The Merc

I’m not sure why people from out of town would be leaving ratings for a small independent grocery in the foothills of the Sandia mountains. Whatever, people like to complain about anything and everything. Fact is for those of us who live IN the foothills — Placitas NM to be exact, this place is a godsend. There is no way a small store like this can compete with larger chains on price and they shouldn’t. I am new to the area but I’m willing to bet some residents will drive 30 minutes to a Smith’s to save $ 20.00 on a bag of groceries, driving right by their home town gem. When you DO have last minute needs or a bottle of wine etc I’m sure all will praise this stores location. Think about that the next time you head down to Rio Rancho for a gallon of milk. (Ice cream will never make it back as a solid) I plan to use this store often and hope other locals do as well so that they stay around forever!

Small town grocery store, with a better than expected selection. Full liquor, and beer and wine for sale. Expect to pay more than you would in town! Decent selection of goods, and meats. The dog biscuit selection was unexpected– though I do not currently have a dog. The prepared food, cakes, and baked goods looked underwhelming. Just in quality, and presentation. They do have a deli counter, and stock boars head meats, and cheese– yea!!! Maybe it is four stars. It just did not make me super excited. If I had been camping for a few days, and found this (like when we were in Utah) — I would have lost it. There is really no, hot food here, from what I saw. Cold sandwiches, could still be amazing. I do not know why it says full bar on Unilocal.You cannot drink on premise!!! That is wrong info. This is not a restaurant. This is a grocery store, and a total different liquor license. I don’t know if the business was posted in the restaurant category, but this should be corrected.

The Merc is a grocer that has a limited amount but fairly vast array of things you may need like vegetables, beer/​wine/​alcohol and pantry products. You are going to pay 15% or more over the big box grocers, but then you don’t have to drive double the distance to get to them when you are in the mountains.
Produce is hit or miss. Some of the vegetables look great and some look like they hit their shelf life last week. Wines. One of my biggest gripes with places that sell wine is they have wines that have been recommended with a rating of 89% or 91% for example. Every single recommended card under the wine is for a wine that is three or more years younger than the wine in display. One wine year might be great, but the next year could be swill.
Overall, The Merc is convenient if you are in the mountains and only need a few things. If you are in need of serious grocery shopping, you’ll get more for your money by driving the extra 6 to 10 miles into town.

This little market keeps Placitas stocked in the basic staples one would expect from a grocery. What the place lacks in size, it makes up for in specialty items, high end options, to order organic produce boxes from Los Poblanos, and an amazing selections of wine! Speaking of which, they host Friday night wine tastings that are hopping. Many of the staff have been there a long time and are very friendly.

This is a great little community market, and the people who work here are super helpful and friendly. They will do lots of special orders and are very open to customer comments. Great place!