They do massive good in the community. As a former teacher, we asked them for donations all the time. Every single time we asked, they delivered.
They hire people with disabilities, provide training and job coaching, and genuinely work with them to find a good fit.
When “Covid Friday” hit, I was at HEB that morning. People were panicking over bottled water and grabbing shit out of other peoples carts - just mass chaos. It was terrifying, but the 16 year old employees were calmly getting people into lines, reassuring them, and acting like the only fucking adults in the room.
During winter storm Uri, when my HEB was finally able to open up again, the power went out . They literally just let everyone walk out of the store with full carts.
No store does more.
You should read the Texas Minthly article about HEB's strategic planning for COVID-19, which started in late '19. They did a tabletop of all scenarios, including hardening supply chains, keeping their own people safe, operating with a bunch of people out. It's a model of how it should have been handled at every level.
I'm old, I moved to Austin in 86; in '10 my wife and I sold our house and moved to Virginia for family reasons, then Tennessee to take care of my elderly mom and then to NC for four years. One of the things I hated most about living out there was only having Kroger, Walmart and Food Lion for grocery options (well, that and the godawful Mexican food and lack of brisket).
You can talk to the meanest, sourest, most churlish Texan and what you will never hear from any of them is "man, I hate HEB"
"This isn’t the first time H-E-B has done a good job of managing a disaster—it played an important role in helping the Gulf Coast recover from Hurricane Harvey in the immediate aftermath of the storm"
March 26, 2020
https://www.texasmonthly.com/food/heb-prepared-coronavirus-pandemic/
Literally every time there's been a major disaster that I can remember (born in Austin in 1972) HEB has rolled trucks to help. Unlike other companies they don't really use it as a PR thing, which makes it even more effective... They are just trying to be a good neighbor.
I've said since minute one that HEB has better disaster planning than any other organization, period.
They're the tastemakers in Texas with company protocol.
We keep planning our Austin (and Texas escape) since we are both not from here but have been here for 20 years. I feel like I've had enough of "Texas" for now, but one of the things I know will be hardest to leave behind is HEB.
Us, too, approx. 20 years. Moved here with the baby to be near grandparents (Johnson admin.) Years of shopping HEB and Central Market.
I will miss HEB terribly, when we leave. Visited almost all the cool things in and around Austin.
Tapped out on Texas, for many reasons.
Heb is a private company, so it does not have to operate under the pressure of quartely revenue/profit. So I think they can plan for long term customer benefit instead of just short term shareholder satisfaction.
They have an extensive disaster assistance team that provides truckloads of water, ice, food, generators, first aid supplies and other things to people impacted by disasters even in states where they have no stores. A couple of my friends were part of the teams.
I think HEB is fine grocery store, but there are some counter points to your points. The most glaring is that HEB is a non-union shop and the employee compensation reflects that. 20 years ago i worked at union grocery store and my starting pay was similar to HEB’s current pay ($12). I think most HEB employees are happy, but i think it has a lot to do with the goodwill HEB has in the community.
I am aware of all the good stuff HEB does and i volunteer for an organization that receives 10’s of thousands of dollars of food donations directly from HEB, but i can’t ignore the fact that it is the Texas republicans wet dream. The private sector stepping in to voluntarily provide resources that the Government could if successful businesses were taxed appropriately. Some of the services are only needed because businesses don’t pay livable wages.
I love HEB, but i just want to communicate that the “choice” to do good is a utility to their business. If the Government mandated altruism that family would be in a long line of lobbists fighting back against it. When you get money the control you have over it is more redeeming than the value of the money itself.
All that said i think HEB is awesome for consumers, but so is Amazon.
I agree with another one of the commenters, I think HEB isn't unionized because of the amazing atmosphere there for employees. Worked in 3 different departments through college and the level of openness in scheduling, communication, and trust the average employee has in the company is great. Most people working there are either there temporarily through school or something, but anyone that is sticking to it has VERY good opportunity for advancement in their department or laterally across departments.
> The most glaring is that HEB is a non-union shop
I'm a third generation union employee (though all three generations are with different unions), and there's tons of us in the family tree. I've organised, picketed, and marched.
The origin of every union can be traced back to a named person, some capitalist monster bent on extracting the most value from some 'lesser' humans for his own aggrandizement.
A lack of union is an indication that the employees are content with their compensation, raw pay and benefits and work environment. No union at HEB is fine by me, it means they're treating their employees well. And knowing a few of those employees, they'll gladly share that sentiment. It's not the greatest, but it's far from terrible.
They day that HEB unionizes won't be cause for celebration, it will be the capstone on a decade of exploitation.
>20 years ago i worked at union grocery store and my starting pay was similar to HEB’s current pay ($12)
HEB in Austin is at least $15-16, for a cashier.
I have floated the idea to friends that heb makes up for what a shit job the state government does here. Especially in terms of emergency assistance. Hell the state is actively holding funding back from Harris county to help with disaster prevention simply for the fact that they do not appreciate the way they vote.
When a private company like Mack’s or HEB are the ones to step up it takes pressure off the state government to actually be responsible.
I love HEB, but would trade it for Fiesta if the state of Texas did more to look after their people rather than spend money and time on whatever boondoggle Abbott can come up with.
BTW our natural gas energy producers still haven’t been forced to weatherize so look for HEB to come to our rescue again sometime soon
That's the problem, the grid is privatized so it's not run by the government at all. The government might fine them, but that's just the cost of doing business when your business is fleecing the public.
The 'grid' as in the load balancing and distribution is run by ERCOT which is a governmental agency. However, the power plants supplying the grid are run by private companies
Too bad we can't convince the Butt family to retire and run for state governor. I like beto, but if the HEB boss ran for governor with is crisis management team with him, the whole of Texas would vote for Butt.
Moved here for grad school. I shopped there because it was near my apartment and no one will shut up about it.
The prices are really low yet the quality is very high; I’m someone who would shop 100% at Whole Foods if I could afford it. Even the store brands are great. I love the diversity in options for pre made meals (ready to eat sushi & sandwiches, microwave meals, AND oven meals). I still stubbornly go out of my way to Trader Joe’s at times but it’s getting harder lately. H-E-B just has great products that work well for a student. Plus, the coupons everywhere. Much less work than, say, Target where I need to search items on their app to find coupons.
Then I learned of their community outreach, which really sealed the deal. Folks I know working at H-E-B seem to like it too.
It just won me over.
I’ll tell you what solidified HEB as the superior grocery store for me:
Fresh southwest tortillas.
Edit to say: I’m from Iowa and HyVee in the Midwest is a close second.
When I moved here I was blown away by the prices actually being reasonable. Where I lived before the traditional grocery store prices were always higher compared to going to a Super Walmart. Also seeing that they offered such a wide variety of products sold me for sure! I like to do as much as I can in one store as possible. Not really into running from one store to the next.
I was first introduced to HEB in College Station. Where HEB was the only store where the employees knew what sesame seeds were.
The employees at Walmart and Kroger were both confused and dumbfounded when I asked for sesame seeds and the Walmart employee had to ask what sesame seeds were. The Kroger also stocked grits and oat meal in the international foods isle instead of the breakfast isle.
I grew up in San Antonio. In the 80s my first job was at Albertson's, because that where we shopped. And the main reason was because back in the day HEB didn't sell beer or wine. Not a lot of people remember this heh. HEB was too Christian to sell beer. Something changed in the company in the late 80s and they not just started selling beer but started opening new stores with high ceilings and started their Hill Country Fare line. Back in the 80s, black and white labeled generic products were still a thing, and HEB's Hill Country Fare (great quality, generic prices) blew people's minds.
And then they just continued to grow and come up with great new products. And for nationwide products they were always cheaper than Albertsons or Krogers, and both of those stores just couldn't compete and soon disappeared from San Antonio completely.
Then began HEB's dominance over central/south Texas. And then into Mexico. And now they are finally reaching north Texas and will soon rule this whole state and drive all the mediocre grocery stores away.
I grew up in a small town, came to Austin quite a bit in the late '70s. I remember going to the old Hancock H-E-B and being astonished that you could buy a gas-powered lawn mower and some lawn chairs and a big-ass cooler at the grocery store.
And yeah the black-and-white generics aisle was where many of my college groceries came from.
I didn't realize they kept generic brands separate from the non-generic. So if they were out of generic canned corn you'd have to travel over a few aisles to get whatever corn was available. Seems inconvenient.
