Shepherds Market No 2211

This place is great. The beer and wine selection is surprising at times and they have the widest selection of Takis and Zapp’s this side of Mexico and/​or Louisiana. It doesn’t matter what random kitchen item I need, they either have it or they have something I can substitute for it. Yeah, there’s a dollar markup, but that’s a dollar of my time I didn’t have to spend in the middle of preparing something to haul my ass to Randalls or HEB.
I’m happy to give my cash to the nicest dudes in our neighborhood. They always notice when I get a haircut, they don’t strictly enforce the credit card minimum on us, and they are ALWAYS friendly, helpful, and courteous.

I would give this place fewer stars if only I could. This place is not only gross, but grossly overpriced with literally inedible products. For example, this week they are selling on «clearance» two month expired boxes of Little Debbie snacks — for prices that are still higher than the local grocery stores. This week, my husband brought home from their store Wal-​Mart brand syrup (why? how?) that wasn’t expired, but WAS missing the safety seal! Everything else is more expensive here, too: beer, gas, cigarettes, you name it. And there’s something wrong with their gas pumps — I swear I’m getting less gas than I’m OVERPAYING for. So infuriating. This store preys on the mobility deficient poor people in the area — people with no other choice but than to shop here. They are the gas station equivalent of slumlords, and since we DO have cars and therefore a choice, we will never give them another dollar.

Yeah, this place is definitely seedy. It’s what you’d expect out of most any convenience store with iron bars on the windows. It’s convenient in relation to my apartment, but it is definitely shady. If it didn’t exist, though, it would have been impossible to give people directions to my old place — so I guess that’s worth three stars right there.

Ah, the Ghetto-​Mart. I’ve lived by this dump for four years, and I never knew it was called «Shepherds Market» … That name doesn’t appear anywhere on/​in/​around the store. We always just called it the Ghetto-​Mart.
The Ghetto-Mart’s proprietors are as nice as can be, but I just can’t bring myself to give up that fourth star on account of the pervasive shadiness of the place.
True fact: If you find yourself waiting in line forEVER because a toothless woman in filthy Bugs Bunny pajamas is ahead of you screaming something about lotto tickets, you’re probably at the Ghetto-​Mart.
Damn, though. This place must make a KILLING on Strawberry Swisher Sweets and Budweiser Chelada.

Yes, the store is a little run down (the ceiling leaks when it rains, but they put buckets out). Yes, it’s old-​looking (but clean, if you make a late-​night beer run, you can see them mopping and scrubbing). Yes, the gas prices are not the best (but useful if you really need gas, since there are no gas stations on this side of Ben White). Yes, their prices are high (it is a convenience store, you’re paying for convenience). The parking lot is small and can get crowded.
So why 4 stars? They are located essentially within my apt. complex. One of the complex exits runs through their parking lot. I can save on gas by walking there. I’ve lived here for more than 5 years now, and frequent this store a lot, and they know me. They know my name, they know what kind of cigarettes I buy, when I have friends visiting and my friends leave, they ask about them. They notice when I switch beer brands. They ask me for advice about computers. If Camel is running a two for one special or a «buy two packs get a free ashtray» deal, and they haven’t seen me for a few days, they’ll hide the last promotional pack for me until I show up. One time, I had just paid for take out at home, and apparently left my wallet on my dining table. Unknowingly, I went to the store to buy beer and realized at the counter that my wallet was not in my purse. They were willing to just hand the beer to me, knowing I’d be back to pay it later. This is trust, people.
They have to endure being the only convenience store in a pretty crummy neighborhood, and they’re polite to everyone. They all know something like 13 languages. One guy there gets a kick out of speaking Spanish to me because he knows I can understand it, but don’t speak it well. Essentially, they’re like some odd extended family for me. They do a good job of being family to the rest of the ‘hood. That’s why the stars.