Phoenicia Specialty Foods

by Shana P.

The delights of food from around the world are now within reach under one roof.  Phoenicia Specialty Foods is a dream for anyone wanting to add a little flair to their lunch or dinner menu.Priced very competitively, Phoenicia Specialty Foods makes shopping at your regular grocery store seem like such a snooze.  And this isn't one of those markets where you can only get the rarest items - you can do all of your shopping here.  On my first visit, I was in awe of the couscous - try it if you get there early enough because it seems they run out quickly.  Also, the smoked buffalo mozzarella is amazing.  And don't forget to grab some stuffed grape leaves and chicken shawarma. Everything here is fresh and delicious.  I've never been disappointed by the quality or cost of my groceries from Phoenicia Specialty Foods.

by victoria r.

my one nag/complaint: wwaaaayyyyy far out if you live anywhere near the loop.but that's really the only problem i have with this goldmine of a grocery store. much cheaper than whole foods, and with a considerably better selection, truth be told. you can buy feta by the palm-sized little package or by the bucket, olive oil by the bottle or by the vat. there's lavash that's almost as big as a toddler. they have almond flour. they have everything you've ever needed to outfit a hookah, including the hookah. nutella, baci, chunchie bars. if i remeber correctly, they even sell le crueset in their extensive kitchen section. there's an impressive selection of middle eastern wines, as well as a fair showing from europe the americas.they've also been voted best baklava in houston, aside from the honey-drenched layers made by my grandpa's best friend, who is herself a greek grandma, i must agree with houston's public. a pan (which is super-reasonably priced at $7) is in and of itself worth the drive.oh! and they do catering. i'm not exactly sure how it works, but they're a helpful bunch over the phone, and should take great care of you.

by Tanya K.

Loooove it! Can get lots of great items here that you can't find elsewhere. The fresh pita bread is amazing. And my boyfriend went crazy when he saw their selection of shisha. Kind of out of the way but worth a trip when you have time. Foodies will love it.

by Bianca K.

love love love phoenicia! The only annoying thing about it is the location - its such a long drive for me that i have to stock up whenever i make the trip, which is actually quite often! Sometimes i think i head that way just for the delicious and enticing spicy smell that welcomes you at the door - just like walking through a spice souk in Dubai. Mmmm pita bread, hummus, paneer, lamb, dolmades and baklava.. Phoenicia is a mecca for all things middle eastern and eastern european with a few other regional culinary delicacies thrown in for good measure. Food heaven!

by Stephanie B.Christina B.Tom W.April C.Tanya K.