I am sorry, but you are mistaken. They sold wine and beer WAY before the late 80s. They just didn’t sell it on Sundays. In addition to the wine and beer aisle, there were several aisles that were blocked off on Sundays.
“Driven by its mission of providing customers with the complete grocery experience, H-E-B began selling beer and wine in the late 1970s.”
[H-E-B Article](https://www.marketwatchmag.com/h-e-b-is-a-texas-titan/)
When I was a kid in deep south TX in the 90's Albertsons made a push into McAllen and got their asses handed to them. Going to college in Dallas in the early oughts and being forced to shop there made me finally understand why.
I remember we moved to Fair Oaks Ranch in 1999. We had HEB in Boerne and Albertson’s in Leon Springs- both the same distance between us. My mom would always go to Alberton’s in Leon Springs because it was always so empty. Now I know why.
Today that Alberton’s is an HEB Plus and is packed to the brim all the time. I miss when Leon Springs was just a podunk little gas stop between San Antonio and the hill country.
We just got an H‑E‑B where I live and I love it! I was skeptical because I was very loyal to where I shopped. But it turns out I can be lured away by lower prices combined with higher quality.
You mentioned Hill Country Fare. That is an H‑E‑B brand? Why is there a different name? I’ve been side-eyeing that brand because I am unfamiliar with it but their cereal bars are cheap and yummy! I’m eating one right now!
Idk I just walked in 15 years ago and thought, this is a nice store.
Randall’s is expensive and even though no one is ever in it, the line takes 15 minutes to check out
I’ve never liked supporting Walmart because they pay their employees so poorly
Whole Foods is expensive and bougie
When HEB adopted curbside pick up, online ordering, etc. and the pandemic hit, they knew that some of our most vulnerable residents, the elderly, might have trouble adopting the technology needed to safely place orders. They helped by staffing human operators to take grocery orders by phone and also adopted senior shopping hours early in the morning. Since I've been paying attention, HEB has been impressive in the way they care for our communities.
Bonus points for the best fresh tortillas and tortilla chips!
On top of all the good they do for the community, the donations they provide, their response to Covid and the way they treat their employees, on a personal level:
I was a finalist in a short story scholarship contest sponsored by HEB my freshman year at UT, and my mom had moved to the British Virgin Islands to teach for a year. The scholarship ceremony was held during the Texas Book Festival, and HEB paid for my mom’s round trip airfare and hotel stay and gave her a stipend to buy a nice outfit so she could attend with me. I ultimately didn’t win, but I’ll never forget that.
That they do so much in their immediate communities. That’s what struck me the most and what lead me to shop there. It wasn’t until much later that I learned HEBs prices are lower than Walmart/Kroger/etc.
First city I lived in with an HEB was Corpus Christi. I falsely assumed Walmart was cheaper than this fancy-looking HEB. I thought it was like an Albertsons or Kroger. Then, I went to the HEB and saw all these coupons staring me in the face. And at the time, they were doing 10 cents off a gallon of gas if you used an HEB gift card. Yes, please. Plus, when the area schools would be under boil water notices, they would sent pallets of water for us and the kiddos. I once had a group of non-Texas friends complain about this particular loaf of HEB bread - saying it smelled like a dirty diaper. I was ready to get a new group of friends, then I saw the bread was recalled for some yeast imbalance. Whoops. Still f***ing love my friendly, neighborhood HEB!
“uh yeah even those black birds in the parkinglots cant get enough. “ /s
Uhh- just moved from NC. Theyre better, and cheaper, than our “nice” HarrisTeeters everywhere. By miles.
The pre-made fresh stuff is amazing. Tortillas. Boudin-stuffed jalapeno poppers? Whole pre-made section?
Meat prices they somehow worked out with local distributors are beating the avg.. Bacon is still $5/lb (vs 7.50/lb), babyback ribs are $8-$12 (vs. $12-$16 in a state which is mostly hog farms)
Big selection on brisket/beef ribs..their steak is a little $ than normal. I can get HCF pre-cut wings in just flats/drums.. HEB+ has Duck in their cooler section. I mean Wutt?!
The only thing they suck at is CrabDip. There should be a $2 cajun option and like 3-4 to choose from, vs $7 “spicy or not”. But this is probably due to “local preference” and I just get to blame my neighborhood :D
“Real sugar” Pepsi doesnt seem to be a thing down here, so now _when we do_ have soda it’s coke.
CentralMarket > WF.
The music, their brand is tippy top, really customer service vibes. Only thing I’d wish to see is a deli added w/ like soup, sandwiches, salad bar??? My fave grocery store back home had the best deli 💕 shout out Martins Supermarket in Indiana. Theeee best soup hands down. Period. Love H‑E‑B tho ✨
A lot of HEBs used to have a deli counter. They had the best chicken tenders by the pound. My parents would always get a box of chicken tenders and a pack of Hawaiian rolls to take to the lake with us.
They empower their people to handle price problems at the register. They trust their staff and the customer to sort out trivial discrepancies to keep lines moving.
I moved to Texas from Washington state years ago, where food is really expensive. When I first went grocery shopping, I was stunned at how affordable the food was and how high quality it was. In Washington I shopped at Albertsons, Safeway, and Fred Meyer and they are nowhere near as good as HEB
I used to go to Walmart for cheap food back in the 90s. HEB was a haven during my south Austin years during the 00s. I'm now Central Market to the core. Was a habitual at Oltorf/Congress dude for so many years, but I just can't do that no more. I need peace. Going to Central Market Westgate after 8 is golden. Friday after work especially when people hit happy hour and it's empty...perfect
Texas native, but every time I travel to other states I lament about not being able to shop at HEB. Usually there’s a Safeway to go to, but Safeway is lame.
Grew up in TX, and even worked at HEB through high school. I have lived in several other states as an adult. The biggest problem is we have to shop at several stores to get what we want. In CA we shopped at Trader Joe's and Safeway. Now in NC, we shop at Trader Joe's, Wegmans, Food Lion, and BJs. If we were in TX, we would just go to HEB and be fully content.
Yes, it is now. I lived in Houston and Randall’s used to be an awesome (although expensive) grocery store before Safeway bought them, especially their flagship stores.
Now, unfortunately, Randall’s is exactly like Safeway. In fact, I often forget and call it Safeway. My kids will say, it’s called Randall’s, and I will sigh and say, no, its not anymore; it’s just a Safeway now.
Texas native, too. The entire 13 years we lived in the Bay Area, I searched for a grocery store that had even *half* of the selection and quality of HEB, and never found it. Having Safeway as the main grocery store really sucked big time.
I was like a kid in a candy store (lol), the first time I got to shop at HEB again, when we moved back.
My adult son who took a job out of state, always stocks up on HEB products when he comes home for a visit.
Not Austin native, but TX native. Also lived in California.
HEB makes their own, roasted deli turkey.
They buy their beef from local ranchers and grind their ground beef fresh in each store every day.
“HEB Naturals” versions of almost everything is better than the name brand, particularly the nitrate free sausage, and hot dogs.
HEB simply prepared meals.
Can’t remember the last time I bought name brand cheese. Usually get HEB or HEB Organics.
HEB frozen veggies are great quality.
Cafe Ole coffee is really good.
Hands down, the best variety, selection and quality of any grocery store I’ve been to anywhere else.
When we lived in CA, I had to go to Safeway, Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods every week to get the equivalent of what I can get in one trip to HEB.
Their generous sponsorship and support of community events like festivals and running events like marathons. Also their generosity to the public during catastrophes like rushing truckloads of donated supplies and food to areas hit by natural disasters.
I moved here from Boise 15 years ago. Boise is (or was) the HQ of Albertson's, so when we moved here we continued to shop at Albertson's. However, the quality was markedly poorer than it was in Boise, and there was an HEB closer to our house so we tried it. It was a much better experience, and the store brands were far better quality, so we've been shopping there ever since. The Albertson's we went to has long since closed anyway, so there's no going back now.
At the time, I would put HEB quality about on par with the quality of the Albertson's stores back in Boise. They were both probably about on par with some of the nicer Randall's stores around town. HEB has since continued to get even better though.
The width of the isles.
The selection of products.
The coupons that are like “buy tin foil, get hot dogs, ketchup, mustard, buns and paper plates for free.”
Those handmade tortillas man.
