Central Market
Categories: Grocery, Shopping Centers, Florists [Edit]
4001 N Lamar BlvdAustin, TX 78756 (512) 206-1000
- Hours:
Mon-Sun 8:00 a.m.-9:00 p.m. - Price Range: $$
- Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
- Parking: Private Lot
- Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
83 Reviews for Central Market
I've been to Central Market as a visitor from Atlanta many times and every time it's just awesome. We always enjoy the food, drinks and the live music. Why isn't there a place like this is Atlanta?
On my last trip, I did get pooped on my a bird in the tree hovering over my head, but the music, snacks and community atmosphere were so awesome, that I can't bring myself to deduct a star.
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This review is for its cafe. I went on a Sunday evening and they had a band playing. The parking lot was packed and there were tons of people in the cafe and outdoor patio enjoying the music and dancing. It was a picture-perfect typical laidback Austin activity.
In 10 years of living in Austin, I've never ordered any food in the cafe since the cafe menu items, prepared foods, and ice creams all seem terribly overpriced. That day, I picked a salmon burger with seaweed for $9.74 (tax included) and it turned out to be the best or second best meal I can remember.
You pick your item from the menu lying in a basket next to the cafe counter line, order at the counter, pick up a "order-is-ready" vibrator/beeper (but don't wander too many feet away from the indoor cafe or the signal won't pick up), and pick up your order from the side of the counter when it's ready. Everything is self-serve so you don't have to tip.
From now on, I'll bring out-of-town visitors to these evening music in the cafe events at Central Market.
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Central Market is not fair.
If I were independently wealthy, I'd shop here every other day. As it stands, however, my work as a waitron restricts my visits to every now and again.
And every time I go, I see culinary crack at every turn, exotic foodstuffs and luscious libations that make me want to take out a loan and eat like a king.
My most recent trip saw me browsing for an hour, and eventually leaving with Louisiana Gold hot sauce (I can't find that anywhere else in town), Verner's ginger soda, a bottle of red wine, German cookies, a sparkling lemon soda water, and a slice of chocolate cheese cake.
I didn't need any of these things, mind you, they just seemed like a good idea at the time. And I passed up I don't know how many other salivation-inducing options for the love of a roof over my head.
Kinda makes me want to pursue a law degree and embark on a lucrative ambulance-chasing career.
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I take their cooking classes. AWESOME.
They are offered every day. There are sometimes two classes on a single day. You dream it up, they probably have a class for it. You get served two glasses of wine (usually) one time it was mimosas. You get to sample all the dishes they make. The chefs are cool and knowledgeable. You have a question, you ask it. Right then and there. It's like the Food Network except you are there.
If you are a fan of cooking and believe there is always room for improvement, go here.
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I love Central Market for some of the things it does have, and am incredibly irked by some of the things it *doesn't* have. Generally, I prefer to get my produce from a local farm, or farmers market, but sometimes that just isn't possible, so Central Market saves the day! They have a really good selection of unusual stuff - loads of creative drinks/soda/etc, a good cheese selection, really excellent marinated chicken parts (really! excellent!) and a nice assortment of bulk food.
But they're missing (or I just can't find) some things that people just need, but that aren't "natural" or whatever. Like contact lens solution. Oh well.
The parking lot is crazy small and crowded - avoid, if you can, going on a Saturday afternoon, for example. And the store has a *terrible* floor plan. Before I got the hang of it, I always used to invariably miss a whole section of the store - "But...uh...where were the frozen foods?" Yeah. You could get lost in there and it's not even that big! But at least you'd have some yummy stuff to snack on until you found your way out.
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Seeing a show at Central Market under the stars is a perfect way to spend a Friday or Saturday night. Bring a few friends, pick up a bottle of wine from the market, and enjoy the wide variety of music Central Market has to offer. Always a great show!
I took my father here to see Seth Walker. It was very hot that day, but sitting under the trees made it seem not too bad.
The shows here always offer a great chance to people watch. It can be hard to find a seat at times and while you can hear the music from all areas, it can be hard to see the band with all the people walking to and from the cafe. But, you can't help but leave happy after seeing kids dancing without a care in the world!
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super great stuff about this place
* RABO VERDE. and just any other sabor hot sauce. the only place I can find it in austin .. and it is the best besides me whipping up a homemade batch at my house.
