Almost a week after Joe V’s Smart Shop by H-E-B opened its first Dallas location in South Dallas County, the store’s large parking lot stayed full to overflowing. While neighbors agreed to wait for “the excitement to fade away,” my husband and I opted to be among the earliest Smart Shoppers. We lucked into a shady parking spot (very important in Texas summers) Monday morning, joining a line of people walking toward the store’s entrance.
The shoppers ranged from couples like us to family groups of five or more, all ready to be Smart Shoppers. Once inside, we were surprised by the orderly way all these cart-pushing people moved through the produce section. It was hard not to stop and gawk at some of the amazing prices, like a box of strawberries .
67, blueberries and blackberries .97, cherries $1.37 lb.
, watermelons $1.97, and limes 10 for $1. My husband liked the grab-and-go section by the produce department, which had heartier items like oversized beef and bean burritos (.
97 each), pizzas, ready-to-cook meals, and sandwiches. Just past the produce section, Sushi lovers were excited to find the large Sushi House, where employees create fresh Sushi and hot dishes like fried rice daily. My favorite purchase was a pack of H-E-B butter tortillas ($4.
67 for 20)—these melt-in-your-mouth tortillas are addictive. I also love the store-brand buttermilk pancake mix. My husband marveled at an 88-cent loaf of wheat bread, 12 ice cream sandwiches for $2.
98, and Marie Calendar TV.