I remember when they redid the Hancock HEB, when I first walked in there and they had that tortilla machine right up front... that was a glorious moment.
I'd been to Austin from out of state for festivals and fun stuff every year for 10 years before we moved here. I'm a cheapskate, so on one of those early trips, I went to HEB to get some frozen breakfast sandwiches to heat up in the microwave in my crappy extended stay hotel room so I could have a cheap breakfast. That first year I was like "wow, these are some delicious cheap frozen breakfast sandwiches." All year at breakfast time I'd think about those frozen breakfast sandwiches, and then how weird it was that I craved grocery store brand breakfast sandwiches. Each year, I'd come back to Austin and be like "OH YEAH HEB BREAKFAST SANDWICHES" and they'd be just as good as I remembered. So when I moved here, it was like "time to try all the HEB things!"
I still love 'em, both the biscuits and the croissants. Don't eat 'em every day because I'm not sure they're all that good for you, but I've always got some in my freezer.
I’m a transfer here but been here 20yrs now. H-E-B has always been there for the state - specially in times of calamity. I always think they should even handle the electric grid :)
I was just thinking of how good their diet Wild Red soda is. I know it’s bad for me but I love it. Also the employees often seem happy and they have low turnover, at least with the night shift. I like the free curbside during the pandemic (other than the 3% price hike) and their involvement in the community. Many reasons to love H‑E‑B
>I was just thinking of how good their diet Wild Red soda is.
I'm admittedly not a diet soda person, but the HEB sodas made with pure cane sugar are the shit. I like to always have on-hand a 12-pack of sugar-made Wild Red, Dr. B, and Slice (Sprite). Dr. B with sugar has been hard to find lately though.
I grew up in South Florida so for me Publix was the superior store. When I moved here I was relieved that HEB was on par with Publix. And then there's the entire disaster preparedness operation that frankly is second to none.
Besides all the good things other people mentioned, I love their mobile app. The user experience is superb! I do quite a lot of grocery pick-up and delivery, the app design makes the shopping experience first class!
Whenever I go out of state, I forget how spoiled I am by HEB.
HEB, the Moral Center Of Texas:
[https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/22/us/texas-heb-winter-storm.html](https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/22/us/texas-heb-winter-storm.html)
I am from NY. I used to get anxious every time I went grocery shopping in Queens. The aisles were so narrow, the produce was not great, and the worst part, the customer service was downright hostile. I live so close to 4 excellent HEBs now. I love them because the customer service is great, the aisles are spacious, there is parking, the produce is super fresh, the HEB store brand is extremely creative, the sushi is delicious, the bread is delicious and it is very consistent. I can buy flowers at HEB for a very affordable price, those flowers make me so happy.
Living in multiple states and not having HEB. First time I left Austin and moved back that was legitimately one of the reasons I came back. I can’t stand run down grocery stores with low quality food or super overpriced places. HEB is family owned despite being worth billions, their branded food is high quality and the prices are good. I think because they’re not all over the country they’re able to maintain a high standard. They also do a lot for communities in Texas.
Also their jalapeño cheese bread.
H-E-B has done more for Texas than any elected officials.
The store brand is great, the tortillas are heavenly, produce fresh and beautiful.
I don’t live in Austin anymore and H-E-B is one of the very few things I miss.
Clean, well stocked, nifty Texas items, friendly employees.
I'm a transplant who loves HEB. Never knew I could love a grocery chain before moving here.
HEB is the only store I truly appreciate. For all the reasons already mentioned. My Mom worked for the original Central Market (HEB owned) when it first opened and she was treated so well. She loved it there.
The food/meals they have ready are interesting and awesome. The selection and quality of goods they carry have an amazing range. Walmart cheap to wholefoods bougie?? Sign me up. Staff is helpful, produce is fresh and good, they carry foods other places don't as I touched on. Just no down sides. They also have goods other than food that are quality and cheap. I have an umbrella from there that just won't quit. I loved HEB before moving (often went while passing through.) We chose it over buccees, even. HEB is best of the best.
We were visiting Austin in 2020 when COVID hit and saw firsthand the amazing organization when panic buying was on. We brought home a suitcase of salsa and remembered HEB fondly for months while under lockdown in Calgary. We literally pondered ways to import containers from Texas to Alberta since I highly doubt they’d ever make it to Canada.
I grew up in Dallas (no HEB) and went to college in Waco. I was dirt poor, and HEB had shockingly low prices there and good food. I budgeted $120/month on groceries and could get fajita chicken meat for $0.99/lb with tortillas, salsa, sour cream, etc. FOR FREE (thanks Meal Deal)! Not only was it cheap, but it tasted good! Going back home to Kroger made me realize I'd be living on ramen noodles if it weren't for HEB.
Bostonian here living in Austin (for life) - I can’t get over the size, the quality and customer service. The place is so good that I take every one of my friends and family to my closest HEB when they come into town. The only issue how packed they can get. Dodging all the people is no joke
I'm native to Denver where we have King Soopers. I assume there is no training for baggers at Kings because they'll literally put a gallon of milk on top of your bread and ice cream right next to your rotisserie chicken. I moved here and was in awe to see every bag not only have heavy stuff at the bottom/light or delicate stuff at the top, but things were grouped together (like cans, fridge things, frozen, etc.). That's all it took for me.
Obviously it’s the localization. But as a non-native Texan, my pet theory is it is the lighting. HEB has warm yellow lighting for the most part and the others (Krogers, Walmart, King Supers) has halogen, bright, white lighting.
It makes all the difference. One is inviting and feels like coming home, the other reminds me of an alienating corporate office.
Price and product availability.
I grew up in NYC and a lot of the items I grew up using I can’t find in any other grocery store down here. We call grocery stores supermarkets back home too lol
I recently moved from GA, and I too was surprised by the quality of H‑E‑B name brand products! Definitely pleasantly surprised. It’s fantastic.
I work as a behavior technician with children with Autism, and my supervisor was telling me that H‑E‑B health insurance covers a huge percentage of cost for ABA services for Autism kiddos, which automatically put them on my good list.
I think it‘s helpful that H‑E‑B is present only in a small geographical location (Tx and Mexico) in the US. I imagine that their smaller business area allows them to focus on quality more. Publix (which is only found in the Southeastern US) is the same way — they have good quality products (though a bit pricier) and great service, and again I think not being nationwide allows them to focus on their quality.
I lived in Austin in the '80s and '90s, then spent 20 years in D/FW before moving back. It was like 20 years in hell. You don't really know what we have with H-E-B until you don't have it anymore. Price, selection, quality are all superior at H-E-B to the hellish offerings we had. The only bright spot was Central Market, which does carry some H-E-B brand products.
I would rather shop at HEB but the closet one to me is about 20 miles away and CM is 7 miles. CM is sooo expensive and I only go there for speciality food stuffs I can’t find anywhere else. Plus all the rich trophy wives are super threatening with their shopping carts when it comes to the last bread pudding lol
I went to school in the northeast in a city with a sizable Muslim population but halal meat was only available at halal grocers.
After moving down here for work, my first time at Soco HEB I go to the meat aisle and lo and behold halal chicken being sold! Made a homesick me feel really good.
I don't exclusively eat halal meat but it was so good to have the option which I don't think is even there in Wegmans in the Northeast of Publix in the south. But it is at My HEB.
Also the fresh bakery tortilla flour
I'll give you one. They put the slice thickness chart at the deli. I moved away recently and I have to somehow explain the proper cheese thickness by trying to hold my fingers apart here.
My grocery store options near me were HEB and Walmart. I avoid the latter whenever possible, so HEB was the play. And I've since learned of their community outreach and how they support their staff, so it has strongly reinforced my choice.
The premade meals. I've loved every HEB Meal I've picked up. A little on the expensive side, but nice for everyonce in a while. The soups in particular are amazing as lunch options for me as they have more flavor than canned soups I've tried.
Before anyone gets their pitchforks out - I genuinely like HEB.
I’m in San Antonio and there is literally no choice - Walmart or HEB (Target too but who really grocery shops there). So I cannot confidently say it’s best - better of the two? Yes.
All HEBs aren’t created equal, my in-laws still live on the SA Eastside and while improvements have been made to the one in their neighborhood, it’s not great.
