Wholes Food Market

Last week on January 15, Austin welcomed a new addition to the community, a third Wholes Food Market located by the Domain on Domain Drive. Today, my boyfriend and I decided to visit this new place in town, that every Austinite is gossiping about.

Right when we drove through the entryway, we were instructed by the sheriff to park our car on the unpaved and rocky lot adjacent to the store, due to the mass numbers of customers eager to see what's in store for them, literally! After finding a close parking spot, we started our way through the ramp, and as we strolled pass the hungry customers chowing down on their lunch, we sniffed the smell of BBQ being cooked outside given to customers to sample. As we entered the automatic sliding doors, we were amazed by the assembly and the layout of this store. To the left of the store was the so-called food court, lined with plentiful array of cuisines. To the right of the store, was an orderly fashion cash register, featuring many express lanes for fast and easy check out. The store included an upper level, with a baclony for customers to enjoy the scenic view of Austin, while enjoying their nice cup of freshly squeeze fruit juice.

The "food court" offered at this Whole Foods Market, was not your typical food court you find at the shopping mall. The plethora of international cuisines ranging from Japanese Ramen noodles and sushi, Mexican dishes and tacos, American sandwiches and pizzas, and even an oyster bar was a buffet for hungry individuals to sample, and try as much or as little of whatever they were craving for. Many of these foods were made to order, with some already cooked and heated on a tray, as you pack your own serving in a box. Some of the ready made foods were neatly placed in the freezer, including spring rolls, egg rolls, and various rice dishes. As my boyfriend and I walked up and down the food court aisle, we were amazed by the vast numbers of foods, making us confused at what to eat. We wind up eating albacore sushi and BBQ from the Smokehouse. The sushi was good with its crunchy pieces, but I didn't enjoy it as much as I should for my love of sushi. The BBQ was average, but I did enjoy eating the beef brisket. We picked a mango lemonade glass jar from the fridge to drink, and it was refreshing. A sip of sweet mango, blended with the tangy taste of lemon counteracts each taste. What I did find unique at this Wholes Food was an oyster bar, costing about $1.49 per oyster, which was roughly $18 for a dozen. The oyster bar featured different types of ocean bound oysters, for your picky tongues to find the best oysters to suit your seafood cravings. Another unique feature at this store was a inside shop called, Squeeze, where fresh fruits or vegetables are grind and blended into juice right there at your discretion. These juices claimed to offer unique boosts that can tailored to your needs and desires, with no added sugar or artificial. It is supposedly good for you. We ordered the Coco Crazy drink made with a coconut base, mango and peach add ins. Having had Jamba Juice before with its so called boosts, I thought that Squeeze was no difference, but I was wrong. It was not sweet, that was for sure. I did not like it because I prefer something sweet like a smoothie, but this had the look of a smoothie, but a completely different taste, although very refreshing.

This Wholes Food Market is the new "IT" spot for the Austinites, for food lovers and organic lovers alike seeking healthy and diverse foods. If you're looking for something to eat, but you're not sure what to eat, come to the Whole Foods Market, and I'm sure there will be something for you, whether it be a cranberry raisin bagel or a bowl of Mexican rice. I know that this won't be my last time visiting this store. :)