Cancel

    Open app

    Search

    Rice Pantry

    4.5 (72 reviews)
    Open 9:00 am - 6:00 pm
    Updated 2 months ago

    Rice Pantry Photos

    Business Info

    You might also consider

    Recommended Reviews - Rice Pantry

    Your trust is our priority, so businesses can't pay to alter or remove their reviews. Learn more about reviews.
    Yelp app icon
    Browse more easily on the app
    Review Feed Illustration

    Reviews With Photos

    Clay Mortar
    Claudia A.

    Great prices andnice staff who are super helpful. So happy I found out about this place they have my fav chilli paste with holy basil i feel like I'm never able to find !!! Already recommended to all my friends and family. Hidden gem in Esco.

    Charging my car in front of the market.
    Fatfuckng F.

    Cool little market with lots of Asian spices, goods and produce. Lots of instant ramen selection.

    ESSENTIALS
    Chantawry P.

    Whenever I'm craving lao food in particular, they have all the essentials! The essentials to make papaya and all the sides that's needed. Absolutely love how they have fresh pork rinds available for purchase. Mind you, the one in the picture is a one gallon freezer bag which costs roughly around $12/bag now. Not bad and so deliciously good ;) Also, their jeow bong pairs well with baked/fried chicken and can't forget! The lao sausage from the frozen section. Yum! I love how convenient the store is to my current home, especially living in north county of San Diego. Staffs are friendly and helpful. Would definitely recommended this location for your quick fix.

    Healthy boy seafood dipping sauce and "jaew" dipping sauce
    Gabriel H.

    Wow, this is an excellent Thai/Lao market in Escondido. This market is a step above your average mom-and-pop immigrant store. Here's what I love about this place: - Lots of rare Thai market ingredients that you can't even find in Thai markets in Los Angeles - CLEAN. And the products are new and not expired - They have fresh poultry and vegetables. Again, everything is organized and clean. - They sell fresh sugarcane juice out front. Gotta love that. - Service was very friendly! The women working there are nice and laid back. A list of a few interesting rare Thai pantry items: - Healthy Boy Nam Jim Seafood and Nam JIm Jeow - Champ Thai "luuk chin" or meat balls, the best Thai meatball brand! They also have Champ Isaan sausage - Mama Yen Ta Fo flavor - Thai boat noodle soup powder - Frozen bugs - MegaChef Brown Fish Sauce (harder to find than the blue MegaChef bottle, which is more suited for the Vietnamese palate) - Lots of Sunlee products, rice berry, white pepper, spices

    FROG for a Southern-style Thai GREEN CURRY

    See all

    7 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 1
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 2

    3 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    8 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    5 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 3
    Thanks 1
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    6 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Alvan K.
    106
    76
    33

    1 year ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 3
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    4 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 2

    4 years ago

    Helpful 9
    Thanks 1
    Love this 5
    Oh no 1

    2 years ago

    Very helpful staff. Has the feel of a family owned store. They make their own kimchi which is excellent.

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    It's a small store but packed with all the essential Asian groceries, ingredients, Kitchen goods.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    5 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0

    4 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    5 years ago

    Helpful 4
    Thanks 0
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Karen H.
    262
    1166
    10325

    4 years ago

    Helpful 4
    Thanks 0
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Scott T.
    100
    1070
    10265

    6 years ago

    Helpful 15
    Thanks 0
    Love this 14
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Limited selection. Employees taking in the front, never offered to help. Not very friendly.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 1
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Faye L.
    724
    1726
    13933

    8 years ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Carrie G.

    Carrie G.

    Helpful 4
    Thanks 0
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0

    6 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    6 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    6 years ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Carrie G.

    Carrie G.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    5 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Rebecca T.
    1039
    1633
    8566

    12 years ago

    Helpful 9
    Thanks 0
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0

    4 years ago

    This is the gem of Escondido. I want more grocery stores like this. Please don't ever change.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Michelle C.
    39
    188
    327

    6 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    4 years ago

    Great place to shop. I come here every time I visit. Great prices, I recommend you check this market out.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Michell M.
    24
    78
    118

    7 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Small but mighty! I can always find a specialty item needed when I'm cooking Asian dishes.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    4 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Joe T.
    66
    2203
    20944

    12 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0
    Photo of LaLa E.
    274
    229
    1200

    8 years ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Carrie G.

