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Duc Loi Supermarket
- Hours:
Mon-Sun 8 am - 8 pm
- Price Range:
-
$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
77 reviews for Duc Loi Supermarket
Review Highlights
"They also offer organic Mate drinks."
(in 20 reviews)
"...a place on our side of town to buy Asian produce and fish."
(in 4 reviews)
"Its nice and clean and the owners are very helpful."
(in 5 reviews)
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77 reviews in English
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Review from Justen P.
San Francisco, CA
2/5/2012
Awesome family owned grocery in the Mission. I stopped in here a few weeks ago when a couple of friends and I got together to make dinner. The produce is fresh, they have a great selection of niche Latino and Asian food products, and they have pretty good cuts of meat.
Pricing is also pretty good - probably a little cheaper than Safeway club prices. -
Review from Pablo R.
1/24/2012 1 Check-in Here
Best one-stop grocery shopping in this area of Mission.
Duc-Loi has long been my local market for almost everything. Fresh produce, asian and latino products, an inexpensive wine collection and a full butcher counter.
The large square footage ensures a larger variety of products than most little markets in the area. Think a size between small produce market and Cala Foods.
The owner, Howard, is always hard at work and willing to order stuff just for you if he can. This a family run market, be sure to stop by and support local merchants! -
Review from Bucky W.
San Francisco, CA
11/28/2011
I liked this place and it was my go to spot but now it seems the produce is just ok even though there is more organic. The prices are just ok and it seems like the produce has kinda dropped in quality. There are only organic bananas and there used to be more fair priced ones. The organic stuff is not that great but sometimes there is a deal.
I think they are starting to cater to the hipsters and therefore charging more for less quality. It is a shame, I used to like this store.
Now I will go to the Farmers Market where the produce isn't cheap either but at least it is quality. -
Review from Tammy C.
(See pics)
Review #1041.
Finally a place that you can still get organic vegetables without paying a hefty price penalty for being healthy. Only in the Mission.
Love the orange lemon that tasted sweet but with lemon sensation. Abundant choices of vegetables and fruits in this very bright sunlight filled supermarket. $1.39/lb for oranges and $0.79/lb for kiwi. Throw in some organic ginger too.
Isles are wide enough to shop leisurely. Lots of imported Asian soy sauce and other locally made items such as shrimp rice rolls (banh Cuon Tom.) -
Review from Will P.
San Francisco, CA
1/11/2012
A pretty rare find Asian supermarket in the Mission, I usually go here to find inexpensive stuff in the City. :-) Parking is a little hard though, they have a small private lots.
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Review from Ben T.
San Francisco, CA
12/23/2011
Incredibly cheap, accessible by public transportation/walking, a lot of asian ingredients. My favorite is to come here to get ingredients for vietnamese fresh spring rolls (i.e. rice paper, hoisin sauce, thai basil, bean sprouts...etc) for less than $10 total. Some of the produce is not the freshest, but about 90% of it is and as long as you don't mind picking through produce, it's well worth it.....it also wouldn't hurt for you to learn what a "good" and bad" bunch of thai basil, persimmon, avocado looks and feels like ;-)
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Review from cristina w.
San Francisco, CA
Updated - 7/22/2011
I am downgrading my rating to a 1 star.
First of all, you can see from my earlier review that I was a big fan of Duc Loi. Not only that I wrote a nice review here, I told my neighbors about this store and they started going there too.
Unfortunately, in the 9 mo's or so after the review, I have encountered too many RUDE instances by the lady owner and the employees there. When asked if I could use their bathroom, they scolded me: NO NO NO, BATHROOMS ARE FOR EMPLOYEES ONLY. When I pleaded with them due to the urgency of the need, they'd still turn me down cold. This is not a tiny store. It is bigger than most grocery stores in the Mission, but hey, it's the Mission so maybe that's why they won't provide any bathrooms??? Weird, but okay, eventually I got over that. Although, the lady owner could have been nicer about it.
Then I had another rudeness happened to me by the cashier at the checkout counter. I had asked (after I made a purchase), if I could get her to break my dollar coin into smaller change. She yelled at me for leaving my dollar coin there by the credit card machine. She was really irratated and yelled: "DO NOT PUT IT THERE". And the lady owner just stood there without saying anything.
