Purchased a couple of pounds of drumsticks and wings from the meat counter yesterday afternoon. Took them home only to find out they both smelled bad. Rinsed the wings thinking maybe it was just blood, but nope they were bad, drumsticks too. Put them both back in their original packaging and that into zip lock bags as to not funk up our fridge so I could take them back the next day. When it was my turn at the counter I quietly told them what was going on as to not make a scene in front of other customers about their funky chicken. They opened the bags counted out the drumsticks and gave me the same number of fresh ones that smelled good so I was happy with that. The replacement "fresh" wings on the other hand stunk as bad as the ones that I was returning. Not sure who's buying these funky wings, it's a head scratcher. Now here's where it got weird the only other option was a refund for the wings but the receipt wasn't in the bag like I thought. All 4 butchers behind the counter had a conference and a phone call was made about how these $9 worth of wings with their original sticker still on the bag were going to be returned. After the phone call I was reprimanded as to they'd do it this time but next time I have to have the receipt to which I replied well maybe next time you won't have a problem with your chicken. The entire vibe from everyone there was that I was wrong and they were doing me a favor. He repeated the line about the receipt again and I repeated my line about the funky chicken and pointed out that they could of least said sorry for the inconvenience, but nope wasn't happening. Needless to say it won't be a next time. The bad chicken wasn't that big of a deal, things happen but they couldn't of handled the situation any worse.. read more

Clean store, good produce, excellent butcher section, fair prices, family owned. Lots of Brazilian and Latin American specialties.

Great little neighborhood grocery store packed with staple goods and fresh produce. The parking lot is a little tight but otherwise good. Takes credit card. read more

This is a very wonderful market. When I have time, I'll leave a longer review about why. I stayed in El Sobrante for a couple months and this was my neighborhood market. It's what I miss most about El Sobrante. It's fantastic. read more

Could not ask for a better neighborhood market. When I first moved to the area a decade ago, it was under different management and a dark, dreary shell of what it has become. The new owners have turned it around so much; it feels nicer in some way practically every time I come in. It has long been our place to go when we quickly need a certain ingredient or two, but I now find myself not getting certain produce when I shop at TJs or Luckys because I know that what Central Foods has is consistently better: particularly kale, citrus, corn, and melon. Staff is super friendly and helpful, and the taco truck in the parking lot beats any fast food for taste, price, quality and speed. read more

Nice neighborhood grocery store. It's clean, has a good selection, and friendly staff. Would recommend to folks in the area and those passing by. read more

Awesome Carniceria with friendly staff. The store is a nice mash up of Mercado and local grocery store. Bonus is that there is a solid Taco Truck usually parked out front! read more

This place has new owners, including the meat department. The meat department is separate from the main store. The pricing is excellent in comparison to the major supermarkets and everything seems very fresh. The employees/owners are very nice, friendly, and speak perfect English. I'm not exactly sure but the owners seem like a family. Maybe 2 brothers and daughter? So far I've purchased boneless chicken thighs, short ribs, and the sliced ball tip which I highly recommend for making cheesesteaks or tacos! Because its a separate business, you pay there at the meat counter. Definitely I'll be buying my meat here regularly. I can't say much about the main grocery store except I bought tortillas and it was super cheap. Also met the owner, nice guy, and can tell he's very serious about his business and have no doubt he'll be successful. Bottomline, meat market is bomb and you'll be in and out quick with easy parking and payment at the meat counter. read more

Friendly staff but the Meat department sucks meat is good but the service is not,one of the guys always has an attitude I ask for cuts on my meat and when I get home the cuts are super thick impossible for me to cut at home because its bones,why ask me if I want thin cuts if you're going to do whatever you want read more

Clean, courteous and the day before Thanksgiving they had whipping cream!! No lines. I plan to visit this store more often!

