International Grocery Stores in Houston: Shop the World in One City
Date Published
Houston has more than 145 languages spoken at home, and its international grocery stores tell that story more honestly than any statistic. This guide covers eight verified markets — Korean, Chinese, Japanese, Vietnamese, Middle Eastern, South Asian, Mexican, and African — with one thing worth buying at each and a route that hits four of them in a single afternoon.
The detail most visitors miss: Daido Market (Japanese), 99 Ranch Market (Chinese/Taiwanese), and Phoenicia Specialty Foods (Middle Eastern/Mediterranean) all sit within about one mile of each other on Westheimer Road. Add India Mart a mile up Hillcroft, and you can cover four culinary traditions without getting back on the highway.
The quick list
- Korean/pan-Asian: H Mart, 9896 Bellaire Blvd, Houston, TX 77036
- Chinese/Taiwanese: 99 Ranch Market, 12230 Westheimer Rd, Houston, TX 77077
- Japanese: Daido Market, 11146 Westheimer Rd, Houston, TX 77042
- Vietnamese/pan-Asian: Viet Hoa International Foods, 8300 W Sam Houston Pkwy S, Houston, TX 77072
- Middle Eastern/Mediterranean: Phoenicia Specialty Foods, 12141 Westheimer Rd, Houston, TX 77077
- Indian/Pakistani: India Mart, 5604 Hillcroft Ave, Houston, TX 77036
- Mexican/Latin American: Fiesta Mart, 8710 Bellaire Blvd (plus 25+ Houston-area locations)
- African: Asante African Market, 7555 Bellaire Blvd, Suite A, Houston, TX 77036
How we chose
Each store was confirmed open via its official website or a current listing as of October 2026. We chose markets that carry a genuine specialty inventory you can't replicate at a mainstream supermarket, and we included only stores with a physical address and consistent hours. Every store on this list has something specific that makes the trip worth it beyond what you'd find at a general grocer.
H Mart — Korean and pan-Asian
9896 Bellaire Blvd, Houston, TX 77036 · Bellaire/Asiatown · typically open daily
H Mart is the Korean-American supermarket chain that helped define what a large-format Asian grocery can look like. The Bellaire location sits at the center of Houston's Asiatown corridor, where Korean, Chinese, Vietnamese, and Taiwanese businesses share the same stretch of Bellaire Boulevard. The store carries fresh produce, meat, and pantry staples from Korea, Japan, China, Taiwan, and across Southeast Asia.
Buy: Banchan from the prepared foods section — the ready-made Korean side dishes sold by the container. Kimchi, japchae, seasoned spinach, and fishcake rotate daily. They work as a fast weeknight side for almost anything, not just Korean meals.
For what to cook with H Mart cuts, see our Best Korean BBQ guide.
99 Ranch Market — Chinese, Taiwanese, and pan-Asian
12230 Westheimer Rd, Ste B100, Houston, TX 77077 · Westchase · typically Mon–Thu 9 AM–9 PM, Fri–Sat 8 AM–10 PM, Sun 9 AM–9 PM
99 Ranch Market is an Asian-American supermarket chain with locations across the United States. This Westchase location is built around a live seafood section, a wide fresh noodle inventory, and produce — bitter melon, taro, Chinese broccoli, yard-long beans — that doesn't show up reliably at mainstream grocers. A second 99 Ranch is in the Chinatown corridor on Blalock Road.
Buy: Pick a fish from the live tanks and have it cleaned at the counter. Whole-fish quality for Chinese or Vietnamese preparations is hard to source anywhere else in Houston, and the tank-to-counter prep is a weekly ritual for much of the Westchase community. For dim sum ingredients to use at home, see our Best Dim Sum guide for inspiration.
Daido Market — Japanese
11146 Westheimer Rd, Houston, TX 77042 · Westchase · Fri–Sat 9 AM–7:30 PM, Sun 10 AM–7 PM — check daidotx.com for current weekday hours
Daido Market has been Houston's Japanese grocery for decades. The store stocks sushi-grade fish prepared to health department requirements, imported Japanese beverages and snacks, and a made-to-order deli counter producing rice balls, bento boxes, beef bowls, pork cutlet, grilled fish, and tempura fresh daily.
Buy: Sushi-grade fish from the display case. Daido explicitly states that their fish is prepared for raw consumption per health department standards — that's what separates it from a general seafood counter. The website adds: "doesn't hurt to ask" if you don't see what you need, which tells you something about the staff's approach.
