Aldi

Ah, my local Pelham Aldi. Nestled right at the intersection of 31/​Valleydale, I imagine this is mildly convenient for some folks in Hoover and Vestavia, too.
If you’ve never been to an Aldi before, here are some quick pro-​tips: 1) Cash, debit, or EBT only — no checks or credit cards. 2) Carts require a quarter to «rent» for your duration at the store, but if you’re only getting a few things you can grab an empty box from a shelf and use that. 3) Bring your own bags or buy them at the register. Better yet, buy some Aldi reusable bags because those things come in handy for more than just groceries.
This Aldi is always clean and the staff is always friendly. They opened a few years ago and have yet to acquire an alcohol license so I’m assuming they aren’t going to at all (probably because of Shelby Co’s laws). A few times I’ve been, they’ve been out of something I know they carry on the reg, but it’s never a huge issue. I guess because their store is bigger than the Greensprings location, they do tend to hang onto seasonal stuff for weeks after it’s featured, so I enjoy that because I can’t always make it every week, and it’s awesome to re-​buy something seasonal if it was exceptionally good.
I’ve never had a problem with the produce as far as initial quality, but sometimes youv’e got a few days before it spoils. But if you’re not stocking up on your pantry items, baking supplies, spices, eggs, milk, etc. here, then I feel bad for you, son; I got 99 problems but paying $ 50 for ~four items at Publix ain’t one. I can leave here with a cart full of not junk food for $ 75-​$ 100.
The only thing from Aldi that has mixed results are the frozen meals. The seasonal items that come in for the holidays and such tend to be the same year to year, which a few new ones introduced on occasion, so after shopping here for awhile you’ll figure out what you like with no problem. It also feels good to «splurge» on some of the «fancy» stuff Aldi offers because it’s really not that rough on your bank account.
I am the person that will shout Aldi’s magnificence from the rooftops for eternity.