Central Foods is a large store, selling hispanic and american goods/produce/meats. beers the usual mex, american mainstream and generic beers, few microbrews. pricing sightly above average. buys: mango Heladas (mango & chamoy) paleta, ice bar(1.09) -mostly tasted hard ice, mango not tasted, spiciness of chamoy yes would go with mango only next time. -main ingredient: water , 2ish stars. take outs: -large parking lot -not busy at lunch time. 3.5 stars for Central Foods-large selections of goodies. read more

Been coming here for years, recently started noticing they over charge you at the counter. If it's marked 3.99 per lb, at the counter they charge you 5.99 per lb. This is the third time that it's happened. Stopping from going here. Avoid if possible if not don't forget to look at the receipt and how much they've charged. First time I thought it was an honest mistake. Second time I was doubtful. And if it's happening a third time I doubt it's by mistake read more

Love the meat market at this place. Great staff and very reasonable prices. They do everything to your order. It's our new place whenever we need meat! read more

I only come here for their vegetables & fruits, never any meat or poultry. I come to this local market when I need miscellaneous things like- a single Serrano pepper or a bunch of cilantro. I must admit, their cilantro isn't as fresh as the larger chain super markets, but for .39 cents for a bunch, I am not complaining! In addition, my one Serrano pepper costs .04 cents.. Seriously?! Dirt cheap. They sometimes have brown bags full of over ripened bananas for only $1.00 Honestly, I do not mind if some of the veges are a little wilted for the price that I pay. The staff is nice, never encountered a rude cashier. Let's support our small businesses! read more

5 cause pasteles pastles pasteles! They've got em, and sell them frozen by the dozen! Good lookin out, Oldman- mwuah! read more

A little supermercado in the neighborhood that carries Mexican basics, meat, and produce because the closest Las Montañas is in San Pablo. No hot food, but there's a taco truck outside. Prices are reasonable. We got the marinated skirt steak and chicken. My boyfriend is super picky about meats, but we didn't have the problems with the meat that other folks have complained about. As it is more than 24 hours after the food was consumed, nope, no problems with the meats. read more

Fabulous store. Everything you could ask for in market. Great produce, great selection, great butcher, and great customer service! Definitely coming back. read more

Very convenient location. The meat market is excellent with huge selection and fresh ! The store has all basic needs including veggies.

Central Foods has organic bananas and organic fair trade coffee that you can grind there or buy ground, and it's inexpensive . The store has a mixture of Mexican and American foods with seasonal produce that's a mixture of orgnic and not. The prices are reasonable. The store changed to offer what we want. The butchers are as careful with one piece of chicken as a big order and they will offer advice. The staff is friendly and hellpful. The butchers are helpful. They helped me choose a turkey--my first in many years--and were kind about canceling that same order when the kids canceled (really empathethic--a bonus), So here we have a friendly staff right in El Sobrante with healthy foods, helpful staff. I've watched them be respectful to local folks who look worn and used up, to Spanish speaking folks, to gringos. The majority of the staff are kind to a fault. This store is a gem right in this little town with a busy Mexican food truck in the parking lot. Fast food and organics together. A mix reflecting two of our culture(s). Love it! read more

I like coming here for the butcher shop. They are very accommodating and the quality is pretty good. I rather not buy meat from large supermarket chains. read more

I just moved to El Sobrante and was really happy to find a local shop with a diversity of products, good prices on produce (especially grapefruits, avocados, broccoli), a small selection of organic, well priced goods (eggs, milk, cheese) and good fresh queso casero. On top of this a range of products from South America and other places which was a wonderful surprise! The people there are super friendly too. I will continue to shop here!!!! read more

Not sure who is running this store about 3/4 weeks ago my husband went there to get some meat and a ladie mistreated us like making face she was annoying of us aking about type of cut's and how we wanted. So this was the first episode we just assume she must habe had a hella of a day which brings me here today to write this review. Yesterday, 05/31/22 I stop by after work to get some veggies and some meat everythinh went okay there but when I stop by to pay for veggies the middle eastern guy asked; debit or credit I said credit he then proceded wow no money huh and laughed. I asked have you about using credit and pay it as a form of biulding credit history??? I let him know that if this was the case regardless of credit the store is getting paid. Im a nurse I felt so sad to know people have not changed after this pandemic the bussiness ia hurting and I felt like of this was a man he wouldnt made the commemt. My family and I would not bring our bussiness to them, instead will take to a different local store. read more

