H-E-B Grocery Store

While I’m psyched that this HEB is big, parking is a bit of a challenge and it’s so CROWDED. Their produce and seafood selections are great and include a wide array of things that I don’t even know what they are.
Con — All of the other stuff they sell at this store makes it feel a bit like WalMart.

It’s painful to read all the negative remarks here — but honestly, barring the unfortunate racial and anti-​family BS, many were justly deserved at one time. I live ¼ mile from the place and I used to drive 20 minutes away to shop due to filth, overcrowding and terrible selection (if one is the least bit health conscious.)
I was excited when they tore the old store down and built a HEB Plus in its wake — I was hoping to see a cleaner and safer feeling store with more of the variety one sees at the other HEB stores in town. Well, clean, spacious and safe was nice, but it’s not good enough to get my business if I can’t find food I am willing to eat. I am now primarily vegan, and I want to eat a wide variety of fruits and veggies preferably not swimming in pesticide residue.
I have to say though, that things have steadily improved. The selection in general is including more and more organic produce every time I come in lately. I am always sure to thank the person at check out, and am gratified to see that the organics are not laying around languishing — it looks like they have a hard time keeping the broccoli and leafy greens in stock.
Organic blueberries! Strawberries! Apples, lemons, limes and pears oh my! And they are carrying more and more of their sister Central Market organics in the grocery aisles as well.
Was that Ezekiel Bread and Rice Bread I saw in the freezer section? Not my cup o’tea personally but I know many will appreciate it.
No more having to drive miles out of my neighborhood just to get the basics — WIN!!!
I would like to thank whoever decided to stop playing to stereotype in the offerings here. Just because we live on the east side does not mean we are not interested in eating ethically, healthily and well.
So, if you are new to the area (hello new college students) or haven’t tried things out in the past year due to initial disappointment, give it another try! AND IF YOU LIKE WHAT THEY ARE DOING, SAY SO. Even though I think the checkout folks generally seem totally unimpressed when I thank them for carrying more organics, I still think personal feedback at the store is more likely to get to the right ears than writing a Unilocal review.

I’ rather give it ZERO stars. I gave them 3 chances and they screwed each one up. The HEB Pharmacy is not professional. Their system is completely useless. I phoned in for a refill, and used their automated system and was told it would be ready the next day. I went in TWO days later at 11am to pick it up and they said it wouldnt be ready until 3pm. At that time the guy working there told me that I should «not listen to what the automated voice says and give two days». Then I called for my last refill FOUR days ago and went in today to pick it up assuming that would give them plenty of time– nope! She said «after 7 days we put it back»…Uh, hello? I only called 4 days ago. The staff is sadly clueless and spends all day telling each customer (I sat there for 45 minutes listening to them) excuses as to why their RX was filled.
The store is dirty, the pharm staff was a bit too casual– wearing dirty boots/​jeans and chewing gum. I’ll NEVER go back. And as a medical professional I will not recommend this pharmacy to anyone. AVOID IT.

Average selection, average prices, hectic atmosphere. Certainly not the best HEB in town.

The store I initially wrote about has since been torn down and replaced by a brand new H-​E-​B Plus! MY REVIEW WORKED! Haha, anywho, the new store is cleaner, bigger, better organized, and more tolerable as a whole. Way to be, H-​E-​B!

The Riverside HEB has improved A LOT after becoming an HEB plus. More than words can explain. Their stock availability and organization is much better than before, but still not as great as other HEBs. Ignore the low reviews because after 5 years of coming here, there are worse places to get groceries. This one is convenient, fast and you will find everything you need unless you’re used to shopping at Whole Foods. High-​class people who gave low ratings: you’re not welcome here anyway.

Ouch. After reading some of the ethnic, classist and flat-​out racist reviews, I hope they aren’t going to the H-​E-​B at Riverside. Because I sure don’t want to worry about what I wear or the fact that I might need to bring a child with me. Of course, I’m white with no kids so I don’t fit some people’s upper-​class prince/​princess shoes.
Yeah. It’s a grocery store. It’s a big one. Families shop there – oh the horror Maybe we could petition for a spoiled urban upstart day? I have never had any issues at this H-​E-​B. I go it. I find what I need. I leave.
Pros? Huge parking lot. Fair prices. Adequate wine/​beer selection. Yummy fresh tortillas. Fresh pineapple they will cut and core for you. Nice employees.
Cons? No feta-​stuffed olives. I know, right? The horror! The humanity. How will my life ever go on?
Are there a lot of ethnic folk there? Yep. It’s called diversity. Are there screaming children, doddering elderly, cellphone-​attached teens? Mmm hmmm.
But then again, I’ve heard my fair share of wailing tots at other stores.
Three stars for the H-​E-​B and zero stars for the «I can’t get out of my yuppie safe zone» reviews.

