99 Ranch Market

I’ll keep this one short: With so many options in the area to buy Asian goods, I can’t imagine why I’d ever want to spend too much time in Ranch 99.
It’s big enough and stocks pretty much any of the major ingredients, etc. you could need to cook with (the only reason it gets 2 stars rather than 1). However, compared to Hong Kong Supermarket, Great Wall, and the two Super H-​Marts, this place is decidedly small. In addition — and the biggest strike against it – is the stench. It’s not a smell that can be attributed to the types of food they stock. It is undoubtedly a smell associated with bad, or going bad, food. Their meat selection is actually a little scary, and most of their produce isn’t nearly at it’s freshest. On top of that, the place is not kept all that clean.
All in all, you can do much better — so much better — just by driving an extra few minutes down the road. Pass this one by.

Ugh. The stench of death overwhelmed me so intensely that I walked out right away.
I used to go to R99 in Emeryville, CA. It was slightly stinky, but not like this. We have so many other options in Atlanta, not sure why anyone would come here…
Cheers~

My recent return was rather pleasant. There were a few things that I didn’t quite expect — like the freshness of the veggies that I got. (However, avoid the meat section. Still needs a lot of improvements.)
The place has gotten a bit cleaner and I’m more willing to purchase other than sauces and Taiwanese munchies there. The price of the produce isn’t too bad comparing to Super H-​Mart. I end up getting some frozen dumplings and other hot pot ingredients.
Indeed, they have improved since my last few visits… =)
Still a proud Taiwanese supporter. Speaking of which have you –
?

I haven’t been to Ranch in years, but recently re-​visited the store since I happened to be in Asian Square and needed some Asian grocery items such as sweet chili sauce for chicken, black bean sauce, Sriracha, Sambal Oelek chili paste, etc. and a new bag of rice. It’s a decent store and just like any other Asian grocery store. It does have a smell, but they all do (except for the H Marts). It’s not quite as big as the other stores in the area, such as Atlanta Farmer’s Market and Buford Highway Farmer’s Market. Overall though, not bad.

Not exactly your Asian version of Whole Foods or Trader Joe’s but if you know what you’re looking for, I guess this place does an adequate job.
Once you get in, it has this weird smell — most probably from the frozen section.
What they do have an abundance of is Asian snack food like Japanese crackers and roasted seaweed. They also have a wide variety of sauces. Although I didn’t know what most of them were, I was able to find my special Asian ingredient — rice vinegar.

I went to Ranch 99 to find a particular Sichuan ingredient that had been quite elusive at other grocers like Super H and Dinho.
It wasn’t the cleanest or nicest grocery store, but def not the worst on the Buford highway area. They have a nice, but small bakery setup with some good looking stuff. The produce didn’t look too bad either.
I searched high and low for the tianjin preserved vegetables I was trying to find, but could not find them. I asked around and no one was able to help, but finally I was directed to the manager. She couldn’t understand what I was looking for, so I pulled the item up on wikipedia on my phone and she read the Chinese and immediately knew what I meant.
Success!
Not in a hurry to go back, but three stars due to the fairly nice people.

99 Ranch set the standard for Asian supermarkets when I was on the left coast. I loved 99 Ranch when I lived in Orange County so I was stoked there was one here. What a disappointment! This one is a bit dingy compared to the other asian grocery stores on Buford Hwy or in Gwinnett. Limited selection of produce, meat & fish are NOT fresh… they were a bit smelly when we got them home. The crabs did look really fresh but I didn’t get any of those. Cashier ignored us when we asked how to sign up for a VIP card, and by then it was too late to partake in the asian discount. Mom seemed to like the bakery though. Also, it’s a little pricier than the other asian markets. Parking lot is a mad house during the weekend.
99 Ranch better step up their game… Super H-​Mart is totally kicking their ass. I guess I’d come here again but would definitely avoid the meat & seafood.

I would go here if I had just one or two things to grab quickly. Even though the produce here is pretty fresh and cheap, I dont like the smell of this market. They have both a bakery and fresh seafood area. Last time I went there, the man took the fish out of the tank, threw it on the floor, then hit it to kill it infront of the customer. That really made me stop going there becuase you could see the floor wasn’t too clean and he was walking on the floor with his dirty boots.

On a quest for some certain Asian-​ish ingredients, we found our way to Ranch 99. While I’d prefer the farmer’s market or the Super H-​ville better to be in full ‘browse’ mode, the smaller size of the Ranch proved to be an advantage when an unexperienced Asian food shopper is trying to decide between 16 different kinds of ‘dried shrimp.’
The cleanliness factor was decent and products seemed fresh. And if you’re like me and a bit intimidated by the gloriously colorful but confusing selection of goods.. then having somewhere less chaotic to stock your newfound goods into your basket is a very good thing.
The bakery inside the 99 also makes for a good post-​shopping treat, too. Soothe yourself with a bubble tea (truly they just have the one flavor — tea. but leaves you with a very easy decision making process.) and pick up one of the roll cakes (at only $ 5.50, try a couple flavors!) — and you’ve got the makings of a Sunday afternoon well spent!

I think my expectations may have been a bit skewed because I was familiar with R99 prior to moving to Atlanta. The R99 here is comparatively smaller with a much weaker selection of goods than the couple I’d been in on the west coast. While horribly crowded parking lots with creative interpretations of where you can leave your car parked is more or less par for the course for Asian markets, the lot here is somewhat worse than the others. With other better markets nearby (Atlanta Farmer’s Market just a little further intown, and Buford Hwy FM just a little further out, both with larger parking lots and larger product selections), I never come here anymore.

I like Ranch 99 because it was here first. It was one of the pioneer Asian market in Atlanta. Since their opening, they’ve expanded into the next building (what is now their produce department).
The assortment of live seafood is still one of the best, and the selection of traditional Asian snacks is awesome. Though it can’t compare with something newer and bigger as Super H-​mart, it is closer and more familiar, not to mention great places to eat in the shopping center. Parking can be a hassle, especially since people seldom follow the arrows for car direction.

99 RANCH MARKET is a supermarket chain that is commonly located out west. Another fine place if you’re looking for Asian-​catered meals, treats, drinks, and whatnots.

This Asian market has everything you need and more. They carry dry goods for all kinds of cuisine: Chinese, Japanese, Thai, Viet, Indian, etc.
There is a huge produce section, as well as a huge frozen goods section. There are many meat cases as well, including hard to find items that I won’t go into details about ! ;)
Their seafood section is impressive as well. All kinds of fish, eel, frogs, shellfish, and a large section of crabs are available. There is also a bakery up front, but you have to purchase those items separately.
Parking can be a bit of a nightmare.