The food is amazing!!! The only thing better than the selection of good and quality of the items they sell are the people that work there! . It's a family run business, that feels that way, and as a customer you become part of their family. I could recommend this place more, other than to say: I was a pastry chef around the country and Arax has the best baklava I've ever tasted!!! read more

Excellent food and great variety semi bake and or warm and eat Love the friendly staff and knowledge Ambiance: Clean and appealing As usual parking is a challenge but we managed for an of state shopper read more

Lot of vegetables, though wished for more leafy greens. The eggplant and garlic looks really good. The hummus is more garlickly than I am used to, but it's interesting and there are a lot of choices of prepared foods. read more

Magical mystery foods, broad selection of middle eastern goods, foods and widest array of spices and olives in the area. AND, the SMELLS. This is a sensory spa....don't expect Bread and Checkbook...expect tight quarters, some bruised fruit, way too much middle eastern language, unusual foods and great bake goods. All at reasonable prices and excellent service. And if you're lucky, Jack will be holding court sorting out which one of whatever you should be buying. All the more reason to travel OUT of Cambridge. read more

Been shopping there for decades. When parents ran the place it was great, they respected customers, friendly, and so very helpful. Not the same with the brothers running it.The fat one lies a lot , ask him if they have fresher item then what is out that looks old and he says "no", have been unable to get any for a week..or something similar. The other brother, usually at register is a bit better and sometimes helpful, but not like the father. If you buy packaged stuff, check expiration. They have an afro-american employee and he is by far the most friendly and helpful and never lies if you ask for fresher item. The prices are ok and has some variety for small store. Try to deal with Afro employee if possible. If not for attitude and lies from fat brother and never a smile from other, I would give 4 stars, read more

The selection of food is good, they carry many varieties of groceries. I would prefer to compare prices, but a lot of items do not have price labels. For instance, they carry many sorts of Labneh with no prices on at all. It looks like a serious omission for me. read more

The place has such a good selection of food, but honestly I don't care. The main cashier lady was rude the first time I came here 2 months ago and again when I came yesterday. Pointless. I came in at 5:50 and had everything done by 5:56 and as I was about to check out my friend mouthed to me "let's go!" It turned out the lady had been complaining to her coworker that we were there. And kept saying "are they done yet?" They close at 6 so I don't understand other than to say she doesn't care about the business and had other things to do. As I approached the cashier she goes "are you guys done yet?" Bro wth? I feel really bad for whoever set up the place because it's actually such a good setup with a decent selection. At the same time they leave so many products without price tags. We get it, inflation etc, but two months later so many of the same products still don't have a price. If the woman running the show was nice, I'd deal with it, but why the hell would I come here when I have other options. Y'all literally competing with 3 other Armenian stores. Wild. read more

They have everything. We were looking for very good pita bread and found it there, always a pleasure shopping there.

You've got it all. Prepare to leave with more than you know, all that you didn't know you need, and then more still. What is the what? khataiff, all forms of baklava r. loukom-- how many variations are enough? endless sauces, spices, best best pita, pita with zatar, made there, if you get there in time, sweetened orange peel? sure. dates? how many types? rambutan? but of course sweet lemons? of course...and what the heck are they? five types of kashkaval. why would one be enough? The world's biggest pomegranates.... red cannonballs big as the Ritz. The list , the fruit, the canon, the everything, is endless. read more

I live in Arlington but it is always a great experience to shop at Arax. Everything from their fruit and vegetables (especially fresh herbs ) to container salads, breads, yogurt and labne, can be served together to make a beautiful, healthy meal. Great halvah selection also! read more

Love this market. Great selection particularly of prepared food (baba ganoush, baklava, various salads, stuffed grape leaves, and so on). Also, many interesting sausages and grocery items, such as tea. (Fruit can be hit or miss.) Always worth a stop when I'm in the area, and Intelligencia Coffee is just a hop/skip/jump away, for a side stop. read more