Insider tip: Daido and Phoenicia Specialty Foods are both on Westheimer, about one mile apart. If you're driving out for one, the other costs almost no extra time.
Viet Hoa International Foods — Vietnamese and pan-Asian
8300 W Sam Houston Pkwy S, Houston, TX 77072 · Southwest Houston/Alief · open daily
Viet Hoa is a large-format Vietnamese and pan-Asian supermarket in the Alief area, affiliated with Sun's Wholesale. It handles the full Vietnamese pantry: fresh rice noodles, Southeast Asian produce including lemongrass, galangal, perilla, and Vietnamese coriander, live seafood, pork cuts, and pantry imports from Vietnam, Thailand, and the Philippines.
Buy: Fresh rice noodle sheets (bánh phở tươi) if you're making phở at home, or the array of fresh herbs. The same herbs cost two to three times more at a mainstream grocer. For restaurants in the same culinary tradition, see our Best Vietnamese Restaurants guide.
Phoenicia Specialty Foods — Middle Eastern, Mediterranean, and European
12141 Westheimer Rd, Houston, TX 77077 · West Houston · Mon–Sat 8 AM–9 PM, Sun 8 AM–7 PM
Phoenicia was founded in 1983 by Lebanese-Armenian immigrants and has grown into a 55,000-square-foot flagship that stocks more than 10,000 products from over 50 countries. The range runs from French brie and Spanish Manchego to Lebanese preserved lemons, Turkish pomegranate molasses, Greek taramasalata, and Moroccan spice blends, alongside fresh-baked artisan breads, a full butcher and seafood shop, and one of the widest imported wine sections in Houston. Arpi's Deli operates inside the store.
Buy: A wedge from the cheese counter — staff will cut samples — or a bottle of finishing olive oil. The imported extra-virgin selection spans Spanish, Italian, Greek, and Lebanese origins and is one of the deepest in the city. For Lebanese and Mediterranean restaurants to pair with your pantry haul, see our Best Mediterranean Restaurants guide.
Phoenicia also has a downtown location at 1001 Austin Street, open shorter hours, with MKT BAR gastropub on-site. For dining near the downtown location, the neighborhood is full of options.
India Mart — Indian and Pakistani
5604 Hillcroft Ave, Houston, TX 77036 · Hillcroft Corridor · Mon and Wed–Sun 11 AM–8 PM, closed Tuesdays
Hillcroft Avenue between Westheimer and Bissonnet is Houston's South Asian grocery corridor, and India Mart is the concentrated version of it. The store carries Indian and Pakistani groceries, spices, lentils, flours, chutneys, pickles, and frozen items from both countries. Halal butchers and South Asian sweet shops are within walking distance on the same block.
Buy: Spices bought individually. The selection runs to whole and ground cumin, coriander, fenugreek, ajwain, and kalonji — variety that doesn't exist outside a specialty store. For restaurants in the same tradition, see the Best Indian Restaurants guide and the Best Halal Restaurants guide.
Fiesta Mart — Latin American and Mexican
8710 Bellaire Blvd, Houston, TX 77036 (plus 25+ Houston-area locations) · multiple neighborhoods · typically open daily 7 AM–11 PM
Fiesta Mart has operated in Houston since 1972. Every location carries dedicated Mexican and Latin American departments: canned goods, dried chiles, fresh produce — nopales, tomatillos, chayote, plantains — and an in-store tortilleria that makes tortillas while you shop. The Bellaire Boulevard location sits near the edge of Houston's Chinatown corridor. A second location on Wirt Road serves Spring Branch, one of Houston's densest Latino neighborhoods.
Buy: Fresh-made tortillas from the tortilleria, bought hot. They're a different product from anything in a sealed plastic package, and the in-store tortilleria is one of the few places in a large-format grocery where you can get them. For the broader Mexican food picture, see our Best Mexican Restaurants guide.
Asante African Market — East and Central African
7555 Bellaire Blvd, Suite A, Houston, TX 77036 · Bellaire/Asiatown · Mon–Sat 10 AM–8 PM, Sun 1 PM–8 PM
Asante African Market is on the same Bellaire Boulevard strip as H Mart and Fiesta Mart, in a suite carrying East and Central African groceries alongside some prepared foods. The inventory includes cassava flour, dried fish, palm nut sauce, canned goods from Kenya, Tanzania, and Rwanda, curry powders calibrated to East African cooking, and hot chili oils.
