rather go to other 99 Range.
Selections is just good enough for me. They could improve on the whole store itself. -
Review from Loretta C.
Temple City, CA
4/25/2011 30 Check-ins Here
The stuff here is kinda pricey, like it is at Pavilions in the next plaza, but it always has tons of produce, albeit not always fresh or healthy-looking. It's crowded on the weekends (parking lot as well) but they give out samples on the weekends too!
Sometimes their sales are worth it, and they're the only place I know that sells good quality Asian pears! I wish they mailed out their ads so we could be updated though..
The neat thing about this place is it has a bakery, a bank, a Lotto vendor, a food vendor, and a locksmith all in one store. The plaza itself includes a travel agency, Ten Ren's tea time, an optometrist, a hot-pot place, a bookstore (with Hello Kitty things!), an herbal shop, and a huge food court! Also, there's another neat plaza next to it with Pavilions, another tea place, Starbucks, Burlington Coat Factory, LA Fitness, etc. etc..How could anyone get bored here? -
Review from john m.
Alhambra, CA
12/7/2011 2 Check-ins Here
Soul-food shopping for me. I come often because I cook often:)
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Review from Cynthia L.
Pasadena, CA
8/26/2010
I tend to trust 99 Ranch Markets over other Chinese markets. Maybe due to the sense of higher turnover of food? They may not have the best prices, but they have the name brand products I like to buy and (usually) have a good selection of produce. Just be careful of the things on sale as sometimes they are actually EXPIRED products.
This store feels smaller than other 99 Ranch Markets, but I come here out of convenience. Their bakery could be better stocked, too.
I miss going to the 99 Ranch Market in Emeryville. That location is my favorite. -
Review from Jorge M.
Arcadia, CA
1/18/2011
The cashiers really need to stop THROWING my products to the bagging person after scanning them at the register. They are really unfriendly and rude. On occasion if they see you taking your ATM card out of your wallet to slowly they will reach over and take the ATM card out of your hand without saying a word and swiping the card for you. Then they violently turn the ATM reader over to you for you to enter your pin. As soon as you do, they start going through the Cashback options and amount confirmation screens on their own. I do not need them to deal with my ATM card purchase options!
If you do ANYTHING the cashier don't like they will at a minimum give you the biggest SIGH! -
Review from Anita i.
9/5/2009
So i just got back from taking my grandma to the market ... when i walked back to my car i noticed a dent in my door...whoopee... =(
any who on to my review..
99 ranch always has whatever i need if im cooking asian food. Their produce is cheap! usually way cheaper than any american super market. They have swimming fish and fish thats dead which is always smelly. i dont understand how those asian ladies pick up fish and toss them around with their bare hands! Dont you mind that your hands now smell fishy and later you need to dig into your purse to get your wallet, pay, and get back into your car without washing your hands? sigh. somethins fishy..
stuff is not that clean there. After i shop my hands have this sticky weird feeling so i usually keep wet wipes in my car! lol
the bakery is meh.. the bread is not fluffy at all. It is convenient though if you need bread and dont want to drive to another bakery. -
Review from Corazon R.
Los Angeles, CA
3/15/2007
This place was a godsend when it first opened. It greatly reduced the distant journeys my papa used to take to West Covina to get the ingredients he needed to make certain dishes. They've got a wide selection of Asian fare, as well as your run-of-the-mill items you'd find at a Vons or Albertsons.
The best thing about this place is that they sell fresh fish that they will fry for you in-store! That meant our house wouldn't smell of fish for days anymore.
There's also a locksmith in-store as well as a little food place. Food's pretty good there, but there's a food court just down the way with a much better selection (not to mention the other restaurants in the area).
And of course, one can't forget the big tanks of live fish and bins of shellfish. My sister loves tormenting the crabs, and I made her stop yesterday and she scowled at me and told me the crabs don't have nervous systems. But that doesn't mean they don't have feelings...I mean, I guess it does...
Just don't forget your sweater, it gets damn cold in there.Listed in: Working on the Chain...Spots
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Review from Joel Y.
Pasadena, CA
6/22/2008
This is the worst 99 Ranch Market by far. I don't know why but I feel like I am in China more here than any other 99 Ranch Market. It's really dirty and stinky. Again- more than usual. I thought Arcadia was new and clean. What happened?