For a long time after arriving in he Boston-Cambridge area my friends recommended this place for me. I am an adventurous cook and always need rare spices and herbs. I TrueLine enjoy an ethnic based market, and Arax is a neighborhood market. Whether you a gourmet, vegetarian, vegan, or just about anything you will find good ingredients at reasonable prices here. I now live close to Arax Market and I do more and more of my daily shopping here. Between it and two other market where I get all my bits it has become our staple grocery market. The produce is fresh and ripe so buy just what you need for the next couple days. There are always special seasonal fruits available. I'm always asking what to do with this fresh thing or another, this includes raw olives, special palm fruit, and the list is endless. It even a good place to just visit and look at all the things from the Mediterranean region. read more

Great selection of groceries and fresh produce. Baklava looks good just grab and go. The store is pretty small but they are efficient and pack a lot of good options in the books and crannies. read more

Arax Market - Grocery Near Me - Watertown, Massachusetts

See all

I was surprised to find guacamole in an Armenian and Middle Eastern specialty store but it was some of the best guacamole I've ever tried. The man who had made the guac brought it out of the kitchen within the few minutes I was in the store, so it was super fresh -- full of flavor from cilantro, jalapeños, and onion, but not so much spice so that it was overwhelming. And for $4.99 a great deal compared to the container at Whole Foods that is twice that amount. The French feta was also delicious -- aromatic and flavorful. I thought to myself as I was eating it, the sheep must have been quite happy sheep to give such good milk for this cheese! It would be nice if more of their produce selection was organic, but as others have said their produce is colorful, tasty, and a good deal. So glad to have this place nearby! read more

I went to Arax Market for the first time today (September 5, 2020) and bought Breakfast Cream. When I opened the cream at home, it smelled and tasted horribly, which is when I saw that the expiration date was July 24, 2020. Below are the photos of my receipt and of the expired cream. Selling expired dairy products is very irresponsible and dangerous. read more

Arax Market - Expired dairy product - Grocery Near Me - Watertown, Massachusetts

See all

I have been going to market for many years (when parents used to run it) and kids were playing on the floor in the other store a few doors down. It has great food. I have run in to a few problems with the daughter who does not like me for some reason?? I have had a few items not put into bags after I pay for them in the past. I have not as of yet had any problems with the two sons. I will not be going here anymore and if I were you I would be careful and look at what you bought to see if everything is in your bag. The parents had respect for their patrons. read more

The food is great, spices from the Middle East (the saffron is the best in town) are nowhere else to be found in the Boston area. Breads come in fresh from Montreal. Basterma cut to perfection, and great assortment of Armenian string cheeses. read more

Clean, well stocked and so pleasant! They have everything you could want! Great place to get your everyday needs, fruits and vegetables, grains and flours, milk etc. but also great for getting specialty items! I usually come by for bulgur, spices, Ajvar, honey, lebna and lavash. Also so great to grab some house made hummus and ready to eat salads and Armenian specialties! While it it well stocked, I'm not sure it would be super handicapped-friendly. It can be a little hard to navigate for those with canes. read more

What's not to love about Arax! It's a family establishment with a very homely feel. They have an amazing selection of prepared food and desserts, the produce is always fresh and reasonably priced, and the owners are great. The pickled vegetables are delish and fresh (try the cauliflower!) and the cheese selection has something for everyone. They also sell hookahs and imported candy bars, jams, dried fruit, and nuts among other things. You want fresh? They've got it. You want organized? Check. Want a taste of the Middle East? Prepare your taste buds! I'm not an eggplant fan. Actually, I find it repulsive. However, Arax makes a dish called Ikra (eggplant, EVOO, spices etc) that is to die for! (and tastes great on a slice of warm pita) BTW almost all of their prepared sides are made with EVOO not crappy vegetable or canola oil. Hands down my favorite specialty store. read more

