Racine Produce
3701 Durand Ave
Racine, WI 53405
(262) 554-5100
Update: Racine Produce is closed
Racine Produce closed in October, 2009. See the Journal Times for more information. For a good selection of reasonably-priced produce, try Kenosha Fresh Market.
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If you’re into cooking Mexican or other Latin dishes, if you need special ingredients for other cuisines, or if you just want a far wider selection of quality fruits and vegetables than is found at the usual supermarkets, then Racine Produce is worth checking out.
It’s a full size Mexican supermarket, not just a little grocery store.
About a third of the store is devoted to the huge produce section. They stock good looking, everyday items like apples, grapes, peaches, cabbage, potatoes, plums, nectarines, onions, lettuce and melons — but there’s more variety. It’s not just Bartlett pears, but also Bosc pears, Asian pears and d’Anjou pears. Sure, other stores carry mangos, but what about Manilla mangos? And of course, this is also the place to find nice avocados, pineapples, papayas, plantains, pomegranates, tomatillos, chayotes, jicama, aloe vera leaves, yucca roots, tamarind, lemons, limes, key limes, haba beans, nopales, cilantro, mint, and on and on.
There are dozens of different chilis. Ancho, arbol, guajillo, pasilla, jalapeno, serrano, and poblano peppers are all available. Some are fresh, others are dried, still others are pickled and canned.
There are freezer cases holding turkeys, ducklings, Cornish game hens and chitterlings. There’s a dairy case with milk, Mexican sour cream, and cheeses like queso fresco, queso quesadilla, queso Oaxaca, and chihuahua. You can find corn sopes, dried corn husks for tamales, masa flour, and Mexican cookies and crackers. There are bagged spices like eucalipto, manzanilla, and dried shrimp.
Racine Produce carries cold Mexican beer — Tecate, Sol, Corona, Modelo, Pacifico, Carta Blanca, Dos Equis and others.
Pinatas hang from the ceiling, and the shelves are stocked with religious candles, hot sauces, canned fruits and vegetables, red mole paste, green mole paste, adobo paste, pipian paste, tortillas, tostadas, chips, cereals, lard, paper products, and cleaners. There’s even a small section of Greek products.
The bustling meat department occupies an entire side of the store. It’s staffed by Spanish speaking butchers. They offer many standard products — chicken breasts, spareribs, ribeye steaks, hams — but you can also find goat and octopus, dried cod, chicken feet and gizzards, smoked hocks, carnitas (roast pork), and barbacoa de res (braised beef).
A few Mexican baked goods (sugar cookies, bread of the Day of the Dead, conchas and empanadas) can be found on shelves opposite the meats. Hot churros are available in a case near the checkouts.
The prices at Racine Produce are really good, and the staff is friendly and helpful, especially if you can meet them halfway language-wise.
It’s a great place for anyone who loves food.
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