It is what it is.
I go here for the basics or when I am ravenously hungry and don’t have time to sit in traffic to get to HEB Hancock. It’s definitely a vast improvement from the last time I lived in this area, before they expanded the store. However, the lines still move pretty slow and their selection can be lacking. I do appreciate the pan dulce, aguas frescas, and fresh-​made breakfast tacos and tamales. And the people watching is indeed entertaining at times.
If you hate/​fear poor people and jump to conclusions based on ethnic stereotypes… yeah, you’ll probably hate this place. Timid bigotry aside, this HEB is fine for quick trips if you live nearby, and Hancock or Whole Foods is the place to go for more extensive/​specialty shopping.

for all of you bitching and complaining. Just because you didn’t like to shop here that won’t stop the thousands and thousands of people who go there everyday to shop. It’s not like HEB will suffer because they lost a customer, please for the $ 5 bucks that you spend there quick whining like little girls. I go there and find everything that I need.
If this place sells jimaca with lime and chile or aguas frescas who cares man. You don’t have to buy it or do you?
Organics well. who told you HEB was a store for organic if you want true organic go to your local farm market and buy all you want.
Cheese i guess if you cannot find the choice you want make a comment to the manager.
The people that complain the most were students.
WHO CARES IF THERE IS A FAMILY OF 10 OR 20 OR 100 THEY CONTRIBUTE TO THE DARN ECONOMY BY SPENDING. THEY HAVE THE SAME RIGHTS AS YOU TO BE IN THAT STORE OR SINCE WHEN THERE IS A LAW OR CODE STATING THAT YOU CANNOT GO IN GROUPS OF 10 OR MORE.
IF YOU PEOPLE DON’T LIKE THIS STORE SO WHAT!!! YES SO WHAT! YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO GO WHEREVER YOU WANT, IF YOU DON’T LIKE THIS STORE GO SOME WHERE ELSE WHERE YOUR HAPPINESS WILL BE FULFILLED.

Should be called HEB minus. For organic and healthy food go to Oltorf and Congress.

Even though this H-​E-​B is in walking distance from where I live, I don’t go to it unless it absolutely necessary or I need something quick. I still have to travel to the Hancock H-​E-​B to get the healthier food and better selection of products. I’ve been doing this for 8 years now. I had hoped that with the renovation, I would no longer need to.
Unfortunately this store targets the Hispanic community (which I belong to). I just would have liked for them to have thought about the Austin vibe and of the local farms in the area that could have helped contribute to organic meats/​vegetables/​fruits.

Okay, don’t wear all red, or all blue. But it’s now an HEB PLUS! You can basically buy all your groceries, plus, trick out your abode with Target-​like stuff! I’d really like to find out who did their polished concrete floors– they are beautiful.

This H.E.B has transformed itself into an H.E.B Plus. I’ve upgraded it a star for the following reasons:
1. They now have a ¹⁄₁₆^th of an aisle of gluten-​free products.
2. They have 5 organic apples, and a few prepackaged organic greens
3. The wine selection has been expanded to include a wine selection other than Franzia.
4. They make fresh corn tortillas (but I still prefer to get mine from El Milagro)
Why this place still sucks:
1. It was obvious that the majority of Riverside thought the old HEB really sucked, because now that this one has expanded, 1 million people that never existed before have now randomly shown up in the parking lot.
2. Families still come in packs of 15, and even though the store is bigger, they still manage to crowd the entire place.
3. People still see this H.E.B as an alternative to daycare
4. The major expansion has gone into their Mexican goods. You can now get fresh creamy corn cups topped with jicima and chile (ew), and there is a wide assortment of Mexican pasteries. The deli counter still lacks a decent cheese selection, but there are 20 different kinds of queso fresco you can buy. Don’t get me wrong, I have nothing against Mexican Cusine, but when I go to my LOCAL grocery store, I just want some friggin’ provolone… just sayin’.
5. WTF IS UP WITH THE BIRDS!!!

A trip to this HEB is like a trip back in time to study early man. It’s surprising that people aren’t pulling the raw meat out of the packaging and eating it right there.
I would much rather spend more money at the CVS or even pay gas station prices than deal with the other customers here.
Just the other day, there was a woman who apparently couldn’t wait to get to the restroom and proceeded to urinate in one of the carts. So, remember if you have to shop there, make sure you can carry it in your hands since you have no idea what people did to the cart before you.

