ALL the fruit in San Diego!

December 22, 2018 7:33 PM

I want to find the best and cheapest fruit in all of San Diego. Where should I go?

In Northern California and the Central Valley there are great shops and coops and fruit stands and farm stands. Fruit is cheap and delicious and (mostly) local if you find the right place. Where is that place in San Diego?

posted by Toddles to Food & Drink (5 answers total)

Are you on Next Door? Lots of times people post when they have extra fruit from their personal trees (usually free!) and I've always found home grown to be so much better than anything else.
posted by ananci at 8:07 PM on December 22, 2018

It's been a few years since I lived in San Diego, but back then my answer would have been North Park Produce. Farmers' markets were good too, though not always cheap.
posted by aws17576 at 8:30 PM on December 22, 2018

Is there a wholesale district in SD? There is a wholesale fruit & vegetable district in LA (Olympic & Central) that is open to the public. It is active super early in the morning and generally closes around 8am. If you're willing to get up early and maybe split a couple of flats with a friend it could work out well for you. I've been there in person, but I also remember seeing a couple of articles titled something like "how to be vegetarian on the cheap in LA" that had good info about shopping there, when to go, etc.
posted by vignettist at 10:02 PM on December 22, 2018

Farmers' markets will get you local, if not necessarily cheap. I always enjoyed the Sunday market in Hillcrest when I lived in San Diego, it's quite active and there's plenty to do in the area before and after.

I used to get a weekly produce box from Specialty Produce. They sell primarily to wholesale customers but have a small retail operation as well. Good way to source things that don't show up in your average grocery store.

Maybe also try Pancho Villa market in Normal Heights, though I hear they changed ownership recently so not sure of quality right now.
posted by 4rtemis at 11:35 AM on December 23, 2018

Pancho Villa and North Park Produce are great, as well as Zion Market and 99 Ranch in Kearny Mesa.
If you're looking for farm stand-type places, you have to go out of the city. Escondido, Ramona, Crest, Alpine, Borrego, places like that.
There are lots of farmer's markets all over as I'm sure you know but they're not especially cheap.
posted by exceptinsects at 11:38 AM on August 7, 2019