Northgate Gonzalez Markets

Having an impromtu party or get-​together and need to feed people but don’t have all day to prepare and cook. This is your place grocery store for fresh everything. You can get cooked carne asada, carnitas, chicken asada, refried beans, spanish rice. They have everything even aqua frescas, fresh salsa, ceviche, shrimp cocktails. I can just go on and on.
They also make their own tortillas on site and their bolillos are to die for they are like bread cotton candy. So soft and addicting. You can also buy meat there all ready prepared and ready to cook/​grill at home. Looking at the huge array of pan dulce made me a little misty eyed remembering my Grandma bringing us these when I was a kid.
Protip: The most crowded day in Sunday afternoon so unless you like crowds go another day.

I love this place they have everything but I was very disappointed with the small restaurant they have inside I ordered a carne asada torta way to much meat and my bread was falling apart

This store is super busy all the time. Parking is pain in the butt, however, there are a ton of great affordable groceries. Mexican specialty store. You will find hot food items for lunch, freshly made tortillas and baked goods.
Vegetables and fruits are ready to be served for the week, I wouldn’t store em any longer, they don’t last. The cheese section has lots of options, the store branded ones are cheaper and of good quality. Queso fresco, Oaxaca, Cotija, etc. get the real Mex cheese right here. From the meat section I recommend the ranchera marinated meat. Just put it on the grill and enjoy, delicious.
Remember this place is always packed so try visiting on off hours unless you don’t mind crowds. The Latinos in this place are not to mess with they will run you over with their kids or carts. I can say that, I’m Latino :) hahah.

Summer time heat got me craving an agua fresca from here. I know it’s not summer yet but you get the gist. Don’t mistake me for the large size kind of girl. I go all out and get the huge garrafon! You know us Mexi’s it can be washed re used for so many great things after YAY! My kids still hate opening butter containers with left overs in them ha!
Not only does this market contain my go to drink for summer but my hot as hell house without AC makes me not want to cook. No worries they have tons of ready made food here packed and ready for purchase all you need to do is eat it! Ceviche, mariscos, aguachiles… all kinds of cold stuff too in case you don’t want something hot.
This place is also a freaking market! By this review you would think it was a restaurant but I assure you I pick up mole to make, beer and some fresas while getting my agua fresca or ready made carnitas and tortillas. Don’t skip the salsas! If you are being close by stop in for an agua fresca and a burrito.

When you want the most authentic, freshest and largest selection… you have to go to Northgate. The bakery is amazing, huge butcher department and most delicious ready made Mexican food in the food court. Always a great deal on groceries.

80% of bad services… specially the ones that don’t speak English or don’t want to… I went to the hot food section is… I got my number waited for my number to be called and this guy who works there (alfonso) screamed out who needs help and other people who were there after me Got service first. I said that my number was up next they didn’t care so I waited till he was done. when he got to me I was telling him what I wanted so I told him I wanted the special $ 6.99 for a 10 pieces chicken. While I was telling him this he rudely interrupts me and screamed to one at his from to go over and started talking within themselves non related to what was going on. After he was grabbing the chicken and tells me there isn’t enough so his going to cut 5 so it can be 10. I asked him if that’s the way it goes because to me it didn’t look right he mumbled away. after he goes to were the salsa is and was just standing around not telling to go over there. I go and I had to tell him do you want me to choose the salsa because he was just looking at me like what… this was a totally exhausting totally bad service. I understand that they get payed minimum wage but it doesn’t mean we should get that kind of service. eveywhere I go I always look at name tags for this same reason. either its a good review or not. employer need to know what kind of people us working for me.

3 time here never any parking ! Good luck not getting into an accident getting okiut the parking lot!

This is usually my to go place for groceries… the only problem I have with them is that every time I go here I feel like I’m at Walmart… There is always a ridiculous line and only 2 – 3 lanes open… If your only getting a couple of items be prepared to wait. Even the lane that is for 15 items is always long… They need to work on that.

I was really hesitant to come here since the navy commissary is my choice of market but this place is so much easier to get to the 805 is right in front of the market!
When it comes to prices, north gate has THE lowest. Even on paper towels and toilet paper. Each week their prices change though just like any other grocery store. Their selection is also excellent. I haven’t found one thing I didn’t like about this place. I have yet to visit the hot foods section so I’ll check that out next.

If you are Mexican and craving traditional food that you would eat when where a kid? Come down to memory lane and have some costilla en salsa verde or even lengua! Not bad tortillas and super inexpensive, come even if you are not Mexican or Latin, come if you have a passion for food and are adventurous! We foodies are one nation:)

if you want amazing ceviche and don’t want to pay crazy high end prices… come grab yourself a pound or 5 of ceviche. They have either fish, shrimp or mix and the option of spicy or not for each… perfect friday night HH at home…
i get ceviche to go
a bag of tostada shells
a bag of chips
some avocados
2 different salsas
guac
a couple different hot sauces
cilantro
onions…
and of course some dessert…
for like $ 30-​$ 40 you can have enough food to feed a couple of families and have leftovers… and all yummy!!!
staff is super friendly… they always initially speak to me in spanish but quickly realize that I only speak English and they transition over (some even apologize but there is no reason to apologize.99.9% of their customers are Spanish speakers… how are they to know?)
store is clean and well organized…
i don’t spend too much time in the center of the store…
ceviche & produce are along the far right wall
salsa’s, guac and hot food are along the left wall…
you can grab the tostada shells from either end (more selection by the salsa’s)
quickly get out and hop back on the freeway to head home for hh

I would give them 5 stars but their produce isn’t always it’s best. Only produce worth buying is strawberries, calabaza ‚& cucumbers.
All of their ceviche is bomb! Their agua frescas are too, especially the spinach juice!
Only meat I buy there is the beef milanesa so I can’t rate the rest. To be honest looking at all that meat grosses me out lol.
The customer service is pretty good, everyone seems to complain that there’s only Mexicans working but what do you expect from an Mexican based grocery store?! 99% of their customers are Hispanic. If your looking for authentic Mexican food to eat and/​or cook then this is the place to go. Just don’t come on the weekends, you’ll be lucky if you find a cart.