Where do I start????This is truly a Westchase treasure! I used to pass by this place everyday, and never paid it any attention until one day I just went inside and have been going back for the past 2 years! I love this place! Its almost like a treasure! When I visit,  I mainly buy the roasted chicken, they place a pita bread underneath to catch all the drippings along with this garlic aioli! Its heavenly! I also love their hummus baba ghanouj. They have this really nice assorted olive bar. The deli section is excellent, all types of prepared salads, pickled items, variety of greatness! And a nice section of cheeses deli meats. The bakery is one of the best in town! Most of the stuff is baked on premise and always fresh. They have this conveyor belt that cranks out freshly baked pitas in the middle of the store. Its so fresh, you can see the steam in the bags! They have some of the best baked breads and they provide you a schedule b/c they sell out pretty fast, so get their early. I love their dessert section, I cant get enough of the mini fresh fruit tarts, the gourmet cakes genoises, fresh cookies, baklavas, meat cheese pies. They even make Turkish Delight!!! SOOO GOOD!Their produce section is some of the freshest best in the city, Im not sure if its organic, but its really fresh and guess what....... a banana actually taste like a banana!  Their produce is priced lower than the chain superstores and I always love a bargain. Im a big fan of the meat section (LOL, no pun intended, but Im a big fan of meat...what can I say)...they have really fresh chicken, beef, pork, lamb cutlets and seafood! Always fresh reasonably priced.I love love their wine beer selections.  Most of the wine is $20 and under, and they have wines from all over the globe, Im sure Ive sampled the all! I consider myself a big WINO!  The beer is awesome, I love beers from all over the globe.  The cool thing is you can just buy them by the bottle to sample them and they dont cost you an arm leg like if you were to go to Specs or something.  This is also a great place to buy in bulk or wholesale items.  I cannot tell you how much olive oil I use, and this place has some of the best products, you'll never look at the "international section" of your local chain grocery store again.  Why go there when you can come to an entire store dedicated to international food items?  You'll fall in love with this store! Word of advice, when you visit, please come with an appetite! They have some really great things here!I swear, the more I try here, the more I find to like.This is very, very out of my way, but for $9 I can get an excellent meal. Yes, it's a specialty store, but the more important aspect is that it's a specialty store that doesn't try to rip you a new one with its prices. On average, when I go to Phoenicia, I spend $40. And I go nuts. Like last night, I got dinner for my BF and myself (and there were plenty of leftovers), a HUGE loaf of olive bread, about a pound and a half of Armenian dolmas (which, if you haven't tried them before, you really should), dessert, spinach pockets for lunch today (oh, so tasty), and a bunch of other stuff I can't remember right now. My shopping basket was full, but it all cost less than $40.I only wish I lived closer. Honestly. The dinner plates can easily feed a person for two days. And they don't skimp on the meat OR the seasonings. How can you not like flavorful and relatively inexpensive meals? By the way, Ouzi is fantastic. First of all, it's a food that's pronounced like a gun, which you have to love. Secondly, it's like the love-child of char siu bao, fried rice, lamb, peas, and raisins. If that doesn't at least interest you... Well, no, I won't insult you. Not everyone likes lamb. But everyone loves kabobs! And Phoenicia has those, too. Delicious stuff, honestly.Absolutely a must-visit for any foodie out there. The spice aisle can keep a chef busy for hours, the cheese and meat area can have you looking for combinations for days, there's sugar-free baklava for the diabetics and carb-watchers in your life, and this isn't even scratching the surface. The place is HUGE.I have been going to Phoenicia since they opened in about 1985, across the street in what has become the Phoenicia Deli and they were running their wholesale empire out of the back.  They had the best shwerma in town then (gyros)....now, they certainly make more than that and everything is delicious.I think of Phoenicia like the Arabic Sams.  Although that is true that they have just about every kind of Arabic cooking supply you can imagine, they have tons of other things too.  Luxury items, such as wines, truffle oils, cheeses and charcuterie; a butcher shop that specializes in halal meats and beautiful cuts such as crown racks of lamb and premade kebabs; an a bakery that produces not just a beautiful selection of middle eastern pastries and cookies, but also french pastries, croissants and probably 10 varieties of breads - baguettes, pitas, Afghani flat bread, sesame rings, etc.The prepared foods here are heaven.  Marhamara (roasted red bell pepper spread with walnuts) is my favourite, but they also have tapenade (olive paste) and humus.  A variety of savory pies, tarts and quiches and prepared meat dishes (stuffed chicken, roasted beef, etc.).  Surprisingly, for a butcher shop that sells Halal meat (food prepared in accordance with the Koran for Muslims), the prepared food area sells pork products, pate with cognac and other items that would be considered haram (forbidden).  The areas are separate and seem to coexist quite happily.You can spend hours wondering the aisles at Phoenicia.  They have every kind of fruit juice and concentrate you can imagine, a large latin area (including Peruvian products such as aji amarillo and mix for papas a la huancaina!), a huge collection of picked goods (from the Arabic turnips to borsht and sauerkraut), a large international tea selection, coffee, spices and cookies.On the way out, there is a convergence of candies from around the world.  This is interesting for most of us, but watch someone born in Europe or the Middle East go through this area and they immediately get nostalgic saying "I haven't had one of these in so long" an almost immediately start to fill up their basket with Flakes or Cadbury Oranges, etc...Warning:  Most things are Phoenicia are very inexpensive, but, if you go hungry, it will be $100 or more when you leave.  This place is something for anyone who is a self-described foodie needs to go.I love specialty stores.  I think it's out of the way from where I live, but I can't mark them down for that.  It's probably why the prices are reasonable.You can find really great deals in the produce section.  The produce isn't all waxy like a lot of stores.  I love their freshly made pitas and the pita chips.  I drove 15 miles from Midtown just for that, and I had to stock up on it too.  The spices are a GREAT DEAL.  It's so much cheaper than going to HEB or any other grocery store.  They have so many options.  I LOVE LOVE LOVE their shawarma sandwiches and falafel across the street.  AMAZING!!Loooove it! Can get lots of great items here that you can't find elsewhere. The fresh pita bread is amazing. And my boyfriend went crazy when he saw their selection of shisha. Kind of out of the way but worth a trip when you have time. Foodies will love it.

by Dj F.

This place is a MUST-KNOW for any expats out there. Anyone lived on the other side of the pond can appreciate the products this market has to offer. I used to satisfy my "motherland" cravings at the small middle eastern shops on Hillcroft until I discovered this oasis of international food. They have their own bakery that serves variety of international bread. The beer selection if phenomenal (try EFES).  The feta cheese selection is to die for compared to sub-par crumbled mess mainstream stores sell. Wholesale Foods got nothing on this place in terms of international food.Did I mention it is great for lunch as well? They cook it on the spot, fast and the meat quality is very good. The problem is though, everytime I go for lunch, I cant leave without buying more feta cheese, spicy sausage, German Milka chocolate and Cri Cri nuts. My $8 lunch becomes a $50 grocery shopping spree.

by Ashley L.

MmMmMmm make SURE to stock up on pita bread and hummus. So yummy and fresh and the bakery- amazing turnovers!

by Shazia C.