    Carrie G.

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Jan D.
    995
    1387
    108

    12 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Tj S.
    0
    41
    7

    3 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    Page 1 of 2

    Ask the Community - Rice Pantry

    Do you have Menlo or Spring Home brand Spring Roll Wrappers?

    Do you have any mangosteen right now?

    Hi Jennifer! Unfortunately, we don’t have it right now. Check back in late Spring or follow us on Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/orientalfoodmarketesco to find out when we get them in.

    Do you sell roasted laver seaweed?

    We do, we currently have Olive Oil and Avocado right now. We don't have any regular ones currently.

    Do they have Boba ice cream?

    Unfortunately we don't. Thanks for asking!

    Do they have wide rice noodles?

    Yes we do! On occasion we do run out, so just give us a call to make sure we have it.

    Do they have samyang ramen?

    We normally do carry samyang ramen, however, we are currently sold out. Check with us tomorrow, we might get some in. Thanks!

    Do they sell Tsingtao Beer?

    I didn't notice it.

    View All 8 Questions

    Review Highlights - Rice Pantry

    This is only one Asian market that has the most Thai, Lao sauces and frozen snacks.

    Mentioned in 7 reviews

    Read more highlights

    You might also consider

    Major Market

    Major Market

    3.9
    (306 reviews)
    2.1 mi
    $$$

    We have been shopping at Major Market for over 30 years, and it has truly been one of our favorite…read moremarkets of all time. They carry such a nice mix of unique specialty items along with everyday groceries, which is something we have always appreciated. That said, prices have become very high compared to nearby options. I recently compared produce prices with Trader Joe's next door, and Trader Joe's was significantly less expensive. More importantly, the last several times I have shopped in Major Market's produce section, I noticed multiple bagged salads, bagged vegetables, and even some refrigerated salad dressings that were well past their expiration dates. We have also purchased their fresh garlic croutons from the front of the store for many, many years. Recently, though, the crouton pieces were cut very long rather than into normal bite-sized pieces. These were not crostinis; they were the actual croutons. The pieces were awkward to eat and, in my opinion, could even be a choking hazard because they are not cut into manageable bite-sized pieces. I'm not sure what is going on, but shoppers should be very careful and check expiration dates closely before purchasing items from the produce/refrigerated section. I also hope the crouton issue is addressed, because Major Market has been a beloved store for our family for many years.

    This is a really nice clean market, with excellent hot pre-made food. The prices are a bit more…read moreexpensive than grocery stores, but if you want a place that isn't packed and where the customer service is good, it's an nice alternative. Please keep in mind that the bags here are $0.20 here instead of the typical $0.10. Regarding the hot food, if you are a burrito fan definitely check out their pre-made carnitas burrito for $9.99. It is excellent and their salsa is really good. They had caldo de res too, which looked amazing but I haven't had a chance to try out yet. Their fried rice was tasty. The produce was plentiful and looked really fresh. The floral section was OK - better at Vons. We'll be coming back soon.

    Photos
    So good!! Smoked kielbasa
    So good!! Smoked kielbasa
    Pepsi X Peeps
    Pepsi X Peeps
    Major Market

    See all

    Nas Market

    Nas Market

    4.2
    (27 reviews)
    2.0 mi

    Really cool little market with array of little goodies from wine lovers to snacks from around the…read moreworld. The gentleman working welcomed me in with a smile and was more than willing to speak to me about the different wines. Im a sucker for culture and a good story. In the end i ended up buying 2 bottles of wine with a Dalmatian dog . Awesome gift. I will be back again for the holidays.

