This grocery store has all your favorite Mexican food ingredients. The aisles are fully stocked with a great variety and selection of items imported from Mexico. My favorite part of this restaurant chain is the restaurant section. They serve fresh Mexican cuisine that is ready to be served. The breakfast burritos are delicious. I love the pork Carnitas and the beef tripe fully cooked that is sold by the pound. This is a great spot to pick up a full meal for a family or a large catering event. read more

Cardenas Markets - Meat Shops Near Me - El Centro, California

My husband has been cashing checks here weekly for months. Tell me why today we go in and they try to charge 3 & 1/2 % to cash his payroll check. The total being $106! The sign says 2% clear as day. I ask for a manager, was told he would come in a few minutes. Never does. This is beyond illegal! Do better! read more

Cardenas Markets - Meat Shops Near Me - El Centro, California

Great food and friendly staff, thanks. Tortillas are the best. Juices are delicious and fresh

I called several times looking for a product was hanged up on several times employees did not speak English did not understand my request and were very rude. read more

I bought the Taquiza Platter around 11:30 a.m . I would think the Carnitas would be freshly cooked but it wasn't. It had some like freshly cooked but a lot of left over warm up mix together carnitas. We still ate it But I will for sure check the meat before paying. read more

The kitchen serving the food is probably the slowest place here and the busiest. I feel like I'm at the DMV. I came in to buy food and wasted all my lunch time in line. They need more workers. The manager needs to be more aware of the long lines. I will never be back here!!! Be aware if you're on a lunch break go somewhere else!!!! read more

Cardenas Markets - The huge line to get food and not a worker in sight!!! - Meat Shops Near Me - El Centro, California

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Cardenas is a chain of Mexican grocery stores. I've been to a Cardenas in Arizona and now here in El Centro, CA. This is a huge store with a very large deli with many Mexican pastries, breads and amazing Agua Frescas! I had the watermelon (my fav) and it was so refreshing with chunks of watermelon in the bottom. Yum. The produce department is huge too with so many fruits and veggies. The things I have tried were great-super fresh and juicy. There are so many aisles filled with great products-many that are great for cooking up a Mexican meal but also many other goods for all meals. I found some tiny shells for our Italian Chicken Soup-we usually use farfallini (tiny bows) but they are hard to find outside of Italian grocers. They may not have everything that you are looking for so this won't necessarily be my only stop. There is a large beer, wine and spirits department too. They have a bulk section with bins of nuts and other goodies but some were not so fresh. They also have a huge cooked food section with so many of the Mexican cooked meats and other selections. They looked really good but there was a line so I decided to go next time. I didn't have any problems with the staff speaking Spanish. The ones I dealt with were bilingual and switched easily. Although, I am excited to be able to keep practicing my Spanish there too. I will definitely be back to Cardenas. Prices are good, huge selections of products and really nice staff. read more

This was my first time eating here. It's a supermarket but has its own little food court. The food court area is nicely decorated and looks very welcoming. I was already aware they served mexican food, so I knew exactly what I wanted. I got the 3 taco combo with rice, beans, and a drink. I like that they have taco variety, from al pastor to carnitas. The cashier was nice and helpful. The one thing they can improve on is having their cashiers speak English. The cashier apparently only spoke Spanish. After I ordered, my English speaking friend went up next. I had to help him because the cashier kept on replying to him in Spanish. It's not a problem for me, Spanish was my first language. I'm just saying maybe they can provide better customer service to those who speak English by learning at least the menu in English (at least the cashiers). read more

Cardenas Markets - 2 plates of the 3 taco combo. Drink is included. Delicious! - Meat Shops Near Me - El Centro, California

Great, large Mexican themed supermarket that is full of goodies! Like many large, ethnic markets, the selection is incredible and there are dpeartments that totally surprising and great food stuffs! A large bakery makes fresh conchas, empenadas, flan, chocolate flan cake, tres leches cake, and much more. There is a fresh fruit deli section where you can get mexican style fruit salads, fruit smoothies, and agua frescas. Looking for camarones en aguachile or ceviche? No problem. Pork fat, chicharones, queso fresco? Got that. Salsa and guracamoles? Covered. Of course fresh tortillas are made daily, by the thousands! A large restaurant section sells tacos, burritos, grilled chicken, tortas, and combo plates to eat there or take home. Service is super-friendly. They don't mind if you practice your Spanish with them or they can speak english when you're stuck. Overall, a great place to buy your groceries, have a meal, get a meal to go, or just to look around! read more