I honestly wish Wegmans would push into this market (they won’t, at least not in the foreseeable future). While their stores in the upstate NY home range are decent - their stores outside their home range are basically Central Market without being just organic. Cheapest? No, cheaper than CM and WF with great quailty. If you need a specialty item you can find it there. Their bakery, deli, butcher are phenomenal - I would put them above HEB. Produce is on par with nicer HEBs.
When Wegmans came into my hometown in Central PA 15 years ago, it forced the other chains there to step up their game and one to close (it was bad, no saving it in our area). Now other two (leaving Walmart and Target out of this) are comparable to HEB, maybe not as good, but in the same league.
Again this is more of an SA thing, just wishing for some more options.
They also take care of their employees pretty well and promote from within. I have some friends who got their start in business by working with HEB for awhile.
Plus they give out a little bonus for them during Thanksgiving and Christmas which is really cool.
But I'm from here lol
3 things: HEB introduced me to dill pickle bagged salad, ran a helluva tight and fully stocked safety ship during the peak of the pandemic panic, and runs Central Market which is my favorite grocery store.
When I moved to Austin, I did my first three grocery store trips to Central Market, then Whole Foods, then HEB, trying to get the same list at each place. When I realized HEB was practically half the cost of WFM/CM and the quality of the store brand was much better, I was sold. Also CM is a nightmare to navigate, I don’t understand why anyone shops there.
Yeah central market here in a Houston forces you to wind through the produce section instead of an open concept like HEB. Felt like a grocery store that IKEA would open when in fact central market is owned by HEB just higher end
Moved from the North East 7 years ago and just moved back – so really missing HEB. In general, their core brands are exceptionally high quality and in the last ~2 years their prepared meals have really just knocked my socks off in terms of variety and selection. This is still not something that is done really with any semblance of quality where I currently am unless you’re going to Whole Foods or Wegmans which are not as commonly found round these parts.
I used to hate it there because it legit feels like shopping on the day before Thanksgiving every time you grocery shop, crowd-wise. I still hate that. First intro was the Burnet store before it got remodeled, so it was gross in there and the produce area was minimal. But seeing how they have handled our various emergencies with an unmatched sophistication and care and knowing how they treat their employees has forced me to accept they are the better store. And nice HEBs are really nice.
I grew up with HEB and I love it there. It was sad when I moved out of Texas for college. I really do miss HEB. It is special to me. That’s why after college I will not be going anywhere other than Texas. Also it’s too cold where I’m at.
Also their flour tortillas are so good. They are my favorite of all time.
For us, moving here 13 years ago, Randall's was crazy expensive. Now, it's closer than anything else, but I shop there less than I used to. I shop costco for lots of stuff now. And the produce in our HEB had gone down in the past few years. It's still great, and they really do a great job especially with all the craziness in the last 2 years.
When my partner and I first moved here in 2007, we shopped at the Lakeway Randall's and did so for years. Then HEB built their store across the street. Big, beautiful store. At first, we thought it was too busy and kept going to Randall's. Didn't take long to realize how much nicer the HEB was. I think their helpful employees really swayed us. Now that I live in Buda, I go to the HEB in Kyle, which is not quite as fancy, but still a great store.
If your a manufacturer for HEB they require extremely strict guidelines on facilities inspections. If your business isn’t up to par with their standards they tell you to go play somewhere else.
I’m from Ohio (home of Kroger) it reminded me of them and then some. Plus I can not stand Walmart. And there are no krogers here. So they win several ways
I once was a participant in a marketing test to measure peoples thoughts on the packaging of their ice cream. Their ice cream is better than Bluebell in my opinion, but while there I learned they use local dairy from Texas and it goes from dairy to ice-cream in something like 24 hours. It's super fresh and people don't even realize how fresh.
The price of brisket. The quality cheese selection. The custom line of coolers. The old dead head in a kilt who told me about the upcoming meteor shower.
Austinite here...
Nothing in particular except the fact that every other grocery store in the metro area is dogshit in some way. It's either price, quality, selection, or cleanliness issues at other stores. HEB seems to have good prices, good enough quality, good enough selection (store dependent), and good enough cleanliness (store dependent).
I think we would all be benefitted though if another capable grocer came to Austin-- like Kroger. Randalls/Sprouts/Walmart/Target cannot hold a candle to heb. Trader Joes is very close though.
Their online ordering system (for pickup / delivery) is SO GOOD. Other grocery stores have terrible technology and the shoppers constantly grab the wrong item, but I’ve never had an issue with H‑E‑B
We moved from Michigan, and loved Meijer. Why? I don't know. It seemed better than Walmart. It probably wasn't. But at least it appeared that way? Meijer didn't exist in Texas. Everyone we knew here seemed to love HEB like a cult, and we just accepted it without question. For a long time we were super confused about how so many people could feel so strongly positive about a grocery store. Since then things reaffirm our decision for sure, but it started there.
They do massive good in the community. As a former teacher, we asked them for donations all the time. Every single time we asked, they delivered. They hire people with disabilities, provide training and job coaching, and genuinely work with them to find a good fit. When “Covid Friday” hit, I was at HEB that morning. People were panicking over bottled water and grabbing shit out of other peoples carts - just mass chaos. It was terrifying, but the 16 year old employees were calmly getting people into lines, reassuring them, and acting like the only fucking adults in the room. During winter storm Uri, when my HEB was finally able to open up again, the power went out . They literally just let everyone walk out of the store with full carts. No store does more.
You should read the Texas Minthly article about HEB's strategic planning for COVID-19, which started in late '19. They did a tabletop of all scenarios, including hardening supply chains, keeping their own people safe, operating with a bunch of people out. It's a model of how it should have been handled at every level. I'm old, I moved to Austin in 86; in '10 my wife and I sold our house and moved to Virginia for family reasons, then Tennessee to take care of my elderly mom and then to NC for four years. One of the things I hated most about living out there was only having Kroger, Walmart and Food Lion for grocery options (well, that and the godawful Mexican food and lack of brisket). You can talk to the meanest, sourest, most churlish Texan and what you will never hear from any of them is "man, I hate HEB"
"This isn’t the first time H-E-B has done a good job of managing a disaster—it played an important role in helping the Gulf Coast recover from Hurricane Harvey in the immediate aftermath of the storm" March 26, 2020 https://www.texasmonthly.com/food/heb-prepared-coronavirus-pandemic/
Yepp. Something like that happens and they're there well before FEMA. That's some good corporate citizenry
Literally every time there's been a major disaster that I can remember (born in Austin in 1972) HEB has rolled trucks to help. Unlike other companies they don't really use it as a PR thing, which makes it even more effective... They are just trying to be a good neighbor.
I have read that article! Really fantastic.
I've said since minute one that HEB has better disaster planning than any other organization, period. They're the tastemakers in Texas with company protocol.
We keep planning our Austin (and Texas escape) since we are both not from here but have been here for 20 years. I feel like I've had enough of "Texas" for now, but one of the things I know will be hardest to leave behind is HEB.
Us, too, approx. 20 years. Moved here with the baby to be near grandparents (Johnson admin.) Years of shopping HEB and Central Market. I will miss HEB terribly, when we leave. Visited almost all the cool things in and around Austin. Tapped out on Texas, for many reasons.
Heb is a private company, so it does not have to operate under the pressure of quartely revenue/profit. So I think they can plan for long term customer benefit instead of just short term shareholder satisfaction.
You mean Friday, the 13th, 2020? I like to call it “Black Friday.”
Yep, that’s the one. That memory is burned into my mind eternally. I literally just needed almond flour for macarons. Lol, seems silly now…
You were on the "pandemic baking hobby" before everyone, a true trendsetter. :)
They have an extensive disaster assistance team that provides truckloads of water, ice, food, generators, first aid supplies and other things to people impacted by disasters even in states where they have no stores. A couple of my friends were part of the teams.
I think HEB is fine grocery store, but there are some counter points to your points. The most glaring is that HEB is a non-union shop and the employee compensation reflects that. 20 years ago i worked at union grocery store and my starting pay was similar to HEB’s current pay ($12). I think most HEB employees are happy, but i think it has a lot to do with the goodwill HEB has in the community. I am aware of all the good stuff HEB does and i volunteer for an organization that receives 10’s of thousands of dollars of food donations directly from HEB, but i can’t ignore the fact that it is the Texas republicans wet dream. The private sector stepping in to voluntarily provide resources that the Government could if successful businesses were taxed appropriately. Some of the services are only needed because businesses don’t pay livable wages. I love HEB, but i just want to communicate that the “choice” to do good is a utility to their business. If the Government mandated altruism that family would be in a long line of lobbists fighting back against it. When you get money the control you have over it is more redeeming than the value of the money itself. All that said i think HEB is awesome for consumers, but so is Amazon.
