The Grocery Shopping Landscape is Changing in Sarasota
Lucky's made-to-order ramen and sushi station.
Image: Judi Gallagher
Sarasota has welcomed yet another new grocery store to the fold. Lucky's Market's name is auspicious—it is perhaps the best market to open in the region this past year, and we are lucky to have it.
The buzz about this family-owned, privately held market began building when we heard rumors about its lower-priced organic items, a standout fresh produce section (including fresh fruit separated into its own bins for easy access), fresh-squeezed orange juice, exotic items like dragonfruit and aloe leaves, an abundance of fresh pineapples for just $0.77, and (my favorite) honeycrisp apples at the lowest price in town.
Lucky's cheese selection.
Image: Judi Gallagher
Speaking of savings, you can stroll over to the cheese section and save a lot more. For example, Gorgonzola and aged cheddar cheeses are cut in smaller portions, meaning that Lucky's can offer them at up to $4 less than Whole Foods, its closest competitor.
The meat counters are impressive, too, with a varied selection of choice beef, marinated steak tips, burgers, meatloaves and roasts. Air-chilled free-range chickens and chicken kabobs looked fresh and reasonably priced.
Fresh-cut fruit and vegetables.
Image: Judi Gallagher
Lucky's signature roast beef sandwich.
Image: Judi Gallagher
Lucky's also offers a salad bar, olive bar and many hot entree choices. The deli case, which I tend to avoid at most grocery stores, was stacked with house-roasted, medium-rare roast beeves and pastramis. The roast beef was moist, perfectly cooked and tender. This will be a weekly order for my family, for sure.
Plus: when you walk into the store, you can grab a glass of wine or beer for just $2 or $3, then shop as you sip (there's even a cupholder in the carts). Prices on bottles of wine aren't great, but there's an excellent selection of craft beer both on shelves and on tap.
Truly, Lucky's is an excellent addition to the local grocery scene, and a better choice than Sprouts, which recently opened in South Sarasota. And while I definitely have my favorites—like the frozen dessert and appetizers from Trader Joe's, the bakery at Morton's Market and the retro candy selection at Fresh Market—I'm looking forward to shopping more at Lucky's. After all, as development continues and traffic increases, we'll need even more food choices and tasteful, pre-made meals.
Welcome to Sarasota, Lucky's.
