Big Ben Specialty Market

Lots of really good yummy stuff here. It is a small market with craft beers and local mom and pop suppliers of products.
Like home made tortillas, etc. they cater and also have a food counter where you can buy lunch. Now it also appears they have attached a restaurant to the exterior of the building.
This is a great little market, i love this place!

Was returning to work after running an errand, saw the place, stopped in, and got a hot to-​go box from the counter — teriyaki chicken, rice, and roasted vegetables. The chicken was great and tender, the veggies were crisp and smoky delicious, but the rice did have some crunch here and there (the only thing preventing that 5^th star). The man at the counter was very polite and attentive. I’ll be back! And if the food is consistently good, this may become my regular spot… and will upgrade them to five stars!

I bought a tamale and subsequently returned because it didn’t look fresh. I ended up getting two chicken drumsticks and they made me ill. I’ll never buy anything from that store again. The food is not fresh.

I used to go to this market when I was a kid to buy Hostess Lemon pies, whenever I got my allowance! I hadn’t been here in a very long time because I moved more to the Southbay part of San Diego! One day I was in the area and decided to stop by and relive old memories! I was surprised to see the whole place had been remodeled! Not that I’m a drinker but they have a huge selection of wines! The prepared food section is amazing too! Lot’s of great deals on fresh produce too! I noticed they sell freshly made flour tortillas! I never buy store tortillas because being Mexican, my mom always made them fresh at home! But I was willing to try these because they smelled so damn good! So I grabbed a package and while in line, I opened it and tried one! Omg! They where so delicious and buttery tasting! I had to have a second one before I paid! I had two more, while I was driving back home and two more when I got home! I’m hooked! Every time I’m in National City, I stop by and pick some up for myself and for a couple of friends! You definitely have to try them! You will not be disappointed! Only $ 2.99 a dozen! Believe me, they are worth it! :-)

Oh Geez! Organic store in NC; unheard off. Love the place. Clean, personal and Yey! Organic stuffs are everywhere. There’s ample parking so that makes it the best. Soo there. Come and try it.

I read tons of reviews on this place and decided to pop in because that’s what I do. Ehhhhh, nothing special… I’ve been to smaller Markeros that have the same things, only cheaper. Overpriced for market items. Like damn really 5 – 6 dollars for cereal.
The food was OK. Nothing spectacular. Rice was greasy and not too much flavor, and veggies were overcooked and a little bland. If you’re gonna order something. Just stick to the tacos. Can’t go wrong with those especially between 3 – 6.

Well — this was not what I was looking for. More convenience store than natural food market. Of the things i was looking for (namely turmeric, olive bar, lemon juice… even red wine vinegar which I would think would be on the easy side!) they had none. I saw a gorgeous picture of an olive bar pasted by someone else and I do not know if it was the random mid day on a weekday time I went or what but I was bummed to find even the olive bar of my hopes and dreams were two sad dishes of old shriveled olives. Maybe an off day but they certainly did not have what I needed. The produce wasnt impressive and the rest of the options were severely limited.

Love this little market. Great little finds all over. Good prices too. Healthy food options.

great sandwiches, deli selection and a wall of distilled spirits that makes me wish I knew what some of them were.
Don’t come here anywhere close to lunch time.

Great food and great service! I always come here for their happy hour 99¢ tacos! (3pm — 6pm) Their patio is very calming and windy. I go here whenever I’m craving tacos (:

Having moved to this part of San Diego recently, I was so looking forward to visiting Big Ben’s after reading all the stellar reviews on Unilocal.Sadly, it was a complete disappointment and I will not be back.
The selection was pretty slim and most of the produce was beat up. While they had sandwich bread packaged to look healthy, nothing they had on the shelf actually read whole grain. The closest I found was one «whole wheat» variety (there’s a difference…). The only organic milk they had in a full gallon expired in two days.
And then there’s the staff… The boy behind the meat counter was literally hiding behind the scale checking his phone while I was waiting for assistance. The check out lady was too preoccupied with her conversation with another woman to greet me when I came to the counter, and instead just started to leisurely scan my items, pausing every few moments when she lost her train of thought. I tried to smile and make eye contact, but it was no use. The only words she said to me the entire time was my total purchase price. No thank you. No goodbye.
I left feeling unsatisfied and completely disrespected. While I applaud the idea of a healthy market in an up-​and-​coming neighborhood, this is not how it should be done. Guess it’s back to Northgate for me.