Also, the seafood department tricked me in over buying my Chilean Sea Bass. I paid $30 for a piece of fish. Might as well just have gone out to eat.
Stop being so tricky and start cleaning your store. Only because you are close to my house do I put up with the shenanigans. -
Review from Leni A.
3/30/2007
STORE: great place to get asian ingredients and items; esp love the veggies i can get there. they can fry fish for you but it may be difficult to get exactly wat you want w/the language barrier.
BAKERY: after recently visiting jj's, i realized i'd rather come here. although the selection isn't as wide, i think the value is better...with still plenty of yumminess to choose from. just the other day i got a humongoid =p pineapple milk bun for less than $2. i also took notice of their creme puffs. okay, so the filling isn't the custard heaven of beard papa's, but at 90 cents a piece and a choice of vanilla or red bean, i found a new friend!!
FOOD: there's also a small food stand here now. haven't tried it but i will in the future. on my last visit i cked out the items and they all looked appetizing and not oily either! you can get a two item combo for a little over $3. i'll let you know how it is when i finally try this.
hi-5 too for not being really stinky or dirty in this market. -
Review from Liz M.
Chicago, IL
9/29/2007
they have everything you'll need for almost any type of asian dinner.......be it chinese, japanese and so on. The prices are low. the fruit is awesomely cheap and so are the veggies. cool candy, great Sake.
bakery = magnet
me= paperclip -
Review from Janet C.
San Gabriel, CA
7/30/2009
This place rocks.
There's always a good sale going on and they have everything you could ever need and then some. It's great because I spent over $80 today just on snacks that I couldn't possibly eat all by myself. I really lost control. I went on a spree for no apparent reason. But don't get any wrong ideas. It was a one-time thing, 99 Ranch.
I got bananas today for 39 cents a pound! Awesome opossum!
Their bakery is just okay. The quality of the goods and the price don't match up. Por ejemplo, I tried a corn mayo pork sung bun and it was just godawful. Then again, it was from the sale pile of things that weren't so spring-time-fresh.
I'm so psyched that they switched to biodegradable takeout boxes at their fast food section near the rear exit. I mean, they still use plastic for many other dishes (prepared cold dishes and takeout), but it's a step in the right direction.
This definitely isn't the place to go when buying American-brand products, toiletries, and the like. Stick to buying all your asian goodies, fruits, veggies, and seafood/ meat, but that is it! Everything else is ridiculously overpriced.
I never expect the cashiers to be friendly at asian markets, but they usually are...half the time. The other half is spent staring right through you and treating male customers like golden gods and you like a commoner. Okay, it was the ONE time, but a lot of women do this. They are friendly to the dudes and cold to the ladies.
Other than Valumart and 168 (and ralphs/ albertsons), this is still one of my top choices for grocery shopping. -
Review from Cat T.
Los Angeles, CA
5/28/2007
This place can definitely be scary if you go to the section where they have all the live animals you just want to make your pets.. Sorry, these guys won't last very long in your aquarium.
They have a great selection of asian snacks and anything else you need. The Tupperware here is much cheaper than it is at Ralph's and they have the same good brands too.
The taro bread at the bakery is delicious and I love their red bean cream puffs. The whipped cream filling is amazing! -
Review from richard l.
El Monte, CA
9/5/2010
Unlike Most Arcadia Grocery that is overprice, this one is very reasonable, about same price as other 99 ranch and asian supermarket located in the valley, not as big, but does has a 1 fast food inside and a chinese bakery which has cheap bread.
If you want to buy buns or cheese goes to next store (Pavillion) I usually go both, I get can pretty much everything, raph is also very nearby as well as trader joes, great location ! for organic always goes to trader except from farmer market. Not everything in there is pricey.
99 Ranch parking is decent. -
Review from Laura M.
Los Angeles, CA
8/31/2009 4 Check-ins Here
I dont like this 99 Ranch. Their produce is not fresh and they're usually not fully stocked in a lot of stuff.
It's better if you drive to the Ranch 99 in SGV, it's worth it. -
Review from James T.
4/25/2011 15 Check-ins Here
I came here to get a few items I needed to complete my soup and this market is right on the same block as my gym. The parking was full but I was able to find a spot in 2 minutes. I notice the prices on their seafood was marked up compare to other markets around the Monterey Park area. Figures since they are in Arcadia. There was a few things they didn't have here but they do have fast food to go which is a plus+.