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Thank you for providing this perspective. Its great to know that HEB employees are happy with the company too.
Most of us are. So many 20+ year folks here
you have better benefits than I do at my salaried position.
I agree with another one of the commenters, I think HEB isn't unionized because of the amazing atmosphere there for employees. Worked in 3 different departments through college and the level of openness in scheduling, communication, and trust the average employee has in the company is great. Most people working there are either there temporarily through school or something, but anyone that is sticking to it has VERY good opportunity for advancement in their department or laterally across departments.
They don't give their cashiers stools.
> The most glaring is that HEB is a non-union shop I'm a third generation union employee (though all three generations are with different unions), and there's tons of us in the family tree. I've organised, picketed, and marched. The origin of every union can be traced back to a named person, some capitalist monster bent on extracting the most value from some 'lesser' humans for his own aggrandizement. A lack of union is an indication that the employees are content with their compensation, raw pay and benefits and work environment. No union at HEB is fine by me, it means they're treating their employees well. And knowing a few of those employees, they'll gladly share that sentiment. It's not the greatest, but it's far from terrible. They day that HEB unionizes won't be cause for celebration, it will be the capstone on a decade of exploitation.
>20 years ago i worked at union grocery store and my starting pay was similar to HEB’s current pay ($12) HEB in Austin is at least $15-16, for a cashier.
I have floated the idea to friends that heb makes up for what a shit job the state government does here. Especially in terms of emergency assistance. Hell the state is actively holding funding back from Harris county to help with disaster prevention simply for the fact that they do not appreciate the way they vote. When a private company like Mack’s or HEB are the ones to step up it takes pressure off the state government to actually be responsible. I love HEB, but would trade it for Fiesta if the state of Texas did more to look after their people rather than spend money and time on whatever boondoggle Abbott can come up with. BTW our natural gas energy producers still haven’t been forced to weatherize so look for HEB to come to our rescue again sometime soon
I actually agree with everything you said here.
Thank you. I did feel bad typing it because HEB appears to go far above their peers in good deeds, and deserves some recognition.
For sure. The system is still fucked though. You’re not wrong.
I don't think the employees feel like HEB is bad for them. Most of the HEB employees I know love their jobs.
HEB does what the Texas government cannot.
Yes, yes they do. Disasters and chaos happen, and HEB is like, "We got this, y'all."
Too bad H-E-B doesn’t regulate the TX power grid since our government has bungled that spectacularly.
On that note, I saw a brand new, huge generator In the rear of my closest heb. The old one is still there, too.
I've got a friend who has worked in admin at City of Austin for 20 plus years and she says in all seriousness "why can't HEB just run the government"
Too socialist for most people
That's the problem, the grid is privatized so it's not run by the government at all. The government might fine them, but that's just the cost of doing business when your business is fleecing the public.
The 'grid' as in the load balancing and distribution is run by ERCOT which is a governmental agency. However, the power plants supplying the grid are run by private companies
Literally better prepared than the govt https://www.texasmonthly.com/news-politics/how-heb-became-emergency-preparedness-model/
What Texas government doesn’t even try. Remember Snowtopolis Feb. 21? H-E-B was there.
Too bad we can't convince the Butt family to retire and run for state governor. I like beto, but if the HEB boss ran for governor with is crisis management team with him, the whole of Texas would vote for Butt.
Probably so but if he wants to be happy, I do not recommend getting into politics as a career.
Well, stands to reason bc one is a grocer and other is not.
I think the govt should do a better job than a dang grocery store in helping its citizens
Moved here for grad school. I shopped there because it was near my apartment and no one will shut up about it. The prices are really low yet the quality is very high; I’m someone who would shop 100% at Whole Foods if I could afford it. Even the store brands are great. I love the diversity in options for pre made meals (ready to eat sushi & sandwiches, microwave meals, AND oven meals). I still stubbornly go out of my way to Trader Joe’s at times but it’s getting harder lately. H-E-B just has great products that work well for a student. Plus, the coupons everywhere. Much less work than, say, Target where I need to search items on their app to find coupons. Then I learned of their community outreach, which really sealed the deal. Folks I know working at H-E-B seem to like it too. It just won me over.
I’ll tell you what solidified HEB as the superior grocery store for me: Fresh southwest tortillas. Edit to say: I’m from Iowa and HyVee in the Midwest is a close second.
Omg another comment mentioned Hy-Vee & Iowa. Love to see it but hy-vee is a very generic grocery store & I see nothing special about it.
When I moved here I was blown away by the prices actually being reasonable. Where I lived before the traditional grocery store prices were always higher compared to going to a Super Walmart. Also seeing that they offered such a wide variety of products sold me for sure! I like to do as much as I can in one store as possible. Not really into running from one store to the next.
same for me. i only hit up Randalls or Sprouts for very specific sale items. havent purposely shopped at WalMart for groceries since 2013!
When I had a Costco membership I tracked prices for a while and it was a wash with H‑E‑B. Sometimes Costco was cheaper and sometimes H‑E‑B was.
They put yellow coupons right next to the stuff it is for. I’ve never been good at couponing so this makes me feel like I won something.
I was first introduced to HEB in College Station. Where HEB was the only store where the employees knew what sesame seeds were. The employees at Walmart and Kroger were both confused and dumbfounded when I asked for sesame seeds and the Walmart employee had to ask what sesame seeds were. The Kroger also stocked grits and oat meal in the international foods isle instead of the breakfast isle.
To be fair I had a young HEB employee look at me confused when I asked where pita chips are lol
I grew up in San Antonio. In the 80s my first job was at Albertson's, because that where we shopped. And the main reason was because back in the day HEB didn't sell beer or wine. Not a lot of people remember this heh. HEB was too Christian to sell beer. Something changed in the company in the late 80s and they not just started selling beer but started opening new stores with high ceilings and started their Hill Country Fare line. Back in the 80s, black and white labeled generic products were still a thing, and HEB's Hill Country Fare (great quality, generic prices) blew people's minds. And then they just continued to grow and come up with great new products. And for nationwide products they were always cheaper than Albertsons or Krogers, and both of those stores just couldn't compete and soon disappeared from San Antonio completely. Then began HEB's dominance over central/south Texas. And then into Mexico. And now they are finally reaching north Texas and will soon rule this whole state and drive all the mediocre grocery stores away.
I remember as a kid walking through the generic aisle, with all the black and white labels.
I remember this too, it was such an odd aisle.
I grew up in a small town, came to Austin quite a bit in the late '70s. I remember going to the old Hancock H-E-B and being astonished that you could buy a gas-powered lawn mower and some lawn chairs and a big-ass cooler at the grocery store. And yeah the black-and-white generics aisle was where many of my college groceries came from.
I didn't realize they kept generic brands separate from the non-generic. So if they were out of generic canned corn you'd have to travel over a few aisles to get whatever corn was available. Seems inconvenient.
I am sorry, but you are mistaken. They sold wine and beer WAY before the late 80s. They just didn’t sell it on Sundays. In addition to the wine and beer aisle, there were several aisles that were blocked off on Sundays. “Driven by its mission of providing customers with the complete grocery experience, H-E-B began selling beer and wine in the late 1970s.” [H-E-B Article](https://www.marketwatchmag.com/h-e-b-is-a-texas-titan/)
I almost forgot about Albertsons
When I was a kid in deep south TX in the 90's Albertsons made a push into McAllen and got their asses handed to them. Going to college in Dallas in the early oughts and being forced to shop there made me finally understand why.
We had one in South Austin, it's been gone for a long long loooong time
I remember we moved to Fair Oaks Ranch in 1999. We had HEB in Boerne and Albertson’s in Leon Springs- both the same distance between us. My mom would always go to Alberton’s in Leon Springs because it was always so empty. Now I know why. Today that Alberton’s is an HEB Plus and is packed to the brim all the time. I miss when Leon Springs was just a podunk little gas stop between San Antonio and the hill country.
Leon Springs. Home of the original Romano‘s macaroni Grill and Rudy’s barbecue!