I have to give them credit for their organic efforts while other markets are taking no action. This place just got remodeled and looks great. They have a large alcohol selection and meals already made. Kinda pricey but its well deserved.

Big Ben was a surprise stop while I happened to be in the area. I didn’t know what to expect when walking into the store, but after seeing an outside sign advertising a Taco Tuesday special, I went (ran) in to try one. The Carnitas taco itself was good for the price. While there was a line for hot food, the order didn’t take long. After finishing the taco and driving away, I realized that if I’d pulled up to the business from around the corner, I would have seen the grill/​restaurant attached to it, but I missed it! Next time.

Upscale grocery store in the hood! Nice friendly staff, organic foods, Tabula was $ 1.59, Hot fresh organic flour tortilla $ 2.59 was delish! Beautiful place to shop. Totally 360 degree shopping experience from anywhere else in National City. What a difference one store can make to the feel and vibe of a neighborhood if more follow this market. Set the Trend Big Ben !! This should get an award for truly being a hidden gem!

Things that stood out.
Cleanliness: 4
Selection: 4.5
Staff: 5
Prices: 4
This is a small market that has a kitchen as well. They have a variety of fruits and veggies that looked really good. (I got some plums, green grapes and cherries) they also have a meat counter, small selection of wine and decent selection of liquor.
Overall, the market was pretty clean. There were a few gnats but nothing too bad.
The staff was really friendly and helpful in both the kitchen and the market. They didn’t mind me splitting a bag of grapes and cherries. (I only needed enough for one)
For a small market, the prices are comparable to the grocery store, lower in some cases.
Would definitely be back.

So… I have some mixed feelings about this place. I love the fact that it went from ashy to classy but I think they’re taking the gluten free thing way too far. It seems that the majority of the products are gluten-​free and that just isn’t for me so I won’t be in there as often as I’d like.
I love the prepared foods from what I tasted; Carnitas-​bomb.
Ribs-​bomb.
Tri-​tip – double bomb.
Organic flour tortillas made right in my face-​bomb. (Free pack of 12 with Unilocal check-​in.)
Beer and wine selection-​bomb.
I love the specialty cheese area-​lots of delish looking varieties as well as the marinated olives– and supposedly I don’t even like olives. I will eat their olives.
What I didn’t love is buying a pound of pork chops that ended up being spoiled when I went to cook them. I did nothing but take them home to the freezer. I tried to cook them a few days later and they were bad. Clearly they were bad when I bought them because my freezer works like a champ. I’m not holding that against them this time but I will be very careful next time, if I purchase meat from the meat counter again.
Overall, this store is a great addition to the ‘hood and I’m a fan.

The first thought I had as soon as I walked into Big Bens was «this is a perfect mix between a mexican market and trader joe’s»
Needless to say, I am a huge fan! the have everything from organic produce to large selection of alcohol to a side eatery.
Prices are fair, selection is varied and the customer service is outstanding. As soon as you walk into the door you are greeted with a huge smile and a warm «hi welcome!»
definitively a place to check out if you’re in the area… and looking to buy some groceries.

