One of the gems in Escondido is the Northgate Market located on the corner of Washington and Escondido. Lots of parking available. It's like a marketplace that transports you to an another place where you can enjoy and obtain almost everything you need from the Mexican culture. The aromas are delightful. The displays beckons your attention. And the staff are very hospitable and welcoming. There are many selection of food items that will blow you away!!! Go early to get the freshest food before lunch time. There is a dining room with many tables and chairs. Great selection of Mexican drinks is also available. A tortilla factory makes authentic tortillas. The bakery is magical with so many varieties of baked goods. The meat department has the freshest cuts and the produce department has always stocked and pretty to look it. Experience a place where warm hospitality exists, with products at a reasonable price, authentic Mexican food and friendly people that will give you the warmest smile!!! read more

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Excellent selection of items you won't find at your normal chain supermarket (see photos). The fresh meat selection was huge! They have their own Tortilleria. They have campurrado or atole. Inside carnitas and fritanga. The amount of salsas are endless. Vast amount of deserts. Customer service was excellent. Would come again. read more

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Awesome Mexican market! I've been to many Northgate Market before and this one just seems to have more than the Vista Northgate, or maybe I haven't noticed. But this Northgate has everything. A ceviche bar, guacamole bar, menudo, tamales, hot food area, grilled meats area, and the usual like the bakery area, cakes, tortilla, meat counter, bread. We got some ceviche, marinated meats, and some tortilla. It was delicious. The ceviches were good, we loved the aguachile. We also got a whole grilled chicken, the grilled taste on it was super tasty. Good for an alternative to El Pollo Loco. Veggies were a variety, fruits were ok. Looked pretty fresh. We grilled the marinated meats the same week and their carne asada was so flavorful and marinated right, it was delicious. We will definitely be back to get more groceries. Lines were a tad long, but we went on a busy Sunday. It went by fast though. A lot of people. Good Mexican market!! read more

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Great stop for prepared foods. Soups, tamales, hot plates all along the left side of the market once you enter from the email entrance. Load up on your favorites and take it to go. Tamales are in the large rice cooker looking pots by the front entrance. A variety of flavors to choose from. There's so much it may be hard to decide what your craving but there's plenty to explore. Service was welcoming and friendly. Free parking right in front. read more

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Love this Northgate. This one and San Diego are about the same distance from my house, but for years I've chosen the Escondido one. The meat is fresh and they usually have everything I need in stock. The staff is friendly and there's plenty of parking . The prepared food is also yummy. read more

It was 8:00pm and only two cash registers open. As staff noticed how the lines were increasing rapidly they finally decided to open a third lane after 20 minutes of waiting in long lines. What was frustrating about this was that the cashier that opened that third lane never asked or told us she could take us next. (We were next in line). I spoke with the manager in charge but who knows if they'll do anything about it or talk to their employees. I'm not coming back here again just for that mistreatment. read more

I'm always impressed with how fresh and clean everything looks in the meat department. The employees are attentive and quick to answer questions, which makes shopping here a great experience. read more

We have just started going here and love the fresh produce, seafood, poultry and prepared food. They an excellent selection of fresh herbs at great prices! Plus the workers there are very friendly and accommodating! read more

An excellent Mexican market with a great little taqueria, fresh hot tamales, and fine prepared hot and cold food counter. Also a great array of housemade salsas as well as an in-house tortilleria. read more

Accessibility: they have a few handicap accessible parking spots in the parking lot across from the entrance of the building, but I did not see any motorized shopping carts here...they may have some and I just didn't see them, so call ahead and ask the store if you can. I did see regular shopping carts. The employees speak Spanish and English. This is a big enough market with spaces plenty wide for wheelchairs. Food taste: amazing! I bought a choco-flan cake here and my girlfriend who is from México loved it! Prices: awesome! Mostly low. Atmosphere: crowded. sketchy customers...lots of regular people and families, then lots of drug addicts and gang members walking through here and hanging outside the store...I definitely watched my back the entire time, and was very worried to see families letting their small children run around unsupervised with really bad looking characters around; sadly it's a scary world. Other than this, all the employees were friendly and it's a cute market with tons of options and great prices. read more