Good place to find international food, but I have to agree with the rest of the reviewers regarding customer service. Most of the people that work here are Mexicans who most of the time only like to speak and gossip in Spanish. I feel bad when none Spanish speakers come to this market because they do not get good costumer service from the staff.

This is my favorite Northgate in San Diego. The produce is always fresh and delicious. The meat department clean and well organized. Great customer service. The bakery makes beautiful cakes and authentic Mexican Pan Dulce.

I’d like to start off by saying that I am not a butcher nor have I never cut meat. However I do know one thing, that when you claim that something is a porterhouse steak there are three components to it, when you claim something is a T-​bone steak there are two components to it, and a New York strip steak does not have the T-​bone attached to it, though it may be considered a bone in with a small bones going along one side.
And if you are the «Manager» of the meats section, you might want to do a little homework on what your selling.
And if asked if you can remove the bone, you say «no», then please don’t call your self a butcher shop, in any language.

Tres leches cake!!!
I love love love ethnic markets. Mexican supermarkets and Asian supermarket to be exact. Everything is so cheap and efficient. You want pre-​marinated carne asada of high quality but half the price as Vons AND made by real Mexicans? Yes come here. OR OR do you want a moist delicious TRES LECHES cake?! And only for $ 13.99? It won’t be your nasty dry Von’s cake or overly chocolately. It’s a delicious sponge cake made from 3 different milk. I believe it’s evaporated, condensed and cream…
Not overpriced, best cake in town. I wish there is a Northgate in central SD… the closest one is right below downtown… But seriously I cannot wait to come back and get more Mexican food and a tres leches cake to myself.

I have shopped at this market many times and have not been disappointed with the food selection. They seem to have every fruit and vegetable there is in stock. Huge selections and excellent prices.
This market is so complete it has a full meat counter with several choices of beef, pork, chicken, fish and seafood. The meats are chopped, sliced, ground, bone in, boneless you name it they have it.
Along with all the other normal grocery items you may need to purchase: canned goods, boxed products, snacks, freezer items just to name a few. This market has a section of the store with already prepared food that you can purchase and eat right there in the market or Take Out.
The staff are friendly and helpful and checking out is a breeze.
Did I fell to mention there is a bakery: All the while you are in this market you can smell cakes, cookies and fresh bread baking.
I could go on and on and on because this is a great market place.

Love my Mexican products. They have a variety of products that not only you can’t find at a regular grocery store but the prices are pretty comparable/​less expensive. Lots of types of cheese, meats, chichartones, tortillas, and other ingredients to make anything from menudo, posole, to fresh tortillas. You can also get hot prepared food, fresh fruit waters, and fresh sweet breads.

Fav! Love this store! Great prices on produce. Awesome meat selection and eat your heart out on ceviche. Before you go, brush up on your numbers in Spanish. If you go to the meat counter you’ll need to know when they call your number 46 or other and it will be in Spanish.
The take home deli is amazing. The family meal is a great price and tons of yummy food. When we have a family event, we drive to Escondido and pick up one or two family meals, beer, and Horchata. Peeps are always happy when we serve up this cheap and delish meal.

Disgusting service!!! Today we needed a tres leches cake from Hans & Harry’s but they were closed today so I searched up «tres leches» on Unilocal & it gave me a couple places that sold this type of cake so we gave it a chance since we were already in the area & in a rush back to surprise my uncle for his birthday.
So, me & my cousin is waiting at the bakery for some service & everyone there working is just either staring at us or talking to the other co workers. Then when we finally get service, I asked the employee if they had a «tres leches» cake & she replies with «Oh. You don’t speak Spanish?» I reply with «No I don’t» & she turns around to the other employees & says something in spanish then everyone starts laughing & staring at me & my cousin.
I don’t see what was so funny about us not knowing how to speak /​understand Spanish. They made us feeling very uncomfortable & disrespectful. She asked me what I wanted on the cake then I wrote it for her & she still got it wrong & made it seem like it was my fault she had to do the cake over (it was just 1 letter wrong) & everyone of course is still speaking Spanish & staring at us awkwardly in the back.
Anyways, 2 words: NEVER AGAIN!

Pasando por el mercado González realmente es como ir a los mercados mexicanos. Desde la tortillería hasta la panadería está tienda vende de casi todo.
Ensalada de nopal, frutas, verdolagas, tunas, chayote, chorizo y muchas cosas más se pueden comprar. Tengo mucho tiempo comprando aquí y jamás me han fallado. Me encanta el aguachile que venden aquí. Todo es de muy buena calidad y siempre a buen precio. Sí tienes la oportunidad de inscribirte, te dejarán saber cuales son los especiales de la semana. ¡Durante los días festivos hasta ofrecen clases culinarias! Bueno, específicamente para hacer tamales.
La única cosa que está un poco complicado es el estacionamiento.