Urban Market

by David A.

My review re: Urban Cafe-  I had the hippie sandwich- basically a veggie sandwich on toasted bread.  Pretty good.  My companion had a Bacon Ranch burger.  They brought my sandwich out about 7 minutes before his- I hate when that happens.  They give you a buzzer to come pick up your food when it is ready.  The day we went the buzzers weren't working but she gave each of us one anyway- huh?  The burger looked good but was nothing but average.  Nice atmosphere and people watching.  The cashier and a cook embraced each other for several minutes while we were there.  Nice.

by Catherine C.

This independent grocery store is essential for "livability" among urban pioneers downtown. It's also convenient for residents of other neighborhoods who work in the city center and need to shop near the office. The cafe is hopping at lunch time on weekdays and occasionally when free live music is performed during happy hour, but otherwise quiet. The selection of beer and wine is varied and includes affordable offerings if you don't want to arrive empty-handed at a downtown loft party. Don't expect the deep inventory of a supermarket, but rather a strategic array of fresh food and sundries that are a cut above drugstore or convenience mart offerings. Two-hour validation is available for shoppers and cafe patrons who take advantage of the gated parking garage upstairs.

by Just K.

Urban Cafe is a nice alternative to the restaurants on Main Street downtown and has a decent variety to their menu.  I went with 3 coworkers and two of them got salads and seemed very happy with them.  The cherry vinagrette dressing got raves as well as the candied pecans in one of the salads.  My other friend got the Hippy Sandwich (all vegetables) and it came with a side salad.  We were all impressed with how big the side salad was and all the ingredients.  She admitted that she only expected to get a pile of lettuce.  I got a cesar salad wrap with some fries.  The french fries were very good, although not very hot.  They were really thin and had a seasoning on them.  The sandwich was really good also.  It was a little warm in the restaurant (saw the thermostat was set to 74, about 10 degrees higher than what my office is!)  so we looked for a table under a ceiling fan.  Most of the tables were dirty and the restaurant wasn't very busy but we finally found a gigantic table that was clean and near a fan.  Even though I complained about the dirty tables, we still enjoyed the atmosphere very much.

by Ginger E.

IT'S"S OPEN! So I haven't been in the office for a while so I don't know how long it has been official but Urban Market is fully open. I told Meddi (sp?) that I'd be bringing up to 20 folks by and he was able to arrange a large but cozy sitting area for us and bring in a belly dancer! The drinks are sized right for the cost and the staff was eager to please; my guests were all very pleased! This is a 'pre-review' of the soon to reopen Urban Market Cafe Bar. I met the new owner yesterday…

by joe z.

I love that there is a grocery store downtown that has a pretty good selection and also a cafe. The food at the cafe is ok, nothing special but not bad and not too pricey. They have live music some nights of the week and have a nice patio, possibly the nicest downtown that is at street level. They also have free wifi and have a movie rental machine with dollar rentals. All in all, a pretty decent place.

by Emalie A.

If you live downtown, you will get asked this question a million times, "Is there a grocery store there?" YES, THERE IS!!! It's very small, therefore selection is small but it's a good selection.  Bring forth the residents Urban Market.

by kj h.

Ehm..Well. I've been back here a couple times, and..Well, I think it could use a little more attention in the way of cleanliness. Not that this place is filthy, by any means, it's just..The tables are a bit grubby. I don't like eating at the same warm spot some (very) possibly homeless schlub just got his grub on and seeing the crumbs and hidden wrappers, and god knows, left there.And the prices are too steep. They need to turn it down a notch or two, cos the prices for simple meals are making my wallet's eardrums bleed.I'll still come back, though--But only if I'm in downtown. It's not a destination, but it works. WOW, I thought the man (owner?) and equally swooning cashier were going to jump the counter and…

by Laura M.

This place is just plain cool.  It's conveinently located downtown and the food in the cafe is delicious.  Try the grilled veggie sandwich.  The veggies are plentiful and fresh and grilled to perfection.  And that's just the cafe.  The grocery has all the basics and some gourmet stuff too.  If you work downtown you can go there at lunch and get your grocery shopping trip done with for one less thing you have to do after work when you'd rather be watching your favorite weekday shows.

by Colin B.

This is probably the only reason to live in downtown Dallas.Jeff, the night manager, is amazing.  Go to the Tuesday night wine and beer tastings and they also sample anything and everything in their pre-prepared food cooler.  Said food is amazing and great to take up to your loft and re-heat.The prices in the market aren't bad considering you can walk to it if you are a downtown resident but the selection can be lacking.  Don't expect to get the cut of meats you are looking for or the vegetables needed all the time.  It is great for beer, wine, frozen foods and cheeses, but beyond that you have to tailor your menu to fit.

by Tommy H.

I tried to go to the cafe for lunch today and discovered it was closed/coming soon under new ownership. I hadn't been in at least 6 months, but after my last visit, I could see the signs of belt-tightening. I'll try to check out the new cafe whenever it opens.Ultimately, I went into the grocery store side since I'd walked that far out of my way to get there. I checked the reasonable selection of prepared sandwiches and hot meals, but ultimately decided to have the $6.99/lb salad bar which includes "comfort foods" for the same price. They had fried catfish and shells cheese the day I checked, but I stuck with the salad. The salad bar had plenty of greens and fresh vegetables on one side with the meatier toppings on the other side such as real bacon, hand-shredded chicken, turkey and ham, sliced blanched almonds, peanuts and sunflower seeds. There were several varieties of olives along with gherkins, peppers and beans. There were about 6-8 different dressings including a raspberry vinaigrette and an"Aegean" vinaigrette. They had a nice variety of fresh fruit including blackberries and pineapple that made a sweet finish to my meal. The bakery section of the store doesn't make me think anything is actually baked on the premises. Most of the fresh bread was the same artisanal bread I see at Albertson's. The store has limited refrigerator space and one of the branded coolers near the registers seemed on the verge of failing and was quite warm when I reached in for a drink. They had another brand I wanted in stock, but not cold. However, they had an extremely diverse selection of Odwalla beverages in the Odwalla case and I seriously debated spending double what I planned for a "light" Odwalla beverage made with stevia.