Buy: Cassava flour (often labeled ugali flour) and a jar of palm nut soup base — a genuinely difficult pantry combination to source outside a dedicated African market in Houston. For restaurants in the same culinary tradition, see our Best African Restaurants guide.
The Westheimer run: four stores, one road
Daido Market (11146 Westheimer), 99 Ranch Market (12230 Westheimer), and Phoenicia Specialty Foods (12141 Westheimer) all sit within about one mile of each other. India Mart is one mile north on Hillcroft from the Westheimer intersection. You can cover Japanese, Chinese/Taiwanese, Middle Eastern, and South Asian groceries in a single afternoon on two connected roads.
Suggested order (east to west):
- India Mart on Hillcroft (South Asian spices and pantry staples)
- Daido Market at Westheimer and Wilcrest (Japanese fish and deli)
- 99 Ranch Market at Westheimer and Kirkwood (live seafood and Asian produce)
- Phoenicia Specialty Foods at Westheimer past Kirkwood (imported cheese and olive oil)
Bring a cooler for fresh fish or cheese. The drive between all four stores is under three miles.
Save this: international grocery checklist
- Daido Market's official website lists Friday–Sunday only. Call ahead or check current listings before a weekday visit.
- India Mart is closed Tuesdays.
- Bring a cooler for live seafood, fresh fish, and aged cheeses — especially important in Houston summers.
- Weekday mornings are least crowded at H Mart and 99 Ranch. Weekend afternoons on Bellaire Blvd fill up fast.
- Bring cash as backup at smaller stores like India Mart and Asante. Larger chains (H Mart, 99 Ranch, Phoenicia) take cards reliably.
- Don't skip the prepared food sections: banchan at H Mart, bento at Daido, deli at Phoenicia, tortillas at Fiesta Mart.
More to explore
The Beyond BBQ food crawl guide covers Houston's international dining districts in detail. For the Bellaire and Asiatown area, see the Houston Chinatown guide and the Bellaire restaurant guide. For farm-direct produce alongside your import haul, the Houston Farmers Markets guide lists Saturday and Sunday options city-wide.
Last verified: October 2026.
Frequently asked questions
Where are the best international grocery stores in Houston?
Houston's top international grocery stores include H Mart (Korean/pan-Asian) at 9896 Bellaire Blvd, 99 Ranch Market (Chinese/Taiwanese) at 12230 Westheimer Rd, Phoenicia Specialty Foods (Middle Eastern/Mediterranean) at 12141 Westheimer Rd, Daido Market (Japanese) at 11146 Westheimer Rd, Viet Hoa International Foods (Vietnamese) at 8300 W Sam Houston Pkwy S, India Mart (Indian/Pakistani) at 5604 Hillcroft Ave, Fiesta Mart (Latin American/Mexican) with 25+ locations, and Asante African Market at 7555 Bellaire Blvd.
Is there a Japanese grocery store in Houston?
Yes. Daido Market at 11146 Westheimer Rd in Westchase is Houston's dedicated Japanese grocery store. It stocks sushi-grade fish, imported Japanese beverages and snacks, and a made-to-order deli with rice balls, bento boxes, and tempura. Check daidotx.com for current hours before visiting.
Where can I buy Middle Eastern groceries in Houston?
Phoenicia Specialty Foods at 12141 Westheimer Rd is Houston's largest Middle Eastern and Mediterranean specialty market, with over 10,000 products from 50+ countries including Lebanese, Turkish, Greek, and Moroccan items. A second location is at 1001 Austin Street downtown.
Does Houston have Indian grocery stores?
Yes. India Mart at 5604 Hillcroft Ave carries Indian and Pakistani groceries, spices, lentils, flours, chutneys, and frozen items from both countries. The Hillcroft corridor also has halal butchers and South Asian sweet shops nearby. India Mart is closed Tuesdays.
Where can I find African grocery stores in Houston?
Asante African Market at 7555 Bellaire Blvd, Suite A carries East and Central African groceries including cassava flour, dried fish, palm nut sauce, and imported goods from Kenya, Tanzania, and Rwanda. It is open Monday through Saturday 10 AM to 8 PM and Sunday 1 PM to 8 PM.
Which part of Houston has the most international grocery stores?
The Bellaire Boulevard and Westheimer Road corridor in southwest Houston has the highest concentration. H Mart, Fiesta Mart, and Asante African Market are all on Bellaire Blvd. Daido Market, 99 Ranch Market, and Phoenicia Specialty Foods are all within about one mile of each other on Westheimer Road. India Mart is one mile north on Hillcroft.