*the produce section.. is huge. it never fails to interest me in my veggies.
* I love gelato
*pretty nice beer selection
* freshly-made spelt bread.. my only bread option besides cardboard
*they have chocolate covered sunflower seeds in bulk!.. and in general they have a pretty nice bulk selection
*music outside.. never stopped to watch.. but I heard some beautiful jazz and blues
the downside
* their cheese is expensive compared to the same stuff at HEB.
and despite all this
the long ass lines you have to wait in to check out.. it's usually always like they don't have enough staff.. . or it's just this place is always packed. .. but it's worth it.
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I love Central Market North for...
* the 6-pack of white cupcakes with vanilla icing for $3.29.
so, I went to a party last night and fete Austin doesn't even try to compete with these cupcakes. This is why I confirmed with fete that the cupcakes they provided for the party...wait for it...CAME FROM CENTRAL MARKET!
* the 6-pack of Abita root beer or beer. Big up, Louisiana!
* the cheese. ohgoodlawd...the cheese
* Out to Lunch pre-packed sandwiches
* chocolate covered sunflower seeds and
* the live music.
dont.sleep.on.it.
EDIT (5/17): The chocolate cupcakes with white icing just might be better than the white cupcakes with white icing. hate to admit it, but true.
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Central Market never fails to satisfy!
Today I managed to only spend $12!
I found a YUMMY! smoked salmon and arugula sandwich for lunch, and just couldn't leave without picking up some fresh tortillas to have with dinner!
Warning!!! Today's $12 trip is quite an anomaly. Typically, I go in to pick up a sandwich for lunch and come out $100 poorer, but with ingredients for a couple spectacular meals!
Warning #2 - the fudge dipped mini oreos in the bulk section are addictive!
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Even without their amazing selection and good prices on so many international items, here's why the Texas-owned and Texas-loving CM-HEB Butts family deserves five stars: a friend of mine used to run an organic herb farm and grew some of the finest stuff you ever tasted. CM took everything that was grown, and paid a dollar a bunch for the basil, for example. They then turned around and sold it to the consumer for (ready for this?) one dollar a bunch.
Whoa!
They took a loss (lots of overhead to pay for) in order to give a local farmer a fair price, and local consumers a great deal. Ever heard of anybody else doing that, let alone a chain?
That's why the Butts family personify what is great about keeping it local: they put their money where their mouths are, and get the good food into our mouths They also use the power of a chain and turn it around to support the local economy rather than siphoning money out of it while paying crap wages. The Butts treat both customers and employees fairly.
You can travel this country up and down and over and back and not find a finer local grocery chain that HEB-CM. I pray they keep it family-owned and locally-oriented, and that they keep those new organic products coming! CM Organics keep getting better, and at a fair price.
A great store and a great company.
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I so wish that Central Market would come to California!!!
May not be a great place to go when you're hungry or
you'll buy way too much.
Obviously there's tons of food options...
and non-food options (flowers +++) as well!
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I rarely buy produce here because it's too far away from north.
I went to Central Market Cafe every summer because they have nice outdoor patio and kids scapes.
We took our son for lunch today. It reminds me I never liked their cafe food. They only have boring sandwich, salad, pasta and pizza. I have been there many times, but never liked either soup, salad or entree.
Finally today I found something I like called salmon burger. It's grilled salmon with seaweed. It tastes like Japanese dish.
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It could be the greatest place on earth. It certainly has something for everyone. I love the produce. Organic gala apples. Now those are great to start your party with! Nice spring salad mix. Ten different kinds of potatoes. Fifteen different fresh made sausages. Fresh fish from all over the world. Great beer selection. I never feel rushed here and have great experiences with customer service. The bakery is awesome for a store affilitated with a grocery chain. The deli and fresh prepared foods are good as well. Its a little spendy but I find it less so than whole foods. Sometimes I just come by for a little sushi and sit in the cafe. Have seen several nice musical acts at the outside deck for free. Even taken a cooking class or 2 in the cooking school. If you see someone that looks like my avatar nosing around the bulk bins or sniffing the spices, ITS ME!!! Don't be rude, SAY HI!!!
