One of my favorite places to be is in a grocery store off peak hours, wandering the aisles for a sweet treat or forgotten weekly haul item while bumping music in my headphones. There’s something about the peace and tranquility found in a grocery store and the rhythmic nature of its vast aisles as I’m searching for my next girl dinner concoction.
Add into the mix H-E-B, and a two-story one at that? Well, I’m in love.
As a South Austin resident, I have a burning loyalty to all things Brodie Lane H-E-B, where I’ve spent many of weeknights catching up on the latest album release or podcast episode while sifting through single-serving cakes or the Texas grocer’s guacamole and salsa varieties. But despite Austin now being home to two two-story H-E-Bs, I hadn’t yet made my way to the Texafied promised land.
Well, now I can safely say experiencing a two-story H-E-B isn’t my first rodeo after dropping by the newly revamped South Congress H-E-B on a Tuesday afternoon following the midday lunchtime rush. Parking in the attached garage, I made my way toward the pearly sliding door gates when I was greeted by perhaps the most H-E-B sign there is: “More choices. More savings. More Texas.”
Inside, the wafting scents of barbecue washed over me, with the bottom tier welcoming guests to H-E-B’s True Texas BBQ on the ground level. Up the stairs (or escalators) we go, and we land in the middle of the produce section and, for me, the holy grail: the floral section. Plucking out some sunflowers for $3.98, I admired the seasonal arrangements on hand before heading straight to the produce. It was there I found H-E-B’s standard, elite selection of fresh fruits and vegetables, along with its coveted tortillas chips, in-house guacamole and salsas.
I appreciate the specific finds that solidify H-E-B’s status as both Texas’ premier grocer and its proximity to Mexico. Nestled next to the guacamole, I spotted the Fresh Mex drinkable young coconut with a built-in straw. Did I get it? No. Am I currently regretting that decision? Absolutely.
No trip to H-E-B would be complete without a browse through the bakery and tortilleria sections, home to the store’s beloved single-serving cake slices and buttery tortillas. Pro tip: Buy a loaf of H-E-B’s cranberry and pistachio bread, add some peanut butter and honey on top and you’ll thank me later…