You all now my strange obsession with discount shopping establishments (see my Aldi and Wonder Bakery Thriftshop diatribes). I find a weird kind of beauty in the sterile, post-modern, industrial nature of the joints, don't ask me why. So when a Save-A-Lot opened on Deleware Ave. (Albany, kind of near Cardona's in the strip mall with the Mr. Subb), I was sort of excited. I have never been to a Save-A-Lot before.
Walking in I thought that the place looked very much like an Aldi. You know, minimal decor, stuff on palates, etc...
Strolling the aisles you find many not quite name brand products of the expected sort. The soda facsimiles always make me laugh. We have "Mountain Holler"-
Also, "Diet Bubba"-
To tell you the truth, Save-A-Lot is very much like Aldi but without the exciting little treasures among the generic hooey. I didn't find one thing that was worth purchasing, which is extremely rare behavior for me. Aside from the disproportionate amount of chitterlings offered,
and the fact that grits had its own line on an aisle description,
I found the place to be thoroughly disappointing. Don't think I will ever have occasion to go there again. Am I missing something at Save-A-Lot? Does anyone else shop there? Let me know if they have some hidden appeal that I missed. Thanks.
Save-A-Lot has a brand of Italian dressing that has nothing but junk in it, but I think tastes surprisingly good. Worked well as a marinade too. Don't read the label though. I think the brand is Portman's.
ReplyDeleteMy father-in-law uses condensed milk in coffee. He buys it there by the case.
That should be evaporated milk instead of condensed. My bad.
ReplyDeleteSave-A-Lots in my neck of the woods carry Old Folks brand sausage, a completely awesome breakfast sausage with a ridiculous name. And TEN POUND BOXES of sliced bacon for $14.99.
ReplyDeleteAlso: their store brand mayo is identical to Hellmann's, except it's half the price and comes in a full 32-ounce jar instead of the 30-ounce jar in which Hellmann's is now packed.
In the town where I grew up, the Save-A-Lot was average with it's cheapness - the main benefit being the variety of soda. Their pineapple soda is great.
ReplyDeleteHowever in the town where I now live, the Save-A-Lot has a disproportionate amount of extremely cheap tortillas, chips, beans, etc - essentially when it's time for a taco or burrito party, that's where I go.
This is the Save-A-Lot that, sort of, used to be in Menands. I used to go there for some things. One month I experimented in using it as my only supermarket, and let's just say it was unpleasant. But I can't knock some of the prices.
ReplyDeleteIt's worth looking around and finding some really cheap deals, though. I always went for avocados, honey, cereal, bananas, chocolate chips... You could even get good pieces of meat for very cheap on occasion. But going into the lunchmeat section was like looking into the eyes of the devil.
Bananas, onions, fresh tortillas, canned octopus, some dried beans, masa harina, White Castle cheeseburgers, tater tots.
ReplyDeleteThese are the things I usually buy.
They have other occasional deals, but for what it is, I like them. I usually end up buying other things that are of comparable price (butter, cream cheese). But I think their store brand versions of chips suck.
The Save-a-lot closest to me has a great produce department. Mangoes are always super cheap. I also buy canned octopus, tomatoes, garbanzo beans, black beans and hominy; dried lentils and split peas; tortillas; and, bottles of Jarritos tamarind soda.
ReplyDelete