    I have always been fascinated by European meats and delicacies…read more Upon seeing an event on Facebook about their annual Christmas holiday tasting, my friend and I decided to attend. We sampled several unfamiliar liqueurs, including their version of eggnog liqueur, which was delicious. The honey liqueur was also intriguing, with a strong liquor proof and a sweet, honey flavor. The market offered a variety of meats, but the smoked herring, pickled herring, smoked sprats, and smoked mackerel, smoked tuna caught my eye. Having seen Russians enjoying these kinds of fish in their mukbang videos, I was curious to try them. Although I didn't purchase the smoked mackerel and smoked tuna, i got the smoked and pickled herring and it was delicious. The staff were helpful and nice. The Euro market had a range of good products, it's small but it carries a lot of good stuff including turkey sweets, like a kind of nougat with an interesting taste, its sugary and very sweet. Overall, the event was a nice experience. We've tasted a lot of new flavors. It was nice to know a little bit about European culture, particularly their food. Thank you!

    Photos
    Nas Market
    EURO MARKET ...used to be called Nas Market
    EURO MARKET ...used to be called Nas Market
    Ajvar

    See all

    Ajvar
    Polka Polish Goodies

    Polka Polish Goodies

    5.0
    (7 reviews)
    1.2 mi

    This is the third year in a row we have ordered pierogi from Polka Polish Goodies and it is…read moreexcellent every time! Everything is fresh, authentic and delicious. Their customer service is also great and accommodating. I always receive quick replies when I needed to make a change. One year she even created a custom gift basket at our request without much direction and it was beyond our expectations!! Highly recommend if you want some of the best pierogi and sauerkraut. And that garlic sauce is magic!

    Did not know it was an order-ahead and carry-.out place, and today's orders were…read moreall in, but the pretty Polish girl graciously offered to make me a meal of hot smoked kielbasa with cheese and dill pierogis with garlic-sour cream sauce, and a room-temp portion of sauerkraut, for $19.00. All so very delicious! My own Michigan Polish/Maliszewski family (I am fourth generation, back in Lincoln Park, and still cook Polish for my family when I visit there) did not garnish savory farmer's cheese pierogis with caramelized onions and scallions dipped in garlic-sour cream sauce or ever add fresh dill to the filling --but it is a delicious touch! ) In Michigan, we boiled them slightly in salted water till they floated to the top, drained the water off, then lightly browned them in butter and served them alongside a dollop of cold sour cream. I am very impressed at the quality of the food here, the lightness of the dumpling dough, and definitely had a delicious dinner in my car, a first for me in the 36 years I've lived in CA. (I brought my polka-dancing shoes along as well, but no band was playing in the parking lot outside!- does anyone know of a place for polka dancers like me near San Diego?). Rita Maliszewska-Farkas

    Photos
    Polka Polish Goodies
    Polka Polish Goodies
    Polka Polish Goodies

    See all

    Mi Rancho Market

    Mi Rancho Market

    4.4
    (265 reviews)
    0.5 mi
    $

    I'm giving this place 3 stars for now because my first experience was genuinely great, but my…read moresecond visit was disappointing enough that I almost rated it 2 stars. The first time I visited a few weeks ago, I had a really positive experience. The location was a little hard for me to find, but once I got there, it seemed worth it. I walked in craving a breakfast burrito and was helped by a very nice, slender gentleman at the counter. I asked for a ham, bacon, and sausage breakfast burrito and also requested that it be cut in half. He was friendly, said no problem, and within minutes I had exactly what I ordered. That burrito was delicious. The salsa station was stocked and convenient with self-serve cups readily available, and the atmosphere was nice. The people around me were friendly, and one gentleman even mentioned this was the place that used to be near Peterson's Donuts. Overall, it was a great first impression and I left happy, already planning to come back. Fast forward to today, Saturday, April 25, 2026 around 10:30 AM, and unfortunately, my second experience was the complete opposite. This time there was a young woman working the register, and from the moment I approached, she didn't seem very welcoming. I told her I wanted to order a breakfast burrito but wasn't sure what kind I wanted today. She told me the only options were bacon, egg, cheese and tater tots, or egg and cheese. I politely asked if I could add ham and sausage and pay extra, since that's what I had ordered before. She immediately responded that they "didn't have that type of breakfast burrito." That response confused me because I had literally ordered one there before. I wasn't going to argue, especially because her tone and attitude made me feel like I was bothering her just by asking questions. I then asked if the burrito could be cut in half and never really got a clear response. I also noticed the salsa station no longer had the little self-serve cups available, so I had to ask for those too. The same cashier asked how many I needed, and I said two. A few minutes later, another woman called my name and handed me the burrito. I sat down and realized it wasn't cut in half like I requested. At that point, I had to go back up and ask for a plastic knife and fork just to cut it myself. Which was not a problem or issue for me. I ate half of the burrito, but honestly, it wasn't nearly as good as the first one. The taste was underwhelming, and by the time I left I was just so disappointed. I ended up throwing the other half away after I left. Consistency matters, especially when the first experience set the bar high. The food was great the first time, but the service and quality were lacking the second time around. My honest opinion: if someone is having a bad day, they probably shouldn't be the first face customers interact with at the register. I may update this review depending on how management responds, because I know this place can do better based on my first visit.