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Review from Tim B.
Temple City, CA
6/14/2007
It's a great place to get ingredients for asian recipes, but I wouldn't want to do most of my shopping there because it's too crowded. The parking lot tends to be full, and it's no better inside the store. Don't even think of trying to walk anywhere near the fish section.
But it has a great selection of asian foods. -
Review from Oshi Y.
Los Angeles, CA
10/13/2007 1 Check-in Here
This market is one of the better 99 Ranch Markets. Its cleaner, its friendlier, its more spacious, and it has more items to choose from. And it has a good bakery attached to it.
It has plenty of parking in the lot and its near a food court with Shiao Mei Take out. One of the better Shiao Mei's around here. Watch out on the weekends though, gets packed and then parking becomes a nightmare!
They have a lot more vegetables to choose from.
They took out the 99 Ranch Card. -
Review from Jaylee M.
TOLUCA TER, CA
7/3/2011
99 Ranch Markets are great for your exotic asian food needs. They huge asian grocery stores in short. They have a ton of imported asian food, plus fresh seafood and meats. They also sell a ton of asian cookware, including Hot Pots. If you know what you need, it's easy to get around, otherwise, bring an asian friend that speak fluent chinese...kinda hard to explain certain things in english to them. Overall it's a good place when you want to find asian goods.
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Review from Phoebe W.
Alhambra, CA
1/19/2011
Haven't shop there for a long time since I moved. I used to go there every week. The grocery is clean and fresh, but alil pricey.
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Review from Oscar X.
Arcadia, CA
6/4/2010
Don't go to 99 Ranch thinking everything is cheap, caz it's NOT!
I was surprised to see this many people going to 99 ranch market while things aren't fresh or cheap. -
Review from Kreuzensolo K.
Los Angeles, CA
4/22/2011
not the cleanest store.. the parking is a clusterf**k.. and it's ALWAYS crowded
honestly, i do most of my shopping in chino hills and the 99 ranch there is just how things should be.. even the fish like it there -
Review from Angelie D.
Arcadia, CA
2/19/2010
Ok so I was very hesitant to review this market because A.) I only really review food restaurants B.) I didn't want to be so mean. When I saw all the other reviews I didn't feel so bad and decided to share with you my story. You can already assume, it being a typical Asian establishment that I will be complaining about language and parking. DING DING! You are correct. It took me 30 minutes to find parking and it would have taken me 5 seconds except people there do not know what SIGNALING means! I got 2 parking spots taken away from me. The parking spot I did take took me like 10 minutes to park into because people there think they can squeeze and fit like 7 cars in a one way street! I only go to this place with my mom because she knows where everything is. Going by myself for the first time was a big mistake. I had to get beef and shrimp for my friends dinner party and it took me forever to get their attention and have them serve me. The only other thing I needed from that place was coconut milk. I asked a lady that worked there and she said "oh it's wear all the canned stuff is" UMMMM almost everything was CANNED there! WTF! I asked another guy and he said Aisle 4 he brought me to the candy section. Finally a guy told me it was in aisle 3 and i finally got my coconut milk. I spent an hour at a place for only 2 items!!! Bad experience!
Only go here at night and not during the weekends! -
Review from jasmine o.
Arcadia, CA
1/11/2007
When I was in maybe, 2nd grade, they were trying with all their might to open up an Asian supermarket in Arcadia. Back in the days, Arcadia wasn't the Asian mecca that it is now, so the American supermarkets tried to prevent it from opening.
Eventually it did, and now it is flourishing. The parking lot is insane on busy weekends, so I would recommend parking along the street.
My favorite thing about Asian supermarkets has to be prices above everything. I mean, it's noisy, smelly, crowded, people are rude (sometimes) but you can't compare the prices. They have some things you would find in an American supermarket, but why the hell would you come to an Asian market to buy Breyers ice cream and frosted flakes?
They've got Asian snacks, sauces you need for Asian recipes, fresh noodles, tofu, soymilk, the list goes on.
You come here for the fresh fish (you can pick a live one out of the tank, can't get any fresher than that, although the way they prepare them for you is traumatizing), fresh seafood (pick your own clams, lobsters, etc.) and I love getting the fresh blue crab. Bring it home, steam it, and you've got an amazing meal simple as that.