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Updating my review as i'm still a weekly shopper here. The meat department has improved, produce is hit or miss. We often purchase the pre made salsas and hot foods! The carnitas are always super good! I'd STRONGLY recommend getting the family meal for 3! it's less than $20! you get the options of carnitas or chicken, a dozen tortilas, rice and beans PLUS a pre made salsa. I've had all the salsas and i'd say most are mild. Bathrooms seem to stay clean, aisles are clean, shelves are constantly being re stocked. Checking out I will say can sometimes be a pain with only 2 open lanes with 10+ customers waiting at times. The pan dulce is always pretty good! Cakes are hit or miss, I got a cake slice recently and unfortunately it had spoiled the cake was sour :( read more

The bakery went above and beyond with my son's cake (Spider-Man/venom) and cupcakes as well. She even did the webs. I thought she was only going to do half red and half black. The bakery in RB couldn't even do it and they are extremely popular. Thank you Northgate. read more

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First time here even though I've passed by hundreds of times before. They have a great selection of prepared foods and desserts. I wanted to grab something for dinner and some different salsas. I got a meal from the bar. The carnitas were dry, but it was my fault since I could clearly see that it was before buying, but got it anyway. I also got a whole chicken from the counter and three containers of salsa and one guacamole. I had the chicken chopped up, way better than El Pollo Loco (who I stopped going to years ago because of the drop in quality/service/value) and cheaper too. Will definitely be back to try desserts and other things. Downside is the area is a bit sketchy, like much of downtown Escondido. read more

Ceviche con chile. Grab a bag of chips and a bottle of Tapatio. That's all I got to say.

Dance comps at the performing arts center make for long weekends. While others are going to eat out at various fast food spots around...my daughter and I came to Northgate to get our meals and snacks. we had yummy tacos and stocked up on snacks & desserts throughout the store. I think we had better food for a fraction of the cost of "going out" i'll be back this weekend read more

Purchased these rice puddings today and found this. I think the picture explains it all. This is absolutely disgusting. I would be careful when purchasing pre-packaged food read more

Northgate Market - Rotten rice pudding - Grocery Near Me - Escondido, California

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I love this market! I love the smell of the pan dulce on one side of the market and fresh food on the other. I swear they funnel all the ready made food smells throughout the store to entice you to get some. They have a great selection of desserts and great prices for groceries. Their meat counter is quite impressive. Employees are friendly and helpful. I always forget about their desserts and fresh tortillas. They have coolers around the store with hot ones ready to go. read more

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~ 3.5 ~ A new remodel makes this Northgate more approachable than before. The changes are subtle in some areas, but it definitely gives it more of an upscale cleaner look. They've expanded some of their hot food "Mexican Kitchen" offerings like upgrading the case of tamales and soups. Many of their case option have been put in convenient grab and go containers which helps you avoid their chaotic lines. I came in for basic supplies on a Saturday afternoon and boy this place was packed. My list consisted of fresh made-to-order guac, salsas, and some of their Mexican desserts like tres leches cake and flan. Overall I was pleased, but a bit disappointed with the tres leches. They used cheap cream on top which is probably how Vons would have done it. It also seemed a little dry, perhaps because it was cut from one of their older cakes. The back of the store (Carniceria) was a madhouse with a guy with a microphone trying to keep order by calling out the numbers... Overall I came away with a better perception of this Northgate and pinpointed several of their newly expanded food offerings to come back for. Know this - Compared to Vallarta where you'll see various different people shopping for Mexican groceries (Asian, White, Black), this is primarily Latino. - The parking situation is the same as before with sketchy people darting in-between parked cars and people riding bikes in the parking lot.. read more

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Just stopped by to grab a few things and was drawn in to their fresh guacamole near the register along won't the still warm, just made yellow corn tortillas and, of course, a crisp bakery item. The produce is generally a better price than other stores. The meat counter is massive with lots of different cuts that you wouldn't get at a regular grocery store. read more