A few favorites from CM:
Free samples all over the store (especially on Sunday around 3)
Fresh squeezed juice
Lucini Olive Oil
Gourmet Salts
Corn on the Cob in produce
Manchego cheese
Chipolte Aioli
Squid Steaks
Remoulade in the Seafood Section
Fresh ground bison (less fat than ground turkey and 10x the flavor)
Bread with proscuitto baked in (forget the name of the bread but its a long skinny loaf)
Fresh made biscotti
OK thats enough I'm getting hungry!!! Bon appetit!!!
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Even though I only live 3 miles from the South Location, I usually make the time to come up to the north location just because I like it so much more.
The pros include the shopping center it's in, if I'm having a lazy day I'll browse Francesca's, Blue Elephant and The Beauty Store before heading in to CM to get my groceries. It's also much larger than the south location (atleast it feels that way). I usually stop for a smoothie to sip on while doing my shopping and their bulk and beauty section is so much more impressive that the south CM should hang its head in shame.
I haven't eaten at the cafe in several years so it may or may not have gone downhill like I've heard. The layout is so much more logical than the south CM and the baked treats are awesome too.
The only con I can think of is the parking lot is often jammed at odd times of the day. For example I went to do my shopping on a Tuesday at 2:00 when I was off from work and the lot was full to capacity. Weird since I thought most people would have jobs they should be at. Also, turning out of the lot to go South takes quite a bit of time.
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Um, I would probably live in CM if allowed.
I love this place, I'm here at least once every weekend, sometimes more than once, I always find something new to try, the blood orange sorbet/gelato is THE BEST, the bulk candy area makes me feel 12, and the produce is great. I'm sorta weird in the fact that I absolutely LOVE grocery shopping. Its fun to me, so CM is a blast!
One of my fav. central market memories was when my room mate and I were looking at some "new to us" fruit. A CM employee must have seen the "what the heck is this" look on our face. Grabs a knife and slices us each a piece of what ever it was.
I can't remember the fruit, but I do remember the willingness to help their customers which doesn't happen everywhere.
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Love love love it!!! Central Market is to foodies what Toys R' Us is to kids. Having just moved to Austin from San Francisco, my wife and I were super excited to finally have a great grocery store like Central Market to shop at. We're seriously in heaven every time we walk through the door... it makes grocery shopping an enjoyable experience. Our friends back in San Francisco might not believe us, but there isn't anywhere in the Bay Area (or California for that matter) that comes close to having as much as Central Market under one roof.
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Having moved back to San Francisco from Austin a few years back, I was daydreaming about my days back in Texas. One of the places I miss most is Central Market. In terms of value, quality, variety, freshness, knowledgeable staff and sheer coolness factor, no other grocery store comes close (here OR there). I would absolutely LOVE it if Central Market found its way to other states (particularly, mine!), but alas, that may just be a pipe dream. All we have in San Francisco is Whole Foods, which is OK, but doesn't compare to CM. I'll always be jealous of you Austin, there is much to envy about what you guys have!
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The Good:
:: the sampling heaven. dear god. you could really fill up on the samples here :O how do i know this? because i have. I LOVE EATING. free food to try? yes please. today for example i had their seared ahi tuna and some fajitas. mmmmm. there are samples in EVERY department and even if you don't see a sample out for something? you just have to ask and they will oblige happily. that's how i finally found out what head cheese tastes like.
:: the meat department. i love eating meat like nobody's business and i still have yet to try all the meats they offer. their meats are FRESH. amazing and fresh. and bloody. mmmmmm bloody meats. try their angus ribeye and their ground buffalo (leaner than cow).
:: the seafood department. they have a plethora of offerings, including live lobster, live dungeness crab, and live crawfish, all of which i eat lovingly. their fish is FRESH, especially the whole fish. take a look at their red snapper for example...mmmmmm. try their coho salmon and their red snapper!
:: the cheese department. cheese. a lot of it. mmmmmmmmmm. they have a plethora of offerings, which makes it fun to try something new and different every time you go! i'd recommend you try their roule cheese with the thin crackers they have in that section.
:: the alcohol selections. they offer all kinds of wines (local and non-local), sake, beer....makes me happy just thinking about it all. they even carry mini kegs! try the dreamy clouds sake and a bitburger keg.