Geez! Everyone who shops here is so angry!
Although I would normally give this grocery store — which is a block and a half away from my apartment — a star and a half (because it does suck), I’m going to keep a sense of humor about the place and give it three. Why?
1) People-​watching. As has been mentioned in a number of previous reviews, it’s highly likely that you’re going to (literally) run into families of twelve ranging in age from six months to eighty years trolling this place in knots. Which will give you the opportunity to witness, as I did, a three-​year-​old happily dumping a bottle of juice into her grandmother’s purse while her sister and brother pull each other’s hair and knock things off the shelves. Hysterical. And great birth control to boot!
2) No pressure to dress well to shop here. I like to throw on my rattiest, most shapeless old sweatsuit and go without even bothering to comb my hair. Seriously. Really refreshing in terms of being seen in public.
3) Adventure. It’s definitely a challenge to navigate my piece-​of-​crap old car around that god-​awful parking lot without throwing a rod or blowing a tire. But screw my car. It sure doesn’t take care of me, either.
4) Excitement in the checkout line. Once I came late to pick up a loaf of bread after work and stood behind a guy who smelled homeless and was purchasing copies of Us Weekly and In Touch, which he paid for in nickels, dimes and pennies. Good to know that all my spare change is supporting the celebrity gossip rag industry, not the soulless drug pusher industry. (Or are those interchangeable?)
If you want basil-​infused olive oil and organic fair-​trade flaxseed husks, hightail it to Whole Foods or Central Market. But if you’re looking for a dozen eggs and a great time, HEB Riverside is unmissable.

I can sum up how absurdly crappy this grocery is in three words: no mozzarella cheese.
Really, once all I wanted was a package of Kraft mozzarella cheese slices to fulfill my luxurious, borguiese concept of a personally tailored wheat bread sandwich with said cheese and there wasn’t any to be found. Just American and Swiss. It wasn’t even available in shredded form at the time. But hey, it’s all good, because there is a whole shelf of single brand imported white queso and plenty of tripe available.
Having frequently visited this grocery store for the couple of years I lived in Riverside, I feel the need to elaborate on this review, especially since I’m giving it a lone star. It’s a hell of place; London has Soho, Kingston has Trenchtown, Australia has the Outback, and Riverside has HEB.
The most frustrating aspect is that it should be convenient. It is literally just a block to about 6 or 7 blocks walking distance from a plethora of student apartments and lower income single and family apartments. But no, instead with the spacious, low-​key Albertsons across the street now closed, HEB is it. It accomplishes the feat of stocking more than the gas stations in the area and little else. I never expected a massive import wine/​beer section like that at the Hancock location nor a Kosher deli like the HEB at Far West, but that isn’t the issue. It’s the atmosphere, the essence, the soul of this place… or lack thereof.
Parking is a nightmare: illegal loitering at the front, carts littering the spaces like dead soldiers at post battle Gettysburg, teen kids walking obliviously through the lanes with generous middle fingers and taunts, and a high level of poor driving from college students, stoners, and families in massive tank-​esque astro-​vans. Getting there via Riverside drive itself is like being in the Atari game Frogger, both as a car and the frog itself at the same time. It’s a miracle if you do not get hit, hit someone, or hit someone who just got in an accident. There is a security guard, in theory, though it appears if he is not engaging in the cautious act of simply waiting in his parked golf cart on the opposite side of the entrance, he is usually busy questioning a homeless shoplifter. And this is assuming a local Tejano station isn’t doing a promotion and spilling into to parking lot.
This store is outrageously busy except for a period between 9pm and closing time on weekdays. Weekends are completely FUBAR, as is afternoon shopping on the weekdays. The former is because a flea market is open literally next door at the El Mercado. At least I think there is a flea market; it is obscured behind the sea of delightful mid-​90s Chevy Trucks with Old English decals of last names, but I’m certain there is one. Paydays are hopeless. From what I’ve heard, I think it resembles the 1975 fall of Saigon, but with more chaos and less helicopters.
Inside, lines become so long that it becomes essential to use the back end of the store in order to go from aisle to aisle. I’d avoid using a cart if possible. Having a mere hand basket will do wonders in navigating the aisles. Be prepared to wait up to 30 minutes in line.
The squeamish might want to avoid the store if they, like most, are put-​off by low-​level child abuse. It’s sad that this place could serve as a CPS caseworker training ground. I’ve seen a kid around a year to 18 months fed Big Red soda, toddlers out and about at 11:30 pm, and the occasional smacking or cussing out. Granted, this happens at all sorts of businesses, but even the loudest 80s muzak here will not distract you from the harsh reality.
Adults without kids are more numerous and likewise the quantity of aggravation matches. I’ve seen a woman pay her bill with a Lonestar card and one of her five $ 100 bills. A man place his cart in line, go out for a smoke, and come back to pay up after I started to get my stuff scanned. He also held up the line further by asking for the cigarettes he wanted to purchase after being rung up by the cashier, something most smokers do first.
If there is one saving grace to this HEB, as mentioned by other reviewers, it is the employees. I’ve never had a bad experience here in terms of service. They alone deserve the one star in this review. Most are very patient with the more senile customers and non-​English speakers. On one occasion a cashier refused to sell beer to man clearly buying the goods for his underage friends who lacked ID, and that is pretty awesome. There is also a friendly Asian woman pushing these ridiculous meal deals every other day, and they often save you a ton of money.
This place forced me to use the Wal-​Mart down Hwy ⁷¹⁄₂₉₀ instead, which is far less busy and a bit more in food choice. If this HEB moved across the street it could do wonders: accommodation for all the current customers, ample parking, better selection, and the dude with the corn cup stand could have more space and a less smelly locale… perhaps.