Holy smokes, this place got a revival!
I recently bought a house in the area and have always been irked at having to travel to Hillcrest or downtown to hit up the specialty food chains like TJ and Sprout’s. Northgate is around the corner of my home and I’ve been enjoying the incredible prices. Being skilled home cooks, we also like to get into special cheeses and wordly spices.
So, I saw that this place got a renovation and I went to check it out. I stepped into shiny market, clean and modern looking like Whole Foods. The selections are unique; they have brands I’ve never heard of, and the a great selection of brands exclusive to Sprout’s and Trader Joe’s. Given the demographics, they have items for Mexican and Asian cuisine that you’d find in the specialty stores of the area.
We took our time going through the isles in delightful awe. Finally, we have all the best of our favorite grocers in ONE place! The liquor selection is crazy good.
BB Market is our new everything store!

Wow, talk about a nice new welcome to this part of town. This same location used to be a run down neighborhood market for generations. I never bothered checking out the old market since I had no reason to. It wasn’t as welcoming as this place is now, so I’m certainly happy to finally check out the new specialty market.
We drove past this market on the way to lunch a few blocks down. I noticed right away the new, very clean outdoor patio where folks were enjoying some BBQ. If we weren’t already on our way to meet with my family for lunch, we probably would have tried out the BBQ here since it looked really good. My hubby mentioned hearing a local radio personality rave about this new market on the radio several times, but couldn’t pin point its exact location until we actually drove past it.
After we were done with lunch, we drove back here to check it out. There is some street parking, but there is a larger open lot behind the market. We were greeted with a nice warm welcome from the cashier that complimented me on my necklace, that was nice of him!
We continued walking slowly through the aisles to take it all in. We didn’t need to really buy anything since I just went grocery shopping a few days before. However, with my Unilocal check-​in of this place, we scored on a dozen organic tortillas with our minimum $ 15 purchase.
I really enjoyed walking the aisles and checking out the merchandise, they have a variety of really cool stuff, gourmet olives, fish & shrimp ceviche for you to sample, a ton of drink options that you would probably find at Trader Joe’s or Whole Foods, an assortment of local craft beers so neatly displayed in the fridge, a beautiful mix of regional wines (we picked up a bottle of Pinot Noir from Oregon) and an impressive hard liquor floor to ceiling wall along the front of the store. They also have ethnic specialty goods, but it is limited. I overheard another older customer tell her friend reading a label on a jar saying «whenever you see organic, it means it’s more expensive.» Lol, it is somewhat true, but don’t let that discourage you from checking this place out.
It is small in size, but it’s certainly worth a visit. You can find your staples here at a reasonable price and find other specialty goods worth trying. I wanted to buy one of the many ketchup options that they sell, but maybe next time. Local bakery, Sadie Rose Baking Co. had a rep on site wtih a sample table set up at the front of the store. I tried out some of their pretzel bread and will probably buy it when I go back.
Bottom line, it’s worth a trek to National City to check out this spot. We’ll probably return soon to try out the BBQ since it looked really good!

This store has gone from Geek to Chic!
Big Ben Market has been a staple of the National City community for decades, but their new remodel is mind boggling. You would never imagine a store this nice to be in National City, but indeed it is. It is seriously beautiful in here. I know that sounds weird describing a market, but it’s true. The high-​end shelving units, top of the line coolers & deli cases remind me of a boutique version of a Whole Foods type of market.
Marinated Carne Asada and a wide variety of Mexican cheeses are what used to bring my family to Big Ben Market. These items are still available at the store now but the overall appearance and quality of products offered have increased tremendously and warrant a drive out, to cruise the well kept aisles for some delicious food findings.
There is so much going on in here from the extensive meat counter, the fresh made tortillas, an olive & other pickled vegetable case, variety of cheeses by the pound and the biggest addition to Big Ben in my option is the new hot food section.
The Grill House at Big Ben offers walk-​up ordering of different smoked & grilled meats. I tried the tri-​tip, the carnitas & pork rib. The tri-​tip was a huge winner with my family. We also tried the lasagna, penne pasta, fiesta chicken salad, potato salad, and cous-​cous. Everything was tasty and they allowed me to sample some of the items before ordering. There is a huge covered patio area for dining outside.