So I finally made it out to Gonzales's Northgate Market! I stood out like a sore thumb but that didn't matter as the customers and associates were very friendly and eager to help me out. I was surprised to see so many options on food and drink. Everything from fish, meat and produce, this place has it all and at highly competitive prices compared to local grocers. Parking is easy if you can find one without a shopping cart in it lol. All sorts of beers that aren't always available at BevMo or liquor stores. I like that they offer already marinated and seasoned meats for easy cooking and grilling. There's also pre made guacamole and soups! If you don't want to cook, no problem, there's prepared food for sale as well. I took my time trying the horchata and a piece of chicharon. I then walked around and checked out the entire store. The store itself is clean, organized and well spaced out. I didn't feel cramped like other ethnic stores I've been too. I'll definitely be back... Check out my pictures and you'll see why! read more

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Wonderful restraunt adjacent. Boneless, skinless and trimmed chicken thighs priced well and fresh. Great produce, meats and PLEASE check out the feta at the cheese/olive counter. FABULOUS. read more

Don't waste your time going to this store. Not only is the customer service horrible, they keep on taking expired food to the shelf's for people to buy. Is there any quality control in this store? read more

Northgate Market - The yogurt expired on 10/01/2020, today is 10/10/2020... wtf - Grocery Near Me - Escondido, California

Omg went good court ordered caldo de res, they'd didn't give us napkins, spoons. Salsa employees were bad attitude the caldo was old terrible taste. I would never go there again, read more

Even though it is a grocery store, it is a great place to pick up Shrimp Ceviche plus they make Guacamole onsite and it was fresh and delicious! They have a great selection of different salsas and their prices are reasonably good. They have a good variety of already cooked Mexican dishes. Was happy they have fried plantains! read more

Mexican Market heaven! They make all sorts of fresh items.... tortillas, chicharrones, salsas, ceviches, soups, beans, tamales, you name it they have it not to mention they fresh meats and produce they have. As far as variety and size this is one of the best Mexican markets in San Diego. read more

The market is okay for tortillas, salsas, chili rellenos, produce and few other items but my last experience this past week is questionable. I was there Wednesday and one of my purchased items was milk. I opened it up the next morning for my dad, and it was sour. So I returned it the next day, and the clerk exchanges it for another milk container dated June 6. This, too, is tasting funky. Maybe it's there refrigerator system but don't buy the milk at this store. I use to live a few blocks from Pancho Villa in North Park and the store manager was always on the floor making friendly chat with everyone. I miss that experience. read more

My debit card was charged $100.00 twice for the same item. I am now having to go thru hell dealing with the bank. Employees were also rude. read more

This is Escondido's quintessential Mexican food market. While smaller than it's cousin Vallarta Market, this place offers up a lot more customer service and maybe a bit more authenticity to its flair. It seems to delight those native to the food and those merely experimenting with the food (me!) As others have said, they have a delightful little food court which offers up the traditional mexican food groups including some that are somewhat out of the ordinary such as interesting looking tripas. Service is swift and the prices are great. The folks working the isles have great in-store knowledge of product location and opinions about quality. Meat counter is good but maybe a bit slower than others. The produce section is super for all of one's fruits and vegetable needs including a few things not found at other markets. Pan is made fresh everyday as well as a host of other baked products. Nowadays, consumers are less loyal to any one particular supermarket than ever before but Northgate has its own large following. It is important to note that this store puts its money where its mouth is and has generously supported local non-profit events for the public. Many thanks to Hugo and company. Escondido residents should be happy to have this store in their neighborhood. read more

Went today to pick up a whole flan. They have great flan sshhh. They were sold out on the shelf but when I asked in the bakery they brought me one from the back. Also I just wanted a small pack of tortillas and they made me a fresh pack just for me. Great customer service. It really made my day read more

I just discovered a Northgate Gonzalez Market in North County. I was so excited when I saw this market I had to stop!. This Mexican supermarket is not as big as the one in San Diego (43rd street) but they do have a kitchen, tortilleria, bakery, produce, carniceria, seafood and great deals on groceries. This place used to be El Tigre but they sold to Gonzales Northgate Markets. I almost forget to say that parking is great and there is not as many people here! What a great Mexican store in North County! read more

Northgate Market - Gonzalez Northgate Market - Grocery Near Me - Escondido, California