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My first time there was last weekend. Such a nice Mexican grocery store. I loved the fresh tortillas and the stores interior wall designs. So beautiful! I had lunch there and was not disappointed. Well, I was disappointed they did not have pastor meat. But anyhow, I ordered tacos (carne asada, birria, and carnitas) with an agua de pina. The tacos were really good and I enjoyed the salsa bar. Only thing missing was chopped cabbage. The pina was more like a smoothie, super thick. Good but not refreshing. The cashier was very nice and made sure to tell us how to get the best deal on single tamales. I'm not from El Centro and plan to return in the future for the nice atmosphere. read more

Awesome store! One of the younger guys working the meat department was very helpful. I just needed meat for carne asada, although I couldn't read the signs in Spanish. He even marinated the meat so it's ready to cook. read more

This place is Almost always packed so make sure you go on times that are not so busy. Cardenas is a nice Mexican grocery store and it has a little restaurant inside with good tacos and at the entrance to your right they sell smoothies, fruit cups and more!! They're delicious btw ! I come mostly for their tortillas that are always hand made in front of you daily read more

The food they sell in their Kitchen is very good and tastes great. Fresh look and delicious tasting. The service by the cashier and the cook was excellent and tjey were very attentive and polite. Again, I will say that the food tasted delicious. read more

Excellent grocery store with wide selection and friendly people, and the smell of fresh tortillas!

Cardenas is the Disneyland of grocery stores!!! Super clean, brightly lit, murals on the walls, crazy fake fruit trees all over the place, friendly employees, truly a magical experience! This was my first visit to a Cardenas Market and it made me sad we don't have one near our house :( If you ever see a Cardenas when you're in Southern California be sure to drop in. Cardenas has it all, groceries, ultra-fresh produce, carniceria, deli with hot food and an area with tables and chairs, freshly made tortillas, two bakeries, a juice bar. I must be forgetting something... the store is enormous and chock-full of goodies. I love,love, love Cardenas! Please build one in Modesto so I can shop there all the time. read more

Great Mexican market. You can find everything you need to make tamales to tacos here and more. Its packed all the time! The upside of this place it has a Mexican deli so you don't have to wait to get home to eat the freshly made tortillas you just bought you can order up whatever you want and enjoy it on the spot! read more

PRO'S: Awesome food. Great selection of specialty items at decent prices. CONS: hope you know spanish! read more

The cafeteria style restaurant inside Cardenas market was not busy, jet we couldn't find a single clean table! They were out of basic menu items. No napkins, when I asked for napkins, I was told to get back in line and ask for them where I paid, I did, the woman at the register said I had to ask the person that gave me the food (the one person that told me to get them at the register). No silverware! No spoons, knives or forks (plastic or otherwise). The food was dry and tasted like can food. read more

The food was mediocre the chili verde was salty as AF!!!!!! Agua Fresca's are ridiculously overpriced

This place never meets the supply and demand for their specials. I went to the store 6 hours after the store opens to get coffee that's on sale for the whole week and their shelves are already bare! I asked to speak to someone so they can go check in the back and they kept me waiting, so I finally got to speak to a manager and they called the person that does the ordering only to tell me to come back tomorrow!! They must think that I don't work and can be going to the store every single day. They should have the right quantity in stock!! They always run out!! I HATE GOING TO THIS STORE!! but they do have good specials worth sucking it up for sometimes. read more

Cardenas has the freshs tortillas and chips. The guacamole and salsa are very good also. Very clean. When ever we past through El Centro we have to stock up. read more

Just went and bought their delicious mikjand other groceries. Great place, great atmosphere, wonderful heritage food.

It's a nice store horchata was good but zero quality control bought tamales which were clearly marked as beef and some as queso, I arrived home and all were sweet de dulce! they just restocked whatever, not what you expect to find out on xmas eve read more

What to say. I do not know what to do with myself when I go here. I want to host a party, I reminisce about living in Mexico with all the assortment of tropical fruits. like a child on christmas morning, the bakery commands all my attention... Let's talk spices: I love that they have so much out as small samples that you can buy. It makes it so simple to try new things. TOTALLY AWESOME!!!! Meats; um pretty much have everything!!!!! I love that the butchers will cut anything however you want and cater to your wishes. I adore that they carry Authentic Mexican products... Great experience and fun shopping!!! read more

Food is good. Lengua had flavor, but needs to be cleaned more. There was skin from the Lengua that wasn't cut off.