The last and final instance of rudeness happened when I was threatened to have my car towed, because I parked there but I didn't buy anything. It's not like the lot was always so full, but it was usually just the owner who parked there. As a customer, you can park there for 1 hour. It didn't specify that you have to actually BUY anything. It only states, that the parking is for customer only. OK, so I didn't buy anything that day because the specialty item I was looking for wasn't there. So I left to go use a bathroom at a taco place around the corner (remember, bathrooms are FOR EMPLOYEE ONLY at Duc Loi).
When I returned to my car and drove out of the parking lot, I was stopped by a male employee there. He said he was there to deliver a message from the lady owner that the parking is for customers only and that they'd have my car towed next time I parked there. WOW.
I told him that I'm in fact a customer and his answer was: "I DIDN'T SEE YOU BUY ANYTHING". So I asked him to deliver a message back to the lady owner: "Don't worry, I will never shop at your store again".
There we go, Duc Loi, from 4 stars to 1 in 9 months. I wish I could have given you zero.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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10/29/2010
this store stands out amongst the grocery stores in the mission because it has a wide variety of… Read more »
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Review from Dmitri S.
San Francisco, CA
7/15/2011
I was craving some Asian produce one day and my friend lives near this market so I decided to get some groceries. To my disappointment this place lacked many of the produce that I was looking for (and I'm not even Asian). It gets worse. I got some vegetables that looked fresh but when I got home I noticed aphids growing on it. GROSS. Seriously, google aphids. That's what I saw on my broccoli. I've bought vegetables at other places and have never seen friggin insects growing on them! In conclusion: never going to this place again. I recommend you stay away from this place too. Unless you like eating plant lice.
If that doesn't break you, note that I was also overcharged because the cashier was a newbie. -
Review from Rebecca K.
San Francisco, CA
10/5/2011
I love Duc Loi. Maybe it's just because I have an adorable baby, but the employees and owner feel like family to me now. Everyone is friendly, helpful, and eager to please. When I've asked if they could carry some uncommon veggies, they stocked them for me no problem, saving me trips to other stores around town. Yes the produce is a mixed bag - there are often wilting greens and bruised fruit, but the cheap prices make it worth it for me to dig a little to find a fresh item, and I actually find it admirable that they don't trash every imperfect thing . . . I'm getting tired of every upscale grocer's shining pyramid of perfect apples. Duc Loi rocks!
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Review from Lisa W.
San Francisco, CA
3/2/2011
I live in an area with no cheap produce, and as a result have actually resorted to BART-ing/bus-ing to the mission to pick up groceries. Duc Loi is definitely one of my main stops.
Cheap Asian vegetables and a good selection of fruit, along with bags of frozen dumplings for those lazy days and, for some reason, a decent selection of beer.
Choose your vegetables carefully, as the produce only keeps for a few days and some of it is already not looking so good. I haven't found that Duc Loi is any worse than the corner markets in this respect though. I guess you get what you pay for, but if you can use up your groceries within the week it's still a pretty good deal.Listed in: Mission Rat
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Review from Jason P.
San Francisco, CA
11/2/2011
Closest Asian market to 99 Ranch. Granted it's a quarter of the size of any 99 Ranch but you will find everything you need to make Filipino, Chinese, Vietnamese, and Korean food.
Produce aisle has all the Asian vegetables you'll need.
Variety of noodles - Check
Variety of Soy Sauce - Check Check (they even have the very thick kind best used for marinades)
Meat, Fish and Poultry - Check
And the prices are very cheap. If yu're not wanting to drive to Daly City, Duc Loi is the place to go. -
Review from Minh V.
San Francisco, CA
3/10/2011 1 Check-in Here
No good... No good...
It is barely an Asian Market. I went here to try to find some ingredients for some Asian dishes and they hardly had any of the basic items that I was looking for. Not to mention the prices for the ones that they did have were like 3-4x more than at regular Asian markets...
Wahhh... -
Review from R C.