I have to agree with JS on this one, when I first moved to the area a few years ago I stopped in to check out the store and was scared off by the smell and dinginess. It has since been taken over by the new owners (they also own a market in Berkeley) and really have turned the place around. The friendly butcher (Roger) is great and will pretty much do anything you'd like to a piece of meat. There are a lot of easter eggs hidden around the store in the form of specialty foods you wouldn't expect. If you're looking for the odd Peruvian item they might just have it, as well as high end sea salts from France and Italy. They get five stars from me because this is what all local markets should be, friendly, well stocked and responsive. read more

New ownership. More selection of foods and better produce. Also a better meat department. Prices much cheaper than the chain stores. Plenty of parking. read more

great little market that I use for quick item and especially meats. The produce can be a little on the wilted side at times but their meat department is excellent. A couple of the butchers there are really knowledgeable. I get all my chicken there and always order their special turkey and lambs during the holidays. The beef is great as well. read more

This store is great!! A lot of the junky reviews are from when the place had the previous owners and I did agree with the bad reviews back then. But now it's such a convenient place. The store surprisingly has a big selection of items and produce that I always need for cooking and they're usually way cheaper than Raleys/Safeway or luckys. I usually always go here to buy my meats also. Best place in the area for marinated carne asada and chicken. read more

I love to support my local businesses but they have to have some standards. In the two times I have stopped by the produce section was horrible- everything wilted or bruised. I was there to get veggies not meat or any specialty item.. I figured I would try to support my local mom and pops shop you know? The store itself was not clean or well lit and employees weren't very friendly or helpful. Maybe next time I need meat I will go here.. but not very likely after my experiences. read more

I love Central Foods. Their produce section, while not bountiful, offers fruits and veggies that are in season and tend to be cheaper than the big name grocery stores. Their dairy section offers mostly (what I consider to be) specialty items, milk in glass bottles, organic or things from small local dairies. This section does not offer anything I would consider to be a bargain. The gems in this place are the specialty food offerings and the butcher. If you are looking for Central American ingredients, this is the place to go. I have been inspired to try many new and interesting things based on ingredients I've found. I like to go and find something weird, look up the ingredient on allrecipes or epicurious and make something I've never had before. Some of the dishes have been disasters, but it was definitely operator error. Also, their butcher is super friendly and as previously mentioned willing to do whatever you need to the meat...a bonus in my book because I hate cutting up raw meat. They frequently have meats you won't find in the average supermarket, like rabbit. If you are a breakfast or BLT person, the bacon is awesome (and you can buy just 2 slices) as is their chorizo. They only carry high quality meats, but it's worth every cent. Central foods does occasionally smell meaty and they don't accept coupons. I don't do my everyday shopping there (i.e. canned goods, household items, milk) but stop by regularly to buy my meat, get new menu ideas/ ingredients and produce, it's worth the extra trip. read more

I love supporting local food markets and Central Foods is one in my area that I frequent regularly. It is conveniently located on Appian Way and there is usually a taco truck right out front. They sell a lot of specialty Mexican and Latin American Items. They have a selection of Pan Dulce in the front and a variety of fresh and dried chiles. I also like the meat counter because they sell Rocky's Organic chicken here. They could use a little update and scrub down, but aside from that, low prices and lot's of selection make it a good stop off on my market route. read more

Very friendly staff and wide selection of fresh and packaged foods. Definitely hit up the butcher counter. Their meats are superb and the prices are quite reasonable. We've purchased a few racks of baby back ribs, some chicken breasts, ground beef (very lean) and new york strips so far since moving into our new home this summer. Gotta love El Sobrante for grilling weather. The meats always look super fresh and the guys at the butcher counter always have great suggestions and are generally very helpful. I can't give Central Foods four stars, though, because I find their produce section to be lacking. There doesn't seem to be much depth to their selection and even if you just need some staples like bell peppers, onions, carrots, etc., you have to spend some time digging for pieces that are just so-so. Perhaps I should go there earlier in the day to see if I'm just getting there too late and am just seeing what earlier shoppers have left behind. I like the fact that they proudly display their designation as a certified "green" business, although I haven't asked just exactly what that means. read more