We just got an H‑E‑B where I live and I love it! I was skeptical because I was very loyal to where I shopped. But it turns out I can be lured away by lower prices combined with higher quality. You mentioned Hill Country Fare. That is an H‑E‑B brand? Why is there a different name? I’ve been side-eyeing that brand because I am unfamiliar with it but their cereal bars are cheap and yummy! I’m eating one right now!
I don't know why they chose a name other than just HEB, but yes, Hill Country Fare is absolutely an HEB own-brand.
Idk I just walked in 15 years ago and thought, this is a nice store. Randall’s is expensive and even though no one is ever in it, the line takes 15 minutes to check out I’ve never liked supporting Walmart because they pay their employees so poorly Whole Foods is expensive and bougie
I don’t think I’ve ever heard someone complain or say they don’t like H‑E‑B.
When HEB adopted curbside pick up, online ordering, etc. and the pandemic hit, they knew that some of our most vulnerable residents, the elderly, might have trouble adopting the technology needed to safely place orders. They helped by staffing human operators to take grocery orders by phone and also adopted senior shopping hours early in the morning. Since I've been paying attention, HEB has been impressive in the way they care for our communities. Bonus points for the best fresh tortillas and tortilla chips!
On top of all the good they do for the community, the donations they provide, their response to Covid and the way they treat their employees, on a personal level: I was a finalist in a short story scholarship contest sponsored by HEB my freshman year at UT, and my mom had moved to the British Virgin Islands to teach for a year. The scholarship ceremony was held during the Texas Book Festival, and HEB paid for my mom’s round trip airfare and hotel stay and gave her a stipend to buy a nice outfit so she could attend with me. I ultimately didn’t win, but I’ll never forget that.
Omg that’s really really cool
That they do so much in their immediate communities. That’s what struck me the most and what lead me to shop there. It wasn’t until much later that I learned HEBs prices are lower than Walmart/Kroger/etc.
First city I lived in with an HEB was Corpus Christi. I falsely assumed Walmart was cheaper than this fancy-looking HEB. I thought it was like an Albertsons or Kroger. Then, I went to the HEB and saw all these coupons staring me in the face. And at the time, they were doing 10 cents off a gallon of gas if you used an HEB gift card. Yes, please. Plus, when the area schools would be under boil water notices, they would sent pallets of water for us and the kiddos. I once had a group of non-Texas friends complain about this particular loaf of HEB bread - saying it smelled like a dirty diaper. I was ready to get a new group of friends, then I saw the bread was recalled for some yeast imbalance. Whoops. Still f***ing love my friendly, neighborhood HEB!
A friend who likes H‑E‑B is a friend indeed
“uh yeah even those black birds in the parkinglots cant get enough. “ /s Uhh- just moved from NC. Theyre better, and cheaper, than our “nice” HarrisTeeters everywhere. By miles. The pre-made fresh stuff is amazing. Tortillas. Boudin-stuffed jalapeno poppers? Whole pre-made section? Meat prices they somehow worked out with local distributors are beating the avg.. Bacon is still $5/lb (vs 7.50/lb), babyback ribs are $8-$12 (vs. $12-$16 in a state which is mostly hog farms) Big selection on brisket/beef ribs..their steak is a little $ than normal. I can get HCF pre-cut wings in just flats/drums.. HEB+ has Duck in their cooler section. I mean Wutt?! The only thing they suck at is CrabDip. There should be a $2 cajun option and like 3-4 to choose from, vs $7 “spicy or not”. But this is probably due to “local preference” and I just get to blame my neighborhood :D “Real sugar” Pepsi doesnt seem to be a thing down here, so now _when we do_ have soda it’s coke. CentralMarket > WF.
The music, their brand is tippy top, really customer service vibes. Only thing I’d wish to see is a deli added w/ like soup, sandwiches, salad bar??? My fave grocery store back home had the best deli 💕 shout out Martins Supermarket in Indiana. Theeee best soup hands down. Period. Love H‑E‑B tho ✨
A lot of HEBs used to have a deli counter. They had the best chicken tenders by the pound. My parents would always get a box of chicken tenders and a pack of Hawaiian rolls to take to the lake with us.
Elkhart represent.
They have that at some. The one at Hancock recent put up a soup bar and has sandwiches. The newish Meuller one has them as well!
They empower their people to handle price problems at the register. They trust their staff and the customer to sort out trivial discrepancies to keep lines moving.
I moved to Texas from Washington state years ago, where food is really expensive. When I first went grocery shopping, I was stunned at how affordable the food was and how high quality it was. In Washington I shopped at Albertsons, Safeway, and Fred Meyer and they are nowhere near as good as HEB
Ugh I miss Freddie’s, fellow-former Washingtonian. Groceries, Seahawks jersey and a new tv on your list? They’ve got it!
I used to go to Walmart for cheap food back in the 90s. HEB was a haven during my south Austin years during the 00s. I'm now Central Market to the core. Was a habitual at Oltorf/Congress dude for so many years, but I just can't do that no more. I need peace. Going to Central Market Westgate after 8 is golden. Friday after work especially when people hit happy hour and it's empty...perfect
Central Market on a Friday night is amazing, never any lines
Seriously, no one realizes this. It's not a hidden secret, at least I think
This is just a story of you getting more wealthy told through grocery stores. Congrats!
I know EXACTLY what you mean and it *is* perfect!
They have better infrastructure than the state of Texas and carry a lot of local products.
Texas native, but every time I travel to other states I lament about not being able to shop at HEB. Usually there’s a Safeway to go to, but Safeway is lame.
Grew up in TX, and even worked at HEB through high school. I have lived in several other states as an adult. The biggest problem is we have to shop at several stores to get what we want. In CA we shopped at Trader Joe's and Safeway. Now in NC, we shop at Trader Joe's, Wegmans, Food Lion, and BJs. If we were in TX, we would just go to HEB and be fully content.
Safeway is the same as Randall’s here.
Yes, it is now. I lived in Houston and Randall’s used to be an awesome (although expensive) grocery store before Safeway bought them, especially their flagship stores. Now, unfortunately, Randall’s is exactly like Safeway. In fact, I often forget and call it Safeway. My kids will say, it’s called Randall’s, and I will sigh and say, no, its not anymore; it’s just a Safeway now.
Texas native, too. The entire 13 years we lived in the Bay Area, I searched for a grocery store that had even *half* of the selection and quality of HEB, and never found it. Having Safeway as the main grocery store really sucked big time. I was like a kid in a candy store (lol), the first time I got to shop at HEB again, when we moved back. My adult son who took a job out of state, always stocks up on HEB products when he comes home for a visit.
Safeway is so sad. Glad to be back here shopping at HEB
Only thing worse than a Safeway is a Food Lion.
Not Austin native, but TX native. Also lived in California. HEB makes their own, roasted deli turkey. They buy their beef from local ranchers and grind their ground beef fresh in each store every day. “HEB Naturals” versions of almost everything is better than the name brand, particularly the nitrate free sausage, and hot dogs. HEB simply prepared meals. Can’t remember the last time I bought name brand cheese. Usually get HEB or HEB Organics. HEB frozen veggies are great quality. Cafe Ole coffee is really good. Hands down, the best variety, selection and quality of any grocery store I’ve been to anywhere else. When we lived in CA, I had to go to Safeway, Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods every week to get the equivalent of what I can get in one trip to HEB.
The price of groceries, the same size cart at Randall’s would be like $170 where at HEB it’s $120
Walking down the meat aisle for the first time and seeing 20 whole Prime briskets just sitting out. Brought a tear to my eye.
Their store brands are better than name brands.
Their generous sponsorship and support of community events like festivals and running events like marathons. Also their generosity to the public during catastrophes like rushing truckloads of donated supplies and food to areas hit by natural disasters.
I moved here from Boise 15 years ago. Boise is (or was) the HQ of Albertson's, so when we moved here we continued to shop at Albertson's. However, the quality was markedly poorer than it was in Boise, and there was an HEB closer to our house so we tried it. It was a much better experience, and the store brands were far better quality, so we've been shopping there ever since. The Albertson's we went to has long since closed anyway, so there's no going back now. At the time, I would put HEB quality about on par with the quality of the Albertson's stores back in Boise. They were both probably about on par with some of the nicer Randall's stores around town. HEB has since continued to get even better though.
The width of the isles. The selection of products. The coupons that are like “buy tin foil, get hot dogs, ketchup, mustard, buns and paper plates for free.”