San Francisco, CA
8/3/2011
A lil' bit pricier compared to the other shops on 16th and Mission. Its nice and clean and the owners are very helpful. The higher costs is due to its newly renovated building. Overall this place isn't too shabby.
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Review from Ken R.
San Francisco, CA
Updated - 10/9/2011
Bread Update: Duc Loi has started carrying a better bread selection. Genuine batards, baguettes and chiabattas, although not a large quantity. Still, I can usually find something decent when I want to. Thanks for the improvement!
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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2/21/2010
This is the best neighborhood grocery ever! Since its in my neighborhood, it's a neighborhood… Read more »
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Review from Adrian L.
San Francisco, CA
Updated - 3/27/2011
I'm updating my rating of Duc Loi to a 5.
Though they might not supply all of your south of the border or east of Hawaii needs, they have a great selection of goods from both areas. I find it to be a great one stop shop for spices, herbs, veggies, noodles, tortillas, chiles, etc... And they have a sweet butcher counter. I love looking at rows and rows of sliced up meat, animal parts, dead fish and blood. Duc Loi is pretty great.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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1/17/2011
I've been here a few times for those Asian or South American ingredients that I can't find at my… Read more »
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Review from Charles L.
San Francisco, CA
9/23/2010 2 Check-ins Here
One stop of my Definitive Mission Grocery Guide:
PRODUCE (delivery dates Monday, Wednesday, Friday)
Best value from here is mostly ASIAN vegetables and Asian noodle products. Fresh and dry noodle goods are cheap, comparable to 99 Ranch. Frozen section pretty good as well. Lacks in the Japanese and Korean department for Asian goods, but does pretty well in the Chinese, Thai, Vietnamese area.
Regular vegetables and fruit is only lower priced on the outside of the store for their specials. Occasionally you will find better deals here for fruit than Mi Ranchito, but again only on the outside cardboard stands. Fruit inside the store is not the best price or quality you can get.
The exception is that carrots are good and cheap here.
+ $0.39 per/lb loose carrots
+ $0.99 per/lb most Asian vegetables (bok-choy, gai-lan, yu-choy, ong-choy, etc.)
+ $1.29 per/lb green Chinese chives
+ $1.29 per/lb Chinese eggplant
+ $1.29 per/lb ginger
+ $1.29 per romaine lettuce (freshest and best quality, but not the cheapest compared to Mi Ranchito and City Discount, which have torn leaves everywhere)
On rare occasions, they carry Strauss milk (the milk that comes in glass jugs and is super tasty).
BEER
ALOT. Surprisingly great choice of craft brews that are priced competitively VS Safeway actually. You can find harder-to-find stuff like Arrogant Bastard once in a while here too before people snatch it up.
$5 minimum on credit -
Review from Mark A.
San Francisco, CA
8/25/2010
It's easy to forge that Yelp is also used for retail establishments.
This might be my favorite all-around grocery store.
I love cooking various ethnic cuisines, but in the past, I've always had to run around to different grocery stores until I find everything I need.
Duc Loi pretty has every niche though - Mexican, Thai, Vietnamese, Chinese, Japanese, etc.
It's also a great place to get high-quality meat and fish for not very much (although they lack shellfish - for that, go to Sun Fat).
And unlike most Asian markets, they carry a full selection of organic (and non-organic) produce, I've often seen the same package of organic strawberries selling for less at Duc Loi than Bi-Rite.
And of course, they have the standard grocery staples too for not very much.
But most of all, it's run by some extremely nice people who really care about the well-being of their customers.
The other day I went in and they were out of ground beef, so they ground some more for me right there.
And if their customers want something that they don't have, they do their best to find a way to get it into the store - they mentioned that they several customers have asked about matcha powder and they are actively looking for a supplier.
There's one Chinese woman named Amanda who's almost always there - I think she and her husband are the owner. If you have any questions, make sure to find her. -
Review from Jennifer L.
