Perola Supermarket

This is a pretty big slide down the rungs of Latin specialty stores for Perola. I was saddened by how awful this store seemed compared to the wonderful place that I used to buy all my ingredients for Mexican night!
The front, which normally houses lots of dried and fresh chilies, tortillas and produce was severely lacking. There were maybe 5 different types of dried chilies, a cooler that was a quarter full of old looking tortillas and dirt everywhere.
Now I get that it’s been a long cold winter and I get that it’s Kensington. But when I walked inside, that’s where the biggest disappointment came:
The jalapenos were soft, floppy and wrinkled. I wouldn’t even want to guess what they would look like on the inside. Poblanos were much the same. All the produce, looked old.
I reasoned that if the fresh jalapanos weren’t up to snuff, that the canned ones might suffice. Every single can of everything was covered in a layer of dust and rust. I would wager that some of these cans have been here for at least 5 years. While it’s true that canned things last almost forever, I don’t want to have to scrape all this shit off the can before I even open it. Especially since there are so many other places to buy canned mexican goods these days.
Basically, the whole store was a dump. I wanted to put back the dried Pasilla chilies that I had bagged outside, but I felt bad and bought them anyway. I spent a total of $ 1.53 in this once fabulous store and won’t be coming back any time soon.

Although you can find all the dry chiles and authentic products, it’s way too expensive for me. I think they take advantage of the homesickness we mexicans can have. Yesterday, my husband paid $ 9 for two Mexican sausages; the product didn’t have the price sticker on it, and we got even more upset when we realized that you can find a more amount of product in «Fiesta Farms» for $ 6…

Perola has changed hands — prices have increased, and sometimes they’re out of stock on items you want.

Great resource for Mexican food, including but not limited to: salsas, chipotles, tortillas. If you can’t find it, just ask: the people who work there are very helpful and friendly.
Like everyone has already said, the fresh tacos at the back counter are super tasty too.

Shopping List for Perola Supermarket:
Salsa Verde
Tortillas corn, NOT flour (but they do have whole wheat tortillas, too!)
Poblano peppers
Tomatillos
Mexican bathtub cheese (ha ha)
Tortilla chips
Dulce de Leche
a Variety of canned Adobo foods.
This is THE place for all your latin goods. I can’t get corn tortillas like this in California even.
And the back serves some of the best prepared foods on the weekends.

I have no idea how good the grocery store is, but MAN, the little grill in the back. SO GOOD.
get a cactus taco (cactus, cheese, and beans) and change your life.
opened friday, saturday and sunday afternoons, go there in the summer and take a couple’a tacos to go as you browse the rest that kensington has to offer.

Previous reviewers nailed this place. Smal but very authentic mexican grocery store with a small grill in the back that serves fresh tacos. (Had 2 pork tacos) Absolutely delicious! Fresh onions/​coriander and salsas for toppings and a squeeze of lime… perfect. The seating area consist of 3 stools, and your table is a stand up freezer. It is what it is… and I have no problems with that. Will definetely be going back!

A friend of mine told me «there’s a Mexican store that serves authentic Mexican food in the back». He didn’t have the name but I figured I’d venture to Kensington to find this place anyway. For authentic Mexican food — why not? It can’t be any worse than Taco Bell.
Truth be told — it was goooood. I had the chicken taco. There’s something about being able to watch your food being cooked in front of you that just makes it so much better. The condiments are laid out for you to freely add whatever you want — 3 different types of sauce (mild, medium hot), onions, cliantro, lime etc. It was delicious. I need to go back to try the pupusas.
They have a few stools but no tables so it’s a bit awkward especially with people grocery shopping. This is not a downer by any means — take it for what it is — a grocery store with great, fresh home made food in the back.