Fernandez Spa & Liquors

I think the name is a little misleading. There is no spa or spa like ambience here. It would be more aptly named: Fernandez Liquors and Things or even better: Fernandez Liquors, Cats, and Things. I’ve popped in here for random items…1 roll of toilet paper, an orange, vodka, and a can of beans… score. Pet the cat on your way out.
(Oh, they also are a holding area for UPS.)

Garfield died :(

Adam C — the Fernandez Spa is a neighborhood treasure so you need to put those two stars on some other page.
FYI, the word spa is used across the City to describe a store with a soda fountain. Admittedly, since Ray Fernandez bought this particular spa back in the 90s, he removed the soda fountain, but he did keep the coffee machine which made so many of Bob’s Spa customers into lifelong loyalists (including yours truly).
I worried that the good vibe of Bob’s Spa would fade when the ownership transition happened, but Ray is a true neighborhood gem who cares about every single customer as well as the neighborhood around him.
So dear Adam C from Roslindale: Get over yourself and go order a delicious cup of coffee from the fabulous machine. Pick up a cheap, fresh loaf of Quinzani’s bread while you’re there. And if you’re still feeling so grumpy, maybe you need some penny candy or a Little Debbie to sweeten your day. You might even think about a Frisbee.

I live up the street from this place and it has been a godsend time and time again. It’s tiny and odd and wonderful all at once. I appreciate the random collection of goods they have and, of course, the fat cat is a bonus. I don’t know what his/​her name is but I call it ‘Bear’.
The staff are so friendly and funny, the booze collection is great especially considering the limited space they have, they open early and don’t close ’til 11. Reliable local awesomeness.
If it’s 10.55pm, you have a case of the munchies and decide you want cookies, beer, chips, O.J., cornflakes, vodka and ramen noodles… this is your haven.

I live down the street from the Fernandez Spa, and I have to admit I feel lucky. Sure there is a cat sleeping on the bananas, and sure there are unsavory people outside, with strange detritus in their facial hair. But it doesn’t matter. Their booze is just a little more expensive than Blanchard’s (the big liquor store in JP) and the selection is vast. Most notable, I think are the people who run the place. They are a family and they are always working hard to make their business work well. They appear to treat everyone with respect, from the down and out, to the self absorbed hipsters with unreasonable senses of entitlement. Also, they have Latina Barbie dolls (she probably has a Latina name, like Maria), herbal Viagra (over priced– $ 15 a pill?!) and those cactus things that you can supposedly eat.

I completely agree with most of the other reviewers here. Basically, the merchandise is so varied here — you literally can get anything you want and the ATM is very handy. GREAT place for convenience, OK place for product selection, and for a convenience store, stuff is not overpriced.

What a strange piece-​shiv «spa» this place is.
At Frenandez Spa
YOU CAN GET:
Liquor
Beer with liberal-​as-​fuck use of rubber bands for anti-​clinking of your six-​pack of High Life on the walk home.
A Frisbee
Strange Looks
A foam glider
A gigantic avocado
An ATM, which may or may not be working
To see a strange old man lecturing six 7-​year-​olds about who-​the-​fuck-​knows what
A gumball
Those Jesus Candles
Cigarettes
Matches, and they’re free unlike the boo-​hoo-​frowny-​face sign has you know at Forest Hills Liquors!
Other produce
Nothing «spa”-related as far as I can tell.
It’s rare I throw out the 2-​star weaponry, but Fernandez Spa really deserves it, and I don’t mean that in a negative way even. It’s just a real honest-​to-​goodness piece-​shit.

Good place to pick up a six-​pack on the way to a party. It’s good to know that they close a little bit later than the other places. This store has a warm place in my heart because they had informative signs up to let me know that there are no beer sales on Memorial Day. So I bought some the night before. Huzzah!
I think I remember prices being pretty good as well.

I can buy Cat Food and Sparks under one roof? L0vi3zZzzz.
I don’t even LIVE in JP. I live on the WRONG side of the tracks. I can see a drug deal going on right in front of my apartment as I type this, but I still find myself speeding to Fernandez every other night to pick up essentials like a cookie, quarter machine bling, or SPARKS.
Fernandez has everything you need, that you don’t want to leave JP for. I think I saw a replacement window for my SAAB 9 – 3 behind the counter, in front of a wall of reasonably priced liquors. And I think they are the last store to close in JP… one time I ran in at 10:59:59 (they accidentally pulled down the steel door behind me, which scared the shit out of me), but I was still able to shop and buy a 12 pack.
They also have mixed/​matched 6 packs for $ 5.00 which could be cool if you want a 6 pack of Mike’s /​Sam Light/​Corona/​Amstel blend… and why not throw in one of those strangely colored watermelons, too? because they also sell strangely colored watermelons.
Stay away from the deli, though… I never knew raw chicken could collect dust.
They even have random cats in the store. I feel like I’m in that Bodega from the TV show Ghost Writer, only most of the crimes outside remain unsolved.
:(
START SNITCHING!

This is a essential for bar hopping visitors to the lower end of JP (towards Forest Hills). There’s not much to it except all the necessities to help push you along, the ATM, the cheap snacks, water, booze and of course the lottery (which always seems like a good idea when drunk). Yeah, the ATM has a fee but it’s the only one around which makes it the bestest when you are already wasted. It’s right between the Gate and the Jeanie and I’m sure if you live in this hood it’s a great spot vs. walking all the way down to Hyde Square to hit a big store.

Reasons I love Fernandez Spa:
1) Less than block from my house-​HIZZAH!
2) ATM
3) Adorable grey cat with funny ears that is so friendly and lounges all day
4) Cold water and sooooda. Cold root beer pops and plaintain chiiiips.
5) Cold BEER-​magic hat, miller high life, stella, good assortment of 40s-​yes!
6) Wine-​not as good as blanchards-​stick to the beeeer
7) OMG-​they have so much liquer behind that counter! CHRIST!
8) Don’t you just love a friendly family owned business?
9) The weird toy coin machine-​who wants gangsta dog figurines? I DO I DO!