Alright , so yes this store is a lot better looking , cleaner and organized than most of the Middle Eastern grocery stores in Houston. However , its definitely more expensive. You can find pretty much everything you want , from teas to cheese to different kind of Middle Eastern cookies (Mamoul , date cookies are nice). You can also find some good European chocolates here (THEY HAVE KINDER EGGS). They also have a good size deli and little dining area. The food is not that great and I feel is over rated. Right across this store they have their own restaurant in a different strip mall. The timings there are odd , they close at 7:00 PM so make sure you get there early. The store also has a medium size fresh produce section. They also sell tea pots etc. They have many variety of shishas (Hookah , Hubble Bubble) here. You can find 1 upto 4 pipes shisa. My friend bought a 2 pipe shisha from here and it works alright. Moreover , you can also find all different flavors of tobacco for your shisha , watermelon , coffee , grapes , apple , mint , rose.. . I was shocked to see Al Nakheel brand here (its a famous brand of tobacco in the middle east). The only problem with it is its way far and not worth the drive. I would only go there if I am craving something I ate as a child and want it right away.

by Stephanie B.

Where do I start????This is truly a Westchase treasure! I used to pass by this place everyday, and never paid it any attention until one day I just went inside and have been going back for the past 2 years! I love this place! Its almost like a treasure! When I visit,  I mainly buy the roasted chicken, they place a pita bread underneath to catch all the drippings along with this garlic aioli! Its heavenly! I also love their hummus baba ghanouj. They have this really nice assorted olive bar. The deli section is excellent, all types of prepared salads, pickled items, variety of greatness! And a nice section of cheeses deli meats. The bakery is one of the best in town! Most of the stuff is baked on premise and always fresh. They have this conveyor belt that cranks out freshly baked pitas in the middle of the store. Its so fresh, you can see the steam in the bags! They have some of the best baked breads and they provide you a schedule b/c they sell out pretty fast, so get their early. I love their dessert section, I cant get enough of the mini fresh fruit tarts, the gourmet cakes genoises, fresh cookies, baklavas, meat cheese pies. They even make Turkish Delight!!! SOOO GOOD!Their produce section is some of the freshest best in the city, Im not sure if its organic, but its really fresh and guess what....... a banana actually taste like a banana!  Their produce is priced lower than the chain superstores and I always love a bargain. Im a big fan of the meat section (LOL, no pun intended, but Im a big fan of meat...what can I say)...they have really fresh chicken, beef, pork, lamb cutlets and seafood! Always fresh reasonably priced.I love love their wine beer selections.  Most of the wine is $20 and under, and they have wines from all over the globe, Im sure Ive sampled the all! I consider myself a big WINO!  The beer is awesome, I love beers from all over the globe.  The cool thing is you can just buy them by the bottle to sample them and they dont cost you an arm leg like if you were to go to Specs or something.  This is also a great place to buy in bulk or wholesale items.  I cannot tell you how much olive oil I use, and this place has some of the best products, you'll never look at the "international section" of your local chain grocery store again.  Why go there when you can come to an entire store dedicated to international food items?  You'll fall in love with this store! Word of advice, when you visit, please come with an appetite! They have some really great things here!

by Katharine S.

Simply put, grocery stores don't get better than Phoenicia.  The store began with rather more humble roots as a deli / market across the street from its current location on Westheimer, serving shawarmas and hummus.  Over the years, a steady fan base allowed them to expand into what is now the best grocery store on this side of town.Phoenicia cleverly caters to not only the huge Middle Eastern community, but also the Eastern European, Indian and Hispanic populations that inhabit  west Houston.  As a result, going to Phoenicia is akin to visiting the United Nations.  Various smells and languages drift throughout the store like a divine medley, and you suddenly feel as if the store has captured the amazing diversity and spirit of Houston itself.The butcher inside offers fresh halal as well as the best lamb in town, and has premade specials such as marinated kebabs or moussaka to take home and cook.  Their refrigerated section offers Greek yogurt, cold drinks you've never heard of, farm fresh eggs and an assortment of kosher products.  The bakery has endless mounds of pita bread, as well as decadent pastries and chocolates for sale.  The olive bar and cheese bar contain items difficult to find anywhere else, as does the wine section.For things you're less apt to find in your average grocery store, head to the hookah section.  Boxes upon boxes of fruit-flavored tobacco reside tantalizingly next to the shimmering, multi-colored glass hookahs themselves.  It's almost enough to make even a non-smoker want to try a puff.  They also stock aisles of loose tea, coffee, cooking accessories and even foreign household goods like soap and shampoo.An afternoon spent in Phoenicia might not leave you with much room in the trunk of your car (or much of anything left in your wallet, depending on what goodies you buy), but it's worth the trip out either for the novelty or simply for those groceries you crave but can't find anywhere else.