Mountain View, CA
4/6/2010
Pros:
+ cheap
+ clean
+ organized*
+ friendly employees
+ carry Asian, Mexican and American food
+ fair quality produce
+ meat counter
+ got all the basics and a bit more
Cons:
- produce doesn't store very well (suggestion: eat within a couple days)
- variety not very extensive
I went on a Sunday and was told that the store was closing in 5 minutes shortly after I entered the store when I thought I had over an hour to spare. So they close at 8 instead of 9, at least on Sunday that I know of.
I tried to hurry then soon found myself lost so I went to the register to get help. One of the employees asked me what I wanted to get then quickly made her way around the store and grabbed all the items for me as I followed behind her.
This store carried a good selection of Asian and Mexican food but it didn't have a lot of the Asian stuff I normally get. It had more variety than, say, a Safeway, but not as extensive compared to New May Wah.
* Though organized (aka not messy), the way this store is organized is a bit confusing. It seemed they organize their stuff by culture (e.g. Asian, Mexican) and type (e.g. canned, frozen), so you have to assess and determine the culture and type of the item that you're looking for in order to locate it. -
Review from Ann L.
5/30/2010
I went in to Duc Loi Supermarket in the Mission because I saw cherries pre-bagged for .69/lb and apricots pre-bagged for .69/lb. I think they were a good price.
They have lots of stuff inside. Veggies, frozen stuff, meats. Looks clean & fresh stuff.
Bad: My total was $3.87 and they cashier said the minimum is $5. That's against credit card agreement, but I paid in CASH. I would report them if I lived & shopped there often, but I don't so won't. -
Review from Leslie Ann R.
San Francisco, CA
4/2/2009
Love this place! The closest grocery store to me is Bi-Rite, and I can't shop there round the clock.
It's not really a supermarket, compared to Safeway or 99 Ranch, but it is a solid market in the inner mission. Now I can make "real" asian food at home, instead of that fake stuff from Trader Joes! Don't get me wrong, I love Trader Joes, but sometimes Indian food from a hermetically sealed foiled bag just doesn't cut it. -
Review from Eric S.
San Francisco, CA
12/22/2009
I wanted to like you. I wanted to support you. I wanted to love you.
When I first saw you, I was like, damn, girl! You got all the things I been looking for in an Asian market. And you're supporting the already-established community here, too. This is going to be awesome. You're just what this neighborhood needs. You're just what I need.
But the lettuce wilted and the noodles got put up on some unreachable shelf and I never could find all the Japanese stuff I was hoping to discover. The last straw: The pork chops I bought last night turned out to be rancid when I opened them up on my cutting board just ten minutes after buying them. My crush went from blush to mush.
As someone who dumped me last year almost blithely put it while she was walking out the door: "I'm just not feeling it."
Hurts, don't it? -
Review from Corey V.
3/5/2009
I'm sure many people hate the idea of a "Super" anything, but it's nice to have a one-stop-shop for food. The selection here definitely reflects the neighborhood.
I hope Duc Loi can stay nice and clean for years to come. -
Review from Russell D.
San Francisco, CA
7/24/2010
Liking this little market very much. Huge well stocked meat counter with very good prices. They carry Harris Ranch beef and we've not been disappointed with their pork or chicken. The fish leaves a little to be desired however.
The dry goods are arranged by ethnicity and they carry things hard to find elsewhere. Best part is they are carrying japanese, chinese and hispanic items so it's a one stop shop.
The produce aisle can be a bit sketchy. I've notice they leave things on the shelves longer than they are really sellable sometimes. Just watch what you're picking up and make sure it's not too far gone.
They are convenient and inexpensive. Definitely on my regular list of grocery haunts now. -
Review from Kristin P.
San Francisco, CA
2/11/2010
This supermarket is a 30 second walk from my house. Therefore, I frequent it. But its gotta be one of the strangest supermarkets I've ever frequented for several reasons.
First of all, its very unclear whether it is Mexican or Asian-themed. Its actually both. And its aisles are even organized by culture (Japanese, Asian, American, Mexican, Organic (yes, I consider Organic a culture, sure)). While this seems cute, it actually makes things IMPOSSIBLE to find. I have to mentally assess the nationality of the food I'm buying before I can go find it. Strange, indeed.