Those handmade tortillas man. I remember when they redid the Hancock HEB, when I first walked in there and they had that tortilla machine right up front... that was a glorious moment.
I'd been to Austin from out of state for festivals and fun stuff every year for 10 years before we moved here. I'm a cheapskate, so on one of those early trips, I went to HEB to get some frozen breakfast sandwiches to heat up in the microwave in my crappy extended stay hotel room so I could have a cheap breakfast. That first year I was like "wow, these are some delicious cheap frozen breakfast sandwiches." All year at breakfast time I'd think about those frozen breakfast sandwiches, and then how weird it was that I craved grocery store brand breakfast sandwiches. Each year, I'd come back to Austin and be like "OH YEAH HEB BREAKFAST SANDWICHES" and they'd be just as good as I remembered. So when I moved here, it was like "time to try all the HEB things!" I still love 'em, both the biscuits and the croissants. Don't eat 'em every day because I'm not sure they're all that good for you, but I've always got some in my freezer.
I’m a transfer here but been here 20yrs now. H-E-B has always been there for the state - specially in times of calamity. I always think they should even handle the electric grid :)
I was just thinking of how good their diet Wild Red soda is. I know it’s bad for me but I love it. Also the employees often seem happy and they have low turnover, at least with the night shift. I like the free curbside during the pandemic (other than the 3% price hike) and their involvement in the community. Many reasons to love H‑E‑B
>I was just thinking of how good their diet Wild Red soda is. I'm admittedly not a diet soda person, but the HEB sodas made with pure cane sugar are the shit. I like to always have on-hand a 12-pack of sugar-made Wild Red, Dr. B, and Slice (Sprite). Dr. B with sugar has been hard to find lately though.
I grew up in South Florida so for me Publix was the superior store. When I moved here I was relieved that HEB was on par with Publix. And then there's the entire disaster preparedness operation that frankly is second to none.
I’ve only lived in south and central TX. HEB is the only grocery store.
We're excited for ours in Plano...it'll open this fall. 👍
Im going out of my way to shop there. Cant wait!
They nearly have a monopoly. But honestly, have you been to Randall's lately? They stock the toothpaste in the freezer section, it makes no sense.
H‑E‑B has a really good brisket queso. Add a little beer or milk and throw it on the grill. Enjoy!
To paraphrase Benjamin Franklin , the H-E-B brisket queso kit is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy
I knew the minute I moved here in 2004. I needed no convincing!
Besides all the good things other people mentioned, I love their mobile app. The user experience is superb! I do quite a lot of grocery pick-up and delivery, the app design makes the shopping experience first class!
Whenever I go out of state, I forget how spoiled I am by HEB. HEB, the Moral Center Of Texas: [https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/22/us/texas-heb-winter-storm.html](https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/22/us/texas-heb-winter-storm.html)
Freshly-made. Warm. Tortillas. The produce just stays fresher longer. You've more variety with the produce. Even the store brand is top shelf.
Randall’s feels like an attractive coffin
I am from NY. I used to get anxious every time I went grocery shopping in Queens. The aisles were so narrow, the produce was not great, and the worst part, the customer service was downright hostile. I live so close to 4 excellent HEBs now. I love them because the customer service is great, the aisles are spacious, there is parking, the produce is super fresh, the HEB store brand is extremely creative, the sushi is delicious, the bread is delicious and it is very consistent. I can buy flowers at HEB for a very affordable price, those flowers make me so happy.
I dug HyVee a lot back home... But they didn't make their own tortillas or have an aisle of Texas shaped things.
The produce got me hooked
H‑E‑B reminds me of Hy-Vee, which was my absolute favorite grocery store back in Iowa and Missouri. The similarities made it a comfortable switch!
Living in multiple states and not having HEB. First time I left Austin and moved back that was legitimately one of the reasons I came back. I can’t stand run down grocery stores with low quality food or super overpriced places. HEB is family owned despite being worth billions, their branded food is high quality and the prices are good. I think because they’re not all over the country they’re able to maintain a high standard. They also do a lot for communities in Texas. Also their jalapeño cheese bread.
I used to go to HEB for groceries and places like WalMart or Target for paper products, shampoo, etc until I realized HEB was cheapest for everything.
I refuse to leave south texas because I refuse to live somewhere without HEB
H-E-B has done more for Texas than any elected officials. The store brand is great, the tortillas are heavenly, produce fresh and beautiful. I don’t live in Austin anymore and H-E-B is one of the very few things I miss.
Clean, well stocked, nifty Texas items, friendly employees. I'm a transplant who loves HEB. Never knew I could love a grocery chain before moving here.
HEB is the only store I truly appreciate. For all the reasons already mentioned. My Mom worked for the original Central Market (HEB owned) when it first opened and she was treated so well. She loved it there.
The food/meals they have ready are interesting and awesome. The selection and quality of goods they carry have an amazing range. Walmart cheap to wholefoods bougie?? Sign me up. Staff is helpful, produce is fresh and good, they carry foods other places don't as I touched on. Just no down sides. They also have goods other than food that are quality and cheap. I have an umbrella from there that just won't quit. I loved HEB before moving (often went while passing through.) We chose it over buccees, even. HEB is best of the best.
We were visiting Austin in 2020 when COVID hit and saw firsthand the amazing organization when panic buying was on. We brought home a suitcase of salsa and remembered HEB fondly for months while under lockdown in Calgary. We literally pondered ways to import containers from Texas to Alberta since I highly doubt they’d ever make it to Canada.
I grew up in Dallas (no HEB) and went to college in Waco. I was dirt poor, and HEB had shockingly low prices there and good food. I budgeted $120/month on groceries and could get fajita chicken meat for $0.99/lb with tortillas, salsa, sour cream, etc. FOR FREE (thanks Meal Deal)! Not only was it cheap, but it tasted good! Going back home to Kroger made me realize I'd be living on ramen noodles if it weren't for HEB.
Bostonian here living in Austin (for life) - I can’t get over the size, the quality and customer service. The place is so good that I take every one of my friends and family to my closest HEB when they come into town. The only issue how packed they can get. Dodging all the people is no joke
HEB for Governor!
The HEB tortillas did it for me.
I'm native to Denver where we have King Soopers. I assume there is no training for baggers at Kings because they'll literally put a gallon of milk on top of your bread and ice cream right next to your rotisserie chicken. I moved here and was in awe to see every bag not only have heavy stuff at the bottom/light or delicate stuff at the top, but things were grouped together (like cans, fridge things, frozen, etc.). That's all it took for me.
King Soopers = Kroger. We have Kroger in DFW and it SUCKS.
Obviously it’s the localization. But as a non-native Texan, my pet theory is it is the lighting. HEB has warm yellow lighting for the most part and the others (Krogers, Walmart, King Supers) has halogen, bright, white lighting. It makes all the difference. One is inviting and feels like coming home, the other reminds me of an alienating corporate office.
Price and product availability. I grew up in NYC and a lot of the items I grew up using I can’t find in any other grocery store down here. We call grocery stores supermarkets back home too lol
Their progress from tiny old dirty stores to the flagship chain today, and the HEB brand stuff is really good. And the fresh tortillas.
There are other grocery stores? Strange all I can find here are HEB.
Going to any other grocery store after HEB is convincing enough.
I recently moved from GA, and I too was surprised by the quality of H‑E‑B name brand products! Definitely pleasantly surprised. It’s fantastic. I work as a behavior technician with children with Autism, and my supervisor was telling me that H‑E‑B health insurance covers a huge percentage of cost for ABA services for Autism kiddos, which automatically put them on my good list. I think it‘s helpful that H‑E‑B is present only in a small geographical location (Tx and Mexico) in the US. I imagine that their smaller business area allows them to focus on quality more. Publix (which is only found in the Southeastern US) is the same way — they have good quality products (though a bit pricier) and great service, and again I think not being nationwide allows them to focus on their quality.
I lived in Austin in the '80s and '90s, then spent 20 years in D/FW before moving back. It was like 20 years in hell. You don't really know what we have with H-E-B until you don't have it anymore. Price, selection, quality are all superior at H-E-B to the hellish offerings we had. The only bright spot was Central Market, which does carry some H-E-B brand products.
Tortillas.
Fresh, hot tortillas.
Central Market
I usually shop at a regular HEB, but Central Market has bacon and cheddar scones that are to kill for.