Cashier was rude and don't pay attention to customer. During my turn at the register she was complaining in front of customers with another employee about their hours and how they didn'tlike their hours, I paid & as I'm walking away she comes running after me as if I just robbed a bank trying to cause a scene, said I was short $5dlls, which I was not, its even on my receipt that I gave her the $9dlls, my total was $8.41, she was just too busy arguing with her co-worker & didn't pay attention. And she started yelling at ME that I didn't want to pay, I only had $9dlls in my pocket when I went in, I knew exactly how much I gave her. Customer service in El Centro Cardenas is one of the worst in the Imperial Valley read more

My mom drives an hour just to come shopping at Cardenas (she says its to visit me, but I'm not fooled.) Their freshly made tortillas are beyond amazing, and if you shop anywhere else for barbeque meats and supplies, you are really just cheating yourself. read more

Always competitive prices and fresh produce. Will usually come here to shop for groceries. Better quality than Walmart, cheaper prices than larger chain grocery stores, and normal portions if you're not feeding an army like what Costco sells. Has most of your American and Mexican grocery needs. A little lacking on the American snacks though. Overall good place to shop. read more

The air conditioning in there is terrible. The humidity and warmth makes me want to avoid shopping there.

The atmosphere beats all other grocery stores hands down. They Have a butcher, a real tortilla factory, where fresh tortillas come from - nothing like fresh tortillas. The prepared reastaurant style food is a little pricy but I'm frugal so for you this may be normal or even cheap. By all means come in you won't regret it. Their produce section usually has insanely low prices when compared with food 4less, lucky or vons. read more

I'm from San Diego and stopped here on our way to Glamis. We pretty much found most of what we needed to a point of not needing to stop at Walmart. A plus was the delicious tamales, tacos, etc. that are ready to order and gobble up! They also had seating area for your eating pleasure. Everything was very clean. The music drive me nuts because Banda music doesn't do much justice to my ears and it was a little too loud. So loud that when the fruit lady Maribel was asking me questions, I kept asking her to please repeat it. Maybe that's why she wasn't friendly and semi-rude. Other than that the butchers were nice, salsa guy was nice and I was excited to see they had ready-made stuff to make it convenient for me, i.e., Guac, salsa, beans, rice, tortillas, etc.! We have markets like these (Northgate) in San Diego but going to a new place was refreshing. If I decide to move here, I'll be happy that Cardenas is around....I'll just skip the fruit cocktail section... read more

I was told to come here for carnitas. I was expecting just another run of the mill, trashy "ethic" supermarket with homemade cooking in a dirty setting. WRONG I was!!! I couldn't believe this place was in EL CENTRO of all places. It is clean, modern, stunningly attractive for an Imperial Valley Supermarket...great products and a massive buffet of every kind of prepared delicious Mexican food imaginable I will be back Cárdenas....please open a store in Calexico! read more

Tortillas are great but the customer service is really bad. Not to mentioned the check out lines, it's the worst in time and service. Unless you want to spend 30 minute to check out, I wouldn't recommend it...at all. read more

After reading reviews of Cardenas, we decided to check it out for ourselves. It really is a unique experience! The first thing I noticed was the shopping carts...very spacious and have room for 2 kids in the front instead of just one! The store is decorated like a whimsical Mexican village market complete with faux fruit trees and hanging pinatas. It's adorable and the kids were loving it! They were playing very fun music that had my kids dancing throughout the store. There was a self serve fruit bar, a bakery with lots of colorful, cute cookies, cakes and sweet breads, a huge meat section, a fresh tortilla factory, a deli with hot food, and plenty of tables indoors to sit and eat. The employees seemed very friendly, and it was nice and clean in the store and in the restroom. The prices for normal grocery items didn't knock my socks off, but after all the fun we had...just the fresh fruit, goodies, and tortillas are enough to keep us coming back. Even my hard-to-impress hubby left with a smile on this face. Definitely check this one out! read more