One of the worst grocery stores in town. There are children running around and you wonder if they have parents at all. Just trying to park at this place is an experience — I often wonder when will be the day I get mugged.
I like cheap groceries as much as the next person but even I have my limits.

Pros:
–Only grocery store in the area after the closure of Albertson’s.
Cons (take a deep breath):
–Crowded. Not trying to be prejudiced but all the Hispanic families I see have brought their 5 kids, cousins, aunts and uncles, and disabled grandparents. Of which only two are actually shopping and the rest are running around uncontrolled or having a chat session in the middle of the aisles. Lines are absolutely ridiculous because of said family standing in line with 3 carts filled to the brim and take over half an hour to get through. The smart college kids here usually send a roommate to stand in line while the other one shops. And one suggestion, sometimes you can get the cashier at the cosmetics section to check out.
–Parking lot. Always crowded, pot holes, and pedestrians who have no qualms about walking behind or in front of your moving car. And friends swear the food stand in the middle of it is an undercover drug exchange. I usually just parked at the far end and went around the back to get out onto Pleasant Valley.
–Dirty. Dust on the shelves, smeared veggies in the produce section, cigarette butts. When it rains, the smell and tracking of filth makes me want to shower with Lysol when I get home.
–Questionable in safety. It was unnerving to see a crimes investigation van in the lot on a weekly basis. And as a female, going there after dark really made me uncomfortable because of the creepy men shooting me looks and hobos going from car to car asking for money.
I’ve since moved, and now live 10 minutes away from a shiny food mecca called Central Market and the HEB in the area is definitely on a higher level in terms of standards.

I don’t know when it became manditory to take your entire 15 person family to shop for groceries, but apparently I didn’t get the memo. I live just up the road from this HEB so occasionally when in a hurry I will travel to this cultural cross roads in hopes of a quick and pleasant shopping experience. Well, that has yet to happen.
Lets go over the pros and cons, since I have a little time today.
Pros — 1. This HEB is an excellent place to potentially get robbed.
2. Large selection of apples.
3. No need to bring a baby sitter if you have kids, the place is a virtual playground. No really, there are little kids just running around everywhere.
4. This is a great new place to cruise the parking lot listening to Tejano music.
Cons — 1. No organic section whatsoever.
2. There are groups of 5 – 10 people shopping together with little regard for you or the fact that you might be in a hurry.
3. Everything else.
In my opinion it doesn’t take that much longer to head up Congress to the HEB on Oltorf. Its way less sketchy.

I give this HEB 2 stars because I live 1 minute away.
If it wasn’t for that, I would give it only 1 star. Why? Here’s why:
1. I hate hate hate getting eye-​raped here. Seriously, if you want yucky men gawking at you when you’re walking down the aisle, come here. They wouldn’t care if you’re wearing shorts, jeans, or draped in velvet (ahh, George Costanza).
2. When it rains, the parking lots stinks. I know some places where they hose down the parking lots to clean it but obviously, they don’t do it here.
3. Paying your bills here is a joke. For instance, I was the only one in line, it took the lady at least 15 minutes for me to pay my bills. Why? Well, she was chatting it up with the lady next to her. My gosh, I don’t want to hear about your problems with your kids. That’s a personal issue. At least be a little bit professional.
4. It does get hella crowded here. I only come here when it’s 11 am on a weekday. When I come here, I can’t find a cart. I think I’m not cool with the cart gods. My bad, guys.
5. The food selection is decent. Nothing superb but it’s alright if you need your basics.
I wish the registers weren’t so close to the aisles. Everything is so cramped. Besides the negatives, some of the cashiers are great. Some are friendly and I feel bad when I don’t want their basket items. Overall, this HEB is a decent place to get what you want and leave… though you may be waiting for at least 7 – 15 minutes. Don’t worry, while you’re waiting in line… I’m pretty sure you’ll get eye-​raped at least 10 times.