    When you walk in, you can go right, which is where you can order food and the left is a market with…read moreMexican ingredients, meats, seasonings and canned goods. There is a table of baked goods available. There is a seating area inside where you can enjoy your meal. I ordered the El Pastor tacos and they were ok. The meat could've been more flavored. And I ordered a side of guacamole for $0.85. I rate the tacos 6/10. The salsa bar was clean and had an option of mild, hot and very spicy. The heat was good on the mild. The area was clean and the server was nice and friendly.

    Photos
    Mi Rancho Market
    Carnitas with creamy mild green salsa, Adobado in the middle with no salsa needed, and Asasda with hot chile, which it needed.
    Carnitas with creamy mild green salsa, Adobado in the middle with no salsa needed, and Asasda with hot chile, which it needed.
    Ordering counter

    See all

    Ordering counter
    Carniceria El Jefe

    Carniceria El Jefe

    4.5
    (17 reviews)
    0.8 mi

    Great prime meat can be cut to order. Meat cutters are…read morehelpful. Necessities for meal prep, BBQ, Some speciality frozen protein items. Some veggies and other on site. Store is clean and the service by the meat counter and at check out is. BBQ meats, Carnitas, Cracklings, Marinated Products and more. The meat products I've purchased have cooked and tasted good. You must know how to prepare and cook to have the desired results. The steaks have be excellent on the grill and in a frying pan. One wouldn't want to ruin what good money was paid for.

    Amazing how fast things change and turn to disappointment. I…read moresent my wife in to get some of their carne asada (arrachera) and while doing so, she had me on speaker phone to assure that she was getting the order correct. We were looking for their prime product that was already marinated. The following morning, in preparation for a few guests arriving later, I grilled the product and unfortunately found out that the meat counter gave her a unmarinated product. While mistakes do happen, we called the store to patiently explain our issue and asked not for a refund, but a store credit for the next opportunity to get some carne from this small business. Unfortuately, this was flatly denied and the initial offer was a bag of chips or a small container of salsa the next time we came in. We were told by the manager's proxy, Valeria, that since the meat was cooked, it could not be brought back, because? Who knows. If it would have been raw, she said they would have taken it for an exchange or refund. What would they have done with it raw? When I asked how was I to know that it wasn't marinated before cooking it, she had no answer. I made sure to tell her that we have no intention of defrauding the store, and even mentioned I left a glowing review for them in Yelp. After another apology by her, I asked to speak to the actual manager. He declined to get on the phone with me. Curiously, after exclaiming my disappointment near the end of the conversation with Valeria, she offered me 1 free lb of meat but made sure to say she (they) would still be losing $20. With receipts in hand and a calm understanding phone call I was hoping for better customer service for our neighborhood store, but alas, more failure over $40 worth of meat. Too bad.

    Photos
    Carniceria El Jefe
    Carniceria El Jefe
    Carniceria El Jefe

    See all

    Rice Pantry - intlgrocery - Updated July 2026

    Loading...
    Loading...
    Loading...