The produce is pretty average; on par with the other bodegas running along Mission, if better presented. Fruits and veggies you buy at Duc Loi typically don't last more than a couple of days but they do the trick. The butcher counter is pretty ok, I've gotten boneless chicken breasts there for $1.99 a pound and it hasn't killed me yet.
Overall, prices are decent, quality is decent and the staff are very nice. A good stop if you want Mexican and Asian food at the same time :)Listed in: Mish-mash of the Mission
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Review from Teresa M.
San Francisco, CA
6/10/2011
I decided I needed to save money today and just get non-organic produce, so I was heading to the produce stands on Mission, when I saw the prices on the organic produce at Duc Loi :) After being enticed inside by their cheap organic prices I realized that they had significantly expanded their options since the last time I visited when they opened, So I ended up doing a full grocery shopping trip. I'm looking forward to going back during my lunch breaks!
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Review from Cyn W.
Arlington, VA
3/4/2009
Brand new asian supermarket in the Inner Mission! I've been needing somewhere close by to pick up a few things here and there.
I walked by this place a few times, and finally popped in last night. Duc Loi has a an expansive produce section and fresh seafood as well. The store is still starting up so not everything is on the shelves, but it looks promising. I'm sure I'll be coming by often, despite the paucity of organic items (that's what Rainbow is for!) -
Review from Wes M.
San Francisco, CA
3/31/2009
Asians and Latinos--teaming up at last to bring us an unexpected bounty of cheap groceries right in the heart of the Mission (which could really use a supermarket--FoodsCo and Rainbow are a bit far off into warehouse-land, and Bi-Rite is, well, not a supermarket, foodie appeal notwithstanding). It also happens to be the first Asian grocery that's actually on my way to work.
Now compared to the Asian bazaars of the west side, Duc Loi is downright dainty, but they still manage to pack all the essentials (though produce selection is a bit erratic, and the shelves aren't *quite* all the way full yet). The meat department is especially comprehensive--the place may be surreally spotless now, but it's bound to start smelling really interesting in here pretty soon.Listed in: 16th & Mission
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Review from Sweetwatermelonsugar H.
San Francisco, CA
2/24/2009
Finally a place on our side of town to buy Asian produce and fish. I love the the owner Amanda, who is really open to suggestions and smiles at people as they pass through the check out. This is her labor of love and really cares that the store is a success. It is true that the store is not yet fully stocked but everything that is there, especially the produce, is plump and beautiful.
happy eating my gai lan and pomelo. -
Review from james a.
San Francisco, CA
12/1/2009
If the woman behind the meat counter tries to serve me meat with her BARE HANDS and her NASTY FINGERNAILS I am going to scream!!!!!
love the rest, hate the meat lady -
Review from Renee T.
San Francisco, CA
7/10/2010 2 Check-ins Here
Duc Loi is great--it stocks the essentials, plus some things I've had a hard time finding in large supermarkets, like galanga. As others have noted, everything is organized by culture, so I had to walk through the entire store to get my bearings.
Just two disappointments: No full-fat yogurt (maybe they were out of stock?), no unsalted almonds. Boo.
***Hint from the checkout lady: Produce comes in on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, so get it fresh before it wilts in the store's windows. -
Review from Christine G.
San Francisco, CA
5/28/2009
This market is big, bright, clean, well-stocked, and full of friendly people ready to help. The prices are reasonably low, too. The first time I shopped here, I was expecting my purchases to total about $20. The cashier told me ten and some change. I kept asking her if she rang up EVERYTHING because I can't remember the last time I spent $10 on that much stuff.
I still really like getting a CSA produce box, as well as shopping at Bi-Rite, but this market is a great addition to my grocery rotation. -
Review from Daniel M.
San Francisco, CA
5/1/2010
I LOVE Duc Loi! I was ecstatic to stumble upon this Vietnamese/Mexican(?) grocery store when I was on the hunt for sriracha. They have an excellent variety of frozen vegetarian delights - my personal favorites are the veggie shrimp, veggie chicken drumticks, and the veggie ham log! I also never leave without any less than 2 bags of the fried bean curd. I haven't found anywhere that sells fried bean curd like that since I lived in Asia, maybe I've been looking in the wrong places.