:: the bakery. check out their creme brulee or any of their mini cakes. deLISH. they also have an abundant selection of freshly baked breads!
:: the deli meat department. they have it all, from ham to turkey to caviar to smoked salmon to....happy offerings for all!!! try their in-house roast. the bloodier the cut the better it is.
:: their fresh veggies and fruits departments. they have all kinds of standard and not-so-standard offerings. check out the exotic fruit section and their locally-obtained fresh herbs offerings!
:: their soup offerings. they have all kinds of stuff for everyone: chili, clam chowder, gumbo, tortilla...i'd recommend the gumbo and the tortilla soup, as well as the green chili chicken soup. mmmmmm
:: their bulk food section. there's something for everyone, whether it's cereal, spices, granola, coffee, honey, peanut butter, or candy.
:: they have live music that plays on a very regular basis (like today they had bagpipes!! sweet!) and the genres switch out and keep you interested. one day it'll be jazz, the next it may be middle eastern, the next may be bagpipes....
:: their cafe. great for a solid quick fix when you don't want to deal with the hassles of a restaurant. if you have kids stick to the bottom floor but if you are kidless then i'd suggest you hit the top floor outside for more privacy.
:: they show movies from the alamo rolling roadshow here! happy!
The Bad:
:: the layout of the store takes some getting used to for sure. i used to go in circles when i first went there. now that i am a regular, it's not a big deal.
:: the salad bar is fine and predictable but nothing exciting like i'd expect from a gourmet grocery store.
:: when there are lots of kids there? there are LOTS of kids there. i mean a lot. like....wow. holy kaka. on a standard night you won't see as many out and about, but holy god on the weekends...the deck is flooded with families and their kids running amuck, ringing that damn bell for the 80th time...gah.
:: it can get expensive for a grocery trip. trust me, i know. :( but i just can't stay away!!!! uuuugh pocketbook crying...
The Ugly:
:: the parking lot can get CRAZY here. full full full full full
Would I go back? Definitely. LOVE LOVE LOVE going here. You definitely get the experience here, not just an errand out of the way.
This place is IN.
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The store itself:
Beautiful, beautiful produce! Great selection of wine! Wide range of cheeses! And many more! If you prefer quality grocery then this is the place to shop but my only complain is the price of the fish... and especially the fish (because I love them). I can't justify the cost to pay for $12/lb for Atlantic Salmon, granted it is imported from Cuba or whereever but can they speak Cuban?
The Cafe:
Went there on Sunday for lunch and it was a very delightful place to be at. I had the ham & asparagus quiche and it was good. There is nobody to seat you or wait you at the table but you really don't need it. The live music and the surrounding enhanced the experience further. I love dining here.
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I have been in love with Central Market since it's grand opening in 1994. It is small enough to still feel like 1994 Austin and the company really tries to feature local products. Typically my shopping begins with a tiny cup of the free coffee in the bulk food section where I progress down the aisle with the free chips moving towards the free cheese. So what? I like the free samples. And I happen to know that you can ask for a sample slice of any of their breads and they will quickly cut you a hunk. Sometimes, I actually do purchase something just sampled. It's a great marketing tool, CM so keep laying out the free goodies.
MY FAVORITES:
Breakfast Bread - tastes like Christmas
Hummus - so many varieties
Meat and Fish - it's all wonderful; I've received a number of recipes from the boys in the meat section; the best bison I've ever tasted
Bulk Food Bins - pretty good prices compared to WF; coffee sales
Cheese - they will open up any cheese for you to sample (I swear I have not done this just for a free bite) Okay, yes I have.
Flowers - amazing but kind of pricey; the flower gals will help arrange a bouquet and wrap it in pretty paper with a raffia bow
Bakery - fresh baked goods; try the chocolate cookies with the chewy center
Cafe - this space continues to evolve but recently I enjoyed a panini in here
Foodies - wonderful little ladies with stripped aprons who will find you whatever your heart desires
A few tips - try not to go at prime time on the weekends or weekdays during lunch. Early and late in the day work.