This is one of my all time, favorite, ethnic chain, grocery stores in San Diego. It's always clean and everything is always fresh. I really enjoy getting all my nostalgic food staples from here when I don't feel like cooking like beans, rice, queso fresco and carne asada, I mainly always get their ceviche with chiles then some tostadas and limes. Plus you can't beat the prices, the food is cheap and very delicious. They carry a lot of Mexican brand name products and can pretty much find anything from pinatas and bubalu's to zote bar soap and real chicharrones. If you're ever craving real Mexican food my gringo friends this is the place to go to without having to cross the border. This guy gives it a mariachi "AAAaaaaaaaaaajajaJai!" as I raise my Tecate light(yes they have those now) towards the sky. read more

el servicio es malo después de las 9.30 ya no te venden nada en la carniceria por que según ya lavaron sus máquinas deberían poner letrero que diga que está serrada la carniceria read more

Went in to do my groceries on a Wednesday night, a bit rainy and looking to fill my fridge with yummy & "healthy" things. I should have not walked in this store hungry. As I walked in, I realized why people come to this store. As you enter the smell of Mexican food hits you and ambiance is welcoming just like that. Their kitchen/hot food area has a variety of ready to eat meals and their store lay out it is so convenient to pick and choose and go! I noticed as I walked in they had a fridge section with meats already marinaded for tacos. These packages had 3 types of meats and different marinades. This store is definitely for those who like Mexican food but don't like to dirty the kitchen like me jk have time to cook authentic Mexican meals such as tamales. They actually have a bar of tamales of all types for you to graand served warm. Since I am new to this store and being January my first impression was the tamale bar is a seasonal item but still asked. To my surprise they have them year long! They also have an agua frescas stand, bakery with an assortment of Mexican desserts and cakes, sweet bread (an dulce), fresh and warm tortillas from tortillería. read more

Even though I life like 45 minutes away up the hill we always stop here when we are in the area to get some groceries because they always have low prices on most of the items here. We also stop because the taco shop that they offer inside is so delicious and they always have a large variety of choices for tacos, tortas etc etc This place is a good place to find Mexican items in order to prepare those Mexican dishes we are accustom to read more

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I love this store. So much wonderful foods to choose from. Fresh and healthy produce and meats. I highly recommended the tamales and bowl of corn and salsa bar and the bakery was delicious. read more

Northgate Market - Grocery Near Me - Escondido, California

I came here to get a fruit tart that the usually carry at the store. When I couldn't find it I ask staff if there if they had in the back and they told me they will be making it at 2:00 p.m. so I came back for the second time and they didn't have it. They did not even apologize or anything they were saying it was my fault that I should have a paid in and ordered it in advance. They didn't even offer me a discount or offer to make me one. Awful read more

Hot food bar here is fantastic! Recommend the tamale bar and sampling of their ceviche. Their house made guacamole is sure to never disappoint and their juice bar has a limeade-chia that'll quench any thirst. read more

Northgate is your typical Mexican grocery store. It's not the greatest, like Cardenas, but it has most of the goodies you want, including the sodas, candies, meats, and baked goods. I didn't find some of the pan dulce I was looking for. Also, the store is not the cleanest or most attractive. I give brownie points for unique selections, but this store is nothing remarkable. Also, beware of the ghetto clientele that lurk in the parking lot. I saw lowered pickup trucks and shady people. read more

Northgate Market - The bakery goods. - Grocery Near Me - Escondido, California

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Awesome place to shop. Lot of variety. They carry a small selection of mexican beers, mostly the big name companies. Meat selection is nice. Produce selection is pretty good. The baked goods selection is small but taste pretty good. The hot food area is tight and could use more room but its tasty. The inside is a little tight but they have plenty of parking. read more

Their fresh tortillas are wonderful! I bought some salsa fresca thinking it would be equally as good and it might have been tasty to many people but to my husband and me it was just waaaaaay too salty. We threw away at least half of the salsa and made our own to supplement what we kept...and it was still salty! Kinda defeats the purpose of buying salsa. That said, I like Northgate Gonzalez a lot. They have cool events including during Hatch chile season. The store is big and clean and it's fun to walk around and see what they have. I'm a big fan of ethnic supermarkets and this is one of the more enjoyable ones! read more