8 metro-east grocery stores to help you take your kitchen skills international
There are two types of foodies in the world: those who love to eat and those who love to cook.
I married a foodie who is both types. Not only does he enjoy trying new and different foods, he loves to cook them as well. He’s always watching videos on YouTube, discovering chefs, recipes, cooking methods, and even other foodies critiquing specific dishes.
When the husband tries out a new recipe, finding specific ingredients can sometimes be a challenge. As it happens, there are more international grocery shops in the area than I realized.
Here’s a list of stores that could be useful for any foodie’s culinary journey:
East Gate Grocery | O’Fallon
I’ve been learning to make Japanese dishes at home, so I was absolutely delighted to see all of the offerings at East Gate Grocery, which includes goods I haven’t seen in a local store since Chong’s Oriental Market closed years ago.
Specializing in Asian – mainly Korean – goods, East Gate has bags of rice and barley, packs of noodles, and my favorite flavor of furikake (rice seasoning), which I previously ordered online. I oohed and aahed over all of the seaweed snack options.
Goods at East Gate include:
- Sauces (including a vegan oyster sauce), marinades, oils and other condiments;
- Spices, gochujang (hot pepper paste), ssamjang (soybean paste);
- Fresh produce items - cabbages, bean sprouts and mushrooms;
- Frozen goods that included gyoza (potstickers) and shumai;
- Miso soup mixes;
- Cookies, chips, candies and other snacks;
- Teas and other beverages;
- Kitchen items like chopsticks, spoons and other cooking tools;
- Non-food items like beauty care tools and washcloths – I swear by the Salux beauty skin cloth and have used these for years.
East Gate Grocery is located at 715 Lakepointe Centre Drive, Suite 109, in O’Fallon. Hours listed online are 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday-Friday and 10:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday. For more info, call 618-622-9747.
Filipino Sari-Sari | Belleville
Growing up, one of the best treats my mom used to bring home from Asian grocery stores were boxes of Pocky for my favorite brother and me. Who wouldn’t love a cookie stick covered in chocolate cream? Or, let’s be honest, pretty much anything covered in chocolate?
Located on Belleville’s West Main Street, Filipino Sari-Sari has Pocky (also comes in strawberry), other chocolatey goodies and sweets.
But that’s just a bonus to the selections of rice, noodles, fish (canned, frozen and dried), sauces and marinades available. They also have:
- Curry pastes;
- Tapioca pearls (if you want to make your own boba tea …);
- Tapioca starch, rice flour, tempura mix;
- Sushi nori sheets (seaweed), spring roll skins;
- Frozen goods – banana, bilimbi (kamias) fruit, kalamansi (a citrus fruit), fish (baby scad, milkfish, pampano golden fish).
Filipino Sari-Sari is located 1017 W. Main St. in Belleville. Hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesday-Saturday and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday. For more information, call 618-698-0453 or visit the business’ Facebook page.
Samara’s International Market | Edwardsville
New to Edwardsville’s St. Louis Street, Samara’s International Market offers foods representing multiple regions around the world. There are a lot of Middle Eastern and Mediterranean goods, as well as some Mexican and Asian products.
Items that stood out to me included:
- Herbs, spices and seasonings - Fenugreek (leaves and seeds), fennel seeds, ginger pastes, Himalayan pink salt, and blended spices: Shish Tawook, Kibbeh, Kabsi, Makloubeh, Sojok, Shawarma and more;
- Dried goods: Toor Dal, Chana Dal, Moong Dal and Kala Chana, lentils, couscous;
- Tunisian pitted dates, date paste, fig jam, halva (Middle Eastern confection similar to fudge) with chocolate and pistachios;
- Pierogi, fillo dough, naan;
- Tasty treats that include biscotti, pita chips, baklava.
Samara’s is located at 501 St. Louis St., Edwardsville, and is open 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday-Saturday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. Learn more via the business’ Facebook page or call 618-307-5061.
TQ International Grocery | Fairview Heights
TQ International Grocery opened in June at 712 Lincoln Highway in Fairview Heights and offers goods from countries that include Palestine, Jordan, Jerusalem, Egypt and more.
If you aren’t the type to make everything from scratch, packaged seasoning kits for a wide variety of dishes are stocked at the new store. If you do prefer to cook things from scratch, some individual ingredients are available.
Other goods include:
- Fresh breads (including pita) and produce
- Tinned meats - chicken, beef, fish;
- Frozen meats and other packaged goods;
- Ghee;
- Canned beans, pickles and other vegetables;
- Dried beans and lentils, nuts, semolina wheat, cracked wheat bulgur, dried pastas and rice;
- Snack nuts, cookies, dates, various snack boxes, Dubai chocolate, Turkish Delight(!), dried fruits and seeds.