See all

I've been shopping here since the late 1970s. There isn't a better store in the Boston area for fresh produce, amazing breads, Middle Eastern cheeses, pickles, prepared for take-out Armenian and Middle Eastern dishes and spices. I believe the people at Arax must test each batch of vegetables before they purchase them at the wholesale markets to make sure they're up to their high standards. The store is entirely family run and always reminds me of the small markets where my parents in the 1950s used to shop when I grew up in Jewish and Italian immigrant community in Brooklyn. The vibe in the store is nothing like a chain store. It is a pure celebration of food hosted by a wonderful family. Ted Kaptchuk Professor of Medicine Harvard Medical School read more

Although this is a standard middle eastern market for Watertown, it is also the best Hookah shop in Boston. They have probably over 100 hookahs for sale from $30-150 - really beautiful ones. The prices are fair although I suspect you could haggle them down a few bucks if you're so inclined since no hookah has a price tag. They also have a complete selection of hookah accessories (like different parts of a hookah) tobacco, and coals. read more

Arax Market - Large Lebanese Style Hookah bought from Arax Market- with 2 packs of tobacco and coals: total $150 - Grocery Near Me - Watertown, Massachusetts

Since Arax rocks my hookah-smoking world on a regular basis, I feel the need to update my review. First, if you were skeeved out at all by the vast landscape of uncovered baklawa, olives, and feta, it appears they have been health inspected, since all food is now covered and appears to be stored in food safe conditions. Also, they do sell hookahs here but they aren't top notch. My roommate broke his vase jamming ice cubes into it with a meat tenderizer...maybe that's more wear and tear than these guys should take, but still. And finally, the shisha has moved from behind a random metro shelf cart of bread to behind the register, but don't despair! They have a shisha menu that lists all their flavors! They have the best shisha selection around, which includes Al-Fahkr, Nahkla, and Starbuzz. FYI, Al-F is juicy and burns really well, Nahkla is so-so but less expensive, and Starbuzz is pretty intense, flavor-wise, and leaves funny colored goo everywhere. Anyway, I do want to reiterate my thanks to Yelp for helping me find this shisha heaven on earth. Word. read more

Great selection of fruits and vegetables. Always friendly and helpful to all customers. I highly recommend Arax Market for your shopping needs with a wide selection of items!! You can find anything here!!! read more

Arax is the real deal. If you want olives (love their olive bar), produce, hummus, falafel, or bread, this is the spot. Extra points for amazing Mediterranean cookies and for divine baklava. read more

Love this neighborhood ethnic market that specializes in Armenian food! My go-to spot for the best stuffed grape leaves and my favorite, Baklava! Love visiting here! read more

I love to go to Arax Market for its variety of Armenian and Middle Eastern foods. The fresh fruits and vegetables are a great buy!

I shop pretty often at Arax Market as I live nearby. They have a great choice of fruits, veggies, spices and other Armenian products, which I like. Also their price are competitive. But adding a smile to their service wouldn't cost much. Also many times I bought fruits like peaches or pears that rotted in 1 or 2 days. Disappointing. read more

Nice! I had no idea that this place is next to Sevan, yay! I walked through the whole store and enjoyed everything that they have to offer. Their spice rack is full of plenty, really, name a spice and i am sure they have it. They had a really yummy self serve dessert section, I got some baklava which was awesome and range from $9.99 to $14.99/lb, and then some olives from the self serve olive bar which were 4.99 to 5.99/lb and looked yum. They also had a prepackage section filled with hummus, dips, salads, kibbee, stuffed grape leaves, meat pies lahmjoune etc. You name it, they had it. The only con with this section is that it wasn't self serve so you are forced to buy a large amount which kind of stinks. But the food is awesome. The spanikopita...awesome. The meat pies...awesome! They have a general grocery section filled with canned and pickled everything! The prices didn't seem to bad either, although I have seen the same items at arabic markets for a little cheaper. It was Saturday so it was pretty busy and I felt like I was in the way at times, but they are super nice nonetheless. read more

