Coulter Discount

I work a few stores down, so I hop in here every once in a while to pick up energy drinks and cigarettes. They’re okay. Totally Miami though — service is on the slow side. I’ve never had issues with the soda or the food being expired, but then again I’ll eat/​drink just about anything. The coffee in the café in front of the store is pretty damn good. I will most deinetly be getting coffee from Bardo’s in the future.

If you’ve ever visited (or better yet lived) in Spain, you might be familiar with «chinos,» dollar store-​like shops that sell everything from candy and beer to kitchen supplies and toiletries. In Spain, chinos are spotted on practically every corner and boy do they come in handy.
Coulter Discount is the closest to a chino I’ve found in the US. When I first moved into my new Gables apartment, I headed here to buy a new wine opener (priorities). After that, I stopped in once to buy some Coke Zero to make calimocho at home (wine and coke, another Spanish thing). Imagine my disappointment when I made myself a drink that I ended up having to spit out. The soda was expired by over a year. Needless to say, it took me awhile to go back.
So why do I return now? There is an awesome post office hidden in the back. The lady always working there is so friendly and helps make sure your mailings are as easy as possible. It beats any of the number of post offices and UPS stores I’ve visited over the years.
Whenever I make my walk back to her, I usually see something unique that catches my eye. Most recently, I noticed they have a lot of cheap Christmas decorations. There’s also a Latin bodega up front selling hot items like empanadas and sandwiches. While I’d probably shy away from the other food, this I am planning on trying out.

I have a special place in my heart for Coulter Discount. I may be the only Unilocaler to ever frequent this place but maybe I can change that.
I first ended up here often because there’s a USPS office deep in the back. There’s rarely a line and so if I need to mail something, I’d much rather head here than any other office. The woman who works there is the sweetest and most helpful government worker in America. Coulter also sells lotto tickets… one day, this place will make me $ 145 million richer thanks to the Powerball.
I’ve never eaten from the little bodega in front but it must be good because it’s always packed. But I’d recommend staying away from the rest of the food in the store. My roommate tried this place once and ended up bringing soda home that had expired a year before… so this isn’t the place to stock up on snacks. The rest of the place is full of dollar store essentials (think greeting cards en Español, knick knack kids’ toys, and over-​sized granny panties).
A woman ran her car through the front door earlier this year, so the outside isn’t aesthetically pleasing… but it is open for business and will continue to be my go-​to place for shipping & stocking up on lotto tickets!