This business also has an affiliated restaurant in St. Louis. Yasmina Grill & Market (4043 Gravois Ave., 314-776-4842) offers entrées that include chicken, shish tawook, shish kabob, shish lamb, chicken shawarma, sandwiches (gyro, kabob, shish tawook, falafel, chicken shawarma), wings, fish, steak, pizza and multiple other dishes.
TQ International Grocery is located at 712 Lincoln Highway in Fairview Heights. Hours are 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily. For more info, call 618-206-6022 or visit the Facebook page.
Spirito’s Italian Grocery | Collinsville
While not new to the area, there’s a chance you haven’t been to Spirito’s Italian Grocery in Collinsville. (There’s no shame in admitting if you’ve never been; I hadn’t before working on this list.)
This one is definitely worth a visit, whether you plan to cook or not.
As one might expect, the store is well-stocked with pastas (includes dried and fresh pastas, organic, gluten-free and no-bake options), sauces and canned tomatoes, olive oils, dressings and plenty of pickled peppers. Breads are delivered daily from The Hill.
There are canned beans and tinned seafood. The husband occasionally throws sautéed sardines together with pasta and olive oil. Sandy, our beagle, is a big fan and gets some if the garlic is left out.
Spirito’s is also a great place to grab a meal, whether it’s one of their famous sammies, a take-and-bake dish (the lasagna is a popular one), or a house-made pizza.
There is an olive bar, and the olives are huge. Various sausages, salamis, ham, and other meats are available. I spied some packages of Beyond Sausage in the freezer area. Choose from more than two dozen kinds of cheese.
Have a sweet tooth? Check out the cookies, biscotti, and the cannoli station. Coffee drink fans and aspiring baristas might enjoy the varied selection of flavored syrups.
Spirito’s Italian Grocery is located at 228 W. Main St., Collinsville. Hours are 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday-Friday and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday-Sunday. Visit spiritositaliangrocery.com or call 618-344-3256 for more info.
La Jerezana Mexican Market | Fairview Heights
When the husband decided he wanted to make some authentic Mexican pozole, a traditional stew or soup, we went to La Jerezana Tienda Mexicana in Fairview Heights to load up on dried chiles and other ingredients.
In addition to the amazing peppers and spices, La Jerezana has everything you need – fresh, canned, dried and otherwise – to make all sorts of traditional Mexican dishes.
Don’t want packaged flour tortillas? Tortilla flour is available, and they are easy to make. Interested in making your own tamales? They have the corn husks for that. Cheeses, meats, eggs and milk are also in stock.
Beverage options are plentiful with shelves of coffees and hot chocolates, Mexican sodas (made with cane sugar rather than corn syrup), clamato juice and other fruit-based beverages.
La Jerezana sells fresh, homemade salsas and tamales (pork, chicken, jalapeño). Mexican breads, regularly delivered from Diana’s Bakery on St. Louis’ Cherokee Street, are available too.
La Jerezana is located at 4618 N. Illinois St. in Fairview Heights. The business opened in its current location in spring 2022 after operating in Belleville for 14 years. Hours are 8:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday-Friday, 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday.
For more info, call 618-355-9213 or visit the Facebook page.
La Patrona Mexican Grocery Store | Fairview Heights
Fairly new in Fairview Heights is La Patrona Mexican Grocery Store, which has all of the basic necessities for making simple – but tasty – Mexican dishes, from canned and dried beans, dried chiles, spices, sauces, seasonings, tortillas and more.
The store also has fresh Mexican breads and pastries as well as candy, ice cream, soda and other treats.
Visit La Patrona Mexican Market at 515 Lincoln Highway, Suite 6, (behind the Batteries + Bulbs) in Fairview Heights. Hours are 8:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday-Friday, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday.
Reach out by calling 618-722-3467. Check out lapatronamexicangrocerystore.com or the Facebook page to learn more.
El Guapo Mexican Grocery | Belleville
El Guapo Mexican Grocery, located at the Arcades, has goods similar to those found at La Jerezana and La Patrona but is a much smaller shop.
Stand-out products are the bags of dried peppers that include pasilla, ancho, arbol, guajillo, morita and puya peppers. Great for cooking, and they have a good shelf life.
I picked up a 2-liter bottle of Squirt so the husband and I can make palomas at home. I also treated myself to a Jarritos fruit punch soda, which was most refreshing and delish.
El Guapo Mexican Grocery is located at 6500 W. Main St. in Belleville. Hours are 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday-Thursday and 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday-Sunday. For more info, call 618-213-6232 or visit the Facebook page.
This story was originally published August 12, 2025 at 5:30 AM.