Hey Kids, Here's the story. The 4 Armenian/Arabic markets in E Wtown all have strengths and weaknesses. The best way is to explore but here is a hint-- Arax premade baked stuff on display is NOT the reason to come here. Their premade side dishes are really nice as are produce, grocery stuff and atmo. - Nearby are competitors with really great date cookies -- close to grandma quality. I won't name competitors names but you'll find em... The S. one is sort of snobby and high priced- the M one is easy to navigate and shop around and is my fav. The EL one nearby is famous for Lahemjuen and they are a bit better than others.......but thats a different street/bus line! But grab a super sesame cookie snack thing on the way out of Arax and it will beat a protein bar everytime... PS/One more thing-- hate to say it but overall, I can say as an olive oil bigtime afficiando, many of the EVOO selections in these markets are just average despite the rustic packaging from the old country. TJs arebequina EVOO from spain is the way to go...a blind taste test winner. read more

I went there for some Bulgarian feta. First I got ignored for over 7 minute then I asked a quarter pound and the girl had no idea what I meant. Some guy that was on the phone went to show her and he touched the cheese with his bare hand. Thank god he didn't hand me that piece. He grabbed a new piece with a glove to show her how to cut it the right way. Then I waited forever at the register because the cashier who I think was the owner was on his phone as well. Didn't care for the cheese because it was bitter read more

I love Arax, and I do almost all my shopping for raw and bulk ingredients here. Arax is the place to get things like loquats (ekkadinya), jujubes (annab), can erik (young greengages), fresh young chickpeas in the pod, green almonds, fresh figs, fresh green dates (khalil) for Ramadan, purslane (baqle), quinces, cherimoyas, persimmons, Armenian tarragon soda, fresh tarragon, ajvar, Indian and Sri Lankan looseleaf tea in bulk, tamarisk nougat (gaz-angebin), mulberry pekmez, etc., etc. This is a family-owned business, and there is always a helpful family member around to recommend something to you. Do not miss out when the mother of the family makes a special holiday sweet, such as big spiced date cookies with nigella seeds. They often have amazing bargains while supplies last--basically, you have to visit Arax once a week to keep up. Also, ask Betty, Shant, or any other of the lovely family to see if anything special (like jujubes or loquats or purslane) is coming in soon. read more

I love this market! They have so many good prepared foods and really nice produce, and the staff has always been friendly and personable. Highly recommend! read more

I'm thrilled. I've found my olive bar! Gahhhh, they're so good and so cheap and I'm so happy about this place. I also purchased some really wonderful honey to go with some cardamom tea. Everything has been just delicious. I think we literally walked every inch of this place about four times. I'm so fascinated with foreign and exotic foods, so I was so enthralled by the selection at Arax. My neighbor purchases spices there quite often, as well as tea. Things I want to try from Arax: their cheese, prepared pesto & various jams, produce (which looks amazing!), tahini, and various hookah products! read more

Arax is fabulous! In one visit I can get all the things I need for my Greek shopping (they even have Attiki honey!) and my Middle Eastern shopping. They have spices, olives, prepared foods, cheeses, sweets, and fresh produce and I think the prices are totally decent - esp. for the avacados, for sure. And the food is gooooood. Everything I've had there has satisfied me in full. Except the Bulgarian feta, but that was my friend's folly for not trying it first. You can ask to try any cheese before you buy it, and you'd be silly not to, especially with feta. It's also just a seriously cool place. I was there today with a friend and we were trying to find out many languages were on the products - we spotted Armenian, Greek, Turkish, Russian and Arabic - and that's on the heading (not the ingredients part, which is always in tons of languages). So, it's just pretty awesome. Get your ethnic shopping done! read more

Really an awesome place, the best Middle Eastern store I've stepped foot in (if Armenia isn't technically Middle Eastern, the food is substantially similar). Besides the ridiculous hookah selection, there is an amazing fresh dessert bar going well beyond baklava. The namora cake is the best I've had--it had a perfect consistency and a nice, subtle hint of rosewater. The katafi was also the best I've had. But there's so much more to try. Good thing I live a ways away, because these syrup-soaked desserts are addictive. Lots of other things made this store interesting. Take the huge self-service olive bar. There are many olive bars throughout Boston (Formaggio and Salumeria for instance), but this one had unique brines and spices, and it extended into a pickled vegetable bar. The zaatar bread I bought here was not as good as that at Massis nearby--it's too dry (but there were at least two varieties). This store would be a lot of fun for foodies. read more