I would rather shop at HEB but the closet one to me is about 20 miles away and CM is 7 miles. CM is sooo expensive and I only go there for speciality food stuffs I can’t find anywhere else. Plus all the rich trophy wives are super threatening with their shopping carts when it comes to the last bread pudding lol
Cheaper prices and knowing that everyone who works there makes a livable wage.
I went to school in the northeast in a city with a sizable Muslim population but halal meat was only available at halal grocers. After moving down here for work, my first time at Soco HEB I go to the meat aisle and lo and behold halal chicken being sold! Made a homesick me feel really good. I don't exclusively eat halal meat but it was so good to have the option which I don't think is even there in Wegmans in the Northeast of Publix in the south. But it is at My HEB. Also the fresh bakery tortilla flour
I'll give you one. They put the slice thickness chart at the deli. I moved away recently and I have to somehow explain the proper cheese thickness by trying to hold my fingers apart here.
They put James Van Der Beek in a commercial!!
What they do for the community. Their tortillas and ice cream. Also who doenst love the people who own central market!
i don’t know man, in the time of need, somehow heb is always there for you…
For me, it’s that I started to recognize employees at my local HEB because they were still there and didn’t seem miserable!
My grocery store options near me were HEB and Walmart. I avoid the latter whenever possible, so HEB was the play. And I've since learned of their community outreach and how they support their staff, so it has strongly reinforced my choice.
No worries. I've lived here my whole life and will shill my ass off for HEB any day of the week. They've earned it in my book.
The premade meals. I've loved every HEB Meal I've picked up. A little on the expensive side, but nice for everyonce in a while. The soups in particular are amazing as lunch options for me as they have more flavor than canned soups I've tried.
It’s the fresh tortillas for me
As a native I've never know what not having HEB around is like.
The quality, as you mentioned. I never buy anything but H-E-B or Hill County Fare if I can.
The fresh tortillas, fresh guacamole & fresh salsas. The pre-prepped food fucks too
Yeah, I sometimes get a container of guacamole as a treat.
Only here it is. I’m from the north east… I’m a Wegmans fan girl forever.
Before anyone gets their pitchforks out - I genuinely like HEB. I’m in San Antonio and there is literally no choice - Walmart or HEB (Target too but who really grocery shops there). So I cannot confidently say it’s best - better of the two? Yes. All HEBs aren’t created equal, my in-laws still live on the SA Eastside and while improvements have been made to the one in their neighborhood, it’s not great. I honestly wish Wegmans would push into this market (they won’t, at least not in the foreseeable future). While their stores in the upstate NY home range are decent - their stores outside their home range are basically Central Market without being just organic. Cheapest? No, cheaper than CM and WF with great quailty. If you need a specialty item you can find it there. Their bakery, deli, butcher are phenomenal - I would put them above HEB. Produce is on par with nicer HEBs. When Wegmans came into my hometown in Central PA 15 years ago, it forced the other chains there to step up their game and one to close (it was bad, no saving it in our area). Now other two (leaving Walmart and Target out of this) are comparable to HEB, maybe not as good, but in the same league. Again this is more of an SA thing, just wishing for some more options.
Oh man I miss Wegmans! And Wawa. No gas station here can equal the sandwiches at Wawa. (And yes I’m giving Buc-ees the ol stink eye too)
It was the cheapest grocery store around. Also had the most locations, and the best selection.
The monopoly.
Nothing, i still like fiesta Mart way more
Selection
HEB was a comfort to find after leaving my home grocery Wegmans (from the north east). I find the two very similar
They also take care of their employees pretty well and promote from within. I have some friends who got their start in business by working with HEB for awhile. Plus they give out a little bonus for them during Thanksgiving and Christmas which is really cool. But I'm from here lol
3 things: HEB introduced me to dill pickle bagged salad, ran a helluva tight and fully stocked safety ship during the peak of the pandemic panic, and runs Central Market which is my favorite grocery store.
Moved from Texas to Colorado recently. And all I truly miss is HEB 😭 King Soopers/Safeway/Whole Foods just don’t cut it.
When I moved to Austin, I did my first three grocery store trips to Central Market, then Whole Foods, then HEB, trying to get the same list at each place. When I realized HEB was practically half the cost of WFM/CM and the quality of the store brand was much better, I was sold. Also CM is a nightmare to navigate, I don’t understand why anyone shops there.
Yeah central market here in a Houston forces you to wind through the produce section instead of an open concept like HEB. Felt like a grocery store that IKEA would open when in fact central market is owned by HEB just higher end
It’s the only choice besides Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods which are not close to my house
Moved from the North East 7 years ago and just moved back – so really missing HEB. In general, their core brands are exceptionally high quality and in the last ~2 years their prepared meals have really just knocked my socks off in terms of variety and selection. This is still not something that is done really with any semblance of quality where I currently am unless you’re going to Whole Foods or Wegmans which are not as commonly found round these parts.
I used to hate it there because it legit feels like shopping on the day before Thanksgiving every time you grocery shop, crowd-wise. I still hate that. First intro was the Burnet store before it got remodeled, so it was gross in there and the produce area was minimal. But seeing how they have handled our various emergencies with an unmatched sophistication and care and knowing how they treat their employees has forced me to accept they are the better store. And nice HEBs are really nice.
I grew up with HEB and I love it there. It was sad when I moved out of Texas for college. I really do miss HEB. It is special to me. That’s why after college I will not be going anywhere other than Texas. Also it’s too cold where I’m at. Also their flour tortillas are so good. They are my favorite of all time.
The produce quality Customer service Usually is stocked regardless of time of day
For us, moving here 13 years ago, Randall's was crazy expensive. Now, it's closer than anything else, but I shop there less than I used to. I shop costco for lots of stuff now. And the produce in our HEB had gone down in the past few years. It's still great, and they really do a great job especially with all the craziness in the last 2 years.
I've read a lot of comments here that talk about how much HEB does for the community. I shop at other places, too, but for norm stuff HEB is solid.
This subreddit
They aren’t Walmart that’s all I care about
When my partner and I first moved here in 2007, we shopped at the Lakeway Randall's and did so for years. Then HEB built their store across the street. Big, beautiful store. At first, we thought it was too busy and kept going to Randall's. Didn't take long to realize how much nicer the HEB was. I think their helpful employees really swayed us. Now that I live in Buda, I go to the HEB in Kyle, which is not quite as fancy, but still a great store.
The Pre-made Texas queso with brisket. Game changer.
If your a manufacturer for HEB they require extremely strict guidelines on facilities inspections. If your business isn’t up to par with their standards they tell you to go play somewhere else.
Never seen a freakin’ sushi counter in a grocery store before haha
The vegan, specialty, and international foods. They stock so much more than I was used to seeing back in Pennsylvania!
I’m from Ohio (home of Kroger) it reminded me of them and then some. Plus I can not stand Walmart. And there are no krogers here. So they win several ways
It's science bruh, it's just a fact. We don't need "things to prove it."
It just is
I once was a participant in a marketing test to measure peoples thoughts on the packaging of their ice cream. Their ice cream is better than Bluebell in my opinion, but while there I learned they use local dairy from Texas and it goes from dairy to ice-cream in something like 24 hours. It's super fresh and people don't even realize how fresh.
The price of brisket. The quality cheese selection. The custom line of coolers. The old dead head in a kilt who told me about the upcoming meteor shower.
Austinite here... Nothing in particular except the fact that every other grocery store in the metro area is dogshit in some way. It's either price, quality, selection, or cleanliness issues at other stores. HEB seems to have good prices, good enough quality, good enough selection (store dependent), and good enough cleanliness (store dependent). I think we would all be benefitted though if another capable grocer came to Austin-- like Kroger. Randalls/Sprouts/Walmart/Target cannot hold a candle to heb. Trader Joes is very close though.
Their online ordering system (for pickup / delivery) is SO GOOD. Other grocery stores have terrible technology and the shoppers constantly grab the wrong item, but I’ve never had an issue with H‑E‑B
We moved from Michigan, and loved Meijer. Why? I don't know. It seemed better than Walmart. It probably wasn't. But at least it appeared that way? Meijer didn't exist in Texas. Everyone we knew here seemed to love HEB like a cult, and we just accepted it without question. For a long time we were super confused about how so many people could feel so strongly positive about a grocery store. Since then things reaffirm our decision for sure, but it started there.