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food: 5 stars
prices: 2 stars
customer service: 5 stars
cooking school: 5 stars
parking: 0 stars
store layout: it's a grocery store, of course it's ridiculous
cheese dept: 5 stars.
meat dept: 5 stars. they have wagyu. nuff said. wait no... not enough said. the meat is a always spectacular. they will cut whatever you want if they don't have it out. if they don't have it in the back, they'll order it for you. oh, and when i say meat, i mean beef. but they also usually have a good selection of other meats. i like meatballs and meatloafs, so the nice selection of ground lamb, veal, pork, bison are a nice touch. do yourself a favor take the ground bison train, next stop: mini burger heaven. go get a pound of ground bison, a pack of 8 brioche rolls, an onion and your cheese of choice (see cheese dept.).
fish dept: 5 stars (but... see prices, 2 stars)
and here is why i write the review....
PLAYGROUND: 100 stars
my 4 year old will tolerate a trip a trip to the grocery, no... not just tolerate, enjoy! where else (in public) is it ok to drink a beer and "watch" your kids play?
also, if you ever want to lose your kid, come here on a sunday. the place will be packed. you'll lose your kid in a minute flat. (that was a joke, please don't call CPS on me)
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It's relatively crowded and at times I forget that I am not the only person inside the place.
But where else can I get (for a decent price):
pineapple coconut juice
golden curry
FRESH jabanero peppers
banana bread beer
fresh take-home sushi
?
(Okay, maybe some other places that I have not heard of...but Central Market is like my ultimate heaven).
I wanted to buy the filet mignon SO bad, but then I remembered how I am currently unemployed.
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The prices are good and not so good depending. But that is to be expected for the demographic they are aiming for. I do have one complaint--I just wish people would just take a deep breath and attempt some ZEN attitude when entering the parking lot and store. When it is busy, watch out. You will be in everyone's way and they will sigh, roll eyes and generally physically move you to push past on their way through the store. DO NOT BROWSE HERE. That should be posted somewhere in this store. I don't feel the anger/pissed off attitude like this when I am Whole Foods, only here. Wonder why? Just a friendly warning for all of you not sure what you want when you walk in--BE CAREFUL--very important, very busy people shop here and they want YOU outta their way NOW.
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Lots of produce from CA with some conventional TX goods mixed in. Meat is agribusiness (don't let the "natural" label fool you, it means nothing).
Rat-in-a-maze lay out.
The cafe food has seriously nose-dived and is mostly gross.
Live Oak-shaded playground backs to wet ponds with a running trail, great climbing tree, ducks, turtles and occasional herons.
And a poem out of the experience shopping here:
[Shop & see fresh goat cheese]
Shop & see fresh goat cheese
Opulence is puffy paint
The yuppie store with white balloon brats
The mask that is me even now
Lasso hanger
Cheers to you You
by the mushrooms You
are a frightful linear thing
********
The reason for two stars.
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Central Market cracks me up. It's no secret that people in Austin can be pretty pretentious. Central Market is a great example......
The pretentious citizens of Austin complain and moan about H.E.B...... "it's too crowded, the vegetables suck, the lines are horrible, it's an eyesore in my neighborhood". Well, here comes Central Market and everyone goes crazy for it. All I can say is H.E.B headquarters has some smart executives......
1. Put wood floors in store instead of tile
2. Give store more of "hometown" name
3. Have better wine, vegetable, cheese and meat products
4. Add in a cafe
5. Mark up everything at least 25% more then the H.E.B. down the road
6. PROFIT
Not that all the hype is unwarranted. Central Market is better then your local H.E.B., the food is more "organic", and the cafe is amazing. They have some of the best fries in town.
But remember you are paying at least 25% more at Central Market then H.E.B. so it is a little, actually a lot, more expensive.
The H.E.B. executives are laughing all the way to the bank!
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Central Market Cafe is such a great spot for lunch! I absolutely love the setup, the seating, and especially their food. My faves are their Cobb Salad, their Asian Chicken Salad, and the Greek Pizza. The Cobb salad is very traditional, and the Asian Chicken Salad feels more like eating a bowl of peanut-style coleslaw with chicken in it. Not to say that it isn't good, but it is just a different textured salad. I also like that the portions are not unmanageable - I can eat the whole thing without feeling overloaded, and not have to take anything home.
