Uptown Mart

Through my adventures, I’ve discovered myself to be a corner store/​bodega aficionado. From Seattle to NYC to NOLA, this place is without a doubt one of the best in all the land. Awesome staff of polite, intelligent, multilingual, humble men, who are wonderful to all their patrons that pass through the door. Fair pricing on everything and the selection is some of the best I’ve ever seen, including specialty items. They have an air pump in the parking lot for bikes and autos and they sell ice. Also there is a ramp bar to hitch your pup at if necessary, but not on a hot summer day! The people that go there are all well-​mannered for the most part, which spans the spectrum of NOLA, unlike say Unique or Manchus; which I hate to even mention in the same breath as Uptown Mart. There is also a Habitat For Humanity Drop Box on the CVS side of the parking lot fyi. But what really makes me write this review, the hot food. the super gyro fully dressed… the personal pepperoni pizza… I haven’t had the burger, fries, or chicken yet, but I trust its what I’ll need when the time comes. I love this place, plan on dropping $ 20 here for snacks and assorted needs, especially the food. No, its not Upperline or Le Crêpe Nanou cuisine, but well worth their spot in the neighborhood. They do not sell alcohol, so be prepared to hit up CVS or Zara’s for that purchase and they close around 8pm. Which would be the only downside if there was one, but that definitely doesn’t take away from this wonderful New Orleans establishment.

UPTOWN MART TAKE-​OUT TAKEAWAYS
1. Great Price/​Value Menu:
The $ 4.50 ½LB Cheeseburger (albeit pre-​grilled then reheated) is one of the best deals Uptown. The patty is thick and flavorful, the sesame seed buns are soft and fresh. However it’s the $ 3.50 off-​menu 9″ pepperoni pizza (on housemade crust) that’s the most popular. See Pics. Usually at the weekday lunch-​rush cars are double parked with a queue inside.
2. Lively Atmosphere:
Uptown Mart is one of the friendliest basic convenience stores that I’ve ever been to. The young Jordanian buddies that own it are hilarious. They speak several languages and are usually leading a lively discussion. Moreover, unlike absentee landlords these guys actually take good care of their building.
3. Family Friendly:
They’re proud to have won many ATC certificates for not selling tobacco to minors, and being Muslim they refuse to sell liquor (hence there are no sketchy winos lingering about outside).
4. Skittles!
They have 7 varieties and sell Powerball too! As one of the guys quips, «if we don’t have it you don’t need it».
HOW IT COMPARES TO OTHER CONVENIENCE STORES
I totally defend that Uptown is one of the best in its class. A Unilocal search of the «Top 10 NOLA Convenience Stores» showed skewed results:
— 3 aren’t even mini-​marts (Rouse’s, and two Walgreens);
— 3 are absolutely filthy, look at their floors (Rampart, Matassa’s & Nelly Deli);
— 4 are excellent but more corner grocery/​delis than your basic grab-​n-​go (Singleton’s, Esplanade, Poeyfarre, Louisiana Products).

This place has a nice homey/​neighborhoody feel inside. Every time I have been in the clerk has been more than helpful. They have all the normal items you would expect a convenience store to have plus a few hardware items.
One time I was looking for a zip tie but they didn’t sell them. The clerk went in the back and found one for me at no charge.
Basically they provide the type of friendly and personal service one would expect from a mom and pop type convenience store. I much prefer this store to the CVS across the street.