Mercado Central

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Molly Priesmeyer

Joined 5 years ago

Citysearch Editorial Review. Located on the corner of Lake and Bloomington in South Minneapolis, this mall dedicated to the burgeoning Latino community is a destination spot for folks from all over the metro area. More than 10 shops sell unique wares such as handmade jewelry and imported arts and crafts, while a handful of others sell dresses and shoes for special occasions like quinceaneras. A dining area offers a place to rest and sample Spanish rice, tortas, mini tacos, giant burritos and La Loma's excellent fresh tamales. The mall is a wonderful spot to explore, small enough to not be overwhelming and large enough to welcome people from all over.

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Contributor

Joined 10 years ago

A Latin American mini-mall with one-stop shopping for everything south of the border.. In Short
This is the Calhoun Square of Minneapolis' Latin American community. There's a CD shop, bakery, one-hour photo store, clothing and gift shops, and a food court. What makes it special is that all these businesses are Latino-owned and feature Mexican, Cuban and Central American goods. Abraxas specializes in traditional and religious folk art and Me Gusta sells ingredients for menudo soup. The food court boasts Manny's gourmet tortas and fresh mango juice from the Reyna de los Jugos juice bar.

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hblakeway

Joined 10 years ago

Tortilla Heaven. The Mercado is a great place overall, but there is one thing that stands out for me and my family: the Tortilla Chips in the food court.

Really and truely, these are the greatest tortilla chips I've found in the twin cities. Made fresh throughout the day, they are unbelievable. Check them out and enjoy the great shopping and food throughout the rest of the Mercado, too.

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battistini

Joined 11 years ago

really unique. This is a very tiny "mall" and if you are not Mexican I find hard to believe there would be anything besides food that would interest you. But, on the other hand, the food is cheap and delicious and authentic. You may have your only opportunity to sample Salvadorean food. And there are a variety of surprising details, like the clean bathrooms or the armed security guard and the total absence of hoodlums. I highly recommend this place as an alternative to South Saint Paul's Mexican community around Burrito Mercado, though I think Burrito Mercado is more comfortable and the food slightly better. Dinner for my wife and I, everything, was twenty dollars total.