Ingles

We're lucky in Pine Lake to have more than ten grocery stores within six miles. My absolute favorite is of course the Dekalb Farmer's Market, but the closest is Ingles, which is just a half-mile from the city.


The first Ingles grocery store opened in 1963 in my home town of Asheville, North Carolina. I remember being in the store about that time.

Unlike Publix and Kroger, Ingles has a small town feel. The store and employees can be a bit quirky, but it's unarguably convenient to shop there.

What I don't shop for:

I don't get milk at Ingles because it tends to be close to the expiration date-- strange, since the chain owns a dairy.

Nor do I get bread, for even the home-baked loaves tend to be insipid.

Ingles isn't my favorite place for fruits and vegetables (for those and for bread I go to the Dekalb Farmer's Market on East Ponce de Leon), but it will do in a pinch.

Nor is it my favorite place for cannned and dry goods-- for those I hit the Wal-Mart superstore (there are three close by), but prices aren't bad for most items.

What I do shop for: 

I buy most of my meats at Ingles because it tends to be inexpensive-- especially when it has yellow discount tags (I'm always trying to figure out the best day to go to find the mark-downs). I buy bacon and sausage (which seem to be less expensive there than even at Wal-Mart), packages of steak, minute steak, and pork chops, and ham.. Small packages of luncheon meat are only a dollar. Can't beat that.

In the meat section I pick up packages of inexpensive but good sliced American cheese.

The bakery section is good for the occasional sweet. I try to resist, but do buy a cinnamon roll. I used to buy the turnovers, which come four to a box, but no longer dobecause I can't seem to stop at just one.

Breakfast is available from 7:30 am until just after 10:00 at the deli counter in the rear of the store. Eggs, grits, a biscuit, and meat cost just $3.29. Although other customers have told me the salmon patties are to die for, I go for the bacon, which isn't the microthin stuff you get most places. The slices at Ingles are thick, and you get quite a few of them. Breakfast is occasionally on sale for as little as $1.99.

Lunch is available from 11:15 or so until the food runs out. The fried chicken is good, and the collard greens are the best I've ever had. Meat, two vegetables, and corn bread or a roll costs $5.49, and is occasionally on sale.

The Ingles house brand ice cream seems to be made by Mayfield. It's surprisingly good (although I like the Publix brand better). What am I saying? I'm not supposed to have ice cream!

Prices on the house brand cereals are good. I like the bran flakes. The raisin bran is good too.

Prices on soft drinks are lower than at Publix and Kroger.

In the frozen foods section you'll find  pot-pie sized Banquet apple, cherry, and peach fruit pies for just $0.88. They're outrageously good.

House brands are a good deal. I buy toilet paper, paper towels, dishwater detergent, and other goods at Ingles.

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If you shop at Ingles, be sure to get an Advantage store card, for the savings are deep. If you sign up for e-mail ads, you'll get an e-mail every Sunday morning with sale prices for the week. This week 16 oz. jars of Planter's peanut butter are on sale for just $1.25, with no limit. Peaches are just $1.28 a pound, on-the-vine tomatoes are $1.98 a pound, and house-brand cereals are two-for-one. Mayfield ice cream is only $3 this week, but I'll do my best to resist.

In short, Ingles isn't half bad.