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If you're looking for a catered dinner, this is your place. My family and I ordered their Thanksgiving meal, which was excellent. The turkey was free range, organic, and you cook it yourself. Don't worry, they provide detailed written instructions-- it was easy! The sides were fresh and tasty, especially the sweet potatoes. They included a small gift (high quality salad tongs) with the dinner. It really seemed like they cared about being part of our holiday meal (we had a bad experience with this year's Christmas dinner at another store in California). Not all stores are created equal, and Central Market is a cut-above, in terms of the quality of their prepared foods.
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Best meat department in Austin in my opinion. The meat guys are awesome, they don't mess around and they'll get you whatever you want, if it's within their power.
One of the best wine selections in Austin as well. The wine people can be a bit snobby at times and somebody needs to check them.
I love their cheese selection and they'll let you try any of their cheeses. The cheese people love cheese here just as much as you do, and they're friendly as well. Maybe they could teach the wine snobs a thing or three.
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Came here as a way to pass the time and perhaps grab some coffee and breakfast. Left impressed.
I was in town for a business trip, and perhaps you the reader aren't from Texas or Austin so my points of reference may be useful. I'm going to use some California references.
Central Market = (Berkeley Bowl x Whole Foods) + (Williams Sonoma)
I don't think my equation does it justice.
I found some great Austin bbq sauce to lug home as gifts, plus a grabbed a Cafe Mexicano from the coffee bar in the front. It was described as "a latte with chocolate and cinnamon and vanilla." It tasted delicious.
I think I'll be back during my next business trip to Austin. I'll be forgoing the free Continental breakfast at the hotel and coming here for the breakfast served here. French toast or an omelet or oatmeal sounds delicious and right up my alley.
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You're in new love. You KNOW how it is with those damn belly-butterflies. Or maybe it's just gas or hunger pangs. Hard to tell the difference sometimes.
.
Sometimes gas would be easier and more rewarding.
.
Whatever the case, Central Market has all the supplies necessary to equip a struggling fledgling Romeo and all the skills required to rear him into the Beckman-esque lady-killer we all aspire to be (minus Trash Spice).
Got that burnin' in your belly, you say? Can't get her offa ya mind? Indeed... how about you buy her fresh flowers (or a suspiciously curly bamboo baby) and have CM's flower chica bang-up a killer bouquet.?
Or maybe you want an original-looking card that doesn't smell like the salsa isle at Fiesta.
Wanna kick it up a notch? Mmmhhhmmm... thought so. Hug a candle. That's right. I said it... hit that candle isle. But smell wisely young grasshopper... 4-5 smells in and you'll have a nasal cavity train-wreck... the nose equivalent of having all 8 ACL stages running at the same time but inside of the Palmer Events Center. Nasal noise. Nose nastiness. Not gonna do it.
Or maybe grab some homemade soap and a little vial of girly goo... maybe skin creme made from Granny Smith apples and the fat from an Ecuadorian tree sloth or some bath salts fashioned from Shamu sea slime, hair from the pink tele-tubby, and something from the scalp of Ronaldo.
Lets say it turns out to be love and moves along. Once you are weened from the candle-teat, you can upgrade to cooking classes and woo her with fresh and fabulous feeding fiestas.
Central Market has it all... everything you need to show her that you are sensitive, creative and that you care.
And if it turns out not to be love but rather just a touch of gas, they have the solution for that as well.
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Austin is very lucky to have all the little organic/holistic grocery stores & restaurants, as well as being the headquarters of Whole Foods. But Central Market is my favorite.
Where Whole Foods is organized and even a little bit regimented, this Central Market location has more of a feel of an open-air bazaar: a little haphazard, begging to be explored instead of just shopped. The fruits and vegetables are a cornucopia of the good, the organic, and the hard-to-find. And (as detailed in a separate review) the cafe here is tasty and inexpensive with a varied menu.
Central Market is inclusive instead of exclusive, a place where you are likely to run into your friends and neighbors instead of celebrities or lookatmes. It's more expensive than the local Randall's. But then, Randall's doesn't carry hen-of-the-woods mushrooms, bulk saffron, or 39 different varieties of olives at the olive bar.
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Great, but expensive, market. But the best thing is has going for it is the Friday and Saturday nights of live music on a stage adjacent to the playscape. If you've got kids, there's nothing better than eating good food and drinking good wine, outside, listening to live music, while your kids frolic on a large, safe, modern playground within eye-shot of you. We need more such places in Austin.
