Troncones Grocery Shopping
Where to get what you want to cook. If you don’t want to cook, Troncones restaurants are many and varied.
Groceries
Troncones grocery shopping can be limited. On the other hand (fin?), you’ll seldom have such super fresh fish so readily and affordably available. We recommend stopping for basic supplies at the big supermarket in Zihua on your way in from the airport. (Whether you rent a car or get a cab.)
Several Troncones stores stock the basics (ham, cheese, butter, some produce, packaged bread, etc.) all with a generous beach tax added on. For real shopping, or anything mildly foreign to these parts (like decent pasta or good cheese) or health conscious (brown rice, organic anything) stop at the Mega Soriana supermarket on your way out of Zihuatanejo. (If you have to go back, be prepared to spend at least half a day at it. Zihuatanejo is a mysterious time suck.) That being said, new little organic farmer’s markets are popping up in Troncones. Whether or not they pop up on your schedule is another story.
Best grocery options:
- Mega Soriana supermarket in Zihuatanejo ( One-stop shopping: includes ATMs from 4 major banks, a large pharmacy, an exorbitantly-priced GNC, and even a Radio Shack, for what it’s worth.) Just don’t buy fish there!
- Sam’s Club This is a mini Sam’s and does not carry much fresh produce, but it’s the best place for large portions of good cheeses, nuts, meat, etc. Decent wine selection, and cases of beer. You will need your membership card!
Easy to find in Troncones:
Produce — The veggie truck roams the beach road nearly every day with good local produce. (Put out the sign when you want them to stop at the house.) The Monday produce market in nearby Lagunillas (8 am –5 pm) is fun and quite a bit cheaper than the truck.
Fresh Seafood — Ruben, aka Mr. Fish, passes by in his red truck around 10:30 nearly every day, selling shrimp, fish (and lobster by special order). Flag him down with the fish sign, or catch him parked “downtown” earlier in the morning, with more stock. You can also moutn an expedition to nearby mahajua around 9 or 10 and see if you can catch the fishermen coming in. (They fish all night—those are the lights you see floating out on the ocean at night. Not UFO’s. At least not generally. : )
White Bread & Tortillas — Cafe del Sol offers delicious fresh-baked artisanal bread twice a week during high season. Fresh bolillos (Mexican white rolls) are available at the main street tiendas early in the mornings. They run out! You can always find Pan Bimbo (packaged bread) at these stores as well.
Yummy, fresh warm tortillas can be found at the Troncones Tortilleria (7 am – 4 pm). You can also buy pre-made packaged tortillas in the tiendas. (But why? Fresh are SO much better. We carry a salt shaker in the car, to do ‘quality control’ on a freshly made hot tortilla or two. Yum. When you get home, just be sure to take them out of the plastic bag to let them cool, or they get soggy.)
Beverages
Drinking Water. Casa Oasis provides free bottled purified water. (All you can drink!)
Ice. Purified water and ice are now the standard all over Mexico. Water and ice at restaurants are generally safe, as long as the ice is machine made. (It’s the big slabs of ice you have to worry about, and those are hardly ever used any more.)
If you’re a margarita maniac or just really into ice, buy a cheap bag at the tienda before driving on to the Oasis. Like 95% of Mexico, we do not have ice-makers. Just a few ice trays in the freezer. Old school!
Liquor
• Mexican Beer is, of course, available at all the stores in town. The Indio and Corona trucks will even deliver cases. (Put out a case of empty bottles, and they usually stop. But someone has to be around to pay them.) Of course, as with anything in Mexico, it’s good to have a back up plan in case they don’t show up.
• Mini Super Wendy: Troncones’ liquor store with all the basics, and a decent wine selection, all at airport prices.
• Most convenient: stock up at the Comercial Mexicana supermarket in Zihuatanejo wide selection of wines, liquors and beer.
• Best selection and prices: La Europea in Ixtapa. Great Liquor and imported goody store. Get your “to write home about” great Tequila here: Siete Leguas. Makes a lovely gift, too. If it makes it home.
Karina cooks, too!
Karina cooks (and shops)! If you feel like eating in but being pampered, talk to Karina. Our multi-talented manager/housekeeper also whips up Mexican specialties in the privacy of your very own Oasis. Decide on a menu together, and she’ll pick up the ingredients and home cook it for you. This is her side gig, so arrange everything directly ith her.
Better bought in Troncones:
Fish & shrimp (Don Ruben delivers—just put out the fish sign. He stops by around 10:30 am.) If you want to be sure he doesn’t run out, run downtown earlyish. He sets up his fish truck on main street nearly every morning before making the rounds.
Produce at the tienditas tends to be fresher than at the supermarket, but more limited.
Better bought in Zihua:
Anything fancy or imported. Meat (chicken, beef and pork), wine, liquor, any exotic/organic produce, lettuce, nuts, whole wheat bread, crackers, granola, snacks, cold cuts, etc.