Their selection of fruits and veggies isn't always the greatest, but for the basics it's not too bad. But if you're looking for some good Asian style, easy to cook vegetarian food in the mission then Duc Loi is your place! -
Review from Theresa W.
San Francisco, CA
5/10/2009
A *blessing* to 18th and Mission.
This place brings to the inner mission a level of smartness and professionalism I've yet to see in most small businesses around here.
Solid display of dry, fresh and frozen goods. Nice wide-spaced aisles. No funny smells. Clean. Clean. Clean!
Congrats to the owner for what seems to be a very successful business.
INTEGRITY: (sooo needed in this "anything goes" 'hood)
About a month ago, I saw the owner give a wicked scolding to a shifty young man who tried to abscond with two bags of chips. The doors were immediately locked shut as soon as the theft was detected. Owner threatened to call the police. The man kept trying to placate with the lame response of "Calm down. It's only chips. I paid for the other stuff. Geese, you don't have to get so angry..." But the owner was relentless and pissed. I was impressed. This intersection needs more people to stand up against the culture of crime so prevalent in these parts. Later I saw the same thief skipping in a barefooted daze at Dolores Park. Hope he learned his lesson.
While Duc Loi may not offer the same caliber of products as the fancier markets like Whole Earth and Rainbow, I still give 5 stars because of the owner's consistent hard work and dedication. This is a well-stocked, clean, and high functioning place. -
Review from Laurie V.
San Francisco, CA
2/21/2009
I'm so excited to have found this place! I live just a block south of it, so Safeway has always seemed too far away and Bi-Rite is great but a little expensive for everyday items. This is the happy middle ground! The produce section is big and well-stocked with lots of good fresh fruit and veg. The meat section is also huge, and looked good.
The selection in the rest of the store is strangely small -- most of the shelves aren't even full, which feels a little weird, but I guess they'll gradually build inventory. The prices are a cheaper than the corner stores nearby and way cheaper than Bi-Rite. The selection isn't up to Safeway's standards, but for everyday shopping it'll do most people just fine.
I've never reviewed a supermarket before, so my usual star system doesn't work. Let's see if I can adapt it:
Location: great! 1 star
Value: great! 1 star
Selection: not so good, no star
Service: friendly and helpful, 1 star
Quality: everything I've bought was in perfect condition. 1 star.
This place is so convenient for me, I'm going to start shopping there as much as possible just to make sure they stay open! -
Review from Katharine B.
San Francisco, CA
5/29/2011
Good selection, relatively cheap prices, and friendly employees (a family business I think). I only docked them a star because they never have 2 liter bottles of diet coke in stock!
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Review from Jean K.
9/8/2009
This is a good emergency place to get Asian groceries in the Mission - when you don't have time to go out to Clement St. Although they don't have a great variety of stuff (like none of my ramen brand, black vinegar, soba noodles, etc). It's great when you left something out of your grocery list but I wouldn't replace my trips to Clement with Duc Loi.
The real delight here is the fresh veg. They have a great variety of unusual fruit and veg that you can't find at your typical Whole Foods or even Rainbow. They also have a lot of organic fruit and veg as well.
The meat aisle is very large. You could probably get all your beef, pork, chicken and fish here. -
Review from Jason H.
San Francisco, CA
1/10/2010
Duc Loi is my go-to spot for produce, herbs, and staple foods. Everything is organized, clean, and very reasonable*. The staff are friendly and helpful and do not look at me (a round eye) like I am lost. I appreciate that.
I hate Whole Foods. I don't like the douchey people and I don't like the prices. If I want something particularly special that I know is gonna be expensive, I'll go to Bi-Rite or Rainbow to support a quality independent grocer. For everything else, Duc Loi is just perfect.
* A package of tofu in water is EIGHTY FIVE CENTS. Are you kidding?!! That is just amazing to me. -
Review from Becky N.