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Ok, it is no Whole Foods, but overall, if I need something like gorgeous vegetables, scrumptious looking fruit, variation of nuts, assortments of wine, tantalizing meats and fish, perfectly packaged appetizers, a wide array of pickles, or well, anything else, I go to Central Market for not only those things, but often the experience.
However, I do have a complaint that they do not put the energy into the salad bar area as I would expect. 90% of the time I am disappointed with how it reveals itself. The area is usually sloppy looking and the vegetables are all mixed in with each other the majority of the time. That might be when I go, but there needs to be a salad boot camp drill instructor there reforming the line up of the salad organizers! =)
Other than that...it is a good place to get most things.
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This Central Market REALLY needs another review. Just in case you're on the fence, thinking to yourself, "Hmmmm, to go or not to go...? Those first 56 reviews were pretty convincing, but what if #57 had a horrible experience?!?" Rest assured, my friends....you have my blessing.
That said, I really haven't been inside the main part of the store itself. So, I can't speak for that. Living a lot closer to the Westgate location, that's the CM I typically visit, and I assume that the selection and variety of items is more or less the same. However! This one has a playground outside!! Those of you with little ones understand. Add a playground to anything, and you've got a contender on your hands. Add beer and food to that playground, and you've got a winner.
So, I sat outside next to the playground yesterday, enjoying the sun on my face and the beautiful, if cool, weather, while the kids went ape shit on the playground. I had a tasty panino to chew on, some tortilla soup for warmth, and a Red Stripe to wash the warmth away. There was even some nice live music playing - Rumbullion, French gypsy folk jazz (yes, you heard that correctly).
I didn't like the fries much...they had that sort of battered crispy outside to them, but since it's pretty much impossible to have a plate of fries in front of you and not eat them, I obliged. Everything else was pretty good. But the best part of the experience was that I didn't have to get lost inside the store (if the layout is anything like the Westgate location, then I don't like it). Anytime I can skip out on shopping to watch the kids play while I eat and drink beer, well, I'm a happy camper.
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I needed a bouquet created on short notice that was just like the arrangements my wife and I had at our wedding and reception. I called 7 or 8 florists that I had used or read good reviews on to make it for me. Not one had even 75% of the flowers necessary to recreate the arrangement. Not to mention they wanted to gouge me on the price because of the short notice.
Keep in mind that I am a guy, and my memory of the arrangements were that they looked "cool." Not wanting to call my wife and instigate a conversation that started with me trying to ascertain what was in them without tipping her off to A) the fact that I was having this made as a surprise, and B) that I had no friggin clue what types of flowers were in it even though it was the most important day of my young life. So, I finally called Central Market (the north one) and started explaining my situation to the florist. She was able to decipher my nonsensical description and through magic of google images, she was able to get a firm hold on what I needed. Not only that, but she told me it would be ready in an hour. Keep in mind that every other florist had said the end of the day.
So, I go and pick it up and she has replicated the arrangement flawlessly. Top it off with the fact that she only charged me $80 (everybody else quoted me double or more), and I was a happy guy. So, I tipped her $20 and went on my way to pleasantly surprise my wife.
I highly recommend them. If I can remember the woman's name I will update the review.
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Gotta give a yelp out to CM. I actually find their prices reasonable - you just have to stick to your list to make your budget. I overspend when I'm not sure what I'm looking for or give in to the impulse-buy.
That said, their meat, produce and selection is unbeatable. I see that they are carrying more locally grown and organic produce - kudos!
Perhaps what keeps me coming back, and continually amazes me, is their excellent customer service. When an ex broke up with me after I had planned a party in his honor and bought all the food...well, CM took the food back! I also seem to recall my father, a la Kramer, returning bad produce. A month later. (he lives a distance and wasn't in town again for a month). They gave him his money back no questions asked.
What do you have to lose? If you spend too much and suffer buyer's remorse, they'll gladly refund your money.
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Oh, oh, oh, I love the Central Market. The reason: so much variety of produce, bulk spices, freshly made hummus and stuff you can't get anywhere else (Greek yogurt is cheaper than at Whole Foods).
I don't do my primary grocery shopping here but love when we have time to go and peruse.
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