Columbus has a surprisingly impressive international grocery scen. You canbasically, you can travel the world without having to deal with airport security.
Columbus International Grocery Stores
Saraga International Grocery
There are three locations but the Morse Rd one is my favorite.
Known for: Asian, Latin American, African, Caribbean, Middle Eastern, and European groceries; hard-to-find produce; fresh meat and seafood; international snacks; and its massive selection. Saraga is often the answer when someone asks, “Where can I find literally everything?” It has been recognized as one of Columbus’ top international food markets, and is frequently praise its sheer variety.
Tensuke Market
1167 Old Henderson Rd Columbus, OH 43220
Known for: Japanese groceries, snacks, ramen, sushi ingredients, Japanese beverages, prepared foods, and hard-to-find Japanese pantry staples. If you want to wander through the aisles and suddenly realize you have purchased six kinds of Pocky and a bunch of unique drinks this is the place.
Arirang Oriental Market
1526 Bethel Rd, Columbus, OH 43220
Known For: Korean groceries, fantastic Soju and premade banchan selection. They have a small in-store dining area that offers a verity of Korean dishes.
Mediterranean Foods Imports
2647 N High St, Columbus, OH 43202
Known for: Mediterranean, Middle Eastern, Greek, Persian, and Arabic groceries. Shoppers especially seek out its feta, olives, imported pantry staples, breads, spices, and prepared foods. This is the kind of small specialty market where you go in for one thing and leave with some many dips and enough olives to host a very enthusiastic dinner party.
La Michoacana Market
Multiple locations: I like the sawmill one.
5445 Bethel Sawmill Center, Columbus, OH 43235
Known for: Mexican and Latin American groceries, fresh produce, meat, specialty ingredients, baked goods, and prepared food. The sawmill location also has a small in-store dining area.
La Plaza Tapatia
255 Georgesville Rd, Columbus, OH 43228
Known for: Mexican and Latin American groceries, a large meat counter, fresh produce, baked goods, sweets, prepared food, and an in-store dining area. It is a great choice if your grocery trip might also turn into lunch—which, honestly, is the ideal kind of grocery trip.
Lotte Oriental Foods & Gifts
4944 N High St, Columbus, OH 43214
Known for: Korean groceries, Asian produce, snacks, pantry staples, and specialty ingredients. love them for the maranated meat selection, these are helpful for easy week day meals.
Dayou Market 大有超市
Known for: Chinese and broader Asian groceries, seafood,fresh produce, such as mushrooms, bok choy, specialty ingredients, and an attached food-court-style dining area. It is a strong option for shoppers looking for an Asian supermarket with a large selection.
International Market Foods
3120 Olentangy River Rd, Columbus, OH 43202
Known for: Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi, Middle Eastern, and South Asian groceries; halal meat; specialty frozen foods; and an attached restaurant or food counter. It is especially useful for shoppers looking for South Asian pantry staples and fresh halal meat.
Zaytoun International Market
2544 Bethel Rd, Columbus, OH 43220
Known for: Afghan, Middle Eastern, Persian, Indian, Pakistani, and other South Asian groceries, along with halal meats and specialty ingredients. .
Baraka International Market
3252 Cleveland Ave A, Columbus, OH 43224
Known for: Is a Somali owned groceries store, they offer African and Somali foods, Middle Eastern staples, specialty meats, and hard-to-find international pantry items.
Website: Search for Baraka International Market Columbus for current information.
Socials: Search for Baraka International Market Columbus on Facebook.
Al Quds Halal Market and Mediterranean Grill
3350 Cleveland Ave, Columbus, OH 43224
Known for: Halal meats, Middle Eastern and African groceries, spices, breads, produce, and prepared food. It is a good stop for shoppers looking for both groceries and something ready to eat.
Medina World Market
1897 Hilliard Rome Road, Hilliard, Ohio 43026
Known for: Middle Eastern, Mediterranean, North African, and halal groceries, with a strong meat department and specialty breads.
Diana Deli European Grocery
3520 W Dublin-Granville Rd, Columbus, OH 43235
Known for: Eastern European groceries and deli items, particularly Russian, Ukrainian, Hungarian, and other European specialties. The bakery and deli offerings are also a major draw.
Simply Balkan Market
6020 E Main St, Columbus, OH 43213
Known for: Balkan groceries, imported European products, smoked meats, deli items, and a grill. It is a grocery store that understands the important truth that sometimes you need to buy dinner and eat dinner in the same location.
CAM International Market
3767 Park Mill Run Dr. Hilliard, OH 43026
Known for: A large selection of Asian groceries, including sauces, noodles, seasonings, snacks, produce, seafood, meat, and specialty ingredients. It is a particularly good choice for shoppers looking for a large Asian supermarket outside central Columbus.
Quick Guide: Where to Go for What
- Biggest overall variety: Saraga
- Japanese groceries: Tensuke Market
- Asian groceries: CAM, Dayou Market
- Mexican and Latin American groceries: La Michoacana Market, La Plaza Tapatia
- Mediterranean : Mediterranean Foods Imports
- Halal groceries and meat: International Market Foods, Baraka, Al Quds, Zaytoun
- Eastern European groceries: Diana Deli
The biggest takeaway from the Columbus international grocery scene is that there is no single store that does everything perfectly. Saraga is probably the best place to start if you want the full “I went in for soy sauce and somehow spent two hours here” experience, while the smaller specialty markets are often the better choice when you are looking for ingredients from a specific region.
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