I love this neighborhood market it's so close and convenient when you can't make it to a regular grocery store. They have pretty good prices and great produce deals read more

This is your local neighborhood mexican market with alot of american food thrown in too. The staff has always been friendly to me, and the food is comparably priced to the the big chain markets. But why I keep coming back here, is for the butcher. They have the best meat in town. I love picking up a prime rib or NY strip from this store and throwing it on the grill. The beef is far better than what I would get at Safeway or Luckys, so I drive a little further down the road to Central Foods. read more

Before I like to shop here in central foods store. Is very convenient is just a block away from home. The cashier is always smiling, very friendly and absolutely pretty. She said thank you always after wards. But lately when I went back just to do a little grocery, I notice a new cashier. I been looking for my friendly cashier but I guess she's no longer working in central store. Okay So, this is not just happened once but several times with this new lady cashier. This lady is sooo..... an professional. Never smile, don't know how to say "thank you!" after wards, and just walk away out from the register. Helloooooo I'm still standing hereee... you just gonna walk away from your register and with out saying "thank you" to the customer. "I need a justice!?", where is the morals and a good customer service. To the owner of central foods market. I love your store is very convenient to me but you let your store look ugly and bad because you don't know how to pick a good candidate, for a good customer service. Please hire a person who have experience and know the value of customer service, or train her with the smile on her face. She needs a make over attitude. I know this not just happening to me. People of the nation if you went there in central food market and experience what I experienced please agree. I thank you. Chow..... read more

Not sure what the hype is. The only organic produce they had out today was bananas and the rest of the produce did not seem to be in great shape. The meat counter made my stomach turn. Clearly not fresh at all. Either the meat has been out too long or is not properly sealed or stored at the correct temperature. Either way, the taco truck made the parking lot a mess which was not a good first impression. I can't think of a reason to go back. read more

I live just around the corner, and after years of being ripped off at Raley's, or dealing with the Orinda "culture" and going to Safeway, we started dropping in on this market. Now I love having a real locally owned and operated market. The people that work here are wonderful, and I love the selection of great meats, cheeses and organic foods, as well as all the random foodstuffs that you can find around the store. They also have a great selection of local and organic coffee for much less than your typical Starbucks/Peets. Don't let the looks scare you off, enjoy this little gem and supporting a local business! read more

I wanted to love this place, but its a hard sell. Yes it is close and so convenient, but many times their vegetables are not fresh. You have to be careful when selecting produce. I also will NEVER buy chicken from their again. I bough some legs and I came home and grilled them. Long story short they tasted like they were dipped in gasoline. I thought maybe just maybe I did something wrong. Threw them all away. I decided to take another chance a few weeks later, same thing. The texture is also very off putting.They are not fresh, not sure what going on there. I go when I have to, but usually will go to food max if time is on my side. Ok for emergencies, but not as my to go store. read more

This little market is okay ... they carry items that you would usually find at your American/Mexican supermarket . They have fresh tamarind , fresh roasted peanuts , and in-shell walnuts sold by the pound . Their avocados are also very fresh and taste pretty good . Love how there's a taco truck outside in the parking lot . read more

I love this place. Although I buy my cleaning basics and bulk goods elsewhere, Central foods has a great selection of international and specialty items. Their meat selection is great and their butcher is superb! Great place to pick up some amazing carne asada for a weekend BBQ. Their produce section is hit and miss, but they offer a lot of local and organic items. read more

Wow... this place sure did go downhill. I hadn't been there in over a year but liked to get meat at their butcher shop. The butcher was incapable of weighing out a pound of meat. He redid the beef twice, put I still ended up with almost two pounds of chicken when I asked for just one. By that time I was tired of asking him to redo it and gave up. Only one cashier in a line of 8-10 people deep at 5:30pm so it took me 20 minutes to get meat and get out of there. Needless to say, I won't be shopping there again. read more

Bought 1 1/2 lbs of chicken breast for dinner. Got home and opened the bag and the smell was atrocious! How could they sell meat that clearly smells like it's gone bad. I was very upset and it was enough for me never to purchase from them again. Surprisingly the customer service was very nice though. read more