San Francisco, CA
3/2/2009
Maybe it was because I spent Friday night jumping up and down when I discovered that Duc Loi was finally open. Maybe it was because my pulse raced the day they put up the Chinese lettering above the Vietnamese name. Or maybe it was because on the day they painted fresh vegetables on the window and lit up the shelves inside, I smiled all day long. Either way, I was SUPER excited to FINALLY have a quality Asian market within walking distance. Getting to Clement was ever-so-annoying, and dealing with sketchy people along Mission in the evenings was just not my cup of tea. Sadly, I was disappointed by Duc Loi's lack of quality Asian veggies, and really the overall lack of emphasis on Asian food.
This is a brightly lit, brand new, very clean, and extremely large supermarket. They have everything from Downy and Snuggles on up to pickled mud fish (wtf?) and fresh cow liver. I think they are obviously still working out exactly what they're doing, because a lot of it was extremely inconsistent. Many things weren't labeled with prices, and there was lots of unoccupied space in the freezers and shelves.
As far as I could tell they had an excellent selection of affordable ethnic spices (anything from saffron to various chilis), various sauces and other canned goods, and a couple of bulk bins for those dried Mexican chips that expand when you fry them. I would rate their selection of Asian goods mediocre, and their selection of Mexican goods excellent. They did have some bizarre flours which I thought about buying, which were basically Bisquick for bao or rice paper. However, their selection of dried & fresh Asian noodles left me wanting - I didn't see any udon, chow fun, egg noodles, or mung bean thread (cellophane noodles). The variety and quality of ramen packages was definitely lacking too. What self respecting Asian market doesn't carry pocky at all, much less fewer than three varieties of it??
Maybe it was because I came at the day's end, but I was not impressed with their fresh produce. They did have variety going for them (I think I may have seen kaffir lime leaves???!) but there were some criticals missing - no pea sprouts, large or small, chinese broccoli, or thai eggplant to name a few. I wasn't sure if i saw bok choy or not - there were definitely some leeks, and some kind of vaguely bok choy items, but not like I'm used to using. The "chinese spinach" looked like it was rotting in a bag that was condensing. The butter lettuce was browning, and a lot of the fruit looked pretty bruised or overripe. They did have ENORMOUS tomatoes the size of grapefruits, and frozen mangostein (weee!).
If they are going to have an Asian name on the store, it had better be a definably Asian market. I am imagining something like a smaller scale Ranch 99, which manages to fill a place the size of Safeway with every conceivable Asian good - Japanese, Korean, Thai, Vietnamese, Chinese, etc. After all that buildup and excitement, Duc Loi disappointed me. They should go speak with the owners of the Daly City Ranch 99, or the Lien Hing Supermarket on Clement, so they can better understand what the range of items a good Asian grocer should carry.
I have faith...I'll be back I'm sure to buy some things in small quantities or for emergencies, and I'll be sure to check back on the veggies when I do. They totally grossed me out when I went this time so hopefully it will shape up quickly.
PS One of the reviewers mentioned this place "reopening" but I don't think that's an accurate term to the best of my knowledge. From what I could tell over the past two years of construction, the entire building there before was torn down and a brand-spanking new building with several shop spaces and plenty of condos above went up. There may or may not be parking there; I haven't quite figured out whether the lot is open to everyone or just building residents. I wasn't in SF before the tearing down happened, so maybe it was here before too. Anyways I'm treating it like a brand-new addition to the Mission! -
Review from Stefanie S. J.
San Francisco, CA
3/22/2010
I totally agree with Ken with pretty much everything he said!
Best neighborhood store ever!!!
Great selection of really EVERYTHING you can imagine and all that for phenomenal prices. Always well stocked, always fresh produce, always friendly! Especially if you like to cook and eat more exotic food than Meatloaf & Mac'n cheese (f.ex. Mexican, Japanese, Chinese, Indian), this is your store.
If I had to pick a few things that stand out compared to other stores:
Great fresh & cheap produce and great selection of spices! They also have a huge fresh meat and fish selection. I am not a meat eater so I can't say much about that part. But what I can say is that they probably sell the cheapest tofu in town: a package of fresh tofu in water for 1$! I never leave the store without it.
Please support them! We need neighborhood stores like Duc Loi :)! -
Review from J T.
San Francisco, CA
1/25/2011
Great for cheap fresh fruits