My review is solely based on their hookah and tobacco. I saw they have a HUGE selection of hookahs, the prices are reasonable, and probably the cheapest in Boston, but online is always cheaper. The tobacco selection is great, prices are pretty meh. The prices for the charcoal here are way overpriced, but I guess when you have no other alternative here would be the best place. Overall it's for a spur of the moment one stop shop for all your hookah needs. If you can wait a few days DEFINITELY order online. read more

Arax Market in Watertown is one of the best places to buy Armenian or middle eastern food. I was there today and bought hummus, baba ghanoush, tabouli and an Armenian salad. I also forgot to mention that I bought fresh pita bread there as well. They have a lot of ethnic specialities there and are reasonably priced. Nice helpful staff read more

This is simply the best Middle Eastern/Armenian specialty store in the Boston area. Though their outstanding selection of Middle Eastern foods is top-notch, Arax should be praised most for its hookah and tobacco selection, as well as their delicious olive bar. They probably have the best variety and prices for hookahs, ranging anywhere from $35-$200 per hookah. The tobacco selection that they offer is also legendary. They have EVERYTHING! It's like Orbit gum- way too many flavors to choose from! The staff are very friendly, though you will receive preferential assistance if you are Armenian! The guy let me have a $50 hookah, tobacco, and charcoal for $50 after finding out we were of the same brethren! If you do not wish to buy a hookah online, then purchase one here (do not buy the ones that they sell in the tobacco shop in the Watertown mall; they are overpriced by an additional $20 for hookahs)! The olives here are also unbelievably delicious. They are mostly small shaped olives, but they do have a nice texture to them and a slightly salty taste. The price is right as well. I highly recommend you come here, even if you are unfamiliar with Middle Eastern specialty products. There's bound to be something that catches your eye here! read more

Good stuff: the cheese selection in the back is insanely awesome. Some of the best feta I ever had. They have a lot of good spices on the cheap; that appear to still be good unlike that crap you find for a buck at Christmas Tree Shop. Their premade things are pretty tasty, the tziziki in particular. They have a massive, awesome selection of olives for cheap. If I ever need a can of beans or grape leaves or olice oil I know where to go, for they have tons of all of the above. I wish I still smoked so I could buy their hookahs and fancy tobacco: they had tons of it and it smelled great and the hookahs were nifty looking. Stupid growing up. Bad stuff: some of their premade stuff is gross. We bought premade falafel from them that developed mold on 'em after like 4 days. Was that our bad for not eating them immediately? I don't know. I don't know what the shelf life for premade falafel is. They have a lot of produce, but it was a little sorry looking. Bruises and wilty. It's cool that yoou can buy raw olives and all, but when they look like they have the pox...nope. And in August we bought a bag of flour that had an expiration date of September 2008. That was shady. So...3 stars. Yes, 3. Because the falafel thing might have just been a fluke, and seriously: the feta you can buy from here is amazing. read more

This is one of my favorite international markets ever! Their groceries are so affordable! I originally started shopping here for their baklava, which is the best I've had in the area, but I found that their groceries are affordable and delicious as well. They sell baklava by the pound at $12.99 per pound and offer a variety of flavors, including walnut, pistachio, chocolate, and cream filled. The walnut and pistachio baklava are a must! I also purchased some delicious berries, $3 for strawberries and $3.50 for the blueberries. They were so sweet and so fresh. I was amazed by how cheap they were! I'm from the Harvard area so berries around there are at least $5 a carton. These were better and fresher and cost way less. I definitely recommend coming here if you are looking for sweet treats and affordable groceries! Also, the staff are so friendly and helpful. All in all, coming here is a pleasant experience every time. read more

Arax Market - Grocery Near Me - Watertown, Massachusetts

See all